Prop and location preparation (Production log)

Day of preparation:  8/1/16

We prepared the props and availability of our location, firstly I located newspaper articles which suited our Horror genre, and looked for headlines such as Murder or Missing , in order to emphasize the potential capabilities of the killer, and also to highlight the hectic and confusing articles as mimicking the killers thought paths. With the help of Emma and Olivia we tainted the newspaper articles with tea in order to stain the paper and to make it a seem old. I also prepared the costume for the main character, this involved finding gloves that had paint flicked on them- this therefore related the gloves to a caretaker,however this character perspective is not confirmed yet additionally our location which is small and dark also has relevance towards a caretaker character. These important components of mise en scene are essential in building a character overview from the audiences perspectives.

Also we gathered another important prop- The candles, these were pivotal to our production as they are used as our main source of light during open. Not only do they offer an alernative light source but they also focus on the enigma and potential danger of our antagonist as well as build upon his dirty appearence.

Opening and titles analysis: The Purge

Opening and titles analysis: The purge

The purge opens with a black background, which typically connotes darkness and therefore complying to the stereotypical colours of a Horror. Next we see small white titles in an unnoticeable font, as the titles fade to black and then back in again describing the film producers, we experience the slight insertion of classical and almost opera music in the background (known as CONTRAPUNTAL) At the same time the screen fades into a real life situation in a jolt fashion, which will disorientate and create an active audience. Also we see this frame from the perspective of a security / CCTV camera; this is significant as it implies that something is against the law. Shortly after we see frantic short takes of violent activities happening in fast- paced sequence. Additionally the non-diegetic implement of contrapuntal sound, which ultimately acts a sound bridge, may have been used perhaps to further unsettle the audience as they are unable to establish any common links between what they can see and the sound in the background.

As the camera flickers immediately through the short takes with the average taking 4 seconds. But by paying close attention to the camera we can see that each clip has an ongoing timer which reflects that that the action/ recording are live. Also the majority of clips alternate between perspectives as some clips involve the camera panning downwards in order to get an aerial view of the violence, whereas another involved a zoom, perhaps to show the brutality of the scene. Furthermore the unusual / unpredictable placement of the titles may also unsettle the audience as audiences often try to find patterns during the film opening , nevertheless the small and hard to notice size of the titles is perhaps to put emphasis and focus on what is happening elsewhere during the opening. Also the common use of the canted angle further ads to a sense of confusion as this camera angle typically connotes/foreshadows problems or danger, especially in a Horror. Moreover the CCTV perspective, intrigues the audience as they want to believe that members of authority will bring peace, however due to the same information being displayed on all camera, such as the date : 3/21/2018, PURGE FEED, and similar time zones. Therefore the audience are to believe that it is not a coincidence, instead a tradition. Also each title is in bold letters that are considerably larger than the titles that display cast information. Perhaps to put emphasis on the security camera effect or to emphasise the title which is present throughout (PURGE), the title which defines a violent removal of a group/organisation - perhaps mimicking / foreshadowing the film.

The security perspective would be something I could consider trying however I am aware that in order to make such an effect seem significant, I will need to have an appropriate storyline as well as an appropriate setting, which could be hard to acquire.

The teaser opening is effective as it mimics the film, therefore intriguing the audience. But the jolt and unsettling nature of the titles will also confuse and comply with the gratifications theory, in this case to entertain. Also other than Ethan Hawk, film is starved of big name actors which I think works in favour of the film as a large and all star cast may have prevented potential viewers such as aficionados. Nevertheless, the film will attract the regular cinema goer but given its diversity also aficionados as well.

Opening and titles analysis: Insidious

Opening and titles analysis: Insidious

We are introduced to a Horror genre immediately as a result of the dark and dark and eerie lighting. Then we see who the film is produced by in Black bold letters which contrasts against the colour of the background (white), this creates a sense of mystery as all that is apparent so far is the contrasting of colour, this will be consumed as unusual and will result in the audience already becoming weary of what's to come.  Next the titles rotate in a 360 degree fashion around the light (white background) and suddenly begin dissolving. This mysterious and sudden change in normality will further unnerve and confuse the audience. Furthermore as the camera slowly creeps downwards in an unusual fashion we see what appears to be an innocent and typical boy's bedroom setting, this however is leading the audience into a sense of false security, and shortly after the pace of the camera movement (one continuous motion) increases, this will unsettle the audience, shortly after we see a shadow of some sort and it is after the recognition of amplified sound (what appears to be the non diegetic sound of a violin) will unsettle the audience as they are experiencing too many motions at one time i.e: increasing of the camera movement, addition of a sudden high pitched sound, mysterious image of a shadow, and because the audience cannot consume all the sudden changes at once they are left fearing what is to follow.

Moreover, we then see what we assume to be the villain/problem at the end of the small and congested hallway, and given that this is the only character that we have seen, we believe this to be the main character, or a character that is too be heavily involved. However because of the dark setting it is hard to establish any sense of understanding, as often the clothing and props allow the audience to conjure up an idea of the film whether it is a traditional/ old fashioned horror or a current horror that will perhaps concern a more relatable setting that consists of technology. Therefore this opening may be targeting an audience who has more knowledge and preferences towards horror films, like aficionados or maybe even film avids. Then as the music and the frame of the character fades into darkness yet again, we as the audience lead once again into a false sense of security as film title, covers the whole screen in Big bold red letters,  not only does this sudden occurrence shock the audience but looking carefully at some of the letters it is clear that all the "I" letters appear to have some sort of curve at the end of them , perhaps resembling similar shapes that are often associated with the devil, and may lead the audience to self consciously make violent and unnerving comparisons between the devil and the film they are about to watch.

At the same time it is evident that the low lighting present is flashing onto the bottom of the title, in an unusual fashion, additionally this type of lighting is off putting and also reflects both: an enigma as we have not encountered lighting yet as the opening has been set in darkness but also exaggeration as the flashing light is clearly highlighting the title of the film.

Next the screen fades into darkness as we are brought to the attention of a black and white setting, during which the screen once again clearly displays the bold red writing in the same font as the other main film title. But parts of the title appear to fade away into the background in a ghost like fashion, and perhaps mimicking the film itself. Simultaneously the screen in panning across the screen (hallway in this instance), this effect clearly shows the darkness of the room, whilst maintaining speed throughout the opening.

I like the constant unsettling of the audience by incorporating numerous actions at one time in order to create fear, and exploiting typical fears such as claustrophobia and the fear of the unknown, but I will need to be weary as doing this incorrectly will mean the audience may not be intrigued.  Overall the simplicity of the cold open leaves much to be discovered, especially in terms of mystery. And the limited cast may favour certain film goers as by having an all star cast, aficionados and audiences that enjoy old fashioned films may tend to avoid such films as they assume them to be Big Budget. And also the mystery behind all the characters is also effective because not only are we intrigued by what appears to be the villain, but also it leaves the audience to uncover all the information for themselves and will ultimately make them feel more involved as a result.

And with regards to inspiration, I like how the editors have maintained a fast-paced opening thus keeping the audience intrigued, but at the same time the audience are aware of a potential antagonist as well as a potential victim.

Opening and titles analysis: Scream

Opening and titles analysis: Scream

Given the time of the film's production we have to ignore any stereotypes that are contemporary as it is because such films that we have stereotypes and clichés. Nevertheless I will consider these factors based on today's societies opinions.

The film begins with a slanted view of "Dimension films" with is partly shadowed by the darkness of the black background, as the audience we may not associate such a producer with notorious films given that this particular film was the first of its franchise. Nevertheless the titles suddenly disappear of the screen with immediate effect, and then follow the title of the film "Scream", which are all in capital letters which therefore suggests its significance to the film. Also the white titles fall from the upper third of the screen and suddenly stop in the middle with a jittery effect, at the same time we hear a phone ringing and a loud scream which overcomes the sound of the phone for a small period of time. Then the titles begin pulsating both with the effect and sound of a heartbeat,( which effectively creates tension) between red and white whilst the screaming in the background becomes gradually louder. This leads the audience to feel unsettled as we are able to gather any particular rhythm so we are unnerved by the opening, but then with the sound of a knife and also the sound of a gunshot (which stereotypically connotes danger/violence) the titles stop dead and stay red for about 1.5 seconds. Next the screen zooms in and focuses on the R of SCREAM as it fades into the storyline.

Significantly our first character view is built upon a female character, who picks up the phone at the same time as the screaming stopped, perhaps the insertion of the sound bridge (of the phone ringing) is used to link all of the non-diegetic sounds together such as the knife, heartbeat, gunshot, which the audience typically associate with violence and danger. Furthermore a contrast in emotion is displayed immediately via a close up of the woman's face. At first she is smiling innocently but after the second phone call (the tone of which we are put on edge by given its inclusion in the titles) her facial expression becomes nervous, which therefore reflects upon the audience. Additionally during the second phone call the camera angle is canted therefore implicating to the audience that all is not right, given that this shot is commonly used to highlight or to display something that is unusual. Afterwards we see a dark setting of what appears to be the outside of the house, but as the camera slows pans downwards we see that the swing is suspiciously moving, ultimately reinforcing a sense of enigma surrounding both the location and the un known caller. Lastly tension is built efficiently using props, for example the popcorn creates tensions as it gradually grows larger with both sound and size which would unsettle the audience, especially knowing that the female character is unaware of the popcorn. But also the knife, this anaphoric reference links back to the titles which were considered to be violent / dangerous.

I also like how we cannot see the antagonist throughout the opening this therefore creates suspense through is invisibility to the audience, and I also like how the change in tone (from the antagonist) successfully creates tension, through its sudden and dramatic contrast. This is a feature I would like to emulate in my production, but at the same time I am weary of using dialogue, as if not done properly it could appear almost humoristic and therefore the opening won't be taken seriously.

The cold open was ultimately successful as it draws the audience in but also considering the gratifications theory it is clear to see the objective of this film is to entertain the audience and also perhaps to offer a sense of escapism as it is easy to become intrigued in such a film due to the rarity of the situation. Given that the typical horror seeking gender is males aged between 16-21, at the time I am not surprised that the age rating was 18, as this was one of the first successful films of its genre so it would be hard to give the film an accurate rating without any other comparison. Additionally despite not having an all star cast, the film still consisted of popular and well known actors such as Drew Barrymore (above), this may have been in favour of the producer and directors as the audiences may have deliberately seen this film of the basis of the actors and may have avoided it had the film not had a some well known actors in its cast.

 

Use of parody/cliché in the opening:

Immediately during the opening we see our first character, a blonde female dressed in simple clothes with a slow tone/speed of speech. For example despite such a stereotypical female character typically being used to portray a lack of mental awareness/ability, during this opening she is used to exaggerate fear, but still through the same terms. This is exemplified through the bubbly personality of the character quickly being transformed into a symbol of fear. Also the fact that the audience can relate to the personality of the character further sustains the audience's interest through how relatable the character is.

Nevertheless, parody is created during the opening scene as in today's society we consider the female character to be a stereotype, therefore contrasting what was meant to be a serious opening into what some people consider today to be a parody style of opening.

However I do not consider the titles to be parodying the genre as I believe the bold red colour, as well as large size / magnification are factors that converge with that of a Horror genre.   

Horror Cliches - 2

Also apart from donating my own opinions on the typical horror cliches, Today I found a list of alternative cliches which I though were also reasonable.Here are some of the best in my opinion.

1.

Everyone Is an Idiot

For a horror film to work, people have to make some pretty awful decisions. Splitting a group up seems especially stupid when dealing with a serial killer who picks people off individually, but horror film characters do it all the time. Inexplicably holding back valuable information when talking to people who might help you (as Ethan Hawke does with his box of snuff films in 'Sinister') offers another example of horror film idiocy. There a whole universe of horror stupidity. But if everyone did the smart thing, we'd have no more horror to watch.

2.

Bad Cell Reception

Along with cars that don't work, it's also very difficult to find reliable cellphone reception in a horror film. So if you need to talk to someone, you'd better have some carrier pigeons. It's probably for the best. As we see at the beginning of 'Jason Goes to Hell,' a massive posse of gun toting authority figures can ruin a serial killer's plans to silently murder people pretty quickly. So if future horror victims are allowed to run around (if they're not tied to chairs being blowtorched) the show can only go on if they're unable to communicate with the outside world.

3.

The Black Guy Always Dies

There's this fake horror cliche you always hear about where the black guy (or girl) always dies first. This does not appear to be true. The black guy does always die in horror films. Just not often at the beginning. They're usually third or fourth. The same goes for Asians. Or any race filmmakers throw in to make their cast of characters more ethnically diverse. This cliche, of course, does not apply to horror films made in other countries or horror films billed as taking place in "The Hood" ('Tales From the Hood,' 'Leprechaun in the Hood', James Cameron's upcoming 'Avatar in the Hood').

 4.

Women Can't Run Without Falling Down

Horror movies often pick one lady who gets to survive beyond the end of the film. Men have a much lower survival rate. The gender trade-off, though, is that horror films see women as athletically faulty idiots who cannot run across a field without falling over. Sometimes it's thanks to their high-heels. Sometimes they trip over a branch. But a lot of times gravity just seems to grab them and slam them down to Earth without provocation. It's pretty much the only way we can buy a sprinting young person being outrun by a lumbering, giant psycho killer, so get used to it.

 The 10 Biggest Horror Movie Cliches | http://screencrush.com/horror-movie-cliches/?trackback=tsmclip

Horror Cliches

“A cliché or cliche (/ˈkliːʃeɪ/ or /klɪˈʃeɪ/) is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel”

Common Clichés:

1.

Often in horror films. People make awful and stupid decisions that ultimately lead to either their own or someone else's death. Commonly groups will split up when faced with a serial killer even through the killer can only kill on at a time. For example inexplicably holding back valuable information when talking to people who might help you (as Ethan Hawke does with his box of stuff films in 'Sinister') offers another example of horror film idiocy

2.Another common cliché is the sudden failure of weapons or machinery in an important situation,this is most often cars and guns, for example in Friday the 13th Part 2 , during an escape scene a car which was previously working fine, has suddenly decided not to work, therefore leading to the killer catching up to her. This typical cliché has lost its uses as of late and has not been as overused as it was before, instead it has been rarely scene in the past five years.

3.

Another cliché, and arguably the most overused of them all is the blonde female character, this always involves a combination of many stereotypes mostly consisting of, running towards danger, acting clueless even when the answer is obvious, and pretending that they have no idea of what to do, during which they portray themselves as vulnerable and helpless. As expected there are countless examples but some stand out more than others, like Scream for example.

Genre research - Horror

Genre Research: Horror

Some of the Horrors considered to be "the best" of all time are those created with minimal SFX and less expensive tech; therefore it was based/ concentrated more on the storyline. Especially with the likes of Halloween, this film was released with the intention of being the best horror film of the season, and it succeeded, in fact it was so successful it is still amongst the best horror films of all time, despite the small amount of money injected in, even more so when you compare the funding of Halloween at $300,000, with that of the latest horror film, Paranormal Activity Ghost Dimensions costing $10,000,000, this clearly shows that it is not necessarily about the budget, instead it is about both the storyline and the execution. However both offer similar conventions, for example horror films in general tend to have a similar style or structure, this often involves, a possessed or deranged character or monster, causing a problem which leads to screaming, death and blood. But not all films take this approach others focus of scaring the audience (Paranormal activity ghost dimensions) with jump scares for example, whereas Halloween concentrated on fears within contemporary societies and used that as a basis for their "monster", ultimately achieving the maximum emotional response from the audience.