Research of National Logos

This is the Dreamworks Logo. What is good about this logo is that it can be improvised to fit the film. For example in Shrek the 'S' grows ogre ears to represent Shrek.

 This logo represents the fact that the film company isnt just in one place it is universal so it thinks about the whole world which mkaes it very flexible.

 The Warner Bros logo is basically just advertising what they are called but it could be used to represent strength as the logo seems to be metal.

The 20th Century Fox logo clearly represents importance as if it were a celebrity on the red carpet. This may suggest that the films they produce are of good quality.

Location Research

In a horror film, setting is everything. Without a good setting the film wouldn't be right. Some films might film a scene in the forest, a haunted house, a church, a hospital, anything really, even completely normal buildings.

We liked the idea of filming our horror opening somewhere spooky and enclosed, so we chose a forest and a house. The forest would be our main setting and the house would be our contrast. If you are filming in a dark forest you need to think about the lighting. If it is quite enclosed then you should start filming while it is lighter as then the branches from the trees should make it seem naturally darker. If you start filming when it gets a bit darker then you won't be able to see the picture very well and you will have to stop filming.

What Makes an effective Horror Movie Opening ?

Some people have different views on what makes a successful horrow film opening. In my Media class we had the chance to watch 2 different openings and assess them. We watched 1408 and When a Stranger Calls. While we were watching them we made notes on things that we saw and thought made it an effective opening.

1408

At the start there was rain and thunder and it was at night. The man was on his own and had a map which suggests that where he was, was a new place for him and gave off a sense of being lost and isolated. There was creepy music in the background which helped add emphasis of him being on his own. There is reference to a haunted house when he turns up at the hotel and he is introduced to paranormal activities that had been going on. We are given clues about the film as there are recurring motifs. There is also ellipsis, the jumping of time, which makes the watcher wonder what is going to happen and when.

When a Stranger Calls

The title of this film has a sharp, simple font, which to me suggests that everything in this film is going to be straight to the point. To start with we hear voices but there aren't any pictures on screen so this is asynchronus sound and creates a picture in the watchers mind of what the people could look like. This also suggests that the people talking are important and something is going to happen between them. There is creepy music which contradicts the happiness of a fun fair and there is deep breathing however you cannot see what is causing the breathing so this gives the watcher a chance to build up their own view of what is making the noise. The shots used are giving the effect of someone watching a house from behind a bush or tree which gives a sense of stalking as does when something sneaks across the screen very quickly as though it doesnt want to be seen. There are screams from the fun-fair as there are screams from the house and there is a red balloon that eventually gets caught up in a desserted place, partly destroyed, which suggests that death is going to be involved.

All of these things from the two films are what I think make an effective horror movie opening as they create anticipation and fear in the watcher.

Opening Scene of 'My Bloody Valentine' Analysis

My Bloody Valentine

The plot of My Bloody Valentine is several decades ago there was this crazy miner who went around killing people on Valentines day, he got caught and was sent to prison where he supposedly died. However people question whether he did die in jail as once again there is a crazy miner killing people on Valentines day.
After the title sequence there is a fade into the scene so it makes it easier for the watcher to follow, however instead of just going straight into the first scene we hear sounds of things going on and then the picture appears with some of the names of actors still appearing just to give it a flow. Music and sound are used to create a tense and creepy atmosphere so it fits the genre of 'horror'. As it is set in a mine it is quite dark and you cant see much which helps give the illusion of it being cold and deserted. There are mostly teenagers in this movie and most of them are in relationships with one another, there are only a handful of people that aren't in a relationship. Teenagers may be the main characters as to show how they think they are strong enough to take care of themselves but they actually need more help than they think. The pace in this is quite fast as we start off in a flashback of the past and then we skip straight to the present without knowing what happens inbetween to create anticipation in the audience and enabling them to create a view of what they think happened. The camera shots used in the opening were the 180 degree rule when the teenagers are discussing whether to go to the mines or not, tracking when following the teenagers into the mine, high angle up on the hill looking down at the mine, long shot to show how big the mine is and a close up when the girl has her head chopped in half by the miner to show the terror.

I also observed Saw and Paranormal activity. Most of the things about camera, sounds, lighting and the title sequence are similar in all three. The settings are dark, dingy and cold places which helps add to the effect of the horror genre. When I watched these I was very creeped out, especially by the sound effects that were used such as clanking, banging and creaking.

Preliminary Task

This is the video my group made for our Preliminary Task. We used the photos that we took as a base for our video. We used all the different shots mentioned amd exchanged a bit of dialogue. We were trying to portray the seriousness in  Rowens face and make the reader feel that seriousness through the screen. Unfortunately a small part of the start was cut off and a small bit at the end was also cut off. This has affectedthe flow of the video but I have edited this regardless because I can still make the reader feel the emotions that have been portrayed.

Preliminary Task Photos

This is a close up of my hand about to open a door. This gives the audience an idea of what action is being portayed and makes them feel that they are right there watching it in person.

This is a long shot of me opening a door and going to go into a room. A long shot is used so that the audience is given an idea of the surrounding and where the room is situated. It has also been used so that the audience know what I am doing.

This is also a long shot as I enter the room. Using a long shot in this situation means that the audience knows what the setting is and what else is in the room with the characters. This creates and image in the characters head of the atmosphere would be like or where the whole thing is set.

This long shot is of Me and Rowen. This establishes the scene that is about to unfold and suggests that the two characters are going to have a conversation, giving the reader an idea about what they could be talking about.

This is a mid-shot. This is good because is shows that both the characters are there and since it shows that they are facing we know that something is about to pass between them.

This close up is used to show the audience that dialect is being used and also to show the seriousness in her face. The audience now knows that whatever the conversation is about, it is going to be serious.

This close up of me shows how i am listening to Rowen to see what she has to say. This creates anticipation in the audience as they want to know what is so important about what Rowen is about to say. The audience can feel the tension in the charatcers in the close ups.

This last close up shows the depression in Rowen's face and makes the audience feel for the character. This is quite effective because this means that the audience feel like a part of the scene that they are watching.