Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Diary Entry
So far I've completed:
- Research into title sequences (I did "A Clockwork Orange" and "Reservoir Dogs."
- Made the questionnaire
- Analysed the first 15 minutes of "Drag Me To Hell."
- Research into Certification
- Found examples of other horror films
Currently I am making a PowerPoint of research into the horror genre, that will be finished next lesson. I'll also do my own research into possible distributors.
Research into Title Sequences
Research into Title Sequences
'Sin City'
The opening to Sin City begins with the camera zooming out to reveal the scale of the city which then morphs into the title "Sin City".
The music also begins, starting with very atmospheric bass-heavy music.
The title sequence then ends with information on the director and those working on the film, as well as the author of the graphic novels. The music finishes with a strong crescendo creating a sense of drama.
'The Shining'
This title sequence differs greatly to 'Sin City' as it's very minimal, it the opening serves as part of the film rather than just information on the screen. The music, Hector Berlioz’ “Dies Irae”, often used in horror films is very repetitive and creates a strong sense of foreboding.
The titles that come along with this scene are very simple, scrolling titles, that purely state the director, title and main actors in the film. It's very simple but also quite effective.
The credits finish with a wide shot of the isolated hotel, which is where most of the film is set. It gives the audience an insight into where the film is set, although it doesn't look particularly eerie it seems very desolate and the music, again, creates a sense of foreboding.
Progress report - Molly
First of all I did research on horror film posters as the film we are planning to create is of that genre. Secondly I came up with my individual idea for a film, which I then shared with the rest of the group. We then decided to go ahead and make the first two minutes of Siobhan's film idea, Siobhan and I wrote a detailed storyline for the full film together. I then did the treatment of the full film, and an analysis of the first 15 minutes of a film of my choice, which was Woman In Black. After that I moved on to researching a possible distributor of our film, and included screenshots. Me and Siobhan then wrote the storyline for the first two minutes of the film, so we will know what we're going to film. Lastly we got together as a group and wrote a questionnaire. So far I've got 8 posts on the blog.
I now need to finish off creating character profiles and need to make a start on getting some location photos and descriptions.
Report - Siobhan
First of all, i researched horror film conventions and posted some of them onto our blog so that we know what to put in our film as we are doing a horror film. I then posted my individual film idea for our film. I then developed my film idea and wrote the whole film summary with another member of the group. I then created a treatment for the first 2 minutes of our film. I then researched into horror sub genres and created a prezzi to illustrate the different horror sub genres. Then, i researched an independent film distribution company to see if they would be an appropriate distributor for our film. I then analysed the first 15 minutes of a similar film to ours, i chose insidious because it starts off with a flash back in a similar way to ours. We then wrote a summary of the first 2 minutes of the film. I then researched into costumes for our film. In the next week i aim to create a script for our film, and research more into our costumes. I also need to create a storyboard.
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Costume Research
Research into Title Sequences
Research into Title Sequences
A Clockwork Orange:
A strange electronic version of a classical song plays over a red screen for an unconventional amount of time, without any movement or text on the screen.
The block white text gives a sense of formality to the title sequence. It is simplistic and seems to give the film a more low-budget quality.
The blue background differentiates Kubrick's name from the previous and following screens. It gives importance to the famous filmmaker's name.
Again, the background and font are simplistic.
The screen quickly cuts to this close up on the protagonist of the film as he stares directly at the camera and stays in this position for the entirety of the opening.
The camera pans out slowly, revealing the other characters sitting around him.
The camera continues to slowly pan out. The decoration of the room is shown. The boys in white contrast with the black wall and match the text. The whole scene is monochromatic aside from the wigs on the mannequins.
More people in the room are shown as the camera continues to pan out, and the strange disturbing furniture can be seen around the room, establishing the setting.
The entire room is shown here, with similarly dressed extras and the same strange decoration. This all establishes the futuristic and alternate world the film is set in. Throughout all the time the camera pans out, Alex continues to look directly at the camera.
Reservoir Dogs:
After the first scene, upbeat music plays (introduced by comedian Steven Wright as K Billy), and the title screen appears with the writer and directors name in yellow on black. At this point, the name "Quentin Tarantino" would have been less famous as this was his breakthrough film.
The characters walk into shot in slow motion until all are on the screen. The wide shot shows the entire characters and the bright background, contrasting with their formal black suits.
Mid-shots of each characters face with the actors name appears one by one on the screen, cutting from one to the other. At this point, Harvey Keitel would have been the most well known actor and is credited first.
This continues for each character, they continue to walk forward. The music plays over the credits and builds to a crescendo when the wide shot of all the characters is shown from behind.
The film title sweeps up the screen and lingers above the characters before carrying on offscreen.
When the title is offscreen, a lingering shot of the characters is shown before cutting to the credits, yellow on black.
The credits role over music until dialogue for the film can be heard over the credits and the music fades out as it gets louder.
The credits cut to the next scene of the film, Mr Orange in the back of the car covered in blood.
Reservoir Dogs:
After the first scene, upbeat music plays (introduced by comedian Steven Wright as K Billy), and the title screen appears with the writer and directors name in yellow on black. At this point, the name "Quentin Tarantino" would have been less famous as this was his breakthrough film.
The characters walk into shot in slow motion until all are on the screen. The wide shot shows the entire characters and the bright background, contrasting with their formal black suits.
Mid-shots of each characters face with the actors name appears one by one on the screen, cutting from one to the other. At this point, Harvey Keitel would have been the most well known actor and is credited first.
This continues for each character, they continue to walk forward. The music plays over the credits and builds to a crescendo when the wide shot of all the characters is shown from behind.
The film title sweeps up the screen and lingers above the characters before carrying on offscreen.
When the title is offscreen, a lingering shot of the characters is shown before cutting to the credits, yellow on black.
The credits role over music until dialogue for the film can be heard over the credits and the music fades out as it gets louder.
The credits cut to the next scene of the film, Mr Orange in the back of the car covered in blood.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Name:
Gender: M/F
Occupation:
What do you think of the storyline for our film?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Have you got any suggestions?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What genre do you think our story is?
_______________________________
Where would you expect to view it? (eg. Cinema, DVD, TV, Netflix)
_______________________________
What certificate do you think it would be? (eg. U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18)
________________________________
Do you think the film would be more appealing to a wide audience or a smaller audience? Why do you think this?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Would you go and see this film? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Potential Distributor
Maxim Media
Maxim Media International is the largest world-wide distributor of independent horror and shock films. Our library of indie horror, thriller, paranormal, and reality/shock films is unparalleled in size -- and always growing! Founded in 2000 by industry veteran Darrin Ramage, we have grown to represent a library of over 300 films. Through our horror film distribution channels we're able to reach the global entertainment market and have licensed film rights to nearly all major territories.
Though we distribute films in nearly all formats and territories, our key strengths remain North American DVD release and worldwide Video on Demand (VoD).
(Taken from http://emaximmedia.com/)
This may be an appropriate distributor for our films as they specialise in all types of horror films and they distribute worldwide.
final film idea - first two minutes
film starts with flashback, shot in black and white. A girl is seen running through a forest, a man is chasing her, he grabs her, and kills her. The camera then pans to the right and something shiny can be seen in the distance, the camera zooms in to reveal a ring. The camera then zooms out, as it's zooming out it fades from black and white to colour, to show it's no longer a flashback and it's now the present day. Four friends are seen in the woodland area, they spend a lot of time just hanging around in the woods, until one of them discovers the ring. They then put it on their finger. They then walk home. Screen fades to black.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
Analysis of Similar Film - Drag Me To Hell
Analysis of Similar Film - Drag Me To Hell
I have chosen to analyse the first fifteen minutes of the film "Drag Me To Hell." It contains a lot of the supernatural horror elements that our film does, and is a modern film (2009) with elements of classic horror. It incorporates using flashback as an opening, and the idea of a cursed or haunted object causing visions or "haunting."
The brief initial but not full credits play with traditional string-based atmospheric music. The spindly white font on a blank black background with the music establishes the genre of the film.
The long shot establishes the setting and time of day and the text at the bottom tells the audience this takes place in 1969. Trailers and posters already having established the film as being set in present day allows the audience to know that this is flashback.
The woman speaks in Spanish and sounds panicked, her dress suggests that she is from a poorer background. The urgency of the scene is illustrated by quick camera panning between the characters.
After the situation of the boy stealing a necklace from a travelling gypsy is explained, the woman from within the church looks worried. This suggests the importance of the object. The low angle shot of the woman standing on the step looking down at the man with his apparently ill son in arms shows her to have more power (or knowledge) over them.
The wide shot of the grand stain glass window above the boy with the shadows of hands reaching inward gives the audience the perspective of the boy. The shadowy hands are iconic of the genre.
The medium shot here of the child surrounded by the background of the grand marble hall makes the boy look small and weak. The dolly shot moves the camera along the path of the boy, showing his urgency.
The long shot looking directly down at the fallen boy again illustrates how small he is, and therefore his youth and vulnerability.
The floor cracking open with the fire and lava below it gives that iconic impression of "hell." This is the only light in the shot, shadowing the boy and the earth as he is pulled in.
The low angle shot looking up at the woman subverts the traditional usage of this shot. Here the woman is powerless as she watched the boy dragged. The shot also shows what is happening below in shadow on the marble, another iconic classic horror convention.
The camera pans upward until it is level with the woman's view, the hand shadowed on her face appears to put the audience in the position of the creature now. The darkness behind her puts her in the forefront of the shot, the shadow of the hand matching the darkness of the backdrop.
Again this is an iconic shot. The camera is tilted slightly to the right in order to create a warped view. The hand rising up from the fiery ground again fits the classical supernatural horror paradigm.
Ominous music plays as the white writing on the black background showing the name of the film appears. This is a typical horror convention.
The credits rolling over faded hand drawn and old looking artwork give a sense of background to the story. It even reveals the idea of a "curse" being involved.
Throughout the credits this shadow of a hand is shown, introducing a recurring theme in the film and relating back to the posters.
The name of the directer is given prominence at the end of the credits, being an important selling point of the movie given his prevalence in the film industry, (particularly the horror genre).
The change to the bright extreme wide shot of the city contrasts with the scene of the flashback preceding it at the credits.
The over the shoulder shot of the woman showing the long road in front gives her less prominence as it puts her to the side of the shot. The fact of her listening to the "self-help" tape establishes her character effectively.
This medium shot from the inside of a window looking out at her looks fairly out of place in a horror film. A young woman looking into the window of a cake shop seems more of a convention of a more light-hearted film or a rom-com. Her look of discomfort raises questions for the audience.
Showing the woman at work gives a sense of normality, showing her life and her natural environment. She looks small and is never in the middle of shot.
The man on the right is in the centre of the shot here, with the other man to his left. She is shown from behind and is off to the right. This puts her in a weaker position and makes her look overpowered. The dialogue here supports this idea of her being patronised/looked down on.
In this shot, the woman and man are given equal prominence, balancing the power between them. It is also a brightly lit scene and does not fit the conventions of a supernatural horror.
The shallow close up on the woman's face shows her emotion, giving her importance.
Again her the shallow focus gives her the most prominence, but again she is not in the centre of the shot and the two men are apart from her, speaking condescendingly.
The close up on the old woman's hand is unpleasant, and shows it in the exact centre of the screen. It contrasts with the smooth clean desk around it.
The close up on the woman's face shows her features clearly. It makes the blindness in her eye clear to the audience.
The medium shot shows the contrast between the two characters. The young blonde woman looks put together and clean, while the old lady is dressed darkly and unpleasantly coughs. The old woman herself contrasts with the entire clean setting, looking out of place in the neat room.
Here, the woman stands above her boss looking down at him for a change. It shows the strength she is trying to have in the scene.
The medium shot here makes the old woman look small and humble, she is slightly to the right in the shot and the office can be seen behind her, creating a contrast and showing the indifference of the other people.
The shot of the woman on her knees makes her look pathetic and weak, and as she kisses the young woman's skirt the woman hurriedly tries to push her away out of embarrassment and guilt.
The woman on all fours on the floor shows how powerless she is, and the younger woman in the forefront of the shot appears uncomfortable and upset. The two security guards also stand over the older woman. She is powerless here.
The scene moves very quickly, the camera following the old woman's movements as she attempts to attack the young woman, giving her a subhuman screech and being the first sign of horror in the modern setting.
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