My horror survey

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PKDYQ9X

Plan for preliminary task

Plan for my preliminary task

Camera work

I am going to use a medium close up shot when the characters enter the room to introduce the characters to the audience. To show the setting and mise en scene of the shot I will use a long shot, this will present to the audience the location of the shot. I will use a close up and eye level angle when the characters are having a conversation. I think the eye level angle will be effective to the audience when two characters are speaking to each other because it feels like the characters are talking to you. I am going to use a extreme close up to express the characters reactions and facial expressions. I think I am going to use a low angle shot when one of the characters is shouting at the other to make seem dominant and superior; this imposes fear and vulnerability on the audience.

Editing
I am going to use fade-in/ fade-out transitions when the characters enter he shot to make the shots smoothly flow creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. When the character start having a argument  I am going to use sharp cut transitions to correlate with the tension and suspense.

Locations

• classroom
• canteen
• school field
• in town 

I think I am going to shoot my location in a classroom because it will be easier to show the conflicting and tense conversation. Also, the setting will help the audience understand my plot and the relationship between the characters.

Lighting
When the characters enter the shot the lighting will be bright with high exposure. I think the lighting will gradually darken when the characters sit down opposite each other. As their conversation becomes conflicting and one of the characters shouts at the other the lighting will be gloomy and dismal.

Costumes
I might use costumes to express the two characters contrary styles and personalities but if I don't they will either be in school uniform or smart clothes to correlate with the school environment.

Costume ideas:
Carrie- Black or dark coloured clothing, dark gothic makeup and accessories.
Abby- floral and colourful clothing, light pink makeup.

Plot
It is a normal school day, Abby is working hard and doing her homework like usual. She is very quiet and studious so is mostly vulnerable from people copying her homework. Carrie who is very careless and loud who forces Abby to do her homework for her, like she does most days. Carrie and Abby have most lessons together so Carrie uses Abby to do her homework for her on a daily basis. But, Abby has enough of the manipulation and bullying so refuses to do Carries homework. Abby wants to work hard, concentrate on herself and do well but she can't when Carrie is forcing her to do her work. The contrast between the two characters personalities lead to a clash which causes tension throughout the plot.

Characters- characterisation
Carrie- She is a very loud and confident character that thrives in the spotlight. She leaches all authority and attention so the focus is always on her.
Abby- She is a very introverted and shy character that is very vulnerable to pressure from Carrie.
Mise en scene
The frame of the shot will show a the setting of a classroom, it is a natural setting of a classroom of desks and school books. I think this mise en scene is very important because it immediately presents to the audience what the plot might be about. Furthermore, the mise en scene of the school environment shows the age of my target audience. The location and mise en scene presents that it is targeted towards a teenage audience because they go to school so they might relate to the plot or link themselves to the characters.
Sound
I am going to add tense and dramatic music when Carrie storms out of he room to express the tension between the two characters. Also, I think the music will show the differences between the contrary characters. I think I will add soft and quiet music of flute or violins when Abby walks into the room to represent her shy personality. Furthermore, I will add loud non diegetic sound to present Carries harsh and loud personality. When Carrie storms out of the classroom after Abby refuses to do her homework I am going to add dramatic piano or violin music to create suspense and to exaggerate the cliff hanger so the audience are interested in what is going to happen next.
Props
Props I am going to use is school books and folders to contribute towards my plot and show the audience  

Camera shots & angles powerpoint

use of camera

Use of camera

how do directors use the camera in their films?

 A directors main role is choosing the creative aspects of film making through cameras, they use cameras for both technical and creative aspects. They use the cameras frame to envision what the mise en scene and setting would look like through it. They use cameras for shots and angles to show the realtionship between characters, developing the plot and creating a tense atmosphere for the audience. Many directors use cameras to present significant themes and yo express their distinctive style. For example, David O'Russell has always been a vey professional and popular director in film production. In his last three films 'The fighter', 'Silver Linings Playbook' and 'American Hustle' his significant visual   techniques have became more prominent.

In 'The Fighter' he began to increase camera movement using Steadicam rigs. Steadicam rigs is a camera stabilizing device that gives smooth movement for tracking shots that can be only handled manually by the operator. We begin to see camera movement when the camera moves towards a character, away from them and even in circles around them.

Sometimes the camera is used for effects for genres and sub- genres. For example, in Romantic comedy a two shot at medium shot distance is very popular because it is used to express the developing relationship between the characters. Also, they use a lot of close up distance shots to express the characters emotion and facial expressions. In a romantic genre, there will be a lot of mixture of emotion presented such as hurt, joy, passion etc… so the camera movements and shot transitions would be smooth to portray the genre.

Another example would be in horror genre, popular camera angles used would be high angle, low angle and tilted angle. Prominent camera shots and movements in horror genre would be close up shots, tracking and panning movements. A high angle is typically used to make the subject in the shot seem vulnerable and low class. A low angle is used to make the antagonist seem powerful and dominant. A close up would be used so the audience can empathise and study characters reactions and feeling or capture focus points in the shot. Close up shot are commonly used for jump scares because you dont see any of the background or surroundings so it would be unexpected for the audience. The movements panning and tracking is used to follow a character such as the protagonist or victim. Also, it can be used  so the audience can etablish the mise en scene and location of the shot. The tilted angle is used to make the audience feel like the are one of the characters and to take them out of reality. This angle gives the effect of seeing through a characters eyes so the audience can perceive the characters perspective on the situation.

Analysis of Insidious

Analysis of Insidious

This shot features an introduction of the production companies; they are boldly written in dark red font which connotes blood and gore. I think they used the colour red to suggest to the audience the plot and genre of the film. This makes the audience feel agitated and slightly fearful. The background is pitch black which makes the red writing stand out, this draws in the target audience. I believe that the black background connotes evil and cruelty which links in with horror genre. The curly writing fades off into a green smoke which reminds me of a ghost or spirit. Also, the green connotes decay, death and mould which links with the horror genre to impose fear and terror on the audience. The sound consists of a piano; it has a very high pitch and a random tempo which adds to the tense atmosphere.  

The mise en scene presents a medium long shot of someone's living room; there is cardboard boxes and random furniture in the room. The cardboard boxes connotes that someone is moving in or out which gives the audience a basic understanding of the plot of the film. The shot is in black and white which suggests that this is set in the past. The pop of bright red against the dull and depressing colours attracts the audience. There are non- diegetic sounds of violins because the pitch is very high. I think the violins add to the eeriness and suspense because it heightens the audiences fear which creates a crescendo.

The mise en scene presents a long shot of a haunted house which is a key horror location to make the audience feel uneasy but excited. There is a slight low angles to make the house seem bigger which connotes solidity and dominance. This angle makes the audience feel vulnerable and small which heightens their fear. The shot is black and white and is edited so it has high colour exposure and contrast. This adds to the ghostly and creepy appearance of the house. The sky is clouded and grey which creates a melancholy and miserable effect on the audience. The non- diegetic music is soft but sharp because of the high pitch made by violins. Also, there is a flute which makes a high pitch consistent note throughout the introduction music.


The mise en scene presents a medium long shot of someones living room which has general house objects in it. The lighting is very dark and dingy which creates suspension for the audience. There is colour symbolism in this shot because black connotes mystery, grief and death. The windows are boldly highlighted by the crisp white pouring into the room, this shows a contrast between light and dark. I think they used white because it connotes purity, innocence and heaven. The transitions fade in and out of the shot which creates a smooth flow of shots. The non-diegetic sound has a ear piercing pitch which is consistent, this makes the audience feel agitated and on edge.


The mise en scene presents a close up of the films name 'Insidious'. It is written in large red italics which imposes terror onto the audience. Also, I think the style and colour of the writing links to horror genre because it connotes blood and havoc. I believe they chose the name 'Insidious' because it connotes pure evil, threat and darkness. The title fades in into the black background which gives me the impression of the evil sucking and absorbing everything into the darkness. The non diegetic music has a very rapid tempo which creates a crescendo. There is non- diegetic sound of violins which gives the music the inconsistent range of pitch and sharp tempo that makes the audience feel frightened and fearful.



The mise en scene shows a medium long shot of someones kitchen and there is a shadow at the window. The lighting is very dark and dingy so the focus point is the shadow behind the window, this heightens the audiences curiosity to see what significance that shadow has on the film. The mise en scene features dark and neutral colours which can be unappealing for the audience. The non diegetic music has violins which has a screeching pitch that stops and starts to create a inconsistent rhythm. I think the shot transitions flow well because the camera pans into the next room expressing a smooth continuity of the shots.

The mise en scene presents a medium long shot of a pitch black room with a candle lit underneath a spooky face. The candle stands out against the darkness which suggests to the audience that there is significance of of the candle and shows a contrast between light and dark. I think the candle connotes purity and happiness, whereas the dark symbolises corruption and immorality. The scary face suggests that there is demons and monsters living in this haunted house, this gives the audience an idea of the plot of the film. The face makes me feel intimidated and frightened because it fades into the darkness making it hard to detect. As the camera zooms into the face the non diegetic sound quietens and fades out focusing on the face.


The mise en scene presents a long shot of a staircase and hallway, it is black and white to make the shot more eery and creepy. Furthermore, there is a harsh contrast between the colour exposure of black and white which imposes fear onto the audience. I think the old looking interior of the house and black and white shots gives the impression to the audience that this is filmed in the past in a historical time period. The non- diegetic sound is very quiet, but you can hear a faint sound of violins in the background maintains the audiences fear and agitation.

The mise en scene presents a medium long shot of a baby's cradle highlighted by a white spotlight. A baby's cradle is a common horror prop to use because it heightens the audiences fear that something will happen to the baby. Therefore, the spotlight makes the cradle the focus point in this shot which gives significance to this prop. The music sustains at a low pitch and regular tempo.  

Sound

Sound

Dubbing is the transfer or copying of previously recorded audio material from one medium to another of the same or a different type. It may be done with a machine designed for this purpose, or by connecting two different machines: one to play back and one to record the signal. Dubbing makes multiple copies of audio programs or it may be done to preserve programs. 

The diegetic sounds of a party would be faded down so the audience can hear the characters voices/ conversations and so the audience can concentrate on the roles of the characters. Furthermore, it helps the audience understand the plot if the audio focuses on the main characters. Another term for diegetic sound is 'actual sound'. Even though diegetic sounds are false it sounds realistic because it expresses sounds usually played by instruments. I think ambient sounds are toned down to remove any unwanted background sound present in a scene or location which disturb the audio continuity through the film.

A mixed soundtrack has a big effect on the final product because it makes minor adjustments among various instruments within a song which can have dramatic impacts. Also, a mixed soundtrack adds effects, including setting levels/ equalization and using stereo panning which are key equipment used in the production of the final product. Furthermore, mixing is dependent on arrangements and recording so if they go wrong it can majorly effect the final product.

Dubbing is used to control sound because it is a post production process in which recordings are mixed with original production sound to create the finished soundtrack. Furthermore, dubbing controls sound by sound editors editing and preparing all necessary tracks (dialogue, effects and music). They can manipulate, alter, duplicate and cut segments of sound.  The dubbing proceeds to balance all the elements and records the finished soundtrack. One type of dubbing device is designed to rapidly copy soundtrack and to manipulate the speed of sound. Another dubbing device e.g. cassette deck controls sound by transferring it from one medium to another. I think the overall effect of controlling sound presents a dramatic and very effective impact on the audience. If the sound is well controlled it draws in the audience to watch the film.

Fade-up: increasing brightness of an image or the volume of sound. 
Fade- down: to reduce the intensity/ strength of sound.
Fade- in: a film making and broadcasting technique whereby an image is made to appear gradually or the volume of sound is gradually increased from zero.
Fade- out: A gradual dimming or increase in the brightness or loudness of a light source or audio signal. A transition in a cinematic work or slide presentation in which the image gradually appears on or disappears from a blank screen. It diminishes gradually to silence or darkness, especially as a transition in a cinematic work, audio recording or performance.
Pitch: means how high or low a note is in music, the pitch of someones voice is defined as the "rate of vibration of the vocal folds".

Sound perspective tells us the environment's apparent distance of a sound source, evidenced by its sound, volume, timbre and pitch. Also, it shows us that the environment effects how the audience hears characters' speech. While the scene may cut from a long shot of a conversation to a medium shot of the two characters to close-up shot/ reserve-shot pairing, the sound perspective does not reproduce these relative distances and the change in volume that would naturally occur by the environment. Actors in these situations are “miked” so that the volume of their voices remains constant and audible to the audience. Sound perspective can also give us clues as to who and where is present in a scene and their relative importance to the film’s narrative. 

 Dubbing mixers work at large mixing consoles, mixing and smoothing out the diegetic sound such as dialogue, often adding a temporary music soundtrack prepared by the music editor. Dubbing mixers work with realistic sound of dialogue and mix the dialogue together to create the final product. They are primarily responsible for ensuring that diegetic sound is correct both technically and stylistically. 

A jump cut can become invisible by overlaying non- diegetic or diegetic sound over the top. This creates a smooth transition from one shot to another. The easiest way a jump cut can become invisible is by cutting away to a B-roll when there are imperfections or when a characters stammers. This makes the shot seem neat and concise. Finally, you can morph or smooth the jump cut to make the jump cuts soft and subtle.

I think sound effects peoples moods and emotions because it stimulates reality and creates something off screen that it not actually there. Different instruments, depending on the context can create different emotions. The pitch, tempo and rhythm of a instrument all contribute to changing and manipulating the audiences emotions. If the pitch is ear piercingly high and the tempo is sharp then the audience feels agitated and fearful. Whereas, if the pitch is low and the tempo is consistent and steady then the audience will feel calm and at ease. For example, the Psycho (1960) soundtrack is driving with shrill string music leading up to discordant screeches. This makes the audience feel anxious and scared. On the other hand, Cleopatra (1963) music is slow with a stately-full grand orchestra filled with pomp. This makes the audience feel impressed and interested by the royal pomp.

I think its very important to match your musical style to what is seen on screen because you want to express the genre of your film through the music and you want to add tension, excitement, joy etc... to your plot by the musical style. Furthermore, if you mix match your music with what is seen on screen you can change or disrupt characterisation in the film which can confuse the audience by how they perceive characters. By not matching your musical style with the theme of your film you can take away important focus points from your film.

Analysis of Captivity

Analysis of Captivity

This is a medium long shot of the institution logo 'lionsgate'. The background has dark red and black clouds that contributes to horror genre because it suggests death and evil. There is colour symbolism in this shot because red and black both connote villainous and power. The writing is bold and has a slight red and black radiant which correlates with the background. Furthermore, I think the style of the writing is significant because it connotes solidity and superiority. I think they used red and black to suggest to the audience the genre and plot of the film their about to watch. This makes the audience feel on edge and fearful of the unknown. The non diegetic sound is sound effects of the doors opening presenting the logo, this depicts the importance of the logo and connotes power.

This is a medium shot of the companies used to produce the film. The background has a fingerprint which suggests murder and crime; this gives the audience an idea of the plot of the film. The vibrant red writing is written in old style computer font. I think they used a bright red to link with blood and gore which contributes to horror genre. The non diegetic music has a very low pitch and cracks inconsistently presently a change in the tempo; this develops a crescendo. This makes the audience feel nervous and alarmed by the sudden change in tempo and pitch. There is unexpected and abrupt flashes of light which correlates with the changes in tempo and pitch; this panics and agitates the audience. Furthermore, there is a consistent low key of a piano which increases the suspense of the what is going to happen next. 

The mise en scene shows a close up shot of a hand gun. This alarms the audience that something is about to happen which makes you feel agitated and panic- stricken. The background is blurred is focusing mainly on the gun which draws in the target audience. There is colour symbolism in the green because it connotes jealousy and greed. As the camera pans to the gun the tempo and pitch drops to makes the gun symbolise danger and threat. The non diegetic sound is of a faint heart beat which builds up suspense for the audience. Furthermore, the pitch is quite low and consistent which adds to the tense atmosphere. 

The mise en scene shows a medium close up of a needle of poison being injected into someone's arm. This strikes the audience as unusual and as though someone is being tortured. The background and syringe is dark green and luminous yellow which each connotes a disturbing effect on the reader. Yellow symbolises decay, sickness and decay which links with the unusual liquid being injected into someone. Green symbolises sickness, discord and jealousy. The black glove is a key horror prop which presents that it is a villainous antagonist character; this contributes to the horror genre. The non diegetic sound has a very low pitch and consistent rhythm to the tempo to match the tense atmosphere.

The mise en scene is a extreme close up of a person in a bandaged mask. This presents to the audience that this is the victim of the plot because when someone is bandaged they have a serious injury. The shot has a yellowy green glow to correlate with the sickness and pain of the character bandaged up in the shot. Furthermore, the yellow and green links with the unsettling and tense atmosphere. The bandages remind me of a 'mummy' which is a key horror character in horror genre. There is diegetic sound of a timer beeping suggesting that time is up, this alarms the audience as though something bad is about to happen.

The mise en scene shows a medium shot of a tube leaking out blood leaving a pool of blood. This strikes the audience as though a murder or a tragic incident has happened which contributes to horror genre. The bright red contrasts with the yellowy green lighting which makes the audience feel fearful and frightened. There is colour symbolism because red connotes fire, blood and anguish. The visual effects of fake blood alarms the audience because of the gore which creates a disturbing and tense atmosphere. There is diegetic sound of the person shaking on the metal bed and the blood dripping which creates a disturbing effect for the audience. It makes the audience feel on edge because the shot suggests that someone has been captured and is being tortured.

The mise en scene shows a medium long shot of a body lying down, the shot has extreme high exposure and contrast which adds suspension for the audience. There is diegetic sound of old fashioned classical music which dramatically contrasts to sharp tense music. Furthermore, the classical music is very chilling and creepy to the audience. Also, there is non- diegetic sounds of electricity when the antagonist hits the victim with a hammer. This makes the audience feel startled and unnerved by the sudden change in pitch. 

The mise en scene presents a medium close up of someone cutting up paper of letters. This reminds me of when the villain makes a ransom/threatening letter using magazine cuttings. Also, the mise en scene shows a television and general house objects which suggests that this is set in someone house. The shot is presented by a sharp high pitched sound which alarms the audience that something dangerous is about to happen. The diegetic sound is of the scissors cutting the paper. 

The mise en scene presents a medium close up of a video recording on a camera, this shot is a slight high angle shot and we are seeing this through a characters perspective. Furthermore, the mise en scene shows recording labelled 'Jennifer' which immediately creates a disturbing effect because it suggests that someone is recording her. The non- diegetic music is has a consistent low pitch which creates a tense crescendo and the diegetic sound is of the video recording. The diegetic sound strikes the audience as unusual and strange which makes you want to watch to find out more about the plot.

Editing

Editing

Editing prepares a written material for publication by correcting, condensing to otherwise modifying it. Furthermore, editing revises and prepares a written, audio or video material for final production. Editing removes grammatical and typographical errors, eliminates parts not suitable for the targeted audience and proper sequencing to achieve a smooth, unbroken flow of narrative. Editing works with raw footage, selecting shots and combining them into sequences to create a finished motion picture. It works with layers of images, story, dialogue, music and pacing. 

Cut is an abrupt, but usually trivial film transition from one sequence to another. Dissolve is a gradual transition from one image to another. The terms fade-out (also called fade to black) and fade-in are used to describe a transition to and from a blank image. A jump cut is a cut in editing which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. The gives an effect of jumping forwards in time.

I think a shot reverse shot helps the narrative and generates meaning because it is used normally when two characters are having a conversation. The camera switches between the characters which presents to the audience their reactions and emotions. This gives the audience an idea of the relationship between the characters, characters personalities and they develop an understanding of the plot. 

The reason the 180 degree rule is so important is that the break in the continuity and the disconcerting effect it can have on the viewer would upset the illusion of reality as the perspective is disrupted. It is important that the rule is adhered to in order to preserve the realism and believability of the film. 

The point of view shot is sometimes taken over a characters shoulder who remains visible on screen to represent their point of view or it is shared to represent a joint point of view of two or more characters. It is used so the audience can see through the eyes of the subject, this creates an impression of the characters perspective for the audience which can create a tense atmosphere. 

Parallel editing (also known as cross cutting) is the technique of alternating two or more scenes that often happen simultaneously but in different locations. If the scenes are simultaneous, they culminate in a single place. 

I think parallel editing creates suspense which adds interest and excitement to an otherwise boring 

sequence. The point of view shot creates suspense when the audience doesn't know who the character is or who's perspective their seeing through e.g. villain. I think the cut transition creates suspense because it is very sharp and unexpected which makes the audience feel anxious but intrigued of what is going to happen next. 

Timing is important because it creates the tension and suspense which builds the audiences anticipation. The timing for shots and transitions is vital for jump scares, developing a tense plot and atmosphere and expressing a characters emotions. Also, timing is very important for sound, if the music and timing doesn't correlate then it would disrupt the continue flow and reduce tension and suspense which would disinterest the audience.

The continuity editing system is a system of cutting used to maintain continuous and clear narrative action by following a set of rules. This emphasizes smooth transition of time and space. This system gives the viewer a concrete physical narration to follow. The continuity system is broken into two categories: temporal continuity and partial continuity.

The main problem why editing strives to become invisible is because  once the final product has been created the target audience just focuses purely on the product but not on the hard work that created this product. Many people don't realise or considerate the amount of work and skill that goes into editing, so editing becomes invisible. When watching a film, people don't appreciate the sound, transitions, camera shot and angles etc... which is all editing. This 'invisible art' involves creative but complex gradual processes to create the final product which takes a lot of time and hard work. 

Mise en scene

Explaining the 4 key focus areas: Mise en scene

The Mise en scene is a French word meaning what is put into the shot or frame. Mise en scene is made up of visual information in front of the camera which communicates essential information to the audience about setting (time and place) and characters. It refers to everything in the frame including setting, props, lighting/colour, costume/makeup, facial expressions/ body language, positioning/space and visual effects.

This looks like its set in the 1970/80's because of the old fashioned interior and technology e.g. camera equipment and TV. The lighting is warm and bright and there is brown, beiges and orange in the frame. I think there is a vintage effect on the shot to make it look like the 70s/80s. The person in the frame is wearing a brown suit which links with the warm coloured interior and lighting. There is lots of cluttered props in the frame which could present that this is a persons office. The person is slouched back in his chair which correlates with the relaxed atmosphere. 

This looks like its set in a dystopian futuristic world. The city looks isolated and desolate and there is rubbish all over the floor. There is a very modern helicopter hovering over the ground which correlates with the tense atmosphere. The lighting is very dark and dingy and there is blue and grey toned colours in the frame. There is visual effects to make the city look futuristic and advanced. There is bright and bold signs which connotes that it is set in a city.