UPDATE: Creating The REAPER Ending

After getting feedback from our teacher, the still frame of the news ending was an attempt to finish the narrative, however, it cannot work due to;

• being a still frame, when it should be a rolling frame.
• makes it look less professional.

Solutions and options that could be put in place;

1. a newspaper with headline stating they are dead.
• newspapers are still shots therefore would work. It is also evident in movies to show and inform the audience what happens.
2. a news report this is a rolling shot.
• hard to execute and look like a professional news station.
3. a radio report.
• need to find someone to do voice over to sound like they are on the radio.

Feedback:

After evaluating the three options, we asked peers and teachers who have  experience or interest in film, which the majority said that option one would look the most professional due to having seen it in previously in films they have watched.

Self-evaluate:

We also believed option one would be most practicable. Therefore, we have gone forward and used this method. Further posts will show the new ending.

Equipment List

Filming Day Schedule

Organising Filming & Re-Filming

The picture above shows the chat between me and my colleague. 

This states and organises our filming availability.

We also had to make sure our actors are also available, which was already checked before.

We also organised the re-filming dates if needed. 

This was a successful method to communicate.

UPDATE: Casting Grimm

After an unexpected unavailability of Jonathan Oslar, the replacement for Grimm, we now need an immediate actor for Grimm.

The only conclusion and easy way to do this without being time-consuming was to cast myself.

I am 6 foot, giving an intimidating presence in height.

I will always be available.

In terms of filming, I will film all shots which Grimm is not in shot. Then when Grimm is needed in shot, Jade will film all those shots.

UPDATE: New Location Recce

The picture of the house you can see is now the new location for REAPER.

Family members who are now the actors offered their house as a location after I pitched the the film to them.

This was a massive asset due to improving the location for our film.

The main reasons for the location swap;

• massive house.
• middle of nowhere.
• lots of mysterious objects around.
• lots of rooms.
• lots of space to hide/run/chase etc.
• makes it easier for our actors.

The pictures above show all the rooms we are going to use to film at the moment.

They should hopefully give an idea of the size of the house, which hopefully will create that isolated feel.

UPDATE: Casting Grimm

After the change of narrative, we then had to cast three new characters.

When we auditioned the volunteers, we casted the current actor who was playing Grimm.

We felt Rupert suited this role better.

We now look to re cast Grimm.

We appointed  Jonathan Oslar due to his appearance being broad creating an intimidating look.

UPDATE: New Narrative

REAPER:

Characters:

• Zola 'Mils' Grace - female protagonist.
• Grimm - antagonist (masked man).
• Seb Grace - younger brother.
• Rupert Grace - Dad.
• Jane Grace - Mum.

Clearer Narrative:

• Zola returns home from a friend's house to babysit her younger brother Seb, whilst their mum & dad (Rupert & Jane) are heading away for the night.
• Once the Rupert and Jane are far gone, the mysterious man, 'Grimm', then stalks the house and takes advantage of Zola and Seb's weakness.
• Grimm keeps appearing and stalking Zola, once Seb is put to bed. 
• After a series of events, Zola comes across Grimm when she takes out the trash, which he jumps out and chases her, but somehow disappeared. 

Ending:

• The way we brainstormed to create a clearer ending to REAPER, is that Zola will be outside after being chased by Grimm, leaving the door open, which Grimm sneaks in without her seeing.
• However, Zola recognises this and sprints in panic back into the house hoping Seb is safe.
• It then calms down, and Zola leaves Seb and shuts the door, which is when Grimm jumps out behind the door, and 'kills' Seb.
• Not shown, but is assumed that he also kills her too.

Reasoning:

The reason for this ending, is that due to analysing several short film horrors, they all have a mysterious but assumed ending due to the budget of a glory death but also limited time available to.

Therefore, this type of ending is present in the short films;

• The Moonlight Man
• The Moonlight Man 2
• 2AM: The Smiling Man
•  Alexia
• The Smiling Man

The list of short films horrors that have this ending goes on forever.

UPDATE: Narrative

List of Props

List of Props:

Cup of tea - This gives the audience a sense of realism as making tea is an action people do in every day life. This can then add more horror to the scene as the audience feel as though the scary events could possibly happen to them and they can picture themselves in the protagonists shoes.





Laptop - Zola is using this laptop to write on her blog.Connotation of youth as young adults and teenagers use a lot of technology in their everyday life.

Sofa - Where Zola is sitting on her laptop and receiving and replying to the mysterious text messages. Most shots show her on this sofa when she is scared as it presents her vulnerability when she is scared to the audience as she is too afraid to move. This stereo typically targets teenage girls as they are seen in society as being the most weak and vulnerable.

Earphones - These can connote youthful immaturity as it portrays how teenagers can be oblivious and unaware of their surroundings and the dangers around them when they use earphones with loud music. This targets young children, teenagers and adults who witness unaware from young people.

Phone - The phone that Zola receives and replies to the anonymous texts on. This is a prop that targets the younger generation and how they are always on their phone and texting a lot.

Kitchen utensils - These include utensils such as knives. I plan to show a knife in the background of my short film whilst Zola is either in the kitchen making tea or looking around the room when she hears a noise. By having this prop visible to the audience, this can cause them to associate this with the idea of foreshadowing a negative event which may be happening soon. This event involves using this knife as a weapon which is a very popular use of iconography in horror films.

Production Scheldule