Story Board

Research On Storyboards

Storyboards are graphic organizers such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence, including website interactivity.The storyboarding process, in its original form (which is still used today), was developed at the Walt Disney Studio during the early 1930s, after several years of similar processes being in use at Walt Disney and other animation studios.

Storyboarding helps directors and other members of the film making team to visualise what a scene will look like and can prepare them for the filming process. It can save a lot of time and money on set as all the shots have already been planned.

Example of a storyboard-horror (snippet)

Notice the arrows-which symbolise the movement of a certain object or character

As you can see, this snippet from a storyboard focuses on reaction shots and close up's of the victim and villian

Background On The Villian

What I think Balthazar will look like as a character

Here is just a quick outline of the past and present traits of our Villian-Balthazar, explaining the motive he possesses to carry out the horrifying actions he does:

From a young age Balthazar has witnessed and been brought up around drug abuse, his parents were users and also injected him. His family became homeless in his early life and he is forced in to a world of poverty. He sells and uses drugs – this is the only thing he knows and means he has to survive (copies parents). His abusive childhood, leads to him murdering his father; thus, believing that his mother will be safer.

Now older, he uses syringes to infect immoral humans. He believes that his blood cleanses people; especially the immoral people, in order to make them through the body. On the anniversary of his mother’s death; he goes on an injecting spree, to purify people. However, he starts a pandemic, purifying with impure blood (in more ways than one).

Narrative For My Horror Film

KEY:

Exposition  

Development 

Complication 

Climax  

Resolution 

NAME OF FILM: REDEMPTION

On New Year’s Eve 2006, 66 individuals went missing in London. These 66 have been immoral and committed a crime that has gone un-noticed by the authority. Balthazar, a hidden villain who is psychologically affected by his haunting childhood, believes the only way to save these hedonistic people is to purify them with his own personal chemical (his blood). Balthazar’s only weapon is his syringe, he uses this to extract his own blood and inject it in to his criminal and immoral victims. Why does he think his blood is so replenishing?

The 66 corrupted return two years later, from captivity, they showed no signs of physical or psychological harm. They had no recollection of their kidnapping; however, the group of 66 keep one crucial secret. The infection is spreading through their blood, which has now become tainted, literally. Because of this they keep their arms covered and are hiding an expanding rash.

Now (2010), news of a pandemic is spreading, with many not taking much notice, assuming it’s 'just another disease' like the Swine and Bird flu. 65 of thise previosuly captured have fallen ill; they have all reported a recolection from four years ago, where they saw a hooded figure approachign them before they blanked out. They then begin collapsing and having a fit that results in death. The one individual that managed to escape the infection by running away from the killers grasp four years ago (the one that managed to get away) is now exempt from the disease (but she knows far too much). She (Dylan Granger) is now 24 and unable to live a normal life because Balthazar is after her, wanting to finish what he started.

Dylan is a beautiful young female, she is strong and investigative; the immoral crime that she commited 4 years ago still haunts her. She was the driver at a 'hit and run' incident, being young (only 20), she paniced and drove away after hitting a mother and a child late one Winter evening. Later that year, after the death of her fellow 65 ex-criminals. She searches for the killer and visits the place of her attack. The underground station of London’s Charing Cross.

After much investigation, Dylan confronts the villain at a secluded station at Victoria in the late evening, Balthazar’s intension is to attack and purify Dylan from her sins. and they battle as she struggles to escape his grasp yet again. She removes the syringe from his hand, resulting in him being weapon less and seemingly harmless. However he bites her wrist releasing the infection within her, Dylan then slits his throat.

What I Want To Gain From My Horror Teaser Trailer

I have simply brainstormed/bullet-pointed certain elements that I want to involve in my final production.

• Quick Shots 
• Fast pace
• USP-create a unique plot
• Hand-held/night vision techniques-similar to 'The Blair Witch Project', 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Quarantine'
• Moral panic is created-the audience will think it is real
• No 'cheesy' blood, vampires (or conventional vampires; an innovative take on vampires would be acceptable)
• Todorov-cliffhanger, mysterious
• Slight script
• News report-'missing photos'
• Use of shadows
• Atmospheric Music
• White Noise
• Bass
• Strings
• Heartbeat
• Sense of realism-real life situations e.g. not set in a dark castle which is unrealistic for this century

Researching Current/Past Horror Teaser Trailers

I have decided to research some current horror teaser trailers from films that I feel are very inspirational and represent the typical conventions and effects that I want to explore and re-create in my own teaser trailer.  







As you can see from the above teaser's, I am really drawn to the technique of using a hand held camera. I think this makes the film seem very realistic and I like the idea of making the audience believe that the film is based on a true story, which can in itself add horror and tension to the plot by itself. I also like the night vision effect, as I think that even the most comfortable of places can seem uncomfortable at night. Finally I am really fond of the thought of their being a news report as I think this adds even more realism to the trailer. I feel these trailers are very effective in creating tension and suspense in their teasers which would draw their target audience into making them want to watch the film. An idea that myself and my group are very drawn too, is to base our film in a train station or underground station. Basing the film in a familiar, 'normal' place can add to the horror as the audience's views on these places can seem uncomfortable after viewing (we are possibly imprinting a fear into their minds.)  

Parody Experimentation Film

To develop the filming and editing skills we already had, we were set the task to create a short Parody or Homage film based on or taken inspiration from the horror films we have previously watched and analysed. 

My group decided to create a parody based on the films 'Scream' and 'The Ring' which are both two very iconic films from the horror genre. Having the opportunity to practice using a video camera and being introduced to the editing programme 'Adobe Premiere Pro' has given me a kick start into filming my final outcome. It was also a good way to dicover any weaknesses within the activity, which I can now therefore ammend before filming and editing my horror teaser trailer.

One setback that I primarily encountered was that during the editing process the audio files were misplaced when exporting and rendering the file. But when taking care and concentrating on every small detail, altering this defect wasn't a problem.

Overall I feel that this was a very good starting point to the project as it helped me to understand important elements within the filiming and editing process e.g. transitions and angles; and I am now confident and motivated to produce my final outcome.

(I apologize for the low quality.)

Questionnaire On My Target Audience

I conducted a questionnaire on 10 females and 10 males regarding their preferences and reactions to horror films.

Exploring The Horror Genre

After watching a variation of horror films, I investigated the different themes and elements explored in each one to get a good idea of the different types of themes I can use in my narrative and teaser trailer.

Final Girl Theory

The final girl is a horror film (particularly of slasher film genre) trope that refers to the last woman or girl alive to confront the killer/villian, or in other words, the one left to tell the story. The final girl has been observed in many films, including Halloween, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Hellraiser, Alien, and The Scream movies.
The term was created by Carol J. Clover in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Clover suggests that 'in these films, the viewer begins by sharing the perspective of the killer, but experiences a shift in identification to the final girl partway through the film.'


According to Clover, the final girl is typically sexually unavailable or virginal, avoiding the vices of the victims (sex, drugs and alcohol usage, etc.) and she sometimes has a unisex name (e.g., Teddy, Billie, Georgie, Sidney). Occasionally the Final Girl will have a shared history with the killer. The final girl is the "investigating consciousness" of the film, moving the narrative forward and as such, she exhibits intelligence and curiosity. 

Laurie-'Halloween'

Clover also investigates the element that during the confrontation with the killer, the final girl becomes masculinized with the use of 'phallic symbols'. E.g. taking a weapon such as a knife or chainsaw against the killer or in a penetrative way. An example of the final girl theory being used in the slasher genre is Laurie as the final girl in Halloween. She is the first to suspect any trace of a killer or evil presence and is the one to confront and 'attempt' to defeat Michael Myers. She uses Phallic appropriation by using weapons such as a clothes hanger and Knife. 


I think that I will follow conventions and use the Final Girl Theory in my horror trailer as I feel that it will create a clearer plot and I feel that both the male and female audience can relate to this character.