Planning: Group & Job Roles

We have decided that the roles I will pursue will be both the director and actor. I was given the role of director as I have previous experience of being a director and I work well on the job. 

I have chosen these roles as I have clear thoughts and a good imagination on what I want from the scenes, where the best settings would be for each scene, what I want from the actors/actresses, what looks creative and what I want my character to be like. I am also confident in acting to I wont find acting challenging. I am confident that I will commit to both of these roles and strive to successful footage.

We have decided that Melissa will take on the role of the camera operator. We both decided that it would be the right decision in continuing her role as she is well suited to it. Melissa has previous experience of working a camera and is sure, as I am, what angles are suitable for the scene. Melissa has also said that she will act on set as 'Steph', this is a new experience for Melissa but I believe she has the ability and confidence to successfully portray the character.

Both Melissa and I have decided to take equal reponsibility in editing the footage and completing various roles, such as, script writing.

Planning: Props List

This is the Props List. It contains costume, make-up and props lists so that we are sure of which to use. This list verifies what we need to organise for the film, which products we need to buy. For example, the mask we need to purchase from a shop we have already looked in and discovered. The costumes we have already decided and have told are actors to wear to fit into the role easily and portray the ideal character.
The make-up is natural looking for the mother and father because we want them to portray a older sophisticated image, whilst we prefer 'Becky' to look like a typical teenagers so she would have to wear a bit more make-up.

Planning: Shot List

This is the shot list. This was created in order for us to understand what camera shots/angles/movements we are going to use when filming our 2 minute opening horror film. It can be used as a reminder of how we want our film to be edited, to recieve a sure defined outcome that we are happy with.

Planning: Script

This is the script. This will help us identify what the characters in our film have to do and say. This organisation will save time and effect from both my partner and I and the actors.
The dialogue we have used throughout the film is well suited to the characters. For example 'Becky' has the role of the main character or is potentially the protagonist, she has been given typical traits of a teenager which make the character more believable. We hope with this we will attract a target audience of young teenagers to young adults.

Planning: Initial Ideas Mindmap

To the left is our initial planning mindmap which my partner and I created so that we could express and compliment our ideas towards our main task. Using the mindmap we conducted ideas about the storyline which branched to other areas, such as, costume and mise en scene. By completing this mindmap we were able to decide on what the sub-genre of the film was and how best to represent it. The mindmap helped to conclude our ideas and discover which were correct and eliminate those that were not suitable.

Location

This is the chosen location for our horror film. We have chosen this location because it is a modern family home that facilitates for our needs in the film (kitchen, living room, stairs and a garden). This modern home reflects the modernised storyline about adoption. The house has the right amount of space to both film and have various rooms to change to if the current room is not right. Also we have the time available to film there and do not have a limited amount of time in which to finish, this enables us to gain a good number of shots that we can choose between.

To conduct further research I handed out 20 questionnaires to collect information on people's opinions about the horror genre.

I asked questions such as: 'What is your favourite horror film?' And 'What is your favourite sub-genre?'
These answers gave us information concerning the most popular genres there are between the age groups and genders.

I have strongly been advised by the research I have found and I believe that the horror genre is very popular within the ages. The subgenres that seem to be most popular are splatter or supernatural. The subgenre my partner and I have chosen is slasher as this genre is surprising, grusome and frightening.

Research: Target Audience - Secondary Research

I conducted some research in order to further my knowledge about the horror genre. I came across this bar chart when searching.

The bar chart explains that most females in horror films usually last until the end, this reinforced the idea of the Final Girl Theory and that the girl is portrayed as brave. Men who are normally portrayed as intellegent however quite cowdily are used as stock characters.

Therefore there are various characters that are stereotypical used as stock characters in horror films and are generally killed off early in the film.

Research: Target Audience for Horror Films

The target audience is the audience that the film is aimed at, the audience that is most likely to watch the film.

For example, fantasy films are aimed at families and children mainly, whereas comedies are aimed at a wider audience which depends on the age certificate of the film. The target audience needs to be established when producing a opening of a two minute film, the director must know what type of audience they are aiming it at. Horror films tend to attract a teenage audience because they relate with the teenage characters within the film, the characters are often dealing with teenage based situations which the target audience can relate to. The target audience also watch horror genre films because of the rush and excitement it gives them. Many feel proud at a young age to have watched a horror film because of the elements of terror and fear a horror film produces. A horror film would be typically aimed at male teenagers because of the masculine stereotype they are trying to portray- fearless to anything.

Film makers should be aware of the target audience their film is aimed at, with this verified they can narrate the film to complete the demands of that target audience. The target audience for my film would be a teenage audience. To ensure I relate to this target audience I will use a teenager for the main character and protagonist in my film. The storyline can relate to a teenage audience because of the speech and body language the protagonist will use and the issues she is dealing with.



Research: Horror Film Opening Case Study 2- Saw 2

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The opening scene displays a point of view shot of a bright bulb and the character's vision is distorted as he tries to identify where he is. A diegetic sound which is chilling and parallel to the mood can be heard which makes audiences tense and suspicious. The limited lighting in the isolated room conveys that the character is builds suspense as both the audience and the character is unsure of the location. The point of view shot its cast upon a mirror which shows a man in a dangerous metal contraption in which he needs to escape. The character is frightened as he is aware that he may be in serious danger if he is not rescued or he does not escape, this dilemma makes the audiences feel nervous as the prop used looks highly dangerous and unidentifiable to any sane human. The fast editing shows fear and delusion from the protagonist and he becomes increasing the fearful of his life. Diegetic screams and cries from the man can be heard, this iconography of both the contraption and narrative identify the genre of horror further. Jump cuts of the man's face reflect the confusion and desperation the character is feeling. A close up the mask which is also attached to the man, has sharp spikes on it, this reveals the further iconography the film uses to make the audience aware of what genre of film they are watching. An image of a man disguised in a clown mask appears on a television screen which identifies who the antagonist is and that he wants to 'play a game'. A close up of the antagonist is shown and the sharp features of the mask is frightening to viewers and may make them feel uncomfortable. The contraption is identifies as a 'Death Mask' by the antagonist. The cuts flash quickly as the protagonist understands what his task involves, the description is disturbing and what he has to do will cause him major pain. This is made aware by the facial expressions and body language of anxiety and fear the protagonist produces. A close up a timer is shown which builds up tension to the audience because he has a limited time in which to escape death. The use of mise en scene verifies the tension and fear the character is going through, the audiences sympathises with the character and are anxious to discover whether he will escape.

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The iconography used in the film helps audiences identify the genre of the film. The mask that the antagonist uses to cover his identify is a iconic feature that the audience associates with the horror genre. Also the 'Death Mask' is a weapon that will create violence and blood in the film which is another iconic feature of a horror film. The opening of 'Saw 2' is effective because it effectively reintroduces the antagonists in a quick way and begins with violence, blood and gore in the few opening minutes. Through the point of view shot and the quick edits the location is identified as a claustrophobic, isolated room, this iconic feature makes audiences feel isolated too as they connect with the tramours the character is going through. It builds up suspense by the use of the task which has to be completed within a time limit. This creates more anxiety towards audiences because the character is in a life or death situation. The way in which the antagonist captures his victims may interest or provoke audiences to continue watching to discover what other traps the antagonist may create.

Research: Horror Film Opening Case Study 1 - Scream

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The opening consists of a non-diegetic sound of a phone ringing while the title of the film is displayed, along with this the audience can hear screams which give inclination that the genre of the film is horror. There is a close up of the phone which creates mystery to who is calling on the telephone. A tracking shot of a girl answering the phone appears and the audience is introduced to the first character, who appears to be confident, polite and sweet as the audience hears her speak her opening lines. The character is both female and blonde which indicates a typical victim that horror films represent as they are portrayed as easy targets for the antagonist. She begins to walk away only to be interrupted by a off-screen sound of the telephone ringing again, a close up of the main character's face shows suspicion and tension which builds on to audiences.  The edits are slow paced and range between mid shots to close ups. An establishing shot of the house shows isolation and loneliness, it verifies that the character is alone and will be at higher risk of danger. Within the opening all diegetic sounds are overpowering, and louder than they should be, this effect builds anxiety to audiences and makes views jump. A knife is used as a prop playfully as the character talks in a friendly tone to the mystery caller. This shows an opposition within the film because the character is using a weapon - that is usually used by the antagonist to kill - to play with. A tracking shot behind the main character creates the image that somebody is walking behind her or watching her while she is on the phone. In the garden when looking outside the character sees mist in which creates tension and mystery because the caller has just frightened her. Her body language becomes hostile and she begins to lock all the doors because she is suspicious of the caller. The popcorn increasingly getting bigger in size resembles the climax in the film, she is coming to terms that the caller may put her in danger. The setting is in a modern, spacious home which reveals that the antagonist could be in any part of the house without the protagonist knowing. The low key lighting is particulalry effective in establishing the sinister mood of the scene it also allows shadows to be cast over the protagonist.

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The genre of 'Scream' is easily indentifiable by just the first opening seconds of the film because the title of the film is shown in bloody lettering and the non-diegetic sounds of screams and slashing of weapons can be heard. These iconic features shout out to audiences that the genre is horror. The symbolic scence in which the protagonist plays innocently with a knife while talking the antagonists reflects the film sub genre: Slasher.
The narrative mainly consists of an innocent phone call from a mystery caller; however the mood changes as the caller reveals, 'I want to know who I am looking at.' This alerts the protagonist that she may not be alone and makes the audience anxious as to who the mystery caller is. The opening to 'Scream' is effective because it builds up suspense slowing by using camera angles, diologue and music. The scary voice on the phone builds tension and as the scene progresses the antagonist is slowly revealed which shocks the audiences and gurrentees them to continue watching to discover what will happen next.

 

Research: Sub-Genres & Hybrids

Sub-genres are simply genres within genres, such as, romantic comedy. In the horror genre there are sub genres, such as, Splatter films which contain exssesive amounts of blood and gore (such as Saw). The antagonist almost always uses a knife to kill his victims with (such as Scream). Therefore these films must use conventions of both genres. The sub-genre I have chosen to shoot is a slasher as they are exciting to watch, which will gurreentee action in the opening scene.

A hybrid is refered to as two films merged together. This can be explained by the British film, Shaun of the Dead (2004), the writer, Simon Pegg claimed it to be a rom-zom-com he explains that the film has elements of each category (romance, comedy and zombie). This particular hybrid is about a man that wants to win his ex-girlfriend back, while trying to combat the dead which are coming back to eat the living.

Research: Characteristics of a horror film

To research into the horror genre, I have conducted some primary research observations into the types of characteristics that seem to be present in a number of horror genre films:

1) CHARACTERS -  these characters are those you would expect to find in the genre:

The Antagonist: this is the villain or bad character in the film, who terrorises the protagonist/friends/community, they usually use iconic weapons, such as, knifes and usually use brutal violence within horror films. An example of a Antagonist is presented in the image on the left, this is from the film 'Halloween'. This particular antagonist uses various weapons and violence to eliminate victims.

The Protagonist: the victim/good character this often a female character, also known as the ‘final girl’. This character is expected to last untill the end of the film and sometimes defeat the antagonist, so the protagonist must be brave and independent. An example of this is the film 'Creep', the final girl is portrayed as brave, idenpendant and ambitious. She attacks the antagonist and manages to escape from him.

The Helper: often the character that advices the protagonist but eventually does get killed by the antagonist to create tension within the film.

Monster Fodder/Stock Characters: these the victims of the victim/killer (antagonist) they are killed off to build tension the film and build a sense of terror. These are often called the stock characters who do not have much character development because they are killed off quickly.

2) ICONOGRAPHY- these are features that horror films used to make it easy for the audience to indentify what the genre is. These are often portrayed through icononic features, such as, knife and blood which the antagonist is responsible of.

3) SETTINGS- there are many types of settings that the horror genre uses, it is normally place in which is fearful and creates terror to people. For example a type of setting is an isolated one, this setting is a place which is hard for the protagonist to escape (such as The Strangers). Another example is a dystopian urban city where there has been some sort of disaster (such as 28 Days Later), it appears that often it is a city that has been deserted because of fears of a unseen menance (antagonist/s). This create uncertainty between protagonist and they often hide away to make plots to try and survive escape the city. These types of settings create tension towards the audience as these settings create the fear of the unknown.

Research: My Chosen Genre

After much deliberation, my partner and I have chosen the horror genre for the 2 minute opening of a film. I believe that this genre can be easy portray with conventions, such as, iconography (knifes and weapons). The horror genre therefore can be easily identified by audience because of the conventions that horror films use, making it assessable to make a success film.

The image on the left can be identified as a horror genre because of the micro features used in it's image. For example, the antagonists are all wearing masks which is portrayed as a horror iconography. The positioning of the characters is also significance because the antagonists have a dominating presence over the victims which are lower (sitting down) in the image, this authority shows that they have power of the victims. Also the wording they use is important in explaining why an audience can identify the horror genre because the title is written in a Gothic font, and the title itself: 'the strangers' shows mystery towards the events that would happen within the film.
The target audience for the horror genre is mainly teenagers and adult audiences because of the characters they use are normally young and this makes teenage audiences easy to relate to them. To further reason my choice in genre is that I am a teenager and tend to watch and enjoy many horror films so I have a diverse range of ideas from previous films I have watched. Also, I have a connection with peers the same age as I and slightly older of which I can access further information and views of different types of horror films. This makes it easier to access research and conduct theories about the types of conventions that work best in horror films.

We have discovered and created ideas that have generated from the horror films, 'The Strangers' and 'Scream' - particularly 'Scream' as we are fond of the idea of a phone call from the antagonist previous to the attack to create anxiety and mystery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFCStOMqpfk We have analyse the way in which the character is portrayed within the film and desire to create a character similar to this one.

The planning I will conduct previous to filming my horror film is to research into different views age groups carry about horror films through a questionnaire. I will also analyse different effective horror film openings to further the ideas I originally carry concerning my horror film opening.

Research: Case Study 2- Effective Film Openings- Borat

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The filming is documentary styled as the camera tracks and shows point of view shots. The mise en scene is of a poor, deprived country. The audience can identify this by the setting and props used in the opening scene. The setting displays poor housing and an untidy environment, the props are basic and no recent technology is presented that could represent wealth. the costumes they wear are poor dirty clothes, the main character is wearing a suit but it look old and cheap which indentifies that he is poor.  Non Diegetic, parallel music is played, the music is parallel because it is traditional Kagistan music, which is the fictional country the film is set in. The music enables the audience to identify further with characters and come to terms with the culture of the country the film is representing. There is natural lighting which identifies the time of day in which the scene is set.

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The story line is indentifable within the few opening minutes of the film; it is clear that the story line is documentry styled detailed of the events and culture of both the main character and the place he lives, Kagistan.

Borat is a bit weird and evidently living in a poor country because the town is mainly shack dominated and untidy. We know who his family is and what they are like from the opening of the film, they are all portrayed in an odd way that facisinates the audience because it is such a contrasting culture to many of the audiences that watch this film. The target audience would vary for this film but is mainly promoted to older adult audiences because of the age certificate and sexual and violent references in the film.  We know it is a comedy because of the main character, he expresses himself in commical way in which the audience would find amusing. The language they use and the behaviour they display is odd and can is commical which further proves this as a clear comedy.
The opening is effective and would easily determine who the film would appeal to and who would not be sure. The story line and behaviour used some viewers would find affensive, making the film quite conserversial.

Research: Effective Film Openings- Case Study 1- The Emperor's New Groove

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The opening shot displays lighting that is dark and dull; the lighting used, reflects the mood of the film. At this point the audiences are able to make out a back lit silhouette of a llama, audiences are now aware of at least one of the characters in the film. From this first scene the audience can establish that the target audience for this film would be generally children and families.The non-diegetic music is interrupted by a non-diegetic voice over of the narrator who explains that he used to be the emperor until he was turned into a llama, this insight explains to audiences what the plot of the film is and will determine whether audiences will continue to view the film. The font used in the opening of the credits is gold, this reflects the wealth and fortune that the main character has (or used to have). The mood changes as a flashback appears in bright colours and lettering, while upbeat music is being sung by Tom Jones. This adds a comical aspect because the Emperor has his own singer who appears during the opening credits and shows a contrasting happier mood to the previous duller mood.

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From the begining of the film, the genre and target audience can be easily identified. The film falls in a animation category which generally attracts a family based audience. As with the genre of the film it is clear that it is a comedy, because of the comical speech the characters use and the fact that storyline consists of a talking llama. The genre of this film can help generate a wider audience, with this film being a comedy it can attract an older audience because of it's commical and amusing features.

Introduced to characters who of which are depressed in the begining but as the mood changes to a fun one so do the characters. This develops the story because you identify both the narrative and character at this stage, making the audience be drawn in and want to continue to watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CmEqtPOFFw&feature=related