Conventions used in horror films

In media we were asked to get into groups and display four different scenes of a horror movie we made up using jelly babies and other utensils offered to us. For each scene we had to talk about the horror film convention used  e.g. sound, costume etc...

Here is pictures of each scene:

In the first scene above the convention used is setting. We used the whiteboard to create a forest setting at night as most scary movies are set in places like this.

In the second scene the convention was characters. We showed typical stereotypes for characters for example; we used the yellow jelly baby to signify a dumb blonde, she didn't follow the group so she got killed first. The other character we stereotyped was the black jelly baby because it is dark we used it as the killer, in all horror films the killer is displayed as dark and evil so we chose the dark jelly baby to be the killer. We also included a prop of a little red knife to show the dark jelly baby killing the blonde and we placed another red jelly baby laying down next to the blonde to show `blood'.

In the next scene we presented the convention of sound. Since we couldn't make sounds come out of the sweets we drew music notes on the white board, the notes represent both diegetic and non diegetic sound. The diegetic sound was of the girl screaming and the non diegetic sound was the terrifying music that comes on when people are being killed. Characters was also shown here as the next jelly baby to be killed was the red one, red in horror movies used anywhere is to display danger and if a character was in red they were going to die.

In the final scene the convention displayed was props. We used white bowl that was supposed to be a cave, we also thought that it was perfect to use the bowl as it is white and in media white is always used in positive way for example for purity. The green jelly baby got away by hiding in a white cave because it was safe and pure.

Horror Film Opening Examples

In class our teacher showed us some passed student's Horror Film Openings and we gave our feedback on what we thought. This helped us a lot because it showed us that to get a good grade it doesn't need to be over the top and as good as actual horror film.

I learned a few things in that lesson and they are:

• You don't actually need to show the death to make it scary.
• A quick opening can still be successful as long as it is clear and can be understood.
• Lighting is going to be a main issue because the lights outside aren't useful when filming outside.
• Bad acting will bring our grade down.
• Rushed assignments aren't going to get us a good grade.
• Using varied camera angles to create meaning is a good thing to do.
• Editing with sound is something we have to do.
• Including Mise-en-scene for effect is good.
• Editing is a way to make meanings clear.
• STEADY CAMERA WORK IS KEY.

Feedback

Here is the link to my Prezi Presentation about my 'Horror Film Pitch' http://prezi.com/es2m6ydyec8w/horror-film-pitch/

After my group presented our presentation, we were given feedback on how to make our horror film better. The feedback our fellow peers gave us was:

"It was really good i like the way you presented everything very clearly the presentation explains all the ideas well and it shows that you have thought through your ideas."

"The point of view shot is a good idea because it makes the movie seem more realistic for the audience but just make sure that the camera isn't completely disoriented just a little shakey because if the camera is too shakey then the audience wont be able to see what is going on properly."

"The location is a good idea but because you are filming in a park at night that presents a challenge for you with the lighting. It is good to have darkness but you still need to be able to see so just make sure that the lighting comes through good and your film will be fine."

"The park you have chosen has a time limit on it before it closes so make sure you go in film and leave before it closes."

"You might want to try a different park like Larkhall park."

"As long as the girl looks dead it will be really good, plus the more dead she looks the more realistic your movie will be."

I have read all these feedback comments and i will see to it that i put them into my movie in order to make it better.

Prelimary task

Here is a link for my Preliminary task: PRELIMINARY TASK

What i have learnt from doing my storyboarding ?

•  I have learnt that when making my storyboard it benefits me later if I put as much information down as possible. This allows me to make accurate shots that doesn't waste time.

What I learnt from filming ?

• I have learnt that it takes extreme precision when filming to make sure that you are showing everything you are supposed to be showing to the audience because if your camera shots aren't clear it makes what you are filming unsuccessful.

What have I learnt from editing ?

• One thing I have definitely learned from editing is that it is very time consuming and can be very annoying when you cant edit something to flow smoothly. When filming i filmed a lot of short scenes so it wasn't as hard to cut them down to make the prelim task but it was still difficult especially if there was something i didn't film. I had to find a way to work around what I had forgotten to film and has taught me that I need to film more than is needed in case I forget or needed to add something to my movie.

Horror film conventions

Horror films are designed to:

•  Frighten & panic
• Cause dread &alarm
•  Evoke our hidden worst fears
• Captivate & entertain us in a liberating experience
• Often conclude in a terrifying shocking finale 

Depending on the audience watching, horror can create different types of fear

• Vulnerability 
• Terror of the unknown 
•  Nightmares
•  Alienation
• Revulsion 

HISTORY OF HORROR

•  Horror is an ancient art form. We have tried to terrify each other with tales which trigger the less logical parts of our imaginations for as long as  we've told stories. From the ballads of the ancient world to modern urban myths, audiences willingly offer themselves up to sadistic  storytellers to be scared witless, and they are happy to pay for privilege.

•  The first depictions of supernatural events appear in several of the silent shorts created by the film pioneer George Melies in the late 1890's.

•  In the early 20th century, the first monster appeared in a horror film, Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre-Dame who has appeared in Victor Hugo's novel, Notre-Dame de paris

•  During the early period of talking pictures, the American Movie studio Universal pictures began a successful Gothic horror film series. Tod Browning's Dracula (1931), with Bela Lugosi, was quickly followed by James Whale's Frankenstein . Some of these blended science fiction films with Gothic horror, such as The Invisible Man (1933) and, mirroring the earlier German films, featured a mad scientist. These films, while designed to thrill, also incorporated more serious elements.

Favourite television shows.

My Media 

I am a media consumer, I consume a huge amount of media daily. The main ones are

• Television 
• Radio
• Music
• Videos 
• Phone
• Computer

when i watch Television, my favorite shows to watch are:              

Big bang theory

How i met your mother

90210 

Bad girls club 

America's next top model

Radio stations that i listen to are:

Capital FM

 









Kiss 100

Choice FM

I LOVE music its the thing i do for a majority of my day. If i'm honest i don't have a favorite artist i love the variety of all music but some artist that i listen to most are:

                                                   Wiz Khalifa

The Weeknd

                                              Sage the gemini

Nicki minaj








ect

The site i go on to watch videos is www.youtube.co.uk

My current phone is a iPhone 4S

Computer 

On the computer there are various things i go on mostly social networks, online shopping or research.
For each of these i use:

Tumblr
Facebook
Youtube
ect

Target Audience

My movie is aimed at a target audience aged 16 year olds to 19 year olds.

• They enjoyed the movies: 
• The Purge 
• Fast and Furious 1-6 
  
• The Hunger Games 
• Texas Chainsaw
• Mama, Safe Haven
• Iron man 3  
• Spring Breakers 
• The Host 
• The Hangover 1-3
• Ect... 

As you can see they like a wide variety of movies all different genres and plots.
Based on surveys the most popular movie released this year was Iron man 3 it received 13,540 views so far and when asked the question of which movie would they recommend to their friends teenagers chose this movie. 
This will help me make my horror film opening.  

Here is a picture of the youngest of the teenagers in a group outing to watch the movie The Wolverine:

 

This is a weekend activity that they do with each other all the time they enjoy the adventures and story line of movies so they go every weekend to watch a new movie.

Surprisingly enough a whopping 75% of teenagers skip breakfast each day because they say it takes too long to make or they forget. The other 25% say they usually eat:

• Cereal 
• Toast 
• Beans
• Eggs 
• Bacon
• Pancakes 
• Sausages 
• Or left over food from the day before. 

Transport for teenagers is mainly on the buses because up to the age of 17 there is free travel for them. The ways they can move around London are by:

• Bus 
• Train 
• Car 
• Tube 
• Tram
• Walking 
• Bike 
• Ect...

                                                   Surveys show that a majority of 75% of teenagers take the bus. The bus in                
                                                   London Is very popular not just teenagers take the bus but it is the easiest         
                                                   way for them to get around, as they are entitled to free travel.
                                                   For my horror film opening i will include a shot showing public transport so           
                                                   that my audience feel as if they can relate to the movie.

London is a very big city in which people live all over. The most populated area with my target audience (aged 16 -19) living in it is Peckham and Brixton. Some examples of common areas with particularly youth in them are:

• Clapham common 
• Lewisham 
• Marble arch 
• Croydon
• Ect... 

35% of teenagers are comfortable and like their living environment, 27% said they wished they lived in a better place and 38% said they are threatened or afraid of the area in which they lived in.

For my film opening i might need to concentrate on why certain areas that make people feel threatened or afraid in order to portray the same feelings through my movie.

Energy drinks are the most bought items daily and a huge percentage of the public that buys it are teenagers.

In the pie chart above it shows that Red Bull and Monster are the most popular drinks bought daily. These drinks could also help me to make my movie more appealing to my target audience. By including them in filming it makes that target audience see the similarities between them and the characters and overall feel more frightened.