UCA PROJECT PROPOSAL AND REALISATION

UAL AUTHENTIFICATION FORM

PRE-ASSESSMENT REVIEW

PRE-ASSESSMENT REVIEW OF PROJECT PROPOSAL

Name: James Gallifent

Project proposal Title: Grace horror idea

Context

Project Proposal

1.1  How are you using a range of critical and contextual perspectives within the development of your personal proposal? Give examples.

I think I have contextualised my work by completing in-depth research and incorporating several elements of my inspiration’s work into my own.

In my first proposal, it stated that I would complete the editing of photos to a cinematographic standard. I soon realised this was a much harder feat to accomplish than I had first thought. In order to adapt my ideas, I researched better ways to go about producing the quality I needed. This led me to look up various new techniques, such as the tutorial I used to create mist.

1.2 How are you using detailed analysis and evaluation to clarify the development of your person project proposal? Where is it evidenced?  Give examples.

As mentioned before, I didn’t have the skills to produce edited photographs to the standard I thought I could at first, which led me to ask myself what standard I could produce. This led me to look up various new techniques, such as the tutorial I used to create mist.

Research

Primary and secondary

2.1 How are you using wide-ranging and in-depth research to support the development of your personal project? Give examples.

My first piece of research analyses previous film posters and what common motifs are present, which enabled me to develop film posters of my own. I experimented with different fonts before I found one which was suitable for me to use.

2.2 How are you using analytical and evaluative skills to develop a range of creative solutions? Give examples.

After reflecting upon the work of photographers, such as Gregory Crewdson’s work, I evaluated what I thought was good about the work and what I thought didn’t work. This allowed me to gain a better perspective on what works and what doesn’t in the wider photography community. As well as known photographers, I used to give feedback on my peers’ work for them, which also help me overcome my own creative problems using techniques they used in their work.

After reflecting upon my own work, I noticed several drawbacks to my work, which I then swiftly adjusted- as seen on the reflection page of my blog. This happened with 3 of my film stills and 2 of my film posters. I can be quite critical of my own work, which can sometimes lead to me drastically changing it. This happened with a lot of my drawings before I took any photographs.

Problem Solving

Theory and Practice

3.1 What complex practical and technical problems are you solving within your project? Give examples.

Before starting this project, I hadn’t done a huge amount of photography before, so, nearer the start of this whole course, I had some technical problems with my camera- just because I hadn’t gotten used to using it quite yet. This problem soon became obsolete as I practiced with the camera and improved.

Another technical problem I overcame was my use of Adobe Photoshop CC. Previously to starting this course, I had only used a basic version of Photoshop, years ago, for basic tasks- like creating a logo. I had a limited knowledge of how to use the updated version of Photoshop, but, after watching tutorials on Lynda.com and reading tutorials on DIYPhotography.com, I quickly improved. One such technical problem like this was the mist used in several of my photographs. I had no idea how to create convincing mist, so I took to the Internet and found a very helpful tutorial, which helped. As well as using the Internet to help, I asked my peers for advice on using Photoshop.

3.2 How are you solving complex theoretical problems within your project? Give examples.

Theoretical problems I had over the course of this project, mainly included not having the skill to complete tasks, like the ones described above, which were overcame using a mix of Internet help and peer advice.

Planning and Production

4.1 How are you demonstrating the ability to efficiently plan, organize and produce a personal project within the agreed time frame? Give examples.

At the start of the project, I had a timetable that helped me to compartmentalize my tasks. The Gannt chart I produced at the start of the project was helpful at the start, but I started doing tasks that deviated from its first draft, so I also had a physical diary on my phone of daily tasks I needed to complete. Without this, I would have likely become overwhelmed.

Practical Skills

Refinement and Realization of Ideas

5.1 How are you exploring, adapting and applying a range of practical methods and skills in the realization of your personal project? Give examples.

At the start of the course, Photoshop and, to some extent, photography itself were relatively new to me. They were the techniques I chiefly used in the realisation of the project. I did indoor and outdoor photography shoots. I experimented with props, such as fake blood. The technique to creating mist on Photoshop CC was a new one for me. These things are documented on my blog.

Reflection and Evaluation

Project Development

6.1 How are you maintaining detailed critically evaluative and reflective records of the development of your project? Give examples.

Over the course of the project, I reflected upon and evaluated my own work, with my analytical thoughts being documented on my blog. In addition to this, I received valuable feedback from my peers- also documented on my blog. I created a questionnaire which I used towards the end of my project to great effect. An example of the template I used can be seen on my blog.

6.2 How are you demonstrating that you are using evaluative and reflective skills to make perceptive decisions in support of your project? Give examples.

Final Presentation and Audience Consideration

7.1 What strategies are you considering to use to present your project?

All the work I have completed is presented on my blog. I could also print a select few photographs out onto photographic paper.

7.2 How will you present your work in a skillful and proficient manner?

Give examples.

All the work I have completed is presented on my blog. I could also print a select few photographs out onto photographic paper.

Who is your specified audience and how will you engage them with your work?

My target audience is teenagers aged 15-20, with an interest in horror films, or photography. I want to chiefly engage their attention with an eye-catching film poster that I designed, with the stills from the proposed film below it, or around it.

WORK

For my research, practical work, bibliography, glossary and my final photographs, please refer to the pages (links above).

PROCESSES

STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - PROCESSES

I started the process using Adobe Photoshop CC. Above is the original image.

Firstly, I changed the Brightness/Contrast. I decreased the brightness and increased the contrast slightly to soften the image and to start to slightly make the image more cinematographic.

Secondly, I adjusted the image using the Curves tool. I created an 'S' shape using this tool, which then brought the colour out- making it more prominent.

Thirdly, I adjusted the colours using the Colour Balance tool. I increased the levels of greens and yellows to further accentuate these colours.

Next, I adjusted the colours again using the Hue/Saturation tool. I decreased the Master saturation a bit and changed the yellow saturation levels too. At first, when using these tools, I was experimenting a little bit to see what kinds of effects I could accomplish.

After that, I added a new, separate layer. I then overlayed this layer onto the previous one and subsequently used the Burn tool to darken the trees in the background. This would make it seem like they are shrouded in mist.

Then, I created the mist in a separate layer, labelled 'Mist'.  The process for making it can be seen below the process for this photograph. It took a lot of trial, error and tutorials, but eventually I managed to find a satisfactory outcome.

The next step in the editing was to duplicate the mist layer and to distort it slightly. I moved the second mist layer up underneath the trees and made the mist thinner.

With the mist in its correct place, the next phase was to get the lighting and colours right. I used the Curves tool to bring out more of the shadows to attempt to make the photograph more like an image from a film.

I decided that I wanted more colour in the photo, so I used the Hue/Saturation tool. I increased the saturation of the green and yellows to bring out the colour in the grass, whilst retaining the darkness of the trees in the background.

Next, I used the Brightness/Contrast tool to see what the effect was on the fog in the background was.

In order to complete the photograph, I thought I should make it slightly darker so it wouldn't be too light in comparison with the other photographs. I still wanted it to feel like part of the series. So lastly, I used the Brightness/Contrast tool to adjust the lightness of the image.

MIST - PROCESS

The mist seen in several of the film stills was fairly tricky for me to produce. As stated above, it took a lot of trial, error and tutorials to reach an outcome that I liked.

This is what the finished layer looks like.

The first step in creating mist is to apply a clouds filter. To do this I selected the top layer and proceeded to click on Filter > Render > Clouds.

Having made sure to have clicked on the top layer, the next step was to convert that layer for smart filters. To do this I clicked on Filter > Convert for Smart Filters.

After this, I blurred the clouds onscreen using the Gaussian Blur tool. This can be found at Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur. I set the radius to 45 pixels, as seen above.

Next, I clicked on the smart filter icon on the mist layer, then used the gradient tool to create a gradient from bottom to top.

Afterwards, I moved the mist into its correct position (at the bottom of the photograph) and distorted it to fit the image properly. To do this I clicked on Edit > Transform > Distort.

And lastly, I used the smudge tool to better distort the mist and to make them look more like mist.

The result was a subtle, but effective, mist layer.

STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - ADJUSTMENTS

After reviewing the self reflection and the peer feedback, it is clear that in order to improve my photographs some adjustments should be made.

Original

With adjustments

Original

With adjustments

Original

With adjustments

STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - PEER FEEDBACK

After asking several of my peers and friends about my film stills, I am better equipped to adjust and improve my designs.

STILL 1

After asking some people about this photo, I found out some interesting thoughts about it.

The majority of people liked the location and the visual aesthetic of the house. Some people mentioned that the ivy on the front of the house makes it seem more creepy than it actually is.

One person made an interesting comment about the shape of the house, which nobody else picked up on. They said that the spikes and the pointed, jagged shape of the house gave it an imposing shape that seemed to create some hostility to the picture.

I received mixed feelings about the inclusion of Grace in the picture. Some people said she seemed a bit out of place, but others said she added to the creepiness of the photograph. However, most people agreed that she needed to be a bit darker and more faded, to accentuate the ghostly quality to her.

Another point that most people agreed upon (myself included) was the fact that the picture was too bright. The majority of people I asked commented on the sky being too light and, in order to better match the tone of the story, suggested that it should be darkened.

STILL 2

This photo was well-received by most people I asked.

Most people said that they liked the aesthetic and feel of the photograph, stating that the atmosphere created by the mist and fog really captured the eerie quality that I was going for.

Most people also liked the way that created the mist and fog surrounding the trees. They said that the darkened trees really bring them out and makes them easier to see.

After explaining the story in relation to this picture, a few people did argue that this picture wasn't really relevant to the story. Almost everyone did say that they liked, nonetheless.

STILL 3

The majority of people liked this photo, due to the creepy, horror-like quality that the hand coming over the edge of the bath induces.

Most people liked the way that the mist at the bottom was more prominent than previous photos. However, on the other hand, most people did notice that I had been using the same mist in all the film stills.

After comparing this photo to the film poster I created using a similar image, some people noticed that there were less trees in the background of this photo than the poster. They liked that it cleared up the background a bit and made the focus more on the bath.

Some negative points mentioned include:

• The sky is a little too bright
• The vignette is too noticeable

STILL 4

After showing some people this photo, the majority agreed that, compared to previous photos, this photo was a little lacking in creativity. Many people said that it was a little boring.

A few people commented on the appearance of the mist again. Some people said that, in this instance, it wasn't needed and perhaps I was using it a bit too often. They said that the appearance of the gravestone made it sufficiently creepy without the mist.

However, there were some positive thoughts to take from their feedback. Some people said that they liked the darkness surrounding the characters and the location.

STILL 5

The majority of people I asked liked the setting and the idea behind this photo.

In this instance, people liked the way the mist complemented the photo and added to the visual feel of the photo.

Some people said that the blood on the characters' clothes didn't look right. Having been told this, it does look a bit too bright. Some adjustments should be made accordingly.

STILL 6

The majority of people liked this photo. They said that the location really complemented the look of the photo.

They liked that the mist was more subtle than in previous film stills. Some people also noticed that Grace's body was similar to that of one of the film posters, in which her body had multiple faded versions around to give the impression she was ghostly. Those who noticed this said they liked the way I've done her dead body the same way. It gives a sense of continuity throughout all the photos.

No one commented on the vignette, which was commented on negatively in previous photos.

STILLS FROM PROPOSED FILM - SELF REFLECTION

After producing these film stills it is important to reflect on how well they worked.

STILL 1

This film still is of the house that the characters in the story are moving into.

I think that the house has an idyllic quality to it and that it is easy to believe that people would want to move there. At the same time, I think that the aesthetic of the exterior is not unlike that of similar types of houses found in other horror films, making it an ideal location for the concept of my idea.

The trees and other foliage surrounding the house give the impression that the house is in a secluded location that, I think, adds to its visual appeal.

The mist at the bottom of the photograph creates an eerie atmosphere, which complements the tone of the story and the proposed film. It is subtle, which complements the rest of the image well, because, if it was to prominent it would become a focus for the audience. This would detract from the main focus, which is, of course, the house.

In the window, viewers can see Grace faintly. This shows the audience that she has an ominous presence and adds to the image, because the way she is presented in the image is subtle and not the focus of the image. Her not being a focus of the image suggests that she is discreet and, therefore, more of a threat to the characters, as they don't always know she's there.

There are things about this photograph that I dislike, however, including the brightness and the vignette.

In this particular photograph, the vignette around the edges of the photo doesn't work. It isn't subtle enough. The viewers can clearly see it which detracts from the realism of the photograph. I always put a vignette around my photographs, because it usually focuses attention on the centre of the photograph, but this one is too obvious. In order for the vignette to work, the brightness of the sky would have to be darker, so the vignette itself would be less obvious.

This brings me on to my next point- the brightness. The sky is very bright. After having already edited this photo, I can clearly see that the brightness is not concurrent with the tone of the overall story idea.

STILL 2

This photo is of the main characters walking their dog, before they meet Grace.

This is my favourite photo that I have taken for this project.

The fact that this photo has colour is a dichotomy to many of the other photos (with most of the film stills having simple colours, like black, grey, brown, and some green). Lighter greens and a hint of yellow and blue can be seen in this photo, which could be seen to represent the fact that the story is in its early stages at this point, when the characters were still innocent as to what the house really is and before they have met the primary villain of the story.

The colours are reminiscent of the grass, sky, trees and mist are reminiscent of a dewy, misty morning. The mist itself seems to keep mostly to the edges of the photograph, which effectively frames the photograph. This mist and the fog in background by the trees help to remind the viewers that, although this particular photograph is of a seemingly innocent event, the tone of the overall concept is supposed to be a creepy one. Mist is ever-present in all these photographs to act as the constant reminder of the eerie nature of the proposed film idea.

The way the trees are 'burnt' in the background gives the impression to the viewers that they are shrouded in fog- aided by the brightness of the areas surrounding the trees. Fog has a ghostly quality to it which could be seen to mirror Grace- as she is supposed to be a spirit herself.

STILL 3

This photograph is supposed to represent the first moment in the story when Grace reveals herself to the main characters and starts becoming violent.

The photograph is similar to one of the previous film posters, however it isn't as bright as the poster. I think that the film poster's darkness complements the tone of the story better and works better as an image, than this particular photograph. Despite that, this photo still emulates the eerie quality that is present throughout the story- through the use of mist to emphasise the main focus of the picture (the bath) and to create a creepy atmosphere. The addition of mist to the photograph adds to the visual aesthetic of the photograph.

The bloodstains on the side of the bath are suitably subtle enough to create a feeling that something dreadful happened at the site of the bath.

The sky doesn't look quite right. It's a bit too light compared to the bottom of the picture, which looks darker. This makes the photograph look slightly uneven. Something that also looks uneven is the way that I 'burnt' the sky in Photoshop. This will have to be adjusted accordingly.

STILL 4

This is a photo of the main characters discovering a lone grave on their property, which belongs to a girl called Grace.

Although this moment would be quite important in the proposed film, it appears quite drab in photographic form. There isn't a lot happening in this photograph.

The text on the gravestone isn't very visible. The photo would have to be zoomed in to see the writing. Although I wanted the text to be subtle, I didn't want it to be too subtle as to make it invisible.

In order to make this photograph a little more interesting, I added the mist to, again, create an eerie quality to the photo and to act as a reminder to the creepy nature of the film- even in moments when Grace isn't around.

I think this is the weakest photo I have taken for this project.

STILL 5

This photograph acts as a representation of one of the occasions that Grace attacks the main characters.

The setting for this photo was a path in Polesden Lacey surrounding by trees that seemed to loom over the path, creating a tunnel-like appearance. I thought this would be a good location for a chase scene in the proposed film. Trees looming over the path creates a feeling of hostility, as it almost seems like the trees are staring at you and warding back. The is would be an almost perfect atmosphere to match the tone of the story.

The mist in this photo is very subtle, just visible at the bottom of the image and at the top. It frames the action in this photo.

I wanted the villain, Grace, to be more visible in this photo, but, after several attempt at taking the photograph to this effect, I realised that this was very hard to achieve. With the characters running, there was a slight irritation in the making of this photograph in the form of blurriness. There were several instances in the making of this photo where I took several unusable photographs- due to the fact that the people in it were blurred.

STILL 6

This is a photo of the moment when the characters finally defeat Grace at the end of the proposed film story.

The statue, for me, provokes images of a graveyard, which would be fitting as the villain has been defeated- effectively dying. It also provides a solemn atmosphere, accentuated by the characters looking down at Grace. It appears to almost be a sombre, sad photograph- despite the fact that this should be a happy moment in the story. I think this works well to create an image that has is visually appealing.

The fact that photograph was taken on a small hill gives the feeling that the characters are slightly raised. This, in turn, gives the impression that Grace is rising up- accentuated by the various faded images of Grace rising up from her dead body. Although it is hardly noticeable, Grace's body is slightly distorted by a watery effect, which is fitting because, according to the story, the event that caused Grace being turned into a supernatural spirit was her death by drowning.

The mist used in this photo appears to be wrapping around the hill the scene is set on, and, therefore, appears to encircle the centre of the photo. This makes the centre of the photograph the focus of the picture.

The vignette in this photograph can be seen a little bit at the top of the image, which detracts a bit from the main focus of the photograph, but I don't think this is an issue in this photo as the trees at the top of the photo obscure the vignette slightly. I think the vignette works well to frame the photo and to mark the centre as the focus of the viewers' attention.

STILLS FROM THE PROPOSED FILM IDEA

In order to display some of the key moments from the story, as suggested above in the outline of the story, I took various photographs around my chosen location of Polesdon Lacey in order to create these 'scenes' from the proposed film.

The main characters' (Chaz and Brooke) first view of their new house

Chaz and Brooke exploring their new surroundings

The main antagonist (Grace) begins to awaken

Chaz and Brooke discover a lone grave on their property and begin to investigate

Chaz and Brooke are attacked and chased by Grace

At the climax of the story, Chaz and Brooke stand over a defeated Grace

INFLUENCES - GREGORY CREWDSON

Gregory Crewdson, 2007

Before my project ever began, I was looking at many examples of Gregory Crewdson's work- mainly from his book 'Beneath the Roses' and his documentary 'Brief Encounters'. I really liked the style of his photographs, the cinematic effect they seemed to have and the dark, moody atmosphere the lighting created. These different aspects of his work lent themselves well to the application of stills from a proposed horror film, because a horror film would have a similar atmosphere.

Some of the photographs that I looked at, in particular, are as follows:

All of these photos have an element that I incorporated into my final photos.

PHOTOGRAPH 1

This photograph was one of the ones Crewdson used in his 2008 book, 'Beneath the Roses'.

It features a middle-aged woman in a grey skirt and yellow top holding a blue item of clothing. There is a car with one of its doors open behind her. In the background, a bright light can be seen in a small amount of mist. The setting of the photograph is in a suburban street with a large tree looming over it and a white panelled wooden house to the tree's right.

The lighting of the photo, and almost all of his others, is dark and creates a sombre atmosphere, which is further emphasised with the expression on the woman's face- one of sadness. This produces an engaging narrative behind the photo and provokes the viewer to ask questions regarding the photo- what could have happened?

The bright light in the background of the photo could have produced by a HMI lamp (Hydrargyrum medium-arc iodide lamp). These are often used in high-budget films or photo shoots to produce light of blinding quality. The fact that Gregory Crewdson uses this kind of expensive equipment is a testament to the fact that all his photo shoots are designed using a high-budget- a budget associated with many films. Because of this, all of Crewdson's photographs are completed with cinematographic visuals, which mean that a lot of his created photographs look a lot like film stills.
It was this kind of image that appealed to me when looking at Crewdson's work and this kind of image that I wanted to attempt to create for my final major project (FMP).

PHOTOGRAPH 2

The next photo I drew some inspiration from was this one.

It features a young girl sitting up in bed, with a middle-aged woman (presumably the girl's mother) lying in a bed adjacent to her. The setting is a dark, old-fashioned room with the dim light casting shadows all over the place- creating a very grim and moody atmosphere.

The shadows cast around the room, combined with the young girl, really create a creepy atmosphere.

The fact that the young girl has a completely blank expression on her face and is seemingly staring at the photographer suggests a creepy and eerie tone of the photo. It was this aspect of the photo that I drew inspiration from, primarily. The creepy aesthetic of the young girl in the photo would not be out of place in the horror story idea I had in mind for my FMP. I wanted to emulate this photo in my work.

PHOTOGRAPH 3

This photo was part of Gregory Crewdson's 'Beneath the Roses' as well.

It features a car with one of its doors open sitting in the middle of a road junction. There are some traffic lights off to the right-hand side of the photo and a shop of some sorts off to the left-hand side. In the background, there are more buildings and trees shrouded in a light mist. The sky is overcast with a tinge of purple, which creates light ambient light. There is a small circle of light, barely visible, spotlighting the vehicle.

The lightness of the photo is in contrast with most of the other untitled photographs in the same series as this one ('Beneath the Roses').

The small spotlight on the car emphasises the car as the main focus of the picture. It is unclear as to why someone as left the car in the middle of the road, but, again, this creates a narrative to the photo and raises intriguing questions as to the backstory of this photograph.

Although this photo is lighter than a lot of Crewdson's others, the photo is still dark, in the sense that there isn't a lot of colour in the photo. Most of the surroundings of the car, and the car itself, have a blue hue to them, indicating coldness. There is also ice on the part of road in the foreground of the photograph.

The main element of this photo that I drew some inspiration from was, ironically, one of the least important parts of the photo. I really liked the mist right at the back of the photo. I thought that if it was brought to the front of my photos it would help to create an eerie atmosphere. In this photo, it shrouded things around it, but there is a dark tree in the middle that the outline of which can still be seen. This makes the tree almost seem powerful, like viewers of action films can often see the main antagonist striding through fog which creates the same effect. I wanted to use this to make my main antagonist appear to have the same effect, as well as to accentuate certain features of the photo.

PHOTOGRAPH 4

This last Crewdson photo I drew inspiration from was this one.

It features a young woman sitting in a room full of flowers, however she is inside. There are several beams of light hitting the woman's face from the right-hand side of the photo.

This photo has far more colour than some of his other work, due to the number of flowers in the room.

The part of the photo that I wanted to emulate in my photos was the blank expression and the lighting of the room. The woman's face seems to be devoid of emotion, which would be good for the villain in my proposed story. As for the lighting, the way the light accentuates the young woman in the middle of the room, creates a cinematographic style to the photo.