Week One
Individual planning, conceptualisation of "Hangman". Build on locales, characters, storyline, and structure, and "why"? Checkpoint One.
Week Two
Further planning, building, etc. Choose target audience. Build more on concept. Initial production schedule. Confirm style and conventions, pieces of script. Checkpoint Two.
Week Three
Revised version of things, ready to hand in written theory. Checkpoint Three.
Week Four
Presenting to the group, initial building. Casting ideas, script creation. Final decision on what to use.
Week Five
Casting, scripting, setting up new blog, organizing locales, get Facebook page together to make cohesive unit - resource management.
Week Six
Filming in Mr Daley's office, detective scene. Organised persona of the killer. (update: Looking back, very Joker-esque) Revised script ready. Testing equipment.
Week Seven
Testing green screen, filming "Flowers for your Grave". Revising script.
Week Eight
Re-filme Detective Scene, started to film hangings. Initial conceptualization of actually editing. (update: all failures)
Week Nine
Exams.
Week Ten
Finish all filming, hopefully. More editing. (update: more failures) Music finalization.
Week Eleven
(Update) Finish rest of filming. Edit, edit edit edit. Music, more edit. Edit... Edit. Finish up all scrapbook/blog work. (Done as of 27/9/12)

The opening scene zoomed onto Jena's face and slowly zooming out is a reference to the shower scene in Psycho. It was just a basic tributary,  as we both liked the film when we were studying it in Term 1.
Due to time constraints regarding the trailer, I (Laurence) as the editor decided to show what originally was the exposition scene into a flash montage flashback. Though it doesn't convey the message to the same effect, it establishes the killer's frenzied persona. (The montage combined with film grain was used to create a sense of deliriment and insanity)
Harsh lighting is always used on the killer to emphasise that he is the anomaly in the trailer. We decided to dual layer the voice, as Liam's voice by itself makes him sound very unconvincing as a killer - he's too cheerful. We first tried putting his voice a tone downward, and though it helped, he still didn't match his persona. Daniel offered to try a dual-layer of two completely different tone keys, and we decided to use it due to its ethreal nature. It's also a reference to the monster within the killer. One is low, but normal sounding. The other is darker and more sinister growl. By mixing the two, we create a monster, almost schizophrenic in nature.
Whenever Liam was with Kim, we decided to film him in a handy-came segment, as a tributary to The Dark Knight. Heath Ledger had a similar scene as the Joker when he challenged Batman for the first time. We did this because the killer was based off many of the Batman Universe's villains, more notably the Joker.
Costume wise, I intentionally made all the characters aside from the fiancee and the Main Detective to wear anything but white or light colours. This is a semiotic for purity in this world we created. No one is pure, none of the victims, none of the detectives, only this detective and his fiancee. Throughout the trailer, the detective begins to dress more and more ragged, eventually losing his tie and donning a black shirt to show that he too had begun to give in to the dystopian influence. Only the fiancee remains wearing white, used as a beacon for the detective - if anything were to happen to her, the detective would have nothing left. Nothing would stop him from hanging himself like the other detectives.
Why did the detectives hang themselves as opposed to being killed by the killer? It's an obscure reference to how many critics believe females being the victims gives a whole new level of horror as opposed to males. I also intended for the killer to portray the classic traits of Michael Myers from Halloween - how he only killed those who are sexually promiscuous, more so girls than boys. In today's society, girls are portrayed by the media in such a way that it's plausible for the killer to be shown as such.
The concept revolves around everyone having no names. They are nobodies, even the killer. I intended it to be this way to emulate the classic roleplay game genre in the early years, where naming your character could be possible. Naming someone gives you that certain attachment that only comes with doing so, it makes whatever happens to them much more personal to you. Hence, by giving all the characters no identity, we have given them plenty.
The camera work with the killer is much less professional than the camera work with the detective. It was somewhat intentionally done to an extent, as we had planned to show the audience the difference between the two of them. The detective lives in a world of near perfection, he has a fiancee, a steady job, and a fine house. This clashed with the killer's scenes, as he lived a life of chaos, where he only finds humour in killing.
In the aftermath scene with the fiancee and the detective, the blinds were open on the fiancee's side, while the one on the detective's was closed. This was to create a (failed) halo effect on the fiancee, while the detective remains in  darkness. She is the detective's only solace of hope.
We made a lot of references to school life in Sancta Maria College, just for the sake of getting people who get it to enjoy the references, for example, "gas leak in local school" referred to the gas leak scare earlier in the year.
The words on the board are also references. For example, critics have argued that the concept of horror has always been overtly sexual in its execution, blatantly putting there. To parody this, we just put it in plain sight using the most obscure of english terminology, "satyriasis" and "nympholepsy". Also, unless you read in between the lines in the trailer, the whole thing is chaos, which is what "pandemonium" and "obfuscate" are synoptic of.
The reason why we did not focus on the game so much was because though the concept of hangman is there, by itself there is very little to it, and even more so less of a horror. That was why we decided to focus on fleshing out the world as opposed to fleshing out the game, as we believed that by fleshing out the world, only then could the trailer truly scare you. Also, we are limited by semi-primitive technology, and could not pull off the graphic nature that we needed in terms of hanging and stabbing a person.
This also is not an "in your face" type of horror, but rather more of a slow paced, classic, psychological horror, almost made in a mould similar to Psycho. Both of us believed that the "jump in your face" kind of horror has a limit to its effectiveness, and is now severely overused, even in other film genres. By having a slow build that plays with one's psychology, it makes the adrenaline moments much more impactful. We intended through this trailer to keep one on the edge of their seat, not pushing them completely into horror, but not holding them back either. By keeping it there, fear remains around the corner, but only just around the corner.
Green screens were used because we can't actually kill someone. It would be a big tragedy, and a lot of paperwork. And it may not have bode well for the media studies department if something were to go... Wrong. Full stop.
During the comfort scene, we put a voice clip of the killer talking backwards as a fun easter egg to any one who's actually willing to look for them.

Hanging can be implied. A rope could be used for implication prop purposes exclusively. (we will never actually wrap it around someone's neck - even loosely) To add to a hanging effect, we could just show a chair topple over. Something like this just feels to dangerous especially in the hands of amateurs.

I know, I love my titles too.

Hindsights a bastard and forgot to tell me that I probably should have filmed a bit more zoomed out to utilise the "cinematic" effect properly.

Shadows and crinkles may provide slight problems. Rectifiable to an extent. Green screen is a success!

Sunday 19 August
Compile case files for both dead and missing victims. Prep camera angles and location possibilities.

Monday 20 August
Filming the Detective Meeting. Also filming deranged detectives. If all goes well, will have finished a major part of the film. Prep for next day's filming.

Tuesday 21 August
If possible, usage of staff room and Miss Richardson's office during Media Studies. Possible to grab students out of class momentarily? If not, then... Dunno.

Wednesday 22 August
Seeing that we have History last on this day, we can film another detective scene here. If Tuesday didn't work out, we can also use this day.

Thursday 23 August
Chapel scene after school. Hopefully by now we'd have sorted out Liam's killer costume and identity so that during lunchtime we can film a key killer scene.

Friday 24 August
We'll try to clear as many minor killer scenes as possible after school. Unsure, but we can also film the major victim nightmare sequence here.

HANGMAN
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Scene is of the killer and a victim. For every letter the victim gets wrong, one of her fingers are cut off.

Killer: (patronising) That’s 4 letters wrong now… You sure you’re trying?
Victim: Please no more… It hurts.
Killer: (Turns around) Oh, I’m sure it does. Just remember one thing – I’ve only hurt you because of your stupidity. And I’d be more than happy to deliver more. Now then, guess.
Victim: Please, I--
Killer: (Mocking) “Please, I” she says… Guess.
Victim: (Crying) F… F!
Killer: Come again?
Victim: F!
Killer: Ah, F? F for freedom, fabulous, fantastic?
Victim: Yes!
Killer: Frantic, fable, family--
Victim: Yes, just please--
Killer: Failure.
Victim: … No, please I--
Killer: What a shame. That’s one more finger milady. Now be a dear and ah, smile for the camera.

Knife comes down. Fade to white. High pitched scream.
-----
Montage of deaths with reporter’s voice-overs.

Reporter 1: Local authorities have discovered yet another woman--
Reporter 2: The situation continues to escalate--
Reporter 3: Medical Examiners have ruled the hanging to be post-mortem--
All 3: They have identified this to be the work of the Hangman Killer.
-----
Scene is at a detective meeting. The killer has sent another challenge to them to try and catch him.

Detective 1: Our list of victims continues to grow.
Detective 2: This guy has to have powerful friends, there’s no way he could have escaped us for so long without someone on the inside.
Detective 3: Or maybe he’s just that good.
Head Detective: We’ve received another envelope from the killer. He’s asking for another contender… (Pounds table) We can’t afford to lose any more people, but we can’t let any more innocent women die! Who here is willing to go against this man? Who here believes that they can take him down?
Main Detective: (Hesitates) I will.
-----
Initial conversation on phone between M.D and Killer. The killer is sitting down with two dead bodies surrounding him.

Killer: Ah, Mr Freshman. Tell me, what makes you different from the others?
Main Detective: I guess you’ll find out.
Killer: Oho! Good answer.
-----
Meeting in Head Detective’s office.

Head Detective: Mentally, this man is unbeatable. We’ve sent the best against him and the best in turn have failed. He completely destroyed their minds.
Main Detective: It won’t happen to me.
Head Detective: I hope not. All the past detectives, they… They hanged themselves… I’ve buried too many good men already.
-----
Phone conversation. During this conversation, the killer is strangling a now dead victim.

Killer: And thus the Juliet’s have found their Romeo! Though for their sakes detective, I hope thou aren’t as stupid as thee.
Main Detective: You’re insane.
Killer: Why thank you.
Main Detective: It wasn’t a compliment.
Killer: (Cold laugh, releases grip on victim) That’s what makes it sweeter.
-----
Home, Fiancé of M.D has discovered a dead body with flowers in her hand.

Fiancé: (Pale) There’s a bouquet for you.
Main Detective: Is there a note?
Fiancé: Yeah… “Flowers for your grave.”
-----
National Television. Killer is using a handycam.

Killer: An open challenge for Mister Detective! You see little Mandy here? You see, she’s quite the singer, and did I ever tell you how much I love to hear a girl sing?
(Brandishes knife)
Killer: Every time you guess a letter wrong detective, I’ll make her sing, so that the whole nation can indulge in her voice.
-----
Voice over.

Main Detective: This man, he wants to be caught. These clues, these words… They’re all connected.
-----
Main Detective: Why do you do what you do?
Killer: There are fools in the world… They know nothing about true horror. These films with their trashy effects, their bland storylines… You pay to see what is fake and are protected from seeing what is real! And I… I intend to change that.
Main Detective: But why girls?
Killer: Because in a sea of mediocrity, they managed to get one thing right.
-----
Main Detective: “Seraphic”.
Killer: That I am.
Main Detective: I’m guessing you have an ego?
Killer: Don’t all arch villains need one?
-----
Killer: (Mockingly) And as you sleep tonight detective, I want you to think. Think, that today you could have saved little Brittany… Or was it Whitney? It doesn’t matter; she’s dead all the same…
-----
Main Detective: R.
Killer: Correct.
Main Detective: B.
Killer: Definitely not.
Main Detective: N.
Killer: Ooh, correct.
Main Detective: “Moronic.”
Killer: (Laughs) That you are.
-----
In a nightmare, the M.D sees a dead detective hanging from the rafters. The “dead detective” comes alive and starts to strangle the M.D.

Dead Detective: He’s unbeatable. Give up. Keel over. Die.
-----
In another nightmare sequence, the detective is surrounded by all the past dead victims closing around him.

Dead Victims: Help me. Save us. Save me.
-----
In the chapel, the M.D has withdrawn there to calm himself down. The fiancé is comforting him.

Main Detective: I’m not sure if I can do this.
Fiancé: But you have to. You’ve come to closest out of all of them to this man.
Main Detective: (Looks at her) That’s why I’m afraid.
-----
Montage of what will transpire. Sequence will end with a close-up on the killer.

Killer: When will you realise detective, that it is futile? From the moment you have entered this game, I have been its one and only master. This is my world now. And in this world, I rule you!
-----
HANGMAN
Killer: Do I have your attention now?
-----
Killer: Death isn’t patient. If you don’t seek it, it seeks you.
Main Detective: So, are you death?
Killer: No… I’m its harbinger.

Costume will be done in a scrap book as drawing costumes is easier than writing about them.

The props we will be needing are wide and varied. The only ones that we know we will need specifically are as follows:
Knife or meat cleaver
Rope (noose)
Flowers
Gun(possibly)
Case files 
Photos

Other men are Daniel.

It may just be because of the colour of our school uniform, but the green screen emulation turned out far better than the blue screen. As expected, a blue screen has limited usage in comparison to a green one. The effect is far from perfect as a whole, but considering the cheapness of our method the turnout is above the par we had set for ourselves.

It should be noted that effect wise, tinkering with Chroma Keyer in regards to the green screen emulation was a lot easier than the blue screen. Again, it may just be due to the uniform. The cheapness of the effect can be slightly blurred out by using a soft contrast (see 3rd row) but only slightly. Again, the green screen looks more natural. If I am successful in getting the correct colour correction mixed with the right effects, everything will go smoothly and we will be left with a professional look.
I have considered attempting garbage masking, but it's much too tedious for its own good.
--Laurence.