Location 3

The third location we looked at was my nan's house. The benefits of using this house is that, like the previous location, it is situated in the same village as our school and so will be easy to get to for my partner and I after school or during our media lessons. Another benefit is that it does look like a conventional family home from the outside that would typically be seen in a supernatural horror film due to it's size and the fact that it is a detached house.

A disadvantage however, is that although it looks fairly big on the outside, this doesn't echo what it is on the inside as a lot of the rooms are quite small which would cause some trouble when setting up filming equipment and could cause some health and safety implications. Also, typically supernatural horror films which are set in present day, like ours, usually have modern looking furniture and fittings inside the houses, which unfortunately this lacks and so may make the opening less like a convincing media product.

Location 2

The second house that we looked at was my friend, Carla's house. The benefits of using this location is that as Carla is my friend and also my partner's friend, it will be easy to go round her house and film and easy to get permission to use it. Also, Carla lives in the village in which our school is located which would make it convenient for us to film in our media lessons or straight after school.

Looks wise, the house unfortunately doesn't look like a conventional location of a supernatural horror film as it doesn't look like a typical family home and as it is a semi-attached house, it doesn't have the same isolated feel as location 1. In addition to this, inside the house, it isn't very spacious which means it would be difficult to film in and could cause some health and safety risks. Conventionally, supernatural horrors are set in large houses unlike this one and so this would make the opening look less like a convincing media product.

Location 1

The first house we looked at was my partner, Tab's house. The benefits for using this location is that it is large from the outside and conventionally, supernatural horrors usually happen in big family homes. In addition to it being large on the outside, it is also very spacious from the inside meaning there will be a lot of room for us to film and will reduce the health and safety risks more than if we were to film in a confined, small house. Tabitha is also my friend meaning that I will easily be able to go to her house and film and get permission to do so.

The house is also detached which means we can film the opening shots to make the house seem segregated from the rest of civilisation and far from help from the outside world, which is where conventional supernatural horrors are usually set.

Props

The main prop that we will be using and which will have the most significance is an alarm clock. The alarm clock is an important prop in our opening scene as all of the shots build up to the moment where the alarm clock says '03:17'. We decided to use an alarm clock as it is something that is typically seen in bedrooms. Also, the alarm clock that we will be using has red numbers on it which is something we wanted as it represents danger and red is a colour that is conventionally seen in supernatural horror films.

Other fairly significant props that will be featured within our opening scene is a TV and a chandelier. The TV will have the fuzzy screen on it, which is something that is typically seen in the genre. This TV will look like it has been turned on by itself. Also, the chandelier will move slightly in one of the shots and this is also a supernatural activity that we conventionally see in the genre. These all gradually hint to the audience throughout the scene that some supernatural, invisible being is controlling the house and wreaking havoc by doing little eery things around the house. Furthermore, a TV and a chandelier are both items that are usually seen in a family home and so it makes the audience feel that it could happen to anybody.

Costumes

Our opening scene takes place at night when all of the family are asleep in bed meaning that the only costumes that we will need is some pyjamas for the mum and dad, which are the only characters that are shown in the scene. We decided that this would be easier when it came to costumes as if we did decide to show the supernatural antagonist in the scene, it may have been a bit difficult to create a convincing ghost using the clothes that we already have/can afford.

Pyjamas and other sleepwear is quite a vulnerable piece of clothing as it is associated with sleeping which is when people are usually at their most vulnerable. The use of the pyjamas for the family just show that they are normal people, which is conventional of a supernatural horror as it makes the audience feel that it could happen to them.

(Pictures of costumes coming soon)

Call Sheet

Date		Time	Location	Actors	Props	Shots
20/02/14		7:00pm	House	No actors shown in shots	Glass, TV, chair, photo	1, 3-9
22/02/14		6:00pm	House	Charlie Tabitha	Alarm clock, candle	2, 10-15
23/02/14	7:00pm		House	Charlie Tabitha		15-20 and any shots that need to be re-done

Health and Safety

Risk	When	Planning
Falls and slips	In the first scene where the shot is outside. Due to the recent weather conditions, there may be mud outside that   could cause us to slip.	We will wear suitable footwear for the filming and take care when walking outside on the grass/mud etc.
Candles	In the bedroom scene, there will be a candle next to the bed that gets blown out. This could cause one of us to burn ourselves or cause a fire.	We will ensure that there are no obstructions in the way of the flame and take extra care when lighting and putting out the candle.
Damage to equipment	During the shot outside in the first scene, wet weather conditions and strong winds could cause the equipment to be damaged.	We will make sure that we plan when we film so that we don’t have to do it in the bad weather. If we do have to film   in rain and wind, we will ensure that waterproof covers are used for the camera and hold the equipment carefully making sure nothing is blown down in the wind.
Stairs	During the filming on the stairs, one of us could accidentally trip/slip and fall down the stairs. Also, because all of the filming will be done in low lighting, this emphasises this risk.	We will make sure that we will wear suitable footwear so we don’t slip down the stairs. We will also ensure that we use some form of lighting, e.g. a torch, so the person filming will be able to see where they are going on the stairs.