Music/Soundtrack Ideas

Unfortunately I haven't had any emails as a result of my posters (that I've covered the school walls in!) however I came across a couple of songs by a band called The Tin Soldiers, which fit well for the mood I want to create. The songs I'd like to use are "24 Hours", "Day By Day", and possibly "Telling Tales". I saw them play live at Keystone Escape a few months ago and bought their album so I went onto their Facebook page and commented that I liked it very much, and requested to use those songs for my amateur film. They replied saying they'd get back to me, so I'm just waiting for a response now.

If I am permitted to use these songs then they'll be for the more relaxed scenes of the film rather than the horror-type scenes. I want to use them to focus on Mia and how her life dramatically changes because of Iona ("24 hours and everything's changed my life, it never been rearranged so fast, you've gotta ask is everything okay?"), and the sadness she feels by the distance Iona creates between her, her mum, boyfriend and friends ("Fade out, we'll fade out again" - its a slow, melancholy mood, which would lend itself perfectly to a montage of Mia's life in its current state)

I'm just going to wait and hope for a positive response! :)


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Iona's Photo of Mia Trials

I've taken a few test photos to be the one Iona takes of Mia, unknown to her and the audience. It is going to be a mystery how the photo came to be; and it won't ever be revealed. So I want it to be sufficiently shocking and able to tell a story of its own without having to explain its part in the film.

So I've experimented with different techniques (in make up, hair, lighting and editing) ; albeit once again using very primative means (smudging make up, scruffing up hair, using the flourescent strip light in my bathroom, and editing the shadows and highlighting levels in Picasa)

Here are the best of the photos:

1

2

I've tried to make tear tracks that appear like blood, with the weird shadows and colours for the supernatural effect. I also tried to create a truly fearful expression. I'm hoping that these things combined will avoid the need to explain the photo, I want it to be a mystery, but with no doubt at all of Iona's threat behind it.

3

I couldn't decide which version of this particular photo was most effective, so please comment on your favourite :)

 

This is another photo I tried:

I tried adding some light to give it a different quality:

I also tried an extreme close up of the eyes being hidden, as though to pretect herself from Iona's invasion:

I then tried a much lighter approach, but I don't like it for the original purpose. I think it fits more as Iona's character than Mia, but I don't want Iona to ever be seen:



Film Plan

I've planned out the whole film! :) It's all saved in Celtx, (a scriptwriting program I found online) as index cards for each scene. Next I'm going to draft it out in full.

I've planned certain details outright, but I'm leaving some areas for natural development as I write each scene, e.g. I've decided to include a photo as part of Iona's haunting (for want of a better word) of Mia. What it'll be is a photo of Mia frightened and clearly at the mercy of Iona; however Mia will remember nothing of how the photo came to be, leaving her confused and scared of how Iona already is, and could continue to effect her life. I'm going to take some test shots and edit them to create the desired creepy effect.

Music Advertising

I'm going to advertise for a band to use their original music as a soundtrack. Here is the poster I'll be using:

Film Poster 1

I've drafted a few movie posters in my notebook (literally a paper one!). I've made one of them, using highly primative means, but I think the outcome is okay:

Looking back at my methods it looks quite silly, but was real fun watching it develop. Here is what I started with:

Yes, a bowl of Tomato and BBQ sauce!

I then doused my hand in it (ugh) and put a handprint on the garden door (much to my mum's displeasure) :

Lovely!

Here are the stages I created the poster in:

I have a few more plans for posters, but I'm going to need to find a 9-year old girl for them. I don't ever want Iona's face to be fully shown, so I'll have to edit my photos a lot to make sure only the features define her as a female child; still leaving the doubt at who she actually is.

Hello :)

Hi, I'm Becky and this is my blog for my film "Iona"

I keep a normal blog, then make a new one for each project. This one was an idea that randomly came to me whilst revising for my Media exam! So I wrote it down, came back to it, and now have a story all set out on electronic index cards ready for me to write as a script. Here is the basic story (without giving away everything!) :


Amelia Morgan (Mia), an ordinary schoolgirl, disrupted by reccurring nightmares, which grow to become supernatural occurances. A spirit of a 9-year old girl who died (Iona) haunts her bedroom. Iona's story unfolds, explaining Mia's nightmares. Out of her depth, she is helped by her Drama teacher Mr Samson, who promises to help rid her of the spirit.


However Mia forms a strange bond with Iona which shows her that she is filled with hate and fear. Mia and Mr Samson try to help her; and along the way they discover truly dark secrets from Iona's past.


Will they be able to help her move on? Or will it all be too much for them all?
...and will Mr Samson's past affect his present judgement?


I've written profiles for each character to help develop their natures in accordance with their pasts. Next I will start my first draft of the script as I now know exactly what will happen, and mainly how I'm going to achieve it.

Then I'll hold auditions for the characters. I do, admittedly, want to play the part of Mia. This could be a little difficult when it comes to filming it, but I intend to dummy the scenes quickly with another actor, showing a camera-person that I will choose, the exact shots I'm trying to get. One thing I am certain of, is that I don't ever want the audience to see Iona. I want it to be down to their imagination and interpretation, so it can be personal to each viewer, and keep her as an unknown.

I'm aiming to have this film finished by September 2012. I want to start filming in August 2011. That gives me 2 months to write for all the pre-production. I know its quite ambitious as I'm trying to do it as much myself as is possible, but I think I can do it.

I'll upload bits and pieces as it comes together, as a kind of personal project documentation. It also helps to prove this is my idea, and I'm intending on copyrighting it (not that I really expect anyone to want to steal it - at least not at this stage if at all)