The films we used to gather ideas were very positive and linked into our main concept of the film.
The shots that we are going to use seem to be very conventional of our sub-genre which the pitch audience were able to identify.
The use of animals in our short clip is seen to be very creative and the audience like this idea.
The build-up of tension and suspense through the use of sound is used to great effect; it’s just choosing the right sound in the correct places which is key.
The idea of using red herrings to create distractions for the protagonist, and lead him in different directions around the house, is very imaginative.
The simplicity of the film could be very effective if the camera, editing and sound techniques are used correctly to back up the action of the film.
Next steps
The ideas provided to us after the pitch, is to make sure we are using the correct characters in our film, ensuring we make the protagonist seem vulnerable and the antagonist seem dominant. Further, we have been told to make sure we film at the correct time, as the darkness distorts the camera shots
I have learnt conventional camera techniques of the slasher horror. This is the use of the POV shot which allows the audience to see the view of the antagonist. This helps to create tension and to see the antagonist from a different view. I have also learnt how music both diegetic and non diegetic can be used within a film to create tension. Diegetic sound can be used in the film in the form of a scream ( very conventional of the horror genre) and also how non-diegetic sound can be used in the scene, this can be through string instruments and can build tension by the music getting louder. Editing that I have looked at shows me that a fast cutting rate can increase tension and in my film I think the use of sound and editing is the techniques we need to concentrate the most on as they are the most effective way of conveying of sub genre of slasher.
Camerawork
Duration (seconds)
Analysis
A two shot , mid-close up
0-8
A man is being carried by the
women, using the mid close up allows the audience to see the emotions on the
face of the two characters as well as seeing the scene around them.
8-10
A man tries to take charge “ we need to stay together” this shows
that they are endangered. The clothes are informal and position him with the
line of thirds.
A two shot , mid close up
10-12
It then refers back to man in
need with the women carrying him. There are just 2 people in frame.
POV Handicam
12- 15
A POV handicam camera technique is used to show the point of view of
the character.
15-21
The diegetic sound of heavy breathing suggests they have been running
or they are extremely scared of something.
Over the shoulder / long shot
21-24
This shows the two characters from behind. You can see the t-shirt is
ripped which suggests that violence had been used. This creates tension and
then quickly cuts to the next shot.
Mid-close up
24-25
The monster appears the external location is a forest and the mid
close up allows us to see the monster for the first time.
Long shot
25-27
You can see all the civilians looking at the monster, the long shot
captures everyone in the scene and shows still shows the expressions on all
their faces
Mid-close up
27-28
This is shot where we can see the protagonist having a gun, this
shows the audience they are trying to kill this monster
Mid-close up
28-29
The monster starts to run, but then re enters the cave again. The mid
close up lets the audience see the monster quickly hence the quick cut rate
after this shot
Mid – close up , two shot
29-30
Refers back to man and women showing the audience how scared they are
and then quickly cuts to the next shot
Long shot
30-31
We see the monster come out of a cave. Its clothes are all ribbed and
the diegetic sound of the monster is loud scaring the others characters in
the scene
Close up
31-32
This has an iconic prop ( axe)and the close up of the axe going into the neck lets you see the gore.
Close up
32-34
Another close up lets the see blood that is all over him after the
axe has hit him. The diegetic sound is the women screaming. The blood and
screaming is iconic to this genre
Mid close up
34-36
This shows the other people in the scene running away from the
monster. The quick constant cuts shows panic as a result of the monster
Close up
36-37
The monster strikes the male character again, blood splatters all over
his face quickly cuts to the next shot.
Low angle
37-38
When the blood splats in the previous shot, a low camera angle shows
the monster which is given him prevalence in the scene.
Mid-close up
39-39
The diegetic sound of the women screaming and the mid-close up her
screaming helps to show the distress they are in.
Mid close up
39-40
We see a black page then an axe is raised andblood is dripping from it and then go outs
the shot again. There is also diegetic sound of a scream when the axe is seen
in the shot.
Close up
42-44
There is again a close upagain of the axe covered in blood hitting the shoulder of the man
splitting his shoulder and blood is pouring out
Long shot
44-46
A women is standing there with
a gun, the long shot lets us see the other running away.
360 pan
46-56
The women runs away from the monster, the monster catches her and
rips her head off, the audience sees it through a 360 pan camera technique
Side view
56-58
The monster is seen covered in bloodwith huge clawscarries on
ripping the his head off.
Long shot
58 – 1.03
You can see the women run and get the gun and shoot the monster. The stereotype
of gender is challenged here as a women is shooting the gun.
1.03-1.06
The monster falls and dies. The audience are seen the be relieved.
Low canted angle
1.06-1.09
Gives the women with the gun prevalence and you see the monster fall
to the floor
Mid close up
1.09-1.10
See the women run away after she has just run away.
Long shot
1.10-1.12
Seethe monster on the floor. The non-diegetic sound is loud and
creates tension, but also release tension as it shows they didn’t all get
killed by the monster so they are alive.
Summary of what I have learnt In this task I have gathered that I should use a range of different camera techniques to convey the slasher sub-genre of the horror film genre. The key techniques I should use are; the POV shot; Handicam shot; long shot; and close-ups. The POV shot builds up tension very well as it creates a fright factor for the audience who are able gain an understanding of the characters perspective. The handicam displays a sense of presence with the character and causes jeopardy which the audience can identify. The long shot and close-up contrast each other; the long shot shows the surroundings of the character, and where they are, whereas the close up shows their emotions in response to something. This links into an important edit that caught my intention, which was the shot reverse shot; this technique is key because it shows the reactions of two characters after actions have occurred.
Sound
Silence is very effective in this clip of 'The Strangers';
it is used to build up suspense and tension and further used as a scare factor
for Liv. Liv is sitting in the corner of the room and is listening quietly to what
could be out there. The diegetic sound of Liv's breathing is also very
important as it illustrates her fear, and as she builds up to walking to the
window, her breathing gets louder and faster because of her anxiousness.
Furthermore, the diegetic sound of the recod turning on at the peak of the
action has an impact on the building of fear on the Liv, creating an enigma
code as to why music is being turned on when she has just looked at the
antagonist outside the window.
Editing
The Shot/Reverse shot is used to great effect in this clip,
it occurs when Liv opens the window were she has recognised the noise, and as
she opens the window the antagonist is standing right there; the shot shows
this, and then shows the reaction of Liv, which is a loud scream of fear, and
then shoots back to the antagonist who places his palm on the window which
causes Liv to turn and run. Continuity editing is also present when Liv runs
into another room of the house and the edit is creating the illusion of reality
(verisimilitude).
Mise-en-scene
The use of Props is key in this extract; Liv is seen to be
holding a knife for defence. The role the prop plays is to show even though she
is has control of the knife, she is still being terrorised and is in jeopardy;
this is shown when the antagonist puts his palm on the window showing he has no
prop to fright Liv, and so the knife is of no use to her. Further, the masks
that the two antagonists use in this sequence is very effective as it creates a
fright factor and intimidate Liv.
It is night, very dark and quiet, a man dressed in a suit is walking
home from work. There is an uneasy feel whilst walking and the male begins to
feel like he is being followed; he walks briskly towards the house. He opens
the door and hangs up his suit jacket, he then shuts the door but doesn’t
notice a male antagonist standing in the kitchen as the light flashes on to the
slender figure… The door shuts, and the man walks towards the kitchen to begin making
his dinner; in doing so he briefly glances out the window and believes he sees
a hidden figure in the shadows of the garden. He wanders outside to take a
better look; he walks slowly and carefully being cautious and feeling anxious
about what it could be that he saw. He opens the door to the outside, but
doesn’t see anything, just the outside light shining brightly onto the gentle
garden. The male character returns to house rapidly and shuts the door, the
moment the doors shuts completely, the phone rings, the male character
approaches the phone and picks it up slowly, he doesn’t answer, he just
listens; quiet breathing is heard on the other end on the phone, and then the
phone is put down. The male is now getting worried but tries to ignore the
situation. The man continues round the house to turn lights on, putting his mind at
rest; the last lamp is in the corner of the living room right next to the
window that looks out onto the street. Again the male character believes he
sees another unknown figure when going to turn on this light and this time decides
to take no chances; rapidly running round the house, he locks all the doors.
Without noticing, the garage door is unlocked and he passes it, avoiding
locking it. He then runs upstairs to look out the windows down on the street;
the first two windows looked out of, he sees nothing, but as he looks out the
final window, his bedroom window, the figure is in another location which he
spots clearly. The unlocked garage is then opened gently, and a figure appears. He
walks through the house going through each different room; when walking through
the rooms the lights unexpectedly turn off, making the house have an isolated
feel. The antagonist walks upstairs quietly towards the fearful character that
is still looking out the window concentrated on the frozen figure standing
unmoved in the street. The antagonist has now reached the same room, the light
turns of and the male protagonist realises and turns round shocked, he sees the
antagonist standing tall and slender in front of him, and the screen goes black… The title appears ‘Who’s next’ in bold red letters on a black background An
establishing shot is then shown of the same house but during a clear day, and
writing appears reading ‘3 days earlier’.
Enters house and begins to make dinner - looks out of window and thinks he can see a figure
Goes outside to have a better look but the figure disappears
Re-enters house and phone rings - picks up phone but no one answers
Runs around the house rapidly starts to lock the doors
Then he sees another mysterious figure out the front window... runs upstairs quickly
Antagonist the comes out from the garage which is unlocked - he begins to walk upstairs to where the male is looking out the windows to see if anything is coming
Antagonist approaches protagonist but then there is a flash back to the beginning
We began by transferring all our video files from our documents into Premier
We then took a look at all our clips and tried to place them in an order we thought suited best to create a short film
At first we thought we got it spot on, but as we began to edit our different parts, we saw that we needed to place different clips in different places to where we first placed them
We then decided we needed to add sound effects to our short film; we gathered sound effects from our document folder, where we were able to pick out 3 or 4 sound effects that we knew we would use in our short film – placing the sound in the correct place was a difficult challenge
After completing the adding of the sound effect we moved on to looking at editing certain parts of our short film; We used the dissolve edit at the beginning and end of our clip which we decided was very effective; also we used the colour effect to make certain clips darker or lighter to convey the mood
Finally we added a title reading ‘To be continued’ in bold red lighters placed on the black background to convey a gory atmosphere to our short clip.
The difference between this title and the next was 8 seconds
3.
The difference between this title and the next was 2 seconds
4.
The difference between this title and the next was 3 seconds
5.
The difference between this title and the next is 6 seconds.
6.
The difference between this title and the next was 3 seconds.
7.
The difference between this title and the next is 15 seconds
8.
Analysis:
The start of the title sequence shows who the produced the
film in this case it was “ BEX productions”. It then was quickly followed 4
seconds afterwards by the director “ Rebecca Mathews”. After this there is
quite a large gap of 8 seconds when a name associated with the film appears on
the screen “ Kelly Sirens”. Thena very
quick transaction of 2 seconds see the next slide” The fear of the
unknown”this induces the audience and
breaks up thetitle sequence. The next
title to come up is the art director, this came 3 seconds after the slide
before. Then 2 titles with names associated with the film are shown before a
large gap and the film title is shown “ The insider”
The titles are engraved within footage conventional of the
horror genre. The way the titles come up and disappear with the footage make
the title sequence ( which is normally boring) very exciting and makes the
audience want to watch on after seeing this title sequence as the film is going
to be related to the horror genre portrayed.
All the titles are in a white colour and appearing in different ways. The white colour on a black background in most cases or dark help to show the titles better because of contrasting colours. This is an effective way for your titles to stand out on the title sequence. Conventional of the horror genre is red titles to represent blood in this title sequence white might of been used to create enigma.
The sound in the background creates tension as it is slow. The music creates enigma along side with the footage being played really set the tone for what the film is going to be about. This title sequence allows the audience to see the titles in way that is innovative as it action behind the titles makes is less tedious.
This is my attempt of making part of a title sequence:
I made the title mostly red as this connotes blood and is very conventional of the horror genre. I outlined it with a black pen to help make it stand out. If made it so the text looks like it is dripping of blood to try and make it look scary. If I could make it again I would probably use a black background so that the two colours contrast each other so it stand out more
Next text is 2 seconds later, same layout, lasting also 2 seconds
Text on screen explaining ‘true events’ and is narrated 3 seconds on
1 second later another reading comes on to the screen, still narrated. Continues again twice with different readings and then screening starts; there is a pattern present between these 3 screenings because the narrator is reading as the texts unfolds, and there is a link between each text, involving crime
The title ‘The Strangers’ is shown at the end of the sequence in block capitals and bold letters
The content an order of the titles as they appear are very clear; the narration of part of the readings help to outline a clear understanding of what is displayed
Typography
The first title on the screen shows two present company’s,
being ‘Rogue Pictures’ and Intrepid Pictures’; this is done using block
capitals and orange coloured writing to show the importance of the two. The
words ‘and’ and ‘present’ are in lower case letters, but are still visible to
the audience, but clearly not as important as the Company’s names. The same
format is used in the next title showing with ‘Vertigo Entertainment’ and
‘Mandate Pictures’ being in block capitals as the production companies.
The
next three parts of text which is illustrated on screen is narrated to the
audience; this is telling the audience that the film is based on ‘true events’
but events are not ‘entirely known’. In these three screenings text is all in orange,
placed on black background, but is not in block capitals because its importance
is less than the film titles.
The final screening shows the film’s title ‘The Strangers’;
this is revealed in block capitals, again in orange font on black background.
The reason that all titles have been in a colour such as
orange, displayed on black background is because the contrast in colours is
very conventional of the genre horror, giving a scary and spooky look to the
film. Also the difference in two colours show the titles clearly so the
audience can identify certain importance’s.
Relationship between texts and visuals
In this opening sequence, the relationship between text and
visuals is outlined by the dark orange text placed on a black background. Both
these colours convey the narrative of the film. The black background connotes
an uneasy atmosphere and the horror genre because darkness is very conventional
of the horror movies. Further, even though the text is not in the usual red
colour which emphasises a gory slasher movie; the orange shows that the movie
has a thrill factor and there is going to be some taunting of characters
involved, alike to the film ‘Halloween’.
Own production title
For my production, I am looking at the slasher sub-genre of horror and have an idea that the film title could be ‘Who’s Next’ .
For this I have created a few fonts in ‘Photoshop’, ‘Premier’ and have gathered ideas of the internet.
I have an idea that the title will be in bright red conveying blood and a gory scene, placed onto a black background exploiting a spooky atmosphere.
Another Idea I have come up with is, at the end of my scene,
the antagonist has blood on his hands from the killing, and so writes the words
‘Who’s
Next’ on the mirror, to create a scare factor to the audience.
