The Ring deconstruction

This particular clip is from the movie "The Ring" demonstrates an unusual concept of integrating the use of technology in horror movies. Director Gore Verbinski uses the traditional Japanese mystery to tell a story of how technology such as videos and the TV as influence lives in a much more negative way.

Mise en scene

The first girl shown in the opening minutes of the scene is evidently the first character to die in the movie. This links in well with the idea of the 'final girl' theory as the girl clearly portrays the characteristics which makes her the first person to unfortunately die. The fact that the girl is wearing a short skirt, loose top which is unbuttoned at the bottom, gives us the impression that she may be the 'blonde and popular girl' who is unaware of the circumstances and therefore dies first. The character is first shown in the kitchen where it is:

• Clean, tidy
• The untouched appliances suggests that they not used as regularly 
• Almost every item in the kitchen is in immaculate condition and has it's own fixed place

The camera quickly moves to a living room shot, where it may be suggested that the character might enjoy activities such as watching TV as it is large and placed in an area where it is clearly visible. 

• The living room space is also extremely clean which could demonstrate her personality where the character likes to keep clean and tidy, this is also shown in the presentation of the kitchen. 
• Magazines, photo frames, candles are seen throughout the house
• The magazines suggest that she could be a sociable person - she seems like a young character, which means she may well be up to date with the latest teen gossip

The girl is shown wearing clothing which can be interpreted as sexual, this is because as we look closely, the top is worn loosely and unbuttoned. The character's hair  has streaks of blonde, which again follows the typical conventions of the final girl theory. The fact that she has straight, shoulder length hair which is neat and tidy, gives us the impression that she takes care of herself and could be image conscious.

Camera angles and framing

The clip begins with a medium shot (camera framing) of the girl. From this we can see her hand gestures where it is clear that she is grabbing a drink from the kitchen. At this point, as the audience, we are unable to see anything below the arms, for example what type of trousers, skirt or shoes that she is wearing. The medium shot focuses solely on the character and therefore we are unable to see the background in detail.

• However, from the background we are still able to see some appliances which may be associated with a kitchen. 

Close up shots are regularly used in the opening scene, this is common in horrors as it conveys the character's facial expressions and their feelings in scenes which may cause them distress. Close up shots commonly show very little of the background and focuses solely on the object, in this case it is the girl who is shown to be extremely terrified of the situation. These shots make us:

• Feel intimate with the character
• Feel as if we are on the same wavelength (similar to eye level angle)
• Sometimes maybe uncomfortable for the audience

Zooming in on the character's facial expressions show how deeply terrified she is, her fear is reinforced with the idea that she is home alone and it is in the middle of the night. Furthermore, it can be argued that pathetic fallacy may be used as it is raining outside, this again links in well with the girls current situation. 

High angle - used at the staircase area, to reinforce the height of the stairs and how low down the character really is.

Lighting and Sound

• Diegetic sound used when the TV turns on - static sound
• Talking - part of diegetic sound
• This opening clip is limited in sound which therefore creates a lot of tension and suspense

The use of artificial light is prevalent in this scene as it is 'night time' outside, the character uses artificial light such as lamps. However, as the camera pans to the living room we are able to see some sort of natural lighting for example, it is suggested that there is a storm outside which includes lightning. Although candles are not used in the clip, they are clearly seen in the room and if they were to be lighted, they would reinforce the scene immensely.

halloween deconstruction

Halloween Deconstruction

This scene from John Carpenter's Halloween offers a rare instance of extremely effective use of a first-person camera to show the brutal murder of the main character's sister. Now a cliché of Hollywood slasher films, the shaky, hand-held POV was accentuated by masking around the image that was supposed to depict the mask worn by the killer. Whereas first person POV is ordinarily thought to distance spectators from the action on screen, Halloween places its audience in the uncomfortable subject position of both voyeur and murderer. This shot is quite similar to the shot in Psycho when the audience are taken through the hole in the wall to see Janet Leigh undressing, this creates intertextuality within the film and not only shows Hitchcock’s influence on Carpenter but also his influence on the slasher genre.
(insert picture of eye camera)
The camera is also at eye level which shows it's a actual human observing the scene. This builds suspense because it is quite unusual; usually we are shown through the eyes of the victim, therefore it makes the audience feels slightly unnerved.
The main type of shot used in this opening is a long shot. These are typically used in horror, as it means that the audience has more than one thing to focus on, and knows that the killer can appear from any angle, thus making them in edge. These type of shots mean that we do not emotionally connect to the characters. The only close-up used in this opening is on the knife that the killer picks up, and this is to show that the knife is significant. When the child is revealed as the killer, there is more lighting, and this suggests exposure, and creates a sense of enlightenment in the audience.
Very low lighting is used in the opening, meaning that we don’t get to see much. This builds suspense as we can’t see what is going on, which makes us think that something bad will happen. This is a convention of horror as we are meant to be left questioning as to what will happen. It leaves teh audience free to imagine what might be happening in the places they can’t see.
The people that are being watched without their knowledge are an example of a typical device used in horror films. This is used to attract the audiences attention and make them feel on edge.
The clown costume that the child is wearing is very typical of horror films, as the fear of clowns is something very common and is generally used with evil beings in horror films.

The 'Final Girl' Theory

The ‘Final Girl Theory’ was first developed by Carol J. Clover in her 1992 book ‘Men, Women, and Chainsaws. Final girls usually have the same characteristics in any horror film such as.. 

• A unisex name (e.g., Laurie, Sidney, Teddy, Billie, Georgie) 
• Occasionally a shared history with the killer e.g. in ‘Halloween II’, Michael Myers is revealed to be the brother of Laurie Strode and in ‘Scream 3’the killer is revealed to be Roman Bridger , half-brother of the only survivor Sidney Prescott. 
• The Final girl exemplifies androgynous traits, such as a short, masculine hair style, or wearing little to no make up at all, or male oriented skills, such as being experienced in mechanics, loading a gun, etc.

Some examples of final girls in horror movies are;

Jenny from the film ‘Eden Lake.’ Jennys husband is killed, and she is forced to take the role of a hero to try and save herself.

Ellen Ripley in the film ‘Alien.’ Ellen is also forced to face her fears and try and survive from the aliens. 

Laurie Strode in the film ‘Halloween’ will do anything she can to protect herself.

Initial ideas, research and inspiration

Initial ideas, research and inspiration

So far, as a group we have decided to create a film opening based on the concept of technology, this may include uses of the internet, social media, laptops and mobile phones. We have decided to use a concept which is quite new in the horror genre and therefore we thought that it would be interesting yet something which is out of the ordinary. 

Our initial idea comes from the 2015 movie 'Unfriended' which uses the idea of technology (Skype and computers) to create a horror movie. The movie uses the idea of recording from the screen, this can be used in a variety of software's which we have researched, for example Quick Time screen recorder. From the research so far, we have found that movies such as The Ring, One Missed Call, Unfriended and The Net, all use technology such as mobile phones, TV and the internet to scare and frighten the protagonists and especially the audience watching.

All these movies have been real hits and have become successful which therefore inspired us to try and create something based on these ideas. 

Some of the research conducted includes a range of movies which integrate the idea of technology extremely well:

Unfriended (2015)

The Net (1995)

One Missed Call (2008)

The Ring (2002)

Research based on articles and websites found online:
http://www.vulture.com/2015/04/technology-in-horror-movies-will-kill-you.html
http://www.people.com/article/unfriended-horror-movies-technology
http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/17698/1/top-ten-techno-horror-films
http://www.heyuguys.com/technology-in-horror-films/

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/beware-technology-best-horror-films-geeks/

Pros, cons and the code and conventions of psychological horror films

Pros, cons and the code and conventions of psychological horror films

Psychological horror films are an element of fiction and they aim to create horrific or unsettling effects through the use of psychology. 

The typical code and conventions of a psychological horror film:

• Replaces physical threat with psychological ones 
• Explores the ind of the involved protagonists
• Creates discomfort by exposing common emotional fears and vulnerabilities 
• Reveals the darker parts of human psyche
• Common examples of psychological horror include movies such as "The Grudge" or "Orphan"
• They are based on factual occurrences in real life 
• Rely on the audience's mind to create the horror effect
• Expose evils that hide behind normality 
• Tend to use the twisted mind rather than be physical
• Jumpy moments rather than weapons
• Big houses, woodland, schools, warehouses, hospitals - this adds a sense of realism in relation to the audience
• Tend to have flash backs to inform the killers state of mind 
• Use children as killers - breaking the conventions to shock the audience
• The use of places such as hospitals immediately gives connotations of pain and death, which then may link to the actual plot of the movie. 
• Like most horror movies, scenes are typically set in the night to create a sense of fear for the audience. 

Pros

- Suggests how the mind can be used to haunt and play tricks on people

- Can be less expensive in terms of the use of costumes and props - psychological horrors often use the mind so therefore you may spend less.

- Can portray a sense of realism, particularly in the setting where places such as hospitals are used. 

- Often shows how normal people can also be affected psychologically. 

Cons

- It can be difficult to actually tell that the protagonist is possessed, haunted or disturbed through the screen

- Acting may be difficult for those who are not professionals, again this is due to the characters mainly being mentally disturbed rather than physically

- Location must be selected very carefully to create the correct atmosphere and mood of the film

-Most psychological horror movies rely mostly on editing, therefore editing must be of a high standard in order to for the 'horror' effect to show through. 

Pros And Cons of A Romantic Drama

Romantic Drama film is a genre that explores the complex side of love. The plot usually centres around an obstacle that is preventing love between two people. The obstacles in Romantic Drama films can range from a family's disapproval, to forbidden love or to one's own psychological restraints.

Pros of Romantic Dramas:

1. Simple local locations can be used.
2. Low production costs.
3. It is easier to create a storyline that people can relate too (more realistic).

Cons of a Romantic Dramas:

1. There will be a greater dialogue content, meaning actors and participants will need to be critically picked in order for the film to be effective.
2. Some of the content might be too explicit for some viewers and it will be hard to pull off as we don't have a budget to hire professional actors. 
3. Props that may need to be used to make the opening sequence effective may be hard to get hold of, and expensive.

As you can see I have analysed the pros and cons of the Romantic Drama genre. After carefully considering all the factors, my group have decided not to do a Romantic Drama film for our coursework as it would be very hard to make it look professional and include all the conventions making it a successful portrayal of the genre.

pro's and con's of slasher and conventions

Pro's and Con's of Slashers

The typical conventions of a slasher film:

• The 'Final Girl' is the first  typical convention of a slasher, horror film. This theory is that by the end of a slasher film the final girl will be left and this is the girl who's the most innocent, virtuous and dresses the most reserved.
• The monster/villains identity is normally not known until the end of the film. This is achieved by using clever camera angles, lighting and camera movement. Usually at the end of the film the villain's identity is revealed. The killers identity remains unknown this is due to the fact that the killer wears a mask.
• The location is usually a suburban, quiet town where you would normally expect to feel safe and comfortable, this subverts the audience's expectations. The location is normally far away from civilisation so that the killer can cut off the characters main escape route. A commonly used setting in more recent ‘Slasher’ films is a high school. This is an environment that the characters are familiar with, the fact that they are familiar with it makes it more interesting as they aren’t expecting anything unusual to happen, as they may in a location which is unfamiliar to them. For example ‘Prom night’ Setting/Location
• The lighting is dark normally to create a tension for the audience, especially when the murders take place it's normally night time.
• Slasher’ films form a very structured narrative pattern, the narrative is set so that sequels can be made. During ‘Slasher’ films there tends to be two parts of the narrative, one being the past and one being the present. The past person feels out of place or gets bullied by certain characters and this person wants to seek revenge, at a later stage then turns into a killer and kills the people made him feel unwanted.
• The colours, red, black and white are very conventional within ‘Slasher’ films. RED – The connotations of red are blood, death and evil. BLACK – The connotations of black are, evil, darkness and danger. The colour black makes the atmosphere much more scarier and helps the film become more realistic. WHITE – The connotations of white are, pure and innocence.

Pro's of Slashers

• Slashers are normally more low budget as it's set in a small town, house or around a small radius of an area.
• Costume isn't that expensive as the characters wear normal clothes and the murderer normally has their persona hidden until the end of the movie.
• You don't need accurate actors as the plot is quite simplistic normally and so the actor doesn't have to be highly skilled.
• Slashers are the most popular horror genre to recreate.
• They appeal to a wide audience for example Halloween was made in 1978 and slashers are still being made today for example Crimson Peak in 2015.
• They don't need to have a complex plot as most slashers follow the conventions as mentioned above.

Con's of Slashers

• Money for makeup and effects eg blood spill which has to have an investment into it otherwise the effect would look fake.
• Hard to film as need permission if filming actual slasher scenes outside in the local area.
• can sometimes come across as cheesy if the acting is too bad.
• Can scare the audience if an age limit is not suitable for the film
• There is usually a lot of non-diegetic sound leading up to an event like murder which causes a suspense. This is difficult to place over the actual movie when editing.
• Non- diegetic sound if being created individually takes a lot of time and accuracy.