Main Brief Post Production Editing

 

We have completed filming and are currently in the middle of the editing process. We making sure all of the shots are edited so continuity flows, but we are also going to use editing techniques such as fast-paced editing (for the flashbacks), shot reverse shot and match on action which were introduced to us for the mini brief.

 

 

UPDATE: We are satisfied with the footage we shot and no reshoots are required, which is really good. We were initially worried about the difference in lighting in some of the shots but there is no noticeable difference in any clips and we have decided that we are going to adjust the contrast of the clips anyway to make them look darker which would further suggest danger and death and then convey the conventions of horror. This is seen in the opening of The Conjuring (2013.)

 

Insidious (2011) Title Sequence Textual Analysis

The font is blood red- conveying a convention of the horror genre. In addition the 'smoke' effect on the text resembles spirits, which conveys the supernatural horror hybrid genre of the film. This createsa very dramatic atmosphere.

The background of the clip is still black, but the orb of light represents purity that is surrouned by darkness (which connotes danger.) james Wan is a veteran horror film director, so his name is focused in the centre third of the screen with a different background- notice how his name is larger than the other text, and has been placed over the white background whilst the other text is smaller and against a black background.

The protagonist of the film is introduced. He is a young, inncoent, vulnerbale child. A common convention of supernatural horrors is that vulnerbale people (such as children) are the most likely to be possesed. In terms of lighting, the shot is still quite dark. Despite being realesed in 2011, the setting of the film is not modern day. Another convention of horror films is that they are set in the past, but either within the last 30 years of in past centuries. Common time periods are the Victorian era, the 1960's, 1970's and modern day (2010's.)

A tracking shot allows the audience to view the whole house, which is the main setting of the film. The clips have limited lighting, which again is a convention of the horror genre. Using darkness in clips is said to enhance the other senses, which makes the viewers more sensitive to their surroundings. This would increase the 'scare factor' of the film.

 

The titles are red in colour which have connotations of blood, another convention of the horror genre. The font type seems to be Gothic-inspired, which has its of connotations and associations with death and the supernatural. In my main brief we will go with a similar colour scheme to further connote death and danger, and use a font that conveys the conventions of horror (either gothic-inspired, etched to resemble scratches or dripping to resemble blood.)

 

 

The titles reveal the names of the cast and crew in the same font as the main title which further suggests a gothic/supernatural horror theme. This is supported by the shadow effect that use to make the font appear and disappear off of the screen. This could be referring to spirits or apparitions as they are usually described as shadows. The still images move in chronological order around the house, starting with the exterior and moving into the hallway and living areas. This follows a common theme of horror openings for films that take place in a house. The camera will usually use a follow shot of a character as they walk around the house which reveals the main location of the film. By using still shots in the opening of Insidious, the audience will get the impression that the house is trying to hide something as the pictures can only show a snap-shot of time.

 

 

The footprints that appear on the floor confirm Insidious' genre as a supernatural horror because there is no one visible in the shot that could be leaving the footprint trial. This follows Barthes Theory of Enigma, as the audience will want to continue watching the film to see who or what is leaving the trail.

 

 

The colour scheme transitions from grayscale to colour. In horror films women are often portrayed as weak and vulnerable. In supernatural horrors it is more commonly seen for women or young children to be possessed by any supernatural spirits or demons (such as in "The Conjuring" or "The Woman in Black.") Traditionally the main character (can be either the protagonist or antagonist) is first character you are introduced to in literature and film. As we are first shown Renai, it would be safe to infer that she is the focal point of the film. Similarly in my main brief I will use the main protagonist in the first shot as this would enable the audience to identify that character as the main focal point of the film. 

The Gallows (2015) Opening Sequence Textual Analysis

The Gallows Opening Scene - Hanging (2015) Horror Movie HD

The opening is shot on a home-video recorder that includes the date and time in the bottom left hand of the screen. This makes the audience feel like they are watching real life footage, which would make them have bigger reactions to shocking events. The same effect is also achieved with films that state they are "based on a true story", which 'The Gallows' is.  It is also imitating the amateur 'found footage' filming style that was made popular for use in horror films following the success of "The Blair Witch Project" that was also shot in this style.

The jumping of the recording mimics modern-day jump cuts which are commonly used in horror films as they scare people. The setting of the scene is a high school production, and the production is set in the Middle Ages in Britain where hangings were the most popular methods of executions. This forshadows the events of the film and the key themes, as the antagonist uses a noose to scare the protagonists. The diagetic sound is dialogue from admiring parents and audience members and the occasional applause which add the amateur affect of the opening scene. The atmospheric music is ethereal which has connotations of the Church and religion. Religious iconography is a key convention of the horror genre.

 

"They did a great job on the gallows"- dramatic irony

 

The orange/red/purple lighting resembles natural lighting in the evening creates an ambient mood and relaxed atmosphere, which would then relax the audience. When the scene suddenly takes a dark turn it would have greater effect on the audience due to the contrast from a relaxed atmosphere to a sense of panic. For the reason we have decided to film my  main brief in the evening where the natural lighting will contribute to the atmosphere and levels of tension.

 

The iconography of the Gallows contributes to the conventions of the horror genre. Weapons are a generic convention of horror and key iconography is used to foreshadow forthcoming events of the film. In "The Gallows" the iconography of the gallows and noose foreshadows the upcoming death of the Antagonist (Charlie) but also makes indications that the noose will be used throughout the film as to intimidate the protagonist/s due to its reference in the films' title.

 

The audience are distracted by the dialogue of the play being acted out on screen. This would create a naturalistic feel to the film and make the audience feel like they were watching the performance in real life.  This would put both the audience in the right mind-set, so the action of the noose breaking would resemble a jump-cut and cause  the audience would react in the same way they would in real life, but also in the same way as the characters in the clip.

 

When the noose breaks we can head diagetic sound of audience members screaming and calling out the name of the Antagonist. This installs fear and panic into the audience because the break was sudden and the 'found footage' filming style puts the audience in shoes of the characters so they would react naturally.

 

The shaky cam is common with "found footage" films, documenting all of the events through POV shots. This technique places the audience in the position of the characters, so they can only see what the characters can see and can then only react how the characters react. The constant movement of the camera after the noose breaks is designed to disorientate viewers and confuse them so when the return to normality they will be thrown into the panic on screen. The sudden cut to black acts as a cliff-hanger and refers to Barthes Theory of Enigma. The audience will continue to watch the film because they are intrigued by the mystery of why there was a prop malfunction and want to know the outcome of the accident. The pause allows the viewers to reflect on the events that have occurred before them and holds them on an edge building up tension until the next scene begins and the tension is relieved. 

Levi-Strauss Binary Opposition (Narrative Structure Research)

Claude Levi-Strauss was a French social anthropologist that explored the myths of tribal cultures. He came to the conclusion that every story reflects the values, beliefs and myths of its culture. These are usually expressed as binary opposites. Levi-Strauss adapted this to media by claiming that all narratives are driven by a conflict caused by opposing forces (binary opposites.) Analysing a narrative means identifying these opposing forces and understanding how the conflict between them will drive the narrative on until some sort of balance or resolution is finally achieved.

Examples of binary opposition in a narrative structure include:

•Good versus Bad
•Wealth versus Poverty
•Strong versus Weak
•Sanity versus Insanity
•Peace versus War
•Boy versus Girl
•Young versus Old
•Woman in White versus Stranger in Black (relatable to horror genre, helpful in research for Main Brief.)
• Black versus White
•Protagonist versus Antagonist
•Domestic versus Foreign/Alien
•Natural versus Supernatural
•Nature versus Man-made/artificial
•Empowered versus Victim (also relatable to horror genre.)

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow sought to explain why people are to driven to do certain things at certain times. He came to the conclusion that human needs are arrange in a hierarchy from most to least important/ necessary. We will try to satisfy the most important need first. Once this need has been satisfied we will move onto the next most important need.

Hypodermic Needle Theory (Audience Theory Research)

This theory suggests the mass media can influence a large group of people by directly 'shooting' or 'injecting' them with an appropriate message designed to trigger a desired response.

The media injects its messages straight into the passive audience (Croteau, Hoynes 1997). This passive audience is immediately affected by these messages. The public essentially cannot escape from the media's influence, and is therefore considered a "sitting duck" (Croteau, Hoynes 1997).