Deadline

The Final Deadline for the fully edited horror film opening is 20th January 2011

Rough Script

This is the basics for the script of my horror film opening, scene 1. I thought it would be better to improvise a little in the actual shooting of the film as it would look less false and rehearsed. Also i haven't got a lot of speech in our opening as i thought more silence in the film would add to the eerie, deserted setting.

Research on Existing Production Company Logos

I did some visual research into existing production company logos.

20th Century Fox

Universal Studios

Lionsgate Entertainment

Paramount Pictures

Pixar Animation Studios

Walt Disney Pictures

Most of the logos have a plain background or a natural background. The writing is the most obvious thing in the logo and that is where the attention should be drawn to first.

My Horror Film Characters Continued

After looking at my characters in further detail i found that they reminded me of zombies even though they are represented as prey in my horror opening. I found this image of zombies to see if there were any noticeable comparisons; i think the blood stained clothes and mud and general messy representation of the characters and zombies is the same. However, the distinct difference between my characters and the zombies is the expressions on the faces. My characters look vulnerable and scared whereas the zombies are angry and almost hungry. This is a significant difference between predators and prey.

Production Schedule: Altered

We decided to add an additional day to the filming of our horror opening as we realised we hadn't allocated enough time to film each shot, and it also got darker quicker than we had anticipated.


14th December 2010- 3.30pm-5pm

Film Name Research and Examples

Most popular horror film titles according to a survey on http://www.imdb.com/chart/horror :

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes
1.	8.7	Psycho (1960)	152,901
2.	8.5	Alien (1979)	191,131
3.	8.5	The Shining (1980)	189,905
4.	8.3	Les Diaboliques (1955)	15,747
5.	8.1	The Thing (1982)	84,344
6.	8.1	Nosferatu (1922)	30,272
7.	8.1	The Exorcist (1973)	111,247
8.	8.0	Rosemary's Baby (1968)	54,640
9.	8.0	Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010)	1,338
10.	8.0	King Kong (1933)	41,320

 

The most popular horror titles seem to be memorable names or names that are quite simple. The only downside of using a simple name is that they are quite predicatble and are most likely to have been used before.

My favourite horror film title is 'Nightmare on Elm Street'

As my horror film opening consists of flashbacks/flashforwards maybe relating to a nightmare i decided i wanted to use the word 'nightmare' in my film title.

I thought that as my setting is going to be in the woods then maybe i could use 'Nightmare in the Woods'

But i then decided that the word 'woods' is too common, i then searched for alternatives.

·         Woodland?

·         Backwoods?

·         Woodland?

·         Brush?

·         Wild?

·         Wilderness?

I chose 'Nightmare in the Wilderness' as it was less common, i also thought it had a slightly horror feel to it and i can't wait to put it in my title sequence.

My Horror Film Characters

These were the two characters which are in my horror film. We chose to do two female victims as they can be represented as more vulnerable and 'prey' like. We smeared the two in ketchup and BBQ sauce to create the blood/dried blood look. We also made their clothes look messy by putting mud all over them and tangling them up as if they have been running through bushes or woods. We also backcombed their hair adding in broken twigs and leaves as well as smudging their mascara to make it look as though they had been crying. This creates a very authentic victim look as they appear to have been through an ordeal and have been terrorised. They follow the traditional victim appearance as they are covered in blood and a muddy.

Production Schedule

Where are you filming?
In the woods at pocket park, where we have access to water, bridges as well as trees.

What days/dates/times?
9th December 2010 (3.30pm-5pm) -Film the forest scene.
15th December 2010 (3.30pm-5pm) -Film the party scene.

What props will you need?
-Party props
-Tomato ketchup
-Simple clothes

What equipment do you need?
-Camera
-Video Camera
-Tripod
-Boom Mic.

Lighting Research Continued: Filters

For creating our horror film i thought that we could use filters over the video camera as it would create a stronger sense of atmosphere and mood. I experimented with a red filter and found that it drastically changed the tone of the shot.

The lighting can completely change the composition of a scene as it makes it appear more dangerous. The red of the shot connotes danger or blood and automatically is connected to the horror genre.

I also thought that maybe we could use a red spotlight. This would enable the view to see that a specific part pf the shot/film is a representation of danger. I could also make a person seem vulnerable especially if it was to be a high angle shot. However, I realise that filming outside with a spotlight would be unrealistic as the audience would be able to tell that the light is artificial and it would detract from the mood of the horror genre.

Lighting Research

"Lighting is one of the most important aspects of motion pictures. It sets the tone of a film while giving two dimensional images the feeling of three dimensional life."

We decided that we needed to research lighting for our horror film as we felt that it was a very important aspect in terms of a visual portrayal to the audience. Certain types of lighting can set the tone for a film and create a mood or specific atmosphere. As we are creating a horror film we needed to create shadows and dark patches of light, even darkness would be an acceptable lighting for our genre of film. However, we have to be careful that it's not so dark that the audience can see what's going on or grasp the concept of our film.

Still from 'Friday the 13th'

Normally horror films don't tend to use artificial lighting in their filming. The only light within these types of films are often natural such as the moonlight. This creates a spooky and eerie atmosphere. Darkness is such an iconic element of the horror genre as a lot of people are scared of the dark, not necessarily of darkness itself but whatever may be lurking in its shadows.

Mood Board for the Opening of my Horror Film

This is a mood board for the opening of my horror film. I put all my initial ideas together to create this montage of pictures, writing and materials:

On my mood board i included location images for where i wanted my horror film to be set. After doing research i like the idea of a forest or similar surroundings as this creates a sense of isolation and would build up tension and fear alot quicker in the audience. I then collected some images of forests in different effects such as black and white, and a red filter. I really liked the idea of a red filter as this would make some of the footage or shots completely red creating an almost bloodlust, as if the audience are watching through the eyes of the 'predator'. I collected some red plastic that could be used as the filter. I added a list of shots that i had jotted down earlier which i wanted in my opening. I then added examples of victims from horror films that could help me create my own characters, typically the victims are women as it adds to the helplessness of the character in distress. There is also a sachet of ketchup on my mood board as i thought this could be used to create blood. Also on my mood board is some examples of horror film covers, i added these to help me chose a font style for my opening credits as well as give me ideas for my horror film name.

Plot of my Horror Film Opening

My horror film opening will start off with 2 girls running through the forest. 1 of the girls gets carried away and the other one keeps running. The second girl stops as something runs across the path in front of her and she falls over.

The second part of the opening will cut to a contrasting happier atmosphere. We were thinking maybe a house party where there are people chatting, laughing and listening to music. Then someone knocks on the door but you can't see their face.

Possible Location Photographs

We took photographs of some possible locations for our horror film opening.

This photograph is of a bridge in a forest. As well as being isolated it is also surrounded by water which could be represented as an element of danger. We chose this location as it is quite open and would enable us to film with lots of space. The lake reminded me of the film "Eden Lake" and the surreal setting of the water and not knowing what is underneath it.

This was another location that we could film our horror movie opening at. Again, it looks deserted and quite creepy with a sense of abandonment. It also looks cold and the mood of the photograph is negative. I think that this location is relevant to the horror genre as it is a traditional out of the way setting with overgrown nature and no one around.

This photograph is of a trail in the woods. We thought that this would be an interesting location as it is quite isolated creating a dark atmosphere and would also provide an excellent trap for predators hiding from their prey, especially in the dark. This is similar to the "Blair Witch Project" setting in my research.

            The photograph on the left is one of our possible locations. I found it very interesting as i connected it with the film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" which the still on the right is from.

This photograph is of a house, another possible location for our horror film opening. We chose a house as it is iconic for the horror genre and is representative of the research i did relating to horror film settings. Again, the house location follows the theme of familiarity making the audience's world more scarier and therefore creating a more effecting horror film.

Horror Film Characters Research

I researched into some typical traditional horror film characters as well as non traditional characters to see if there was any kind of comparisons or contrasts between the characters and what would make a scary character for my own horror film.

Dracula- This is one of the oldest characters in the horror genre and is often portrayed in the same way. This character often has a cape, fangs and authentic antique look. A vampire is seen as a common villain in a horror film as the audience would automatically recognise what they are and the bloodshed they can cause.

Perhaps one of the most unconventional yet scariest characters out of the horror genre is Leatherface, the main horror character out of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He chilled the entire British audience and is perhaps one of the most terrifying horror characters. What makes him scary is that we can't tell what he does, it's obvious he is a villain but why? He wears masks made of human skin and engages in murder and cannibalism alongside his inbred family. Leatherface never spoke in any of the films, which portrays him as mute. In a way this makes him seem even more scarier as his character is eerie.

Every horror film has a victim, the victim is often female and they are seen as vulnerable and easily targeted. The victim is often covered in blood or has dirty ripped clothing. This victim is from Basket Case.






Overall, i think that unusual horror characters are the most scariest as the audience doesn't know what to expect. My horror character will certainly follow this growing trend and be different. If no sound can be used for the villain then maybe a villain that cannot be seen is also a possibility?

Photographs for the Title Sequence of my Horror Film

After researching the film "Se7en" I decided to make my title sequence similar to that one. I took these photographs to mix in with my title sequence for my horror movie. I thought i could make the title sequence jumpy by adding lots of different cuts and random images. The montage of images and footage would create a sense of confusion and maybe a state of paranoia. This would create a distorted and unusual sequence.

The photographs I collected are relevant to my locations for my horror film.  They are all photographs of places in the woods or things that represent danger or caution to me, this will give the film a sense of foreboding. The audience will recognise the genre of the film and that something bad will happen.







I like this photograph as it shows a sense of confusion that could be running throughout the opening of my horror film. The arrows can either represent that either the audience or the characters do not know what is going to happen.

These photographs highlight a sense of danger which would be running throughout the opening of the film as well as an eerie atmosphere of abandonment. As the photographs also represent places that our opening will be shot in there is an element of repetition in which the audience can draw a state of dejavu from.

Overall, i think that these shots will be successful for transitioning into my title sequence. They capture the mood of the horror genre extremely well as well as highlighting the important aspects of our locations. I look forward to see how the end result looks like.

Horror Film Words

I found a website where if you type in the address of your blog is analyses the text and creates a paragraph of words focusing on the words which are commonly used. I found it quite useful as it highlights the most important words and could help me identify what is key to the development of my horror film.

Study of the "Se7en" Title Sequence

2 seconds- image of a book with the pages open
6 seconds- still image of a book with the writing "new line cinema presents" also on the screen
10 seconds- image of a pair of hands, distorted and in black and white
14 seconds- actors name appears on the screen "Brad Pitt". Black background with white creepy writing
18 seconds- close up of fingers with blood and mud on them and holding a small silver blade
22 seconds- flashing across the screen an actors name "Morgan Freeman"
25 seconds- title "Se7en" flashes over a black screen with white font, fades to black
31 seconds- shadows flash across the screen as well as another actor's name "Gwyneth Paltrow"
34 seconds- close up of a pen writing on paper, 2 images of this image overlapping, so one looks like a shadow. One more actor's name "Richard Roundtree"
37 seconds- red filter over camera, slightly blurry picture with bits of random writing flashing across the screen
41 seconds- image of scissors cutting up photography films and lots of shadows in the shot
46 seconds- small photograph of a child in black and white, this is over more photographs and pages of writing
50 seconds- close up of a newspaper cuttings in a birds eye view, drop of blood splattered on the page
56 seconds- actor's names "John Cassini, Reginald E. Cathey, Peter Crombie"
60 seconds- extreme close up of a thumb smudging ink on a page of black writing
62 seconds- black marker pen crossing out words on a page, POV shot
67 seconds- writing in the background, blood like smudges in the foreground with black marker pen on top of that
71 seconds- black background with an image of a boys face (drawing) in the right top hand corner, black marker pen going through his eyes. White writing "casting by..." in the foreground
74 seconds- red filter over the camera again, boys face in the same place again but completely crossed out this time with black marker pen and red over the top
77 seconds- top half of the shot has a red filter, image of photos (darkroom) bottom half of the image is upside down of a pen writing. Writing in the foreground "music by Howard Shore"
87 seconds- close up of dirty thumbs and a line of tiny hooks, writing in foreground "production design.."
90 seconds- books of writing with a page of handwriting on the top, the page is upside down
94 seconds- photographs in the background, clear filter over the camera which has black smudges, marks and dots all over it. Reminds me of looking through a microscope or splattered blood
99 seconds- extreme close up of dirty thumbs playing with a needle, black background
103 seconds- lots of flashing images and quick cuts
Last 15 seconds- lots more flashing images more writing including "produced by..." and "directed by..."
128 seconds- film starts, end of title sequence

Research of Horror Film Settings

When researching horror film settings, generic or unusual, the idea of setting my film somewhere realistic and relatable would make the opening a lot scarier as it's more personal to the audience. By shooting the opening somewhere where the audience may recognise and relate to, they can therefore place themselves in that setting and situation.

This woods setting is from the film The Blair Witch Project. As the woods expands and can go for miles we have a sense of fear or unknown. Woods/forest is a commonly used setting for the horror genre introduced in the 70s. They provide an atmosphere of darkness and shadow away from civilization. The Blair Witch Project brought the forest setting back with a vengeance. Other films such as Wrong Turn and Cabin Fever have followed this trend, proving that forests are great places to stumble onto inbred cannibalistic families or mysterious flesh-eating viruses.

A setting almost always used in a horror film is a haunted house. This house is from the film The Amityville Horror. I think that a house is the most personal setting that can be portrayed in a horror film as everyone can relate to this type of location. Certain expectations of your house may be shattered leaving the audience fearing their own surroundings. Iconic films such as Physco and The Haunting also use the haunted house setting, it is also being brought back into trend by new horror films such as Paranormal Activity.

There are some slightly unusual settings such as an
island or somewhere that's in the middle of nowhere. This location is from Shutter Island. Other isolated settings include The Wicker Man and Wolf Creek. These isolated places initiate the idea that there is nowhere to run.

One more iconic setting is somewhere that is abandoned, such as a hospital, bunker or town. This abandoned setting is a lunatic asylum from Session 9. When an audience sees somewhere abandoned or derelict they get a sense that something bad happened in this place and therefore sets up an atmosphere and sense of fear and suspense. It's like the darker side to a place can be seen once it is abandoned, or appears abandoned.