In order to effectively convey the horror genre, I need to make the villain within my film opening look as evil and terrifying as I possibly can, to do this, I will use liquid latex and scar wax in order to create realistic looking wounds upon whoever plays my villain. To start looking into how I'm going to go about this, I have found some youtube videos which will help me when creating the villain for my opening sequence.
Chelsea smile: https://youtu.be/ugl9AmySpj0
Slit neck: https://youtu.be/uITPUBI849M
Missing eyes: https://youtu.be/wvRTm5g7ImM
Bullet wound: https://youtu.be/4pgsKjqg79A
Friday, 16 December 2016
Film Company logos
When watching a film, one thing is always advertised no matter the budget, popularity or genre of the specific film, and that thing is the logo of the company of whoever made the film. In addition to this, it is often found that in successful films, more than one company is involved in the making of the film, furthermore meaning that there is typically more than one logo shown within the opening of a film. So, in order to ensure that my film opening is as realistic as possible with the facilities available to me, I have created some logos which I believe are believable and will fit into my selected genre and the mood of my film opening. They can be found below.
This is the first logo I made, I chose the name "psycho entertainment" as I believe that it sounds professional and it fits in with the genre of film opening. The reason I selected the bloody handprint for the backdrop of my logo is because it is iconographic for genres such as crime and horror, and will furthermore inform an audience of the genre of my film opening before they even start watching.
This is the second logo I have made, the reason I have chose to make this logo is because it gives off quite a niche and indie vibe, and since my Target Audience are horror lovers, you could say that they could be a part of quite a niche group of society, furthermore meaning that this logo will intrigue them as it's something which is different and original.
This is the third and final logo I have made for my film opening, the way I went about making this logo is by finding a picture of an eye on google images before editing it and adding some text. The reason I made this logo is because I think it fits in really well with my genre and other logos, and the spider dangling from the eyelashes will really help in providing a gothic tone to my opening sequence.
This is the first logo I made, I chose the name "psycho entertainment" as I believe that it sounds professional and it fits in with the genre of film opening. The reason I selected the bloody handprint for the backdrop of my logo is because it is iconographic for genres such as crime and horror, and will furthermore inform an audience of the genre of my film opening before they even start watching.
This is the second logo I have made, the reason I have chose to make this logo is because it gives off quite a niche and indie vibe, and since my Target Audience are horror lovers, you could say that they could be a part of quite a niche group of society, furthermore meaning that this logo will intrigue them as it's something which is different and original.
This is the third and final logo I have made for my film opening, the way I went about making this logo is by finding a picture of an eye on google images before editing it and adding some text. The reason I made this logo is because I think it fits in really well with my genre and other logos, and the spider dangling from the eyelashes will really help in providing a gothic tone to my opening sequence.
Monday, 5 December 2016
preliminary video for AS media studies
Below is the preliminary video I have made in preparation for my main task. This will help me with my main task as, by making this video, I have had some experience with using a camera, and have been able to identify some of the difficulties of using a camera which I can work on in preparation for the shooting of my main task.
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Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Copyright Free Audio/ Music sites
Most (if not all) people that watch films and other media products would agree that the soundtrack of any film related product is the quality which helps provide the most atmospheric experience, and furthermore helps absorb you into the media product which you are watching, and enjoy it more. Therefore, it's only logical that I find a decent soundtrack that will help create an atmospheric experience perfect for the idea of my product itself, and perfect for my audience. However, a problem with this is that most music is copyrighted, making it unable for me to use. So, to work around this problem, I have found a few links to websites that provide copyright free soundtracks and audios that are available for me to use on my film opening if they fit the criteria I am looking for. The links are below:
(I am aware that not all music is free to download from copyright free sites – there can be download fees)
(I am aware that not all music is free to download from copyright free sites – there can be download fees)
- http://copyrightfriendly.wikispaces.com/Copyright-friendly+music+and+sound
- http://www.shockwave-sound.com/
- http://audiojungle.net/
- http://www.musicmediatracks.com/?gclid=CK6V-r7ZiJgCFUse3god7XQJCw
- http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/free.html
- http://freeplaymusic.com/ (free downloads)
- http://www.trackline.com/acatalog/Tracks.html
- http://www.royaltyfreemusic.com/documentary-general-production.html
- http://www.dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Sound_Files/Samples_and_Loops/
- www.freesound.org (free music)
- http://www.mobygratis.com/film-music.html (teacher needs to register for this one)
- felt.com
Free Sound Effects from PartnersInRhyme.com:
- http://www.ljudo.com/default.asp?lang=tEnglish&do=it
- http://www.jamendo.com/en
- http://derekaudette.ottawaarts.com/
- http://www.acoustica.com/sounds.htm
- http://www.alcljudprod.se/english/ljud.php
When looking through the audio's on these websites, I am going to be looking for similar elements to the ones I've mentioned on the previous post about what kind of soundtracks I would like to include within my film opening, and hopefully I will be able to find some soundtracks that will fit in with my initial image of what I want it be.
Soundtrack- Part One
For my next piece of research, I am going to be looking into the different kind of soundtracks available to me to use for my film opening, and which ones out of the available selection, will fit in with my idea for the plot of my film opening. Before researching into sound, the idea I have already, is, to start of with, and intense, almost screeching sound that will help build tension, and immediately intrigue and draw in an audience. This will help capture their interest and help them to "divert"- one of the reasons people engage in the media according to the Uses and Gratifications theory by Bulmer and Katz- away from real life. If I succeeded in being able to succeed in creating this effect for my audience, I would not only be successfully engaging with my target audience through the sound track, but also helping to create that cinematic, atmospheric experience, which, in return, will help make the horror feel in my opening scene all the more realistic, meaning that I would be successfully conforming to my chosen genre.
Following of from a tension building mood setting soundtrack for the first few seconds of my film opening, after this I would like to find a circus-like theme tune for the rest of my opening sequence. This soundtrack would ideally start of light and airy, but would slowly get sharper and darker until it reached a peaked of intensity. The reasons which I want to do this is because I feel like it would help set the mood of what would be the rest of my film, in addition to helping create a sense of paranoia and fear with in an audience as they know that something bad is going to happen, creating an enigma code (Bathes) within the product, and resulting in an audience to keep watching as they will want to unravel the mystery of what that enigma is (surveillance= Bulmer and Katz). Finally, I feel like this kind of soundtrack would follow an almost musical version of The theory of equilibrium, placed forward by Todorov. My reasons for this are that the soundtrack would start of at an equilibrium, before building up in tension-keeping an audience intrigued- and then reaching a disruption. The only difference here would be that, since it's only the opening of the film, there would be know re-instalment of equilibrium. Nevertheless, the music would still tell it's own story, engaging an audience, and you could say that, evidently, the music gives the basic outline of the plot of the film to the reader in the opening alone.
Following of from a tension building mood setting soundtrack for the first few seconds of my film opening, after this I would like to find a circus-like theme tune for the rest of my opening sequence. This soundtrack would ideally start of light and airy, but would slowly get sharper and darker until it reached a peaked of intensity. The reasons which I want to do this is because I feel like it would help set the mood of what would be the rest of my film, in addition to helping create a sense of paranoia and fear with in an audience as they know that something bad is going to happen, creating an enigma code (Bathes) within the product, and resulting in an audience to keep watching as they will want to unravel the mystery of what that enigma is (surveillance= Bulmer and Katz). Finally, I feel like this kind of soundtrack would follow an almost musical version of The theory of equilibrium, placed forward by Todorov. My reasons for this are that the soundtrack would start of at an equilibrium, before building up in tension-keeping an audience intrigued- and then reaching a disruption. The only difference here would be that, since it's only the opening of the film, there would be know re-instalment of equilibrium. Nevertheless, the music would still tell it's own story, engaging an audience, and you could say that, evidently, the music gives the basic outline of the plot of the film to the reader in the opening alone.
Monday, 21 November 2016
Poll
For my next piece of research I have created a poll thats questions focus around the idea of my chosen genre and the idea of an ideal opening sequence. This piece of research will help me when making my film opening as it will help me find out what the most desired features of a film opening are, and furthermore ensure that I create an effective product for my main task. You can find this poll below, please take it to help me with collecting some results.
Monday, 14 November 2016
Research into popular horror films
For my next piece of research I am going to look at popular horror films and analyse the setting they used, and the makeup/special effects used of their characters. I want to make sure that I include horror films that span out over quite a large time zone, as the older, classic horror films tend to be more well known and popular (i discovered this through googling the most popular horror films). It is important that I include some more modern day films within my research as it is likely that these will fit in more with what I plan to do. I googled 'popular horror films' , and selected the following 4 which came up which I am going to analyse within this blog post: The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Cabin In The Woods, and The Ring.
The Exorcist (1973):
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this film is how dated it is. The age of the film doesn't change the iconographic nature of the film, however it does mean that, due to it's age, the special effects and camera techniques used will more than likely look completely un realistic to a modern day audience, and furthermore this dramatically decreases it's "horror factor" in today's reality. I could have analysed the more current remake of the film, however I think that, due to the fact that my resources are limited, it would be more beneficial to analyse and pick up on what basic qualities the original film has that helps to establish it's mood and genre. My reasons for this is that, by looking at the basic qualities that you could potentially overlook when creating a film of a horror genre, I can make sure to include some for these qualities within my film opening, furthermore helping to create an atmospheric experience for the examiner and my viewers, without having to involve a lot of special effects. Furthermore, when analysing the more current film, it more likely to get sidetracked by the special effects used, rather than the nitty gritty qualities which are essential for any horror film to have.
When looking at the setting of the film, you can see that the majority of the plot (especially the points intended to scare you) are set and filmed at night. This is something that is quite common among horror films, and I expect to find similar results when analysing the different horror films which I have selected. Another thing that stands out within the movie "The Exorcist" is the fact that it uses a lot of religious imagery, e.g. the church and the angel crying blood. Some would say this is very sacrilegious, and, especially when looking at the historical context of how big religion was around the time this film as made, you could say that the hybridity of something known to be pure and heavenly like God, shown to be struggling against something that is clearly a demon, could be what helped catapult this film into the lime light and helped it to gain the attention and reputation is received, especially at the time is was made (it is known that priests would stand outside movie theatres with holy water, throwing it at audiences who left the theatre, some screaming as they believed that the movie was possessed).
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984):
Just like The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a classic horror film, that doesn't necessarily have the same impact on it's viewers today in comparison to when it was first made. There is a remake of this film, but just like with an analysis of the original Exorcist I plan to analyse the older version due to the fact that it will help me with picking up on the effective hacks of film making when your resources are limited. However, having said this I do know that I don't want my film opening to be too dated, as this will really limit my potential audience, and furthermore the next three horror films which I'm going to look into will be made in a more modern time frame.
The Nightmare on Elm Street, just like most horror films, is mainly set at night. However, in contribution to this decision being made by a director in order to help create a gothic, atmospheric experience for an audience, it is almost essential that this film is set at night due to the plot; Freddy (the protagonist) can only get you when you're sleeping, and typically, you sleep at night. The setting and location of this film is quite unique compared to other horror films as it isn't set in an abandoned building or a woodland, instead, it's set inside the characters own home. This would have instilled paranoia in an audience and your home is the place you expect to truly be safe, and it's a possible location for me to shoot my opening scene in if I wanted to do so, as you don't have to book out or pay to film in your own house. Finally, you could say that what really helps to catapult this film into the most well known horror film of all time is (besides the narrative itself), the gore which has been visually used which is almost sickening to witness. This helps to give the film that "shock factor" that a horror audience typically wants, and furthermore by including this the director is successfully conforming to it's chosen genre.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011):
Following on from two very classic but dated horror films, the next film I am going to look at is the 2011 film 'The Cabin in the Woods". True to it's name, this film is set within the middle of the woods (this helps define the isolation of the main characters from reality), and the main characters are all staying in a run-down, clearly old cabin. This film follows a very stereotypical structure of what you'd expect to find in a horror film: the setting of an abandoned woodland is something which is often portrayed through popular horror films, as well as how everything starts to go bad at night, and even the stereotypes of the characters themselves are emphasised within the film.
Special effects are mainly only used at the end of the film in order to show all of the different evil creations locked up in their glass boxes, some may have been used in order to create realistic wounds and shots within the film, however it is possible that the 'zombies' and the 'wounds' in the film have been created using special FX make up. This is something which is possible for me to do within my film opening if it's a direction I wanted to go down as it's relatively in-expensive if you do it yourself, and there are several tutorials on YouTube which help you create a realistic look. Like The Exorcist and A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Cabin in the Woods- despite it's stereotypical characters and location- has a plot which starts off as everything you'd expect to see in a horror films, but ends in a way that is uniquely it's own. The plot twists and shocks that you experience within the film opening are what keeps an audience intrigued and catapults this film into a higher league than most horror films which are very similar to all the other horror films out there. Furthermore, this tells me that, when creating my film opening, I want to make it unique and original, yet still give it those stereotypical elements that are so well known in the horror industry in order to give my target audience a taste of what they already know and love, yet make it more interesting by giving it its own little spin.
The Ring (2002):
The reason why I have chosen to look into the film "The Ring" is because, not only is it very well known and popular amongst a horror based audience, but it also involves a child as what Propp would propose as "The bad guy". This is something which isn't done often within horror films, and using childish elements within my opening sequence is something which I plan to do. The Ring is about a strange tape of a young girl, and once you watch it, you get a phone call from the same girl that was in the video tape, informing you that you have 7 days left to live.
The tape in the film is almost filtered in the way that it was a darkish blueish tinge to it, this not only helps set it apart form the actual scenes in the film, but it helps set a cold atmosphere-almost as if we are inside the cold well with the girl ourselves. This helps cause a diversion for an audience, something which Bulmer and Katz identified to be one of the reasons why an audience take part in media texts. In addition to this, when things go bad in the film, it's usually dark and the director uses hyperbole in order to help set the scene. This may be something which would be helpful to mimic within my film opening, however it may prove difficult due to the fact that it may not be possible to shoot on the days where the weather fits the scene of what I want to shoot.
Overall, this blog posts has helped me realise that, when making my film opening, that using stereotypical film qualities will help me set the genre and mood. However, having said this, it is also important to give my film opening a unique edge in order to make sure that my target audience won't be bored of the film product which I am yet to make.
The Exorcist (1973):
The first thing that came to my mind when I saw this film is how dated it is. The age of the film doesn't change the iconographic nature of the film, however it does mean that, due to it's age, the special effects and camera techniques used will more than likely look completely un realistic to a modern day audience, and furthermore this dramatically decreases it's "horror factor" in today's reality. I could have analysed the more current remake of the film, however I think that, due to the fact that my resources are limited, it would be more beneficial to analyse and pick up on what basic qualities the original film has that helps to establish it's mood and genre. My reasons for this is that, by looking at the basic qualities that you could potentially overlook when creating a film of a horror genre, I can make sure to include some for these qualities within my film opening, furthermore helping to create an atmospheric experience for the examiner and my viewers, without having to involve a lot of special effects. Furthermore, when analysing the more current film, it more likely to get sidetracked by the special effects used, rather than the nitty gritty qualities which are essential for any horror film to have.
When looking at the setting of the film, you can see that the majority of the plot (especially the points intended to scare you) are set and filmed at night. This is something that is quite common among horror films, and I expect to find similar results when analysing the different horror films which I have selected. Another thing that stands out within the movie "The Exorcist" is the fact that it uses a lot of religious imagery, e.g. the church and the angel crying blood. Some would say this is very sacrilegious, and, especially when looking at the historical context of how big religion was around the time this film as made, you could say that the hybridity of something known to be pure and heavenly like God, shown to be struggling against something that is clearly a demon, could be what helped catapult this film into the lime light and helped it to gain the attention and reputation is received, especially at the time is was made (it is known that priests would stand outside movie theatres with holy water, throwing it at audiences who left the theatre, some screaming as they believed that the movie was possessed).
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984):
Just like The Exorcist, A Nightmare on Elm Street is a classic horror film, that doesn't necessarily have the same impact on it's viewers today in comparison to when it was first made. There is a remake of this film, but just like with an analysis of the original Exorcist I plan to analyse the older version due to the fact that it will help me with picking up on the effective hacks of film making when your resources are limited. However, having said this I do know that I don't want my film opening to be too dated, as this will really limit my potential audience, and furthermore the next three horror films which I'm going to look into will be made in a more modern time frame.
The Nightmare on Elm Street, just like most horror films, is mainly set at night. However, in contribution to this decision being made by a director in order to help create a gothic, atmospheric experience for an audience, it is almost essential that this film is set at night due to the plot; Freddy (the protagonist) can only get you when you're sleeping, and typically, you sleep at night. The setting and location of this film is quite unique compared to other horror films as it isn't set in an abandoned building or a woodland, instead, it's set inside the characters own home. This would have instilled paranoia in an audience and your home is the place you expect to truly be safe, and it's a possible location for me to shoot my opening scene in if I wanted to do so, as you don't have to book out or pay to film in your own house. Finally, you could say that what really helps to catapult this film into the most well known horror film of all time is (besides the narrative itself), the gore which has been visually used which is almost sickening to witness. This helps to give the film that "shock factor" that a horror audience typically wants, and furthermore by including this the director is successfully conforming to it's chosen genre.
The Cabin in the Woods (2011):
Following on from two very classic but dated horror films, the next film I am going to look at is the 2011 film 'The Cabin in the Woods". True to it's name, this film is set within the middle of the woods (this helps define the isolation of the main characters from reality), and the main characters are all staying in a run-down, clearly old cabin. This film follows a very stereotypical structure of what you'd expect to find in a horror film: the setting of an abandoned woodland is something which is often portrayed through popular horror films, as well as how everything starts to go bad at night, and even the stereotypes of the characters themselves are emphasised within the film.
Special effects are mainly only used at the end of the film in order to show all of the different evil creations locked up in their glass boxes, some may have been used in order to create realistic wounds and shots within the film, however it is possible that the 'zombies' and the 'wounds' in the film have been created using special FX make up. This is something which is possible for me to do within my film opening if it's a direction I wanted to go down as it's relatively in-expensive if you do it yourself, and there are several tutorials on YouTube which help you create a realistic look. Like The Exorcist and A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Cabin in the Woods- despite it's stereotypical characters and location- has a plot which starts off as everything you'd expect to see in a horror films, but ends in a way that is uniquely it's own. The plot twists and shocks that you experience within the film opening are what keeps an audience intrigued and catapults this film into a higher league than most horror films which are very similar to all the other horror films out there. Furthermore, this tells me that, when creating my film opening, I want to make it unique and original, yet still give it those stereotypical elements that are so well known in the horror industry in order to give my target audience a taste of what they already know and love, yet make it more interesting by giving it its own little spin.
The Ring (2002):
The reason why I have chosen to look into the film "The Ring" is because, not only is it very well known and popular amongst a horror based audience, but it also involves a child as what Propp would propose as "The bad guy". This is something which isn't done often within horror films, and using childish elements within my opening sequence is something which I plan to do. The Ring is about a strange tape of a young girl, and once you watch it, you get a phone call from the same girl that was in the video tape, informing you that you have 7 days left to live.
The tape in the film is almost filtered in the way that it was a darkish blueish tinge to it, this not only helps set it apart form the actual scenes in the film, but it helps set a cold atmosphere-almost as if we are inside the cold well with the girl ourselves. This helps cause a diversion for an audience, something which Bulmer and Katz identified to be one of the reasons why an audience take part in media texts. In addition to this, when things go bad in the film, it's usually dark and the director uses hyperbole in order to help set the scene. This may be something which would be helpful to mimic within my film opening, however it may prove difficult due to the fact that it may not be possible to shoot on the days where the weather fits the scene of what I want to shoot.
Overall, this blog posts has helped me realise that, when making my film opening, that using stereotypical film qualities will help me set the genre and mood. However, having said this, it is also important to give my film opening a unique edge in order to make sure that my target audience won't be bored of the film product which I am yet to make.
Wednesday, 2 November 2016
Setting and Location
For my next piece of research, I am going to create a mood board of the kind of setting and locations that spring to my mind when thinking about the ideal set for my film opening. I am undecided yet at whether I want to go down a more stereotypical, generic route for my film opening, or if I would like to try and bend the rules at what is, and isn't acceptable for a film product of a horror genre.
Below is the mood board which I created, I am aware that some of the pictures I have included (the women levitating, the abandoned room with writing scribbled on the wall and the circus tents), are going to be harder to find and include within my film opening due to the settings which are available for me. When it comes to planning my film opening, I will look into the settings available in my area, and how I can use the facilities available to me in order to try and establish the mood that I want for my film opening, through establishing shots of my setting and location.
Below is the mood board which I created, I am aware that some of the pictures I have included (the women levitating, the abandoned room with writing scribbled on the wall and the circus tents), are going to be harder to find and include within my film opening due to the settings which are available for me. When it comes to planning my film opening, I will look into the settings available in my area, and how I can use the facilities available to me in order to try and establish the mood that I want for my film opening, through establishing shots of my setting and location.
Monday, 17 October 2016
Roland Barthes: semiotics- Hotel babylon
Roland Barthes: Seminotics- Hotel Babylon from Millie Holt
Above is my analysis of a clip from Hotel Babylon that was used within a media studies exam. I have completed an analysis of that clip around the topic of Roland Barthes theory of seminotics. I think that this will be a valuable contribution to my research as I am tearing apart a piece of media film in order to view how the film was constructed, what shot types have been used and how the director engages with their target audience. All of which are qualities that ideally, I should be including within my final video product.
Made on PowerPoint and uploaded by slideshare.
Above is my analysis of a clip from Hotel Babylon that was used within a media studies exam. I have completed an analysis of that clip around the topic of Roland Barthes theory of seminotics. I think that this will be a valuable contribution to my research as I am tearing apart a piece of media film in order to view how the film was constructed, what shot types have been used and how the director engages with their target audience. All of which are qualities that ideally, I should be including within my final video product.
Made on PowerPoint and uploaded by slideshare.
Director Analysis- Tim Burton (Corpse Bride)
For my first research into film directors I have decided to look into the director Tim Burton. My reasons for doing this are because as an audience member myself I really enjoy consuming his films, and also because the gothic quality which is often present in his productions is something that, if possible, I would like to try and include a little bit of within my main task. I plan to start this research off with an analysis of Corpse Bride. My reasons for selecting this film is because it doesn't have an exact age limit on it's target market; sure, it's mainly aimed at children, however, the film itself has that gothic quality to it which attracts a target audience of any age that is interested in a gothic nature.
The setting of the movie is in a small secluded town, with a forest and woods nearby. This in itself highlights the gothic nature of the film and could possibly connote the dark secrets that the woods know that an audience has yet to find out. In addition to this, the dark setting of the mise-en-scene could possibly represent the despair that the characters within the film have yet to face. The characters are Victor Van Dort, Corpse Bride, Victoria and Barkis Bittern. They, like several other Tim Burton characters which can be found in his other films, are very skinny and gaunt looking, dress in a victorian-era style, have purple, sunken in eyes and ghastly pale skin. This gives them a quality which fits in the idea of 'the walking dead', or at the very least somebody which is close to death. This is a very dark connotation, juxtaposing the child-like animation of the film, and the films target audience.
The movie is a stop-motion animation, and Tim Burton has used many varieties of shot types and editing skills in order to create an intriguing, yet shocking product that can be ensured to keep a younger audience engaged. Several close ups have been used when shooting with smaller characters-like the worm and the spider-, and this could have been done in order to give them a bigger significance, and a higher sense of importance to these two characters. In addition to this, spiders and insects are a common fear among not only children, but the entirety of society as a whole. Furthermore, by using close ups in order to make a spider and a worm seem a lot bigger than they actually are, Tim Burton is adding that horror/gothic based quality to his film that he's so well known for. Finally, another effect which Tim Burton used when making the film Corpse Bride in order to keep an audience engaged were the use of zoom ins to signify the shock in some scenes, for example when Barkis Bittern swallowed the laced drink and suddenly died as an aftermath.
When looking at the editing of Corpse bride, you can see that the different scenes that have been used are mainly edited shot to shot or scene to scene. Tim Burton could have done this as, if more complicated editing had been used, the films target audience- a younger generation- is more likely to get confused at the film, causing them to be un able to follow the plot of the story correctly and, furthermore, causing them to lose interest. Another part of the mise-en-scene/behind the scenes technology that Tim Burton has used in order to bring this film to life is backlighting. The effect of this is that it helps to give an almost psy-fy quality to the characters within the film, and, in a more literal way, backlighting is interesting to look at, and this in itself will help grab a younger audience interest and keep their interest peaked.
Lighting is used within the film in order to create an almost concert-like effect and he clay-like stop animation used is very smooth and very symmetrical. The reasons that you could say the lighting used is "concert like" is because it shows spot lights of various colours, coming from all different directions. This will furthermore provide an overall better aesthetic and exciting experience for a viewer-specifically a younger viewer- and help keep them interested, in addition to providing a more-over better interactive experience for an audience.
The setting of the movie is in a small secluded town, with a forest and woods nearby. This in itself highlights the gothic nature of the film and could possibly connote the dark secrets that the woods know that an audience has yet to find out. In addition to this, the dark setting of the mise-en-scene could possibly represent the despair that the characters within the film have yet to face. The characters are Victor Van Dort, Corpse Bride, Victoria and Barkis Bittern. They, like several other Tim Burton characters which can be found in his other films, are very skinny and gaunt looking, dress in a victorian-era style, have purple, sunken in eyes and ghastly pale skin. This gives them a quality which fits in the idea of 'the walking dead', or at the very least somebody which is close to death. This is a very dark connotation, juxtaposing the child-like animation of the film, and the films target audience.
The movie is a stop-motion animation, and Tim Burton has used many varieties of shot types and editing skills in order to create an intriguing, yet shocking product that can be ensured to keep a younger audience engaged. Several close ups have been used when shooting with smaller characters-like the worm and the spider-, and this could have been done in order to give them a bigger significance, and a higher sense of importance to these two characters. In addition to this, spiders and insects are a common fear among not only children, but the entirety of society as a whole. Furthermore, by using close ups in order to make a spider and a worm seem a lot bigger than they actually are, Tim Burton is adding that horror/gothic based quality to his film that he's so well known for. Finally, another effect which Tim Burton used when making the film Corpse Bride in order to keep an audience engaged were the use of zoom ins to signify the shock in some scenes, for example when Barkis Bittern swallowed the laced drink and suddenly died as an aftermath.
When looking at the editing of Corpse bride, you can see that the different scenes that have been used are mainly edited shot to shot or scene to scene. Tim Burton could have done this as, if more complicated editing had been used, the films target audience- a younger generation- is more likely to get confused at the film, causing them to be un able to follow the plot of the story correctly and, furthermore, causing them to lose interest. Another part of the mise-en-scene/behind the scenes technology that Tim Burton has used in order to bring this film to life is backlighting. The effect of this is that it helps to give an almost psy-fy quality to the characters within the film, and, in a more literal way, backlighting is interesting to look at, and this in itself will help grab a younger audience interest and keep their interest peaked.
Lighting is used within the film in order to create an almost concert-like effect and he clay-like stop animation used is very smooth and very symmetrical. The reasons that you could say the lighting used is "concert like" is because it shows spot lights of various colours, coming from all different directions. This will furthermore provide an overall better aesthetic and exciting experience for a viewer-specifically a younger viewer- and help keep them interested, in addition to providing a more-over better interactive experience for an audience.
Opening Scene Analysis: Part Two- Dawn Of The Dead
For my second textual analysis of an existing product, I have decided to pick the opening sequence of the 2004 remake of the film "Dawn Of The Dead". My reasons for selecting this film as the one I want to analyse are for reasons such as the fact that many horror based audience members describe this film as a "timeless, thriller classic", and also due to the fact that you could say, that the directors of this film are testing the barriers of what is, and isn't acceptable within a thriller based, media text (the zombie baby). This film (and it's opening) is a lot gorier, and more violent than I am planning to make my final product for AS, however, I still think it's a relevant film opening to analyse due to the fact that it is an iconographic thriller film, and due to the fact that it builds tension, something which I want to be able to do within my main task.(It was only after completing the analysis of this product that I realized it wasn't the actual opening scene to this film, however I still believe that my analysis is still relevant to the research I am completing because this scene happens very early within the film, and the film is still a horror based media product).The generic codes and conventions which you find within the opening sequence of the film "Dawn of the Dead" mainly centre around blood and violence. Both of which fit into the conventionalities of a horror genre. What's un conventional within this horror opening sequence is the fact that the main 'villain' within this media text, and the one character which you could say caused the pivotal key moment which provided the main disruption within the film that could make the rest of the plot possible, is the little girl which you see at the beginning of the opening sequence. She's the one came into the main characters house, and she's the one that infected her husband, and furthermore exposed her to the harsh, hellish nature of the new world.
The way in which the characters are represented within the opening scene is very hard to analyse in contribution to other films, the reasons for this are that two of the three characters that are introduced within the opening scene of this film are characters that have been "infected" with the zombie like infection that completely wipes out any previous personal depth a character had, and instead replaces them with nothing but a syndrome that causes them to have an undeniable craving for human flesh. Furthermore, two of the three characters present within the scene are almost impossible to analyse due to the nature that we have no solid proof of who they were as a person. However, having said this, form the photograph that is shown within the second shot of the opening sequence, we can assume that the man within the opening scene was devoted, normal, and a big part within the main characters life (this may foreshadow some of the problems the main character has within the rest of the film). Another character that we know nothing about the life of due to the fact that we only see her after she has been infected, is the little girl. The only information we can gather about the little girl is from her appearance: she's in what appears to be a long, pink silk night gown, and has long, flowing, clearly looked after blonde hair. We see this is the medium shot of the girl which can be seen above. All of these qualities are stereotypical qualities that you would expect to find in a normal, little girl, furthermore, the bloody would on her face, in contribution to her violent, demon like behaviour, juxtaposes all the evidence that we have that suggests she was innocent, loved and looked after before she became infected. The transition of a what appears to be normal, loved characters, into blood thirsty beasts (one of which transitioned within the space of a few seconds) could have been included in the opening scene by a director because it will shock them, it will cause them to be on the edge of their seats and make them want to watch the rest of the film. By creating this kind of atmosphere for an audience, the director is correctly conforming to the thriller genre, and furthermore, correctly engaging and entertaining with the producers target audience.
Within the close up shot of the photograph of the main character and her husband/love interest that was mentioned in the previous paragraph, miss-en-scene is used in order to create a foreshadowing effect that conveys the sense of dread, in contribution to the up coming disruption that will present within the rest of the opening scene. The shot of the photograph is extremely dark, and in a similar nature to the opening sequence of The Woman In Black, the edges and corners of the shot are completely shaded. By including such dark, sinister qualities to a shot of two smiling-clearly happy- characters, the directer is effectively foreshadowing that something horrid is yet to come. In addition to this, the fact that darkness is a key point within this shot, and it appears almost as a virus that is creeping up the edges of the photograph, could represent that the relationship between the main character and her soon to be infected husband, is very, very shortly, about to face its end. A similar idea to this is that the dark shadows, caging in upon the happy smiles of the two people within the photograph, could represent that all happiness is about to over come by depression, and that the world itself, is just about to end.
Iconography is used within this clip through the use of the ticking clock and the soundtrack, The soundtrack is iconographic as it starts quiet towards the beginning of the clip but gets stronger and louder as the clip progresses and more intensity is shown through the use of camera angles and the facial expressions and acting of the characters. The way in which the soundtrack acts almost like a recently lit firework ready to bursts not only helps build tension within the scene and furthermore intrigues an audience by almost absorbing them into the clip (diversion- Blumer and Katz), but it also foreshadows the explosive, constantly rocky (constant diversion, rare equilibrium- Todorov) nature of not only the rest of the clip, but the rest of the film and the emotions of the main character. Furthermore, this kind of soundtrack is iconographic for horror and action media products in which the director wants to build tension and suspense. The second iconographic thing which I picked up on within this clip is the use of the clock. At the very beginning of the clip we are shown a clock that switches to the next minute. In the pin-drop silence of the scene, the sound of the clock ticking is the only thing heard- this creates importance and emphasis upon this part of the mise-en-scene. Furthermore, the iconographic nature of the clock could be that it symbolizes the end of time for not only the main characters love interest which dies very shortly within this chapter, but also the end as life as not only the characters within the film, but the audience as well, know it.
Framing, composition and layout is used within this clip in order to create a sinister vibe within the media text and install tension and paranoia within an audience. For example, the composition of the wide shot frame where we are almost lurking behind the two older characters in bed and staring at the open door suggest that there's something behind that door waiting to get in. This instils tension and enigmatic codes within the frame as an audience interest will be heightened and they may even face a 'diversion' from real life, this will help make the film see more real to them, and furthermore intensify the entire nature of the scene. In addition to this, the way the camera almost creeps slightly upon what seems to be a long corridor hidden by a door could have done by a director in order to represent the long journey of the rest of the narrative and the experiences which the main character has yet to face. Finally, the composition of the intense soundtrack- almost like a warning bells esperately trying to warn and awaken the main characters and the audience- notching up in sound and intensity the further we get closer to the door- and therefore, what lies behind it- helps to build tension, and that horror based, frightened feeling which all horror loving audiences want to feel. Evidently, by creating this time of atmosphere and composition with the film, the director is successfully conforming to it's chosen genre, and correctly engaging with the audience.
The way in which the characters are represented within the opening scene is very hard to analyse in contribution to other films, the reasons for this are that two of the three characters that are introduced within the opening scene of this film are characters that have been "infected" with the zombie like infection that completely wipes out any previous personal depth a character had, and instead replaces them with nothing but a syndrome that causes them to have an undeniable craving for human flesh. Furthermore, two of the three characters present within the scene are almost impossible to analyse due to the nature that we have no solid proof of who they were as a person. However, having said this, form the photograph that is shown within the second shot of the opening sequence, we can assume that the man within the opening scene was devoted, normal, and a big part within the main characters life (this may foreshadow some of the problems the main character has within the rest of the film). Another character that we know nothing about the life of due to the fact that we only see her after she has been infected, is the little girl. The only information we can gather about the little girl is from her appearance: she's in what appears to be a long, pink silk night gown, and has long, flowing, clearly looked after blonde hair. We see this is the medium shot of the girl which can be seen above. All of these qualities are stereotypical qualities that you would expect to find in a normal, little girl, furthermore, the bloody would on her face, in contribution to her violent, demon like behaviour, juxtaposes all the evidence that we have that suggests she was innocent, loved and looked after before she became infected. The transition of a what appears to be normal, loved characters, into blood thirsty beasts (one of which transitioned within the space of a few seconds) could have been included in the opening scene by a director because it will shock them, it will cause them to be on the edge of their seats and make them want to watch the rest of the film. By creating this kind of atmosphere for an audience, the director is correctly conforming to the thriller genre, and furthermore, correctly engaging and entertaining with the producers target audience.
Within the close up shot of the photograph of the main character and her husband/love interest that was mentioned in the previous paragraph, miss-en-scene is used in order to create a foreshadowing effect that conveys the sense of dread, in contribution to the up coming disruption that will present within the rest of the opening scene. The shot of the photograph is extremely dark, and in a similar nature to the opening sequence of The Woman In Black, the edges and corners of the shot are completely shaded. By including such dark, sinister qualities to a shot of two smiling-clearly happy- characters, the directer is effectively foreshadowing that something horrid is yet to come. In addition to this, the fact that darkness is a key point within this shot, and it appears almost as a virus that is creeping up the edges of the photograph, could represent that the relationship between the main character and her soon to be infected husband, is very, very shortly, about to face its end. A similar idea to this is that the dark shadows, caging in upon the happy smiles of the two people within the photograph, could represent that all happiness is about to over come by depression, and that the world itself, is just about to end.Iconography is used within this clip through the use of the ticking clock and the soundtrack, The soundtrack is iconographic as it starts quiet towards the beginning of the clip but gets stronger and louder as the clip progresses and more intensity is shown through the use of camera angles and the facial expressions and acting of the characters. The way in which the soundtrack acts almost like a recently lit firework ready to bursts not only helps build tension within the scene and furthermore intrigues an audience by almost absorbing them into the clip (diversion- Blumer and Katz), but it also foreshadows the explosive, constantly rocky (constant diversion, rare equilibrium- Todorov) nature of not only the rest of the clip, but the rest of the film and the emotions of the main character. Furthermore, this kind of soundtrack is iconographic for horror and action media products in which the director wants to build tension and suspense. The second iconographic thing which I picked up on within this clip is the use of the clock. At the very beginning of the clip we are shown a clock that switches to the next minute. In the pin-drop silence of the scene, the sound of the clock ticking is the only thing heard- this creates importance and emphasis upon this part of the mise-en-scene. Furthermore, the iconographic nature of the clock could be that it symbolizes the end of time for not only the main characters love interest which dies very shortly within this chapter, but also the end as life as not only the characters within the film, but the audience as well, know it.Framing, composition and layout is used within this clip in order to create a sinister vibe within the media text and install tension and paranoia within an audience. For example, the composition of the wide shot frame where we are almost lurking behind the two older characters in bed and staring at the open door suggest that there's something behind that door waiting to get in. This instils tension and enigmatic codes within the frame as an audience interest will be heightened and they may even face a 'diversion' from real life, this will help make the film see more real to them, and furthermore intensify the entire nature of the scene. In addition to this, the way the camera almost creeps slightly upon what seems to be a long corridor hidden by a door could have done by a director in order to represent the long journey of the rest of the narrative and the experiences which the main character has yet to face. Finally, the composition of the intense soundtrack- almost like a warning bells esperately trying to warn and awaken the main characters and the audience- notching up in sound and intensity the further we get closer to the door- and therefore, what lies behind it- helps to build tension, and that horror based, frightened feeling which all horror loving audiences want to feel. Evidently, by creating this time of atmosphere and composition with the film, the director is successfully conforming to it's chosen genre, and correctly engaging with the audience.
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