Codes and conventins of our film.

In our opening two minutes we have clearly shown most of the codes and conventions of a horror film. we have used low key lighting, young characters, a clear binary option of good and evil and a dominant representation of male villain. We have failed to use a hand held camera, a female victim and an extensive use of close ups and low angle shots. We have tried to use the three act narrative structure as we get to know who the main characters are and what they are dong within the first two scenes. We then get to the mid point of the structure where the characters are introduced to an enigma of a missing girl, this is then enforced by a half burried boot in one of the shots. The boot isnt seen by the main characters so they are still unaware of how close to the antagonist they are. The midpoint starts when they get to a safe enclosed enviroment (the shack). we are then introduced to the antagonists by a shot of them standing close by with weopns in their hands.

Font research

We have chosen The thirst for the title of our film, the only thing that we are unsure about is what font to use. We decided to choose fonts that represent a horror film to show our audience what to expect. The colour scheme for our title will be a dark red to connote to the audience evil and blood. We have narrowed it down to three fonts it is out of ghastly panic, horrifind and DHF story brush. This is because the horrifind font looks like dripping blood, this links to our theme. Ghastly panic has been chosen because it looks like something that can be carved into a tree - adding to location of dense woodland. The DHF story brush was chosen because it links to the theme of horror genre.

Soundtrack research

For our music, we have got a fellow pupil at our sixth form to produce the score. We began by researching music used in other horror films. We discovered that the music is usually very simple (repetitive), in a minor key and either very high in pitch or very low. The music will usually be eerie, connoting a supernatural feel or even a false sense of comfort making the audience feel uneasy. An example of this would be Tiny Tim - Tiptoe Through The Tulips (used in Insidious) or Mike Oldfields Tubular Bells (used in The Exorcist).
The instruments used in horror music is usually strings or electronic synthesisers, beginnning with a simple riff and repeating, gradually gaining volume and speed to raise tension.

 

Opening Scene Analysis

Scream's opening two minutes displays a lot of horror conventions. We are introduced to the main antagonist of the film and shown his dark humoured personality through his phone conversation with the unnamed woman from the scene. This piece of dialogue starts light-hearted and slowly descends into dark tones and evil threats. We do not see the antagonist in the opening scene in order to build suspense and intrigue as to his identity or appearance.

The woman featured in the scene is herself another genre indicator as the role of the helpless teenage girl being stalked by a killer is common in many horror films, who fits perfectly into the stereotypical conventions of weak female victims; for example she is a ditsy blonde, who has no idea what danger shes getting into, she also fails at being able to protect or defend herself. The suspense created by the scene is also helped by the location, a big, empty house with a large garden. The situation is made worse the second the unknown voice says “I want to know who I’m looking at” immediately the audience is notified that there is an unknown person, lurking outside somewhere, the house itself providing the only protection from the evil outside.

The background music of the scene is slow and mysterious violin chords to start off with but as the dialogue of the scene becomes darker and more dramatic the pace of the music quickens and loud drums are brought in. This could be to represent the woman's heart rate increasing as she becomes more and more scared of her attacker. The attacker’s voice works with the background music of the scene to show how creepy he sounds and connotes that he no ordinary sane individual, which suggests to the audiance that he is the main antagonist.

Props aren't really a major factor of the opening scene; the only one of any significance would maybe be the popcorn the woman is cooking on the stove as she talks to the antagonist, another prop used could be the fact that she begins to play with a kitchen knife, while discussing her favourite horror movie, Halloween. It’s ironic because the plot of Halloween – a babysitter being stalked and then murdered is about to happen to her. The expanding of the popcorn pack as the scene progresses could draw comparisons to the expanding tension of the scene, with the dialogue starting off with small talk about favourite films of the characters and culminating in the antagonist threatening the woman to "gut you like a fish".

After the opening dialogue of the scene between the woman and the antagonist over the phone, there is a long establishing shot of the house the scene is set in. The lighting of this shot is helpful towards setting a tone of the scene as the shot is mostly dark, with the only areas well lit the house (representing the safe, protagonist location) and a creepy slow-moving children's swing in the foreground of the shot (representing the antagonists presence outside the house). This highlights the importance of these 2 factors to the audience as they receive the most attention from the shot, it also add's to the rising tension as viewers have no idea where abouts the unknown man is.

Feedback

You still need to upload and analyse several Opening Two Minute film clips and Horror Genre Opening Two Minutes.  You need to comment on how these clips have influenced your research and planning.

Actors and props photos and interviews - you said that this would be completed by Monday so upload this asap.

You need to add another Online Tutorial and comment on how this has helped you with your filming and editing.

Furthermore, you are still missing 8 posts for your Planning - shot lists, diary of filming, time management schedule etc.  Focus on completing 1 post a day over the next week to meet the deadline.

Costume and Prop research.

The costumes that we will be using for our film will be casual clothing - no different to what we would normally wear. This is because in most Horror films, the protagonists will be wearing causal clothing (connoting that they are relaxed and not particularly worried about the apparent dangers). Another reason as to why this clothing is worn is to show the characters immaturity (they are not wearing suits because they are teenagers or young adults who don't have much wisdom or experience).

The antagonists of the opening will be wearing all black costumes, this connotes that they are evil, dark and mysterious. As we will be filming in the dark, this also connotes that this character is more at home in the dark woods than the protagonists who will be wearing brighter colours. We would also like to find plain white masks as shown in the mood board to further strip any personality from the villains. Masks will also cover the faces to make them look less human and it will also cover up any emotions. If we are not able to find any plain white masks, Halloween masks is a second option, this would connote a more gruesome and unprofessional antagonist because instead of wearing hi-tech attire he is wearing something that can be bought anywhere, implying inexperience. If no masks can be found then we have some balaclavas that could be worn. This would connote more of a thug like villain as well as an inexperienced one like with the Halloween masks.

 

During our film, we are going to use few props. The only props are going to be a hand held scythe and a claw hammer. these are going to be seen at the end of the opening when the audience are finally shown the antagonist. We do not really need many props because for the majority of the time, the protagonists are walking. We chose to use these props because they are make shift and would not make a clean death. This incorporates a gruesome aspect into the opening that features in many big name horror films.

Editing Software

Sony Vegas Pro 12

For our two minutes we have chosen the editing software Sony Vegas Pro 12, we chose this because its easier to understand and use then some of the other options we had. I also had this program installed on my computer previously, so i have previous knowledge about the In's and outs of the software. We chose Sony Vegas over Adobe Premier Elements because when we used the Adobe software i found it incredibly hard to use, it also doesnt have as many useful features like Sony Vegas has, allowing me to edit our opening two minutes the way i want too.


Sony Vegas is a popular editing software which allows you to get the best quality out of your videos.One really good aspect about this programme is that you can make amateur filming look like professional shots, as our opening isnt filmed using top of the range equipment were going to find this very helpful. You can also change things such as reducing image shake/blur or the colour of the image, by using tools such as colour correction. Youtube will also be a great help as theres hundreds of tutorials and 'how to's on youtube to help us if we get stuck.

Blog Tick List

	Done?	Comment?
RESEARCH
Genre Research and mind-maps (3 posts)	Done	Mind map, target audience and stereotypes for Romance, Action and Horror.
Uploaded YouTube videos of openings – analysed (10 openings)		3 done. In the process of completing more.
Opening titles analysed in detail – font researched	Done	3 for action and 3 for horror
Uploaded YouTube videos of similar genre openings analysed in detail (3 posts)	None of Horror genre done yet.	In the process of completing more analysed openings.
Costume and location research – google earth and pictures you’ve taken. (At least 2 posts)	Location research Done.	Costume research soon to be completed.
Actors and props photos and interviews		Props will be done by Monday. Along with interviews
Soundtrack research (non-copyright music)		To be completed after filming.
Audience Research and Profiling (typical audience member and similar films)	Questionnaires done. Target audience for Romance, Action and Horror done.
Institution research (Paramount etc)	Done.	In the process of making logo for our own institution (Elka Productions)
Certificate research	Done.
PLANNING
Own film idea brainstorm	Done.
Own film treatment		To be completed after filming.
Relevant Online Tutorials (on filming and editing) and Comments (At least 2 posts)	Done.	Will improve on comments – making it relevant to our film.
Documenting of influences on production	?????????????
Shot lists
Consideration of representation in your film and stereotyping – use theory from G325.	Done.	Posts on stereotypes in horror and action films.
Questionnaire (and feedback) Get some feedback on your initial ideas!	Questionnaire done.	Feedback is yet to be acquired.
Diary of filming/editing etc with photos and screen grabs (At least 3 posts)
Mood board	Done.
Script		Not yet done.
Practice titles created and uploaded	Done.
Storyboard – animatic.		Not yet done.
Time Management Schedule – what you did& when, problems you encountered& solved	Done.
Codes and Conventions featured in your Opening Two Minutes
Ensure that all posts have a title, detailed comments and relevant pictures which are commented on.	Done.

Location Research #2 (Google Maps)

Highland Trails Location.

These images show the location of Highlands Trails in Leatherhead, the location we have chosen to film our opening two minutes at.

We chose this location because of the Forrest in between the fields and the road, we also chose it because we knew that there was a small,wooden shack hidden in the woods. Of which a member of our group partially owns, and has possession of a key for, allowing us to use the location for all our needs,whether thats out in the woods, or inside a wooden hut.

Location Research #1

This is the nicest side to the shack, showing a window and a slatted wall, however i don't think were going to incorporate this into our film, as this section doesn't actually link to the main shack, as only half of it is built. In the day this location doesn't look very scary, however when its dark its a completely different story, because we're surrounded by woodland, you can hear natural noises which are creepy, such as sticks snapping, or the tree's moving. These diegetic sounds would be effective as it would cause the audience to start to imagine things, such as sticks snapping, or the tree's moving, naturally you start to imagine things, as the fear of the unknown takes over.These technical codes are common in horror films where ominous sound effects and distant diegtic sounds build tension in the narrative and for the audience. This is the most effective side to the shack, showing a window and a slatted wall - it has connotations of a creepy abandoned shack; this is effective as this setting has featured in horror films.

This image shows deeper in the woods, about 30 meters from the door of the shack. Personally i think this more dense section of the woods is more frightening then the section near the shack, as the closer you get to the hut, the more trees that have been cut down. Many horror movies use dense woodland in their scenes as the audience automatically assumes that something is out there, leading to the thought that something is going to happen. Again playing on the audiences fears.






This view shows the front side of the shack, including a small, reinforced window, giving the impression that it has been locked for a reason. The log pile below the window gives it the traditional, log cabin kind of look. This image also shows the front porch area, which is slightly enclosed, and lowered by about a foot; meaning you have to step into it, and up in order to leave. The bike in the image however wont be there, as that was just my mode of transport getting to and from the location. The only downside of this location is the road running adjacent to the trails.

This image shows the view from the window of the shack, which unfortunately is now unusable due to the loss of the key. However the shot shows a set of jumps just beyond the hut, were not yet sure wether we'd incorporate the jumps in or not, as it would be easy to not include them, as because of how were going to be filming in the dark, using a torch. Meaning you will only be able to see where the torch beam is pointing. We could also remove the blue and green tarps of the top of the trails, making them even less visable.

Decided film idea

We have decided to film our seccond movie idea - the Horror genre. We chose this idea over the action one because of our work and school scheduals, as they meant that we could only meet up from when it was getting dark onwards. Because of these part time jobs we thought that it would be better to shoot a Horror movie due to how dark the light would be outside, as darkness suits the happenings of a Horror movie better than the happenings of an action film.

Darkness also suits our location better as well as it makes the forrest seem even scarier, again playing on the audiances fear of the unknown. It also means that a torch will be the only light source, which is to our advantage as it means that we can hide anything at the location that we dont want the audiance to see, such as the jumps and other things related to the trails.

Stereotypes in horror films

Stereotypes tend to have a main group of protagonists made up of thrill seeking teenagers/young adults. They will either go out looking for an adrenaline rush and the risk turns out to be greater than expected leading to several grotesque deaths and mutilations with one of the group (the least expected) surviving to tell the tale. During this sort of horror movie, the group will be made up of males and females, with the males usually teasing the frightened females but soon realising the danger is real and imminent. The stereotypes presented in this sort of horror film is the males being strong, brave, aggressive and usually sports junkies. The females will usually be presented in the opposite way, needing help from the males in the way of protection and guidance. the stereotypes of females is easily scared, fairly glamorous and reluctant to continue on the 'journey'. The majority of the group will be made up of young adults or teenagers. the stereotypes of this age group are thrill-seekers who care little for society and conventions. They will usually be reckless and unsuspecting of any real catastrophe happening to them. Examples of this is Friday the 13th and all the Wrong turn films.

Another type of horror movie tends to have a smaller cast with the main antagonist choosing several victims and murdering them one by one. The villain will tend to prey on females as they are stereotypically weaker than males and helpless when alone. He will approach them in a creepy way - such as in scream, where the antagonist rings the victims phone and tells them that he can see them. This slowly raises the tension and keeps the audience in suspense until the killer appears.

Stereotypes in action films

There are many common stereotypes that are featured in action movies. The usual ones are the main male protagonist being brave, strong, selfless, handsome, emotionless, fearless, good at fighting, able to drive any vehicle superbly, a brilliant mind which allows him to devise plans in a blink of an eye (usually involving brute force) and finally independent. They will usually be shown in smart suits or costumes - connoting a professional yet cool superiority - however this suit will become torn and bedraggled due to an intense fighting scene in which they managed to escape victorious and unscathed. A classic example of this is James Bond.

Another stereotype that will usually make an appearance in action films is the damsel in distress. This will regularly be acted by a glamorous female lead who falls in love with the male protagonist. In some instances, the antagonist can kidnap this character as it is one of few weaknesses of the protagonist. This is usually at the end of the film giving way for one final fight scene and a miraculous rescue. This female character will stereotypically be beautiful, smart and apparently helpless. There will usually be a scene in an action film of this character in a skimpy outfit enticing both the audience and protagonist. The main role of this character is to act as a love interest for the protagonist. An example of this is the many Bond girls that feature in the series.





A final stereotype that occurs in action films is that of the antagonist. This character will usually be equally or perhaps better at fighting than the protagonist and will regularly have a better mind. making the protagonist look clumsy in comparison. This character will wear similar things to the protagonist - a smart suit - giving the same professional look. There is a different type of antagonist that appears in many action films, this antagonist appears to be slightly mentally unstable - an example of this is the Joker from Batman. This character usually has a reason to have revenge upon society and hatches a plan to kill hundreds of innocent people (unless the protagonist intervenes).

Initial film ideas

Film idea 1

Genre: Murder mystery/crime/action

Idea: A man dressed in a suit is seen walking down an alley and gets stabbed/shot by a gang of youths. Police begin to investigate the case, believing it to be just another gang murder. As the Investigation continues, eye witnesses and anonymous tips help the detectives undercover the truth about the brutal criminal underworld in their district, with crimes ranging from Drug Trafficking, to Prostitution.

Film idea 2

Genre: Horror

Idea: A group of friends hear of strange things happing in a section of woodland reasonably nearby. One of them does some research into these happens, ranging from murders to mutilations, and discovers a small shack, deep in the woods, of which anybody can use, wether to escape the cruelty outside or to go in search of it. The boys assemble a small group including an amature film maker and go in search of the creatures responsible. Soon after they arrive, one of the boys heads out into the woods for the toilet. As the door slams behind him the night begins...