LEARNING AIM 1

Preliminary Task

Micro-Analysis’s and Macro-Analysis’s for horror movie openings

Evil Dead (2013)

The opening of the Evil Dead introduces a girl who is being chased through a forest. This leads to her being captured by a group of supposed cultists, who cleansed her of Evil using the ‘Necronomicon’.

Lighting

In terms of the lighting, the whole scene is shrouded in mostly darkness with pockets of light. In the forest, the only light that is really visible in the scene is the sunlight the which goes through the trees. Due to the number of trees, there is a lack of light coming through which creates an eerie atmosphere and establishes the tone of the film. In the second half of the scene, we see that the character has been transported to a dimly lit room. In the room there is also a lack of light, there are harsh shadows on the actors covering part of their faces. The only time a lot of light is used in the scene is when the flames are covering the actress’ body. The progression towards the flames indicates that the lighting change is a deliberate action in order to heighten the scene. The sudden change from the dim lighting to the burst of flames emphasises the climactic moment of the demon taking over the girl. The change in character is emphasised with the change in lighting. It also surprises the audience due to the fact that we are led to believe that the girl is the heroine, but is the villain of the sequence.

Sound

Diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound are both used throughout the scene. In terms of non-diegetic sound, there is an eerie soundtrack playing throughout the last segments of the scene. This is the scene where the girl is pleading for her life. When the shot of the bottle of liquid is shown, the non-diegetic soundtrack increases in volume; which increases the sense of tension. This replicates the feeling of the character since she is awaiting her death and is about to be murdered. This is then subverted when the suspected victim is then possessed by a demon. The diegetic dialogue shows that her voice has been altered, indicating to the audience that she is now transformed into something else entirely. This voice introduces the true horror element to the audience and also indicates that the film is based on the idea of the ‘supernatural’.

Cinematography

Throughout the scene, there are multiple close-up shots in order to indicate the fear that the girl feels. They are also used to resemble the power that comes over her, which is the turning point. It juxtaposes the previous moments where she was normal. The low angle shot near the end indicates power, but the high angle shot after it resembles the power that is being removed from her since she is being burnt alive. The wide shot at the start of the opening is used to establish the setting, a gloomy forest which is shrouded in fog. This immediately sets the tone for the movie and indicates to the audience that it is a horror.

Mise-en-scene

The setting is a gloomy forest, which is lit dimly. This immediately sets the tone and shows the audience that it is a horror movie. The costume of the female is torn up, showing vulnerability and that she is in danger. She is also bleeding, meaning that there is some kind of danger in the area. The isolation of her character in the dark woods, suggest this. The fact that she is wearing a white dress juxtaposes the innocence of a young girl and makes her seem impure. The colour of the forest consists of a dark green and grey, which makes the audience fear for her since it further emphasises her isolation.

Editing

The pace of the editing at the start is slow, this is to suggest that she is being followed slowly which adds tension. When she is revealed to be possessed, the editing speed increases. This is because she starts to move frantically and the pace of the cutting matches her movement. Also, the Necronomicon reader starts to talk rapidly, so the diegetic sound is matched with the non-diegetic sound in order to heighten the tension.

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Sound

In terms of sound, there is a mixture of diegetic and non-diegetic audio. This is presented when Freddy Kreuger screams at the female character. This is because it jumps the audience and scares them, which is the main factor in a horror movie. The non-diegetic audio is the music, which allows the diegetic sound to be more impactful. When Freddy Krueger appears, the volume increases in order to match the fear and adds frightening emphasis to his arrival.

Cinematography

There are various mid-shots, particularly with the blonde girl. For example, she was standing in a long corridor. This is to represent the female’s isolation in her dream and that she cannot escape from her nightmare. The close-ups are there to represent the girl’s fear and show the audience how scary Freddy Krueger truly is. Tracking shots also act as an immersive tool. It places the audience in the girl’s perspective which heightens the sense of fear.

Mise-en-scene

Freddy Krueger has a burnt body with a large hat and needles on his hands. This shows the audience that he is the villain since the scarring and the needles showcase a menacing quality. The hat also can partially conceal his face, scaring the audience and the victims since they cannot even see what is coming after them. The girl is wearing white, which resembles a sense of purity. Because her dream is in an industrial place of some kind, it is disconnected from reality which scares audiences because it is in the realm of the unknown. The lighting turns from white to red. The colour red contains sinister connotations and could suggest that the villain is nearby, increasing the tension in the atmosphere.

Editing

The pace of the editing is slow at the start but is matched with the non-diegetic soundtrack. This immediately places audiences in a tense position since they are unaware of the circumstances. When Freddy Krueger reveals himself at the end, the pacing is quickened since the fear of the girl takes over and she is visibly frightened. This also emphasises the current circumstances and makes the audience to relate to her through the editing. The volume of the soundtrack increases when he reveals himself which scares the girl and the audience.

Drag Me To Hell (2009)

Sound

The non-diegetic audio indicates to the audience an increase in tension. It is only when the demon bursts through the door, that the volume of the soundtrack increases, which increases the tension of the atmosphere. the diegetic sound for the demon is extremely deep and resembles a creature. This is because they want the creature to be differentiated from a human being, making the creature scarier. Also, the use of ‘hitting’ sound effects shows the violent nature of the demon. The screams of the child are also used to represent his fear.

Cinematography

A cantered angle was used when the boy was nearing the edge of the floor. This is used to show the point of view of the demon. The speed of the camera movement shows how fast the demon is travelling and also indicates how scared the child is. The wide shot at the start of the scene is used to establish the setting. The high angle shot of the child cowering in his blanket represents that he is powerless, while the shadowed figures were shown with the use of a low angle shot which means they have all of the power. This indicates to the audience who really has the power, which adds an even scarier element to the scene.

Mise-en-scene

The demon isn’t given a look, which makes it scarier since they cannot identify what is taking them. The people are all dressed in normal clothing since it establishes the fact that all seems to be fine. It is only when the demon is introduced that the set starts to get destroyed when chaos erupted. The lighting changes to a harsh orange tone at the end since it replicates the flames of hell. The use of the necklace is given significance since it shows the cause of the child’s death.

Editing

At the start of this opening, the pacing is quick since the family seem to be in immediate danger. Once he is brought into the house the pacing slows down since a solution is introduced. The pacing then quickens again when that solution is then met with another problem and demon arrives. This highlights the danger and indicates to the audience that a chaotic moment is taking place. Visual effects are used in order to reveal hell, and the child getting dragged down into it. They did this in order to fully capture the scale of hell and show how brutal and scary it truly is.

Micro-Analysis for The Shining

Macro-Analysis for The Shining

Initial ideas for short horror film opening

Horror short film analysis – Cell

Cell has a very distinctive horror feel, since it differs from typical horror movie conventions. This horror, in particular, wants to communicate how Greg feels.

Mise-en-scene

Initially, Greg is looking at photos of both himself and a woman on the wall. This immediately gives the audience a sense that he is not in a place that is for the public. The colours of the room are bleak, using a lot of grey textures on both the wall and floors, the papers are crumbled meaning that they have been there for a long period of time. The grey colours could be used to represent the moods that Greg feels, and how he feels like his world is colourless and empty.

In terms of costume, Greg doesn’t wear any clothes whatsoever, except for when he is in the real world. The audience immediately thinks that Greg is in a place of privacy. However, in home environments, it’s uncommon to walk around in a dusty environment fully naked so we immediately get the implication that he is in a dreamlike state or he is in his own world. Greg communicates to only himself and he needs to keep reminding himself of what he looks like and who he is. We then discover that the horror doesn’t appear in the form of a man, woman or object; but in the form of his mentality.

Lighting is very important in presenting the story throughout Cell. There is one main light hovering in the center of the room and one shining upon the wall of the pictures and the various information that Greg looks at on occasion. These easily indicate the two things Greg focuses on throughout the whole film. Also near the end, Greg walks into the dark from the light which shows him accepting his fate, and proves that he needs to let go. He embraces the darkness, and the lighting makes it possible to understand this.

Sound

Diegetic sounds are used effectively to represent Greg’s mentality. He repeats the line “someone is taking them” which means he is focused on one thing. He scrapes at the wall occasionally, which shows he id clawing for an escape, and he is trapped in his own mind and cannot escape. He wants to be free of his imprisonment but the repeated actions and the repeated noises indicate that he is stuck.

Non-diegetic sounds are used to create a sense of tension and eeriness. The music was not very aggressive but was noticeably loud. The volume was raised in certain moments to emphasise how uncomfortable Greg was feeling at that moment.

Camera

Close-ups are used a lot in the film. When Sarah comes out of the darkness into the light with the blade, there are various reaction shots of Greg. I fell these shots are essential in seeing how much he feels towards Sarah and how he is scared of her getting hurt. The final shot shows Greg’s whole body leaving the light and shows him going into the darkness. Showing the entire body leaving, makes the audience understand that he is giving himself wholly to the darkness.

Editing

The editing pace is slow. I feel that the pacing is slow because it’s supposed to embody how long Greg has been trapped in his mind. The longevity of some of the shots and the pacing of the film represents how long his torment has been going on for. There are also a lot of dissolve transitions which also could represent longevity since it keeps Greg in the same place and also could show a long passage of time. Because there are so many, it could mean that he has been in that state of mind for a long period of time. The editing is constant except for the flashback moments, which sometimes happens instantly. This seems to trigger something painful for Greg so the quick editing helps make the pain seem sharp. Because there is no CGI, it makes the film a lot more realistic and grounded. The use of CGI would make the film seem paranormal or supernatural, which wouldn’t necessarily fit with a psychological horror.

Propp’s character theory applied to The Shining

The Villain

Jack Torrance is presented as the villain because he is the main danger throughout the film against Wendy Torrance. His unhinged nature throughout the film makes it identifiable that he is the villain character.

The Hero

Wendy Torrance is desperate to escape from Jack and save her child. In the end, they escape from Jack because of her will to strike back at Danny and also by letting her son escape quickly whilst she has to preoccupy her deranged husband.

The Princess

In times of absolute peril, Wendy is unable to move as fluidly as her fear takes control of her. She then becomes the person to be saved, since she is in constant danger. However, the role is reversed to the hero as the film progresses, realising she cannot just run.

Conclusion

I feel that all of the characters that Propp has introduced in his theory cannot be applied heavily in The Shining, due to the lack of characters that are compatible with Propp’s other designated characters.

Todorov’s Narrative Theory applied to The Shining

Todorov’s theory can be applied to The Shining through various points that happen in the film. The Equilibrium is set when we see Jack and his family moving away. Everything seems normal and nothing seems to be out of place at the start of the film. As the audience starts to watch onward, we see that Jack is descending into a state of lunacy. This triggers something in Jack’s mind which immediately tells the audience that the equilibrium has changed and a problem has arose. Through the events of the film, Jack proceeds to kill his family and his wife and son must find away to combat the evil that they are facing. The problem is solved when Wendy and Danny escape the deranged Jack and when he freezes to death. This has then created a new Equilibrium, since the problem has been solved and no more events need to be displayed.

Storyboards

Proposal for my horror film.

Title – The title of my film will be called Trophy.

Running Time – 2:00 minutes

Genre -Psychological Horror

Group Members -Anand Toora (Director and Editor) – Sandeep Pall (Camera Operator) – Christopher Poole (Sound Operator), Anna Janberga (Victim), Farai Maforimbo (Troubled Teen).

Location

My living room in my house for the scene only including the male lead actor.

The school’s media studio for the scene including both the male and female lead actors.

Job Roles

The reason why I have chosen myself as the Director and the Editor of the two minute segment, is because I believe I can create the atmosphere of the world that I’m trying to present behind the camera. I feel like the shots that I am going to use will identify an abnormality in the film, which many psychological horror movies like to present. i want to present a sinister undertone and make the shots very distorted to reflect the abnormal behaviour of the main character of the film.

Content -The story of this movie is based on a troubled teenager who did not have many friendships as a child and follows the same problem in his secondary school years. The student wanted to get back at humanity so he claims possessions from random victims that he would kidnap from the school. These possession’s would be his ‘trophies’, a reward he would take after torturing each of his victims to death. He sets a goal of 100 ‘trophies’, to place on his ‘shelf of contentment’, before he is pleased with himself and can finally take his leave from the world.

The two minute segment of the film that I am making will be the opening of the film. The main character will be will be walking home from a town. Once he arrives home he sits and it’s silent, until he takes his phone from his pocket in order to find his next victim. He gets up and heads to the school to trap his victim. She’s then shown being held down on a chair by a chain. He puts on plastic gloves, picks up a knife and begins his procedure. He slices the victim and stabs her repeatedly in fury. He then slowly drifts downwards and lies down, relishing his killing stroke.

Mise-En-Scene

Colours – Crimson Red for the blood. A suit for the teen’s costume. The blood would go onto the victims’s costume, symbolising impurity.
Lighting – When the teen enters the room, the room is empty, and dimly lit. Barely any light in the rooms. Shows a sense of insecurity and the implication that the area is unsafe.
Props – A knife will be used on the victim. Surgical gloves and a surgical mask for the killer. Blood is used on the victim.
Costume – Victim is dressed in raggedy clothes. Surgeon is in a suit, gloves and a surgical mask.

Target Audience

The target audience for my short film will be aimed at 15-18 year olds. This is because of the violent and mature nature of the content which is shown in the film. The film is both aimed at female’s and male audiences since the horror demographic is thoroughly enjoyed by both audiences. As for the socio-economic grouping, it would fall into the unemployed category since teenagers tend to go to the cinema since many of them have disposable incomes. Horror movies are a popular genre with teenage audiences, this would enable people to go an see it.

The Purpose

The purpose of the first two-minute scene is meant to both introduce the character that the audiences are dealing with and establishes the genre for the movie. This is only meant to interest audiences and not give too much away, leaving things to the audience’s imagination.

In terms of developing my skills, I feel that creating this horror movie will allow me to understand how a horror movie fully works as a genre. This will give me experience with both equipment and storytelling, allowing me to reflect on this project and think about what I can improve for future projects.

Screening and Distribution

If this film were to be released, it would be released near October since October is the month of the famous annual holiday of Halloween. Due to the holiday, it would immediately be expected that people would be looking for horror movies to watch with friends or family to celebrate the holiday. The film would be released in multiplexes due to its graphic nature and the intrigue it would receive from audiences. Fans of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’, a popular psychological horror film, would be interested to see my film since it would show a similar style throughout the movie. The age rating would be 15 due to graphic nature and the themes that are contained within the film. The rating will allow teenagers to be allowed into the screening without any restriction, allowing the chance for a larger audience.

Legal and Ethical consideration

My film will not include any copyrighted material of any kind. I will not use copyrighted soundtracks throughout my film, I instead will use royalty free music and create my own music for the production. I have considered the ethical side of this film, and I feel that it will not offend anybody since this doesn’t glorify or intend to radicalise what I am trying to show in my film.

If people were to take inspiration from the characters on screen, they could potentially place another person’s life at risk. I have considered this and didn’t place any topics that may offend any people with certain beliefs. Therefore I haven’t included any religious material. This would avoid people from causing an uproar about the project but instead enjoy and respect the material.

Resources required and justifications

1 Canon XA10 Camera.

The reason I have chosen this camera because these cameras are very small and are easy to carry around. It also records in 1080p HD offering a high quality image.

Sony HXR-NX3 Camera

This camera will help me film the killing scene, when the teen attacks his victim. This is because this camera records in 1080p HD and also is better than the XA10 for recording in low-light scenarios.

2 Dedo lights.

Because the setting of my film is very dark, I will not require a heavy amount of lighting within my work. Using minimal lighting maintains a dark and sinister look, shrouding the antagonist’s face in darkness.

1 Rifle Mic.

Using a rifle mic will allow me to get high quality sound and will make the actors voice sound clear to the audience.

Tripod

A tripod will allow me to get static shots for my film.

Fig Rig

A fig rig will stabilise the shots that require any type of movement within the film.

Risk Assessment

Contributor Agreement Forms

Location Reconnaissance

For my locations, I had decided to go with the studio and my home because I fee they encompass the nature of what the film contains. Both are meant to seem as very isolated environments where the killer operates. The openness of the studio implies the very careful planning that was made by the killer and also represents the lack of freedom that the victim has, making her more isolated in the situation.

The house location appears to be normal, even though the killer has a much more sinister purpose underneath it all. Even though he appears normal at first, the thing that taints the room is the killer, making it seem even more disturbing and frightens the audience, thinking that anyone from any background could be capable of horrific acts.

Lighting Set Up

Production Script

Production Schedule

Finished Product

Written Evaluation

Evaluation

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