Evaluation Questions

Connecting to our Audience

In order to connect with our audience we have used social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, this helps us to share our film opening with a larger audience and gain feedback...

• https://www.facebook.com/shutterfilm

• https://twitter.com/ShutterFilmZon

Shutter (Final Cut)

This is our final cut of our horror opening 'Shutter' we have made improvements that were advised by other group members...

• Soundtrack
• Sound clarity
• Credits

Overall we are pleased with our final piece as we feel that we have achieved a psychological thriller in our opening.

Credits

For our credits I used a font called 'momstypewriter' I felt it gave an effect that complimented the theme of a photographer, I took inspiration from the intro of Se7en (1995) which used a typewriting front effectively to match an eerie unknown figure taking clippings and creating a scrapbook of sinister images.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/

Our Horror Soundtrack

This is the Soundtrack we used for our film opening...

The soundtrack had to create suspense and build up tension, this helps amplify the movements on screen and keep the audience immersed in the atmosphere. I used the soundtrack to "Jaws' by John Williams to get inspiration and focus on elements that make it effective. The steady increase in pace and volume heightens the tension and gives the affect of a oncoming 'doom'.

I used Apples 'GarageBand' to create the soundtrack, I used 'Cinematic' strings and a 'Grand Piano', I also gave the whole soundtrack a 'Psychedelic' sound, this gave distorted echo to the track and helped highlight its 'eerie' quality.

Sound for our film

For our opening there are certain sound effects we need to add depth and atmosphere, I searched the Internet to find ones that suited the requirements.

I used a website called freesound.org that provided a variety of sound clips...

• School Bell - http://www.freesound.org/people/foxen10/sounds/149023/
• Thunder -http://www.freesound.org/people/chrisw92/sounds/159684/
• Camera - http://www.freesound.org/people/eklee/sounds/142906/
• Camera Zoom - http://www.freesound.org/people/sheepfilms/sounds/154795/
• Bushes Rustling -http://www.freesound.org/people/j1987/sounds/106114/
• Creaking Trees - http://www.freesound.org/people/ERH/sounds/33256/

Shutter (First Cut)

Raw footage

This is the majority of our raw footage we shot. We selected elements from all of this to include in our final film opening.

Photos from Filming

Initial Idea #3

Initial idea #1

Final Logo

This is the final production logo, I drew the Logo design then scanned it onto a PC then uploaded to paint where I inverted the colours, I felt this gave the logo more relation to the genre as the black surrounds the white.

Drawings:

Logo Drafts

These are sketch designs for the ZonFilms logo, for these designs I have looked at themes of horror connecting with the eye, as the eye is considered the 'window to the soul' a lot of emotion can be expressed by it. I wanted to make the logo are representation of what impact horror films have on the audience, when the audience is watching the film they will see images that will make them feel uncomfortable and want to turn away. So in my logo drafts we can see images of the eye being inflicted by 'needles' or having a sharp edegs incorparated. Our production name 'Zon Films' has evloved from the word zonular that is the part of the eye. I wanted to make the production name relatable to the logo and I also felt it had a abstract and sureal sense to it as it begins with the letter 'Z' with has a latin refference to 'Devil'
By Oliver Endersby

Logo Research

For the production logo I decided to research other logos from popular Horror film industries, This includes companys such as Lionsgate, Woodshed and Hammer films...

Looking at these logos I noticed that there colour scheme consisted of dark reds and blacks linking to the themes of horror (ex. blood, darkness & death) The Lions gate logo has a texture that makes it appear to have a metallic appearance, this links to metallic objects such as weapons and machines making the logo appear threatening. The red clouds behind also contrast the text and make it more distinct. The Hammer Logo is simplistic using the similar colour scheme yet effective font that gives the ‘H’ sharp ends that can be reference to fangs (the company was the studio for the 1953 production of Dracula). The Wood shack logo is clever in the way it incorporates the logos name within a simplistic image. The letters ‘W’ & ‘S’ are represented as blanks that create the image of the shack. This logo uses a black on white that distinguishes the cracks and ‘sketch’ effect of the shack.

By Oliver Endersby

Iconic sounds

Soundtrack - Music is used to heighten the scenes tension or add to the impacting action. Horror films typically consist of high pitched strings that play a quick rhythm or low strings that give depth to a tension-increasing scene. An example of effective music in Horror is the 'Shower Scene' from Alfred Hitchcock's 1960's film 'Psycho'.

Typical Synopsis for Physcological Horror

As we have decided to create a physcological horror for our film opening I researched typical synopsis for this sub genre of horror.
This Sub Genre relies on character fears, guilt, beliefs, and emotional instability to build tension and further the plot. Psychological horror is different from the type of horror found in "splatter films," which derive their effects from gore and violence, and in which the object of horror does not always appear as a monster or a visious stalker, but usually another person or a supernatural presence, whose horrific identity is often not revealed until the end of the movie.

Examples of Phsycological Horrors

The Other (2001)

A woman who lives in a darkened old house with her two photosensitive children becomes convinced that her family home is haunted.

Silence of Lambs (1991)

A young FBI cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims.

The Ring (2002)

A young journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death of anyone in a week of viewing it.

Iconography of Horror

Below are a selection of images that portray different aspects of horror...

Horror Film Openings

I researched some well known horror openings and looked into what they delineate to the audience and how they set the scene...

The Shining (1980)



In this opening there are lots of aerial shots showing the mountainous landscape, the music consists of deep tone and eerie vocals. This opening helps set the scene of isolation as the vast emptiness of the environment is shown. 

The Exorcist (1973)

The Exorcist - Opening Scene (Click Here)

This opening is driven by music that rises in volume and pitch building up suspense  it begins by panning a house and we see some lights switched off behind the curtains, moving to a dark street lit with lamps as a couple walk by, this is portraying a sense of normality but the music contrasts  this making the audience expect something deeper. A cut to a white statue shows the link to religion,a theme in the film, the statue seems innocent its eyes are closed yet the music continues to contrast what is seen and gives an eerie quality to it. 

Jaws (1975)

Jaws - Opening Credits (Click Here)

This opening is simplistic as it uses only one shot and setting, the music is deep and atmospheric matching the underwater environment  it rises in volume to create tension. The peacefulness of the ocean is juxtaposed by the dark music creating a suspicious and fearful mood. 

Horror Film Conventions

• Binary Opposition: Dark - Light
• Screaming Victim
• Close up Shots
• Low Key Lighting
• Uses's and Gratifications: Wanting to be scared
• Stereotypical Female Victim
• Dominant, Hegemonic representation of Gender
• Diegetic Sounds
• Extensive use of Narrative Themes

Evaluation of Prelimaninary Task

Overall I felt that we depicted the contents of the task well through effective regard to continuity and 180 degree rule. Whilst planning we carefully thought about where the camera would be placed to get a certain shot, we mainly used medium and close up shots. The storyboard we created was clear and allowed a guideline, but we also added around this whilst filming as we came up with more ideas. Although these elements were successful I felt that at times the continuity and sound was unsuccessful, there were jumps between timing and there was background noise throughout due to problems finding a quiet environment.