GW- Mirrors

Alright, guys?

I found this on the interweb and figured that it'd be a great reference point. There are cases where an angle is used to capture a side of the body and the mirror, which mean that it is easy to keep the camera out of shot.

RH - Institutional context

Horror films are produced in the same fashion as all other films and go through the same process in terms of development, production, and distribution. However like every other film these 3 stages can impact the films effect on the target audience and can help the film to get noticed by the public no matter if it is and independent film or a blockbuster.

Horror films have the odds stacked against them from the start since there is a very specific target audience consisting of mainly males between the ages of 15 and 25, this means that the potential of a horror film is less significant than something the whole family would be able to enjoy.

like all films a horror film would start out in development where the ideas for the film are first created, rights are bought and the screenplay is written. this is also where the company producing the film has to determine whether the film will be financially worth producing and if the company reckons the idea will capture the audience, once the project has been green lit the film can then begin to think about production. However this phase is different with every film since it has to be financially calculated by the production company and decide whether the company can afford to make the film for example for a independent company such as Vertigo the budget needs to be considered.

Warner brothers however would be able to afford to spend a lot more money on the film and this means they will only usually use ideas which will make a considerable amount of profit; for example a horror film produced by Warner brothers is 'Friday the 13th' (Marcus Nispel, 2009) and this was made using a budget of $19 Million and ended up making $91,379,051 at box office. However this was a remake of an original film so fans of the franchise would instantly be attracted, because of this New Line Cinema had to approach Platinum Dunes producers Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, and Andrew Form about rebooting the Friday the 13th franchise in the same fashion of rebooting The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Platinum Dunes agreed, and then spent over a year securing the film rights from all the involved parties: Paramount Pictures, New Line, and Crystal Lake Entertainment. This shows that due to the fact Warner Bros are a well established company with the money to spare they can afford to make big blockbuster films and this also gains them a wider audience consisting of the horror audience, fans of the company and fans of 'Friday the 13th'

Once the plans have been made the cast can be hired and sets, props and crew can all be organised however once again this differs massively for independent film companies compared to the main six studios. For example in 2007 Vertigo films produced a horror film called 'Shrooms' (Paddy Breathnach, 2007), we can see the difference in popularity of these two films straight away due to the fact Shrooms only made £313,758 on opening weekend in the UK and the budget for the film is not available but we can assume it is low because the filming was mainly done in Rossmore park in Monaghan, Ireland and the filming took place over seven weeks

The distribution of any film heavily relies on the producer for the money that the film would need to get a wider audience through advertising this fact does not change between genre of the film. The main factor of of getting a large audience for a film always comes from money which is why the main 6 studios remain the top 6 even within the horror film genre.

Group: Treatment

The room is dark. A young, brunette man sits at a desk, lit only by the flickering of candles.  His face is bruised and cut having seemingly been through a struggle. He hurriedly scrawls over reams of pages seeming agitated. A noose hangs in the background; taunting him. The man is contemplating suicide but doesn't know if he is willing to die just yet.

Leaving the desk, he wanders towards the rope and then steps back. He turns to the mirror, bedraggled, tired and scared, despising what he sees. His casual, modern outfit is in complete contrast to the room with his t-shirt being stained with soot and blood. He stares at himself, disgusted and bemused. He feels as though he is being watched as he jerks his head to look behind. He senses the encroaching presence of something or someone else in the room. There is nothing. He breathes a sigh of relief, turning back to the mirror to examine himself further. A young woman is there as shock permeates his face. She is fey, like an ethereal being, dressed in white and looking curiously and malevolently at the young man. She smiles then disappears.

He is terrified. He shouts out, begging for her to leave him be.
'I don't want to do this.'

She appears again, at his ear, and whispers
'But WE all want you to'

With this the man looks in the mirror, she is no longer there. He becomes enraged and starts shouting at the lifeless room, begging her to leave him alone. He throws everything and anything to where he hears murmurs. They get louder as he moves back to the wall.
She appears, holding his throat. She scolds and belittles him as he is forced towards the noose, begging for mercy. The woman reaches over, picks up the bloodied knife off the desk and holds it towards the man, giving him a choice. He catches sight of it.

There is a scream as the shot fades away to six months previously.

JP: Discussion of the Ways Horror Films are Produced and Distributed

     Horror movies, like any other movies within the film industry, go through a 3 stage process before release; production, distribution and exhibition. The scale of each stage is dependent on a variety of factors including whether it is an independent or industrial film and what conglomerates are involved in certain stages (other than the production studio itself). Whilst industrial films generally have a much higher budget, this does not directly translate to a greater success or profit than lower budget independent films due to the diverse change in dominant audience interests in recent years.
     In industrial film, the advantage of having a large financial backing from various conglomerates means horror films can be produced with a large budget and marketed, distributed and exhibited internationally. A prime example of this is Warner Bros’ ‘The Conjuring’ (Wan, 2013) which, with a budget of $20 million, released worldwide on 19 July 2013 and went on to make a Box Office profit of $316,700,141. The film began its marketing campaign in 2012 with the first promotional images being released in November 2012. A teaser trailer was shown at the 2012 New York Comic Con enabling the film to advertise to a large demographic made up predominantly of their target audience of the core horror audience (males aged 15-24). A unique selling point for the film was its emphasis on promoting it as being “based on a true story”.
     The production of the film itself was similar to many other horror films in the mainstream film industry. Due to the large budget, the film was able to be shot at multiple locations including EUE/Screen Gems Studios, the University of North Carolina Wilmington (while the students were on spring break) and various other locations in and around Wilmington North Carolina. The film also utilised specially designed sets for the production that were used at the locations of filming. The musical score in the film was composed by Joseph Bishara and was released as a film soundtrack CD separately post release by La-La Land Records and WaterTower music (using synergistic promotional activity within Warner Bros).
     In independent film, the lack of monetary backing means the film maker has to rely on directorial vision and a unique approach to the horror genre to market their film. An example of this is Artisan Entertainment’s ‘The Blair Witch Project’ (Sánchez, 1999) having been produced on a budget of $22,500 and went on to make a Box Office profit of $248,639,099. The films unique approach through the production decision of using predominantly “recovered footage” meant some people went to view the film for that reason alone just to find out how the narrative could work. Also, funding for expensive cameras was not required as a result of this and meant the film could be made for a much lower budget.
         Overall, the ways in which horror movies are produced and distributed depends on the monetary backing and the access to subsidiaries or other companies for a wide range of distribution or marketing reasons. However, despite independent film makers lacking these connections they are still producing good quality horror films which are breaking into the mainstream modern film industry through adaption to audience desires and the unique directorial style of art over profit. As technology continues to improve and technological convergence becomes more outstanding, more and more independent film makers will have a means to create and explore their artistic vision through the means of film.

RH - Analysis of the Opening Sequence of Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009)

Genre:
Zombieland belongs towards to different genres, it is mainly a comedy horror film but doubles as a zombie horror. The film is conventional for a horror in several ways for example the characters are seen to be constantly under threat from zombies in a baron wasteland that is shown to be America. We are also positioned straight away with the main character who is conventional in the fact that it is a young man but he is unconventional in the way he thinks and acts, for example we are shown in the opening scenes that  Columbus isn't a hero in the typical nature and actually has rules in order to escape and run away from the zombies instead of staying and fighting compared to conventional protagonist 'heroes'.

Form & Style:

The opening scene of Zombieland consists of mainly animated typography which fits in with the action happening on screen for example people seem to be able to move the text that is on screen by running into it or hitting it. The opening scene also consists of the protagonist narrating the fact that America is now overrun by zombies, however during this we don't get to see the protagonist until after the credits have been shown where we then see him at a abandoned petrol station.

Film Language:

Mise-en-scene:
The Mise-en-scene during the opening scene introduces us to the overall setting of the film which is a abandoned America which the protagonist describes as 'The United states of Zombieland'. during the opening scene we are also shown several zombies with each one given a specific identity which portrayed what they did in their previous life or just in casual clothes for example during the opening scene there is a convict zombie and a stripper zombie, this conforms with the fact that this is a comedic horror.

 Camera:
The shots in the opening scene of Zombieland consist of mainly MLS shots of zombies chasing people these are also shot in slow-motion during the title sequence. However during the opening scene where Columbus is narrating and saying about Zombieland we are shown the destruction in the surrounding area of the white house from the position of a handy camera held by a man who is unrelated to the story and therefore is the first victim to a zombie that we see and to make this shot conform with the comical nature of the film the shot ends just as the zombie is picking human flesh out of his teeth with a slight grin on his face.

Sound:

The diagetic sound within the opening scene of Zombieland consists of mainly zombie groans but also includes things smashing as well as panting of people running, another diagetic sound includes the squelching of guts when the zombie is eating but these are turned up to add to the horror. The non-diagetic sound is the primary source of sound since this provides the narrative as well as the music during the credits.

Editing:

The most dominant editing in the opening scene of Zombieland consists of the floating text crediting the people involved, this is the reason I chose to look at this clip since I liked the idea of using something similar to this in our final piece since I personally believe that it looks very professional if someone can make the text fit in well with the environment in the video and make it react accordingly. The other significant piece of editing is the CGI used to make the world that looks desolate and completely destroyed. 







Narrative:
The narrative in the opening scene of Zombieland consist of the protagonist narrating different scenes an due to this we can tell that he is an unconventional protagonist since he is telling us about his rules he has made up to stay safe and usually run away from the zombies for example the first rule was cardio.

Representation & Ideology:
The opening scene of zombieland shows a regressive view of our protagonist since he is not considered to be conventional since he is younger and doesn't show the usual attractiveness of a male lead.However we are not shown enough of the character to go into enough detail on other ideological traits.

Media Audience:
The main target audience for Zombieland would most likely be young adults consisting of Ages 16-26., however this film can appeal to most age groups above this due to its style and humor. 




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GW: Discuss the ways horror films are produced and distributed.

Use a detailed case study from Vertigo films and Warner Bros. as evidence for your points

Horror movies have been a staple of cinema since the 1920s, and continue to uphold a prominent position in the industry. Out of peak cinema-going seasons, horror makes up a large section of mainstream film, drawing in a core audience of males aged 14-34. There is always an audience for horror, and through the creation of sub-genres this is furthered. One of the benefits of horror is the range of budgets upon which it can be produced, making it appeal to both global conglomerate based companies, which use them for steady income, and independent producers, as they can use cheaper techniques to get an accepted, already present style. The difference in situation causes contrasts within both production and distribution.

Industrial film companies, like Warner Bros, have access to private locations, due to higher budgets, so can create more detailed or bigger films, whereas companies like Vertigo films use horror film as a pathway to create commercial films on a low budget, so often rely on location shoots. For example, Warner Bros' The Conjuring (Wan, 2013) had a budget of $20 million, which is relatively standard for a mainstream horror film. This allowed them to have access to bigger locations, as well as being able to afford to work at Wilmington Studios, the biggest film studio outside of California. This meant that elaborate sets could be constructed and utilised, which would be more controllable, as nature and human activity would not create hindrances. The Wake Wood (Keating, 2011) was filmed mainly on location in Ireland and Sweden, in a wood or small town. Woodland is a common location for low budget horror films, as there are a number of ominous links to dark magic or beasts, and they are often cheap or free to shoot in. On one hand this means that a wider range of styles is produced, that is popular with the audience, however it does mean that larger companies are able to create the films more easily, and often to greater effect, reducing the revenue of independent films which provide a level of competition.

Although horror films do not tend to have large marketing campaigns, as they have a consistent audience of horror-buffs, larger institutions are able to market more effectively to these groups. Warner Bros is both vertically and horizontally integrated into Time Warner, which means that marketing is more accessible. The Conjuring's marketing campaign included teaser trailers, tv spots, posters and exclusive features on paranormal happenings .In order to create a stir online, and word of mouth buzz, the trailer was released at New York comic con, where a large proportion of attendees are part of the target audience. The film was highlighted as being based on a true story. This marketing campaign is likely to be the reason that the movie gained a box office total of $316 million (Wikipedia), which is in stark contrast to Wake wood, which had barely any budget spent on marketing, and was only released in 4 domestic cinemas, grossing £1425 during the opening weekend. The increased access to marketing strategies and media outlets means that industrial films draw in a bigger audience, which in turn gains a greater revenue, and the ability to finance more films. Independent companies struggle to find the budget for larger campaigns, so do not reach the same level of success due to the audience being ignorant of the film's existence.

It is easier for industrial studios to produce or distribute films, with the help of their assets, than it is for independent studios.  Every year, the 6 majors produce or distribute a number of horror films on their slates, with finances readily available, and synergistic and symbiotic marketing techniques tried and tested. Independent production studios need to find larger companies to buy the rights to the film, which is sometimes the role of Vertigo Films, for distribution, For larger scale films, the company sells the rights to more major studios or institutions. The film Outcast (McCarthy, 2010) relied on a platform called 'South by Southwest' and Cannes film festival to showcase the film, so that it could be distributed and exhibited. The reliance on larger companies for distribution creates an interlinked system, which eventually can mean that global conglomerates hold a very large amount of control over the entire industry. The use of the internet, sites including http://kickstarter.com and http://youtube.com, provides film-makers with the opportunity to become less reliant on major companies- films can be viewed and support for projects, gained. Interactive web media allows for the democratisation of the industry and pluralisation of the film landscape- there are more options which are controlled by the public.

So, in conclusion, the film industry provides a busines model which greatly supports the Industrial Institutions, so they are likely to continee with this for the determinable future. That is not to say that the independent companies do not have a suitable structure- they are able to produce these films on a low budget, yet still do so effectively. They provide ample competition for the major studios within the genre, especially if they are taken onboard after film festival screenings. A core audience will actively seek out films from studios such as Vertigo Film, in order to experience the jump scares or artistic freshness that comes from a less formulaic film design. Overall, the films are produced and distributed in a variety of different way, with the same aim- to provide a popular scary film.

JP: Shot by Shot Analysis of the Opening Sequence of 'Saw' (Wan, 2004)

CAMERA	DURATION	MISE-EN-SCENE	EFFECT OF CAMERA	SOUND
Credits	0:26 - 0:41 (15 seconds)	Typography is simplistic yet distorted creating edginess.	Shaking text/camera connotes unease.	No sound at all creates tense atmosphere.
CU on face	0:41 - 0:49 (8 seconds)	Low lighting only revealing parts of his face at a time making him and the situation mysterious.	Static camera letting the light create movement and establish the setting.	Diegetic sound of air being released underwater conveying both the location and the predicament the character is in.
Title	0:49 - 0:54 (5 seconds)	Same as credits.	Same as credits.	Same as previous but with added white noise using a crescendo as title is shown and diminuendo as it fades away.
BCU on key	0:54 - 1:00 (6 seconds)	Same as CU on face.	Same as CU on face.	Sound mix kept thin and quiet with just underwater sounds to maintain tension.
CU on face	1:00 - 1:01 (1 second)	Non-verbal language of shocked facial expression as character suddenly awakes, acting as a jump scare through the juxtaposition of the tense, action-less shots before.	“	Sound mix suddenly much louder with diegetic sound of character awakening and gasping for breath; helping to create the ‘jump scare’.
BCU on key	1:01 - 1:03 (2 seconds)	Water draining from bath creating relief in the audience having been previously made to identify with the character who is a vulnerable position.	Constant reference back to key connoting its importance as a possible proleptic reference.	Same as before (still only diegetic sound).
CU on face	1:03 - 1:04 (1 second)	Same as CU on face.	Same as CU on face.	“
CU on foot	1:04 - 1:05 (1 second)	Same as BCU on key.	Same as BCU on key.	“
BCU on drain	1:05 - 1:06 (1 second)	“	“	“
MS on man in bath	1:06 - 1:09 (3 seconds)	Low key lighting but with man still visible connoting the unknowing of the situation.	Static cam with no movement allows the character to control the action, focusing on him.	“
BCU on drain	1:09 - 1:11 (2 seconds)	Same as BCU on key.	Same as BCU on key.	“
MS on man in bath	1:11 - 1:13 (2 seconds)	Same as MS on man in bath.	Same as MS on man in bath.	“
BCU on drain	1:13 - 1:15 (2 seconds)	The key being sucked down the drain, following the repeated cutting to it, again reinforces its possible importance to audience and the dire situation the character is in having lost it.	Same as BCU on key.	“
MS tilt down on man to panning MS on man	1:15 - 2:03 (48 seconds)	Non-verbal language of character conveying his struggle and confusion as he stumbles and feels around, which also suggests his confusion about the situation much like the audience.	The handi-cam following the action makes the audience connect with the character.	Aspects of the diegetic sound such as his panting and falling on the ground have been amplified to create visceral pleasure. Also, dialogue is first introduced with the character screaming “Help!” which challenges the dominant ideology of men being self-sufficient. Additionally, the introduction of a second character through the use of dialogue and not showing them conveys the mysterious nature of the situation and the problematic position of the first man.
Tracking MS on lights	2:03 - 2:04 (1 second)	The lights switching on one by one creates the gradual introduction of light to the room, revealing both the situation and the two characters.	The tracking back of the camera displays the lights turning on one by one, allowing the intercutting of reaction shots from the man.	The amplified sound of the lights switching on and the man’s verbal reaction creates visceral pleasure.
MCU on man	2:04 - 2:05 (1 second)	The shocked non-verbal language of the man conveys his lack of control over the situation and the unknowing of what is to come.	The high angle on the man connotes his lack of power in this situation.	“
Tracking MS on lights	2:05 - 2:06 (1 second)	Same as tracking MS on lights.	Same as tracking MS on lights.	“
MCU on man	2:06 - 2:07 (1 second)	Same as MCU on man.	Same as MCU on man.	“
Tracking MS on lights	2:07 – 2:08 (1 second)	Same as tracking MS on lights.	Same as tracking MS on lights.	“
CU on man	2:08 - 2:15 (7 seconds)	Same as MCU on man.	Same as MCU on man.	The introduction of non-diegetic sound in the form of creaking metal further accentuates the sense of unease.
POV from man	2:15 - 2:20 (5 seconds)	The reveal of the setting to be a dilapidated bathroom type room connotes the unnatural situation the characters are in.	The use of this particular shot places the audience in his disorientated position (with the ghosting effect added to the shot) and helps the audience identify with him.	A subtle soundtrack is added with the timbre of the high stringed instruments piercing through the sound mix creating an unsettling effect on the audience. Also, the low brass instruments connote a possible evil.
MCU on man	2:20 - 2:22 (2 seconds)	The first lit near full body shot of the character clearly shows him to be casted as a fit, young, white male and his costume to be casual clothing of the time (i.e. a shirt, vest and jeans); making him relatable to the audience as the target audience is the core horror audience of 15-24 year old males.	Same as MCU on man.	Same as CU on man.
Tacking back MCU to MS on second man	2:22 - 2:27 (5 seconds)	The first shot of the second man reveals him to be casted as a fit, middle aged, white male and also having a casual costume but with sweat stains and visible scars on his face, connoting a struggle/fight before being captured. His non-verbal language presents him to be in a vulnerable position chained to the wall and grasping the pipes around him (along with his shocked facial expression).	“	“
POV from second man	2:27 - 2:31 (4 seconds)	Same a POV from man but more clearly showing the man’s chained situation.	Same as POV from man.	“
MS on second man	2:31 - 2:35 (4 seconds)	Same as MCU on man.	Same as MCU on man.	“
Tracking back MS to tilt down MCU to spin/track back (up) to MS	2:35 - 2:43 (8 seconds)	The shocked facial expression of the man is used to build to the reveal of a body in a pool of blood and its head blown open. The construction of this character in itself creates horror.	The fast camera movements connote the quick action and shock of the reveal of the body. Also, the stopping of movement at key points such as the first showing of the head of the body and then the body as a whole gives time for the audience to ‘take it all in’ and relish in the shock value.	The non-diegetic sound shifts again here with the inclusion of a sound similar to a plane crashing leading into a high bowed note on a violin as the body is revealed connoting the shock and anchoring the horror of the image. A scream and white noise are then added to create visceral pleasure as the whole body is shown.
CU on tape recorder in hand	2:43 - 2:45 (2 seconds)	Clearly displays an object of future importance to the narrative for the audience to work out.	The sudden shift from movement shots to this static one means the audience are made to focus on the object through juxtaposition as it is important to the narrative.	A loud percussive sound anchors the cut to showing an object in the body’s hand. The orchestral soundtrack is still apparent during this too however, to maintain the shocked atmosphere.
CU on gun in hand	2:45 - 2:47 (2 seconds)	“	“	“
MCU on man	2:47 - 2:48 (1 second)	The non-verbal reaction presents his character to be affected in the same way to the audience; further making him relatable.	Same as MCU on man.	Dialogue adds to the physical shock of the character.
MCU on second man	2:48 - 2:49 (1 second)	The non-verbal reaction of this character presents him to be emotionally stronger as he is less shocked and looks to be examining the situation, also connoting a background relating to seeing dead bodies.	“	Lack of dialogue adds to the strong nature of the character.
BCU on chain	2:49 - 2:50 (1 second)	The prop reminds the audience of the trapped situation the characters are in.	“	Amplified chain sound anchoring action on screen.
MCU on second man	2:50 - 2:52 (2 seconds)	Same as MCU on man.	Same as MCU on man.	Same as MCU on man.
MCU on man	2:52 - 2:53 (1 second)	“	“	“
LS on second man (with first man in frame)	2:53 - 2:54 (1 second)	“	“	“
MCU on man	2:54 - 2:56 (2 seconds)	“	“	“
MCU on second man	2:56 - 2:58 (2 seconds)	“	“	“
MCU on man	2:58 - 3:00 (2 seconds)	“	“	“
MCU on second man	3:00 - 3:02 (2 seconds)	“	“	Orchestral soundtrack begins to crescendo to the action about to happen.
CU tilt down on man to feet	3:02 - 3:03 (1 second)	Same as BCU on chain.	“	Man begins to scream and shout whilst the sound of him rattling the chains is amplified for visceral pleasure and to convey the erratic situation he is in.
MCU on man	3:03 - 3:04 (1 second)	General non-verbal language displays his weak will and struggled desire to be freed from his binds.	“	“
CU on man	3:04 - 3:05 (1 second)	“	“	“
MCU on man	3:05 - 3:06 (1 second)	“	“	“
Panning CU on man to chain	3:06 - 3:07 (1 second)	“	“	“
MCU on man	3:07 - 3:08 (1 second)	“	“	“
BCU on chain	3:08 - 3:09 (1 second)	“	“	“
Panning CU on man to chain	3:09 - 3:10 (1 second)	“	“	“
MCU on second man	3:10 - 3:12 (2 seconds)	Non-verbal language of second man shows his lack of control in the situation and his concerned facial expression makes him relatable to the audience.	“	“
LS on man	3:12 - 3:16 (4 seconds)	Same as MCU on man.	“	“
MCU on second man	3:16 - 3:17 (1 second)	Same as MCU on second man.	“	“
CU on man	3:17 - 3:20 (3 seconds)	“	“	“
MCU on second man	3:20 - 3:22 (2 seconds)	“	“	Dialogue returns to reinstate the tension after the action filled events.
MCU on man	3:22 - 3:23 (1 second)	Shocked facial expression connotes the unknowing horror that awaits the characters.	“	“