3. Shot lists

14. Location Research

I have taken three images for a potential location for our horror opening sequence..

This first image shows a woods surrounded by trees and a fence in the background. This would make a good horror location as it is surrounded by trees which creates the idea that someone could easily be trapped there and no one would even realise, it is dark and creepy and due to the logs and leaves a body could easily be hidden there. I have edited it and decreased the saturation to create a more 'creepy' atmosphere which could be done using imovie. 

This second image shows a ladder leading up to a dark loft. This would make a good horror location as it creates the idea of being trapped as if someone has been locked up in a loft it is extremely difficult to escape. Ladders are extremely creepy due to the sound they make when being stepped on which could create an immediate uncomfortable atmosphere which is a purpose for horror films. Lofts are very dark which can also add to the atmosphere as the dark makes everything seem a lot scarier. I have edited this picture to make the walls look old and dirty to suggest the person who owns this house is 'old and dirty' and doesn't have visitors a lot which instantly portrays an image of scary and creepy character. I also increased the contrast so it is pitch black which suggests that something or someone is going to jump out. 

My final image is a school corridor. I have used school as one of my locations as it suggests calm and safety and we could use this as an advantage and create a murder scene here to shock the audiences expectations. With the lights on, school seems colourful and vibrant however, when the lights are off it is corridor after corridor of complete darkness which would create a very uncomfortable atmosphere. I have edited this photo by increasing the contrast and decreasing the brightness to create a shadow effect suggesting darkness is always there but not always seen. 

16. Audience Research 2

           

This is our results presented on paper from the questionnaires we gave out. These results informed us that many people enjoy horrors, saw was a main favourite and that many people wanted to feel scared and excited when watching a horror this helped us in thinking of our ideas for our opening sequence because it made us realise what kind of hints and clues to show and want kind of feeling and atmosphere we want to create for the audience. The fact that the people who filled out our surveys were aged 11-24 is good as that is the age we are aiming to impress and relate to the most. Additionally  most people wanted to feel scared and excited I believe we are going for more of a scared approach through the use of creepy music. Most people wanted to learn about the characters so we will be showing hints and clues of Rae's personality for example, her clothing and her phone. Most people believed that creepy music was mot as effective so we will be using it in order to create an uncomfortable atmosphere for the audience. Furthermore, most people believed that the best character for a murderer would be an outcast or maniac, we are planning to use the idea of an outcast, a young boy with a hand deformation who got bullied at a young age. Most people believed that handwriting font was the most effective titles however we are planning to shock the audience with the use of a 'scratchy font' as we think it relate well to our plot and to the character of the murderer. Due to the fact that most people believed that fast paced editing was the most effective we will be using it. However, we will also be using slow-paced editing at times to create tension. 

1. Initial ideas

a brainstorm of our initial ideas

 

We immediately thought of the genre of horror as we all loved them and thought they were exciting, interesting and scary all at the same time. We had a range of ideas and plot lines for our horror but decided on the idea of a murder to a young girl. Harry stated that he knew where an abandoned house was so we thought that would be a great place for a setting. We all decided that Rae would be the female victim and we thought she could be covered in blood and scratches. Additionally  we thought we could use the prop of a phone which lights up to suggest that someone is trying to get in touch with Rae (the victim) suggesting she should be somewhere else. We each contributed our own ideas and then used parts from each and then developed them to make one big idea. 

2. Film Synoposis

It is set in an abandoned house during winter and a group of teenagers are looking for a place to have a new years party. An anonymous note is sent to one of the young girls telling her 'the perfect place to have a party' which leads her to the abandoned house. This young girl reads the note and is extremely happy and goes to the address and disappears (gets murdered) her friends become worried about where she is and then recieve another anonymous note telling them where she is, but they are unsure whether to go or not. They end up going and discover that she has been murdered. A murderer is on the loose to get revenge on those who bullied him as a child (the group of teenagers) for his physical difficulty of his deformed hand. After the funeral of the first victim, one by one each 'bully' goes missing after each recieving a mysterious anonymous note. A group of family members go on a witch hunt to find the killer and are never found.

Our opening sequence will show the young girl covered in blood and scratches this will leave the audience asking who did this to her and why? Also, the audience will also ask where she is? we are planning to reveal little information including a close up of the note and also we are going to show her ripped clothing. However, we are not going to show who the murderer is. Our film idea fits the genre of horror as it includes violence and a murderer.

15. Audience Research 1

         

This is a series of voxpops that me, Rae and Harry made asking pupils and teachers from Glenthorne High school about the genre of horror. Our questions included: Do you like horror films and why?, What setting do you expect to see?, What is your favourite horror film? and What music do you expect to hear? The answers provided us with information about our audience and helped us create ideas either relating to the audience research or going against it in order to shock or confuse the audience.  Our answers showed that most people liked horrors because they were interesting and scary and that people mainly expect to see an abandoned, cold setting therefore we are hoping to use the location of an abandoned house in morden park in order to respond correctly to what our audience expect to see. Miss Saunders claimed she would like to hear 'heavy, rock music' but we are choosing creepy music as we believe it would be more effective and create more of an atmosphere and tension. 

10. What titles?

13. Conventions chosen genre (horror)

12. Genre 2

11. Genre 1

                            

This is the opening sequence from the film Se7en.

SOUND
The sound starts off slow paced and sounds like an electric interference which immediately makes the audience feel uncomfortable and cautious. Additionally  the use of an 'electric' sound suggests pain and suffering which creates an eery atmosphere. We can hear a tapping in the background which makes us think of someone waiting and creates the theme of impatience. We then hear a high pitched scratching which sounds similar to a scream making the audience feel uncomfortable and scared and suggests that someone is trapped or hurt. As the title 'SE7EN' appears the non-digetic soundtrack increases in speed. The background noises then increase in volume which results in a symphony of noises. These noises sound like machines which creates a vicious image. We then hear a high pitched sound which is creepy. We then keep hearing high pitched sudden noises suggesting screams of either females or children which makes the audience aware and sympathise. Next we hear the sound a choir but a distorted choir which creates a creepy atmosphere and suggests the film is going to be shocking. The soundtrack now increases in speed making the audience worried and is as if something or someone is going to jump out. Then the soundtrack changes rhythm and sounds as if it has been re-winded this makes the audience feel cautious and suggests all this chaos and trauma has been triggered by something from the past. At the end of the opening sequence we hear the lyrics 'you keep me closer to god' which suggests the film will be religion orientated. The music then slowly fades out leaving the audience scared and unsure.

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Throughout the whole opening sequence close ups and extreme close ups are used in order to show detail and also to hide information from the audience to make them question. For example: 
-This extreme close up shows a hand holding a razor blade. The use of an extreme close up shows the fingernails and shows that they are masculine, dirty and have cracked skin suggesting it is a male character who isn't bothered about appearance. The razor blade suggests the character is violent.

-This extreme close up shows a hand writing down text onto a sheet of paper which suggests this moment in his life is very important. This shot is also a cross fade which creates a creepy, atmosphere and a ghostly image.   

-This close up hows a film negative of a close up image of a man. This man in the photograph doesn't seem ready or perhaps doesn't even know its being taken? which suggests he is a victim but doesn't even know it. The splodges on the film negative suggest anger and frustration which could portray an image of the character holding the negative.   

                                                                                 
MISE EN SCENE
This opening sequence includes a number of different objects which makes the audience visual a surrounding and type of character easier. We see a book with pages flickering which suggests the character is knowledgeable. We see a number of black and white darkroom photographs showing young boys which suggests the character is associated with them either in a good way or bad way. Some shots are unrecognizable as a result the audience has different perceptions of the Mise en scene. We are shown the same notepad with lots of writing and information frequently which suggests it is a main symbol throughout the film. We see a film being cut up which suggests the character is fussy and only wants certain images. We then see a finger smudging black ink into certain words from an article which makes the character seem a bit strange. It also suggests the character has is pesimistic and wants to 'black out' or 'smudge away' certain things or people in their life. We are shown needles which instantly makes the audience feel uncomfortable and suggests the character is violent but is also very precise as they have used needles instead of for instance a knife or gun?

       

EDITING
At the start of the opening sequence the editing is slow paced which makes the audience cautious and creates an eery atmosphere. However, the editing then increases in speed to the point where some of the shots are hard to recognize which makes the audience question more and also suggests danger or that something bad is going to happen. The whole opening sequence looks similar to a film which relates to the Mise en scene as most the shots show something to do with photography or film. The titles are backwards and then flip to normal which suggests that the characters involved have had there lives 'flipped'. The font of the titles is white suggesting calm and purity which contrasts with the shots being shown. The font is handwritten suggesting the film is going to be personal to a certain individual, the use of a handwritten font also relates to the Mise en scene as we are repeatedly shown a notepad full of information. The titles are shaky and flashing creating a manic and disastrous image. 

QUESTIONS
Where are we?
Why are the characters nails so dirty?
Why is the character marking out things?