Evaluation supporting video clips - Part 1

Evaluation part 1 - Sinister.


Evaluation Part 1 - Reservoir Dogs
Evaluation Part 1 - Chernobyl Diaries


Evaluation Part 1 - Psycho

Evaluation Part 4

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Evaluation Screening for "Blank" - Feedback

-What did you like?

·        -Sound was good

·        -Sound track was really good

·        -Jump scare at the end

·        -Camera angles- close-ups and canted angles

·        -The wobble effect when blank shows up

·        Good soundtrack

·        -Wide variety of shots

·        -Good font effects

·        -Heartbeat works well

·        -Good jumps

·        -Heart pulse is good

·        -Inter-title font is good

·        -Good jumps

·        -Wobble effect

·        -Good camera angles and use of music

·        -Special fx are good

·        -The music changes were great – real horror feel

·        -Sound fx were really well done

·        -Really cool font

·        -Collision cuts were awesome

·        -Really cool villain

·        -Really like the backing heartbeat

·        -The music x2

·        -Slenderman/ Blank

-What needs to be improved?

·        -More horror aspects

·        -The inter-title text font

·        -More conventions

·        -Lack of low key lighting

·        -Slender in the road – didn't really make sense

·        -More horror conventions – make the screen darker

·        -Voices are too quiet x 3

·        -Too high key

·       - Don’t understand plot of going to the woods – not enough narrative to explain, inter-titles needed x 2

·        -Would have worked better at night

·        -Quick dialogue

·        -The new blurry effect doesn't work as well

-Scores-

10

9.9

9

9

9

8

8

7

7

7

6

Avg = 8.172

"Blank" Final Cut

"Blank" Final Cut - Alternate Cut

"Blank" Focus Group

Favourite Image Analysis

This is my favourite image analysis from the move The Descent (2005). I favour this image over many as I feel it presents a lot of the horror conventions that help to make a movie scary. The shot/scene is done in night vision; this immediately makes the whole thing a lot creepier, as it taps into one of the very famous phobias experienced by many, fear of the dark. The lighting and colour created by this helps the characters, in particular the monsters of the film, look a lot grubbier and horrible, connoting the deep ‘mess’ that they’ve gotten themselves into. The canted angle done by the camera gives an unsettling effect for the viewer to see. This unsettling effect helps prepare the audience for the jump scare that is then presented in the scene, making it far scarier. The image also includes both horror conventions of a monster, and also a female victim.

Evaluation Part 3

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Evaluation Part 2

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Evaluation Part 1

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Poster Analysis

Magazine Cover analysis

Stereotypical fan

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'Creep Van' Movie Review

Film Title: Creep Van
Year Of Production: 2012
Director: Scott W. McKinlay
Genre/Genres: Horror/Comedy

Brief Plot Outline: 
A loner moves to L.A. with no job, as a general 'out of options' outsider. He looks to buy a car after being recently employed by a car washing company to make travel easier and to impress his new crush. He contacts and owner of a van being advertised, who's owner enjoys going around killing people for fun. He then finds himself in a race to save his own, as well as his new girlfriend's life.

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?
1) Creep Van in his house - parallel music combined with low-key lighting created a successful sinister feeling, working very well together.

2) The young victim being cut in-half by Creep Van's window. The body horror used here is very effective in giving a sudden scare, and quickly getting across the narrative of the film, about the pointless killings by this van on random people.

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of film making? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?
-It's helped me by demonstrating what & when to use certain aspects to suit the genre (music and acting especially)
-Body horror - throughout each killing scene - blood splatter and use of effects (fake bodies) plus add some sound effects for an added scare tactic.
-Creepy locations - the woodlands at the start present a perfect location to set the mood of a horror trailer/film immediately
-Use of parallel music in killing scenes help connote suspense
-Kuleshov effects - scenes between the kills and the main character shows they will be linked in some way, helping create a storyline.
-Psycho killer - male hero - female victim (blonde-haired girl in the van) all feature on the genre checklist. They all fit the stereotype, particularly the female victim, as she has blonder hair, teasing looks and a body that's too unnaturally in-shape.
-Unhappy ending - main character ends up unfairly going to jail after the death of his girlfriend and the antagonist, showing almost a circle of life as he's ended up back as a loner and outsider.
-Sex & taboo - in the main characters house, his housemate and his girlfriend are having sex in the living room, as well as the sexualised blonde woman who is killed in the van, as her 'assets' are presented clear to the camera, which ultimately become targeted as the seat-belt squeezes her to the chair.

Which aspects of the film would you like to include in your own trailer? Why? 
-Build of suspense formed by parallel music and slow montage - this works effectively to get you to grip the edge of your seat in suspense.
-Use of creepy locations helps build atmosphere e.g. a long deserted highway.

Which aspects of the film would you like to avoid in your own trailer? Why?
-Comedy side of the film - some contrapuntal music can be too comical, as well as some costumes are designed to look far too silly, detracting from the 'horror' feeling the film should have. This can also make the film seem very cheap.
-A boring narrative - without a decent narrative for the audience to follow, the film fails to be remembered.
-Bad acting and overly stereotypical characters.

What was the best aspect/more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?
-Suspense in the kill of the motorcyclist, getting you to wait for the kill helping build tension.
-Collision cutting - go from more relaxed - to a sudden kill, making you jump, building the 'scare' factor about the film.

'Rear Window' Movie Review

Film Title: Rear Window
Year Of Production: 1954
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre/Genres: Mystery/ Romance/ Thriller

Brief Plot Outline:
A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his window, in the hope of relieving boredom. After spying on his neighbours for a while and learning their routines, he eventually becomes convinced one of them has committed a murder after seeing 'suspicious' activity.

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?
1) As Lisa is breaking into the apartment, the music in the background from the other room adds a suspenseful and unusual feel to the scene - this gets the viewer on edge as they watch. The reasoning behind this may because the music is contrapuntal to the scene, as it is fairly happy, contradictory to the suspenseful and potentially frightening prospect of her actions she is undertaking.

2) The slow montage of sound at the door as the antagonist nears L.B Jefferies apartment. This builds a lot of suspense, using close-ups and low-key lighting to give a more sinister effect.

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of film making? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?
-Contrapuntal music when 'J.B.' sees the mysterious man in a black coat for the first time - fairground style music, funny for the couple moving their bed, but uncomfortably strange  - suiting the sinister man in black.
-Point of view shots of 'J.B' looking out at his neighbourhood - this puts us in his shoes, making us feel the suspense far more, and gets us thinking the same thing as he may be thinking. Ultimately, putting us into the diegesis, helping us connect emotionally to the main character better.
-Sex & taboo - The girl dancing in her underwear as 'J.B' spies on her. This scene, and in fact the whole movie explores the idea of voyeurism a great deal, reflecting Hitchcock's auteur influence.
-Clever use of montage's, particular to Hitchcock's film style. This can be accurately represented by his slow build up to the killer entering the room, and the editing becomes progressively quicker and quicker as the drama unfolds.

Which aspects of the film would you like to include in your own trailer? Why?
-Point of view shots - I feel this adds an immersive feel to the viewing, messing with the audiences emotions far more.
-Slow fades - this adds a very nice effect, showing a good transition of time and helps maximise the effect of a slow montage of shots creating tension.

Which aspects of the film would you like to avoid in your own trailer? Why?
-Romance & relationships - I feel this can detract horror from being the main focal point of the movie, making it slow moving and boring for a horror/thriller, which is meant to be fast-paced and full of action.
Therefor, in my own trailer I would like to include quicker montages - especially at the end of my trailer, to get the audiences heart pounding.

What was the best aspect / more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How? 
-Flashes from the light bulb in the camera, adding a disorienting effect - this gives the viewer a quick 'shock'.
-Combination of low-key lighting and flashes, and increasing the speed of shots to maximise the sense of panic.

How does the film show the influence of its "auteur" director? How does it show the director's film making style and soul? Give examples of three scenes from the movie that show their auteur style. 
-J.B.'s possible future wife is a beautiful, blonde-haired woman, much like the girl dancing in the window - This was one of Hitchcock's obsessions.
-The killing and supposed 'cutting' up of the antagonists's wife. Hitchcock's 'torture' of women, which will be explored in the 2013 film, "Hitchcock and Me".
-Rapid use / variation of montages and editing to build tension. Hitchcock was obsessed with using editing to create suspense / different emotions in his films.

Psycho (1960) Still Analysis 1

This scene from Psycho shows Marion in her car running away, as she has recently stolen the money from her work. The strong close-up shot we are given of her face in the middle of the mise-en-scene, allows the viewer to almost be a part of the scene-and really get in touch with the emotions she is feeling. This shot conveys her great concern & worry, contemplation and maybe regret from what she has done. The extra-diegetic voiceover also emphasises our understanding of her thoughts and paranoia because of what she has done.

The night-time diegesis and low-key lighting accompanied with the bright lights of the cars connotes a possible disorientation of Marion’s feelings, insinuating she is getting tired, and will eventually need to stop. The night time rain outside also connotes her feelings of sadness and regret over what she has done. This also shows the panic she feels as she is running away from the police, and that any one of the car headlights may be a policeman. This scene is an example of how Hitchcock used cinematography and editing to create an uncomfortable and suspenseful atmosphere in Psycho.

Nightmare on Elm Street Review (Individual Trailer 3)

Name of film: Nightmare on Elm Street

Year released: 2010

Genre of trailer: Fantasy/Horror/Thriller

My marking after viewing: 9/10

What happened in the trailer: A man is being hunted by a mob and ends up being cornered off into this building, where he is then trapped inside while flaming whiskey bottles are thrown inside. The story continues as a group of teenagers are stalked by Freddy Krueger in their dreams, and their only escape, is to stay awake.

Which positive clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well? The sound effects are used very effectively in the trailer, especially the simplistic continuous sound of the little girl singing the song, makes the trailer a whole lot more creepy. The use of the generic convention of creepy locations is also used well, to start with the abandoned buildings, and also the teenagers individual dreams, typically in some sort of misty factory surrounded by low-key lighting and fog.

Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing?
The trailer might have been able to include a few more jump scares throughout the trailer to make it more grueling to watch.

The Descent Review (Individual Trailer 2)

Name of film: The Descent

Year released: 2005

Genre of trailer: Adventure Horror

My marking after viewing: 8/10

What happened in the trailer: A group of girls go on a caving expedition, but after a sudden rockfall, they find themselves trapped in unmarked territory. The story continues as the girls are ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators, picking the girls off one by one. Their only escape, is to try and navigate their way through the dark and claustrophobic caves they have never seen before.

Which positive clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well? One prominent feature of the trailer I recognized and particularly liked, was the use of a night-time/vision camera throughout the second half of the trailer. The change in look of the trailer through the use of changing the colours to a darker setting gives the entire tone of the trailer a far more creepy and suspenseful feel. The text used fits the style of a horror trailer perfectly, as well as the use of overdubbing some speech on the text allows for greater continuity. The possibility of a final girl fits the generic horror conventions perfectly, as well as having a broad spectrum for a female victim, as all the main characters are girls, and will fit the convention of blonde hair, blue eyed victim well.

Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing? 
Although the narrative is established well in the trailer, there is far too much dialogue in the trailer, of characters just talking about the cave. Too much speech can slow the pace of the trailer dramatically, and cause an unwanted interruption to the supposedly fast-paced horror trailer, creating an unwanted possibility of boredom for the viewer.

The Possession Review (Individual Trailer 1)

Name of film: The Possession

Year released: 2012

Genre of trailer: Supernatural Horror

My marking after viewing: 7/10

What happened in the trailer: A little girl goes to stay at her dads house as her parents are divorced. While there, they go to a yard sale and her father buys her this mysterious box. The girl mistakingly opens it during the night, and a weird supernatural creature possesses her from the inside. The parents then proceed to try and find out what is wrong with there daughter, and start looking for ways to get rid of this supernatural creature that has possessed their daughter.

Which positive clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fullfilled well? The use of effects im the trailer works incredibly well with the unusual lighting they have used in the trailer, for instance, when the little girl is shining a blue light down her throat, it creates a creepy atmosphere for when the hand creeps up the back of her throat.

Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccesful and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing?
The trailer starts of very slow paced, and takes far too long to develope any sort of narrative, and to start adding any real scares/ jumps in the trailer.

What was the trailers average score in class? Why did it receive this score?
The average score for this trailer was 10. This was because the trailer offered everything you would expect from a gory horror. The montages, and collision cuts of fast to slow scenes of gore helped add a disgusting and heartpounding feeling to the trailer. The parallel music also worked really well, as the deep groans, and high nasty sounds of things running through the woods, gets the viewer on the tips of their seat.

30 Days Of Night Review (Class Trailer 3)

Name of film: 30 Days Of Night

Year released: 2007

Genre of trailer: Gory Horror

My marking after viewing: 9/10

What happened in the trailer: A quiet town in the arctic while experiencing 30 days of night, suddenly come under attack by a group of vampires. The only survivor of the town finds out she is not alone, and meets a group of other survivors who plan on taking revenge on the vampires, and hunting them down, starting with the leader of the vampire group.

Which positive clever or interesting aspects do you think you could include in your own trailer? What generic features are fulfilled well? The trailer overall has a great jump factor, incorporating slow to fast montages. But also, it makes good use of lighting, for instance, the committee hall at the beginning is relatively dark, but when she turns on the lights to kill the vampires, it suddenly becomes very bright and disorientating, adding to the creepy factor of the trailer. The narrative is set out very well from the beginning, and the generic feature of the 'Final Girl' is established quickly.

Which aspects of the trailer did you think were unsuccessful and would put off its target audience? How is it disappointing? The ending could have been made to be a bit faster and more jumpy, as there are a few slow moments that ruin the pace of the trailer. 


What was the trailers average score in class? Why did it receive this score?
The average score for this trailer was 8. This was because the trailer was good in setting the narrative, and also is a positive representation of how when you don't have gore, you are able to make it just as scary by including a load of 'jump' factors in there.

Mood Board

We have gathered together a selection of images to simulate our chosen genre of psychological horror with a hint of gore. To this we researched images from leading horror films of the same hybrid horror genre, to construct a sense of the visuals we hoped to achieve in our own horror film, Blank.

The three images of a man looking out a window and a person behind him, the children’s eyes scratched out and the “you could have saved him” text are all taken from The Woman In Black (2012). These all portray an eerie feel which is something we want to recreate in our own trailer. The children add to the unsettling feel as it feels as if innocence is being corrupted by the horror of the images. The Woman In Black is generally a great evocation of the features we are aiming to show in our trailer and will be a huge influence on the decisions we make. 

The image of the shadow on the ground is definitely one that we felt would fit in well in our trailer. We are planning to base it on the "Slender Man” character defined in a recent, viral video game. The lengthened shadows illustrates the evil character's presence and dominance over other characters. 

We are planning to create a psychological trailer with a hint of gore so the image with the blood running from the eye and the greying corpse in the top right corner are great likenesses to the amount of gore we would like to include; it shows our trailer is a hybrid genre without overloading it with unnecessary body horror. 

Two of these pictures are set in woods which is where we would like to set part of our narrative. This creepy location is a typical generic convention of horror movies, and fitting to generic conventions (as stated in “Hollywood Genres,” the 1980 book written by Thomas Schatz) is vital to creating a successful film.

The picture of the elderly lady with whitened eyes is from the psychological horror film The Others. We included this because it again represents the genre we want to portray. We were particularly drawn to her glazed over white eyes and thought we could perhaps include this effect in our own main character of “Blank” (our representation of "Slender Man").

Overall, our mood board displays various aspects of our psychological/gory sub-genre which we can take ideas from and develop on them to produce a memorable film trailer. Our aim is that it will indeed fulfil the origins of horror - the Latin word “horrere” which translates as "to shudder." If we make our audience shudder with our trailer, we will have created a successful piece of practical work.

Shot Lists