Feedback from survey regarding horror film features

These are the responses which I have received from my survey which I created which highlighted the views of different genres of horror films

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-DQGL9QB9/

By finding out key information from my survey  it means that I was able to collate the research and use it when creating our horror film, poster, and double page spread.

I realised many different things when carrying out my research that the audiences which my group and I were aiming to. Below this was the feedback regarding question 3. the type of horror in which the audiences enjoyed
By looking at this graph there were two clear favourites

Vampires- 31.35% - Vampires are quite popular within horror films also by the introduction of  vampires into shows e.g. vampire diaries, this therefore helps me identify the preference of my audience.

Ghosts - 43.75%- Ghosts are predominantly used throughout horror films. Due to the way the ghosts are able to be edited to disappear and reappear helps directors create different effects which will have a positive impact on the audience, because this was the highest choice I believe that the film should be based on "Ghosts" because this Horror genre fits the preference of a wide range of audiences

Overall by gathering this research it has allowed me t gather knowledge regarding the different features used within a horror film. this will there for will be useful when creating our film because we will be able to adopt the research to suit the preferences of out audiences

 

Audience reseach of horror films

Create your own user feedback survey

This is the survey which I created regarding the audiences views on horror films in general this will allow me to gain more knowledge about the types of horror films are appealing to them. Therefore the results could be taken into consideration when producing our film.

Plot: Initial Idea for the Horror Film

What is a Film Plot
A film plot helps directors and producers gain knowledge into the structure and sequence into each part of the film this means there is a clear vision into what the director wants to achieve within their film.

Film name
When deciding out film name we had to consider its implied meaning e.g. Fear/horror. We finally came up with the perfect name which was 'OMINOUS' meaning (giving the worrying impression that something bad is going to happen; threateningly inauspicious.

Cast:
Kaylah: (Victim)
    Kyle: (Victim)
 Shamil: (Victim)
    Rory: (Victim)
  Alisha: (Horror Ghost)
 
Main Plot
 
The main plot of the story focuses Sixth Form students digging up historical facts about their school, they find out that girl was murdered and rumour  has it that she was spotted. all around the school haunting and killing everything in her path. Can everyone escape the school?

Kaylah then goes to the toilet and she goes to wash her hands and accidently drops something and as she goes to pick it up and stands up  the cubical door creeked open she is confronted with the ghostly image in the mirror. She suddenly turned around and  the lights magically turned off and then turned back on and the ghostly figure vanished.

We then see Kaylah running down a dark corridor trying to escape the evil which is apon her she tries to open the fire exit unfortunately  it will not open . then you hear her scream

The screen then blackens and re-enters with the scream of Kaylah laying with blood dripping down her face

Story Boards for Horror film

Storyboards 

This is a step to step guide which takes you through the rough out set of our short horror film  

Dolly Tracking Shot

this first frame shows the victim "Kaylah" walking through a corridor using a backwards shot which illustrates the feel of suspense's through the perpetrators personal eye view. also the use of tracking a camera movement allows the audience to identify the pace of movement if its a slow steady process or is it a quick instant process. which , can have many different effects on the audience

Medium Shot

This second scene shows the victim Kaylah with  knowledge of her killer by using this establishing shot it allowed you to see her body language as well a her facial expression. This builds up suspense for the audience because they are not able t know what the perpetrator looks like which will cause them the think a lot more and by looking at her facial expression it would slightly cause the audience to become frightened even thou they have not seen the creature

Establishing Shot

This board illustrates the name of our will which is 'OMINOUS' which is also defined as threatening or sinister which describe what is entailed within our horror film this instantly draws in the audience by the them identifying the deeper meaning behind the title.

This is a downwards tilt camera shot of the characters feet which helps show the direction in which they are going. this shot could be interpreted as the sinister ghost characters eye view which help create suspense for the audience

Over The Shoulder Shot

This is an example of a over the shoulder camera shot was when the character (Kyle) walked into the common room to see the other characters this helps show the environment in which they were in.

Establishing Shot

This 7th board uses an establishing shot which highlights the environment of the film and also the characters (Kaylah,Shamil and Rory). it also shows that the three characters are doing work.

Over The Shoulder Shot

This is an example of an over the shoulder shot  which allows the audience to have the first encounter with the ghost

Tilted Shot

Shows a tilt shot, Kaylah goes back to the table to work but finds blood all over the table, however she believes its a prank in which Rory Kyle and Shamil have pulled . this causes the audience to use their minds to work out why the blood was there, how long did Kaylah go to the bathroom for and etc....

Dolly tracking

Another camera movement. of tracking which highlights to the description in the first board which highlights the horror ghost tracking behind Kaylah which creates more suspense for the audience into what is going to occur.

Over the shoulder shot

this shot is used to capture Kaylah's facial expressions as well as seeing  her reflection in the mirror this helps the identify what may be behind her which is "The Ghost"

Medium shot

Within the 13 is where the climax within our short horror begins. by using this long shot the audiences are able to acknowledge Kaylah's body language which instantly shows her fear which will cause the audience to develop some kind of sympathy towards her. You are able to see her facial expressions also which aids in creation the representation of fear towards the audience.

Tilted Shot

this is the 13th board and it shows the after effects of the murder which the ghost committed

Tilted Shot Or A Birds Eye Very Shot

this is the final Board which shows Kaylah laying down in a pool of he own blood which encloses the end of our horror film.

horror film alaysis (camera)

Here is a detailed analysis of  the horror film "Women in Black "I have gain research and looked into the types of camera angles in which they used within the film which created a positive effect when shown towards the audience. I had to watch the film then take screen shots of the different camera angles which I could see when watching the film.

I do believe that this analysis will be useful for my group when finding camera angles to use within our film to help it look more effective.

(This is the poster of the film which I have analysed)

 

 

Horror film analysis (Mis En Scene)

This is an analysis of the film "Rec 3 Genesis" and how they use "Mis en Scene" within there work to have a positive effect on the film.









Setting

This film was set within a church which is surprisingly not traditional when looking at other horror films such as "Insidious" and "Paranormal Activity". I do believe that the directors of this films aim was to trick its public into believing that this will was going to lack the structure of horror. doe to the calm atmosphere it could cause the audiences to also relax by gaining empathy allowing them to be in the shoes of the characters. remembering there marriages or ones to come, this is an effective techniques because the director (Paco Plaza) and his producers are able to grasp hold of the audience by dropping a intensive horror scene which will care the audiences to react more alarmingly due to the fact they are caught off guard by all of the soft and gentle scenes of the characters getting married.

The third image shown above highlights the dramatic change within the setting when the zombie apocalypse is beginning to take over the wedding, with the tables being turned over and the floors being drenched in blood it highlights the change of theme within the film

Lighting

Most of the mischievous and stunning scene are usually set in the night time or in a dark room. This means lighting is not really needed because it helps create  a sense of suspense to the audiences this is what (Paco Plaza) uses within "Rec 3" by using this low lighting technique the film was able withhold information of when the next horror scene was going to be and also help create anxious moment for the audience. I do believe this is effective as seen in the image above of a zombie which is hunting down the married couple. The low lighting helps to create connotations that the zombie infestation is the darkness which has consumed the happiness and love which happened at the start of the film.




Props

The main props within "Rec 3" is weaponry which predominantly use for killing the un dead. even though it is a horror the use of weapon creates a sense of excitement to see the victims defend themselves e.g. The bride pulls out a chainsaw ready to fire up and kill all of the zombies which they are faced with. I do believe that the audience would like this however this would be an anxious moment causing audiences to come towards the ends of their seats, this is because the audiences would want to see the outcome of the battle whether they dramatically win or if they are surrounded and engulfed with zombies. there are also props which are natural to the scene e.g. flowers, table and chairs. This is the most important element in which I had to research because I am in charge of the prop which means I have to find props which will ad to the film and make it look more effective. By locating props e.g. fake blood and chairs tables and books I am able to make the scene more natural because it is being set within a school. 




Costume

This gives away the actually theme of the film which is based on a wedding also I do believe this also again aids the audiences to relax and become more calm and also it allows them to admire the emotions and the beauty that the bride possesses. This challenges the traditional horror film because within horror films the costumes are normally old fashioned or also quite modern which highlights the era in which the film was set and also shows the types of audiences in which they are focused towards also by the wedding dress it shows that she is pure due to the use of white however through the film the dress changes colour which changes that representation.  

Film Analysis: Closely Analysed a Short Horror Film (Edititing)

This is a brief summary of what editing techniques could be using in order to improve its effectiveness and help provide that "SCARE FACTOR" for our audiences. In turn I believe that these techniques are excellent for us to produce a film with displays differ complex attributes which will make it a success .

 

Editing word bank and definition	How it could be adopted into our film
Match cut –  is when a cut in film editing, between two different spaces, or different compositions in which the object or person in two shots graphically match , which in theory helps establish continuity of action	This could be used within our films (when Kaylah is running down the darkened corridor) which relates to the first shot in the beginning of the film. This matches which allows comparisons to be made by the audience
Flash cutting -  this is where the sequence of the film is edited in order for the durations of the shots are very  brief	This can be used for the scenes where Kaylah sees the ghost in her reflection. This instigates the view in which Kaylah’s eyes are playing tricks on her
Jump cut – when a cut appears to be an interruption of a single shot, it happens usually within a scene rather then between scenes.to condense the shot	This could be used when the ghost is seen in many places within our film this shows the interruption of the scene which shows that the ghost every and bringing its darkness to consume the innocent victims Kyle, Rory and Kaylah.
Overlapping editing- Cuts which repeat a part or all of the action thus increasing the viewing time for the audience	We can use this by producing a montage of the ending of the film which will help the audience question how they got the that point of fear and anarchy
Subliminal cut – this is when a cut consisting of a few frames which zip so fast that the audience on subliminally are aware of them	This relates also to flash cutting because they both focused on providing the audience with as little information about the goings on within the film as possible this in turn allows the director to have their audiences out of the seats dreading what will come next

Film Analysis: Closely Analysed Short Horror Film (Camera)

This is a detailed analysis of  what camera shots and angles which we will be usng and how it will be embedded within our film

Camera angles & shots word bank and definition	How it could be adopted into our film
Over The Shoulder Shot – look if being the object to look at the subject e.g. looking behind “The victim” (Kaylah) to see the subject “The Ghost” (Alisha)	This can be adopted into our film because it assisted the audiences to feel the suspense that the victim doesn’t have any idea about the dark problems behind her
Close Up Shot-  When the image is taken close up to the subject e.g. Kaylah’s facial expression when she is in the bathroom	By using close up shots the audience are able to see the facial expressions of the characters. Which can highlight the dilemma within each scene
Dolly Zoom – This is a cinematic technique in which the camera moves closer or further from the object or person while simultaneously maintaining the zoom.	By using this techniques it allows us to zoom onto the characters , as you get closer the background looks more dominant and as you get further the foreground subject is emphasised and becomes dominant which would be the ghost because (The Ghost ) is in the foreground it allows them to be dominant for the audience to see.
( Dolly) Tracking shot – This is when the camera follows the movement of a subject or person. E.g. when the “Victim” (Kaylah) is running away from the Ghost to her freedom	By using tracking it has many different applications and can provide much dramatic footage. which highlights the genre of the film which is horror
Cut in – Shows some part of the subject in further detail	This highlights a different close up angle which aids the observation of the characters which the audiences can observe

Film Analysis: Closely Analysed a Short Horror Film ( sound)

This is an table which analyses in detail the sound techniques which will be used and how it would be adopted into our film and the definitions behind those techniques

Sound word bank and definition	How it could be adopted into our film
Diegetic  sound – sound which has come from the person or object within the film and seen within the field of vision	This will be the main sound attribute which will be used throughout our film by the use of dialogue from the characters and the opening and closing of doors suggests sound which are natural to the scene
Non-Diegetic sound -  sound which come from nothing within the field of vision and have been added afterwards within the editing process	Voiceovers and sound tracks are where it can be used within our film. e.g. the door creaking , this could be added when editing which will enhance the sound within our film
Contrapuntal sound – sound which don’t easily match the image which is being shown towards the audience.	This could be seen as disorienting towards the audience and make them question what they are seeing e.g. ghost appearing in and out of scenes this will trick the audience into question whether what they have just seen.
Sound bridge - this is where sound continues across to or more  cuts/transitions	Music is an example of sound which will continue through different transitions. This may be used in order to highlight suspense throughout the film and aid the audience to identify the sequences within the film
Dialogue - tone, pitch and volume of the characters are key aspects of dialogue. It can contribute to the meaning of the scene  and helps create a sense of empathy with the characters and audiences which develops their relationships	This will be used within the scenes so the audience will be able to relate to the victims within the film (Kaylah, Kyle and Rory)and also silence within the dialogue also helps create an impact towards the audience when dramatic scenes

Research: Mis En Scene used within Horror Films (generalisation)

Key Mis En Scene features commonly found within horror films


- Lighting
- Costume/Makeup
- Facial expression/Body Language
- Props
- Setting

Lighting

The lighting is mainly low-level (dark) which is used within horror/thriller films because it creates the fear, tension and suspense for the audience to set the tone for the scene. Horror films often use this style of lighting in an exaggerated form of over-lighting (placing a light over the face) or under-lighting (placing a light under the face) an example of this is within the film "Jason" . Horror films also  use low levels of lighting to create distorted and dramatic effect which aids the film to display different moods and events within the film e.g. (  low lighting means to inform audiences that the protagonist is in danger or reaching the cliff-hanger within the film. also lower usage of lighting also helps create a huge amount of tension e.g. (pitch black scenes helps the audiences to be a bit suspicious into the out come of the next scene. 

Costume/Makeup

Costume/Make Up is another key feature which is helps create the horror effect within creating the horror film. the generalisation within horror films is that the uses of costume and make up include

Key:      Red= Effect              Black= Key Points/Theory

Costume generalisations	Make Up generalisation
Blood Drenched clothing – Helps create tension for the audience suggests the events which has occurred e.g. Murder  and example of a film Final Destination	Scars and Bruises – This make up usage also help create a realistic view for the audience which keeps the feel of the horror film e.g. knife wounds, choke bruises. This in turn scares and intimidates the audience
Horror scary masks – These masks are used to highlight fear which the audiences may have psychologically (influenced from a young age) e.g. killer clowns, scream masks. E.g. Chainsaw Massacre, when the characters face is scalped off to create a new mask for the main villain this presents the theme of gore	Bloodshot Eyes and Scary Light Contact Lenses – The used of these elements allowed the instant shock effect towards the audience. E.g. quick close up shot shows piercing eyes. This could be seen as intimidation towards the audience which serves a greater horror effect
Dark and damp clothing – This helps creates the dark and mischievous side of the characters	Blood mouth Dribble (sharp teeth)– This creates tension and suspense within the horror film

 

Facial expression/Body Language

Facial expressions and body language are other key elements that are important in creating  well presented films. This works by honing in on characters' emotions which could highlight the reaction and level of fear and suspense presented by the audience most horror films.

 timid and shivering body languages allows the audience to sense the fear from the characters which could aid the audience become fearful into what is to come within the horror film .

Props

Props are also a key element to horror films because they help add a diversity of outcomes within the film e.g. A Gun can be used in create many different outcomes e.g. commit suicide, use of protection, used to commit murder. this helps confuses the audience into not allowing them to figure out the storyline of the horror film which could effect the fear factor of the film overall. 

Setting

This is quite an important featured because it allows the audience to identify the genre of the film and allows the director to communicate with the audience by using the film as a communication bridge to give audiences ideas of what may happen within the film .Most horror films are situated in dark areas. This allows the directors to hide the storyline from their targeted audience which disallows them to identify the direction of the film which allows the directors to add more scary and unexpected moments which will give there film the edge over others.

This is an example of what a horror film normally looks like .  because the picture uses dark colours (E.g. dark greens and blacks) this creates the illusion of loneliness and pain