When four people are wondering a city filming each other for eight hours straight, there are bound to be some funny moments. There were many hilarious slip ups during our filming process, including scary noises and people, clips where instead of filming we accidentally took a picture, and scenes that were just so awkward that bursts of laughter were practically required!

At about seven p.m. it was already pitch black outside, and we were in the middle of rehearsing our final kidnapping scene. However, this was constantly interrupted by terrifying moments when our entire crew would believe we heard a noise, then stop everything to wait until we were sure it was safe. We were all so paranoid that when an incredibly loud siren began blaring from an unknown location, everyone froze for a full five minutes until we embarrassingly realized it was only an ambulance. We happened to have the camera rolling when this occurred, and when my partner realized what the sound was, she decided to keep filming for the off chance that we could somehow use this ambient sound in our movie when editing. Hopefully this hilarious blooper will turn out to be a great edition to our sound!

Another moment when our cast member Jenna had a near heart attack was in this long shot we filmed of her strolling down the street. In the middle of us recording her, she casually looked to her right and jumped at the sight of a creepy old man walking toward her. She tried her best to maintain a straight face so that we could continue filming, but it was a lost cause.

As you can see, this shot was messed up pretty badly! My partner was filming a midshot of Jenna walking when both me and our antagonist were caught in the background.

Sources: https://www.moviemistakes.com/blog/25-mistakes-you-never-noticed-great

Because our film required multiple long shots, the movie Split was a very appropriate film to get examples from. Below is a shot of the male antagonist from Split walking down a sidewalk, next to a shot we have of our female protagonist doing the same thing.

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Having shots from the antagonists point of view, as well as shots of him grabbing the girl, were vital to our film, so as an influence for these scenes, I researched which camera angles were most common. When shooting, I had these influences in mind and tried to film the same scene from as many perspectives and angles as possible.

Part of our most intense scene was the alley we were shooting in. As I explained in my film diaries, we spent a fair amount of time looking for one with the right look. I had the picture below in mind specifically when we were scouting a good location. While this picture is not from a movie or any well known source, it caught my eye because it had this mysterious and creepy mood that is exactly what my partner and I are going for. To the right of it is the alley we ended up using, which embodies that same eery tone. Also, we liked the idea of the camera filming a long shot of Jenna from behind as she walks down the alley. It provides more of a shock to viewers when her attacker jumps out from behind a corner.

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Sources: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4972582/

We arrived in downtown Tampa, Florida at approximately 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 17th for a full day of production! The weather fortunately was not to hot or cold, and sunny enough where it would effect the overall look and feel of our movie.

Part 1

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Immediately upon arriving, we began filming Pan shots of Jenna walking down the street during the day. Our movie will include both an omniscient perspective as well as the antagonists perspective, so we started by filming her from behind bushes, to give the impression that she is being watched.

Part 2

After we got multiple tracking and pan shots of her walking from behind bushes various buildings, we transitioned to filming her from an omniscient point of view.

Part 3

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Filming her interacting with other people was also important, so we had Jenna walk in to various businesses, such as a smoothie shop and a hotel. We filmed her sitting at a counter, as if she is waiting for something, then happily greet her friend when she arrives.

After about two hours of filming from both perspectives in daylight, we had all of the shots we needed that would be necessary for the first part of our movie.

Part 4

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So now we have all the daytime shots that we need. We had about 3 hours until it became dark outside, and we needed to find efficient ways to kill time before 7 p.m. Using this time wisely, we decided to record ambient sounds such as foot steps and leaves rustling, as well as cars passing by. Doing this required my partner Angelica to hold the microphone by Jenna’s feet as she walks around, the holding it next to a bush as I rustle the leaves. Another sound that was necessary for our film was a very loud, shrill, girlish scream that we planned to overlay during the editing process. While we originally planned to record this scream inside my house so as not to draw attention to us, we found an empty parking garage in the middle of tampa

Part 5

Also, we realized that the actor playing the antagonist in our movie was not wearing the proper costuming. In typical kidnapping movies, the attacker wears dark clothes, usually with a hat to cover his face. So at the last minute, we ended up leaving the city in search of dark clothes and a hat. Once we found appropriate attire, it was right on time to begin filming our next few scenes in the dark.

Part 6

Filming in the dark was a whole other ordeal. Not only are we in a dangerous city at night, but we have to stay completely focused in this scene as it was the most crucial part of our film.

Finding an alley that had the creepiest look to it took about 30 minutes. It had dark green paint and windows with rusted bars across them, which really gave us the right vibe. As we filmed her from an omniscient point of view, she walks down the side of the alley, and in one sudden movement, our antagonist grabs her and pulls her behind the building.

Technology

As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, we used a small microphone that we were able to plug into the Iphone we were filming with. This made it easier to record ambient sounds such as leaves rustling and the slapping of feet against pavement. When using this microphone, I found that it was much easier to record sounds of people walking if we held the camera next to their feet. Also, we had to be careful not to record sounds at to high of a pitch; it blows out the microphone and does not pick up, so we learned in shots that require screaming and when it was very windy, we’d move the mic further away from the source of noise. 

Lighting

Another problem we ran into was finding the correct lighting for each shot and making sure it fit in and kept continuity. One thing I learned was how to adjust the lighting and contrast on an Iphone, in order to achieve a more realistic affect. While we needed to film during the daytime, we did not want the shots to appear sunny and optimistic, so we had to improvise and shoot from behind buildings where the sun was blocked out. Filming in the dark was a major challenge as well. Despite wanting a very dark and creepy vibe, we also still wanted as much clarity as possible so viewers new what was happening. This was especially important for the dark scenes because those scenes hold the most suspense and action.

Resources I Consulted

In order to fully understand how to use the microphone, as well as what not to do, I researched several Youtube videos and articles on how to use a compressor microphone. Below is the video that I found to be the most helpful.

Sources:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Microphone-Omnidirectional-Smartphones-Cancelling/dp/B016C4ZG74/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1550457643&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=lavalier+lapel+microphone&psc=1
2. https://antlionaudio.com/blogs/faqs/my-voice-sounds-distorted-and-way-too-loud

Not only did Blumhouse productions approve our proposal, but they gave us more money than we additionally asked for! They are giving us $1,700,000 to make our movie to its entirety!

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Above is a compilation of close ups, long shots, push ins, and point of view shots all to give our movie the suspenseful thrill from watching the protagonist’s facial expressions as she is being watched by her stalker.Our story board is basically a rough draft of the most necessary and meaningful shots in our film. These shots will be the most useful in giving the reader information as well as setting the mood for the story.

-The camera angles will transition to point of view shots from the antagonist such as the one of her at the coffee shop in order to give a really in-depth and creepy feel as if we were right along with him watching her, while she is unaware. 

-There will be long shots of her walking along the busy city streets while they progressively grow more rural as the night falls.

-Close ups and push-ins to really show the emotion of the innocent protagonist as she suspects she is being watched. 

-A long shot of her walking into the dark abandoned alleyway, all alone, puts the entire film into perspective as she gets taken and vanishing in an instant, with her echoing screams and the screen cutting to black. 

-The last shot will be of a newspaper, foreshadowing whats about to happen in the events following.

Scheduling is tricky because both me, my partner and Jenna all have busy schedules and extracurricular activities, and making sure we film at a time that is good for all of us is important. For continuity purposes, we will attempt to film all our scenes in one day. This will make it easier when considering costuming, weather and other factors. A struggle we are dealing with is safety when filming. Certain areas in Tampa, specifically the areas that would give us the best footage, are notoriously bad parts of town. Also, many of our ideas include filming with minimal light because we want to give the affect of a dark, intimidating alley. For three young girls walking around a city alone at night, this could be very dangerous. So in order to bring someone along with us that would make us feel safe, we have to work around their schedule as well. Not only that, but we had to look for areas that could look scary or creepy, but were still in nice parts of the city. No need to film a kidnapping movie and actually get kidnapped in the process!

Technology

-The separate audio device we are going to use is a Lavalier Lapel Microphone, which is a condenser microphone to cancel unwanted noise.

-We will be shooting on an Iphone XS Max, which is the newest Apple technology available, and a camera that provides excellent quality. Features include Smart HDR, adjustable depth of field, more low-light detail, sharper action shots, 4K video and stereo playback.

-We will also be using a Macbook Pro and IMovie in order to edit our footage.

-We will also possibly use a tripod if it is needed. This, as well as the Macbook Pro, were devices that my partner and I both already had. However, the Iphone XS Max and the microphone was something we had to purchase in preparation for filming.

Sources:

1. https://www.amazon.com/Professional-Omnidirectional-Microphone-Smartphones-Cancelling/dp/B073QP48RV/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=mini+microphone&qid=1550678134&s=gateway&sr=8-3
2. https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/

Our film starts out with a bleak mood, and an overcast sky. Pedestrians move slowly in the streets, and an unknown female protagonist goes about her day with an unimpressed, anti-social appearance. Viewers hear ambient sounds, including people walking, talking on their phones, and cars passing by as the camera follows her from an omniscient point of view. A pulsing dramatic noise announces a cut to the antagonist perspective. The overall look and feel of our movie will be suspenseful, especially because the antagonists face is never revealed. At the most, viewers will see glimpses of his shoulder or shoes. However, through camera movement and sound, the audience will be well aware of his presence as well as his sick intentions. It will feel as if you have been thrown into the mind of a serial killer.

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Sound Recordings

In regards to recording sound, we will be in a realistic setting in a populated city. To give the film that truly authentic feel, we will record ambient sounds of a busy city along with cars driving by, chattering amongst pedestrians, and our lead roles feet walking against the sidewalk. In order to accomplish this, we will use a separate audio recording device along with sounds we record when filming video. There will be no dialogue in our film to preserve the suspenseful aspect as the camera movements will be words in itself. As the suspense in the film heightens,  we plan to add pulsing background music to add a sense of drama to the film. To find out what artificial sounds are best used in thriller films, I researched examples of these types of noises on Youtube. I discovered several clips that were excellent help in understanding what sounds have the most significant affect on an audience. In the end, I believe the best way to tell what sounds are the most useful is observing how impactful the scary aspect of the movie is on viewers.

As I discussed earlier in my blog, setting is very important when filming because it ties in to the look and feel of your movie. Because my partner and I want our movie to have a more realistic feel to it, we began scouting out locations in Tampa Bay, the largest city within an hours drive of our current location. Tampa has large population as well as many different streets and secluded alleys that are perfect for the mood we want our movie to convey. Below are several specific locations I found that would be perfect for our film.

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Casting

For many horror films, a stereo typical female role is an innocent, naive teenage girl in America who is living an fairly mundane life. Instead of casting ourselves in the film, my partner and I chose our friend Jenna, who perfectly fits the normal genre conventions for horror. She is attractive and young, but average enough that she does not take attention away from the scary aspect of the film. The only other character in our film is her attacker, and we have chosen for only his presence, not his physical form, to be in the first two minutes of our film.

Preparing

Because people must give consent to being filmed, and we are filming in a crowded public location, it is important that we either blur out peoples faces, or inform everyone involved that they are on camera. Also, some of our scenes will include filming inside a restaurant such as Starbucks, so we will also need the permission of local businesses before we can film. As for preparing the cast, we will carefully plan Jenna’s costuming, hair and makeup to make her look young and innocent, as well as very average looking.

Sources: https://www.visittampabay.com/

This is our proposal to Blumhouse Productions discussing why they should consider producing our film. While it is my partner speaking in the video, I attached a transcript of our proposal to show you how we both collaborated on it equally. Enjoy!

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