Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Textual analysis- Short horror film analysed

INSIDE is a short horror film about a young photographer who takes a turn in the path to a house in the middle of the forest and goes inside  only to discover her own death.

Non-diegetic sound of a loud bang is used in the beginning along with the title 'INSIDE'. This sound and typography connotes danger that may take place in the film and the red font against the dark background suggests the mystery that is about to unfold. This represents horror because the colours are stereotypical of horror genre. The red connotes blood and evil and the colour black represents darkness which appeals to the audience. A shallow focus is used as soon as the film starts; the tree trunk is put in focus with the other trees in the background. This connotes the location of the film, which is the forest. This is also a stereotypical setting for a horror film and represents this genre.



There is also a non-diegetic music playing of a child's toy which makes the scene more intriguing and creepy, it is also quite hypnotic and could suggest an illusion of what is going to happen. It is also a very eerie sound that appeals to the audience as it keeps them engaged to find out the rest of the narrative, this is an example of the uses and gratification theory.
A high angle shot is used to show a young girl, taking photographs of the trees which is mise en scene as the prop is the camera. This is a stereotype of a horror film as most of the victims are young adults. This also appeals to the audience as they are about the same age which helps them identify with the character which is from the uses and gratification theory. A continuity editing is used throughout this scene, so the audience feels comfortable with a linear progression.



A dolly shot is used to follow the character walking through the woods. This allows the audience to feel as though they are in the film which is an example from the uses and gratification theory. It could also suggest that she is being followed which is a stereotype of a horror film because a dolly shot keeps the audience at the edge of their seats. Low key lighting as well as a non-diegetic sound of a different music is used as soon as she decides to change her direction and go off track. This could suggest the wrong decision she has made and conforms to the stereotype of horror films, as the audience knows something bad will happen soon.

A dissolve is used to show the change of location. Zoom is used on the girls face to show her expression. This allows the audience to think about what she has seen and makes them eager to see the next scene. A wide shot is sued to show a big house in the middle of the forest. This illustrates the isolation and mystery of it. This conforms to the stereotype of horror films as a house in a lonely place suggests people are uninvited. A tracking shot is sued from the inside the house as she walks towards it. This suggests that someone is watching her and appeals to the audience, as they want to know what or who is inside. This also represents the horror genre, as there is always an evil character which is an example of a props and stock characters. 



A wide shot is used as soon as she walks into the house. This connotes the feeling of loneliness, as she is the only person there. The non-diegetic music stops to add verisimilitude and allows the audience to hear properly. Non-diegetic sound is used again as she brings a bottle of water, use of a prop from the fridge towards her mouth. The sound gradually builds up and then suddenly stops as she drinks it. This successfully builds up tension for the audience.



 Editing is used to show a series of cuts and to suggest her vision is blurry. This unsettles the audience as a point of view shot is used which engages the audience through the uses ad gratification theory. A close up shot of the bottle is used and is in shallow focus as she leave it on the table and runs out of the house. This shot allows the audience to figure out that there was something wrong with the water and makes them feel remorse for the character. This also conforms to the stereotype of horror films as a problem occurs when you least expect it to.

A point of view shot is sued to allow the audience to see through the characters eyes and ass verisimilitude to it. An areal shot of her body is shown as she lays unconscious on the ground, the surrounding is shown also, which connotes she is isolated and there is no help around. A tight frame is used to show her facial expression as she wakes up this suggests that she is trapped and there is no way out. 



Non-diegetic sound of an old song is played through a cassette, which is shown through a close up shot. This conforms to the stereotype of the horror genre, as most of the evil characters are also old. Wide shot is used to show her laying on her back on a operation table. This immediately tells the audience that something bad has happened as well as the diegetic sound of her whimpering adds to it.
Mid-shot is used to show half of her body, this allows the audience to see a circle cut out of her stomach with blood pouring on the sides, This makes the audience feel confused and appeals to them as the stereotype is introduced through the body-horror sub-genre. Mise en scene is used to captivate the audience through the close up shot of the surgical instruments laying on the table. This tells the audience they were used to cut the circle out on her stomach.



 Mid-shot is used to show another character, which the audience soon recognize to be the bad guy. He is unshaven and wearing a black cap and t-short, this colour represents danger and death. Mid-shot is used again to show both characters on screen, the music builds up, as they get ready to attack each other. This creates suspense for the audience then a loud scream is heard from the girl and the audience is left to figure out she has been stabbed. The ending leaves a cliff hanger as to why the old man cut the circle out of her stomach in the first place.



Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Friday, 19 September 2014

Horror films based on true stories

Horror films based on a true story:

For my horror film I will be doing it based on a true story this is because from my audience survey I have done, most people prefer the film to based on this as they find it more scarier and engaging. This will effectively make my film interesting and more frightening.



1. The haunting in Connecticut- 2009
Is an American psychological horror film produced by Gold Circle Films and directed by peter Cornwell. It is inspired by the frightening true-life tale of a family that moved into a converted funeral home and subsequently fell under supernatural attack. 

  .




2. Paranormal Activity- 2007
Its an American supernatural horror film, by Oren Peli. The film centers a young couple, who are haunted by a supernatural presence in their home. It is presented in the style of 'found footage', from cameras set up by the couple in an attempt to document what is happening to them.





3. Sinister- 2012
A supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson. A true-crime writer finds a box of old home movies in their new house where a family was perished under gruesome circumstances. The movies shows various families being being murdered and an evil presence begins to stir up and claim them all.






Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Codes and Conventions




These codes and conventions is useful to my short horror film is because, it will help me when I am planning as I will know what to include and have an idea of what is required. 
I intend to apply many of the codes and conventions such as adding eerie music so its frightening and builds up suspense. 
I will also use many of the camera angles such as an establishing shot at the beginning to show the location to the audience. Also I will use a point of view shot so the audience can see through the characters eyes.

Case Study of Blumhouse Productions

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

7 rules for writing a short film

1. The shorter the better 
The script for the film should be as short as possible so its less costly to produce. Digital technology fees up filmmakers. It has to be cheap but shouldn't look too cheap. If you want to get a short film into a festival then you should keep it to no more than 10 minutes which is usually 7-8 pages maximum. This is because if a short film is longer, it will eat up a longer slot and festivals love to play as many shots as possible. You can create emotion in just a few minutes. For example Sebastian's short film 'Voodoo' is a 4 minutes and is about a voodoo doll who must pierce his own heart to save his friend from being impaled. It creates a heartbreaking emotion for the audience.

2 .Keep the practicalities of writing in mind
You should choose locations that are interesting, yet practical, think of access and control and avoid remote locations requiring driving for miles. Don't create a script that is going to be time consuming. If you have access to modest resources think small.

3. Make it visual
Film is about telling stories in pictures, without too much script. Creating visual back stories for your characters makes it more better. 

4. Find single moments
The best short films are often a single moment that is played out, but one that has a story at its heart. For example a conflict that has to be resolved, where there is a dilemma at stake and a choice the protagonist has to make. It is good to add a deadline or ticking clock. It is not necessary but it will add some tension to the short film.



5. Tell a story
A compelling story is a good way to engage the audience. Short films are an opportunity to push the boundaries of what cinematic storytelling can do, for example making the audience emotional. A short film should have a hero with a goal and an obstacle/antagonist in the way. For example in 'I love Sarah Jane it shows a bunch of teenagers in a ghost town where adults have turned into zombies, yet at the core it is a love story about a young boy who cant reach through to the older girl he loves.






6. Engage the reader
Since there's so little time to make an impression the impact of page one is crucial. It is important to hook the reader in the first 10 pages of a feature length script. The ending is also essential as its rare to truly feel moved at the end of a short, so it needs to be meaningful and a satisfying ending.


7. Beware of cliches 
Avoid stereotypes unless you have a fresh viewpoint on them. In the Descendant, a couple of bewildered hit men actually have to kill a seemingly cute little boy and one of them gets cold feet until he realizes that the child is a supernatural being who terrifies his mother.

Therefore by watching lots of short films you get ideas on how to make your own one.


http://www.raindance.org/7-rules-for-writing-short-films/


The history of short films


The history of short films:

The first films were presented to the public in 1894 through Thomas Edison’s Kinetoscope, a device that allows individual viewing at one time, examples include on current affairs and scenes from everyday life. 

  

Short films began in 1910 in America, most of the films were comedy.
Improvements in recording and editing technology allowed filmmakers to produce longer films. 
From 1910 and onwards, studio competition and audience demand persuaded filmmakers to make even longer, multi-reel films and the first feature film was made at this time. 


However, by 1955 were on the rise again because of a famous comedian Charlie Chaplin who people enjoyed watching. 



Pixar and Disney have made a couple of short films in the recent times such as 'For the bird's', 'Geri's game' and 'The lamp'.























In the UK television has been central to the success of short films like Wallace and Gromit which reached popularity. 

-This is a reliable post from a journalist for the Telegraph news.

Monday, 2 June 2014

What is a short film?

  • A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film.
  • The Academy of motion pictures art and sciences defines a short film as " An original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less." 
  • Short films can be professional or or amateur productions.
  • Short films are often screened at local, national or international film festivals.
  • Short films are often made by independent film makers non profit, either with a low budget, no budget at all, and in rare cases big budgets. 
  • Short films are usually funded by film grants, non profit organisations, sponsor, or out of pocket funds. 
  • These films are used by indie filmmakers to prove their talent in order to gain funding for future films from private investors, entertainment companies, or film studios.
  • Short films qualify for Academy Awards if screened in Los Angeles.


A short film script can be a great calling card for a writer. Writing them requires the same skills as writing a feature length script, though on a small scale. TV broadcast opportunities may be limited, but there are more outlets for these opportunity such as posting it online for example YouTube.
IndieWire: " Shorts used to be this artsy thing. But now there really is this explosion in film making, With all this new technology, short films have a lot more interest among regular people, because so many people are making them and putting them on the web. Suddenly, we're not explaining short films to people. Everybody's seen one".

Sunday, 1 June 2014

Secondary research from books

Short film:
Definition-
A brief film of between 5 and 30 minuites which deals with a particular film. In the hollywood studios of the 1930's to 1950's, a short film was a cartoon which ran between 6 to 7 minuets.
Channel 4 in Britain has commissioned a great many short features.
Source: The complete A-Z media and communication handbook- Stuart price




Previewing allows studios to 'road test' their film before releasing it. Bad previews can lead a film to drastically altered. for example Blade Runner (1982) had a voice over added and a new ending tacked on.
Source: Media institutions and audiences key concepts in media studies- Nick Lacey