Storyboard

After writing up our narrative, my group and I sat down and drew up a story board. it outlines what we want our trailer to look like as far as the shots go, the camera angles, camera movements, mise en scene, sound and what is happening in each scene.

Planning Our Storyboard

When planning our storyboard we first thought about the key moments that took place in our narrative and we came up with:

• The necklace
• The diary 
• When the family first move in the house

After this we thought it was a good idea to plan and produce our storyboard around these key moments

We then brainstormed key techniques when considering story boards and these were our findings;

Initial Characters Bio's

Annabelle: 15 at the time of her death. She either got bullied or her room was in the basement and didn't like it so she told her parents. They told her it was nothing, that she was being foolish. It was obvious she was a lonely child.

Kerri: 15. She didn't want to move, however does so with resistance, hates her new house, one day discovers a secret cupboard and finds a diary, tells her mother about it as suspected she thinks her daughter is being foolish, so to her mothers disapproval she reads the diary and finds out it is the only thing person she can relate to.

Anthony: 12. Typical younger brother who is annoying and unaware of many things. He is ignorant to how his sister is feeling. A mummy and daddy's boy.

Marie: 34. Typical mother running around trying to sort everything out with the new house, doesn't pay much attention to Kerri - pays more attention to Anthony as he is the baby of the family.

Michael: 36 and is a very reserved father. Tries to do everything possible to help his children. Doesn't like the fact that Kerri is upset and is changing - doesn't know what to do to help.

Initial Narrative Idea

The narrative of our film features a young girl named Annabelle, aged 15, who lived with her mother, father and younger brother. She loved to write, especially poems. Every day she would write in her diary; a new poem and a chapter about her day concerning her emotions and feelings especially about how she was tormented and labelled about having mental health issues as she would hear voices and see ghosts. She believed that she haunted by a ghost who she named ‘Gwenevere’ (around the age of 5, but no one knows) or otherwise known as ‘The ghost that lives at 134 Queens Road’, who manipulated and antagonized her so much, because all she wanted was someone to play with her and love her, like her mother never did. This eventually made Annabelle commit suicide; from a drug overdose, due to the constant hassle of people calling her ‘crazy’ and the continuous terrorizing from Gwenevere. All she wanted was to be left alone. Gwenevere, was finally at peace when Annabelle died, as she finally got the friend she always wanted. She left her with only 134 Queens Street. When Annabelle died, all she left was her diary, and the mystery of her death unsolved. Until now.

17 years later a family of four move into the house that the young girl committed suicide in. The family consists of single mother thirty six year old ‘Sandra’, her two brothers ‘Anthony’ (11 years old) and ‘Matthew’ (5 years old) and finally are main character ‘Tara’ who is 17 years of age. Tara finds a diary in her room and it happens to be the diary of Annabelle. She tells her mother about the diary and its contents and Sandra insists that she stops reading it and throws it out. Tara disregards what her mother says and still continues to read it and gradually creepy and abnormal things start to happen for example the noise of a young teenage girl crying. Sandra asks around the neighbourhood if anybody has ever heard of anything on the history of the house, one neighbour expresses that they heard of a teenage girl committing suicide, with this information Sandra goes on to the internet to research the house and finds an article on a blog website form ex neighbours about the ghost of Annabelle that they believe exists in 134 Queens Road. Sandra goes through Tara’s room and tries to throw away the diary believing that this would put a stop to all the unusual activity, but it does not. Tara believes that something is watching and haunting her and a series of events occur that makes it apparent that the ghost of Annabelle does actually exist. This results in Tara becoming mad and she leaves her house. To this day she has been missing. Without a signal warning or sign to know where she has gone. Leaving her family to believe that she may be missing forever, and even the possibility of her being dead.  Now all they can do is wait for a knock on the door, a phone call, or a spiritual sign, just something that would tell them that she is still with us.

HIGHLIGHT THE KEY POINTS!

Draft Narrative

The Conjuring... in three sentences

Ø  Group/pair of psychological ghost hunters

Ø  Women asks these people for help as her family is being possessed, haunted and taunted by this ghost including herself.

Ø  Hunters have to release this ‘thing’ from the human ‘wife’ and house to relieve the family from trauma

The reason we got asked to do this was because it helps up narrow a whole movie into 3 short sentences. Making sure we understand the narrative and what may happen in the film. This is useful when creating our narratives because it helps us have a fixed idea of what our full narrative is so through the 3 sentence we can pick out the most important and scary/exciting points that can go in our trailer. This is also helpful because as a group we wouldn't want to give everything away in the trailer that may happen in the film although we aren't making the actual film.

Blair Witch prelim

What I learnt

By doing this prelim I learned that the most important thing in order to create a brilliant trailer within a group dynamic is good speaking and listening skills and team work. By doing this trailer we got to spend time together. I think this is important because we will have to spend a lot of time together making this trailer so it good that we’ve briefly spoken about roles and we get along. This is 100% beneficial in order to create a good horror trailer.

Technical aspects

On a technical side, I learnt that when we film our own trailer we are going to have film many of the same scenes from different angles and positions. We need to do that as a convention to horror films as an audience generally see’s a lot of the same scene from different angles and movements the camera makes. We learnt just how long and tricky that will be when doing our prelim because although The Blair Witch Project had longer scenes in it, we are filming a trailer which means different scenes will be coming up 3 seconds at a time and our trailer will have to last around 3 minutes.

As far as sound, Blair Witch used all of the natural sound of the weather; the harsh wind and the leaves ruffling along with dialogue and that worked. However when it comes to our trailer I think we are going to need some sort of creepy underlying music which I will create for my group to include.

Finally, mise en scene is very important and that was highlighted when filming the prelim, because The Blair Witch Project is set in the woods, we were able to go to a forest-like place outside school to film and it worked because it was very similar to the film. However when filming some shots we had to make sure we didn’t get cars or swing sets in the shot otherwise it would feel like the film was shot.

Differences to the trailer

One important thing about the prelim task is that my group and I film a scene from a film, for our final product, we need to create a trailer, so although the same rules apply when filming such as sound, mise en scene and camera work we have to take in considerations the conventions a trailer uses verses the conventions of a horror film.

Research.. What is it?

Prelim scene task

Today we got put into the groups for our horror trailer. Before I start my real trailer my class got set a task to produce a scene from a horror film we’ve seen, focusing on mise en scene, camera work and sound.

Seeing as it is autumn, my group and I decided it would be a good idea to re-create a scene from The Blair Witch Project. Before filming we discussed what film we was going to shoot – the one where the lost teens were in the woods arguing – the dialogue we’d use and how and who will shoot the scene. We decided that my job was to film most of the scenes although others had an opportunity to use the camera. Although it was another person’s job to edit, the whole group sat around and put their input in as she did. 

Analysing trailers

By analysing these trailers I have come to realise what should go in a trailer as far as music, titles, credits etc. and with this knowledge I will create my trailer following these steps.

Conventions.. specific to trailers

Key conventions - specific to trailers

• Titles
• Credits
• Classification
• Title appearing at the end
• Voice over
• Minimal conversations
• Climax
• Atmospheric music
• Short clips
• Fast pace
• Flash of scenes
• Best bits
• Not in chronological order
• Showcases stars of the film
• Synchronised sound and scenes
• Unusual angles
• Brief narrative
• Action & credits interspersed

Making the list of conventions has enabled me to spot and pick out specifically key ingredients a trailer requires. This will benefit me when it comes to the trailer because I will use and stick to the majority of the conventions in order to produce a successful trailer.

How to make an effective film trailer

Barthes Enigma Code Theory

Intial Ideas

Today we had to think of some ideas for what we want our horror trailers to be based on. Here is a mind map showing all of the initial ideas I came up with.

Moral Panics

Today we learnt about the structure of the moral panics audience theory.

CONCERN: That the behaviour of the group or category in question is likely to have a negative impact on society

HOSTILITY: Towards the group in question increases, and they become 'folk devils'. A clear division form between 'them' and 'us'

CONSENUS: A widespread acceptance that the group in question poses a very real threat to society

DISPROPORTIONALITY: The action taken is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the accused group

VOLATILITY: Moral panics are highly volatile and tend to disappear as quickly as they appeared due to a wave in public interest or news reports changing to another topic.

Recent panics include:

• video games
• online activity
• campus killing/knife and gun crime/gangs and YouTube
• texting, internet and literacy
• electronic media and obesity
• screen/web addiction
• social skills in decline due to internet

The Conjuring

Mama

Desensitisation Theory

New Words

Satire

• to ridicule or expose stupidity

Cliché

• overuse or predictable

 A horror movie that uses these two words is scream - it satirises the cliché if the horror genre.

The Blair Witch Project

Today we watched and dicussed The Blair Witch Project.
I thought that the way they marketed the movie was interesting as they made it seem that it was a true story, they used undiscovered actors which made audences world wide want to watch the film, but was also worried

Mockumentary

We studied theories ... again

Steve Neale (1980)

• 'Genres are instances of repetition and difference'

Tzvetan Todorov argues that ' a new genre is always the transformation of one or several old genres'

This lead us to understanding and exploring the genre of horror.

Halloween (1978)

Today in class we looked at the opening of Halloween and analysed the scenes editing, camera work, mise en scene and sound.

Directed by John Carpenter ( dedicated horror director)

Co-wrote film with Debra Hill and composed the music 

Independent film - budget $325,000

New Word

Hedonism - To seek pleasure

The Female Gaze

In today's lesson we watched twilight, and discussed how the female gaze could be related to it. 

Twilight was written and directed by females, Stephanie Meyer and Catherine Hardwicke 

• Edward is the character the camera is focusing in on the most 
• there are extreme close ups of his eyes and lips 
• there is also a close up of Bella's face looking at him 
• her face looks down at his lips which causes the audience to do the same

New theory - Male Gaze

Laura Mulvey
Theory of the male gaze.
Mulvey wrote a very influential essay

• "Visual pleasure and narrative (1975)
• She suggests that the way women are viewed in cinema is "unequal". The camera necessarily presents women as "sexualised" for the pleasure of men.

KEY POINTS:

1. Women are presented as sexual spectacle and objects of pleasure.
2. Men have this gaze to avoid being 'castrated'
3. Men fetishise women

New Quote

"Film has been called an instrument of the male gaze, producing representations of women, the good life and sexual fantasy from a male point of view."

Jonathan Schroeder (1998)

REPRESENTATION

Today in class we spoke about representation.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/representation

Binary Opposition - The Theory

Claude Levi-Strauss' theory:

• 'All narratives had to be driven forward by conflict, that was caused by a series of opposing forces.'

What is horror? Exploring Conventions.

Mise - en - scene

Camerawork & Editing 

Characters

Narrative & Themes 

Music & Sound

Themes & sub-genres of horror

Icons

Cabin in the Woods

Final Girl

Questionnaire

The marketing behind 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' (1974)

1. We know its going to be a horror film by the colours used and the way it is placed on the poster. by the words, text they use to the props they have. boldness - text & colour.
2. This indicates to a viewer that the genre will be horror due to things such as blood on the clothes & the location the actor in. isolation.
3. The sub-genre of this would be a slasher because the chainsaw becomes a knife.
4. Text makes the viewers feel involved, unsafe. not too many words keep audience guessing.

Analysing Carrie

Today we learnt about theorys .. introducing Propp & Todorov

Here is a presentation about the theories from Propp and Todorov

Analysing Psycho

List of horror films from 1920 - 2013

Key horror movies from 1920 to 2013

Nosferatu - 1922
Dracula -1931
Freaks - 1932
Bride of Frankenstein - 1935
Psycho - 1960
The Haunting - 1963
Night of the Living Dead - 1968
The Exorcist - 1973
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 1974
Jaws - 1975
Suspiria - 1977
Halloween - 1978
Dawn of the Dead - 1978
Alien - 1979
Friday the 13th - 1980
The Shining - 1980
The Evil Dead - 1981
An American Werewolf in London - 1981
Poltergeist 1982
The Thing - 1982
A Nightmare on Elm Street - 1984
The Fly - 1986
Silence of the Lambs - 1991
Scream - 1996
The Bride of Chucky - 1998
The Blair Witch Project - 1999
Final Destination - 2000
28 Days Later - 2002
The Ring -2002
Saw - 2004
The Orphanage - 2007
Paranormal Activity - 2007
Let the Right One In - 2008
Insidious - 2010
Sinister - 2012

Review: Misery (1990)

Review on ‘Misery’

Misery is a thrilling psychological horror based on a novel names ‘Stephen King’ starring James Caan and Kathy Bates directed by Rob Reiner. this film was released in 1990 and is available  for purchase by consumers interested.

The film is based around two main characters Paul Sheldon played by James Caan a prestige novelist and his over preppy possessed “number one fan” Annie Wilkes played by Kathy Bates. the film starts of with shots of very specific items of a glass, wine, a cigarette, a match and a typewriter and of course Caan himself. shortly after the film credits begin and there is a snow blizzard, typical horror setting, a crash and this is where Bathes is introduced. She pull Caan out from the now upside down crashed car and into her house to nurse. what Caan thought was a loving act from a citizen who just happened to be his number one fan turned out to be the most horrible experience of his life.

As the film progresses Bates puts Caan in a hospital style bed as she is caring for him however Caan realises that his beloved saviour is also a psychotic fan thats leading him to his death. after finding this he goes through a variety of things to get rid of her but nothing seems to work and when she realises, she straps him down to a bed so he cannot leave his room again. however bathes is not only in love with the books he writes she's found out she's also in love with him claiming she thought she “might go crazy” when she was alone. Ironically tells Caan that they were meant to together as therefore they must die together. however Caan has to finish the last chapters of the books she loves so much and as a ritual he is going to need his three things glass, champagne and cigarette and match. The only question now is does she succeed on her, or is she too in love with Caan to see the signs?

I recommend people to go out and purchase this film if  you are in to psychological horrors and a bit of gore here and there this film is definitely for you. However for an 18 it wasn't as scary as I expected it to be, but more shocking. the shock factor is definitely more subtle compared to slasher films. so if you're a first time horror film viewer, this could definitely be for you. ultimately this film is about two people playing mind games on each other until someone fails.

Introduction to A2 media

Hi, my name is Ellesha and this is my A2 horror media blog. On this blog I will explore the horror genre, post trailers and anything I learn in my lessons and out that I find out.

In the first lesson I had we spoke about the course I will be doing and what goes into it.
I will be creting a promotional package for a new film including:-

• the trailer
• a film magazine cover (featuring the film)
• a poster for the film

NEW WORD ALERT!!! (in this case key term)
Media language = the way the camera and the music tell the story