Pre-Production Project Evaluation

Having finished this high concept pre-production project, I now have a completed blog with my research and development of my project as well as my website for my project portfolio located at:

https://aja3097.wixsite.com/thekeeppreproduction

I feel that this project has mostly been a success. However, there are also a few aspects that I would personally improve:

Positives:
- The website itself looks very professional and resembles that of a professional production company. The information presented on the website is also very clear and presents my ideas and development in a concise way.
- One of the main focuses of this pre-production, The Visual Elements, also look professional and I am overall happy with them. They properly convey the style of the show as well as enabling an understanding of the geography of the set through the set design concept art with clear labelling.
- The other main focus, the Sound Design, I also thought was successful. I was able to include several demonstrations of the ind of sound design and soundscapes that I would include for the production as well as creating a partial soundtrack full of demonstrations of the score conveying the overall style and tone of the show.

Improvements:
- Time restraints started to become more apparent as the deadline drew closer. Therefore some of the aspects of each element of the pre production were slightly rushed. To improve on this, I should have started work on various aspects of these sooner.
- The change of aesthetic visual and sound design part way through this project halted my progression somewhat through the transition period, meaning that I had given myself less time to complete parts of the pre-production.
- Some of the research was not as strong as it could have been due to my focus on other area of the pre-production. Meaning that some areas of the pre-production are lacking in content.

Despite these flaws I am still happy with what I was able to achieve and I feel that the finished project looks professional.

'The Keep' Finished Title Sequence

I have uploaded my final version of the title sequence of 'The Keep' high concept pre-production project.

Changes made from the previous version are some subtle changes in font, actors names filled in for their appropriate roles as well as the crew such as the Director and Cinematographer. Also the video is now in HD.

Overall, I am happy with this title sequence. I feel that some of my own footage was still a little to shaken. However I do think they are well integrated with the rest of the stock footage and, indeed, the concept art.

I feel that I was successful in creating a title sequence that feels modern, yet reflects the visual style of older war films with the large written credits. One particular detail I like is the information that appears in small writing underneath the main title, as would be found in such war films this has taken inspiration from. I feel the colour grading also works well in setting a visual mood that would reflect the narrative of The Keep

Completed Soundtrack/ Score

I have completed the Score for 'The Keep' high concept pre-production project. As stated in previous posts, this was only to be a partial score that would not cover the entire track listing. However, I do believe that the tracks I had chosen to create do provide the most range between what I could achieve musically given the specific inspiration of films set during the Second World War.

Here is a screenshot of the album and its track listing as shown via iTunes:

And also a quick album cover that I created for the purposes of the following Youtube video:

I have uploaded the completed partial score onto Youtube. However, please note that these act mostly as demo version of what these tracks could be and are not representatiove of a professional production:

Also, I have uploaded a video containing several unused tracks created during the development of my ideas for the score in oder to show that development, including the original 80s version I had first created before switching inspirations to older war films:

I am mostly happy with what I was able to achieve. Due to being only part of the pre-production package, I had to spread time between doing various other aspects of the project, meaning that I perhaps did not spend as much time as I had wanted to on this. Some of the tracks do feel a little rushed and I find it is sometimes easy to tell which tracks I spent more time on as they are more musically developed.

However, I feel that I was successful in conveying the style that I was hoping for and works well when put alongside the visual elements as well. I'm also happy with the sound of the music itself, considering I did not actually use an orchestra and was just using synthesizers to mimic that sound.

Finished Concept Art/ Set Design/ Prop Design

I have now successfully completed the Concept Art, Set Design and Prop Design which will form a large part and focus of the portfolio for this high concept pre-production project.

After the feedback to my first view examples, I have made an effort in ensuring that it is clear what each piece is supposed to represent and have also including labelling in order to help explain certain objects as well as clearly mark the geography of certain areas when creating the set design concept art.  

Below are all of the examples of concept art I have created, fully labelled, along with brief explanations as to what they are:

Overall Tonal Style:

This shows a soldier that is being attacked by an unknown force in an isolated corridor inside the Keep. The demon is represented by the red smoke/ gas that glides towards the German soldier, going for the kill.

This represents a late scene in the adaptation in which 'The Stranger' (soon to be found out as named Glakken) stands at the entrance to Molasar's Lair in the Keep Basement, brandishing a mystical sword and ready to banish the Demon away forever.

This is the Demon Molasar as it starts to take form. The more soldiers the demon kills and consumes, the more its physical form develops until it is able to physically interact and allow itself out of the Keep's imprisonment.

Set Design:

The frontal view of the Keep takes direct inspiration from simplistic illustrations featured in the original novel by F. Paul Wilson. I decided that I would keep this design for authenticity to the source material as well as developing the original image by adding extra details in order to create a more realised setting.

This was also inspired by similar illustrations from the novel. I included a compass in order to help to clearly establish where some of the other pieces of concept art take place in relation to the setting geographically. 

The west view shows the part of the main courtyard of the Keep, highlighting various locations such as the main entrance and the rear section where the main barracks and living quarters for the soldiers are located. The basement entrance leads to the are in which the entrance to Molasar's Lair is hidden.

The east view shows the main tower which is visible from all angles and serves as the living quarters for Klaus Woermann, the commanding officer of the German troop that has taken residence in the Keep. Note the iron and nickel crosses that litter the walls, which several German soldiers mistake for silver and gold.

This shows the inside of the tower and Woermann's Office and entrance to his sleeping quarters within. As Woermann's hobby is painting, I have decided to make his work table and chair facing the large window in oder to allow the character the view required to reflect this.

This Keep Basement. This is the location in which two German soldiers defile the largest, shiniest cross located on the wall and accidentally release the demon, Molasar. The area behind this cross also serves as a doorway into Molasar's Lair.

With Molasar's Lair, I have tried to incorporate more of the HR Giger inspiration that I had originally envisioned for this production, including the almost organic feel to much of the set design. The entrance is comparatively small to the rest of the main room with several large entryways to deeper chambers and catacombs located and hidden beneath the ground. In the centre of the room is the Seal which keeps Molasar imprisoned in the Keep. It can only be unlocked by a special key, of which Molasar cannot obtain by theor own hand. 

Costume Design:

Due to the historical setting of the Second World War, this meant that I could use direct inspiration from the time period appropriate clothing.

German Soldier Uniform:

This is the uniform traditionally worn by German Soldiers.

Nazi SS Uniform:

This is the uniform that was worn by the SS during WWII, a group that dealt with the Nazi ideals sometimes with severe brutality.

Traditional Romanian Outfit:

This is the type of outfit that can be traditionally found worn by Romanians during the 1940s. While this specific example is representative of female dress wear, male outfits usually included smart yet rugged suits with flat-caps. 

Molasar Head Design: 

As my main idea was that Molasar's final from would take clear inspiration from his surroundings (this being the iconography of the Nazi uniform) I felt that I should just design the head piece as the body would just be a copy of the previous examples. 

With this design I, again, tried to incorporate my inspiration from HR Giger with the more feral and organic look to the figure, much like the creature from Ridley Scott's 'Alien' (1979). However, I also wanted to make this a reflection on the World War Two setting that surrounded this figure, therefore I tried to incorporate aspects of this within the final design.

Prop Design:

Much like the costume design, many of the props that would be used in this production already exist within the historical timeframe of when the story is set. This would include weapons typically used by the German army in World War Two such as the MP-40 sub machine gun.

Therefore I have chosen to mainly focus on the few props that would be unique to this production.

The Stranger/ Glakken's Sword and Case:

This is the mysterious sword used by Glakken which holds the power to either kill demons or banish them away for eternity. The hilt of the sword reflects the cross designs throughout the Keep, hinting that there is a link between the Keep and this sword's origins.

The Key:

This is the key to Molasar's seal that will release the demon into the outside world beyond the Keep. It is unobtainable by Molasar's own hand but others can be manipulated into retrieving it for the demon.

The Cross:

This is just a simple design of the cross that can be found littered all over the outer and inner Keep walls, their purpose and origins unknown. The metals used to craft these are often mistaken for gold and defiled by the German soldiers.

Overall, I personally think that these have been successful in both conveying the desired visual style as well as allowing a clear view of the geography of the setting. I feel that time restrictions may have held back some creativity in certain areas as I feel some of these are a little rushed. However I am happy with how they have turned out.

'The Keep' Production Crew

As this a high concept pre-production project that will not actually be made into a real production, I do have some freedom as to who I can use as a rhetorical production crew.

Director - Rachel Talalay

Rachel Talalay is an American-British television and film director. She is best known for certain episodes for various British and American horror and science fiction shows. These include 'Doctor Who' and more recently, 'The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina'.

Rachel Talalay would be a suitable director for this production of 'The Keep' due to her experience with science fiction and horror properties and productions. Talalay is capable of using direction to build suspense, mostly not revealing certain aspects of a scene until the most appropriate time for the greatest effect on audiences. She can also direct larger action sequences, which would be a valuable asset especially during the climax of the last episode. Talalay's experience of 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' will also enable her to work around some unusual and gothic/ horror inspired sets which she has been able to excel in previously.

Cinematography - David Lanzenberg

David Lanzenberg is known for his work on both film and television productions such as 'Paper Towns' and 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina'.

Lanzenberg is a skilled cinematographer who has had experience in filming for various different genres of film and television. This includes horror and science fiction. 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina', One of Lanzenberg's most recent contributions, features several aesthetic and tonal similarities to the required vision for 'The Keep' production. Lanzenberg uses a visual style within this show that creates an almost distorted look to the show. This helps to allow the show to look like an older horror films from the 1970s and 1980s. This would work well with the visual style and aesthetic of 'The Keep', particularly when presenting the look and feel of older war films.

Lanzenberg's experience filming horror will also suite the horror/ science fiction genre that 'The Keep' should possess.

Experimental Sound Design:

I have produced and uploaded two examples of experimental sound design that would be featured in the production of 'The Keep'.

My ideas behind these two examples and thus the main tone intended for the rest of the sound design was to make the setting of the Keep sound like a living being. Hence, during the production of these two examples, I used quite a lot of recordings via a microphone and voice.

1. Within The Keep Grounds:

For this track, I tried to simulate the sound of wind as if it were blowing throughout the many windows and entryways of the Keep. Some louder, sharper sounds are included to represent that something might be skulking the corridors while also emitting a mysterious noise resembling a whistle. This was created mainly as an atmospheric piece to further convey the tone of the production.

I was going to include the sound of birds in this track but the source material novel states that there are no birds present due to some mysterious presence surrounding the Keep.


2. Hallways & Molasar Attacks:

This would be the sort of sounds typically heard throughout the hallways of the Keep, with soldiers marching through and their boots squeaking. However these rhythmic sounds are disturbed as Molasar begins to attack with more metallically organic sounds and a heavy breathing coming from the demon itself.

I am happy with these two examples. However I do feel that, having spent more time on this aspect in particular, I could create a wider range of examples with a more professional production. These do sound a little rough due to lack f proper recording equipment.

'The Keep' Casting Actors

As this is a high concept pre-production and therefore is not actually being mad and is not restricted by a budget, I have the decision to choose whoever I feel would be good casting for each role, no matter how expensive they would actually be to cast in real life. This gives me some creative freedom in choosing who I feel would be best suited for each role and why:

Klaus Woermann: David Bruhl

David Bruhl is a actor born in Barcelona, Spain (growing up in Germany) and has featured as leads in many famous films and series such as 'The Alienist' and 'Captain America Civil War'. However, one of David Bruhl's most famous roles was starring as Frederick Zoller in the Quentin Tarantino film 'Inglorious Basterds' set during World War Two as a decorated German soldier. Bruhl's performance echoes many of the aspects of the character of Klaus Woermann. These include his almost deceptive kind attitude towards other people, something which can suddenly change should the situation provide and become an authoritative figure. The performance can also sometimes be uneasy and calculating. These are aspects that work well with the character of Woermann and David Bruhl has become well known for playing believable German characters.

As Woermann is effectively the main character up to a certain point in the story, it is important to have an established actor in the role who audiences immediately recognise and trust, despite the character's affiliation within the Second World War. David Bruhl is also of a similar age to Klaus Woermann.

Erich Kaempffer: Alexander Fehlin

Alexander Fehlin is a German Actor and writer known for starring in many German film and television productions. His most notable works outside of Germany are starring in 'Homeland' as well as starring alongside David Bruhl in 'Inglorious Basterds' as a German officer. Alexander Fehling shares several physical attributes to the character of Erich Kaempffer including a tall and slim build as well as possessing blonde hair and blue eyes, an example of what would have been considered the 'Arian Race' during World War Two which Kaempffer is proud to conform to.

Fehlin's experience working with David Bruhl will help to form a better acting chemistry between the two actors. Also both are of a similar age, much like Woermann and Kaempffer, and will be able to better project a rivalry between the two characters. Both actors being predominantly form Germany will also help with authenticity.

Theodore Cuza: Peter Capaldi

Peter Capaldi is a Scottish actor best known for the political satire 'In The Loop'. However, the actor has also appeared in science fiction shows, most notably as the titular character in the long running series 'Doctor Who' as well as separate parts in the more mature 'Torchwood'. The character of Theodore Cuza is a dying man who is given a second lease of life by Molasar while being manipulated to do their bidding. Capaldi is of an appropriate age to play an older man, however due to his experience with shows such as 'Doctor Who' and the physical requirements of such as role, Capaldi would be suited to take on the more challenging aspects of the role once the character is given a new lease of life and is required to carry out Molasar's bidding.

Magda Cuza: Emilia Clarke

Emilia Clarke is a British actress known for starring in many high profile film and television roles. Most notable of these is starring as Sarah Connor in 'Terminator Genisys' and as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO's 'Game of Thrones'.
Magda Cuza in the novel is not presented as a particularly strong female character. Despite trying stand stand up for herself, she always finds herself following the will of those around her. This is something that this adaptation should change. Emilia Clarke is typically known for laying strong and independent female characters, so the actress would be a good choice in order to bring a sense of strength to this character.
Clarke's experience when working with science fiction and horror with the use of practical and computer generated effects will also be a valuable asset and ensure that the actress is comfortable performing the role.

Glakken/ The Stranger: David Morrissey

David Morrissey is a British film and television actor known for starring in films such as 'The Reaping' and shows such as 'The Walking Dead'. Morrissey is capable of playing a wide variety of actors. However, one of these includes a foreboding figure. The character of The Governor in 'The Walking Dead' is an imposing figure who seems to be able to blend in with normal human society yet keeps a dark secret and his motives are hidden. These are aspects of the character of Glakken/ The Stranger should possess as he manages not to draw attention to himself but unleashes his full power towards the end of the story.
Morrissey has acted in several physical roles so he possesses the physicality needed for this role in particular. The actor is also very experienced in general, meaning that he will bring a professional attitude to the production

Molasar (Body): Marnix Van Den Broeke

Marnix Van Den Broeke is a Dutch actor and Stuntman. He is most known for starring in 'Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban', 'The Colour Of Magic' and 'Doctor Who' as various monster and creature characters. This actor will suite the role of Molasar due to his tall physique, enabling the creation of a large and imposing character. The actor is also used to wearing large costumes and working with prosthetics.

Molasar (Vioce): Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch is a British actor know for working in various film and television productions. Cumberbatch is predominantly known for roles such as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC drama show 'Sherlock' and in films such as the 'The Imitation Game'. However, the actor has also provided voice- acting work in roles such as the 2018 adaptation of 'The Grinch'.

Cumberbatch's voice performance as the dragon 'Smaug' in the 'The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug' has provided the inspiration behind this casting. This performance includes a deep and overpowering presence which suits the character of Molasar as this omnipresent being.

The Keep- Test Title Sequence

I have reshot a lot of the footage that I had gained whilst location scouting. I wanted to do this due to a lot of the original footage being very shaken due to the windy weather and I found it looked unprofessional.

Therefore I set out to the location of the old World War Two pill box and commenced filming once more. As it turns out, the weather wasn't pleasant and the sky had become quite dark despite filming around lunchtime. I felt that this suited the overall tone of the production more and thought it would be perfect for use in the opening title sequence. Many of the shots taken this time around were the same as before so filming was relatively quick. The final footage was much less shaken and looked smooth and more professional as a result.

During editing, I managed to get some stock footage of mountainous regions to help to establish the setting of the production. I also made changes to the overall colour-grading of each shot to reflect the darker themes and desired style. The fonts used are reflective of the classic war films between 1960 and 1980, particularly reminiscent of 'Where Eagles Dare' which has remained my primary inspiration.

For the purposes of this test title sequence, I have only included certain details when relating to actors and crew, mostly using character names and crew titles, making it clear that this is an unfinished production.

I have uploaded this onto Youtube. Unfortunately, due to mistakes during the export stage, the video is not in HD. However, this is only a test version anyway:

First Concept Art and Feedback

I have created some early attempts at Concept Art for this project. I feel these are more reflective of an impressionist style over more traditional styles of concept art, however I also feel that these best represent the overall look, style and tone of the show that I wish to achieve.

My process for the creation of this concept art was to physically draw the desired image onto a piece of paper, keeping it as simple as possible, and then taking a picture via my laptop camera. I would then use photoshop to add more detail and bring colour to the images, creating the desired visual style that I need. I was also able to use certain lighting effects within photoshop which helped to make the images look more professional and more interesting to view in general.

Here are some examples:

Feedback:
The feedback gained from this was not overly positive. It was felt that it was unclear what the images were supposed to represent and the geography of the setting. However, I do feel that these images to best represent what the show would look like in the end and wish to keep this visual style at least, perhaps with a little more labelling and detail in order to better present what these images are. This should also help with some of the more set-design orientated concept art as well.

Second Pre-Production Project Presentation:

The following is another presentation that I had created in order to update on my progress working on my High Concept Pre-Production Project:

This blog post will also act as an update as to this project's development as I realise the lack of blog posts recently.