Personal An ideal horror film is one which scares the audience. Depending on what fears the audience has, either it being the dark, clowns, spiders etc, horror films should identify with them all. Most horror film involve bodies being ripped apart, and harming of innocent people. Although the audience themselves would never want something like that to happen to them, they attraction is being frightened with the knowledge that we are always safe. If a horror film is good, we come out terrified of the dark or whatever, but deep down we know we are a safe distance away and that is where we get the pleasure from.
Ideology In horror films, there are implicit or explicit messages embedded within the narrative; i.e. that the innocent virgin girl generally lives to the end; however her rebellious slutty friend is brutally murdered. A more advanced message is the fear of strangers/hitchhikers, that the media exaggerate that they are all evil and want to murder you.
Horror films have adapted to the way our society has rapidly advanced. Rather than film like the exorcist, where praying saves the day, due to religion not playing as bigger part in our lives anymore, and science increasing, horror films has modified to that. In our modern understanding in horror films the power of science and psychological powers defeat the fear and evil because it more believable and relatable than religion.
Industrial/Financial Benefits These benefits to a horror film are huge. It is easy to make, as there are little special affects, and popular, famous actors aren’t needed, therefore, because they are so popular and watched, a huge profit is made. The horror industry draws in huge audiences because we love being scared without being harmed. Therefore, horror film-makers can get away with re-inventing and franchising every successful horror product. For example, there have been 9 incarnations of ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ but this is acceptable, however the thought of a Lethal Weapon 5 seems ridiculous because it has already been done, therefore predictable. But audiences love horror being predictable to a certain extent because they know they will always been shocked or scared whatever happens.
Expectations Horror films generally follow the set of guidelines which make it a horror. For example, the setting is normally in an isolated place, in the dark, where innocent, naïve teenagers get brutally murdered by a psycho which they were slightly rude to previously. Also that there must be huge amounts of gore, blood and murders, so it lives up to the title of horror. Themes generally involve a large number of death, people with mental illnesses and the supernatural. There must always be a central villain, whether they have accomplices to help, there must always be the one evil character that the stereotypical hunky male hero can kill when saving his gorgeous cheer leader girlfriend. These are the expectations from an audience, that the film makers must live up to, because otherwise it does qualify to fit in the category.
In the lesson after our preliminary task we were introduced to Final Cut Pro which we are going to do all our editing on. Firstly we were explained how the rushes tape is put onto the computer. The rushes tape was uploaded onto the computer; we accessed an edit proxy (digital copy) of the raw footage. When we got the rushes into the computer, we put it into final cut pro to begin editing. Firstly, we created a log bin, in which we could store the ‘best bits’ of the sequence. To find these, we watched the footage, and when we found a part that looked correct, we pressed ‘I’ to start it, and ‘o’ to finish it, we the pressed modify and put it into the log bin we created previously. This short sequence we just created is what we would like to use in our final sequence. After doing this for all the shots, we went into the log bin to organize the order of our shots.
By referring to our storyboard, we then organised the order that the shots we had logged would be shown in. We did this by watching the sequence, and also watching a shot that we filmed, at the same time, we then dropped the shot onto the sequence and made it so it fitted into the sequence and looked fluent. We did this by dragging the short sequence onto the time line, and using the time wheel we moved it to the right place of the sequence we wanted to watch. We did this for all the shots to create a fully finished sequence and finished by saving our work to final cut pro.
In the lesson after our preliminary task we were introduced to Final Cut Pro which we are going to do all our editing on. Firstly we were explained how the rushes tape is put onto the computer. The rushes tape was uploaded onto the computer; we accessed an edit proxy (digital copy) of the raw footage. When we got the rushes into the computer, we put it into final cut pro to begin editing. Firstly, we created a log bin, in which we could store the ‘best bits’ of the sequence. To find these, we watched the footage, and when we found a part that looked correct, we pressed ‘I’ to start it, and ‘o’ to finish it, we the pressed modify and put it into the log bin we created previously. This short sequence we just created is what we would like to use in our final sequence. After doing this for all the shots, we went into the log bin to organize the order of our shots.
By referring to our storyboard, we then organised the order that the shots we had logged would be shown in. We did this by watching the sequence, and also watching a shot that we filmed, at the same time, we then dropped the shot onto the sequence and made it so it fitted into the sequence and looked fluent. We did this by dragging the short sequence onto the time line, and using the time wheel we moved it to the right place of the sequence we wanted to watch. We did this for all the shots to create a fully finished sequence and finished by saving our work to final cut pro.
The rushes tape was uploaded onto the computer; we accessed an edit proxy (digital copy) of the raw footage. We put the film into final cut pro, we logged the shot into the log bin, the reason for logging the shots was the get the best shots to put it into a sequence.
When actually filming the sequence, we had to make sure there was continuity, ie. That the actors did the same thing each time it was filmed. This is the same when editing the film. The editor needs to make sure that what he produces makes sense to the audience. This is essential for the sequence to be understandable, ie. When someone walks in a door, and a different shot is used after to see where they are coming from, they must be filmed from the same angle in order to make it look smooth and fluent. Editing draws attention to the characters that are being filmed, therefore if a character is filmed more often, and in interested shots, like a close up, they immediately become more relevant to the sequence. So if the editor wants to make someone seems more important, they must edit it in such a way that makes this obvious. Editing moves the story forward at the speed to which the editor/director wants it to. This is following a specific film language, that all audience can relate to and understand, if there was no continuity, the sequence would be a mess and incomprehensible.
By referring to our storyboard, we decided what order the shots were going to be in. We firstly used an establishing shot, and then by using the shots which we had previously chosen, put it on top of the first sequence. We then shortened it according to what we needed, and also made sure the sound of the two sequences did not overlap. We selected shots that made character A look powerful, and character B look weak. We did this by using the shots which made character B look smaller. We used continuity, ie. When character A opened the door, we then edited to a close up of her hand on the door handle closing the door. We had to make sure it looked fluent and went well together. We organized the shots according to the storyboard, this made the storyline have clarity, but we also added extra specific shots that we did, like a close up of the door handle. This gave the sequence more of a meaning and an atmosphere. By going to a close up when Character B is being shouted at, it makes the audience involved in his emotion because they can more easily experience how he is feeling because it is so much closer because we can see his facial expression.
When editing, the essential thing to think of is that is makes sense to the audience. But also, we want to make it seem very interesting even though it is only short and doesn’t have a proper story line. We edited according to the story board, which told us which shots we used where, but also we used continuity to link two shots together, ie. When the door opens, we cut to a shot of a close up of the hand opening the door. We made sure there was a match of action, that the cut to the new frame fluently linked together, and therefore was relevant.
Our preliminary task was to film a sequence of a man and a woman having some sort of arguement, where one character is trying to convince the other to do something. We did ours in the studio, where one single room and a hanging light was the set. Firstly we prepared our actors, by going through lines and directing them where we wanted them to stand. After rehearsing a few times, we then began to film. We used shots from the storyboard we were given, so firstly we did a wide establishing shot and then moved into a medium shot.
Every time we changed the camera shot we filmed the entire sequence with that angle. Each different shot we did we adjusted the camera to make sure that the camera was balanced, by bubbling the tripod, and also making sure the lighting was correct, and that there was enough head space and looking space in each frame. We also made sure the camera was in focus, by zooming into the character's nose or something, focusing, then zooming out. This enables us to focus the character which was being faced on, and the back shoulder of the other character was slightly blurry. We also asigned someone different each frame to be looking at continuity, for example, making sure that because the character held her hands close to her stomach, that in every other filming she did that again. In the filming, I felt I had rather important role, however we did share the tasks. Although each different shot someone different would say the correct terminology, and actually press the record button, all of us had an input into where the camera was going to be set up and also adjusting everything on the camera.
After doing the first shots to establish the set, we then moved closer in by doing an over the shoulder the shot and also close up of their faces. We filmed over the shoulder from each character, and also a close up on each of their faces. After doing the shots that were given to us in the storyboard, we did some more creative and specific shots, like a close up the character who enters, closing the door. That way when we edit we can switch to that shot to show the audience exactly what is going on. We also did a high angle shot looking down on the character which is being shouted at, that way they looked weak and vulnerable. In contrast, the character who was doing the shouting, we filmed from a low angle making them look powerful and in control. This re-enforced the storyline by giving the characters a personality to fit their role. We tried not to cross the 180 degree line when entering more into the set, and I am certain that we succeeded this.
We also used the correct terminology when film the frame, by firstly saying "Stand by" with the reply of "standing by", and then saying "camera rolling" and finishing by saying "action" to command the actors to start. The lighting was rather straight forward in this sequence, because we used a hanging light throughout the entire sequence, however at one point, where the arguement was at its most heated, we turned the back light behind the set off, this created a slightly tense dark mood, re-enforcing the storyline. Our lighting was mostly hard light due to the hanging light being low down, this created a darker mood.
I felt I improved greatly in film making by doing this practical exercise. I now understand it a lot better now, because I was able to do it physically and therefore know how it is done. I know what the correct terminology is, and to direct the actors to how I want them to be. I also know the steps to preparing the camera, like setting gain and focusing. I know to leave 5 seconds before saying "action" and actually "cutting" the the film, to ensure everything is fitted in and nothing is cut out.
In this lesson we were introduced to a still camera. Our task was to venture round school and take photos of things which interested us, and to use for our thriller poster. The camera was quite straight forward to use, point and click, however we were reminded to click save after taking a photo, otherwise it would be lost. Before just randomly taking photos, we were told different ways of taking photos to represent different things. Firstly we learnt about the rule of thirds, this is when the frame is divided with intersecting lines, to create the four hot spots. These hot spots are where the eye is normally drawn to. Therefore it is a good idea to put the main objects of the poster or picture into these hot spots to make them the dominant element on the page, and refrain from putting them in the centre where amateurs think the eye is drawn to. By putting the object, usually a person, into one of the hot spots, it creates a head space, this is when there is enough space around the persons head and there should be some looking space, of which the person will be looking onto. Another thing to consider is in which direction the objects should be facing, sometimes if the evil character is facing in one direction, they could actually look much more evil in the other direction, and this is the same with the good character. Also if you want to create a hierachy, putting a character higher up in the frame, it will immediately make them look more powerful, thus creating a hero, for example in the Gladiator when Maximus is bigger than the roman colliseum. This is the same with creating a weak character, making them lower in the frame.
In this lesson, we were introduced to the camera and all its parts. We were shown how to put it together careful and also take it apart. We were reminded to be careful when removing the camera off the tripod stand because the area of the centre of gravity has changed and therefore could hit the tripod and damage the camera. Then we were shown how to put the microphone and the pan handle on. After learning this, we were then told how the camera actually worked. There were many different buttons to use, like the zoom and the lighting. We were shown where each button was, what it did, and how to operate it. On the top right hand of the screen on the camera, there was an area where the number of frames were shown, 0-27, and seconds, minutes and hours.
We took lots of photos around school, and I decided to use this photo because I think its really interesting how it can be interpreted in different ways. It could be shown as romantic, with the couple hugging eachother, however I used it in a violent manner that the girl is ripping the boys head off. I also used a knife to go into his head to show that there could be lots of different forms of violence in the movie. The background I think represented blood, suggesting it will be a gorey film. I titled the film "silence" because I think the girl is silencing the boy by beheading him. I used the font because it looks quite creepy and therefore gives a good impression for the film. I decided to lay it out with the main picture, of the boy and girl, in hot spot one, this is where the audience's immediate attention goes. In the second hot spot in the hand with the knife, and this is connected to the boy and girl so putting then in the first two hot spots I think works best. I put the title at the top of the poster because I think it fits in well with the rest of the layout, plus it is in a large font and therefore is easy to see without being in a hot spot. I put the release date on the bottom of the poster because I think the use of "..." going off the end of the poster shows it is coming soon.
These benefits to a horror film are huge. It is easy to make, as there are little special affects, and popular, famous actors aren’t needed, therefore, because they are so popular and watched, a huge profit is made. The horror industry draws in huge audiences because we love being scared without being harmed. Therefore, horror film-makers can get away with re-inventing and franchising every successful horror product. For example, there have been 9 incarnations of ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ but this is acceptable, however the thought of a Lethal Weapon 5 seems ridiculous because it has already been done, therefore predictable. But audiences love horror being predictable to a certain extent because they know they will always been shocked or scared whatever happens. 
