Inspirational trailers

The woman in Black


Grave Encounters


My Little Eye


Twilight


Apollo 18

preliminary task for horror trailer

Once we had completed our research and storyboard. My group and I began to learn how to use and work with software and equipment. This equipment consisted of a video camera (CANON HD HFS21) and a tripod. The editing software we used was Adobe Premiere Pro CS3.

Here are some clips that we filmed on the day:
















This is the outcome of our first day of filming and editing the footage together.

shooting schedule and storyboard

As a group we came up with this shooting schedule which will help us keep to our dedline and to remind us whilst we are out on location and editing what needs to be done and by when.

This is our story board that we have based our shot list around.

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification)

The BBFC is an independant, self-financing and not-for-profit media content regulator. operating transparent, consistent and trusted co-regulatory and self-regulatory classification and labelling systems in the UK.
Their mission:

• protect the public, especially children, form content which might raise harm risks.
• empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices.
• recognise and respect adult freedom of choice within the law.
• respond to and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content through proactive public consultation and research.
• provide a cost-effective, efficient classification service within our statutory remit.
• work in partnership with the industry to develop innovative service models to provide content advice which support emerging media delivery systems.
• provide an effective service to enforcement agencies.

• No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
• The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.
• Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
• Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
• Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
• There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest  terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
• Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
• No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

• No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema or buy/rent an `18’ rated video/game/DVD.

In line with the The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:

• where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence.
• where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
• where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ (see below) would normally be confined to that category.

Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted.
Sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ (I have used information directly from this website)

Name brain storm

• the wave
• techno-virus
• infected
• contasion
• Ruckess                             
• Uproar
• Turmoil
• Turbulence
• Rebellion
• Rupture
• Contamination
• Rampant
• Manifest 
• Intrude
• Juvenile
• cyber
• network
• blood
• cell
• networkcells
• pulse
• epidemic
• epi-network
• riot
• disorder
• connection
• outbreak
• brawl
• disturbance
• surge
• powersurge
• finalsurge
• power surge
• efflux
• touch
• viral touch
• contact
• contactcell
• synergy
• micro-surge
• cell-out

Synopsis

We where given a task as a group to come up with some ideas for our horror narrative using what we have learnt from our research to inform our suggestions to each other. These are some of the ideas we came up with:

Trailer idea:

(a news flash appears, you can hear a voice over whilst clips play)

(In a modern society we as humans are faced with many pressures. Religion, public pressures and the constant adaption of the world progressing around us. With a growing population, we are at higher risk of spreading contagious infections. The latest outbreak to hit London is yet to be pin pointed, side effects causing youths to become violent and lose all sense of sanity. As the bridge between generations is growing, those older than adolescence fail to see the true effects of this outbreak and are completely unaware of their behaviour. BEWARE! They have been known to carry weapons and are extremely violent. Fire’s are breaking out all over London here....) cuts out

Main synopsis:

In the local Croydon area, there have been many upsets in the past. However, it is currently in a state of what they know to be equilibrium. The rise in crimes is becoming even more noticeable. Danni lives in Norbury, South London. Her mum is a single parent, and Danni lives with her alone in a small council flat on the edge of an estate. Recent events within have caused major up raw within communities and several people have been killed. The source of what has caused these events in unclear, but what Danni does know is that this extreme violence is heading towards where she lives.

 After seeing such events on the news, the government has looked further into the case and have found that a violent virus has out broken and can only affect the bodies of those that are not fully matured. The infection has found to be contracted through the use of technology and appears to be a whole new type of technology bug which can penetrate the human body through broadcasts.

As this wave of violence gets closer, we start to see the effects in Danni herself. Danni owns a blackberry and is completely obsessed with it like most teenagers her age. What she does not know is that a broadcast through the BBM system is causing this violence to escalate through a cross bred technological/human virus; in turn effecting both technology and the human behaviour. We see a shot of Danni in her room looking out of the window. Her phone starts to vibrate violently as she receives the broadcast. The sender comes up as unknown and Danni is unaware of the effect given by opening the broadcast.  As she gets the message her mum is in the living room next to her bedroom watching the news.  This is what is said:

The government has tried to shut the technology services down to avoid further spreading of the virus. However the virus is too strong and the technology can’t be shut down. Instead the TV’s may go due to this interruption to signals.

She leaves the house to get away from all the talk of what is coming, unknown to her she has been effected by this virus but as the government where attempting to shut down the blackberry system, the virus was not able to fully penetrate her body. However, some effects may still be present in her behaviour.

 As she fights against the virus which is trying to take over her, she encounters many youths effected who want her to become sucked in. She is constantly on the run from people affected by the virus and people living around her are becoming infected. Unaware of her actions, she becomes violent back to these unhumanised beings

 She encounters an affected teenage girl. As she tries to attack her, she hits one of them down to the ground and runs away. The shot focuses on the attackers face on the floor with Danni running away in the background (the back of the shot is unfocused so is blurred).

Danni and her mum have an argument leading to Danni pushing her up against the wall in a violent outburst. Once she realises how she is behaving she backs away, she then runs and locks herself in the bathroom. Here she runs water and splashes it on her face to calm her down. As she looks up from the water basin she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She is visibly paler and has rather dark circles around her eyes. The coloured part of her eyes has become darker. The shot ends and she looks deeper into her newly darkened eyes and the camera focuses in on the darkness. As she looks into her eyes she see’s flashes of her violent acts that she has not realised has happened.

Theorys

We have used theories that we have studied in our media lessons to shape and form our narrative. The main theory which is obvious when reading the synopsis is the use of Todrov's Basic narrative theory. Our narrative starts with an equilibrium and then conflict is caused by a change. However, we are not following the theory entirely as we do not have a equilibrium at the end of our narrative. Our storyline ends with a cliff hanger.

We also use "the male gaze" subconciously throughout the narrative, this is done through the shots we use. An example of the voyeuristic shots which we are using are those which are taken from a high angle in a tree as if the character is being watched.

We are using the final girl theory heavily throughout our narrative as we feel that it is an important aspect of the horror genre. Our character Danni is the protagonist and final remaining character left in the story line to fight against the infection.

Research into target audience

Rationale behind research
The rationale behind my research is to gain information to form a general viewer profile, this will be based on the majority of the results gained from my survey. This in turn will allow me to get an overall idea of who my target audience is, as well as what they want from my horror film. This will help me to plan and think of ways of subverting what they are expecting in the most affective fashion possible. As well as giving me basic starter points to plan my narrative ideas, this research will open my eyes to what others think of horror rather than focusing on my own views and opinions.

Survey monkey is an online tool used to create surveys which can be published online. The website also allows you to publish your survey onto your Facebook page. This is how I got people to take my survey as well as sending people the actual link to my survey on the survey monkey website. The image below shows the link to the survey which I posted on to my Facebook page.

Here are print screens of the questions asked in my survey and the format in which it was displayed:

1. By asking what sex the person taking part falls under, I can pin point the sex of the majority of my target audience. Therefore, I can decide on what sex my viewer profile would be based on to make it as accurate as possible and to aim the features of my horror film to the majority of my potential viewers.

My findings show that the majority of those who took my survey where female. This could represent a growing target audience in the horror market. I would have to take this in to account when planning my narrative and publicising my film so that my product is directed to the specific audience which I am targeting. However, by aiming my film at only females, I would be inevitably cancelling out all males, reducing my potential audience by about half the world population. I must find a balance in which I target my audience to all sexes to improve the likely hood of a larger potential viewing audience.

2. With this question also, I can determine the general age of my viewer and deliberately choose a narrative aimed at my target audiences fears.

My findings show that my potential audience fall within the ages of 16-21. This in turn relates to many theory's. One of which is Paul Wells' study into horror audiences (2000), Wells findings showed that audiences of this age watch horror more regularly, this was found by looking at their most recently watched horror film. Also, I believe that this age group have become desensitised to many things shown in horror narratives as they are regularly exposed to such text. Therefore they seek a thrill from testing their ability to be frightened when new horror texts are released.

3. Here I can connect the majority age group to the majority fear factor to pin point the outline of my narrative as well as giving me an idea of what my audience want in the horror film in terms of being scared by it, which is the main point of horror; To scare.

My findings show that my audience is most afraid of things they cannot see and psychotic behaviour. These two areas can be linked to mental illness and supernatural/demonic horror elements. Such elements can be found in films such as "Drag me to hell", "Psycho" and "Paranormal activity". 

4. By asking this question, I can determine how to give the best possible genre representation to those watching the trailer. By doing this I will let the audience know that my film is a horror to avoid confusion or misleading the viewer.

My findings show that the majority of my audience recognise Psycho strings as linked with the horror genre. This is due to iconic horror films over time using this sound. However, I think this sound is too mainstream and obvious and I would like to subvert what my audience is expecting when it comes to sound.

5. This question will give me hints on what to use in my trailer to get my audience to recognise that the genre is horror. By doing this, my trailer should be automatically recognisable as horror as well as fulfilling the shocking and scary outcome which horror trailers give.

Blood, shadows and darkness appear to be most popular with my potential audience. These link to the typical iconography of horror narratives. By using these element in my horror trailer I can pull my audiences attention to the fact that the genre is horror and use them effectively to be a scary element in my trailer.

6. This question will give me the sex of my heroin in the narrative. This question then links to the "male gaze" theory as well as the "final girl" theory.

My findings here link strongly to the final girl theory. This will help me to attract both men and women to my narrative as well as following one of the main conventions built up over time in the horror genre.

7. To determine how my film will be released, I have asked where my potential audience are most likely to watch a horror film. This, in turn, will help me to decide on which way is best to advertise my product as well as if the film would potentially be successful on the big screen.

As my audience is most likely to watch my film at home, it makes me wonder whether my film should be released in cinemas or released straight onto DVD. this would have to be decided before promoting to avoid giving the wrong message to my target audience.

8. This, as well as other questions in my survey, will help me to determine the narrative of my horror film.

Through this finding, I have been given the idea to base my horror film on recent public events so that the audience can easily relate to the narrative. This then links to films such as "psycho", "Texas chainsaw massacre" and "silence of the lambs" as they were all based around a true story involving the murderer Ed Gein.

9. By asking what colours my audience link to the horror genre, I can take on board feedback and look at ways I can use this information in both my trailer and promotional products.

Black and red where found to be the most popular colours for horror within my target audience; followed by maroon and white which could be linked to the human body. Maroon could symbolise oxygenated blood and white could represent bones which are both commonly found in horror films.

10. By asking such a direct question I can get a basic view on what type of narrative my audience would be interested in watching when it comes to the horror genre. 

Supernatural haunting appears to be the most common narrative preferred, followed by evil within yourself and the unknown. All of which fall under Aristotle's "basic elements of a narrative" as they highlight on the contrast between order and disorder reflecting on man as a wholes actions as well as their happiness or Unhappiness.

Carrie (1976)- Brian DePalma

Carrie was Brian DePalma's 9th feature film and was based on a Stephen King novel (the first Stephen King  novel to to be interpreted in a film)

The budget for the film was $1.8 million dollars even though it was distributed by a major studio. The filming took only 50 days to complete. The prom scene alone took over 2 weeks to film with 35 takes.


This film has a mixed genre background makes it sometimes unrecognisable as a horror. Its genre is listed as Drama/ Fantasy/  Horror/  Romance/  Thriller.........


Some have considered this text to be feminist and one that is dedicated to creating the feminine look monstrous (look to bottom of post for "monstrous feminine" theory).


There is a strong theme of religious belief in Carrie. Other films with similar themes are The Exorcist (1973) and Dracula (1992)


Narrative analysis: 

• The name of the high school which Carrie attends is Bates High, a indirect reference Norman Bates, the main character in Psycho (an iconic psychological horror film).
• The four-note violin theme from Psycho (Psycho Strings) is used in pivotal moments in Carrie.
• It is one of the first horror films to be aimed at a teenage audience - despite its R rating. 
• The killer is female! First time this has been used in a narrative.
• The story introduces a "revenge fantasy" element to horror.

Scene analysis (Opening Scene):
Editing:

• A long tracking shot is used when we first enter the shower room
• A high angle establishing shot is the first technique to be used in the film. Through using this we establish that the film is a teen based film due to its setting of a school.
• There is an extreme close up on the shower head (the same shot used in Psycho) <----Bates High school.
• Quick cuts are used when Carrie begins to panic to show the emotion as well as getting in lots of different point of view shots.

Point of view:

• Male gaze is used frequently throughout this scene (Voyeurism).
• When Carrie begins to be picked on we cut from her point of view to the bullys point of view and back again frequently to show panic, suspense and the intensity of the bullying and how it effects Carrie.

Music, Sound and Silence:

• Romantic music can be heard until she notices the blood. 
• Non-diagetic sound of talking and showers can be heard.
• Psycho strings are used to climax the scene.

Mise en Scene/ Camera angles:

• Sexual close ups are used on Carrie when she is in the shower. The camera follows her hand as she touches herself in a sexual voyeuristic manner.
• The shots start on her face and run downward using the "Male gaze" methods.
• As the light blows there is a low angle shot facing up to it.
• high angle shots are used to show the bullies gaze when the throw things at her. The camera angle highlights on the intimidation and threatening behaviour they are portraying.
• The panning shot used shows many naked girls appealing to a male audience through voyeurism/ male gaze.
• The blood and sound of the Psycho strings are the main iconic horror elements to this scene.

How could this scene be seen as a negative representation of femininity?

• The period could be portrayed as the beginning of an evil transformation.
• The other girls (the bullies)come across as horrible and unsympathetic; ironic as you think they would understand what Carrie is going through when it comes to hitting puberty.
• The dangers of a women and her differences to men.

Scene Analysis (The Prom):

Editing:

• Some shots are in slow motion before the pigs blood is dropped on Carrie. This creates and builds suspense as well as emphasises Carries happy emotion as she believes she has actual become prom queen. The slow motion could be used to make her happy moment last longer.
• When Carrie starts to use her telekinesis to damage and hurt people and things around her there is a split screen. One shot of her face and one shots of the action she is doing with her mind.
• Colidascopic shot showing people laughing at her. This shots emphasis the building rage inside Carrie and the fact that she is loosing control.

Music, Sound and Silence:

• When the blood is tipped you can only hear the sounds of the bucket swinging and hitting the ledge and the blood hitting her and the floor.
• Romantic music before the blood dropped so that the eerie sound oh the bucket falling is emphasised due to the music stopping.
• The romantic music could also be a representation of her fantasy and her complete obsession with becoming popular (to be prom queen).
• Psycho strings are used to show Carries powers in action when she changes her direction of sight. 

Mise en Scene/ Camera angles:

• High angle shots to show the bucket of blood over the stage and over Carrie.
• Her surname is White and she is wearing a white dress which is symbolic for purity and virginity.
• Low angle shots looking up at the bucket, could be through the point of view of the person who put it there.
• There is a point of view shot as she walks up to the stage showing the people around her as she acknowledges them.

Scene Alanlysis (Matricide and Infanticide):

Editing:

• a zoom out is used from the mothers face so that you can see her whole body in a cross like shape (crucifixion).

Music, Sound and Silence:

• An organ plays as she enters the house to emphasise on the religious and pure imagery the lights/candles around the house creates.
• The song then builds to a dramatic orchestral sound highlighting once again on religion but of something bad going to happen.
• Psycho strings are used.

Mise en Scene/ Camera Angles:

• Panning shots are used to show the hundreds of candles around her home. The brightness of the candles emphasises on the religious feel to the music through purity.
• high camera angles onto the mother from Carries point of view with a bright yellow light could be used to emphasise her religious ways and her path to heaven.
• An eye level shot is used after the previous shot to show sympathy and understanding.

" The Monstrous Feminine"

The mother-child relationship in a horror film is one which involves conflict. The child hard is set on becoming free but the mother will not let them go. This can include forming sexual relationships and generally being their own person. This struggle that occurs between a child and their mother is mainly where there is no fatherly presence.

Scream (1996)- Wes Craven

Scream can sometimes be seen as a parody by many of those who watch it, this is due to the many comedic elements within its narrative. However, the clever thing behind the narrative is the reference to several other horror films. At the very beginning of the film we hear the killer through a voice over (intended to be the voice on the end of the phone line), the voice says "'who's there?' don't you watch scary movies?, that's a death wish" mocking the common elements of typical horror narratives.
 In my personal opinion Scream mocks other horror films in a skilful comedic way; yet manages to scare its audience effectively

This is another comedic element to Scream. The characters discuss what not to do in a horror film in order to survive. Ironically they do not follow the "rules" bringing the film away from comedy and back into the horror genre.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974)- Tobe Hooper

An independent film, costing only $83,532, generated $36 million at the Us box office in 1974. Considered to be an innovator of the "slasher" genre, featuring a cast of mainly unknown actors. Despite being labelled as excessively graphic, there is not much explicit gore. The violence and gore is implied through sound mainly. However, the film was given an "R" rating in american cinema. Hooper taunts the audience by exploring taboo's, in this film it is cannibalism.

Scene analysis: Going out for a swim




Camera angles:

• A high angle shot is used when Kirk and Pam walk up to the isolated house. This shot could have been used to represent the two being watched or invasion into their comfort zone.
• As the girl walks up to the house there is a low angle shot which follows her. This could be seen as representing the "male gaze" as we are looking up at her in a sexual way.
• One of the techniques used in this scene is documentary style footage. This is used when Kirk and Pam are walking through the empty fields towards the supposed water hole.

Point of view:

• The shots of the room full of bones appears to be from Pam's point of view. 
• through the documentary style shot in the empty fields, we get a sense that they are being watched. This could be from the point of the viewer or just to emphasise the isolation they are walking into.

Music, Sound and Silence:

• Animal sounds are used once we get into the house to give the atmospheric feel of a slaughter house. foreshadowing what is to happen to these two people.
• A pig squeal sound is what draws Kirk into the house when Leatherface kills him. Some religions believe that a pig is a dirty, unsacred animal suggesting that these people could be dirty in the eyes of the killer.
• The sound of the generator is a constant presence throughout most of this scene and gives a sense of a lack of space, as if something is smothering you. The sound is overpowering. However, to Kirk and Pam this sound gives a false sense of hope as they believe that this sound will lead them to fuel for their car.

Mise en Scene and Editing: 

• Many bones are used in this scene in strange sculpture like creations. This is to highlight on the disorder within this house and gives us an idea of what could happen to these people in the following narrative.
• The cars round the back of the house are used to raise suspicion as the are hidden with a camouflage cover.
• The use of a generator highlights on the isolation of the house.
• The house looks very different from either side. One side is creepily welcoming with clean white walls and a swing. The other is run down, covered with plants and surrounded by broken and damaged cars.

Psycho (1960)- Alfred Joseph Hitchcock

A film that was thought to be box office suicide before release. The film was low budget, filmed in black and white and featured B-list stars. As well as following a narrative that went against all movie conventions of its time. But rather than being a complete box office fail, it was extremely successful and produced the genre of slasher horror.





The director, Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, grew up quiet and sheltered to a middle class family in London. At the age of 14 his father died, leaving his already intense bond with his mother to deepen. This is the basis which the character Norman bates' life is based around. The budget for the film was $800,000 due to paramount not being fond of the novel Hitchcock wished to adapt onto the big screen.

Scene analysis: Opening scene
Camera angles

• a long, continuous, panning establishing shot is used to determine the setting of the film. We then move on to a slightly tilted zoom into a small window of a hotel. This movement of the camera could be used to show voyeurism foreshadowing what is to come in the film.

Music, Sound and Silence

• a romantic sounding violin is played as non-diagetic sound to set the mood of a love affair. 

Editing

• The shots are long and continuous which creates a flowing feel as well as making you feel like you are physically watching the shot (voyeurism).
• a fade is used to change setting.
• text comes up during the establishing shot to set the date, time and location.

Point of view

• as we fell like we are voyeurs by watching this scene the point of view is objective.

Mise en Scene

• The narrative is set in a city.
• the hotel room looks quite isolated as the blinds are down
• Marion is wearing all white to show her innocence at this point of time in the film. However, Marion is not so innocent as she is having an affair with a married man.

Scene analysis: Marion leaves for Phoenix
Camera angles

• camera is generally straight on throughout. the shot is straight on Marion's face most of the scene. only in a couple of instances do we see her whole body.
• At the beginning of the scene we see Marion standing at her wardrobe, the camera then zooms onto the envelope of money on the bed and rests there. From here the camera pans to the suitcase, before moving back to Marion.
• There is also another zoom shot onto Marion's document case emphasizing the driving and car ownership documents inside. suggesting a journey.

Music, Sound and Silence

• There is no music until the camera zooms onto the envelope of money. The music is ominous throughout the scene, suggesting something bad is going to happen. 
• The music stops when the shot changes to a different setting (bedroom to car)
• A voice-over is introduced in the car, to enable the audience to get into Marion's mind.
• Frantic music begins to play when Marion is spotted by her boss. This captured the panic and guilt that Marion is feeling. Psycho strings are used here to un-nerve the audience.

Editing

• Fades are used to signify the movement of scene. For example, Marion opens the door of her bedroom to leave, the shot fades into Marion in her car.
• The scene also ends with a fade. However, we only see the car at a different angle (a wide angled shot of Marion's car at night) which captures the landscape behind it, highlighting on Marion's isolation.

Point of View

• When the point of view changes from Marion's face, we generally see the audiences point of view looking in.
• We also see thing's through Marion's point of view in terms of looking at the envelope of money on the bed.

Mise en Scene

• the background of the shot is of very little importance because the focus is on Marion's face and her point of view.
• The mirror is deliberately included so that the audience is watching Marion watch herself. 
• symbolic as the mirror shows a reflection of her guilt

Scene analysis: The Shower Scene
Camera angles

• close ups are used to focus on certain elements of the scene including her hand reaching out and grabbing the shower curtain, the shower head itself when she is showering and her eye at the end of the scene when she is lying on the floor to show that she is dead.

Music, sound and silence

• Psycho strings (non-diagetic sound) is used in this scene to let the audience know that something bad is going to happen. It can also be used to create suspense.
• The only sound to be heard at the beginning of the scene is the sound of the shower. This gives a sense of being alone and isolated.

Editing

• cut aways are used on Marion in the original shots of the shower scene. The jump between different shots of her showering show her emotion of relief through her whole body after fleeing with the money. The scene is composed of more than 90 different shots seen from 70 different camera angles.

Point of view

• moves from being objective to subjective by changing to being through the eyes of the killer.

Mise en Scene

• The white colour of the bathroom could represent innocence in the form of Marion not knowing she is going to be killed. The use of a shower curtain emphasises the shadow of the emerging killer to overtake the white innocent look of the bathroom.

Vampires through time

Nosferatu (1922)
Nosferatu was directed by F.W.Murnau. This was the first vampire film (feature length) to ever be released. The idea of vampire originated as a mythological tale, made popular in the early 18th century, However, it is Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula that is remembered as the original vampire novel and provided the basis of modern vampire fiction. Nosferatu is based around the character of Dracula.
 The film was shot in black and white with no speech. However, text is used after certain scenes to fill in any speech needed and to give the audience all of the information needed to follow the narrative. As music is the only sound heard in the clip it sets the mood for each individual scene. An example of this is the opening scene. Here we are introduced to Hutter and his wife Ellen, romantic music played on a violin and piano, this  is used to emphasize the love bond between the characters and make this relationship clear to those viewing the film. We then move onto a shot of just Ellen sewing near a window; soft, romantic music here suggests the girls innocence. This is then enforced by the use of nature in the form of plants and a kitten.
Themes of Nosferatu include Corruption, the unknown, female isolation, loneliness and greed. Such themes are replicated in modern day horror and can be found in films throughout horror history.

Coppola's Dracula (1992)
This take on the story of Dracula uses humorous and sexual based tones, these are used due to the idea formed other many years that a vampire is seductive to gain prey. This leads to Dracula going after his visitor's fiancée following a similar story line to Nosfuratu. The humour used in this film is quite dark and subtle, as if used to foreshadow what is to come in the narrative and to highlight on the naivety of the character Jonathan, played by Keanu Reeves. Here Dracula takes on a more human  form compared to Nosfuratu in Murnau interpretation. However, some horror aspects are kept in terms of the physical appearance of the character. The long nails and "floaty walk" are present in the character to show contrast between human characters and the vampire. As Dracula takes a human form, he has been sexually emphasised in terms of behaviour towards women and sometimes men, this in my view shows the character to be powerful in more ways then just a killer. He can play with you through lust and love to torment you and make you vulnerable. This gives the character an overall strong sexual presence. These small changes in the vampire theme have created what we now know as "Vampire Mania", mainly focusing on women wanting to be seduced by a handsome male with a strong sense of presence  who could potentially take there life; In other words the women like to play with fate and put their blood on the line literally.

Here is the visual change in vampires over time:

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Twilight Saga
The twilight saga is a very modern twist on an old myth which helps to bypass the desensitisation theory and give the audience something new and exciting to watch. Here the horror element has been combined with a romance narrative to appeal to a mainly female audience, this in turn mixes lust, fantasy and the typical horror element (vampires) to create a hybrid appealing to a larger audience than that of a strictly horror based film.
 Like its ancestor, Bram Stroker's Dracula,  the saga origination from a fictional book creating a fan base before being converted on to the "big screen".
The subversion of typical vampire concepts is what made twilight so successful. Things like surviving on animal blood and other supernatural powers are something new to the vampire world as we know it creating a buzz on whether it is a good media move on behalf of the writer in terms of the horror genre. One thing I like about the way Twilight and the sequel, New Moon have been edited, is the coloured tint added to the shot to create either a cold effect like the blue tint in Twilight or to create a warm effect like the reddish tint in New Moon.

Cool image:                                          

Warm image:

Let the right one in (2008)
A genre defying film adapted from a book.The narrative follows a love story between a young female vampire called Eli and a bullied school boy called Oskar. It is set in Sweden and is therefore spoken in a Swedish dialogue, however subtitles are available in English. The use of silence in this film builds tension and adds to the narrative in a way that is indescribable. Within the silences the audience is left to there own thoughts, here you can build up your personal view to the characters without any interruption. as well as this the silence adds to the narrative as it highlights on the naivety of this young boy as he has no idea about what is going on around him. The use of children actors is effective as we feel more vulnerable watching them due to their vulnerability themselves. This is also effective as it appeals to a younger audience who appear to be more likely to watch horror films. This is shown in Paul Wells' Research into Horror audiences.

Hallowe'en (1978)- John Carpenter

On October 31, 1963, six-year-old Michael Audrey Myers stabbed his sister Judith to death with a kitchen knife at their home in Haddonfield, Illinois. He was sent to Smith's Grove-Warren County sanitarium. 

He is placed under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis who suspected that there was more to Myers than met the eye and wishes for him to be committed indefinitely. However, Michael seems to be docile and does not speak a word. When Myers turns 21, he escapes from Smith's Grove whilst being transferred, and returns to his home town with Dr. Loomis in pursuit.

A killing spree then starts in Haddonfield, mainly on girls and their boyfriends who indulge in sexual activities when they are supposed to be babysitting children. This is ironic as his sister did the exact same thing the night she was killed. Laurie plays the iconic role of the final girl in this movie and is represented as everything that the other girls where not. She is virginal, innocent and intelligent and for these reasons she becomes worried about her friends who are just across the road from where she is babysitting.

A real highlight on her innocence is the knitting needle she uses to stab Myers in the neck. The whole idea of knitting and its connection to innocence leads back to Nosferatu and the character Ellen, where in the opening scene we see Ellen knitting happily with a kitten close by. The mise en scene used is key to portray the innocence of characters.

Filming
One of the most effective aspects of Halloween is the fact that when we as the audience are following the point of view of the killer, the camera is hand held. This makes the whole scenario seem more real. This effect also adds a hightened panicked emotion to attacks and kills we see on screen as every jerk and bump the camera takes is visible on the footage.

Audience Theories

Cultivation theory
Concerned with the effects of television programming on the attitudes and behaviour of the American public. findings suggest that those that watch more television (heavy viewers) percieve the real world as it is portrayed on the television (real world syndrome).

Copy cat theory
 E.g. simon says....
It relates to how something is publicised in the media and findings suggest that the public naturally copy what they see to gain the qualities etc. of those that appear on screen. Such as copycat murders etc.

Hypodermic syringe model
The audience passively recieve information transmitted via a media text without any attempt on the viewers part to process or challenge the data. This can often be done through sources such a national news reports on either the radion or television or a broadsheet newspaper.
The Orson Welles "war of the worlds" broadcast over the radio on October 30th 1938, was a clear example of the effects of HSM as many people believed that this acted radio show was real.
Here is a little diagram giving a visual explenation of the theory:

Desensitasation
The over exposure to varying behaviours on screen makes the audience immune to them and thus harder to shock/scare. As a result the effects are generally more widely spread.

Propp's character theory

Why is this theory useful?

This theory avoids treating the characters as if they are individuals and reminds us that they are merely constructs. In other words some characters are there just to progress the narrative.

MY view:

This theory seems to be based in a male orientated environment as it is based on early folk tales.The theory is often dismissed by critics in regards to film. HOWEVER! it may still be applied because of the function (rather than the gender) of the characters is the basis of the theory

E.G. The hero could be a women; the reward could be a man.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Spectator-ship and the "Male Gaze"

Laura Mulvey wrote a very influential essay, "visual pleasure and narrative cinema" (1975)

suggests the way women are viewed in cinema is "unequal". The camera necessarily presents , women as "sexualised", for the pleasure of men.

Mulvey's three types of looking:

A relevant quote for this theory:

"film has been called an instrument of the male gaze, producing representations of women, the good life, and sexual fantasy from a male point of view" Johnathan Schroeder (1998)

The "final girl" theory

The "final girl" theory consists of a `plucky' female protagonist who fights all the way to the end of the narrative. The theory derived from  Carol J. Clover’s 1987 essay 'Her Body, Himself: Gender in the Slasher Film,'-  later included by Clover in her hugely influential book "Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film" where final girls are named as the survivors of slasher/horror/sci-fi films. Also, the book looks at how the male gaze effects the final girl theory as well as contemplating on how subversion of this theory is rare in the film industry. The key point made is that male viewers who make up the majority of those who view slasher films cheer on both the victimisation of women and their triumphant kill the final stages of the narrative. The final girl theory therefore shows that both women can empathise with the heroin due to identification and men can both lust over through "male gaze"/voyeurism and admire the final girl for the protective and heroic "male like qualities" that she possess.
Here's a little something I found that sum's the theory up:

BENNY:     But I still want to know what happens!
BUFFY:     Everyone gets horribly killed except the blonde girl in the nightie, who finally kills the monster with a machete but it’s not really dead.
JENNIFER:     Oh, my God. Is that true?
BUFFY:     Probably. What movie is this?

(from the TV series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Clear examples of the "final girl" can be found in films such as Ridley Scotts Alien (1979) and John Carpenters Halloween (1978) Where we see females with very different characters who both triumph over the male killer. Rambo, the female heroin in alien (played by Sigourney Weaver) is a very strong headed female who is physically strong as well as determined to carry out her designated job throughout this alien attack. This could echo the strong, modern, professional female that society recognises today. On the other hand, Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) is a virginal, bright girl in her teens; the epiphany of innocence. Laurie attacks Mike Myers with a knitting needle and shows through body language that she is extremely scared when she is being attacked. These actions could represent a week female but her triumph shows femininity in a powerful light.

Todorov's narrative theory

6 part structure
1. Equilibrium- a state of calm or normality at the outset
2. Disruption- a disruption of the equilibrium by some action
3. Complications
4. Crisis
5. Climax
6. Resolution- a reinstatement of the equilibrium


Useful quotes relating to the theory:
Aristotle
"for tragedy is a representation, not of men, but of action and life, of happiness and unhappiness and happiness and unhappiness are bound up with action......"


Claud Levi-Strauss (binary opposition)
" that all narratives had to be driven forward by conflict that was caused by a series of opposing forces"

A nice quote to start my research off

"Horror is what you might feel if you went, for example, into a jungle, or a place where you had lost all your bearings, where you were no longer sure of anything. A place where you begin to suspect that there was something present which you couldn't pin down; something which you wouldn't be able to identify but which could be dangerous and destroy you." Nigel Kneale in Wells, 2000