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Friday, 31 January 2014
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Distributor for the Film
During my research to find the suitable distributor for the film i found many varieties with positives and negatives to each. I felt that 'Brain Damage films worked perfectly. I felt this because there aim if to distribute low budget independent horror productions and this is just what our film is going to be based on.
The company was established in 2001 and has been one of the most successful independent horror film distributors on a worldwide basis since it was established. They are able to produce both DVDs and videos on demand, which would be highly beneficial for any film they can produce.
The company have produced films such as:
These are all Independent films that are being distributed through Brain Damage Films and there other subsidiaries.
Website: http://braindamagefilms.com/
Age Ratings in Horror Films
In horror films there are a many types of film that can be put into different categories.
For the age rating U the concepts of the films are typically scary. An example of this is Scooby Doo as the idea of finding out a mystery. This is rated at a U as it has a mild peril.
The U symbol stands for Universal. A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child, especially at this lower end of the category range.
E.G Hotel Transylvania.
This is classed as a U as the concept is fantasy about Vampires. This is seen as a scary concept to have in a film.
The next age rating is PG.
PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for younger children. A PG film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the content might upset younger or more sensitive children.
This concept is that the film ends well with a happy ending. There are many examples of this such as: Coraline, Ghostbusters, Frankenweenie and Little Vampire.
This clip is from Ghostbusters about their first encounter with a Ghost in a library.
The next age rating is 12/A.
12A means that anyone aged 12 or over can go and see the film unaccompanied. The A stands for 'accompanied' and 'advisory'. Children younger than 12 may see the film if they are accompanied by an adult (eg someone over the age of 18), who must watch the film with them.However, The 12 certificate is just for videos, DVDs and Blu-rays. 12A is for films at the cinema only.
Also, the typical 12/A film is based on fantasy. E.g Woman in Black, Dark Shadows, Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga.
This clip is from the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This film is rated a 12/A as it shows the fantasy of magic, witches and wizards and also mild violence.
The next age rating is 15.
No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a ‘15’ rated DVD. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age. This is what can be included in a 15 rated film:
In a horror film this is effect as the main aspect is physcological and makes the audience jump to conclusions in the film that arent even there. This happens in films such as incidious, IT, Sinister and The Conjouring.
strong violence frequent strong language portrayals of sexual activity strong verbal references to sex sexual nudity brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence discriminatory language or behaviour drug taking
This clip is from the film The Conjouring. The clip is based on somebody seeing something that isn't even there. The audience believes that there is something there ind this then creates the horror/thriller effect.
The final aspect of age rating is 18.
Films rated 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy/rent an 18 rated DVD. No 18 rated works are suitable for children.
very strong violence frequent strong language
In a horror film the key aspects a gore and visual because of the above this is why an 18 film is as it is. Examples of this are: Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw, Friday 13th and My Bloody Valentine.
strong portrayals of sexual activity scenes of sexual violence strong horror strong blood and gore real sex (in some circumstances) discriminatory language and behaviour
This is a poster of the release of Nightmare on Elm Street. The way that the poster does not need to tell you what film it is is effective as it will be a sequel you already recognise the hand, blood, gore etc from the original films. If you haven't seen the film you know who it is and what it is about because it is that well known.
Overall, the age ratings for films are put in place for a reason so that the audience understands what they are going to get from the film.
I have also used:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/u
The bbfc website for quotations of the meaning of each rating.
Prom Night Openeing Analysis.
Prom Night Opening
Above is the link for the first ten minutes of the film Prom Night which I shall be analysing. This film is of the same genre and age rating of the film that we wish to make making it a suitable example for me to study.
The opening titles give chance to visually shows the audience where the film is set rather then telling them ion the script. Long panned and tilted angles give the audience a sense of setting and location whilst the titles are shown, something which may not attract their full attention. The music played in the background also creates a sense of atmosphere as it has an upbeat tempo, this also creates a sense of tension as the audience know they have come to see a horror film, the sickly sweet 'American' sounding theme makes the audience even more tense as they are expecting something to go wrong.
As she enters the house there is a sense of foreboding. Her friend and mother have just left making her isolated and alone in the home. The diegetic sound of just the television and no other background sound also creates tension. Gradually building up in the background is non-diegetic mood music that creates tension and tells the audience that something is not correct. As the main character continues to do everyday tasks such as putting here coat in a wardrobe tension is built. This is something we could easily replicate through creating our own soundtrack. Using low key lighting and naturalistic angles is something we could easily do in one of our own homes. This would be cost effective yet still create the desired tension and dramatic effect.
The use of silences after she says the word 'Dad' create tension as the audience have their own suspicions as to the events that have occurred. After this the audiences' suspicions are answered as a camera tilt shows an image of her dead Father. This creates dramatic irony as the audience now know what is going to happen however the character doesn't. This creates tension. We could use this in our scriptwriting to easily create tension. This then leads to a close up of his bloody hand which creates further tension as the reader pieces together the image they are being shown without actually being told.
Re-creating a realistic injury could be difficult to create. We may have to research into how to make an injury look believable or use different methods in order to create tension.
The image above is something we could create. although this is later on, the close up of the knife and blood creates signals of panic within the audience. the low key lighting is something that we could recreate. to vary location we could do this outside as the green gives a sense of openness however the audience
After these images the audience is on edge. The non-diegetic music get louder and the quick pacing editing of events such as her tripping over a baseball bat crate further unease as the audience expect something major to happen. The low key lighting also creates tension as the audience fear what they cannot see. The character couldn't see the dead body and so the audience worry about what else may be hidden in the darkness. If we accurately use angles and lighting this may be something we can replicate and us in our own film. The use of editing between her brother create tension as they quickly jump between him and the television.
The audience suspect what has happened and as the camera jumps to a close up of his body it creates a sense of panic.
The editing quickens now as the intruders enter creating panic and tension in the audience.The pace is faster meaning that the audience don't know what is going to happen next. The camera angles in the next sequence give an interesting perspective as it is a low angle from the direction of the Character's eye line. This creates a sense of realism and tension as the audience is in the same position as her and feel equally vulnerable. The use of angles and lighting is effective as we only see the boots of the killer due to the low angle. The lighting also means that we can't see the identity creating mystery and suspense. The audience feel tense as we watch a visually impaired version of her mothers death, just like she does. To comply with the age certificate of a 15 we only see a close up of a knife allowing the audience members to use their imaginations for her death. The this is something we could use as we are using the same age certificate and want to stay within these guidelines.
The lighting then changes allowing us to see the killers identity.
This will become important in the next hairdressers scene. The use of a close up onto the girls eyes as she meets the killer is useful as it shows the fear and a zoom out also creates tension as we see her surroundings and the enclosed environment she is in.
The zoom also allows for a change of setting as she is now in a room explaining that this is a dream. This confuses the audience as they question if this is her imagination or a piece of reality. This is something we could use when scriptwriting to still make the plot line interesting even though the action and high speed editing has finished. The zoom allows for location change allowing the storyline too move on quickly and keep the audience interested. We could use this in our film as we are only creating the first two minutes.
They then use the same technique to move from the office to the hairdressers, zooming into her face and then zooming out in a different location. This is effective as it saves time, again something we could replicate and creates a link between the two scenes. There is then the use of a wipe.
In the mirror she see's the killer. This pauses for a split moment allowing the audience to recognise who he is. This then is taken away by a wagon going past and wiping away his image. This is effective as it makes the audience wonder if he is there or not and if this is part of her imagination.
This is something we could pay homage to in our own film. We could re create this when Our killer is seen and then disappears and re appears in the home. This editing and filming technique could be effective and simple to create through using final cut.
There is then the use of another wipe again to change location. as a car goes past the location changes from the hairdressers to her home. The editing is effective as it creates a quick, naturalistic location change without using too much time. The fast pace editing and changing of scenes means that the audience is on edge as they expect something to happen. the last major jump section in this is when she is looking in the mirror. the non-diegetic music creates a sense of sincerity and the audience feel sympathy for her and the issues she has to deal with. as she closes the cabinet in the mirror the audience see her aunt in the background. this creates a jump as the music suddenly changes and a sharp chord is sounded. this creates a jump and relief sensation in the audience as they expect it to be the killer. This also makes the audience question if this is her imagination or reality as she has not been taking her medication.
These editing techniques and specific angles are something that we could use in our own film. If we accurately film and edit we could replicate them to create a 'jumpy' effect. The locations we use for our own film should be naturalistic such as a house or local areas to make the audience feel that nowhere is safe. It will be important to use lighting in order to create different moods and represent specific characters both positively and negatively. I think using different camera angles similar to when she is hiding under the bed could be effective as it creates a different perspective and makes the audience feel uncomfortable. This technique has been used in other films such as Taken to create the same atmosphere. I think using something like this would be effective to create tension amongst the audience and atmosphere.
Taken hiding scene
This film is something we could replicate however with a different storyline. I think using the above techniques and some of the memorable images of the film we could create something individual however using some of the typical conventions of horror films.
Above is the link for the first ten minutes of the film Prom Night which I shall be analysing. This film is of the same genre and age rating of the film that we wish to make making it a suitable example for me to study.
The opening titles give chance to visually shows the audience where the film is set rather then telling them ion the script. Long panned and tilted angles give the audience a sense of setting and location whilst the titles are shown, something which may not attract their full attention. The music played in the background also creates a sense of atmosphere as it has an upbeat tempo, this also creates a sense of tension as the audience know they have come to see a horror film, the sickly sweet 'American' sounding theme makes the audience even more tense as they are expecting something to go wrong.
As she enters the house there is a sense of foreboding. Her friend and mother have just left making her isolated and alone in the home. The diegetic sound of just the television and no other background sound also creates tension. Gradually building up in the background is non-diegetic mood music that creates tension and tells the audience that something is not correct. As the main character continues to do everyday tasks such as putting here coat in a wardrobe tension is built. This is something we could easily replicate through creating our own soundtrack. Using low key lighting and naturalistic angles is something we could easily do in one of our own homes. This would be cost effective yet still create the desired tension and dramatic effect.
The use of silences after she says the word 'Dad' create tension as the audience have their own suspicions as to the events that have occurred. After this the audiences' suspicions are answered as a camera tilt shows an image of her dead Father. This creates dramatic irony as the audience now know what is going to happen however the character doesn't. This creates tension. We could use this in our scriptwriting to easily create tension. This then leads to a close up of his bloody hand which creates further tension as the reader pieces together the image they are being shown without actually being told.
After these images the audience is on edge. The non-diegetic music get louder and the quick pacing editing of events such as her tripping over a baseball bat crate further unease as the audience expect something major to happen. The low key lighting also creates tension as the audience fear what they cannot see. The character couldn't see the dead body and so the audience worry about what else may be hidden in the darkness. If we accurately use angles and lighting this may be something we can replicate and us in our own film. The use of editing between her brother create tension as they quickly jump between him and the television.
The editing quickens now as the intruders enter creating panic and tension in the audience.The pace is faster meaning that the audience don't know what is going to happen next. The camera angles in the next sequence give an interesting perspective as it is a low angle from the direction of the Character's eye line. This creates a sense of realism and tension as the audience is in the same position as her and feel equally vulnerable. The use of angles and lighting is effective as we only see the boots of the killer due to the low angle. The lighting also means that we can't see the identity creating mystery and suspense. The audience feel tense as we watch a visually impaired version of her mothers death, just like she does. To comply with the age certificate of a 15 we only see a close up of a knife allowing the audience members to use their imaginations for her death. The this is something we could use as we are using the same age certificate and want to stay within these guidelines.
The lighting then changes allowing us to see the killers identity.
They then use the same technique to move from the office to the hairdressers, zooming into her face and then zooming out in a different location. This is effective as it saves time, again something we could replicate and creates a link between the two scenes. There is then the use of a wipe.
In the mirror she see's the killer. This pauses for a split moment allowing the audience to recognise who he is. This then is taken away by a wagon going past and wiping away his image. This is effective as it makes the audience wonder if he is there or not and if this is part of her imagination.
There is then the use of another wipe again to change location. as a car goes past the location changes from the hairdressers to her home. The editing is effective as it creates a quick, naturalistic location change without using too much time. The fast pace editing and changing of scenes means that the audience is on edge as they expect something to happen. the last major jump section in this is when she is looking in the mirror. the non-diegetic music creates a sense of sincerity and the audience feel sympathy for her and the issues she has to deal with. as she closes the cabinet in the mirror the audience see her aunt in the background. this creates a jump as the music suddenly changes and a sharp chord is sounded. this creates a jump and relief sensation in the audience as they expect it to be the killer. This also makes the audience question if this is her imagination or reality as she has not been taking her medication.
These editing techniques and specific angles are something that we could use in our own film. If we accurately film and edit we could replicate them to create a 'jumpy' effect. The locations we use for our own film should be naturalistic such as a house or local areas to make the audience feel that nowhere is safe. It will be important to use lighting in order to create different moods and represent specific characters both positively and negatively. I think using different camera angles similar to when she is hiding under the bed could be effective as it creates a different perspective and makes the audience feel uncomfortable. This technique has been used in other films such as Taken to create the same atmosphere. I think using something like this would be effective to create tension amongst the audience and atmosphere.
Taken hiding scene
This film is something we could replicate however with a different storyline. I think using the above techniques and some of the memorable images of the film we could create something individual however using some of the typical conventions of horror films.
Mise En Scene
Setting
Woods, Houses, Derelict Landscapes, Abandoned Towns, Warehouses, anything abandoned and open.
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Lighting
Digital colour correction, using filters, dark, obscene, dim lighting, flashes, shadows, ultra violet, black light. The lighting is used to add to the feel of the scary atmosphere.
Props
Props are needed in order to create a realistic story and narrative. In horror films props are used normally to indicate evil, death and pain. Such things like knifes, guns, ropes, masks etc. These things help in setting the film and in setting the themes and genres of a particular film. This also helps the atmosphere and ambience of the film. Propsplay a significant part in a film in helping to tell a certain story. They are also used by th as equipment used by actors. They tell a story without words and express the thoughts and feelings of the characters.
Costume
Costumes in a Horror Film are usually just normal everyday clothing in a more modern type of film. However, in an older film there would be blood, gore and dark clothing used. Sometimes white. I think that this is to show innocence in the potential victim. Also, in films the use of children also shows this too. This is then the same with Make-Up. The more modern the film the less make up it gets. However, in a more traditional Horror film there is plenty and fake blood too. This is because of the way that technology has changed over the years.
This picture is the use of masks as well as the
costume itself. You can see this as it is
an older film because of the use of the dark,
and dull clothing.
Woods, Houses, Derelict Landscapes, Abandoned Towns, Warehouses, anything abandoned and open.
Lighting
Digital colour correction, using filters, dark, obscene, dim lighting, flashes, shadows, ultra violet, black light. The lighting is used to add to the feel of the scary atmosphere.
Props
Props are needed in order to create a realistic story and narrative. In horror films props are used normally to indicate evil, death and pain. Such things like knifes, guns, ropes, masks etc. These things help in setting the film and in setting the themes and genres of a particular film. This also helps the atmosphere and ambience of the film. Propsplay a significant part in a film in helping to tell a certain story. They are also used by th as equipment used by actors. They tell a story without words and express the thoughts and feelings of the characters.
Costume
Costumes in a Horror Film are usually just normal everyday clothing in a more modern type of film. However, in an older film there would be blood, gore and dark clothing used. Sometimes white. I think that this is to show innocence in the potential victim. Also, in films the use of children also shows this too. This is then the same with Make-Up. The more modern the film the less make up it gets. However, in a more traditional Horror film there is plenty and fake blood too. This is because of the way that technology has changed over the years. This picture is the use of masks as well as the
costume itself. You can see this as it is
an older film because of the use of the dark,
and dull clothing. Similar Films- Part 2
The following films are more recent. This means that the technology has developed and more famous actors are used as the box office sales are more higher.
Insidious
From experience this film is very dramatic and unrealistic.
Wednesday, 29 January 2014
Horror Films
The film genre, Horror, is a genre who's aim is to frighten its audience. This is done by playing on their fears, fears of things such as the supernatural, serial killers and natural disasters.
Each of these different fears can be categorised into one of the many sub-genres. My group's storyline can be put into two of those categories: Psychological Horror and Serial Killer Horror.
Psychological Horror is a good genre to pick as the plot focuses on the fears in the mind of the protagonist which means that each individual that watches it, brings their own personal fears into play.
Serial Killer Horror is equally as good, because in most of the existing such films, the plot is based around a 'normal' character which makes the notion of it happening in real life, all the more plausible.
Still from the film re-make of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Nosferatu (1922).
Each of these different fears can be categorised into one of the many sub-genres. My group's storyline can be put into two of those categories: Psychological Horror and Serial Killer Horror.
Psychological Horror is a good genre to pick as the plot focuses on the fears in the mind of the protagonist which means that each individual that watches it, brings their own personal fears into play.
Infamous still from the film re-make of Stephen King's The Shining (1980).
Serial Killer Horror is equally as good, because in most of the existing such films, the plot is based around a 'normal' character which makes the notion of it happening in real life, all the more plausible.
Trailer for the 1978 Serial Killer Horror classic, Halloween.
Sunday, 26 January 2014
Audiences
Audiences may choose to watch a certain genre of film such as horror as they know and like the genre.
The audiences can become to familiar with the type of genre so institutions develop the idea to make it the sort of film that the audience will love but it will also be different than any other film such as horror's.
The institutions make sure that the audiences can understand and develop the storyline. The aim of a horror film is to make the audience think and add bits of the film together.
The institutions make sure that the audiences can understand and develop the storyline. The aim of a horror film is to make the audience think and add bits of the film together.
Title Sequences
A title sequence is a film or TV shows way of introducing itself, the characters in the production and the people that helped make it.
It also helps set the scene and overall tone for the production, establish a particular genre as well as key ideas and themes.
It also helps set the scene and overall tone for the production, establish a particular genre as well as key ideas and themes.
Title Sequence to the 1980 Psychological Horror, The Shining.
In the title sequences from horror films that I've watched I've noticed that although it is clear that the film is a horror, there is always an almost serene aspect; The Shining has daytime landscape shots with ominous music and the When a Stranger Calls re-make has shots of families at a colourful carnival mixed with eerie shots of house tense music and strange voiceovers.
By doing this, the filmmakers create tension, mystery and suspense - all of which are key in order for a Horror film to be successful.
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Audience
Our audience is aimed between 15 to 25. This is because people of this age are usually attracted to horror films and the age rating (15) means that we cannot advertise this to anyone younger. The audience may have seen films such as when a stranger calls that has a similar storyline and theme running throughout the plot. Audiences may be attracted to the differences in our storyline, we have decided to go against the 'final girl' theory as it is usually men who are attracted to horror films, perhaps due to the fact that that it is always a female who is victimised. In our film we wish to make a female the saviour of the story to attract a different type of audience.
audience profile research
The link above is a useful source I have found that consists of results form a questionnaire about films people would be attracted to. The people questioned were aged in a similar age range to our target audience It also tells us when the audience prefers to watch horror films and the formats in which they wish to consume the film. This can be useful to see how we should advertise and use different ways to enable them to consume the film. This source is useful as it shows us how much to charge for audiences to consume the film. Cost is a large issue as are audience are likely to still be in education or just starting in the workplace. This means that the film has to be affordable and available on several different platforms in order to gain the most profit.
We could also conduct a similar questionnaire to see the expectations and need of our audience.
audience profile research
The link above is a useful source I have found that consists of results form a questionnaire about films people would be attracted to. The people questioned were aged in a similar age range to our target audience It also tells us when the audience prefers to watch horror films and the formats in which they wish to consume the film. This can be useful to see how we should advertise and use different ways to enable them to consume the film. This source is useful as it shows us how much to charge for audiences to consume the film. Cost is a large issue as are audience are likely to still be in education or just starting in the workplace. This means that the film has to be affordable and available on several different platforms in order to gain the most profit.
We could also conduct a similar questionnaire to see the expectations and need of our audience.
Age Rating for our Film
BBFC Age Rating
The rating for our film will be a 15. This is because it fits the requirements and standards that the BBFC specify for films. This is because there can be strong violence that would have to be incorporated due to they storyline and genre of the film meaning that the images we show can be more explicit. However there will be no major focusing on pain or injury due to the requirements of a 15 rated film. Other existing films of the same genre have the same age rating at it is almost an expectation and convention of horror films that the content is more explicit meaning therefore that the recommended age rating is higher.
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