Feedback - Miss Spencer

·      You are making real progress with your blog now Harry - well done! 

  The research into similar products shows promise. You are using plenty of media language and discussing the effect on the audience of various shots, camera angles and movement. However you ned a little more detail. Go back and ensure you have discussed the following.

  

    In terms of editing how have the separate images been put together - Think in terms of frequency of cuts, fades in/out, jump cuts, dissolves etc. you haven't mentioned editing in anyof your analysis) 

·       Use the technical terms for the sound e.g. diegetic/non-diegetic/incidental/ambient etc. 

·       

    How and what titles are being displayed during the sequence and in what order.

What kind of characterisation is evident? - Age, gender, relationships etc. 

This will take your work from a level2/3 border into a much firmer level 3

Task 2.2: Genre Research

Different Horror Films:

•  Orphan - About a young girl who was 'different' to everyone else her age, as she was a very mature little girl, we then find out later that the only thing 'different' about her is that she's a devil child.

• The Devils Child - About a young boy who believes his parents don't love him and is very mentally ill, he tries to kill his whole family along with other people and has supernatural demonic powers.

• Let Me In - A young bullied boy who befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian.

• Home Movie - Documents one family's descent into darkness, using a compilation of found home-made footage. In the remote woods of upstate New York, the Poe family lives a Norman Rockwell life. Perfect house. Perfect marriage. If only the children stopped stapling frogs to trees. Something is very wrong with Jack and Emily Poe, the ten-year old twins.

Don't

Ignore

Setting

Technical

Iconography

Narrative

Characterization

Themes

Character Types

• The Main Protagonist - Often the 'Victim Hero' of the movie.
• The Villain - Often a monster, alien or serial killer.
• Non Believer - Never thinks there is a chance for anything.
• Hysterical Character - Tends to be a female, over reacts to everything.
• Loved up couple - A couple that show too much affection to each other.
• Female Victim - Tends to be the one that dies, portrayed as vulnerable and needs protection.

Iconography
Visual Style: Often dark colours like red and black (Links to evil, blood and danger).
Common Objects: Weapons, Masks, Items of Supernatural, child's toys etc.
Props: Props can help us to further identify the horror genre. Specific props can be identified with a certain villain or character (Chainsaws, machetes, knifes etc).
The Iconography of monsters help to connote fear, disgust and terror, like wear-wolves, vampires, ghosts etc.

Themes of Horrors

• Good Versus Evil
• Depression
• Religion
• Childhood Issues
• Revenge 
• Supernatural
• Beyond Death
• Science Gone Bad
• Zombie Apocalypse
• Nightmares 
• Insanity etc.

Kind of shots and sounds used in Horrors 

• High and Low angle shots and connote fear.
• POV shots from the monsters or ghosts are important because it allows the audience to see from the monsters eye.
• Handheld shots are good in a situation if the victim is running away, it shows the audience the panic and distress.
• Footsteps often show panic.
• Creaking doors.
• Moans from the monster.
• If it's a ghost kind of film, little girl laughs are frightening. 

Task 2.1: Horror Analysis (Halloween)

The opening scene of 'Halloween' opens with a POV shot as the Michael walks around the outside of the house as he waits for his Sister and her boyfriend to turn the lights off and continue upstairs. This gives the audience the impression that he's going to do something he is not meant too.

The second shot is again a POV shot as Michael walks back to the front of the house and watches the upstairs light turn off, a scary sound plays as the lights turn off which imply that he's about to do something horrible and let's the audience the impression that something bad is possibly about to happen.




In the next shot Michael goes into the kitchen and opens the draw, the audience see his arm which shows he is wearing some sort of clown suit as he draws a knife and begins to head upstairs. Of course the audience does not yet know that it is Michael's POV and could have the impression that it could be a plain joke, or a possible murder about to happen.

The next shot is a medium close up of Michael's sisters boyfriend, as we watch him walk down the stairs straight past Michael and out the house, this is where the audience becomes aware that he is about to murder his sister. With the scary music still playing in the background the audience becomes aware that it isn't a joke, and something bad is about to happen.

As Michael get's to the top of the stairs, he see's his clown mask that his sisters boyfriend had and puts it on, again showing his arm the audience see his clown costume as Michael puts on the mask to cover his face as he goes to murder his sister.




In the next shot we see Michael's point of view through the clown mask as his sister notice's him and cries 'Michael' this is when the audience are told that it is Michael behind the costume. With his sister sitting on a stool, he look down on her (high angle shot) as he draws the knife and begins to stab his sister. She cries and screams as some more intense and impacting music plays showing the audience the horror of the situation.

He then walks downstairs to the door to find his parents arriving at the house, as they take off his mask and find out it's him, they see the blood on the knife and instantaneously are told that he has just murdered someone or something. The shot then pans away and get's higher implying the fear and horror of what Michael has just done.

Task 2.1: Horror Analysis (The Woman In Black)

The opening scene of 'The Woman In Black' opens with a close up of a small child's tea cups, when the girl is pouring the pretend tea, her actions are all very slow and smooth representing ghost like movement on top of the slow spooky music in the back ground. Also when the teapot reaches the teacup it makes a clash sound which tells the audience that possibly something bad is about to happen.

The second shot is an extreme close up of a dolls face, as the little girl force feeds the pretend tea to it showing power and control over the dolls. Also in a horror film dolls and children's toys always represent ghost and paranormal activity which already tells the audience the type of horror they will be watching.

 The third shot is a wide shot of the 3 girls and there play set, this shows the innocence and helplessness of the girls. There clothes are very old fashioned which is a convention of horror, there are other horrors set in the more Victorian times like the Women in White and these are the types of clothes that a ghost would most likely wear showing the audience that these girls might about to be possessed.

In this mid-shot, we are given the impression of two little girls enjoying their time playing 'dolls' however this is shortly contradicted by possession from the Woman In Black, furthermore, the facial expressions of the two little girls imply that nothing can come in-between their enjoyment; however this is not the case.

 In this long-shot, we are now given the impression that the little girls have spotted something and look as if they are losing there self control, the audience now probably know that the girls have seen the Women In Black and now may know what will happen if they have read the film description.

This long-shot of the girls looking at the window implies that the girls have begun to lose control of themselves and that The Woman In Black is controlling them like the girls were controlling the dolls back in the second shot. Also the music has started to increase its pace which implies something bad is about to happen.

This close-up shows the possession or the girls, as they have gone from playing with there tea-set to mindlessly walking over it whilst still keeping the slow ghost like movement and breaking it which they wouldn't do if they was in their own self control. Again the music tempo has increased showing conventions of horror.

By the time of this long-shot of the girls the audience knows exactly what is about to happen that they have been possessed and are about to commit suicide by jumping out of the window because they clearly have no self control and the possession is making it happen. The music on top of this has added some high pitch screeches which makes it less comforting for the audience. Shortly after we hear a scream from the mother of the children and the words 'No my babies' which makes the audience feel sympathy.

 This over the shoulder shot of the Woman In Black works well as it scares the audience as it shows them her power and that nothing can really out-power her.

Task 2.1: Mission Impossible 2: Intro Analysis

The opening scene of Mission Impossible 2 opens with a aerial forward tracking shot of the canyon way up high going straight onto Tom Cruise to instantly introduce the mood of the film, and the thrill that will occur throughout. The sound of the wind and the birds compliments sound as it adds the realism to the shot, and reaches out to the audience and shows them the danger.

A high angle shot is used to show the danger of the nature over Ethan, but Ethan has his arms off the rocks and his keeping himself up by his knees against the rocks, this shows that his character really has no fear and shows that he get's adrenaline from danger.



Another high angle shot was used to emphasis the danger that the character in, on top of the slow motion used to keep the audience on the edge of their seat's and to make them feel the danger that Ethan would have felt during the jump. The height of the shot also shows the dominance of the Canyon, that there is no way that Ethan will be able to take it down, but the Canyon could easily take Ethan down if he was to slip.

The producers also used iconography to show power and danger within Ethan (Tom Cruise) and the setting. For example when Ethan had to decide whether to make a leap of faith down to one of the parts of the Canyon to continue his dangerous climb, when he lands he slips and falls off but keeps himself hanging by both of his hands, but facing out in a 'Jesus' position, the producers did this to show his 'Immunity' and personality, as Jesus saved people it tells the audience that this is what will occur in the movie.

A extreme long shot is used after Ethan has successfully climbed the wall of the canyon to show the success if Ethan's climb and to tell the audience more about his character, that he's fearless and heroic. Also happy chilled music kicks in to release the tension of the audience and to help show the success of his climb.


A close up shot is used when Ethan throws the glasses after listening to the mission as they are self-destructing, this shows the audience Ethan's rebelliousness as he is not afraid of the explosion, he keeps a straight face which again tells the audience more about his character and the theme of the film.

Feedback - Miss Spencer

Your prelim task includes many of the elements I asked you to , and I can see you have already got some editing skills. Your analysis is good, and you have outlined elements like the 180 degree rule, in order to improve I would like you to also comment on how you incorporated some of these elements, and also say what would happen if rules like these were broken.

THanks

Preliminary Task Evaluation

The 180 degree rule is essential in keeping the viewer focused and to avoid them getting confused. Once a scene had been set the camera must stay on the side of the action. If two people are facing each other an invisible line must be drawn. The line tends to run straight down the middle of the two people, once the line is placed, the camera can move anywhere as long as it stays on the same side of the line once the filming has started. For example if in a conversation, if the camera switches between two faces and then suddenly cuts to the other side of the line, it would look like both people are facing the same way.   

A match on match action is when the camera man for example, films someone pulling a phone out of there pocket, dialing a number and putting it to there ear to take the call. However instead of filming it all in one shot, you would use different close ups, for example an extreme close up when dialing the number, Then it would return to the original shot.

Our film making process went very well, we used a range of shots such as an Extreme close up, Extreme long shot, close ups, medium shots, match on match actions etc. Our experience filming around the college went well, we used appropriate locations, for example clear walls so the theme of the scene wasn't taken away, we also used some of the schools features like the stairs when our character was running into the school to try and stop the bomb detonation. We also used jump cuts into the beat of the music to add a more dramatic feeling to our scene.

I learnt a lot editing our Preliminary Task in adobe premiere, I learn the hot keys to simple tools like the cut and move tool. I also learnt how to import images, videos and music and how to make jump cuts cutting bits out of my video to fit the beat of the music. Also I learnt how to use a green screen and remove the green so our explosion looked more effective and realistic.