Task 11 - Create Print Artefacts: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Movie Review Print Product 2nd Draft

I created a quick mock up for the finished movie poster print product, showing where I want the placement for the sections of text to go at this stage in production, which may ultimately change. I do feel as though it is very plain and bland and I will need to add more depth to it as a product, leading me to eventually base my product off of a real movie review magazine, such as Empire or Variety. 

I will include more pictures from the finished movie product and will need considerably more drafts to make it look more like an official review from a website or magazine.

November feedback

You have made considerable effort to update and improve research and planning. 

The script is level 4 showing an awareness of conventions and creativity with ideas.

The storyboard is level 3 functional in that it will help the director although artistic skill is limited. It does show instructions about shooting.

The risk assessment is basic

You are beginning to personalise research into the short film and keep producing planning such as the props and costumes list so that you can aim for level 4 for research and planning.

Target

Maintain momentum and keep posting

Document your creative journey reflecting upon progress.

complete an edit and gain audience feedback

Task 11 - Print Artefacts: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Movie Review Draft 2

This is the final, or very close to, draft of the movie review double-page spread. Consisting of around 700 words, covering areas surrounding the process of creating the characters, behind the scenes, intended interpretation and the directors thoughts.

ARTICLE HEADER
Not your average Thriller flick to arrive in late November – “Snap, Snap, Bang”, directed by and starring Harvey Perry, shows Halloween worn viewers a short 5 minutes inside a covert sadistic club exclusive to members who are ready, willing and paying to take part in a lethal game of Snap, in which sadistic and cruel punishments ensue.

PLOT SUMMARY, CHARACTERS, DIRECTOR
Created and Directed by a young A2 Sixth Form Student, the short focuses primarily on one of the two younger cast members, starting his night by being abruptly rejected from a seemingly good night out with friends. He is loosely persuades by a friend, and his own curiosity, to attend a late night session of The Game. We join back up with the character of Contestant 2, seemingly hours into the already tense game who he plays opposite against a character, Contestant 1, who is not much older than himself, but has found himself in a huge amount of debt, which it is later revealed that the Club can aid with certain off-the-books financial issues. The viewer takes a backseat, omniscient presence leading into the middle and conclusion of the narrative as these two characters go back and forth verbally attacking each other, pressuring, aiding and giving the harsh reality of choices and consequence in the real world.

STORY BEHIND PRODUCTION
Just like how there’s an app for everything, there also seems to be a way of turning a fond childhood memory into one that can be used in a sadistic game of cat and mouse. (Except in this short, it feels as though everyone is that cat being chased by the much bigger and formidable presence of the Club Owner. The idea of using a child’s game like Snap is a very bizarre creative decision, so bizarre in fact that we at Empire tracked down the director for a quick impromptu interview on the story integral decision –‘I felt as though the best way to make a Thriller, or Horror, or any genre movie for that matter, would be to take just one aspect of real life and mash it with something else, something so contrapuntal and see if they both work together. It just turns out that Snap and an ever changing Russian Roulette concept work well together!’

BEHIND THE SCENES
Initially, the director had planned to have 3 contestants full up the entirety of the run time. Although this evidently didn’t plan out due to scheduling conflicts, the 5 minute run time would be all three contestants interacting through dialogue and mild physical violence – evoking that action/thriller side! Perry (director) stated how he wanted to make his own make in the mystery/Thriller genre in stating how ‘I just feel that the merging of these two genres offers so many diverse paths that it really is something to relish in and play around with’.

NEXT WEEKS ISSUE
LOOK OUT! Showcase exclusive – 125 word teased plot summary of Snap, Snap, Bang. 2!

QUOTES FROM CRITICS
‘Tour de force!” – Harvey Rutherford
“Not one to miss” – Terry Trie
“Aspirational, Youthful, Thrilling” – Catherine Sirloin

WHAT IT BRINGS TO THE HORROR GENRE
There are hundreds and hundreds of stories following a game gone wrong, or a lost character having to battle their way to hope. Snap, Snap, Bang absolutely users those elements but is done to support diversity on screen and diversity in the body of the story. The head of the story following a teenage boy at the end of a what would be, good night. His natural persona as a teenager is usually hyperbolised in a big budget production, however the actor does his naturalistic best to keep it simple, real, and raw.

Like all conventional mystery’s, the character are naturally defensive and held back in their dialogue. The director, Perry, revealed to Showcase ‘story-telling through absence, or limitations, was always my goal. I had a very vivid image of how I wanted the product to end and how I envisioned people would feel and think in those brief seconds when it cuts to black. The audiences’ imagination will be far more invention and creative than anything I can come up with’. 

Task 11 - Print Artefacts: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Movie Review Draft 1

Any movie review has to have a minimum of 4 areas to cover within the 1000-1500 brief review of the movie. Primarily, these 4 things would consist of:

• Screenshot from the movie
• Summary of the plot, characters, actors, any homages 
• Director, release date, profit, budget, story behind production 
• Final Verdict 

In identifying these 4 areas to aim for in creating my own review of Snap, Snap, Bang, I have essentially created a mark scheme to check off on when I have completed one section of it, thus breaking my review into 4 short paragraph, or sections on the page, to which I will later put together in the final draft.

In drafting this simple idea of what the end product will look like, I looked at various Empire magazine review panels to get influence from, as it is one of the more popular subscribed to movie magazines currently.

     

Small section of the review

Not your average Thriller flick to arrive in late November – Snap, Snap, Bang shows Halloween worn viewers a short 5 minutes inside a room designed to fulfill the sadistic fantasies of closely evading death by paper cuts, or vicious tongue removal.

Following the nameless character, who is revealed to be Contestant 2 in the credits, as he aimlessly walks his way to the “Club” after good night out turned bad, where we join back up with this character hours into his “Game” with another character, called Contestant 1, who isn’t exactly the easiest person in the world.  The Short studies these 2 as they go back and forth toying with each other and learning more about each other, both willingly aware of the fact that one of them will be drawing the short straw on the table. One of the most compelling factors of this short might just be the ever going card game of Snap, which dictates the fate of what will happen to any number of Contestant’s playing, until of course they can no longer continue, for whatever reason…

The idea of using a child’s game like Snap is just one of the bizarre factoids about this short as the character’s willingly, and sometimes even pay to play this near-certain death game, to which they will intentionally find a pair of cards that have one

The clear lack of an extensive budget is apparent but the young filmmaker (Perry) works hard to work around the financial constraints and real world limitations from his extensive imagination. 

Task 11 - Print Artefacts: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Print Products Draft 1

This is the first draft of what the poster for the movie will like. I hope to bring more focus to the cards on the table rather than the entire room, which also may include having to Photoshop the light into the shot to get both the table and the table in the poster.

Task 10 - Editing: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - 1st Draft and Feedback

Open ended question for the class:

1. What is the narrative?
2. Opinions on the black and white?
3. What do you think of the overall costume and setting?
4. Too corny? Too simple?
5. Are there any major issues with editing?
6. Is the story disjointed because of the editing?
7.  What do you think is the target audience?
8. Do you understand the basic premise of "The Game"
9. What can you learn from each of these characters?
10. Are there any technical aspects that don't work?

 Points for myself:

•  The short needs a clear introduction 
• Need to add sound effects and a soundtrack
• Some shots need to be rearranged to show a more cohesive narrative.

Task 10 - Filming: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Editing - Part 3

Two weeks before the Christmas break, I roughly have around 2 minutes worth of footage filmed and edited, with roughly 1-2 yet to be filmed over the weekend and added the following Monday. This new addition of filming will be the introduction to the short, following the character of Contestant 2 on his walk through the night, having left a party early after some trouble and making his way to "The Club".

I did intend to have this introduction filmed along with the rest of the footage that was filmed over a month ago, although I was hoping it would make for a better shot if it was snowing as well as being dark out. However I do not think it will snow in time for me to film this, so I will have to film without the snow.

Between the 14th and 18th December, the short will be completely filmed and finishing up on the editing for the short. Within this week i will also put in after school session to complete the Production company logo and print products (poster and movie review), so that everything will be finished together, in time for me to focus on the Evaluation questions.

As of 8/12/15:

Today the footage that was filmed over the weekend has been edited and now acts as the introduction to the character of Contestant 2, thus bridging the audience from his house to "The Club".

Now that a finished version of the short is completed, this gives me time to leave it to one side and wait for some targeted audiences to give me feedback on the project. During this time I will be completing the Print Products for the movie. 

Task 10 - Filming: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Editing - Part 2

Having wrapped filming on the scenes inside the Room around a week ago, I am in a position where I have the majority of the short filmed and ready for editing, which I have started piecing together, firstly with the shots, then sound effects, any visual effects, and then leaving time for additions to be made. As I have said before in previous blog posts, the translation from storyboard and script to filming proved very difficult at first and this set back filming quite a bit as I had to rework certain angles/dialogue to fit filming, and not just my imagination.

Although I did manage to complete filming inside the Room in that week, I have not started filming the small segment shots of Contestant 2 on his night out and walking to the Club. Although this will only take up 30-45 seconds of the short, I feel as though it's essential to linking the viewers to the character which will be needed for them to feel some level of emotion for that character when he ultimately seals his own fate.

Task 10 - Filming: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Editing - Part 1

From home I was looking at some footage I had filmed a few weeks ago and I found a small section of footage which was me, or in the narrative would be one of the Assistants helping organise all the different games that take place, showcasing various weapons/torture methods that might be used. In a brief amount of time I was able to edit over some text that said 'Stock Take Commencing 8/5/2015 Concluding 12/5/2015' in typical digital text type.

I felt as though I was slowly building just a short idea of how this place operates, and the small 1 minute segment might be a good idea to use as a post credit scene, or in the background of the credits rolling at the end of the short film as it would be a more relaxed, and slower paced segment after the main production to calm the audience down essentially, not that the main production is that thematically intense. I also didn't want the short to end and cue credits, I wanted something afterwards to leave the audience with something else that wasn't necessarily related to the product and the character's within it, but ties into the overall premise.

Task 10 - Filming: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Shooting Complications 2

One of the biggest challenges I've encountered in creating and actually filming this short is that trying to take an idea and applying it to film is almost impossible. Mid way through filming last weekend I came to a sudden realisation that I could never perfectly translate what i imagined in my head onto film, which isn't the end of the world, but it is of slight disappointment when I can't include a certain shot or tracking sequence to due physical limitations, both by me and the camera. As a result of this I feel as though I really need to work on editing the sections of the short that I have so far, and put together more of an idea of what I want this production to be seen as, which may ultimately mean changing various ideas around, shot sequences etc.

Task 10 - Filming: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - First Day of Filming

Last weekend I had begun shooting the introduction to the short, which consisted of introducing the character of Contestant 3. This 3/4 shots were simple to film as in the final product I plan to have them be very quick cuts which then leads into the character making his way to the club, with the camera acting as an observer to which the audience will follow.

Over the weekend I filmed as much as I could of the short as I could, both varying between Contestant'a 1 and 2. This was made possible by my family helping me clear out the garage on the day and prior to, and my friend arriving at my house early so we could film in the garage. We filmed for a total of 4 hours, to which we filmed the majority of the script and re-shot any takes that we didn't feel were good enough to make it into the post-production stage.

I plan to finish primary shooting by next weekend, Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, which will leave more than enough time to re-shoot any takes that I feel aren't how I imagined them to be, which will be decided on over this week.

Task 10 - Editing: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Print Products Draft 2

This is a more accurate interpretation of what I want the final product to look like. After doing various research into products and lesson sessions around the subject of creating print products I am struggling with filling the "dead space" around the bottom of the poster. All things considering I feel as though I can put this print product together fairly promptly, which gives me more time for editing the actual product, and drafting various stages of the movie review print artifact.

I am yet to decide on what colour scheme I would want the poster to be, but I feel as though a black background, with a red table in the center would work well in contrast with the cards on the table, also keeping within the typical conventions of a thriller movie in Black, White and Red.

Task 10 - Filming: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Shooting Complications

As I am slowly completing the tasks set for the pre-production stage of A2 media and I am getting closer to filming the product itself there are various problems that have arisen. One of which is the location I wish to film in may not always be available to me when I need it, as there is a disused car in there. This creates quite a large problem as not only is the entire short based in the garage location, but I then have to ask if we can move the car out of the garage for a few hours every weekend to film the product. Another problem is that the two actors I intend to use in my product can't be available at the same time for me, which has led me to decide that I will film their scenes separately, and any scenes that require both of them I will have to overlap their footage together so it appears as though they are in the same shot. This does mean I will have to be putting more time into the editing process than I wanted, but the script was designed with these specific actors, and that location in mind so I am working around these issues.

In filming the actors, considering that I can not get both of them together on the same day, I am going to film their scenes individually, which may require some alterations to the script and storyboard to retain continuity. In the editing process I will overlap their scenes together so it appears as though they are in the same scene. This is admittedly more difficult than what I wanted to achieve, but I feel if I wrap filming in early November, that gives me the whole month of December and part way into January to edit my product.

Pitch Feedback

I like the ideas for the documentary as often the insight comes from someone of your age exploring areas that are hidden from an older generations perspective. 

The way that you presented hinted at a lack of preparation but in fact you were well prepared and have a draft of a script and a storyboard showing that thought has gone into this work.  You style of presentation did not convince and perhaps provides a false impression. I was not sure what medium you planned to work in from your explanation and the idea seemed vague.

Through questioning it was revealed that there was a deal of planning and the genesis of your idea offers mileage for exploration.  It seems like a Russian Roulette Fight club in a short film. Intriguing.

Targets

Document your research into these teen trends on your web-log to show research.

Ensure all research and planning is complete and detailed

Upload your storyboard and script to your web-log

The documentary may work if you find the narrative does not work.

Be disciplined about schedules and deadlines.

Task 7 + 9 - Role Allocation + Casting: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Casting and Role Allocation

In my A2 Media project there will be a total of 3 main characters and 1 side character. The main character list will consist of:

Contestant 1 - The debt riddled businessman. This role will be played by a friend called Alex Preece. I feel as though he would fit this role generally well because he has a sort of business look about him when he is wearing a suit and tie. The characterisation for this role will all be in the MES (clothing and body positioning primarily), as the character himself as bet money on himself that he will get through the game unharmed, which will result in him winning the bet.

Contestant 2 - The Thrill Seeker. The role will be played by myself, based purely on the fact that this character plays the informative part in the narrative, which in a sense will be explaining how the logistics of the "Game" works and other things within the movie.

Contestant 3 - The First Timer. This role will be played by my other friend Sam Hollis. I decided to cut the character of Contestant 2 and shift all the others along because I felt as though this character didn't add enough to the narrative to be a part of it, which was initially going to be Sam's role in the product.

Task 8 - Final Proposal: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Risk Assessment

Task 8 - Final Proposal: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Pitch Powerpoint

Task 7 - Role Allocation: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Costume List

Costume for Contestant 1 - 
Keeping with Contestant 1's motives for being at "The Club", the actor will be wearing a black suit and tie, with vest. Easily conveying through MES that this character has money, is of the upper class, but has made it there through some illegitimate methods and it's because of these methods that Contestant 1 is in great debt.

Costume for Contestant 2 - 
I figured that if Contestant 2 is there just for the thrill of potentially dying or being shot at etc., then he wouldn't get all dressed up, or look smart because he may potentially be dead. So I kept his attire simple just with a T-Shirt and jeans.

Costume for Contestant 3 -
As stated before in earlier blog posts, I wanted the characterisation of Contestant 3 to appear familiar and have some awareness of normality to it, so that the target audience could project themselves onto this character and make the entire narrative consume them. The simple hoodie, shirt and jeans is a combination of what I feel my target audience wears.

Task 6 - Storyboard: - "Snap, Snap, Bang" Completed Script and Storyboard

I am now in a position in my A2 Project where I have fully completed my storyboard and script for "Snap, Snap, Bang". This has enabled me to finish up on my Production schedule, ensure that all props and costumes are accounted for and ready to be used in production. I am considering showing the script to fellow actors, and recording their initial reactions to the script, as a sort of documented Read-Through.

Task 5 - Script: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Screenplay Draft 4

Task 5 - Script: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Screenplay Draft 3

A new introduction was developed to come before the introduction that appeared in the drafts before because of the fact that I wanted to create more of a backstory for the character of Contestant 4, and put more emphasis on the fact that he's just an average person - Not really the social outcast, but doesn't really fit in majorly with one particular group of people. In creating this new beginning I had to slightly adjust the scene after that to make sure it flowed more smoothly in conjunction with the new introduction.

The music I had created before I began writing the script is beginning to be integrated into the script just so I know where I should be editing it into the product, in in the editing process, and to aid with how the scene is developed as I continue to edit it. 

I have also considered completely removing the character of Contestant 4 as they don't necessarily add anything to the narrative, due to the fact that they are such a blank character. Also, logistically, cutting the cast down to 3 characters would be very beneficial as a 4th member was planned to appear in that role but unfortunately dropped out. In doing this, I would replace Contestant 2's dialogue and actions, with that of Contestant 1's dialogue in his place.

Task 5 - Script: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Screenplay Draft 2

Since the fist draft, more detail was given to the character's clothing and the description of where the games in this movie take place. All very cheaply rented rooms inside an unknown basement complex. I decided to stick with the initial narrative story as I had started to develop a few ideas that I thought would work well visually, narrativly and logistically when it was time to begin initial filming. I developed a new character, Contestant 4, who would be used as the character viewers would project themselves onto so they could feel as though they have some emotional stake in the game as it unfolds before them. I feel as though this is important to have in movies to get the movie going faster, instead of having characters that are very diverse and so unique that the audience can't possibly relate themselves to. 

Basic variations with the shot types and angles were added to add some technical diversity to the overused "over the shoulder" shots which I have used a lot. One of these camera shots is the 'camera spirals around', which would be a part of various continuous take within this project. Ever since beginning Media Studies I thought it was interesting in creating a continuous shot in a small media project, but I feel as though if I took the time to create a good and interesting shot within my A2 project then that would look very appealing to the examiner, due to it's technical difficulty. 

The first initial ending to the short is developed also, however I did realise in the next draft that this would be a very short product, barely making it to 2-3 minutes, and so I planned an extra 4-5 minutes after this point in the latest draft of the script. 

Task 5 - Script: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Screenplay Draft 1

This was a very early proof of concept draft of the script I put together just to establish some basic characters, and what this location would look like. In this first draft I wanted to get across the feeling that these characters have been in this room a long while, they're tired, the game has gone on for hours maybe and the viewers are joining in near the end of their game.

Task 4 - Audience Research: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Recce

For the locations I intend to use in the project, I wanted to create the feel that these locations I envisioned in the script could be easily portrayed in the shooting of it. By doing this I already had pre-planned locations where the Exterior and Interior shots would be shot in and worked around those locations. 

The exterior shot of the entrance to "The Club", even though it would only be shown briefly, I wanted to create the feeling that people would recognise where this locations was and so when they see it in the final product they would be familiar with it, and feel as though they have walked past this sadistic is locations multiple times and didn't even realise that this sadistic club existed.

Task 4 - Audience Research: "Snap, Snap, Bang" Target Audience

The most important part of any movie production is of course the audience as this determines who a film will be marketed, what the general make up of the cast will consist of, the themes within the movie itself. It is important to identify a target audience as soon as possible into production so these you know who you are creating your movie for.

For my A2 media product "Snap, Snap, Bang", my target audience will be teenagers aged 16-19. This is based on various factors of my media product, one of which the concept of "The Club". Locating my short thriller inside an underground club appears to be a good idea because I feel as though teenagers would be able to get on board with the fact that these is in fact an underground nightclub or a bar that would actually exist, but it just so happens that this "club" invites people to risk their lives against twisted methods of violence.

Another factor is the main protagonist being a teenager himself who narratively, is who the audience will be following along with as the story develops. The character of Contestant 3 is around 17 years of age, he's recently just walked out of another nightclub (illegally) and he's walking around late at night, not wanting to go home, but not really wanting to keep drinking, which I'm confident teenagers will be able to relate really well to this. I feel as though viewers need to relate as much as possible to this character as he is the emotional arc of the movie, and when the narrative concludes and Contestant 4 has to go through with whichever method of violence he has unwillingly picked, I want audiences to be able to sympathise with how he's feeling about having to go through with this ordeal.

Teenagers aged 16-19 I feel is a good audience range to aim for because, as seen with various thrillers over recent years, the main demographic for those movies are teenagers who have got a group of friends together so they can all get scared at the cinema together. This age bracket is also very modern media efficient, which makes viral marketing and distribution very easy because of the fact they will want to comment about and share the product on a global scale so that others can experience what they have, making them very applicable to the Response Theory of "The Stimulus". This age bracket in particular, is more than any other demographic to actively buy into a product because of the fact that they are old enough to understand they are consumers, but they are also young enough to not have to worry about debt, bills, insurance, rent etc., which makes them a prime target group for large production companies, and for my A2 product.

My stereotypical primary target audience would be a male between the ages 15 and 18. Their main hobbies would include that of socialising with friends, enjoying tough sports such as Football and Rugby, listen to some EDM and Rap music. I would also put them in the B-C Socio-Econimic Class system, allowing them to get their first car quickly , go on frequent holidays and have a nice middle class home.

Task 3 - Mind Mapping: Childhood Memories, TV Tropes, Brooker and Field

Task 3 - Mind mapping: Short Film Ideas

Idea 1



Idea 2

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: Maddona (Like A Prayer)

Madonna released "Like A Prayer" in 1989. The video depicts Madonna as a worshipper of Christ; later showing her envisioned as an Angel, who appears to show complete devotion to the religious icon, showing an underline sensual tone to her worshipping of God.

Life is a mystery (The opening lines offer some ambiguity to who is calling her name. Whoever it is calling her name, however, provides her with a comforting amount of reassurance)
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name    
And it feels like home

[Chorus 1]
When you call my name (As depicted in the video heavily, Madonna portrays herself as being an actual"Madonna", idolised by Jesus and the members of the Gospel church also)
It's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees
I want to take you there
In the midnight hour (Referring to twilight, more commonly used as a reference to sexual activity. Again linking sexuality, with spiritual power)
I can feel your power
Just like a prayer
You know I'll take you there

[Verse 1]
I hear your voice
It's like an angel sighing (Throughout the video Madonna makes constant reference to her submissive worship to Jesus, the 'sighing' again creating the sexual gratification between herself and Jesus. Upon release of the video, this sparked outrage as many devote Christians were appalled at how Madonna has managed to sexualise Christianity and its key religious figures) 
I have no choice
I hear your voice
Feels like flying
I close my eyes
Oh God, I think I'm falling (Upon realising she was dreaming, she resorts back to her devotion to Christ to save her, which was who her dream was about. Reinforcing her devotion through both her positive and negative thoughts revolving around God)
Out of the sky
I close my eyes
Heaven, help me

[Chorus 1]

[Verse 2]
Like a child
You whisper softly to me
You're in control
Just like a child
Now I'm dancing
It's like a dream
No end and no beginning
You're here with me
It's like a dream
Let the choir sing

[Chorus 1][x2]

[Bridge]
Life is a mystery (During the Bridge, Madonna created even more controversial topics for her depiction of the Christian Cross burning, as she dances in the foreground. However, despite how many negative reviews the music video received, Madonna made 5 million from her promotion with Pepsi from just one adverstisment) 
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home

[Chorus 2]
Just like a prayer
Your voice can take me there
Just like a muse to me
You are a mystery
Just like a dream
You are not what you seem (At this point in the video, again Madonna depicts herself as the Virgin Mary, however, her provocative clothing and dancing suggest otherwise. Dancing inside a primarily black Gospel church, to whom the negative response for the video was highest with) 
Just like a prayer, no choice
Your voice can take me there

[Bridge]
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there
It's like a dream to me

[Chorus 2]

[Outro]
Just like a prayer, I'll take you there
It's like a dream to me


Upon the release of "Like A Prayer", the pope himself spoke up about the controversial video which interlinks sexual connotations and religion together; calling to boycott Madonna's videos and forbidding her to enter the Vatican. Music Videos reviewers such as (Phil Kloer) have condemned her work for exploiting the Catholic religion as a whole, using the KKK (Burning crosses) to fuel the viewership of the video. However, another reporter from USA Today (Edna Gundersen) sees it as "She saves someone. What is the big deal behind it?". 

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: "Fight Club" (1999)

What I hope to reattempt in "Snap, Snap, Bang." is the emptiness that is present in the "club" scenes in the movie "Fight Club". From the very beginning shots of the club being put together, accompanied by the voice over by Brad Pitt's character 'Tyler Durden'. The movements of the other characters in the scene and their sounds are amplified by the echoes in the damp and vast underground basement. What I feel David Fincher does particularly well in this scene is creating the feeling of this group of men within the movie, have promptly put this underground basement together and it is done without much preparation or planning, only adding to the overall motif in the movie that this 'fight club' is a very spur of the moment, improvised phenomenon that is taking over people that are; stuck in their dead-end jobs, not happy with their lives, much like the character of 'The Narrator/Jack' portrayed by Edward Norton.

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Card Props

In order to make the short believable, I felt as though I needed to actually make the game which the characters would be playing in the short. These are just a few examples of the cards that would be on the different tables throughout the different rooms in "The Club", some cards of which are better than others - 'Next Contestant' for instance would pass on the turn to someone else, taking the tension away from the Contestant who was previously playing. Others for instance are worse than others and will either permanently put a Contestant out of the game or put them in a position where it would be wise for them to quit.

I tried to keep the look of the cards simple and yet somewhat professional, as though somewhere within this universe in the short, there is a street gang who makes the cards, who are then employed by the managers of "The Club", and ship crates of the cards in weekly to use for the various different groups of people who are willing to play.

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Prop List

• 1 Table 
• 1 Deck of 52 Cards
• 3 Drinking Glasses
• 3 Water Jugs
• 1 "The Club" Promotion card 
• 1 Mobile Phone

One of the good things I have picked up on about short films is they only require a limited amount of resources to film and only a few various locations to film on, for a basic short film. My initial idea for my A2 media product being an elaborate story following a character that has been brainwashed by the government to conform to certain stock-character archetypes, would have required a worrying amount of costumes and props, locations and potentially make-up to make that world seem believable on the motion picture.

A film that has always fascinated me is The Blair Witch Project (1999) as not only did it set in motion a new genre of horror (found footage), but the budget for the movie was a mere 60,000 dollars, making over £14 million in the UK box office alone on release. A movie that was put together on such a limited budget for the time, had wrapped filming within a week, was able to gather such a huge cult following years after the film had been made really draws attention to the fact that with a good team working on the project, the budget for props and costumes becomes less and less of a drawback to the overall project. 

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Sound Effect Research

The Sound Effects I require for the short consists of:

• Card Snap/shuffling effect
• Gunshot effect
• Footsteps effect
• Knocking on door effect
• Door creaking open effect
• Punching effect
• Woman screaming effect

I sourced these effects from SoundBible.com, however as the editing phase begins after filming has wrapped I may feel as though some effects don't work as well as I though they would or maybe I didn't need the effect at all.

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: "Snap, Snap, Bang" - Soundtrack

Task 2 - Research Into Existing Products: "Black Mask" - Poster (2014)

Directed by Alex Colonna, Black Mask (2014) is a short film about a young daughter who manifests a dark entity, mysteriously being linked to her father's dark past. Upon initially viewing the poster, I immediately though that it was very conventional. It attempts to recreate certain conventions that make up traditional Horror movie stock-characters. one of the most significant is the use of a young girl being used as the catalyst for the 'dark entity' to animate and use to terrorise the father.

In intertextual terms, one of the most culturally striking movies in which this is done is The Exorcist (1973) which pushed the psychological boundaries on the relationship of the father and daughter, the father witnessing this entity destroying and tormenting her daughter's body.

What intrigued me about this product in particular is when the image of what girl was drawing in the trailer was revealed, it wasn't accompanied by a loud sound effect to create a jump scare, it was a slow build to the reveal and then the reveal left the audience with an eerie sound, which I feel creates a more sinister affect than using a loud sound to simply scare the audience. The child like scrawls on the canvas in Black Mask was similar to the book used in the Babadook (2014), when upon first watching this movie, the way it is incorporated into the narrative, creates a simialar tone of unease and tension.