Shot List

This is the shot that I drew for our key shot list. It shows a long high-angle shot of the two characters finding the dead body from its point of view. This shot is set in a woody area in the park where the body was found. The trees would be in an arch around where the two characters are standing to look as though the woody area was 'opening up' to the characters to show them the body.

This is an extreme close up of the hand of the dead girl. This hand would be stretched out to the side of the girl and this shot would be one of the shots which shows the features of the girl. This is so that the audience gets an idea that someone has died but they do not yet know the identity of the person who has died.

Plot Synopsis

Our film is set in a city in England, It is about a serial killer who, after he kills his victims, hides their bodies in a place where other people would be able to find them. He also writes a note which says, "You're next..." and places it in the victim's hand. If someone finds the body and reads the note, they are the next to die.

A couple are walking together through a park when they come across the body of a dead girl in the woods. The dead girl is holding a crumpled up piece of paper which tells the couple that they are next. The couple do not take any notice of the piece of paper - they think that it is a prank but are still startled by the body. They call the police but before they say their location, the phone cuts out.

The character on the phone looks around to see that their partner has disappeared. They spot the killer and as they try to run, the murderer kills them. When the police arrive at the scene after tracking the call, all of the bodies have been moved.



This causes a chain reaction as the police keep recieving phone calls which cut out before the caller can say their location. The police set out to find the killer. They manage to track the killer down and there is a confrontation. The main charater who is also one of the policemen manages to arrest the killer who is put into prison.



An image of what the note from the killer would say.





One of the possible locations where the dead girl could be found.



Questions that the audience will ask would include, "How did the girl die in the opening sequence?" and "How does the killer know when the bodies have been found?" Another question that the audience would ask is, "What motivated the killer to be a murderer?"

During the opening sequence, we would reveal that the girl was murdered and that the couple were next. However, we would not reveal who the killer was or what actually happened to the couple until later on in the film.

Our film fits the horror genre because it involves the murder of people by a serial killer. There would be a lot of jumpy parts to the film and there would be a lot of conventions that the audience look for in horror films such as blood, murder and death.



Initial Ideas

Vox Pops

The vox pops that we shot showed us that people like horror films because there is a lot of suspense and scary moments.

From the vox pops, we learnt that people expect to see a lot of death, danger and suspense in horror films. This will inform us of what we could put in our plot because we could put in the death of a character which was unseen by the audience. This would make them ask questions such as, "How did this character die?"

People who watch horrors also expect the pace of the editing to be quite slow which also mixes with fast paced editing at the point where the characters are in danger. This helps to build up the suspense in the film so that the audience know that something is about to happen. This informs us that in our opening sequence, the editing should be slower paced to build suspense and then once the suspence has built up, the editing gets quicker to show the danger that the characters are in.

Survey Results

Survey results. from LindsayB96

  This is the powerpoint presentation that we made presenting our results from the questionnaire about people's thoughts on horror films.

Q3) How often do you watch horror films?

From this question, we learnt that the majority of people prefer to watch horror films quite often; either once a month or once a week. This shows that most of the people in our target audience enjoy watching horror films as they may prefer to watch them rather than movies of other genres in their free time.

Q4) What do you expect to see in a horror film?

From this question, we discovered that the majority of people associate horror films with blood, death and murderers. This shows that the main conventions that are noticed in horror films are the fact that there are a lot of murders, death and blood and people are more likely to notice these conventions over the other conventions of a horror film. This will inform our work on the opening sequence because we will put conventions suchas death and murder into our opening sequence.

Q5) Where do you prefer to watch horror films?

This question showed us that most people prefer to watch horror films at home rather than the cinema. This means that people may prefer to watch at home because there may be a better atmosphere for a horror film at home whereas at the cinema, it may be harder to acheive an atmosphere suitable for a horror film. This is because a lot of horror films are set in a house so a more frightening atmosphere can be acheived at home.

Q6) Why do you like to watch horror films?

From this question, we discovered that a lot of people enjoy watching horror films because they find them exhilarating which gets their adrenaline pumping and because horror films hold a lot of suspense and make the audience jump. This shows that people watch horror films for the excitement of the plotline and because it has a lot of tension. To fit this, our plot will include suspense and tension by putting in danger and death.

Q7) Where do you expect a horror film to be set?

Most of the responses from this question showed that people expect to see locations in a horror film such as dark places, woods or forests and abandoned buildings. These settings are usually associated with a horror film because they connote danger and they have a grim, eerie atmosphere. Characters who are seen in this locations in a horror film are generally in a lot of danger and they are seen as vulnerable because the setting is unfamiliar to them. This information will inform our work because we will have a location such as a woody area in a park to set our opening sequence in.

Q8) What characters do you expect to see in a horror film?

From the questionnaire, we discovered that people would normally see a murderer and a stereotypical villain and hero. When watching horror films, people expect to see a villain or a murderer who needs to be stopped by the hero. In our horror film, we are going to have the conventional characters of a villain and victims of the villain.

Q9) What kind of music do you hear in a horror film?

In horror films, people hear intense, slow music that builds up as the amount of danger that the characters are in builds up. This music puts people on the edge of their seats as they know that something bad is going to happen to the characters on the screen at the time. This informs us of what music we should put into our opening sequence; slow, low pitched and quiet music that gradually builds up as something is about to happen.


Q10) When watching a horror film, how does it make you feel?

The majority of people who took part in our questionnaire said that horror films make them feel nervous, scared and puts them on the edge of their seat. These feelings are caused by the build up of tension and the danger that the characters are facing. This informs us of how we should plan the plot of our horror film because we should plan an opening sequence that puts people on the edge of their seat because of the suspense that is being built up.

Horror Film Questionnaire

This is our questionnaire about horror films that we gave to 18 people to fill out. The questionnaire shown here is the blank questionnaire which we used to make notes on during our analysis of the questionnaires.

In our questionnaire, we used a mix of both open and closed questions. We put open questions such as "What do you expect to see in a horror film?" and "Where do you expect horror films to be set?" These were put in to get an idea of what people were expecting when they saw a horror film.

We used closed questions such as "How often do you watch horror films?" and "Where do you prefer to watch horror films?" These questions were put in to get more of an idea about what people in our target audience are like and how often they would watch a horror film like the one which we are are making an opening sequence to.

Location Research

This is an image that I took when in Collingwood Park. I thought that it would be an effective place to film our opening sequence because the lighting in this setting would have lighting that is low-key. The park around this clearing is very open and it is sort of park where you would find couples walking together like in our plot.

This is an image of a clearing in a woody area. This would be suitable for our horror film opening sequence because it is an area with very low-key lighting to enhance the dangerous atmosphere. The area is also next to a path so it is likely that someone walking along the path would see what is in the clearing. In our opening sequence, a couple of people find a body in a woody area. By walking along the path, the characters in our opening sequence would be able to see the body if they were looking in that direction.

This image shows another clearing in the same park as image 2. Although it does not have low-key lighting, it is in direct view of a path. It is very spacious and remote which would be suitable for our plotline where two people find the body of a dead girl in an area like this.

I chose to take a picture of this setting because it is in the same park as images 2 and 3. This image has a path running under trees which look like an arch and has woody areas on either side of it. This would be suitable because it is a wide open space and the woody areas are in sight of people who are walking on the path which is what happens in our opening sequence.

Titles

 The font of the titles are also important because they create the atmosphere of the film. A serious thriller or action/adventure film will have a serif font whereas a romatic comedy will have a sans serif font. The font of the titles in horror films may resemble blood dripping down a wall.

Conventions of a Horror Film

The characters in a horror film usually consist of a female victim, a male protagonist and a male murderer. The females are generally victims because they are represented as being weaker and more vulnerable. This contrasts with the males who are seen to be stronger and more able to defend themselves which is why they are seen as either the protagonists or the murderers.

The plot of horror films generally starts with an incident where a charcter gets injured or killed. The attacks continue until the protagonist finds the murderer and finds a way to defeat them. For instance, in SAW, Jigsaw is killing people in horrific ways for his own entertainment. Horror films can also have supernatural activity which has become a danger to the characters. For example, in Paranormal Activity, a demon is trying to harm to the main characters physically and emotionally.

The theme of horror films usually consist of death and murder by a serial killer or a group of murderers. Other themes include a paranormal or supernatural activity that is a danger to the characters in the film. The films that include this is Paranormal Activity and Resident Evil.

'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' Analysis

TT

From the opening sequence, the audience ask questions such as:
"Who is the person screaming?"
"Who is calling Emily?"
"Where is Emily?"
"Who is the man that visits the house?"
"Does he have anything to do with Emily?"
"Is there anything or anyone in the barn?"

The soundtrack for 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose'. It is low-pitched, quiet and slow which builds up suspense for the audience.

'Resident Evil: Afterlife' Analysis

This is a mindmap of my analysis of 'Resident Evil: Afterlife'.

This is the opening sequence of the film, 'Resident Evil: Afterlife'

Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Conventions are 'ingredients' or 'elements' that we expect to see in a media product.

Titles

This wordle is used to show the key points of the use of titles in opening sequences. Titles are used to make it clear who was involved in the making of the media product but they also enhance the mood through the use of font type, colour and size.

A title that has a serif font and has been written in a dark or cold colour symbolises that the media product is a serious and dangerous film.
A title that has a sans-serif font with lighter colours emphasises that the prosuct is a comedy.

Examples:
Bridget Jones' Diary
The titles have been written in a sans-serif font. The font is a bright, yellow colour. These show that Bridget Jones' Diary is a comedy and is not serious. The font looks like handwriting which links back to the title 'Bridget Jones' Diary'.

Titles during the opening sequence of Bridget Jones' Diary

Breaking Dawn Part 2
The titles have been written in a serif font which emphasises that the film is serious with little comedy. The colour changes from white to red which represents the theme of vampires in the film and the change that Bella went through from human to vampire.

Memento
The titles in 'Memento' are written in a serif font which shows the audience that it is a serious thriller film. They are also in a dark, yellow colour which makes the film seem sinister for the audience.

Close-ups and Extreme Close-ups

This wordle is used to show the key points of using close-ups and extreme close-ups in the opening sequence of a film. The use of close-ups and extreme close-ups give the audience clues but not answers, therefore encouraging them to watch more of the film.

The clues are given by highlighting specific detail to characters or objects and is usually seen in thrillers or action/adventure films.


Examples:
Spiderwick Chronicles
The use of close-ups and extreme close-ups on the specimens in the opening sequence of 'Spiderwick Chronicles' gives the audience clues that the film has quite a sinister and magical theme, due to the fact that some of the specimens seen in the close-ups, we rarely or would never see in everyday life.

Memento
In the opening sequence of 'Memento', close-ups and extreme close-ups are used to give the audience clues at what happened which was someone being murdered. The audience know that someone has been murdered by showing specific detail to objects such as the bullet and showing detail to the blood on the wall.

Brick
Close-ups are used in the opening sequence of 'Brick' to show features of the dead girl. This provides the audience with clues but not answers as to who the girl is and what had happened to her.

Soundtrack

This wordle shows some of the key points of using a soundtrack in an opening sequence of a media product. The use of the soundtrack enhances the mood of the film by building up tension to a climax or by matching the mood of the characters on screen.
Thriller and action/adventure films will use a soundtrack that builds up the suspense to make the audience feel nervous and uncomfortable at what is about to happen in the film. A romantic comedy will use the soundtrack to match the mood of the characters on the screen at the time that the soundtrack is on.

Examples:
Brick
The soundtrack in 'Brick' creates the sorrowful mood that the character is feeling as he is looking at the girl who had died. This soundtrack makes the audience feel sorrow and despair along with the character. Even before the audience sees the body, they know that something must have happened due to the slow pace, low volume and low pitch, which makes the film seem quite sorrowful.

 
Spiderwick Chronicles
The soundtrack in 'Spiderwick Chronicles' builds up from the beginning when the character runs in and starts to finish the book. The soundtrack also matches his mood which is quite erratic and the audience know that he is in a hurry due to the fast pace, high volume and high pitch. The soundtrack switches between a high and low pitch which shows the audience that there is going to be a battle between good and evil in the film.


 
A Series Of Unfortunate Events
The soundtrack in 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' sets a sinister and evil mood to the film. The soundtrack is very slow, quiet and switches between a low and a high pitch which shows the conflict and fight between good and evil.

 
Establish mood/theme

This wordle shows the key points of the analysis of what is used to establish the mood and theme. The mise-en-scene and soundtrack can be used to establish the mood and the theme.

Low-key lighting is used to make the film's mood more dangerous and daunting. The audience know through the use of low-key lighting that something sinister will happen during the film. This contrasts with high-key lighting which shows the audience that the film will be calm and a bit humourous. The soundtrack is used to establish the theme or the mood because a low pitched, slow and quiet sound represents the idea of danger whereas high pitched, quick and loud music can represent the idea of either a character being in a hurry or a happy, safe theme.

Examples:
The Sixth Sense
'The Sixth Sense' establishes the theme of a supernatural activity by the use of low-key lighting and the diegetic sounds of something which cannot be seen moving around. This makes the audience feel nervous for the characters in 'The Sixth Sense' because they do not know what will happen to the characters during the film.

Bridget Jones' Diary
The mood and theme are established in 'Bridget Jones' Diary' by the use of a slow, sad soundtrack. The song 'All By Myself' is used to show the audience that the main character has lost all motivation and is feeling very sorry for herself. This makes the audience feel sorry for Bridget Jones and they also think that she looks quite pathetic when she is in her living room.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The mood is set in the opening sequence by the use of low-key lighting when the planes are flying over London. This, along with the low-pitched, loud and slow soundtrack sets a theme that is full of danger and the audience automatically know that the main characters are in danger which builds up the tension.

Establishing Shot

This wordle is used to show the key points of the establishing shots. Establishing shots are used as the first shot to show the whole setting of the film and what it looks like. This gives the audience an idea about where and when the film was set. It also enhances the mood of the audiene by various uses of mise-en-scene.





Examples:
The Sixth Sense
The establishing shot in 'The Sixth Sense' is used to show that it is set in an isolated house and the dark, dangerous and supernatural atmosphere is set through the use of low-key lighting.

Breaking Dawn Part 2
In 'Breaking Dawn Part 2', establishing shots are used on the forest. The audience know that this is a place where the vampires live and this is made clear by the low-key lighting that is used. During the opening titles, different shots of remote areas are used which makes the film seem pleasant but a bit daunting at the beginning.

Wallander
The establishing shot of 'Wallander' shows a rural area. The audience do not know where it is set but at first the mood is quite peaceful. It becomes more threatening when the shot starts to show the taxi and the two girls walking away from the taxi.

Gives the audience clues

This wordle shows the key points of why clues are given to the audience in an opening sequence.
Clues are given to the audience through the use of extreme close-ups. This is because they provide some of the specific details of what is happening on screen to the audience without giving away the answers of what has happened. This encourages the audience to carry on watching the film to find out the answers.



Examples:
Brick
The opening sequence of 'Brick' provides clues for the audience by using extreme close-ups on the body of the dead girl. This tells the audience that she has died but they do not know how she has died or what had happened before she had died. This makes the audience want to carry on watching the film to find out the answers.

Wallander
The opening sequence of 'Wallander' shows the audience through the use of close-ups that an attack has taken place. The audience are shown close-ups of different objects that link to the attack. They begin to guess who did it through the use of cross-cutting between the van and the two girls but they are not given the answer until the last shot of the opening sequence when one of the girls drops the knife.

Memento
'Memento' gives the audience clues through the use of close-up and extreme close-ups by showing the audience props such as the glasses, the bullet and the blood running down the wall.

Prompts the audience to ask questions

This wordle shows how opening sequences prompt the audience to ask questions about the film and what is happening in it.
The audience are prompted to ask questions by the use of clues given to the audience without answers. This encourages them to carry on watching the film to find out the answers and they prompt the audience to ask questions such as, "Why is this significant?" and "What has happened to that character?"


Examples:
Brick
The opening sequence of 'Brick' prompts the audience to ask questions such as, "What has happened to the girl?" and "Was she important to the boy?"

Memento
The opening sequence of 'Momento' prompts the audience to ask questions such as, "Did he know the man that he just killed?" and "Does he kill for a living? Is he trained to do this?"

Wallander
The opening sequence of 'Wallander' prompts the audience to ask questions such as, "What exactly happened?" and "Who attacked who first? What were their motives?"

Equilibrium

This wordle shows the key points of equilibrium in opening sequences. Equilibrium is the balance at the beginning of films, where everything is normal. This will lead to the disequilibrium where everything goes wrong for the characters.
Disequilibrium can be seen at the beginnning of thriller films instead of equilibrium, which means that something goes wrong at the very beginning of the film.



Examples:
War Horse
'War Horse' starts with equilibrium when the audience first see that Joey was born and then gets sold to the main character. The plot then switches to disequilibrium when Joey is sold and goes off to be a horse in the war.

Wild Child
'Wild Child' starts with an equilibrium which quickly changes to disequilibrium when the main character gets sent to a boarding school in England.

Memento
'Memento' starts with a disequilibrium when the first character shoots another character. 'Memento' is a thriller and thrillers usually start with disequilibrium instead of equilibrium.

 Production/Distribution company logos

This wordle shows the key ideas about Production and Distribution logos. They usually appear at the beginning of the opening sequence before any of the first shots appear on the screen. The soundtrack generally starts to play when the logos are on the screen to set the mood and the theme of the film that is about to be played.





Examples:
Spiderwick Chronicles
The production and distribution company logos appear at the beginning of the sequence before we see the close-ups of the specimens. The soundtrack which is slow, quiet and contrasts between high and low pitched begins to play while the logos are on the screen.

War Horse
Before 'War Horse' starts company logos are put on the screen. The soundtrack begins to play when the logos appear which sets the theme of the film which is quite peaceful at the start of the film.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The production and company logos appear at the very start of the film. Unlike in 'War Horse' and 'Spiderwick Chronicles', the soundtrack of the film does not begin to play. Instead, the company logos have their own soundtrack which begin to play for the time that they are on screen.