Production: Sound

Recording the voice over
I recorded an initial voice over with an app that I downloaded on to my personal laptop called "recorder". This was effective when I began to edit initial footage as it gave me an idea as to whether the footage onscreen was parallel to the sound. However, I soon decided that it was too quiet as it was hard to understand what the person was saying, and there wasn't much conviction. This was perhaps because the instructions I had given were quite vague; I just wanted something to work with for the draft.

Recording the song
I used the same application to record the voice over, but this was more easily editable with other software. Though it could have been better, it didn't matter too much because some distortion of sound was a feature of fantasy films and contributed to the scary element of the film.

Re-recording the voice over
After reflecting on what I had produced, I decided to re record the voice over so it made more of a contribution to the overall piece. I did this by selecting someone who studied drama to record the voice over; they had more of an understanding as to how the voice and intonation can be used for dramatic effect. The method I used to record the voice over was also better as it was more professional; I used a microphone. As a result, it resulted in improved sound.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Production: Equipment used

Here is an overview of the equipment I used for filming:

Panasonic SDC700 Recorder
This was a good choice of equipment because it was one of the high quality video cameras at my school, resulting in a more professional and sophisticated appearance of the footage.They are also quite simple to use and so this did not detract time away from the filming process. I was confident in how to keep the  camera safe and away from breakages, which helped greatly when I was filming away from school.

Panasonic SDC700 

Velbon CX-888
This tripod helped to stabilise the camera, preventing the footage captured from being shaky. It was  sturdy so I wasn't concerned about the camera falling off. The fact that you could manoeuvre the tripod to a range of heights and positions helped me to capture a variety of shots. 

Tripod

Lighting Rig
I used a lighting rig to make my product look more sophisticated and also to make it easier to see. It was initially difficult to set up but eventually it was alright. 
I rejected a flip cam because of the low quality. 

Production: Lighting

Internal location
The internal location I used was the Drama Studio at my school. As this is quite a dark room (there is not much natural light), I wanted to use additional lighting to make my coursework production look more sophistication. Therefore I booked a lighting rig. This encompassed a 300 Watt Broadbeam Halogen light, 800 Watt Broadbeam Halogen light and a 300 Watt Halogen spot light (dimmable). 

An example of a shot with additional lighting

After a while I experimented "with purple lighting" and found this to be a success also. This involved placing a purple filter/material in front of the light. 

An example of "purple lighting"

External locationAt the external location (Stowe Landscape Gardens), I decided to film with and adapt to natural lighting to be in keeping with the theme of nature often exhibited in fantasy films. This would also show a contrast. 

The above two pictures are examples of footage taken with natural lighting.

Evaluation of Filming Day 2

Overview of progress
The progress I made was good, I was able to get extreme close ups of the Evil Queen with proper lighting equipment. Additionally I got footage of marchers/people which will add greater depth to the narrative. The internal location allowed me to convey a contrast between industrial and natural settings. As I had the shots that I wanted planned out beforehand, it sped up the process significantly.

Problems faced
One of the problems I faced was that I was unsure how to the set the lighting, so we had to try lots of different shots before settling on the right place. The first few shots especially were futile due to overexposure. Another problem was that was time consuming to get the marchers to march in time with another!

Overcoming these problems
Initial problems with lighting were largely resolved by putting a purple filter/material in front of the light as I liked the effect this had. Marching in time with one another was achieved as the cast got used to the rhythm.

Managing Health and Safety Risks
A responsible adult (one of my teachers, Mr Osborne) was present when filming to accompany us. I was aware of how to operate the camera equipment as so to avoid any damages/breakages and made sure those helping me were aware of my intentions. (Under approval from OCR, I can have someone operate/assist with the operation of the camera.) We were all careful around lighting and electricity.

Filming (and Improvising) the Footage 
Most of the shots were filmed successfully. I attempted to film from a range of different angles, using a variety of shot types. Lara's nails looked different to what they did in the previous shoot though this was in many ways good because I wanted to communicate contrasts and the progression of time. From my research, I know that trailers rarely follow a linear structure. When I went to film the marchers' feet I was unable to get the tripod in the desired position so I had to film handheld footage. At first, I was worried about the stability of this but it turned out alright. 

Overall Evaluation
Overall the day was successful as I tried my best to get all the shots I needed at this location, and was able to adapt to the situation, improvising when necessary. The day may have been better if the lighting was sorted sooner, but some degree of experiment was inevitably required. 

Raw footage: filming day 2

Here is a compilation of raw footage from the second filming day.

Call Sheet - Filming Day 2

Internal (INT) External (EXT)	Scene/Shot description	Location(s)	Equipment used	People present
INT	Mid to close up of people’s feet walking towards camera – camera on ground (low angle) (handheld)	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SDC700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod	Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings
INT	XCU of Evil Queen looking directly at the camera (Eyes)	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SDC700 Lighting rig Velbon CX-888 Tripod	Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings
INT	XCU of Evil Queen’s lips	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SDC700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod Lighting rig	Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings
INT	XCU of Evil Queen’s hands	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SDC700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod Lighting rig	Ellie Craddock Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings
INT	XCU of Evil Queen’s eyes and nose (lips just out of shot) sideways on	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SDC700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod Lighting rig	Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings
INT	Close up of person ripping up fairy tale story	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SDC700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod	Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings
INT	Overhead shot of pages falling to floor	Drama studio, Chenderit School	Panasonic SD700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod	Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings

INT

CU pans round to XCU of “Once upon a time” (handheld)

Drama studio, Chenderit School

Panasonic SDC700 Velbon CX-888 Tripod

Ellie Craddock Lara Hammersley Mr Osborne Eleanor Howe Georgie Craddock Rob French Elizabeth Jennings

Please note that "people present" refers to everyone at the shoot rather than individual shot.

Possible Film Titles and Experimenting with Fonts

Font

I am aware that this font may not be available in Adobe Premier Pro or other editing software, but I felt that I needed a better idea of what typography/titles I wanted whilst in the initial editing stages. Hence I have downloaded copyright free fonts from the website DaFont. I downloaded a few onto my computer; they were labelled as free for personal use. The one below is more the type I am looking for is labelled 100% free, so I'm going to experiment with this.
It is called Drakoheart Leiend Bold, and was created by G3Typefaces.

Colour
For the moment I am trying out the fonts in purple, as it is a significant colour in my trailer (the Evil Queen is wearing a purple gown/cloak) and it is a gender neutral, representing how there is not a stereotype of either gender watching fantasy films).

Potential film titles (for trailer)
Never Before is a twist on the fantasy concept of Ever After. The adverb 'never' also provides the trailer with negative connotations that dark films often carry because of the harrowing or scary narratives that they have. "Never Before" also has an element of unexpectedness, as if it has not been seen. Before links to the fact that the Evil Queen doesn't want there to be a happily ever after.

Possible film title 1

Possible film title 2

Malediction is loaded with more fantastical connotations as it is a synonym for curse, which is essentially what the Evil Queen is doing to the land [putting it under a curse]. "Mal" is associated with bad things, as a lot of words that start with this, for example malnourishment, malicious, have negative meanings. It may be too similar to Maleficent, which is a 2014 dark fantasy film. 

Possible film title 3

Crown is a noun with fantastical connotations, it is usually what royals and rulers of kingdoms wear. Therefore a crown is a symbol of power and status, I want to make this attribute of the Evil Queen clear. Fallen then subverts this idea because it is suggestive of helplessness and powerlessness. Despite it saying "fallen" beforehand, I think this title may confuse the audience as the Evil Queen is not wearing a crown.

Types of ident

Ident 1
Ident using titles - (typed)
Real Media Example: Focus Features

Idea (applying this concept)

Idea 2
Image and text
Real Media Example: Walden Media

Idea 3Name of company in logo
Real Media Example: Entertainment One

Focus Features: image from Wikipedia
Walden Media: image from Variety.com
Entertainment One: image from Twitter

Evaluation of Filming Day One

Overview of progress
The progress I made was good, I was able to get the footage involving the Evil Queen, and as I had the shots that I wanted planned out beforehand, it sped up the process greatly.

Problems faced
One of the problems I faced was that I was unable to film at one of my locations, The Gothic House, because it was inaccessible using the buggy I had hired to help reach locations quicker. Another problem was that as Stowe Landscape Gardens is a public place, there were occasionally other members of the public in the shot.

Overcoming these problems
I was able to improvise by using a location, Rotunda, instead of The Gothic House. This is still a landmark/temple which would be suggestive of the fantastical elements that I need in my trailer, relating to the genre. I was able to overcome the problem of other people being in the shot by letting them know when I was filming and when I wasn't, the majority of people were already cautious about stepping in front of the camera, or I asked them to move for a short amount of time. Other times this wasn't possible. For example, at the Temple of Concord Victory, a family was having a photoshoot. For the most part they were kept out of the shot. However, where this was not possible I am going to crop them out of the shot during the editing process.

Weather Conditions
Whilst filming these scenes, the weather was dry and fair. Although a murkier, colder or wet day may have been better for the dark and scary element of my trailer, filming was easier to carry out - I didn't have to worry about getting it wet, Lara, my father or myself getting cold. If I feel it is necessary I can change/add a filter when editing the footage.

Managing Health and Safety Risks
A responsible adult was present when filming to accompany Lara and myself. My father knew how to drive the buggy and had passed the test that Stowe required him to take. I ensured that my father knew how to operate the equipment beforehand as so to avoid any damages/breakages (Under approval from OCR, I can have someone operate/assist with the operation of the camera.)I directed the shots and made sure he was aware of my intentions and what I wanted. One of the scenes required  Lara to eat an apple. I checked that she was not intolerant/allergic to apples beforehand as so to keep her safe and in good health. 

Filming (and Improvising) the Footage 
Most of the shots were filmed successfully. I attempted to film from a range of different angles, using a variety of shot types. However, some shots I was unable to film (like the Evil Queen waking up). Therefore I filmed close ups instead. If I decide to do a photoshoot to gain stills for my poster, I could do this then. The reason I couldn't film the shot was because I was filming at an external location, it would not have been sensible to lie down outside where it was very muddy/dirty. On the day there was good natural lighting because it was sunny. I decided to experiment with this light and shoot footage of the Evil Queen walking to the front of the temple with sunlight cast on her. This gives the idea of it being a "new day" and subverts the connotation of light being positive, referring more to the connotation of fire. It will be interesting to have sun in a dark fantasy film, and look at how I can make the sinister element clear. 

Overall Evaluation
Overall the day was successful as I tried my best to get all the shots I needed at this location, and was able to adapt to the situation, improvising when necessary. The day may have been more productive if the location was quieter, but as Stowe is a public place this was inevitably difficult. My storyboard would have been more conformed to if I was able to use the locations that I had planned, but it was alright because I was able to improvise.