Filming:
When filming our preliminary task, we felt confident that we had recorded some good, usable footage that we could use to create the film.We planned an individual part to our film and put it at the beginning. The idea was that a phone number would be given to the protagonist so that the rest of the film made sense. We filmed this with a shot reverse shot to experiment with different editing techniques. We also tried to incorporate all the necessary shots (mid shot, establishing shot, close-up) to make the story more interesting.
Unfortunately, we had not used the camera correctly so not all the shots we thought we filmed actually recorded. When it comes to filming our main task, we will use a camera that we can use more easily.
Editing:
Because of the problems we had filming, we had little we could work with. We used what we had effectively in the time that we had and experimented in using the cutting tool in Premiere Pro to have a range of shot lengths. This will be a useful tool when creating our main task as it will make shots run more smoothly. We experiments with different angle when filming so that we could edit the different angles together. Shots like this included the shot reverse shot and also cuts to a point of view shots.
When uploading to youtube, the shots were not in the original order that we had put them in meaning that the scene didn't make sense. We believe this could be because of how the footage was edited or that not all pieces of footage were uploaded properly. This will be something that we need to think about more carefully during our main task so that the scene makes sense.
Representation feedback - You have outlined the meaning of representation, but gone into no detail about your genre. Can you add details about typical representations in your genre. Also I would like to see images to illustrate these comments.
Target audience - Again you ahve covered the basics, but there is no evidence of real research. Go onto the BFI yearbook 2013 and copy some of the itneresting graphs ect. Use these as tha basis of some research into which audiences like which type of film. We will also be looking at audience based media theories soon to add to this post. both of these entries ar at a level 2 at the moment.
Horror films can have different target audiences depending
on the storyline or whether the film has any sub-genres such as action or
drama. However, as well as this, different age groups, genders and groups also
effect the target audience.
The average age group in a target audience for horror films
is generally 15-30. This will probably be because horror films test people’s
reactions to different situations. This could appeal to this age group as they
generally want to experience new and exciting things which will give them a ‘high’.
Horror films are therefore popular as the event that happen in these films are
hair-raising which is what this age group is looking for in a good film. Our
horror film also appeal to this age group as we are trying to create horror
though everyday settings. This would create horror to this age group as they
will be able to find places in their life such as home.
The more stereotypical people who watch horror films are
males. This is probably because of the idea that men are less scared by things
than women and therefore are not as likely to show fear towards the violence
which is common in horror films. Like many of the current horror films, our
film will most likely appeal more to males as the main character is male.
Horror films commonly appeal to groups of people as then
people can share what they thought of the film after and also because some
people might need comfort throughout the film; many horror films show people
isolated and alone so having people around during the film calms some people’s
nerves. We think that our film will appeal to these types of people because our
film is set in places that the audience can relate to. Plus, the villain hides
in these places so some people might want comfort from people close to them.
Audience Demographics:
There are several ways in which audience demographics can be used to analyse a target audience. If I was to use the 'Life Matrix' approach, I would have to say that our film would be aimed towards 'Fun/Atics' as they are the thrill seekers within the 'Life Matrix'. As our film will consist of many tense situations for the main character, this will give our audience a thrill which will keep them watching.
You have moved on since I last gave you feedback, the Insidious analysis is very good, you have really thought about the conventions of horror and these can be used when planning your own film. However you need to tackle the points I made in the last feedback, and look at the point below, Please reply to this post when you have addressed these points so that I can reassess your work.
Come and talk to me about your images, they are not showing up and I suspect that you are not saving them as JPEG's, i can help you sort this out.
Tidy up the blog by checking all fonts (except for my feedback) are the same.
Make sure you have at least one more analysis on your blog.
Can you add your name to your blogger profile - at the moment it is coming up as 'unknown'
You are working on a level 2/3 border at the moment.
The first scene in ‘Woman In Black’ introduces the storyline of the film a little by how the children act and where the scene is set. The opening scene has many conventions of horror, such old children’s dolls and toys, tinny music and the fact that it is set in a gothic time period. All these and some more horror conventions add together to create an opening scene which introduces the type of horror that will be expected in the rest of the film.
Sound: The main sound in the opening scene is the non-diegetic music which is playing throughout the scene. This music starts off very slow and quiet at the start of the scene and gets slightly louder as the scene goes on. The music is like children’s music playing from an old music box as it is quite shrill and tinny. This adds to the effect of horror because the sound could connote a ghost is present as it is very eerie. Apart from the music, the only other sound doesn’t come from the children playing with the toys, but from the toy tea set. There are some faint sounds of china teacups clinking when the three little girls are playing with them. As well as the sounds from the teacups, there are also the sounds of the dolls smashing when the little girl steps on it and the teacups smashing. This could have been done to exaggerate the destruction the woman in black has to the families of the children she kills. It also could have been used to show the audience that these children are being controlled as previously; they were playing with their toys very delicately. Another way sound has been used for effect is right at the very end where the music stops and then suddenly there is a scream. By using this diegetic sound, the audience knows that the three girls have died from jumping out the windows. This is a convention of horror as it tells the audience what has happened without showing them which makes people fear for what has happened to the girls even though they know they have died. The way that there is silence before the scream creates tension and makes the audience wonder whether the children have survived. Mise en Scene: The elements in the scene are some of the main parts in making the scene fit into the horror genre. The costumes that the children are dressed in are Victorian which is seen as a gothic time period. This sets the scene as being in a time where there were a lot of horror stories and superstition. The children are then playing with very old china dolls and an old tea set. These types of toys are often shown in horror films because of the fears and stories about china dolls. The appearances of these dolls are also very creepy because they are much worn and dirty which could show that they are very old. Old objects are a convention of horror as we don’t often know much about them. In the playroom the children are in, there are three windows. There also three little girls. This creates horror near the end of the scene as the girls are walking towards the windows. The windows are separated by window frames so when the children are on the window ledge they are separated. This could reflect the fact that the children are being controlled and therefore are separated from their surroundings. Another way that the children are shown to be controlled is by making them move in sync without them showing that they are acknowledging each other. This is would make the audience feel uncomfortable as it is very unnatural as previously the children were all playing together normally. Editing: In this scene, there isn’t much editing which is obvious to the audience apart from the cuts to each different camera angles. Saying this, it is possible that the scene has been brightened to show that the scene is set on a normal day in the children’s lives. This contradicts with what happens to them as their fate is very dark. The scene could also have been lightened to reflect the children’s innocence which also contradicts what happens to them. Camera: There are a lot of different camera angles in this scene but all of them have a significance to give the audience understanding and direction in the scene. Instead of the first camera shot being an establishing shot, it is a close up of the children playing. This shows that audience that, in this scene, the children and their actions are the main focuses. It also shows that audience that the film is set in Victorian times. The close-ups in this scene are mostly of the dolls and toys. By doing this, the audience could begin to feel uneasy as the facial expressions of the toys are very blank. Close-ups are also used in time with the diegetic sounds of the toys breaking. The camera is close-up whenever something smashes or when the windows are opening. This is most likely done to give the audience’s eye line direction and also to show where the sound is coming from. The last camera shot of the scene I feel is very significant to explain the children’s odd behaviour. At the end of the scene, the camera back tracks in an establishing shot of the playroom to show a woman standing to the side of the camera in a black veil so we can’t see her face. This introduces another character and shows the audience that this character was controlling the children. This then makes the audience fear this character as this character has proved that they are powerful and controlling in a supernatural way.
Audience Demographics: I feel that if I was to look at the target audience using the old fashioned class rankings, I think the target audience for this specific film would be Upper Middle Class to Upper Class as those are the classes that are portrayed in the film. However, this approach is no longer appropriate for analysing a target audience. A better approach to use is the 'Life Matrix' approach. This approach groups audiences into their different personalities. For example; 'Free Birds' will be different to 'Tribe Wired' as 'Free Birds' categorised as vital and active whereas 'Tribe Wired' audiences are described as digital and creative thinking singles. Using this approach, I think this film appeals to more to 'Tribe Wired' audiences as it is based around a supernatural idea. A 'Tribe Wired' audience may enjoy this as it allows them to think about how the spirit has become so vengeful.
The genre of horror has a lot of noticeable conventions which
are different to most other genres. Such conventions include dark abounded
locations, violence, supernatural events and creepy old children’s toys. Insidious
has some of these conventions as well as some others that make the opening to
the film a good introduction to events to come.
Sound:
Throughout the opening scene, there is eerie music playing as
the camera pans through the child’s bedroom. This is used to create tension and
make it seem like the child is or will be in trouble. The music start quiet and
crescendos louder which also builds tensions. If this film was shown in the
cinema, the sound would have a bigger impact on the audience as the volume
change would be more noticeable. The way that the music gets louder also makes
it seem that the music is coming from somewhere; it makes it seem that the
music is coming fro the other room. This makes the audience think that the real
danger is only round the corner from the child which makes them worried for
their safety. The crescendo in the music is a convention of horror as it builds
tension and lets the audience know that there will be a scare at some point but
they don’t know when. The fast paced violins when the shadow appears makes the
tension the highest it has been in the scene. This signifies to the audience
that the shadow shouldn’t be there in a normal setting and the violins make it
clear that this character will be the person who creates the horror. This is
all non-diegetic sound as none of the characters in the scene can here the
music. After the violins, there is a sudden silence. This is a type of cliff
hanger as this leaves the audience waiting for the scare. This is another
convention of horror as it leaves the audience to think that maybe that there
won’t be a major scare but then there is a jump-scare when the title appears.
The loud screech has been used to make the audience scared as they weren’t
expecting it after the silence. This could be interpreted as diegetic sound but
we don’t know because we can’t see any characters on the screen as it’s just
the title.
Mise En Scene:
The Mise en scene is where a lot of the horror conventions
are. The opening scene is in a child’s bedroom with various different toys
dotted around. It is set at night when the child is asleep so the setting is
dark and the child is isolated which is a common convention of horror. There
are areas that are pitch black which symbolises the common fear of the dark
that children have. This means that the audience can’t see the whole setting
which creates a scary tension as the audience doesn’t know if anything is
lurking in the dark spots. The toys are significant to the scene as it shows
childish innocence of the child in the bedroom. This could indicate that the
child will be involved in adding to the horror element, whether that’s by being
harmed, or by supernatural means such as possession.
The light in the scene is also significant. There is only one
light source at the start of the scene which is the moonlight. This is a
convention of horror as it connotes that the scene is set at night which is the
time of day that children are seen as most vulnerable. Children that are
vulnerable in horror films normally have a main part in the storyline. As the
camera pans through the room, there is a creepy character with a candle under
their face. This type of lighting is a very common horror convention as it
casts odd shadows on the characters face which makes the face look abnormal.
The candle also has the connotation of being old and gothic. This makes the
audience think that this character is old and unnatural as they don’t look like
they should be alive. This is scary as it is seen as unnatural and abnormal
which is creepy and not full accepted by most people.
Camera:
The scene doesn’t have different cuts in it as it is one
continuous pan through the room. The beginning of the shot is an establishing
shot which gives the audience an idea to where the scene is set. It also gives
the audience chance to take in the feel of the room which is creepy yet
innocent as it is a child’s room with the child sleeping. The way the camera
pan’s is done creepily as it is smooth instead of a more hand held shot.
Normally this wouldn’t be scary but combined with the music and the setting; it
makes the camera movement seem unnatural. By making the shot continuous, the
director has given the sense of realism as it is filmed in real time. This
could also be interpreted as a first person shot as it looks like the camera is
in the view point of someone looking into the scene. The camera also pans into
darkness in the scene which creates terror as the audience can’t see what is
happening. This compliments the lighting as it highlights the significance of
the dark spots.
Editing:
At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be much editing in the
scene as it is a continuous shot. However, there is some editing even if there
are no cuts between shots until the title screen. One piece of discrete editing
is the way that the setting has been made darker. The director would have had
to shot in the day because filming at night can sometimes not have the desired
effect. It is also harder to lighten a scene than it is to make it look darker.
By making the scene darker, the director could control how dark they wanted the
setting and where he wanted the light to come from as well as what type of
light was to be edited into the scene.
The title is also an example of editing. The shot of the
scary character cuts to a blank black screen, then the title appears suddenly
in a specific font. The director has used a bright red colour for the font
which has the connotation of blood which is a convention of horror. The title
is also in capitals in a gothic looking font. This suggest that there are going
to be gothic features in the film which could be seen as a convention of horror
as gothic themes are often seen as gory and chilling.
