Jelly Baby Conventions

In groups of 4 we had to create a horror film using jelly babies. The jelly babies were used as characters and we had to use the horror movie conventions to create our horror scene. Using different materials, objects and the jelly baby characters we created a short horror movie scene and we incorporated the horror film conventions to make the scene more alive and exactly what is expected in a horror.

Settings

horror films are usually set in abandoned houses, dark streets, forests or in a small communities. The typical setting is basically an abandoned or isolated area that tells the audience that the characters involved in the film are in danger. We used this convention in our scene by making the setting a forest and an isolated area.

Characters 

in horror films there has to be victims,villains, and the survivors. This is a typical convention in a horror film. Usually in a horror film blonde girls and nerdy boys are made to be the victims and the strong brave characters are usually the ones to survive the frightening situations. We used this horror movie stereotype in our scene by having the victims as a blonde girl and ginger boy and the other two brave characters as the survivors.

Sound 

horror films usually include non-diegetic, diegetic and Foley sound in them. So we also included these sound types in our scene because we wanted to create tension but the diegetic sound also so that there was a naturalistic feel in the scene. There were also some silences to also build the tension but also to make the audience feel for the victims because they know something bad is about to happen.

Please view the short horror jelly baby scene below:

scene 1 - 

 This scene just sets the scene. Starts with a mid-shot of the forest which is all that is seen at this point. The forest is a typical horror film setting used mostly to show how silly characters are and also how much danger they are in. The sound used in this scene is non-diegetic sound tension building music because we know there is danger heading for the characters.

scene 2 - 

 This scene shows the characters involved in the scene. You can see in the upper left the dark jelly baby we used to represent the villain in the scene as the dark brown colour is negative. The other jelly babies represent a group of friends and they are all different as the colours show. In the scene these group of friends come across an abandoned caravan in the forest whilst the villain watches them from a distance.

scene 3-







In this scene the less intelligent characters are inside the caravan and you can see the kitchen and the bedroom. The characters decided to go inside and explore the caravan whilst they are doing so the villain old man is watching them

Scene 4 -



In this scene you can see a mid close up of the van and also the other two jelly baby characters running away. In this scene we used diegetic sounds, screams of the characters trapped inside the caravan and also the running footsteps and heavy breathing of the other characters to add a sense of naturalism. While there will be diegetic sounds there will also be non-diegetic sound which will be tension music

What I learnt

Watching other media students examples of horror movie openings taught me a lot.
I learnt that Camera angles had a big effect on the movie itself if they are used in scene unnecessarily.

For example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIsrOugUrm4

• In this clip you can see the effects of bad camera use as the camera is shaky and unclear so the clip becomes confusing and difficult to understand. This shows the importance of using camera angles effectively.

Whereas if I were to do a close up on a murderer who was about to kill a victim this will be more effective because the audience will get frightened from the characters face and they'll understand the negative emotions he's feeling.

Also camera angles add a very good meaning to the scene. My group and I got inspired by the beginning of the film sinister which starts off with a pan and sets the scene. This is effective because it isn't the norm in horror and it creates a feeling of disorientation and makes the audience uncomfortable..

Please view the Pan example in sinister below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf1S81eEqNQ&safe=active

Breakdown sheet for shooting (2)

BREAKDOWN SHEET FOR SHOOTING

Storyboard scene number: 1

Date: 14/12/2013                                                                                          Time: 5/6

Setting: Garden                                                                           Location: Chantelle's house

Crew members and roles: Ashleigh, Joyce & Chantelle

Cast members: Carolina , Dina, Mary and Zaila

Extras: Siblings

Wardrobe: White nigh gown & pale clothes ( t shirt & jeans )

Make-up: Pale face, defined facial features

Props: Rope, Ductape and Rocking chair

Special effects: Pan

Potential problems and how you’re going to overcome them: As this scene has no dialogue we need to make sure we try to eliminate as much background noise as possible that we wont want in this scene. this scence is also outside so we need to make sure we check the weather beforehand.

Breakdown For Shooting (1)

Storyboard scene number: 3

Date:   13/12                                                                                            Time: 6:00pm

Setting:  bedroom                                                                            Location: Sophie's bedroom

Crew members and roles: Ashleigh - Director 

                                         Chantelle - Make up artist

                                         Joyce - Set designer 

Cast members:  Carolina - main character ( girl)

Extras: sibling

Wardrobe:  white nightgown 

Make-up: Normal but unnatural pale make up
                dark hair 

Props: pictures of killings 

Special effects: no special effects are needed for this scene

Potential problems and how you’re going to overcome them: a problem we could face maybe that Carolina is unable to come so to overcome this we will film a scene where she isn't involved.
another problem maybe the 

Animatic

As part of our Horror film preparation my group and I had to create an animatic. We firstly used a storyboard to draw the images that will be seen in our film. We had to make sure that our images were precise by drawing each one using the correct camera angle and also commenting on what sound and editing will be used in each one.

          


When we showed our Animatic to our class mates we got positive and negative comments. What we did well was begin our film in a different way which isn't typical in horror film. Using pan we created a disorientated feeling which made the film more intriguing for the audience. Also we used sound effectively as we matched the appropriate sound to the particular scene. But we also received constructive criticism which was to change one of our scenes which were unclear camera wise to something different using more camera angles and making the whole scene more effective.

please click the video below to view the Animatic for my horror film:

Horror Film Pitch Feedback

My group and I presented our horror film pitch to the rest of the class and they gave us feedback on how to improve.
Most of the class said that our idea for the horror was good because the audience are aware of what is going to happen but now it will occur.
Our peers suggested that we have a set idea of how the killings during the film will take place and also rethink the location because we wanted to create an abandoned house setting in our classmate's shed but realised this could create difficulties.
Also we said how we would find filming the correct camera angle shots difficult so we were told to use a tripod to help us keep the camera steady when shooting.
Overall the class thought our idea was a good one but we just had to get our ideas together to fit in the two minutes.

Click here to view my Prezi: http://prezi.com/ktlkilrgofql/horror-film-pitch/

As the Prezi shows we took massive inspiration for our film from the film Sinister.

This film helped us a lot as it had all the themes that we wanted to include in our own horror. Themes of mystery, horror and especially the puzzling deaths.
We incorporated these themes into our own and developed our ideas from there.

The target audience for our horror are young adults as we feel the film will appeal more to them because of the mystery involved in it it will captivate that generation more. Our target audience enjoy adventure and love horror that's why creating the survey made it possible for us to know how to appeal and captivate the audience.  













As the images on the prezi shows we want to create a cold atmosphere for our horror and taking into account the answers we received from our audience they enjoyed that type of atmosphere too. We decided to locate the film in an abandoned house setting but also in a home to create that disorientated affect for our audience because the home is considered a safe place although in this case it isn't.

Example of house setting from conjuring movie -

• This scene shows how distressing a house setting can be. Somewhere you expect safety at all times and something horrific happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wljn4_pzxbg

The props and costume we were deciding on choosing were a white overall to make our main character look innocent and highlight her vulnerability. We took this example from the film the ring: 

As the image above shows the little girl character from the ring is dressed in a white garment has long black hair and her face looks sweet. This makes her character seem innocent and harmless but that is also what makes her appealing because when she begins to unveil her evil side it will be a shock for the audience, which makes the film more enticing.

• This clip from the ring also illustrates the fear you can feel in a home and it also reiterate that no where is safe and this conforms with the themes of horror.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=scene+from+the+ring

The only props that we will be using is a rope which our character will be using for the murders and she will also be wearing a red anklet to emphasize her psychotic character. As red represents danger, violence and aggression which are all qualities are character holds.

Preliminary Task

For my preliminary task I worked with a few of my classmates to create a short film. Before we could start filming we had to plan by using a storyboard. After we had finished the storyboard we began to film being aware of the camera shot types to include and being aware of the editing we will have to do.

 The preliminary task taught me a lot one major thing I learnt was that filming is not easy and planning is crucial.Story boarding really helps with film planning as it enables you to really think about what camera shot types to include in your film and which ones are going to have the greatest effect on your target audience.

When filming it was really difficult because the room wasn't suitable as it was really small, and when trying to get the camera into the position I wanted it to be in it was very hard. For example when I was trying to film the high angle shot I had to get on my knees and bend backwards which was very uncomfortable. This showed me the importance of using a tripod when filming, it makes shooting a scene much simpler.

Editing was also not an easy task, because some of the clips were unnecessary to the film there was much editing to be made. The editing part of the preliminary task was the hardest as this is where the film had to come together with all the necessary shots included. When editing I made sure I didn't include any dialogue that wasn't needed in the film and also any bad shots. During the editing I also had to cut out some clips and only include the bits that were necessary to the task. While editing I also had to make sure that the story made sense and was continuous.

Overall I learnt that making a film even a short one is a lot of work and there are many things involved.

Horror Film Convention

One of the tasks I will be doing in this unit is creating my own horror film opening. Before I could do this I have to have knowledge and look deeper into what a horror film requires for it to be a horror. So I researched horror film conventions to get a deeper understanding of the horror genre...

Horror Film Convention Research

In a typical horror film many camera angles are used for different effects and some are used because the director wants us to feel a certain way towards the character in the film. There are a few camera angles that are always used in most horrors such as point of view angle (POV), high and low angle, extreme close up angle (ECU), close up, medium long shot and tilted angle. All of these camera angles are common in a horror film. POV angle is used because it allows the audience to see the world from the specific characters point of view. High and low can connote fear and nightmare, when the camera is at a high angle it makes the characters look weak and as the audience we feel frightful for the character this is the same connotation for the low angle shot. ECU shots are used usually as the establishing shot at the start of a movie just to set the scene and to make the audience familiar with the setting. Close up shots allow us to see the characters emotions or to get a closer view of the subject being shown. When using medium long shot the setting and subject are at an equal proportion on screen which allows the audience to see the characters fully and how they are acting at the setting. The tilted camera angle creates a disorientated view which I think is vital in a horror film as it makes the audience feel discomfort.

             









The sounds used in a horror film have to be chosen wisely because a small sound can determine the whole mood of the film. In horror films it is typical to hear ambient diegetic sounds which are basically the background noise or the atmosphere. It provides sounds between shots; it prevents an unnatural silence where there is no other sound and it creates or reinforces a mood an example of this is a footsteps. Non-diegetic sound is also used in horror films this is sound that isn’t present in the action such as a heartbeat. A major part of horror is the disgusting sounds used to emphasise something gory happening in the film such as a bloody murder they are important because they create an uncomfortable atmosphere while still being scary.

Here is a link with sounds that are usually associated with horror:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXOs3xQYBlM&safe=active



In a horror the characters are very typical and depending on which character type there is in a horror the costumes will vary. For example if the character was a young teenage girl who was the victim in the movie she’d probably be wearing light colors, blonde hair, no makeup fresh face to show her characters innocence but I think it is also to show the audience that she is a victim. Whereas the character who was committing the murders would probably be wearing dark colored clothing, have dark makeup on, dark hair to show her dark and evil persona and also to just frighten the audience.

       






Horror movie settings are usually done in creepy locations the typical ones being abandoned houses, dark alleyways, isolated placed, haunted houses, forests, farms, attics and basements. Anywhere that connotes isolation or being alone. I think the location that connotes this the best is a house because every person feels that their house is the safest place ever so when you watch a horror film and you see a house being used as the main setting you automatically know that the character is not safe and is probably going to die.

           








There are always different characters used in horror movies the most innocent being children yet they are the scariest of all and then you have the evils being the killers, psychopaths, demons, serial killers, monsters etc. There is always a stupid victim in horror movies that gets killed and the stereotype for them is a young teenage blonde girl. I also think that families are also becoming victims in horror movies nowadays and in the family there is always that one cute innocent looking daughter or child who turns out to be the most frightening human being.

Here is an example of the type of horror:

The Conjuring Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09sfCsFrrFg

Audience survey

I have created a survey to find about more about the types of horror films my target audience like best. The survey will also allow me to see what things my target audience would expect to see in a horror. This will enable me to create an opening which is appropriate and appealing for my target audience. Please click the link below to complete the survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/872DS6B

Target Audience

The Horror movie opening I will be creating will be targeted at teenagers from the age of 16 and above.

          


At the weekends they like to go party, go shopping, go out to eat, go to work and maybe do some homework.
Their favourite breakfast cereal is rice krispies and coco pops, they travel around on public transport and if lucky they get a care ride. Some of them already drive.
They live in South London with their parents or an adult and they love to drink mirinda strawberry or sprite.
They love watching soaps such as Eastenders and hollyoaks, they also enjoy family comedy shows such as Fresh prince  of Bel Air and My Wife and Kids. Their favourite films are Fast and Furious and The Wolverine. Food is very important to them there favourite vegetables are Carrots and Sweetcorn and there favourite restaurants are Tinsletown and Nandos. McDonalds is always an option.They play badminton, football, swimming, netball, gymnastics, tennis and athletics. The girls ideal partners are Shemar Moore, Idris elba, Michael daly and Dwayne Johnson. A boys ideal partner would Meagan Good, Gabrielle Union, LaLa Goldie, Taraji P. Henson and Beyonce. They would go to Turkey on holiday or anywhere exotic like this because they love the sun. Labour party all the way because they believe the Labour party caters to their needs out of all the politcal parties so they would vote for a Labour Government.

From my survey findings I have found that my target audience enjoy watching horror films in the evening and the majority of them are scared of demons.