Preliminary task

This is the preliminary task, i was in a group of 4 and we were given a script which we had to film. The actors in the clip were part of our group, we had to use people from our group because we only had an hour to film the scene so we didn't have enough time to find other people to act.

Evaluation of Preliminary task:

In the piece I created with my group, continuity was demonstrated really poorly. For example a time when continuity was bad was when Jenny walked into the bar and was supposed to walk to her seat and sit down, but we cut when she was on the way to her seat then the next clip she was shown sitting down even though she wasn’t seen sitting down in her chair. The reason for this poor continuity is because when we filmed Jenny walking in she didn’t realise she had to sit down and just stopped and we did not film that part again so when it came to editing we had to cut part of the scene out so it looked badly edited.

We demonstrated shot reverse shot when both characters are sitting down and the camera switches from person to person when they are having a conversation. This editing technique is helpful because it makes it clear to the audience who is speaking and as the shot is a close up you can clearly see what facial expressions the have, this is obviously important for the audience to see as they can understand what mood the character is in and what feeling they have towards the other person talking.

We also demonstrated the 180-degree rule which is used because we didn’t film from behind the characters and when they were sitting down we were positioned in front of them just with each camera at different angles. This editing technique is helpful because it does not confuse the audience of where they are seeing the action from as they are always in front and makes them feel more comfortable as they stay in the same place.

My group worked very well together as we listened to each other’s views and suggestions and we all had an input into the production. Everyone was comfortable doing what they were doing and no one felt pressured to do something they didn’t want to.

If I were to film this piece again I would improve on the continuity as we demonstrated it very poorly and I would check I had enough shots which I could use so when I had to edit It I could choose the best shot instead of only having one bad shot and having to use it because I didn’t have any others to choose from. I would also use a bigger variation of shots like an extreme close up to see what was being handed over and a high angle wide shot to see where exactly they were.

I don’t think as a group we planned our video well as most of us didn’t finish our storyboard and we just went straight into filming the piece. I think we needed more time on our storyboards because it was our first piece of filming to do and we needed more time to plan what shots we were going to do when. Also because it was our first piece of filming we were more excited about getting going and filming it we didn’t think about the positioning of characters and cameras well enough as on some of our footage we had a camera in the clip and one of the characters standing up when they should have been sitting down.

In our piece we tried to add transitions in between the scenes but the program wouldn’t let us do that so we just left the piece with no transitions in. I think it is a good thing that there are no transitions because the piece is just of a conversation so we used shot reverse shot so putting transitions between the shots would have made the piece look really unprofessional and tacky because there is no need to include transitions then. However the title and credits both scroll up the screen so it looks like transitions have been used there which looks quite good.

Whilst doing this piece I have learnt the basics of the software but we had to ask our classmate how to add music which I now know how to do. However no one in the class knew how to crop the scene so we could not crop out people standing in the room which should not have been in the shot. It was hard using the software as it was new to everyone and we all had to figure the software out step by step.

From this piece of work I have learnt that you should learn how to use the software you need before editing because things go wrong easily when you do not know how to use it. Also I have learnt that you should save your work regularly as the software isn’t always very reliable and could crash quite easily. In addition I have learnt that editing can take very long if you have to wait for the software to export clips and save.

The Shining Remake

We had the chance to remake one of three popular horror films. We could choose from Scream, Saw or The Shining. I was in a group of three and we chose 'The Shining' because we thought as there is three characters featured in the hallway scene we could all do some acting.

Our version of the scene is very similar to the proper version, we used the same music, we used a corridor similar to the one used in the film and also kept the shots similar lengths.

Unfortunately the floor in the hallway we used was very bumpy so when the camera tracked the little boy down the corridor it was quite wobbly making that part of the scene look very unprofessional however the rest of the shots we did were precise and reasonably professional looking.

We did not have enough time to use fake blood or find a real axe or a wooden chair because we were filming in school so we couldn't make it look exactly like the scene in the real film.

After filming the scene I have realised that it is important that you look back on the scenes that have been filmed so you can see if there is any problems and if there is you can just re-film that part there and then, because when we went to edit the re-make the shot tracking Danny down the corrider was very wobbly and if we had watched it back there and then we could have made sure it was shaking.

Mise-en-scene of the first three minutes of the 'BOOGEYMAN'

Titles at the beginning already display typical horror conventions with the black background and the white writing and light making a misty effect on the darkness of the background this connotes that the film is spooky and scary as the white mist could represent ghosts and the unexpected. The music played over the titles is a slow tempo, high pitched piano note this connotes danger and tension because the screen is dark and the audience would feel enhanced waiting for the music to speed up so they can prepare themselves for a fright.
The film begins with the camera moving from behind the bushes towards the house, having the camera first appear in the bushes outside the big house automatically makes the audience realise the house is being watched by something unknown, making the audience uneasy and building tension.
The digetic sound of the trees rustling is followed by thunder, the thunders used to make the audience jump and make them more nervous as they are waiting to see what happens but also waiting for the next thunder explosion so they do not react to it. Also having a storm take place then is significant because storms cause damage and scare people making it clear to the audience what is to happen later.
The camera moves towards the house, the house is white connoting innocence and purity, the house could represent the characters that live there which the audience have not met yet, the house stands out from the dark black surroundings with light from the inside shining out making the house look important to the setting as it is the only thing lit up.
As the camera is moving closer to the house it passes a swing, the swing denotes children and fun which is ironic as the sound of the swing gives off a threatening attitude making the audience tense and uneasy, the high-pitched sound of the swing is found more threatening as the surroundings are dark and hidden however if the surroundings were bright and colourful the swing would not sound creepy and threatening.
The shot is then switched to climbing a staircase, the staircase is dark making the house seem more threatening and scary, also the stairs are big, wide and made out of dark wood. These types of staircases are not very modern so this gives the house an old haunted feel. As the camera reaches the top of the stairs there are two dim lights not giving off much light making the audience more tense as the darkness has not been interrupted also the constant dark surroundings could make the audience feel claustrophobic and intimidated as they can’t escape from it. All light then fades briefly as the bedroom door opens, having the screen go completely black would make the audience uneasy as they can’t see anything and have to prepare for a fright as they have no idea where anything or anyone is. Also having the door creaks makes it feel haunted and spooky.

As the bedroom door is opened there is a wide shot making it obvious to the audience where they are and what is in the room, this would make them feel more comfortable as it is lighter and they can clearly see the surroundings. The first thing that is obvious in the room is the big window with white curtains being blown as the window is open, this automatically makes the audience feel more comfortable as they can see there is a way of escape and would make them feel safer. In addition the flapping curtain being white is significant as it could represent ghosts and spirits which are often used in horror films. As the curtain flaps behind the curtain there is a shadow on the wall of a tree from outside but it looks similar to a boned hand which reflects back to being watched and something waiting to attack, making the audience even more anxious as they have evidence something is watching.
The camera then moves and is set in a low angle shot looking up at the scary looking action figure. The use of a low angle shot automatically gives the figure power over the audience and the character looking at it, so the shot could also be a point of view shot making the audience feel they are the character being intimidated by the figure. Also a strike of thunder and a bolt of lightning shine on the figure making it threatening and villainous. Using a figure is significant because the audience are now aware that it is most likely set in a child’s bedroom and the audience should make the assumption it is a child looking up at the figure.
The close up on the child’s face is the first time the audience are introduced to the character, just from seeing the character is a child the audience see him as young and innocent as he looks scared and vulnerable in addition the boy is in bed at night making him unprepared and making the audience worried about his safety also he is in boys pyjamas making it realistic and making the audience understand his full position in the scene, as they can see his pyjamas they can see he’s not expecting anything to happen and is just in bed trying to sleep, like an average night time. The shot then faces the closet, this shows that the child is worried about the closet and the audience should match the film title ‘BOOGEYMAN’ with the closet as that is the most common place where the boogeyman hides in a typical child’s nightmare. So having a long shot of the closet shows its importance.
As the camera goes back to the boy in bed, it blurs him out and zooms in on an electric static ball light, the sound from the light is now much louder as the camera is focusing on just that. The sound is unnatural making the audience question why this light is important and why it is being focused on.
The sudden flicker of the bird is made to make the audience jump because it is silent and there is not much going on in the scene then the sharp high-pitched noise completely contrasts with the silence, this is when the boy gets more frightened and worse things start to happen. The bird being black connotes death and misery. The camera looks back at the boy to see his reaction and as there is natural light on his face you can clearly see his facial expression however around him is still dark and dingy.
Once the boy has put the figure away, a girls voice whispers ‘Don’t go asleep’ repeatedly, the voice sounds like a young girl, having a young girl whisper makes it more strange and scary as little kids are supposed to be innocent and sweet but the voice sounds evil and disturbing.
There is then a long shot on a dark shadowed figure sitting down, as the camera shifts to it there is a loud thud of thunder with lightning making the figure look threatening and powerful. The thunder is meant to make the audience jump as the dark figure isn’t scary at the moment but the extra-digetic sound of the thunder makes it seem scary and violent making the audience tense. Then there is match on action when the camera switches from the long shot of the black shadowed figure to the boys face then back to a close up of the shadow then back to the boy again, the reason why match on action is used here is to move the scene on quickly making the audience more anxious by shifting the camera back to the boy to capture his facial expression then the audience worry if anything has happened with the shadow.
When the lamp is switched on it displays safety as the audience would feel more comfortable as they can see what and who is in the room, it is also a dramatic difference between the dark, glum, threatening atmosphere. Also when the light is switched on the sound of the thunder isn’t as loud therefore less likely to make the audience jump and they wouldn’t feel as on-edge as before.
As the light goes off the close up on the boys face shows he is more comfortable and not as frightened as he lies back in his bed.
A point of view shot is then used looking at the shadow as it stands Extra digetic sound is then used as the black shadow stands up; the sound is like a door banging/thunder raging type of noise. The sound makes the shadow seem much more intimidating and frightening it also builds tension. The light from the lightning also flashes making the scene busier and makes it more of a panic for both the boy and the audience. There is then a close up on the lamp and its switch where the boy is struggling to switch it on, the use of the close makes it clear that he is panicking this makes the audience panic as they are really anxious and want the boy to be safe and the only way so far he has been safe is when the light is on. The music gets louder and higher pitched until the last thud and the light switches on, when the light is switched on it is silent for a few seconds but quiet long notes start to pick up again as there is a close up of the dressing gown and then the thunder continues as the boy sits up starting to build tension again. As the light is on the thunder is not as loud and the lightning is not as bright making the audience feel more secure as they know nothing bad will happen with the light on.
The window by the boys bed has big gusts of wind coming through making the curtain flap drastically, the curtain flapping takes the audience attention on purpose to make them realise there is an escape for the boy but the boy is oblivious to it which would make the audience frustrated and anxious mainly because they would be worried about the young boys safety as he is innocent and cute. The extra digetic sound of the wind and the creaking in the room builds up tension to when the lamp falls off the draws and smashes, the smash of the lamp hitting the ground is very loud in comparison to the wind and the creaks. The volume of the smash makes the audience more aware of danger as the room is dark again and when the room has been dark before that is when the boy has been frightened, making the audience prepare for danger.
The wind blows up the material on the bottom of the bed, this makes it seem like there is someone/something under there, it is significant that there is a close up on the underneath of the bed as that is where children suspect monsters to hide, however this would frustrate the audience because the material does not flap enough for them to see what is under the bed building tension and anticipation. Also the second most obvious place where the ‘BOOGEYMAN’ would be is in the closet which from the over the shoulder camera shot is behind the boy making him weak and helpless and making the audience concerned about his safety as he has his back to it and is unaware that he is standing directly in front of it. As the closet door opens the music is creeping up just like the audience believe the boogeyman is creeping up on the boy. The extra digetic creek of the door overpowers the music making the audience draw all their attention to the closet then the use of a high angle shot on the boy makes him look feeble and intimidated. Not only would the music and sound make the audience feel tense but the lack of light would too as there is no light in the closet so they cannot see if there is anything in there making them sit on the edge of their sit with nerves.
As the camera moves back to a low angle shot/wide shot of the boy jumping onto his bed bright white light flashes which is lightning making the panic in the boy more obvious and the audience would become more shifty and panicky because there is short sharp bursts of light, it would also make them concentrate more as the flashing is off-putting and enhancing at the same time. The bright light makes the sheets on the boy’s bed look extremely white displaying his innocence as the dark shadow gets closer and closer. The music is getting louder making the mood extremely tense and you can also hear in the music a beat similar to a heartbeat which represents the fright of the little boy and also makes the audiences heart beat faster and noticeable to them as they would feel it more. As the volume of the music gets louder and louder the sheet is pulled off the boys face and he screeches making the audience jump as it happens so quickly, then after the man’s dialog the only noise heard is the wind which is really quiet completely contrasting to the volume before.