Alyssa's Blogosphere

  When I start to edit the sound on my project, I have a few different ideas as to how I want to emphasize certain emotions in my film. One way to do this is to quiet things down. This is a popular moment in horror movies- lower all background noise to silence to emphasize the sound of heavy breathing from the character onscreen, before bringing all sound back loud and quick for a chase scene. I want to utilize this in my film, because not only does it fit the scene, but it will help to create a tense atmosphere as well. In contrast to the edited sound, though, I want to utilize a mix of natural sound that is enhanced. I can do this using the natural materials around my filming space, as well as editing it to be louder in the final recording when I need it to be. Additionally, I can foley in any additional sound that I want to be crisper. I also want to try to use a mix of ominous sounding piano and violin sounds for my title sequence to enhance the tense, creepy atmosphere.

In terms of filming, I haven’t been able to get a good start. It’s not at all the faults of the people I was trying to work with- life happens and we just have to work around it. Despite the tight schedule, though, I’m not worried about getting everything done. I’m good at working around things and the people I’m trying to work with are great at cooperating and thinking of more innovative ways to get things done. I’ll keep everything updated when I seal the deal on a few last decisions and dates- time never “allows”, so you just have to make it sometimes. I’d actually like to take a moment to talk about my inspirations for my project- I’ve mentioned a few before but I like to hype up media that means something to me. Portrait of God, the short film on youtube I linked a few posts ago, is a low-budget horror short film with one main character and an unseen horror- a familiar concept to my own film. The actor and the writer did an amazing job at portraying terror in a few minutes- it’s a...

  My film does NOT have any supporting characters. While this choice may seem strange, it is extremely intentional. Most horror movie openings take time focusing on an event leading up to the events of the entire movie, and setting the audience up for what they're in for. These scenes usually don't have a lot of characters in them, keeping the character count minimal, as well as dialogue (depending on the movie.) Because my film takes place in a foresty environment, and focuses on a monster in the area, I had little need to mamage more people when it would be harder to write them in than to write them out. I do, however, have a monster. While the monster itself is not going to be entirely shown in my film opening for dramatic, suspenseful effect, the presence of the monster is incredibly important to the idea of the film as a whole. Our main character may have every right to go and investigate the happenings, but they are intruding on its space. Therefore, the monster must be t...

  Over the course of the last few weeks, I've been attempting to set down a hard schedule for filming- this has not been easy for several reasons. Firstly, I already have an awkward schedule on most weekends as I have responsibilities at my place of worship that take up 2 afternoons on the weeks I am performing. Additionally, I don't have my driver's lisence, so I need to organize my rides either through my parents or the people I want to work with. On top of that, everyone that I would be able to work with have extremely different schedules from mine. On one end, this could be seen as a benefit- I have more time to plan and get all my props and specific details together, which means that i can get things done quicker than I may need if I had less time to organize. My movie is also centered toward one location- Right now, the most suitable and convenient would be Lake Forest Park, as it is decently close to get to and open long enough to film in the dawn. This means that th...

I’ve always had a strong idea of what the color direction in my film is going to be- dark, and green. Green, mainly to emphasize the “natural” feel and the earthy tones of the forest, and dark, because this is a horror film set mainly at nighttime / in dark spaces (to help conceal the monster). I’m taking this color inspiration from films like Twilight and The Babadook- two films that have iconic color language, with Twilight having a blue filter over the entire thing to emphasize the cold, and with The Babadook being very grey to translate the theme of depression and mental health. For me, using green helps to both create a foresty feel, and helps the audience to understand that the “monster” in the film is something of natural, Earthly creation. For my character in the intro, however, I want them dressed in natural tones- beiges, blacks, whites, and neutral denims. This is so that they don’t contrast too heavily with the green overlay and background, but also so that they stand out e...

Despite my main character having no speaking lines and being intended to "disappear" by the end of the scene in universe, I do think there is a bit of analysis to be said about them solely based off design and acting choices. Right off the bat, they are introduced as alone- a mysterious thing to be, as a teenager at nighttime. Going into the brush for what reason, the audience is left to wonder about. This implies that they are either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish- most likely both. Their flashlight implies they are looking for something- the something turning out to be a monster that does not want to be found, and does not appreciate our teenager infringing on it's space- ignorance is likely the vibe the audience gets, and ignorance they can receive. This ignorance can also be furthered by what equipment they bring- a flashlight that has to be shaken to operate properly. While nobody expects to be the opener in a horror film, you should bring something a little ...

  Costuming for my film really is only dependent on the one nameless character in this opening scene- the teenager who gets attacked in the brush. Despite the short-lived screentime this character would likely have if the film was feature-length, they are the only one present at all for the duration of what I will actually be making. Because of this, their outfit- though I'd like it to remain simple- should still be iconic and properly portray what I'm trying to emulate in the film. The general idea for this introductory character is that they should be of teen age. While I don't need any specific race, gender, or height for this character, their "look" can instead be portrayed through their clothes and accessories. For clothes, I'm thinking casual dress. Not something you would wear on an important outing where you may be seen by someone, and definitely not something you would wear to a formal event. A plain tee is perfectly okay, but so is a slightly larger ...

  To practice with creating a storyboard, I used the iconic “Welcome to Jurassic Park” scene. Although Jurassic park is not in the same genre as my film will be, it is one of my favorite movie series of all time, and as a former dinosaur kid, it holds a special place in my heart. The framing of all the characters’ reactions, as well as the swelling music, makes for a truly incredible and memorable scene. A lot of it consists of close-ups to truly and properly capture the character’s emotions- they’re bursting with it (nerding out- so would I.) Overall, the practice really helped me to understand how to create a memorable, iconic sequence.  One thing I noticed while storyboarding this scene was just how bright everything is- so bright that the characters themselves shield their eyes while they look upwards at the dinosaur, which is fitting for the island setting and the palpable excitement on everyone’s faces. The actors really pull through in this scene- everyone looks amazed,...

Se7en Se7en's title sequence can be described as one word to me: Unnerving. The music in the background consists of grating, high-pitched squeals while short-cut scenes of the writings of a madman play out onscreen. These scenes cut in so fast you cannot really tell what is being written out, an editing choice that mirrors the fast-paced mystery based plot of the movie. The font onscreen is also reminiscent of the handwriting on the paper- sharp and scribbled and set at an angle, with words flashing larger and blurred out. The overwhelming vibe surrounding the entire sequence, as well as the mystery and confusion audiences may feel watching this character's book be sewn together, really sets the audience up for the rest of the movie, along with the only words spoken right at the end of the sequence: "Getting closer to God." The emphasis on this phrase at the very end helps the audience understand what this movie is going to be about, with the title Se7en referring to ...