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| This is our Film Outline for our 2 minute Horror Film 'Peek a Boo'. We wanted the shots for the scenes to be attention grabbing by using a lot of cuts to make is un easy and very tense keeping the audience engaged at all times. As well as the editing we want our shots to be short so that the variety of shots and angles creating the gloomy atmosphere we are intended. |
Friday 17 December 2010
Film Outline
Friday 10 December 2010
Feedback
* You should use a younger girl instead of a teenager
- because of difficulty finding a suitable actress that we can film we had to change the character to a teenager. However a younger girl may be used for the home video footage as we will use one of our own childhood videos.
* Clown needs to be effective
- We will do this by using make up effectively and using the correct lighting to reflect the clown.
- by using a short flash of the image instead of a long one this will create more of a threat to the audience.
- we will make the clown look different from the other objects in the room, this will create make the clown look more mysterious and threatening.
* Audience need to know what is happening while the lights go out
- We will use sound to let the audience know what is happening, i.e doors creaking, footsteps etc.
* Develop the background story
- we will put the toy clown in shot while the girl is playing so the audience can see the connection between them.
* You need to expand the film outside of one room
- We have changed the narrative so that the story involves more than one room by making a ball roll out the door and therefore make the girl follow it.
- because of difficulty finding a suitable actress that we can film we had to change the character to a teenager. However a younger girl may be used for the home video footage as we will use one of our own childhood videos.
* Clown needs to be effective
- We will do this by using make up effectively and using the correct lighting to reflect the clown.
- by using a short flash of the image instead of a long one this will create more of a threat to the audience.
- we will make the clown look different from the other objects in the room, this will create make the clown look more mysterious and threatening.
* Audience need to know what is happening while the lights go out
- We will use sound to let the audience know what is happening, i.e doors creaking, footsteps etc.
* Develop the background story
- we will put the toy clown in shot while the girl is playing so the audience can see the connection between them.
* You need to expand the film outside of one room
- We have changed the narrative so that the story involves more than one room by making a ball roll out the door and therefore make the girl follow it.
Friday 19 November 2010
Narrative Analysis Opening
The Grudge- In the first 10 minutes of 'The Grudge' a none linear narrative has been created, we know this because of the first scene at the beginning where a man commits suicide and the audience are left questioning why? We then are introduced to a carer and the main setting where most of the suspense is created. She looks after a very suspicious woman who looks unstable. The carer puts the woman to bed and walks up the stairs to make a phone call. This is interrupted as she hears animalistic noises from above, she goes upon an investigation where she becomes a victim of danger.
From watching the introduction to the film we are left questioning what has killed and whether it affects the man from the previous scene.
This film is set in Japan. The introduction is set in natural daylight as it is in the middle of the day, but as suspense occurs the lighting becomes darker and the threat becomes more prominent.
Poltergeist- In the introduction to the film a little girl is awoken by the television. She then walks downstairs to what we see is her answering questions from something within the television that we are not aware of. The family are awoken by her shouting to the television, they are very confused as so are the audience, because we are left wandering why? This is a Linear and restricted narrative, keeping the suspense throughout.
We think that the girl will continue talking to the 'television' and threat, this will then make the atmosphere become more disruptive as the narrative progress's.
This film is set in a typical American domestic household. The lighting is naturalistic as it is set in the evening/night time, when everyone is asleep. We are aware of the threat (which is the television) but we are not aware of the impact it will cause at this point in the film.
The Haunting- We are introduced to the story of an old house, which straight away we are told it is haunted by what we believe as a narrator. We are then told a timeline of events of the deaths that occurred in the house previously before present times.
After watching the introduction we are left guessing that the team of investigators become involved in the hauntings which will end tragically.
It is set in a large old mansion in a remote part of England. The film is in black and white which creates a larger contrast between light and dark. We are unaware of the threat and the victims involved as this keeps us in suspense.
The Orphanage- The introduction to this film gave the audience no answers of the narrative which will be occurring further on into the film. We are first introduced to a group of little girls who are in an Orphanage playing happily, one is about to be fostered into a new family but is unaware, this provokes tension as the audience become unsure about what will happen to her. The titles are then played for us to be also introduced to a new family whom we don't know a lot about. This creates suspense because the little boy keeps having troubled nights.
Because this is a restricted narrative we are unaware of what could happen in the film.
It is set in a spanish village or town, around family like characters. We are unaware of the threat and victims because of the restricted narrative, which keeps the audience guessing.
From watching the introduction to the film we are left questioning what has killed and whether it affects the man from the previous scene.
This film is set in Japan. The introduction is set in natural daylight as it is in the middle of the day, but as suspense occurs the lighting becomes darker and the threat becomes more prominent.
Poltergeist- In the introduction to the film a little girl is awoken by the television. She then walks downstairs to what we see is her answering questions from something within the television that we are not aware of. The family are awoken by her shouting to the television, they are very confused as so are the audience, because we are left wandering why? This is a Linear and restricted narrative, keeping the suspense throughout.
We think that the girl will continue talking to the 'television' and threat, this will then make the atmosphere become more disruptive as the narrative progress's.
This film is set in a typical American domestic household. The lighting is naturalistic as it is set in the evening/night time, when everyone is asleep. We are aware of the threat (which is the television) but we are not aware of the impact it will cause at this point in the film.
The Haunting- We are introduced to the story of an old house, which straight away we are told it is haunted by what we believe as a narrator. We are then told a timeline of events of the deaths that occurred in the house previously before present times.
After watching the introduction we are left guessing that the team of investigators become involved in the hauntings which will end tragically.
It is set in a large old mansion in a remote part of England. The film is in black and white which creates a larger contrast between light and dark. We are unaware of the threat and the victims involved as this keeps us in suspense.
The Orphanage- The introduction to this film gave the audience no answers of the narrative which will be occurring further on into the film. We are first introduced to a group of little girls who are in an Orphanage playing happily, one is about to be fostered into a new family but is unaware, this provokes tension as the audience become unsure about what will happen to her. The titles are then played for us to be also introduced to a new family whom we don't know a lot about. This creates suspense because the little boy keeps having troubled nights.
Because this is a restricted narrative we are unaware of what could happen in the film.
It is set in a spanish village or town, around family like characters. We are unaware of the threat and victims because of the restricted narrative, which keeps the audience guessing.
Thursday 18 November 2010
Analyse Horror Film- Ryan Oldham
The camera angles are typical of this genre as it involves numerous close ups to show emotions and reactions of characters. However, it is also used to show threat to the audience, at (7:17) in the clip a close up is used to show the 'ghost', although it only last a split second. This is typical of the horror genre as reactions and emotions being shown to the audience are a curtail part of creating tension and horror.
The lighting towards the end of this clip could represent pathetic fallacy from the woman looking around the house. As she comes towards the noises in the roof the lighting gets darker. This could be because it represents evil and the unknown, this creates tension from the audience as it is seen as a natural instinct to be scared of the dark. This is because we can not detect threats as well without the use of our vision. This is typical to the genre of horror as darkness is a effective visual tension builder and can be used in numerous ways to scare an audience and put them on edge.
The music and soundtrack are a play a important role in the opening of 'The Grudge'. The music used on the title sequence at the beginning shows the audience what type of film they are watching and gives us an insight to what might happen later on in the movie. The use of little dialogue is also effective in this film, this is because it leaves the audience to rely on sight for what is happening and gives nothing away. This links back to tension being created because of dark lighting and not knowing what is in the surroundings. This is also used a lot and is conventional to the horror genre, it is more frequently used in the psychological and ghost sub-genres to create tension as more thinking has to be done by the audience than that of zombie or physical/visual horror films.
The location is conventional to the horror film genre as it is a domestic setting, this could create psychological horror to the audience after they have watched the film as they may think that some aspects of the story could affect them in reality (flickering lights, floors creaking etc.). The house is also located in japan, this is sometimes used in horrors as the fear of the unknown may be affected by surroundings that the audience aren't familiar with. The mise en scene also relates back to the point of a stereotypical british or american audience not being familiar with a different culture and setting, this could make the audience question what is happening and put them on edge.
The location is conventional to the horror film genre as it is a domestic setting, this could create psychological horror to the audience after they have watched the film as they may think that some aspects of the story could affect them in reality (flickering lights, floors creaking etc.). The house is also located in japan, this is sometimes used in horrors as the fear of the unknown may be affected by surroundings that the audience aren't familiar with. The mise en scene also relates back to the point of a stereotypical british or american audience not being familiar with a different culture and setting, this could make the audience question what is happening and put them on edge.
Monday 15 November 2010
Mind map of ideas for Horror Film
Thursday 11 November 2010
Analyse Horror Film- Georgie Holmes
I filled out a sheet which linked in with Mise-en-scene, lighting, and Camera Angles.
Friday 5 November 2010
Homework Exercise - Marking Previous Work
- Have a look at the mark scheme below to get an idea of each level.
- Then watch all 4 videos
- Now using the mark scheme give each video a mark out of 60 and explain why...?
I would give this clip a level 4 with around 50 marks. I say this as it uses a variety of shots to create tension and drama within the film. However the non-liner structure of the clip meant that it was unclear on what is happening.
I would give this piece a high level 3 with around 45 marks. I say this as there is little sound added and relies on mainly diegetic sound to build tension. Also there is a limited number of shots used (Mid shots, close ups).
I would give this clip a high level 4 with 55-60 marks. I say this as they have used a variety of shots and use sound well to create tension and horror. The lighting used is effectively and creates the situation intended, the titles are also appropriate to the theme of the horror and fit in well.
I would give this horror film a high level 4 with close to or 60 marks. I say this as like on the example before a variety of shot types ares used to create various effects towards the audience. Lighting and colour is also used to develop tension and horror within the film throughout, this is accompanied by sound effects nearly all the way through which further create tension and leave the audience on the edge of there seats. The title sequence fits well with the film and stays conventional to the horror genre.
Individual Evaluation - Ryan Oldham
Use of the Camera
In many of the shots the camera is steady and smooth as we used a tripod to film each clip. However, in the first shot the movement of the camera is quite jumpy, this could be avoided if filmed again with care or if the movement was cut altogether. The last shot is also handheld, this is because there was little space on the landing to fit a tripod, this could be avoided by resting the camera on a stable object or by using a different type of tripod.
The shows that we can frame a shot correctly as there is headroom and the characters or subject fits well into the shot. The first shot may be seen as bad framing as the characters head is slightly cut off and left out of the frame, this makes the shot seem to close and gives it a bad composition. During the 40 second clip we use a variety of clips, these include: Mid-shots, close-ups, extreme close ups and long shots. This makes the extract conventional and interesting to the audience as reactions of the actors become more exaggerated and shot types add tension. We used composition to help make better shots for the extract, this helped the shots flow together and look clean. We used no transitions as they were not necessary to the editing, only straight cuts are used between each shot or clip.
Use of Editing
Because we only used straight cuts between shots it helped the film flow together better. If fade outs or other transitions were used then it may create the wrong impression and confuse the audience on what emotion or effect is being created. Although only one type of transition is used I think that it works well as nothing else needs to be added.
Selection of Content
Our finished work shows that we thought about make up and costume to help fit more conventions of the horror genre, however most of the costume and props were naturalistic and didn't need much attention. Our location was good as it is an old fashioned style house which fitted with the plot of the video. The film wouldn't work as well if the setting was a well-lit modern home because it would not be convincing or believable. The actors used were appropriate as they played a convincing role and fitted the storyline well, It was essential that the main actor was a female so it matched the extract that we had to interpret. This also made sense for the video as it would not of worked as well if the main role was played by an adult or a more heroic character.
Self-assessment
For the film I helped plan the setting and location for the video to be filmed in, this also included where the shots should be filmed from and what effects this would have on the finished product. I edited various parts of the video and changed some lighting effects to create tension and exaggerate what was happening in the film. If I were to do this again I would spend more time planning where the camera should be placed to avoid some continuity mistakes (reflections in windows, moving/disappearing objects etc.) I would also re-shoot some of the shots a few more times in order to avoid little mistakes such as camera shake or bad composition. For my final film I will spend more time planning the location, camera positioning and overall composition of the film shots. I would also spend more time editing and using different effects in order to create tension or different emotions in the video.
In many of the shots the camera is steady and smooth as we used a tripod to film each clip. However, in the first shot the movement of the camera is quite jumpy, this could be avoided if filmed again with care or if the movement was cut altogether. The last shot is also handheld, this is because there was little space on the landing to fit a tripod, this could be avoided by resting the camera on a stable object or by using a different type of tripod.
The shows that we can frame a shot correctly as there is headroom and the characters or subject fits well into the shot. The first shot may be seen as bad framing as the characters head is slightly cut off and left out of the frame, this makes the shot seem to close and gives it a bad composition. During the 40 second clip we use a variety of clips, these include: Mid-shots, close-ups, extreme close ups and long shots. This makes the extract conventional and interesting to the audience as reactions of the actors become more exaggerated and shot types add tension. We used composition to help make better shots for the extract, this helped the shots flow together and look clean. We used no transitions as they were not necessary to the editing, only straight cuts are used between each shot or clip.Use of Editing
Because we only used straight cuts between shots it helped the film flow together better. If fade outs or other transitions were used then it may create the wrong impression and confuse the audience on what emotion or effect is being created. Although only one type of transition is used I think that it works well as nothing else needs to be added.
Selection of Content
Our finished work shows that we thought about make up and costume to help fit more conventions of the horror genre, however most of the costume and props were naturalistic and didn't need much attention. Our location was good as it is an old fashioned style house which fitted with the plot of the video. The film wouldn't work as well if the setting was a well-lit modern home because it would not be convincing or believable. The actors used were appropriate as they played a convincing role and fitted the storyline well, It was essential that the main actor was a female so it matched the extract that we had to interpret. This also made sense for the video as it would not of worked as well if the main role was played by an adult or a more heroic character.
Self-assessment
For the film I helped plan the setting and location for the video to be filmed in, this also included where the shots should be filmed from and what effects this would have on the finished product. I edited various parts of the video and changed some lighting effects to create tension and exaggerate what was happening in the film. If I were to do this again I would spend more time planning where the camera should be placed to avoid some continuity mistakes (reflections in windows, moving/disappearing objects etc.) I would also re-shoot some of the shots a few more times in order to avoid little mistakes such as camera shake or bad composition. For my final film I will spend more time planning the location, camera positioning and overall composition of the film shots. I would also spend more time editing and using different effects in order to create tension or different emotions in the video.
Friday 22 October 2010
Individual Evaluation-Stuart Kirk
1. Use of Camera
The is one shot at the beginning that is panning up which is not a steady shot because of the movement from side to side but all of the other shots in the 40 second recreation are steady shots because of little movement by the camera. We mostly used the tripod for the shots however the handheld shots are not steady as there was limited room for the use of the tripod.
The shot that has flashing lights on is a well framed shot as the character has a little head room but not too much. I believe that all of our shots are framed appropriately as there is enough head and lead room for the character and it looks like there is always a sense of danger. However the first shot could be classed as bad framing as it slightly veers off. This could have been avoided if we cut the shot out all together and changed the type of shot that it was.
In the finished recreation there was different camera shots from a canted shot an extreme close up and also containing a low angle and high angle shot. This is a variety of the shots we used within it. There was good composition throughout as the main focus was on the four crossing points of the boxes which were split into nine.
2. Use of Editing
There was a few continuity errors. These included when the character went through the door there was no shot from the other side of her going through the door which made the audience a little disorientated. Another one of these is the shots at the start of the recreation which were a little jumpy because of the 30 degree rule which was not applied in this situation. It would have been better in this situation as it would have made the recreation run smoother and therefore would not make the audience suspect what was happening. They may think that they have missed something in the film. It would be better to try and follow the 180 rule and 30 degree continuity.
Even though we did not use any transition techniques we altered the brightness and contrast of the whole 40 seconds. This was to help create an atmosphere for the viewer and make it more suited for the genre. We also use an effect on one of the scenes which was a flash edit. This was to enhance the effect of the lights flashing on and off. This would make it more frightful for the viewer in this circumstance.
3. Selection of Content
The costume chosen was correct for the genre as it is typically a white ghost which means that it was the appropriate for this type of genre. The make-up was very dark or very light which contrast with each other which is good for this sort of genre. The prop which was the book looked very plain which makes the audience feel a bit suspicious of what could be contained within the book which makes it very good for this genre. Also the location props helped for example the old furniture and the empty space which make it appropriate and good for shooting it. It gives that eery feeling that the genre is shown for.
The location in general was a good location to shoot because it kept the viewer on edge because of the empty spaces in some parts of the house and also the antique look about the house. The actors chosen for our 40 second recreation were appropriate as they had previous acting experience and this helped them to play the part. Also the actors understood what their role was in the recreation and therefore knew how to do that part and when they were required which meant it took less time to get ready for the scenes.
4. Self-assessment
During the planning to the film I helped to choose the 40 seconds that we would be recreating. I thought it would be suitable because for the recreation it would start to get the viewer anxious. I took notes on where there were going to be possible filming locations. I could have done more on this part by completing a recee sheet which would mean we would have had two possible locations rather then just one. I filmed most of the tasks in lessons which meant I could be more prepared to use the camera for this assignment and the final assessment piece as well. I filmed the majority of the 40 second recreation. I also editing roughly the final 10 seconds of our recreation.
To the finished film the following improvements could be made. Firstly we could have used the 180 degree rule to stop the jumpiness of the film and keep it flowing smoothly. Another thing is to make sure the editing done to the final video look effective. Make sure that the framing for the entire film looks correct and make sure the composition is accurate for each of the shots contained within it.
In the final assessment because we will have more time it will mean we will get to review our first shoot and be able to re-shoot to improve and perfect the work. I would also make sure that I know different editing techniques to improve the look of the work and to make it more appealing to the viewer. Also I would use transition techniques to improve the smoothness between the shots. I will also try to make sure that I stick to the tasks allocated to me and make sure they are completed to the best of my ability.
The is one shot at the beginning that is panning up which is not a steady shot because of the movement from side to side but all of the other shots in the 40 second recreation are steady shots because of little movement by the camera. We mostly used the tripod for the shots however the handheld shots are not steady as there was limited room for the use of the tripod.
The shot that has flashing lights on is a well framed shot as the character has a little head room but not too much. I believe that all of our shots are framed appropriately as there is enough head and lead room for the character and it looks like there is always a sense of danger. However the first shot could be classed as bad framing as it slightly veers off. This could have been avoided if we cut the shot out all together and changed the type of shot that it was.
In the finished recreation there was different camera shots from a canted shot an extreme close up and also containing a low angle and high angle shot. This is a variety of the shots we used within it. There was good composition throughout as the main focus was on the four crossing points of the boxes which were split into nine.
2. Use of Editing
There was a few continuity errors. These included when the character went through the door there was no shot from the other side of her going through the door which made the audience a little disorientated. Another one of these is the shots at the start of the recreation which were a little jumpy because of the 30 degree rule which was not applied in this situation. It would have been better in this situation as it would have made the recreation run smoother and therefore would not make the audience suspect what was happening. They may think that they have missed something in the film. It would be better to try and follow the 180 rule and 30 degree continuity.
Even though we did not use any transition techniques we altered the brightness and contrast of the whole 40 seconds. This was to help create an atmosphere for the viewer and make it more suited for the genre. We also use an effect on one of the scenes which was a flash edit. This was to enhance the effect of the lights flashing on and off. This would make it more frightful for the viewer in this circumstance.
3. Selection of Content
The costume chosen was correct for the genre as it is typically a white ghost which means that it was the appropriate for this type of genre. The make-up was very dark or very light which contrast with each other which is good for this sort of genre. The prop which was the book looked very plain which makes the audience feel a bit suspicious of what could be contained within the book which makes it very good for this genre. Also the location props helped for example the old furniture and the empty space which make it appropriate and good for shooting it. It gives that eery feeling that the genre is shown for.
The location in general was a good location to shoot because it kept the viewer on edge because of the empty spaces in some parts of the house and also the antique look about the house. The actors chosen for our 40 second recreation were appropriate as they had previous acting experience and this helped them to play the part. Also the actors understood what their role was in the recreation and therefore knew how to do that part and when they were required which meant it took less time to get ready for the scenes.
4. Self-assessment
During the planning to the film I helped to choose the 40 seconds that we would be recreating. I thought it would be suitable because for the recreation it would start to get the viewer anxious. I took notes on where there were going to be possible filming locations. I could have done more on this part by completing a recee sheet which would mean we would have had two possible locations rather then just one. I filmed most of the tasks in lessons which meant I could be more prepared to use the camera for this assignment and the final assessment piece as well. I filmed the majority of the 40 second recreation. I also editing roughly the final 10 seconds of our recreation.
To the finished film the following improvements could be made. Firstly we could have used the 180 degree rule to stop the jumpiness of the film and keep it flowing smoothly. Another thing is to make sure the editing done to the final video look effective. Make sure that the framing for the entire film looks correct and make sure the composition is accurate for each of the shots contained within it.
In the final assessment because we will have more time it will mean we will get to review our first shoot and be able to re-shoot to improve and perfect the work. I would also make sure that I know different editing techniques to improve the look of the work and to make it more appealing to the viewer. Also I would use transition techniques to improve the smoothness between the shots. I will also try to make sure that I stick to the tasks allocated to me and make sure they are completed to the best of my ability.
Self Evaluation-Georgie Holmes
Use of Camera
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| This is an over the shoulder shot of the victim |
The majority of shots in my groups finished piece overall were steady. A few shots jumped which meant that the film did not run as smoothly as it could have done through parts. The beginning shot was a close up of the book which then panned up at the victim showing her as weak and frightened. This shot could be improved by using the leaver on the tripod to pan running the shot more smoothly instead of panning manually which causes the shot to jump. Although it would have ran smoother with this shot using a tripod, it was difficult to film because of the limited area we had. One steady shot was the over the shoulder shot of the victim looking through the book. I felt that this shot worked really well because of the timing and stillness which created the tension which was needed for shooting a 40 second horror clip.
The framing of the shots were done appropriately, we intended to make sure that the spacing was clear and that the shot was looking affective. One shot that we filmed which I felt was a good example of framing was the victim looking through the book. The area above the head is limited but giving her enough space to look appropriate. The victim is centred in the middle which was important to dominate that she is the focus and main target.
It was important to use as many different shot types as we could, which was preparation for our main horror film. The variety of shots consisted of 'Close Ups' and 'Mid Shots', with these you focused on the body language of the victim showing her insecure actions and expressions. Other shot types we used were 'Long Shots' and 'Extreme Close Ups'. With the different shots changing dramatically it made the recreation more dysfunctional which was intended to create more tension. In a couple of shots we used Camera Movements like 'tiling' and 'panning' to create more of an effect. Using tilting made the atmosphere once again more dysfunctional because it makes the viewer think, why is the camera like that? Using all these different shots helped us to understand and improve on our camera skills which will have a big impact on our final piece.
Use of Editing.
We attempted to make sure that the shots flowed smoothly at all times, but occasionally from one shot to an other they jumped which didn't work to well. An error we made was the shot where the victim in panic exits through the door. Instead of filming her on the other side watching her come out the room, we went straight into her walking up the stairs. This did not look right. If we were to film this again I would have made sure that all shots were clear and that we didn't miss anything out.
Although we used did not use any transition techniques for editing as such, we decided that to make the atmosphere more tense and ghostly to change the brightness of each shot, making them more darker and gloomy. I felt that this worked because the darkness created the atmosphere we wanted along with the dysfunctional narrative. As well as the brightness we also used strobe lighting to exaggerate the shot of the girl being taunted by the ghost, (which also is the tilted shot).
Watching the clip over, it is important that we work on the 180 degree rule along with the 30 degree. We attempted to use the rules but occasionally you can spot an error of where we have placed the camera when filming, which again leads to a jumpy shot take. It would have helped if we had more space to film, as it was limited because of the table getting in the way. Using these rules will improve our film and make it more effective.
Selection of Content.
Because we were only using 40 seconds of someones horror film we did not chose to pick the part where you see the ghost like character. This meant that costume and make up wise, it was a lot more simpler. It was important to portray the victim as a normal girl, to create the sense that this could happen to anyway. She looked weak and vulnerable but keeping tone of her costume and make up down made her look just like an everyday character. We showed that we could use props and make them look effective on film, because the narrative was based around the book therefore the camera shots had to be effective. The only thing is we should have used an older book and damaged it, to create a more tense affect on the viewer. This was not thought of properly and needed have been discussed before hand.
I think that the location worked extremely well, as it was an old victorian style house which had an impact on the ghostly narrative which was our film genre.
As well as the location I felt that the characters we used were great. The victim (Ellie Walker) played her role extremely well. She stayed in character the majority of the time, we occasionally see a smile appear but that could have been improved by the editing. But her facial expressions and body language portrayed her as weak and fragile which is always good for a victim of a horror film.
Self-assessment.
My role when preparing and actually filming the 40 second recreation piece was the organiser and director. I arranged after agreement of where the location was going to be, I also found the actors for the filming, discussing with the actors what roles they were going to play and how to portray them. This helped the other members of the group out because it meant that they could focus on their contributions towards to final piece. We all made sure that we had ago at each others role so that we comfortable with using the camera and how to edit the shots.
Improvements that would be made in the final film would be the use of props. Making sure that before hand we were definitely organised and prepared for when we were filming. I also would make sure we would improve on the shots with framing and 180 degree rule to make sure it ran smoothly.
In my final coursework film, I would like to use a different narrative, I enjoyed the genre of the film which was ghosts, but just changing the location to somewhere more original and different keeping the viewers on edge. I enjoyed working with both Ryan and Stuart as they worked really hard on the roles making sure that we were not behind on schedule and that our recreation worked well.
It was important to use as many different shot types as we could, which was preparation for our main horror film. The variety of shots consisted of 'Close Ups' and 'Mid Shots', with these you focused on the body language of the victim showing her insecure actions and expressions. Other shot types we used were 'Long Shots' and 'Extreme Close Ups'. With the different shots changing dramatically it made the recreation more dysfunctional which was intended to create more tension. In a couple of shots we used Camera Movements like 'tiling' and 'panning' to create more of an effect. Using tilting made the atmosphere once again more dysfunctional because it makes the viewer think, why is the camera like that? Using all these different shots helped us to understand and improve on our camera skills which will have a big impact on our final piece.
Use of Editing.
We attempted to make sure that the shots flowed smoothly at all times, but occasionally from one shot to an other they jumped which didn't work to well. An error we made was the shot where the victim in panic exits through the door. Instead of filming her on the other side watching her come out the room, we went straight into her walking up the stairs. This did not look right. If we were to film this again I would have made sure that all shots were clear and that we didn't miss anything out.
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| This shot and the one to the right, could be improved by adding another shot of the victim exiting into the main hall. |
Although we used did not use any transition techniques for editing as such, we decided that to make the atmosphere more tense and ghostly to change the brightness of each shot, making them more darker and gloomy. I felt that this worked because the darkness created the atmosphere we wanted along with the dysfunctional narrative. As well as the brightness we also used strobe lighting to exaggerate the shot of the girl being taunted by the ghost, (which also is the tilted shot).
Watching the clip over, it is important that we work on the 180 degree rule along with the 30 degree. We attempted to use the rules but occasionally you can spot an error of where we have placed the camera when filming, which again leads to a jumpy shot take. It would have helped if we had more space to film, as it was limited because of the table getting in the way. Using these rules will improve our film and make it more effective.
Selection of Content.
Because we were only using 40 seconds of someones horror film we did not chose to pick the part where you see the ghost like character. This meant that costume and make up wise, it was a lot more simpler. It was important to portray the victim as a normal girl, to create the sense that this could happen to anyway. She looked weak and vulnerable but keeping tone of her costume and make up down made her look just like an everyday character. We showed that we could use props and make them look effective on film, because the narrative was based around the book therefore the camera shots had to be effective. The only thing is we should have used an older book and damaged it, to create a more tense affect on the viewer. This was not thought of properly and needed have been discussed before hand.
I think that the location worked extremely well, as it was an old victorian style house which had an impact on the ghostly narrative which was our film genre.
As well as the location I felt that the characters we used were great. The victim (Ellie Walker) played her role extremely well. She stayed in character the majority of the time, we occasionally see a smile appear but that could have been improved by the editing. But her facial expressions and body language portrayed her as weak and fragile which is always good for a victim of a horror film.
Self-assessment.
My role when preparing and actually filming the 40 second recreation piece was the organiser and director. I arranged after agreement of where the location was going to be, I also found the actors for the filming, discussing with the actors what roles they were going to play and how to portray them. This helped the other members of the group out because it meant that they could focus on their contributions towards to final piece. We all made sure that we had ago at each others role so that we comfortable with using the camera and how to edit the shots.
Improvements that would be made in the final film would be the use of props. Making sure that before hand we were definitely organised and prepared for when we were filming. I also would make sure we would improve on the shots with framing and 180 degree rule to make sure it ran smoothly.
In my final coursework film, I would like to use a different narrative, I enjoyed the genre of the film which was ghosts, but just changing the location to somewhere more original and different keeping the viewers on edge. I enjoyed working with both Ryan and Stuart as they worked really hard on the roles making sure that we were not behind on schedule and that our recreation worked well.
Friday 15 October 2010
Composition 2
This is a composition shooting which is an establishing shot and then a over the shoulder shot. This had to be framed so that there was not too much room between the characters or fee space outside the shot completely.
Composition
The Head room for each of the characters was not too much or too little and the characters had okay lead room. However during the first scene the camera gave a little too much lead room for the character. We tried to position the characters as effectively as we could by making them be in around the location of the intersection points. We also tried to keep to the 180 degree rule however it parts filming it became a little jumpy which would disorientate the viewer.
Assessment Exercise Original
This is the original piece we have chosen to recreate 30-40 seconds of.
Friday 8 October 2010
Continuity Exercise 1
We failed to successfully achieve the Continuity Exercise as we had a lot of inconvenient jump cuts which ruined the smooth transitions between a couple of shots. From the shot where the actor walked towards the door and look at his phone, there was a quick jump shot which didn't run smoothly and therefore it didn't look very good. We also didn't stick to the 30 degree angle rule in the majority of shots. You can identify some of the shots as the actor seems to placed in the same position.
The framing next time needs to be improved. With our first practise exercise the focus wasn't right as we hadn't placed the camera correctly and therefore the framing of the shots have not been done properly.
We have included all of the shots that we had planned. We took a lot of time to position the camera where we thought would work for the exercise and meant that we could work on our editing skills with each shot.
Our piece could be improved by the shots and framing which we can achieve next time we have a practise go at filming and editing.
Friday 1 October 2010
First filming exercise
In our short film, we tried to use a variety of different shot types to create tension and a story line. With the framing we used long shots to determine the location and setting, as well as using close ups and mid shots to show reactions and emotions of the characters. Using contrasting shots and angles helps to keep the viewers attention to the film.
Throughout the filming we found difficulty using some of the shots due to the lighting and exposure problems. For example, we were planning to do a low angle shot of the victim looking up at the stalker to show her as weak and vulnerable but as the exposure was to light it was not effective.
The pace of our film opening varied. As the victim was more vulnerable the pace quickened which created tension towards to audience.
Our project could have been improved if we had a longer amount of time to shoot certain shots as we had problems with people walking through the shot or by having unwanted, sound. It also could have been improved if we had a longer period of time to prepare ourselves to create a more dramatic piece. With the shots we should have used more closer shots so we could visualise more intensely what the victim was feeling and how her body language and facial expressions created the feel.
Tuesday 28 September 2010
"Poltergeist" Introduction and conventional techniques
During the first few minutes of "Poltergeist" various filming and editing techniques are used to create tension and scare the audience. The main four ways in which film is manipulated to scare the audience is by using: camera angles, lighting, soundtrack and setting to the film makers advantage.
Camera Shot/Angle
In this part of the film the threat is the TV. The first time the audience are shown the TV is through an over the shoulder shot, this type of shot is usually used for dialogue and conversations, this could personify the television so it becomes a living thing and more of a threat to the family. Long shots and mid shots are mainly used in this clip to show what threat the little girl is in and how vulnerable she is. The camera also faces away from the TV until the little girl reaches the bottom of the stairs, this creates tension to the audience as they do not know what the little girl is looking at and why. Another way that tension is created is as when she walks down the stairs, this is because it is all one clip and is considerably longer than a normal shot (3-4 seconds). The use of close ups are often used in horror films to show reactions or emotions in response to certain things. Another conventional camera technique used in 'horror's' is that of long cuts. This is because nearly all horrors rely on building tension to keep the audience scared or on edge and do this by not giving away answers quickly.
Lighting
When the threat is shown the lighting becomes darker and gives the audience a lower level of visibility. This is because it is part of human nature to be scared of the unknown, by not being able to see what happening all the time the audience become unsure and tense up as they wait for something to happen. The setting has a dark naturalistic lighting, this is because this part of the film is set in the middle of the night and would not give the same message if it was in daylight. Dark lighting can also reflect certain emotions to the audience throughout the film when used correctly.Music/Soundtrack
Throughout the clip the music is constantly building up to the shot where the audience see the television. The correct instruments to create tension are essential to make a successful build up, conventional instruments that are often used in horror films include; String instruments such as piano's and violins, and wind instruments such as organs and flutes. The higher notes on string instruments and the lower notes on wind instruments are usually used, this is because these sounds create the most relevant emotions to fit the setting and situation. Little dialogue is used in this scene, this is because it leaves the audience to think for themselves and gives nothing away. Although, at the end of the scene the little girl 'Carol-Ann' has a one way conversation with the poltergeist, however this still makes the audience think by them self as they do not know who she is talking to or why.
Location/Setting
Domestic households are conventional to a lot of horror films as it can play on the audiences mind that what is happening in the film could happen to them in real life. It is also because it is an easy location to film as houses are all around us and in every part of the world. The setting shows that the little girl is vulnerable as all the problems happen in her room and she can't do anything to prevent it. Another convention of this film is that it has a twist, in this case the house is built on an old graveyard. This is common as it can give the plot a backbone and can be something that writers can link back to.
Location/Setting
Friday 24 September 2010
First Post
In the next couple of weeks, the three of us will be learning about; Camera Framing and Shot types. We will also be learning about continuity, story boarding, genre and conventions.
We will be assessed on this by choosing 30/40 seconds of a students horror film from the past and re-creating this in our own groups.
We will be assessed on this by choosing 30/40 seconds of a students horror film from the past and re-creating this in our own groups.
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