Cameras

Initial Camera

We initially used my Nikon Coolpix P500, it is typically used for still shots and produces quality pictures in that aspect. When using it to film our opening we found that it was extremely affective for slow shots and still shots as we could mount it easily on the tripod. However for faster moving shots it shook too much and did not produce a clear shot, such as the point of view shot of the young girl looking up at the sky as she wakes up. Initially we had used this camera to film this shot but we found that it did not focus well when moved at that speed. 

Our Second Camera

To replace some of the original shots with better focussed ones we moved on to try out using my iPhones camera. This the iPhone 5 was much more consistent at focussing and provided us with shots equal in quality if not better. We were worried that moving from one device to another would mean the shots looked different however with iMovies editing software we were able to make the shots consistent.

Katanas

The Use Of Katanas In Film

The Katana is a classic Japanese weapon seen in many Japanese films and many war films. Most famously Quentin Tarantino uses it in his film Kill Bill. This film is one of the reasons the katana was chosen for our opening sequence, it is an iconic weapon and stereotypically linked to 'ninja' like characters. Our character is stealthy and confusing, the katana adds a slick look to the character and is its deadly force. In Kill Bill the female character uses her Katana throughout the film rarely picking up another weapon. Other characters in the film also have a Katana as a weapon, it is an antique but deadly weapon which is shown throughout Kill Bill.



Quentin Tarantino also uses the Katana in another of his famous films; Pulp Fiction, where it is Bruce Willis' weapon of choice.



Quentin Tarantino was the main reason we chose to use the Katana as it is iconic and stealthy like our villain.   

Recent Examples Of Horror Films

We've done a lot of background research on popular horror characters, popular horror locations and we've also researched common and effective themes.

So now, this post will be looking at some of the recent releases of horror films. Whilst there are many older horror films that are absolutely brilliant, and have remained so, by looking at more recent films, we can find out more about our target audience (which is, of course, the people living in the present).

By investigating the elements of these films, we gain a better understanding as to what actually scares people these days, and therefore gain more knowledge about what we should consider including in our opening.

THE CONJURING

A very good, and interesting film. The movie begins with a kind of interview about a very scary-looking doll. In fact, the doll is the very first thing we see, however it is not the focal point of the film. This use of dolls is very effective, especially as the movie centres around a family with 5 children, and the children are the first to experience the horror of the spirit.

Throughout the film are many close ups, or shots where not all is shown. This creates fear as it allows the mind to form a most likely exaggerated image of what is hidden from view, and this can create far more fear than actually seeing the whole object or being - "Fear of the unknown."

The ending was surprisingly happy, which certainly went against the usual codes and conventions of a film from the horror genre. I expected either a dark ending where not many survived, or a nice ending leading to a jumpscare. However, I was intrigued by the fact that there was something that suggested a jumpscare was about to happen, but was an anticlimax, and so was instead very eerie.

Common themes: Children, Dolls, Demonic spirits, Motherhood

THE LAST EXORCISM

I found this movie rather good, and very effective. It was in a mockumentary filming style, using handheld camerawork, and seemed to be quite everyday/not scary. There were talks of exorcisms, and for most of it there was little to no actual horror footage, mainly just showing how exorcisms can be faked. This led to the audience being more convinced of the realistic aspects and therefore made the horrific ending quite a shock.

Common Themes: Exorcism, Children (Teenage Girl), Demonic Possession 

THE PURGE

Completely different to what was expected, this movie was more action-based than horror-based. Common codes and conventions of the horror genre include knives, swords or other handheld, close range weaponry. This is because it makes the death or crime more personal for the audience. This is different to other genres, such as action and crime, as they often use guns and explosives instead, as it is louder, and therefore more exciting.

The Purge is an Action-Horror, as it contains many aspects such as low-key lighting, close ups, silences, tension etc. however, guns are used and there are also high tech gadgets and security systems, which are again more common in Action than Horror.

This movie is a very brilliant, yet disturbing film. It challenges the idea of peace and civility, and is actually unnerving to watch, as it delves far deeper into the negative and savage side of human nature than we would normally go.

Common Themes: Violence, Savagery, Children (Being Threatened/Innocent), Peace

HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS

A veryaction-packed film, with various horror codes and conventions. Low key lighting, mysterious, mythical creatures such as witches, being among some of the features.

It puts a very unconventional twist on the usual tale of Hansel and Gretel, and so captures the audience through the use of a widely known and traditional tale, which often engages audiences due to the familiarity, and the curiosity of how this version will differ from others.

Common Themes: Children, Witches, Hunting, Magic

The Process Of Creating Our First Draft

Influential Directors

John Carpenter

His films are characterized by minimalist lighting and photography, static cameras, use of steadicam, and distinctive synthesized scores (usually self-composed).

With the exception of The Thing, Starman, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, and The Ward, he has scored all of his films (though some are collaborations), most famously the themes from Halloween and Assault on Precinct 13. His music is generally synthesized with accompaniment from piano and atmospherics.

Wes Craven

Wes Craven has become synonymous with genre bending and innovative horror, challenging audiences with his bold visions and keeping them on the edge of their seats. 

Craven's works tend to share a common exploration of the nature of reality. A Nightmare on Elm Street, for example, dealt with the consequences of dreams in real life. New Nightmare"brushes against" (but does not quite break) the fourth wall by having actress Heather Langenkamp play herself as she is haunted by the villain of the film in which she once starred. At one point in the film, we see on Wes Craven's word processor a script he has written, which includes the exact conversation he just had with Heather — as if the script was being written as the action unfolded. The Serpent and the Rainbow portrays a man who cannot distinguish between nightmarish visions and reality. In Scream, the characters frequently reference horror films similar to their situations, and at one point Billy Loomis tells his girlfriend that life is just a big movie. This concept was emphasized in the sequels, as copycat stalkers reenact the events of a new film about the Woodsboro killings occurring in Scream. Scream included a scene mentioning the well-known Richard Gere urban legend. Craven stated in interviews that he received calls from agents telling him that if he left that scene in, he would never work again.

David Lynch

Known for his surrealist films, he has developed a unique cinematic style, which has been dubbed "Lynchian", a style characterized by its dream imagery and meticulous sound design. The surreal, and in many cases, violent, elements contained within his films have been known to "disturb, offend or mystify" audiences.

Film Opening Questionnaire Results

We created this questionnaire which has previously been published on this blog where 14 individuals from our media class answered our questionnaire in order to enhance our production post draft through constructive criticism.

Sound In The Opening Credits

I have implemented some non-diegetic sound in the form of the soundtrack which is played throughout the  opening credits of Hunted. 

I created this effective continuous stretch of sound which falls perfectly within the change of shots through finding various sounds online and overlapping them to create a drone lilke soundtrack on various royalty free websites such as Freesound.org.

Film Opening Questionnaire

Serial Studios - Hunted

(1) Q. What genre would you say our film opening is?

      A.

(2) Q. What would you rate our film opening out of 10?

      A.

(3) Q. Are there any features which you liked and if so which ones?

      A.

(4) Q. Are there any features that you would change and if so which ones?

      A.

(5) Q. Are there any shots that you would include?

      A.

(6) Q. Did you understand the end part of the film opening?

      A.

(7) Q. Do you have are constructive criticism that would benefit our film opening?

      A. 

Target Audience

Horror Jump Moments

Jump Moments In Horror Films

We have a few jump moments in our opening sequence in this blog i have put together some of the best jump moments in horror films:

The Conjuring

Se7en

The Descent

The Last Exorcism Part II

Who prefers Horror?

AGE

From the table we can see that horror is generally more appealing in the younger age categories. Popularity with horror decreases as the age categories get older. The 18-24 age category is 18% higher than the 14-17 category but I predict that this is because a lot of horror movies have an 18+ certificate and so cannot be watched by people aged 14-17. For these reasons, we feel 15+ would be a good age range for our target audience as it allows for a broader audience and also fits the criteria for a 15 certificate.

GENDER

As you can see, horror is popular with both men and women but as suspected, men are more prone to consume horror than women are. From this research we feel that we do not want to prioritise a specific gender for our target audience.

Two other studies I found proved to be particularly interesting in relation to gender with horror:

STUDY 1

Zillmann, Dolf; Weaver, James B; Mundorf, Norbert, Aust, Charles F

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

 Exposed 36 male and 36 female undergraduates to a horror movie. It was found that men enjoyed the movie most in the company of a distressed woman and least in the company of a mastering woman. Women in contrast enjoyed the movie most in the company of a mastering man and least in the company of a distressed man.

STUDY 2
Krcmar and Greene (1999)
Krcmar and Greene investigated both gender and sensation seeking and found that males were more likely to prefer certain kinds of violence in media.

Filming

Filming

The Creation Of Our Logo

We created the 'Serial Studios' logo through an application on an iPhone. It has been implemented into the beginning of our film opening 'Hunted' to identify who we are.

Editing Schedule

Storyboarding (basic timeline)

After filming our first session in a house we realised it was very hard to artificially light an interior, and make it look dark whilst keeping the action visible, so this timeline was updated since then for a woodland area as we decided it would be a more appropriate location for our story and also for the convenience of natural light.

 

Filming Schedule

9:00 - Arrive at High Brooms Station.
9:15 - Arrive at the Filming Location after walking there.
9:15 to 9:20 - Set up camp and get the camera and tripod ready.
9:20 to 9:25 - Create a foley sound by stabbing a watermelon with the Katana.
9:25 to 9:30 - Film the villian walking through the leaves.
9:30 to 9:35 - Film an Establishing shot of the female protagonist sleeping.
9:35 to 9:40 - Film the female protagonist waking up through a POV looking at the villian.
9:40 to 9:50 - Film the female protagonist running away and falling over.
9:50 to 9:55 - Film the female protagonist touching a tree to leave behind a blooded hand print.
9:55 to 10:00 - Film the hanging scene.
10:00 to 10:15 - Film the beheading scene with the Katana.