Planning : From Initial Ideas To A 60 Second Pitch

This is how we began our planning for our Main Task by planning out the whole film. For this we wrote down all of the basic ideas what we had. We then discussed all of our ideas and then picked the best ones and went forward with them ideas but evaluate them in detail. As you can see from the notes below we broke them up in 3 different part of the 60 second pitch in which we had to have a brief idea of the entire film without giving too much away. To have an idea we looked at different pitches online but also how to do the perfect pitch. This helped us with how to present our film idea without giving to much away. Our overall pitch is below, which starts at 1:37.

                     

Research : The Importance Of Sound In Horror Films

Sound is a vital element of any film and the way it is used helps the audience feel connected throughout the different scene in any genre to sets the scene for the audience and creates the atmosphere. sound is especially a key element in horror films. In horror films there are diegetic sound, which is sound which is within the film such as, a characters speech, window shutting, door opening etc. But also non-diegetic sound which is sound added when editing the scene to create the tension and cause suspense on the audience. This video clip below shows that the use of sounds in horror movies is extremely important as without it you can't really tell which genre it fits into. With the sound it makes the audience Tense, on edge, but without the sound you won't get that effect. 


                       

Some movies to this type of genres radio sounds, inference in radio and mumbling sounds. This fills the darkness in the scene with sound. Soft radio static even works because it is constantly there but the audience don't realise it but when they do it doesn't go away. Common movies in which this occurs in Paranormal Activity and Sinister. 

By doing this research it will help us, to when editing our horror opening, to pick and understand the right sound to create the 'horror effect'. its not only picking the right background music for the opening but it is also sounds such as, radio sound effect, static sounds and the dynamics of the sounds. 

Research : The Importance Of Opening Titles

This is a screenshot of my notes in which I watched the opening titles of the movie 'Se7en' and wrote down each of the titles which appear and the wording of then but also the timings. This allowed me to understand how many titles are throughout the opening titles and to see how long the titles last for until the next ones come in.

 

This is a screen shot of my notes in which I watched the opening titles of the movie 'se7en' and wrote down the time and the visual effects in which appear. This allowed me to see how many times visual scenes where repeated throughout.

This is a screen shot of my notes in which I watched the opening titles of the movie 'se7en' and wrote down the times and the typography. Which includes of; the colour, how it is, bold, the positioning. this allowed me to see the different positions in the screen to make the effect in the movie.

 

By doing this is will allow me to understand the timings for when doing my horror film opening so i can take a rough copy of how often the titles come up. this will help me in the final editing process and it helped me understand the typography needed to create the effect. 

Research Essay : Codes And Conventions In Existing Horror Films

Dead Wood:
The codes used in the opening 2 minutes of ‘Dead Wood’ use technical and symbolic codes. The technical code of the camera angles and camera shots in ‘dead wood’ use low angles, crane shots, mid shots, close ups, extreme close ups, long shots and a point of view shot. Each of these camera angles and shots help build the expressing what film genre it is.  In the first opening scene it starts off with diegetic sound of birds and the wind but then non-die-getic sound is added. The sound added is bass note piano and is sinister sounding. As the opening carries on strings are added to symbolise danger is upon and when danger is hit crescendos are added to create this effect. Toward the end of the opening scene after the ‘thing’ got Rob the non-diegetic mysterious sound fades down and the diegetic sound is a lot clearer. 
 The conventions used in the opening 2 minutes of this are the secluded location and jump scares, which are mainly caused by the non-diegetic sound added in. The typical convention which is in most teen horror movies is that someone dies in the first 10 minutes on the film but also after that a character has no clue what happened and is left in danger after the event. Another convention which is used in the opening and is in most teen horrors is that there is always a women with minimal clothes on and will end up in danger later on in the film.  The use of editing in dead wood is linear which means it is in sequence of the order of the events occurring.

Dead Mary:
The codes used in the opening 2 minutes of ‘Dead Mary’ use both technical and symbolic codes. The technical codes of the camera shots and angles used in ‘Dead Mary’ use extreme close ups, close up, mid shot and long shot. Compared to ‘Dead Wood’ there aren’t as many technical codes in the use of the camera shots and angles but it still works to create the effect of a teen horror movie.  The symbolic codes used in the opening 2 minutes included in mise-en-scene which are typical for this type of genre are that one female character has minimal clothes on. This is the same where this occurs is in all three opening. These all symbolises that the women have less power and are more likely to be in danger. The opening 2 minutes start off with diegetic sound which is a sign swing very stiffly on a piece of rope chain. Unlike the other 2 there isn’t any non-diegetic sound.
The conventions used in the opening 2 minutes of this genre are the secluded location which is secluded locations and also minimal conversation between both characters. Another common factor to the typical teen horror movie is that there are mainly different scenarios which may become a danger, such as the phone having no signal, the car running out of gas in the middle of nowhere and the last one is having no radio signal. As there are minimal speech between character the focus is brought off of that and is focused into the ‘danger’ of the scenarios in which are occurring throughout the opening 2 minutes. The editing for this genre is common to be linear and this one is with sharp transitions between cuts to create more of tension in the atmosphere without saying anything.

Wrong turn:
The codes used in the opening 2 minutes of ‘Wrong Turn’ use both technical and symbolic codes as do the other 2 openings. The technical codes used in the camera angles and shots. The camera angles and shots used are bird’s eye, worm eye, close up, long shot and mid shot. Compared to the others opening the first shot in ‘Wrong Turn’ is a crane shot panning across of where the scene is set to give you an idea of the location in which it is. The diegetic sound added in at the start few scene is sinister music but compared to the other 2 there is a lot more speech between 2 characters compared to the other 2. Another diegetic sound which is mid-way through the opening 2 minutes is the dripping sound of blood which is clear to the audience watching that something bad has happened and it is sure to happen again. Towards the end of the opening 2 minutes when the women is trying to escape, danger occurs again and the diegetic sound in this part is a slicing chainsaw noise. However you can’t see the scene in which it occurs you can just hear it. The editing for this opening is linear like the other 3.
The conventions used in there opening 2 minutes are common for this genre of film which was, like the other 2, it always starts in a secluded location which is anything did occur (danger) there is no way out or anyone around to help. by having the women hanging from the rope while the man die shows that the women being near the top is also in danger if she doesnt get something to cut the rope.

Overall there are a lot of similarities throughout all 3 opening such as, the women where less clothes, you don’t actually see the villain, there is a secluded location and the women is always left on her own. The editing for all 3 is all linear due to each scene film has to be put together in order or else it won’t make sense for the genre.

Research: Codes and Conventions In Horror Films

Codes:

Codes are system of signs which create different meanings. codes can/ are usually divided in two categories which are technical and symbolic.

Technical codes are all the different ways in which the equipment is used to tell the story in the media text. Such as; The camera work when filming, The editing process and the use of sound (diegetic and non-diegetic)

Symbolic codes show what is beneath the surface of what we see. These are usually shown through mise-en-scene. the characters actions when filming sows you how the character is feeling inn that scene. A characters costume can decoded to help us understand what type of person third character is. Different props having different connotations which can be de-coded by an audience.

Conventions:

Conventions are accepted ways of doing something. There are general conventions in any media, such as the use of interviewees quotes in a print article. Conventions also show what specific genre it is. In horror movies the conventions which are mainly used is lighting to create and mysterious effect but to also create suspense.

In horror films the expected codes and convention which in most teen horror films are;

-Secluded location (woods, old house), so when something does happen it turns out their is no one around to help them out.
-Power is cut, phone lines get cut off so no body can help when hey are lost or in trouble.
-No signal, in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal which leads to them fighting on their own.
-Someone runs upstairs instead of outside, this is for them to find 'safety' even though they ran past a door to get out.
-Vehicle won't start, when danger is coming their way out won't start.
-The fake scare, this is to make the audience scared, such as a phone ringing, or a knock at the door.