Friday, 8 May 2015
Wednesday, 6 May 2015
Monday, 4 May 2015
Sunday, 3 May 2015
.jpg)
Evaluation screening
9/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Jump scare at the end was really
good.
The editing was good and went
along with the music.
Things
that could be improved:
It was too loud in places.
8/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Good plot and use of body
horror/fx.
The music went well and the jump
scare was decent.
Things
that could be improved:
Fade music at the end.
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Creepy music.
The light switch was effective.
Jump scare
Things
that could be improved:
The second intertitle too quick to
read.
8/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
The music fits well and the
intertitles make the narrative clear.
Range of shots.
Good effects with editing.
Things
that could be improved:
Sound levels need to be sorted in
some places.
Rose falling down the stairs was
kind of funny...?
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Body horror, editing and jump
scare were good.
Things
that could be improved:
It was a bit slow.
9/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Good use of jump scares and a very
scary storyline.
Good use of body horror and camera
techniques.
Things
that could be improved:
Too loud in places and some jump
scares seemed random.
I preferred the ending to the
rough cut better.
8/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
It’s tense and creepy which works
well.
I like the jump scares.
Clear narrative.
Things
that could be improved:
Whisper is a bit too loud.
Stretch out the music at the end
so it ends better.
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
After-effects were good.
The jump scare and gore effects
were good.
Pacing was okay.
Things
that could be improved:
The audio levels at the maybe need
to be improved.
Whispering is really loud.
Music is super loud and a little
distorted in places.
Ending was very sudden.
7.5/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
The dialogue is better.
Special effects were great.
I loved the blood on the frame
shot.
Sound effects worked brilliantly
(light bulb). Good pacing. More variety of shots.
Things
that could be improved:
Could be less predictable?
Have the scream play over
intertitles.
End editing could be more
dramatic.
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Good variety of shots.
Jump scare was very good and
effective.
Effects were really good.
Narrative was clear.
Things
that could be improved:
Intertitles could have been
larger.
Jump scare needs a tweak.
7.5/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Music fits well.
Intertitles worked well.
Beautifully shot.
Acting was good.
Nice angles.
Pacing was good.
Things
that could be improved:
Talking was too loud and
understandable.
Tension built up a lot but the
jump scare needed to be louder and quicker.
Intertitle needs a little longer.
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
I liked the use of different
settings.
Things
that could be improved:
Maybe some shorter takes as it
gets towards the end to build more tension for the jump scare.
8/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Good variety of shots.
Liked the close ups and the jumps
scares.
The effects put on shots were
good.
Things
that could be improved:
Maybe speed music up.
Sharper/quicker ending?
8/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Clever pacing.
Lots of effective jump scares.
Music tries in well.
Clear narrative.
Things
that could be improved:
Effects on shots?
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Body horror, editing and jump
scare were good.
Things
that could be improved:
It was a bit slow.
7/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Good characters.
Jump scares were effective.
Locations were varied.
The pacing was slow/quick -
collision cutting.
Things
that could be improved:
Narrative was a little dry.
8-9/10
Things
liked about the trailer:
Effective use of jump scares.
Good use of cinematography.
Things
that could be improved:
Too many jump scares.
Initial voice over not engaging
Focus group feedback
What was liked about the trailer?
Nice use of different shots x11
Music works well x12
Effective last shot x5
Good lighting x2
Scare was effective in the bathroom x3
Good narrative x6
Good acting x3
Pacing works well x2
Well edited x6
Good use of locations x3
Good use of props
Good use of inter-titles x3
Clearly a psychological/thriller
What wasn't liked about the trailer?
Slightly confusing story-line x8
Dialogue was too scratchy x15
Inter-titles are blurry x3
Maybe add a jump scare at the end x8
Needs music at the end x3
Body horror looks unrealistic in placement
Bit slow paced x3
Lack of sound effects x9
Music doesn't build up x2
Prop list
The only props we need for our trailer are:
- A black or dark outfit for the main character
- Fake blood; Latex
- A teddy bear
- A knife
- A mobile phone
The Conjuring (2013) - poster analysis
The film poster for The Conjuring unconventionally portrays
the diegisis of the film through an establishing shot, rather than a victim or
killer which is typical of most other posters. This could be to establish that
the property is a significant element of the film, where the horror manifests
inside. The bare tree has lost its leaves and is juxtaposed in the forefront of
the image, representing the notion of death and decay, which is reinforced by
the noose hanging from it. It creates a sense of mystery as the audience are
unsure what happened so by feeding their curiosity, they may be more enticed to
watch the film. Furthermore, the noose is an iconic aspect of the horror genre,
often most commonly associated with supernatural occurrences, thus allowing the
audience to identify the basis of the film. The shadow underneath the tree
depicts a figure which is not apparent in the actual scene, presumably
suggesting that the main concepts within the film will focus around a secret past haunting the house and
family living in it.
The
house itself is conventionally creepy and larger than what may fit the average
norm in reality, as more spacious rooms tend to add more fright in scenes of
the horror genre. Demographics show that horror films are aimed at an audience
of a working class community, aged 15-25 and mostly male orientated. Taking
this into consideration, including a larger house in The Conjuring could be for
more ideological reasons as the audience tend to idealise larger properties and
aspire to have one in the future, thus potentially adding more appeal for the
film.
The
lighting of the poster is very dull with a variety of bland colours, mostly
browns and stained whites. It connotes pathetic fallacy through the dismal mood
of the scene as its foggy and grey, which further reiterates its horror
dimensions and gives it a ghostly feel.
As
the potentially most important aspect of the poster, the title of the film - The Conjuring - is structured at the top
in large, bold lettering to capture the audience’s attention and further the
poster’s overall appeal. The font itself is a mix of old and new, similarly to the
Oculus poster for the same reason of intertwining the film’s significance of
the past in with the present. The black reinforces the darkness of the
narrative and the key themes within the film, further feeding into the
audience’s curiousness. The date of JULY 19 depicted underneath the billing
block is also in a larger font, suggesting its significance for the audience.
The colour white contrasts against the grass and may help to specify the genre
of horror the film is focused on.
The poster does not give any
mention of who produced the film, but does however state two popular horror
films made by the director which suggests that The Conjuring may have conventions similar to Saw and Insidious.
Moreover, if people enjoyed these two examples, they would most likely enjoy
The Conjuring which subtly adds more audience appeal by enticing people to
watch the film.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) - poster analysis
The lighting is incredibly dark to
portray the killer’s sinister intentions, but the few light areas highlight the
disfigurement contouring his face. Also regarding the lighting, the background
hints at the diegisis of the film; the darkness reflecting the concept of the
killer stalking people in their dreams. Furthermore, the portrayal of severe
scarring connotes a specific convention of the horror genre which states that
killers in horror films usually have a dismal past that has caused them significant
suffering, mentally or/and physically. This in turn has caused them to behave
irrationally and sadistically – ultimately giving the victim the desire for
revenge. Freddy Krueger is an example of this – his killings have been
influenced by the youths and their parents who set him on fire after. Victor
Crawley from Hatchet is another example. Lighting is also emphasised on the
further end of the blade to accentuate the phallic weapon and enhance the
notion of danger portrayed by the killer.
The clothing worn by Freddy Krueger is
simplistic – a tattered red and brown jumper – to relate to the person he once
was and refer to the attire of an average older male. The hat propped in front
of the upper third of his face is equally as dark and conceals his identity.
The graphology in the poster helps to
reiterate the themes of the film; specifically looking at the main text ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, the notion
of red relates to the phallic symbol, which help to indicate the genre of this
horror is conventionally likely to be a slasher. The idea of ‘Elm Street’ relates to the intended
target audience because it reflects the norm of real life, and this in context
to the concept of the tagline ‘your new
nightmare’ further reflects our deeper fears. The billing block also helps
to sell the film as it informs the audience of the main stars and cast involved
with the film, as well as including a release date underneath.
Oculus (2013) - poster analysis
The main image represents a young female whose eyes
are completely removed from the face, and are replaced by a stranger’s pair of
hands, thus representing the idea of being trapped and/or significantly
blinded- perhaps not in a visual sense, but in relation to not knowing the
dangers that she is potentially facing. On the other hand, the integration of
the hands may signify the idea of consumption-
where the character has gradually been consumed by the evil, consequently altering the way she behaves and thinks. The
lighting is minimal and fairly bright, representing the idea that she is good, however, there is an abnormal
shadow present on her face that seems to be simultaneously expanding, which may
again support the idea of the evil manifesting
inside of her. Considering these ideas, the concept of the hands conforms to
the notion of danger, and perhaps the auburn/red hair is also working in
similar notion to portray this idea. Furthermore, the caption ‘you see what it
wants you to see’ again reflects the value of the character being blind,
because in affect the caption suggests manipulation of the eyes in contrast to what
you truly perceive to be real.
In regards to the gender of the victim, females are often conveyed stereotypically as weak, whereas
males are usually portrayed as the stronger sex. The poster seems to conform to
this idea as she appears to be dominated by something
else which therefore may suggest she has a decreased amount of knowledge in
what is happening in her life, thus depicting her as weak. However, her auburn
hair seems to reverse this idea as red hair is typically associated with the
stronger females in horror films. Although contextually, she portrays an
intellectual personality in the film which makes her strong, she still dies
anyway.
The colours present in the poster are all very
neutral which add substance and realism, therefore adding target audience
appeal. The minimalism of features and colours works well because it helps to
reflect the story. The character stands out significantly in comparison to the
title due to its size, so it keeps the focus on the main image, which in turn
adds attraction for the overall poster. Also in regards to colour, the title Oculus is set in white, reinforcing the supernatural concept within the story,
and to make it stand out. The fonts themselves are a blend of modern and old; ‘you see what it wants you to see’ and ‘in theatres soon’ adhere to more
current taste, whereas ‘Oculus’ uses
a modern font style, but also incorporates serifs into it, potentially to give
a feel of the past- which is a main focus within the film- or just to simply to
add complexity and formality. The tag line is very pale brown and is slightly
lighter than the neck which signifies its fair importance but due to it being
much smaller in size and darker in tone; it shows that main title is the more
dominant element within the image.
The tag line itself ‘it sees what it wants you to see’ suggests the lack of control the
genuine characters have- hinting to something
that is dominating and manipulating them in supernatural occurrences. These
concepts of the narrative help to create suspense and curiosity which further
interests and persuades the target audience. In particular, the word ‘it’ conforms to the idea of the unknown, also working to develop a sense
of inquisitiveness and add to the film’s value of supernatural elements.
Saturday, 2 May 2015
Friday, 1 May 2015
Favourite image analysis - House of Wax (2005)
One of my favourite scenes
takes place in House of Wax (2005) and follows Paris Hilton's character of Paige
in who is trying to hide from the
killer. She conforms to the stereotypical character archetype of the female
victim due to her attributes of being being blonde and fairly attractive.
Moreover, Paige has just had sex, representing the theme of sex and the taboo
within horror films, which further signifies the conventions of the female
victim stereotype. The connotations of
this theme are reinforced in the first shot as Paige is depicted in a navy
jumper which appears male-orientated, therefore presumably belonging to the man
she had sex with. Her bra is partially
revealed underneath the jumper and is red which denotes danger and lust, again
emphasising sex and the taboo. The expressionist angle used in the first shot
conveys the character's femininity, which combined with the visibility of her
bra provides visual pleasure for a male audience. This ideology conforms to
Laura Mulvey's 'Male gaze theory', which explains how the apparatus of cinema, particularly with horror films, use women as an object of desire to pleasure a masculine audience. Paige is
also holding a phallic symbol which she fails to use to her advantage, thus
representing her weakness and reiterating the conventions of her character
archetype.
In the second shot, a close
up is specifically used to portray Paige's emotions as she attempts to hide, conveying her terrified expression strongly which works to create suspense, tension and equally a sense of sympathy. The incorporation of a close up further adheres to her weakness, with the lighting casting a shadow on the left side of
her face to connote the negative CDI represented by her persona.
The blurry backgrounds in both shots ensure the character is the central focus, however it is just enough to reinforce the diegesis of the film. The location Paige hides in appears enclosed, grubby and undesirable which are conventions that horror films try to incorporate as they make the genre distinguishable from others.
The blurry backgrounds in both shots ensure the character is the central focus, however it is just enough to reinforce the diegesis of the film. The location Paige hides in appears enclosed, grubby and undesirable which are conventions that horror films try to incorporate as they make the genre distinguishable from others.
Favourite image analysis - 30 Days of Night (2007)
This
is the particular scene from the horror film 30 Days of Night (2007) that most appeals to me as it is appears
dark and foreboding which seems to foreshadow what is to come, thus conveying a
sense of mystery which develops a strong level of tension for the audience who
are unaware of the events that may occur within the film.
The scene poses as an
establishing shot to reinforce the diegesis of the film and reflects a high
angle over the main location which suggests the dark figures on the roof have
more power over the other citizens living there. The use of low key lighting
reinforces the recurring theme of night, perhaps
indicating the importance that it presents within the film.
The
silhouettes of the two characters glaring over the town are a prime focus of
the shot, thus suggesting they will be significant within the film. They also denote
the dark nature they may possess, therefore reiterating the threat they pose
over the town; with the pathetic fallacy of the snow also working to signify
this idea. Again, these concepts reflect how the characters are potentially unknown, further working to develop
mystery within the scene and establish the notion of horror more so, which adds
overall audience appeal.
Dawn of the Dead analysis (2004)
The following scene represents the notion of freedom as the remaining survivors escape on a boat, assuming they are safe. The inclusion of the American flag in the shot connotes patriotism and the idea of the American dream – it is positioned to the far right of the frame, thus suggesting the country is good. The film also conveys Prop and Todorov’s theory of the Classical Hollywood Narrative’s Structure, but this scene specifically indicates this idea as it represents the search for a new equilibrium where stability can be achieved, however this is not the case as the remaining survivors are ultimately are all killed.
Ana wears a dark jacket over a blue shirt, representing some element of dark nature, perhaps displayed by her desire to be with Michael despite she was married prior. It may also indicate mourning, of her husband’s death early on in the film and by Michael’s suicide following this particular scene. However, the light is significantly bright on her hair which represents the good and innocence within her from her career as a nurse. Throughout the film, she shows a kind and caring nature by trying to help the other survivors, and overall embraces an important role within the group.
Typically, blonde women in horrors are the first to die, with the darker haired ones mostly surviving. However, in Dawn of the Dead 2004, Ana is blonde and goes against these common conventions as she seemingly survives until the end with Nicole, a red head, and Luda – who has dark hair, dies earlier on when giving birth. Monica is also blonde but conventionally dies prior to escaping on the boat because she had sex, which is further depicted as a negative aspect of the CDI.
Dawn of the Dead analysis (2004)
In the first scene, Ana discovers what is causing the zombie virus to spread – a bite – which is indicated when an injured woman is moved into the mall and eventually turns into a zombie, then proceeds to attack Ana. This represents her intellectual strength as she appears a knowledgeable character. Ana also displays physical strength to kill this same zombie when it makes an attempt to attack her. This represents an unconventional trait for blonde women to obtain in horror films, as it is typically the darker haired females who portray strength and are the characters who presumably survive. Ana also represents this when using a phallic weapon to kill Steve further on in the film, protecting the other survivors of the group which reinforces her career as a nurse.
In the first image, Ana is shown darkly lit and wearing a black t-shirt, perhaps to re-emphasise her male-orientated attributes of strength, rather than negativity. In the second image, Steve is bloodied to convey the aspect of gore within the film and emphasise his zombie form. The effects in both scenes shows how the film has amplified its gore to fit the expectations of a modern audience which represents the ideologies of Janet Staiger as she wrote that films have to suit audiences over time as they become used to witnessing more horrific occurrences. The tragedy of 9/11 in 2001 had devastated people and made them tougher in what they can experience, so Dawn of the Dead subtly implied these events and used more severe gore in the film to suit its intended audience.
Dawn of the Dead analysis (2004)
This scene represents Propp’s character archetypes as it portrays two black males who are both very strong characters within the film, with Kenneth being conveyed as more dominant figure, thus both are easily identifiable regarding who fits the certain character conventions of horror (Kenneth as the male hero). Kenneth’s power is denoted by the expressionist angle used which places him closer to the camera and Andre is further in the background, making him appear seemingly smaller than Kenneth, thus suggesting his potential lack of importance in comparison. The use of low key lighting conveys a sense of uneasiness which relates to the topic being discussed by the characters. Here, Andre is wearing a black t-shirt, portraying a darker past - which we know to have criminal activity involved, particularly stealing. Kenneth on the other hand is wearing white which signifies the good in him and reflects the positivity of his career as a policeman. In this scene, he also represents the notion of kindness by talking to Andre regarding personal matters, almost as if he had adopted a father-like figure.
Earlier on, Kenneth had initial thoughts of abandoning the group to find his brother, however he changed his mind and decided to stay - in the rest of the film, he tries to protect the other survivors, combining his knowledge and good-nature which makes him a central character.
Dawn of the Dead analysis (1979)
The film conveys the fading relationship of Fran and Stephen who lack compassion and love towards each other, which is confirmed by the negative depiction of this scene. Despite they have had sex, both characters are directly looking away from one another, portraying a lack of affection to reinforce their breakdown as a couple; moreover, the use of low key lighting works to further this connotation. The conventions of horror are represented in this shot as it illustrates the theme of sex and the taboo and therefore reiterates Fran as an unconventional final girl. Furthermore, the negative aspects within her nature are signified through the lighting which silhouettes her body. It also contrasts Stephen’s character archetype negatively similarly to Fran’s as we would expect him to fit the connotations of a male hero, however he is unconventional in this sense due to his weakness, thus leading us to question his ability to protect his child.
The nudity in this shot appeals to the Cultural Dominant Ideology of a male orientated audience, as emphasised by Laura Mulvey’s feminist viewpoint through her establishment of the ‘Male Gaze’ theory.
Choice of trailer type
The trailer we have have decided to create will be a highlights trailer, including conventional elements of our selected hybrid genre, focusing specifically on psychological horror with minimal aspects of gore. The reason for choosing a highlights trailer as opposed to a scene trailer is because they convey a wider variety of scenes from films more effectively, and therefore establish the narrative better. We also want to portray a range of horror conventions to reinforce our genre style, some of which include low key lighting, stereotypical character archetypes, jump scares, a slow to quick montage etc. We intend to adapt existing scenes, such as Mia whispering to her brother in Evil Dead, to add intertextual value within our trailer, thus adding audience appeal. To deliver a successful trailer, we will focus on various editing concepts, particularly collision cutting to juxtapose scenes together which will work to create suspense and tension. The Conjuring (2013) trailer is an example of a psychological trailer which adapts a range of genre conventions, such a slow to quick montage which is incorporated with a jump scares to deliver a final sense of shock.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)