Initially I had wanted to do a thriller set in a graveyard which would include multiple murder scenes. This original idea did not come into place because I could not find several people who would feel comfortable enough to do it. I had 2 people who offered to help out however they did not feel comfortable enough to enter a graveyard therefore I had to change the idea slightly. While I have had to change the location and amount of actors, I have managed to stick to the original idea by just tweaking it slightly and cutting the amount of murders down to one. I tried to play on the typical codes and conventions of horror by making the murderer obvious by dressing her up as a human ‘creepy doll’ and I used low key lighting to represent the early morning hours and set a dark atmosphere.
I had issues with finding my ideal found shots in this scene. I initially planned for a found shot of a shadow on a wall to represent the doll following the main girl, However, I could not obtain a shot that would fit with the previous shot so therefore had to change 1 of my planned found shots. I chose to use a hammer as the weapon for the murder scene as I would be able to use make up to represent the injuries which would of proved rather more difficult if I had used an alternative such as a replica gun. Using a hammer was also more realistic as it is on average a household object which is easy to obtain.
What I enjoyed about my storyboard was the preparation before the photo’s. What I mean by this is the use of make-up to represent a doll face/ the injuries. This was really entertaining to do and gave my film that extra personal touch. I know that typical horror films also use make up ect to represent injuries but the dollface was my own personal creation and helped me feel I had achieved a lot by doing it. Also it is something that will excite horror audiences viewing the storyboard. Furthermore, the element of horror also leaves audiences feeling varied emotions and tensions that they may have not expected to see, again generating high interest in my film.
Another thing I enjoyed about my storyboard was the low key lighting. It really helped to provide a dark colouring to the shots and helped set the atmosphere to represent the typical codes and conventions of the horror genre. It helped make the dolls white face stand out to give a creepy atmosphere and allowed me to represent the time of day of darkness in the early hours.
Attire for characters proved strong also, as both actors had casual attire on hand for use. The doll have dark clothes on as a way of shadowing herself and creating another element of the dark atmosphere. The main girl had casual clothes on, e.g. tshirt, jeans ect. This helped to create a relaxed appearance, as if there is nothing out of the ordinary. Filming in a house in several rooms gave me a wider range of settings possible to use which therefore helped expand my original ideas.
I think overall my storyboard went well, and achieves what it has set out to do, which was to show fear turn to reality. I did however run into a few problems along the way but eventually managed to resolve them and continue with my photographs. I am pleased with the finished project and feel that I had managed to overcome many obstacles and prove to myself that I could achieve exactly what I had originally set out to.
