Research and Planning: Risk Assessment

Icy ground - Might slip over
To prevent this from happening we will walk careful and slowly along the ground unless it is appropriate to move quickly for the shots.

Kit can get damaged if you slip on the ground.
To prevent this from happening we will walk careful and slowly along the ground unless it is appropriate to move quickly for the shots.

Light equipment contains mercury which is harmful if you touch it.
We will be careful whilst using the lighting equipment and if we do break it we will leave it and make sure the appropriate person clears it up

Don't film on the road in case of cars going past.
There won't be any filming on the road but we will still be careful around roads.

Careful of wires on the floor
We will keep clear of wires on the floor and make sure none of them are broken and dangerous to anyone around us.

Sharp objects on the desk in one shot.
We will remove any sharp objects and put them in safe places just in case anyone cuts themselves on them.

Research and Planning: Costume

Research and Planning: Casting

We felt Harry was suitable because he is reliable. We thought he was good for the role of Tony Maloy because he took drama at GCSE and he would be able to give emotion to Tony's character. He is also available during filming time.
Connor is also reliable and available during filming time. We felt he would suit the role of Johnny very well as he looks like he could play an angry character or a compassionate character, which is what we wanted Johnny's character to portray.
Austin is also reliable and available during filming time. We felt he would be good for the role as he looks friendly and could play someone who is worried.
Emma like the others is very reliable and available during filming time. We felt she was perfect for the role for a 1920's inspired character. She was quite shy about talking during the film however her character doesn't have a speaking part. She is quite shy normally so she would be perfect for the role of Stephanie, who the audience are meant to be sympathetic towards.

Research and Planning: Audience Research

We created a Facebook group to get some ideas and thoughts from the target audience. We created a group and asked them to comment on some research posts such as costume, script and synopsis. We asked questions like:

Can you understand who is the villain?

Can you follow the story?

What do you think would be an appropriate costume for the leading lady?

etc.

We will use their answers so our film is more appealing to the target audience.

Animatic

Research and Planning: Shot List

1. Long shot of dead body
2. Close up on feet (see ankle tattoo)
3. Pan ,and zoom out, up the body until her head
4. Cut away to close up shot of a man's hand holding a gun and see background
5. Close up of man's legs walking away
6. Camera tracks the man's legs while credits roll
7. Camera tracks young men walking through the woods using a mid-shot
8. Close up on Connor's face looking manly and excited
9. Close up of Austin's face looking worried
10. Cut to long shot of office
11. Long shot of office from outside view through the windows
12. Mid-shot of woman doing something
13. Close up of her dropping an object
14. Close up of her picking up the object (see ankle tattoo)
15. Close up of man's angry face in darkness (Dialogue)
16. Close up of woman's face looking scared
17. Extreme close up of woman's eyes
18. Two shot of young men walking through the woods. Camera tracks
19. Mid-shot of Austin (Dialogue)
20. Mid-shot of Connor (Dialogue)
21. Two shot of them walking while camera tracks
22. Camera stops tracking as young men carry on walking out of frame
23. Fade to black

Research and Planning: Script

Scene: In office, when woman drops an object:
Harry: FOR GOD'S SAKE WOMAN!!
          (Harry huffs)
          Where are those kids anyway?

Scene: Second time the audience see young men in the woods:
Austin: What's this guy like? (Austin gives a worried look to Connor)
Connor: I dunno, I think he's a bit crazy to be honest (Connor slants face)
             But he's got a job for us so (Connor shrugs)

Research and Planning: Synopsis

The film will start with a view of a woman's dead body in a dirty, run down area. We will see a tattoo on her ankle and will pan up her body. We will cut to the view of a man holding a gun but not see who he is before the audience see the woman's face. The audience will then see a man walking away, but just his legs, while the credits roll. Then they will see two young men that are wearing modern, average clothing played by Connor Nicholls and Austin Davis walking in the woods but not know where they are going. Then they will see an office with a man, wearing a suit and trilby hat played by Harry Baldwin, sat at a desk and a young woman in the corner. There will then be a shot of the camera looking inside from outside through the wndow. The lady, wearing a black dress played by Emma Weaver, then drops an object and as she picks it up the audience will see her ankle tattoo. The man then shouts at the lady and we see his face in darkness. Then we return to the young men walking through the woods. They then talk about the man, as they carry on walking they leave the frame and it fades to black.

Research and Planning: Time Management

This is the time plan over two months for the film opening sequence.

Planning the Film

The characters that will be seen in the first few minutes will be a dead lady, the main bad guy, the young men and the alive lady. The villain will be noticed by using dark clothing and shadows. We would like to cast Harry Baldwin, Emma Weaver, Austin Davis and Connor Nicholls. The costumes will be 1920 influenced, the main character will wear a dark suit and trilby hat, the main lady might wear a red or black dress and possibly a red coat. There will also be modern clothes like jeans and hoodies. We are hoping to film in the woods, in an office and by a swamp or run down area. We want the set in the office to look business-like and unfriendly. We will use props such as a cigar, a lamp, a desk and a phone. We want to create a scary, mysterious and threatening atmosphere. So far the order of events will go; the audience see a dead lady who they do not know, the legs of a man walking in the same location then at a different time, the audience will see two young men walking in the woods and the main character and the alive woman who they now know was the dead lady in an office. We will use enigma codes such as not showing the dead lady's face, or showing the main character's face in full light. The action code we are going to use is not say where the young men are going but suggest they are walking to the office by making them walk in the direction of the office on the camera. The audience might be anxious for the young men and possibly the main lady. The titles will be in bold, old style font and the main title will be in red. All credits will fade in and out while the background is the shot of the man walking.