With this task, our aim was to film a sequence involving two main events: A character opening a door, and two lines of dialogue between two characters. Whilst doing this, we had to focus on the use of continuity (with filming and editing),different types of shots we could use and consideration of the 180 degree rule.
From this task we have gained several things as a group. For example we now realise the importance of taking the sound mix into consideration and how difficult it is to make sure you are only recording the sound you want. Also we now know that it can be beneficial to record more than one take for individual shots, even if you think you are happy with the one you already have, because when it comes to editing it is impractical to discover an issue and find yourself with no backup shot as a replacement.
My role in the group
- For this project my main role in the group was camera operator, a job that Ollie also helped with, as well as helping the others to direct certain shots.
- As a group we all took responsibility for various roles to ensure that we could get everything done on a restrictive time limit, and that any footage we did get was of good quality. Each group member taking multiple roles also helped to make it so that we created a video with ideas included from each of us, and a final piece that we were all happy with.
What did I learn?
- I had very little experience with the track and dolly, so it was very useful to have a chance to use this equipment more, and I think I can use this experience to our advantage for future projects. Also this trip was my first time using the jib, which ended up giving us our best shot and we will definitely be using it again based on this.
- This trip also showed me the importance of a location recce, and that although it may be time consuming, it is very useful for ensuring you have the best possible location for the footage you want, and therefore improving the quality of your final piece.
- I also learnt that whilst you may have a clear idea of some things that you want to include, you have to consider the ideas of others as well because they may be better or more appropriate.
What I was pleased with
- Our use of the jib and track and dolly turned out to be among our favourite shots collected during the day, and I am really pleased with how they turned out in the final edit.
- Leo's acting
- The scenes that were available at wilderness woods provided a perfect environment for a horror opening and I thing we made good use of this opportunity.
- We carried out quite an effective recce, which helped to provide useful and appropriate scenes for our project.
Challenges we overcame
- Due to the large group in attendance, some scenes we wanted to use for our film were in use by other group members, but fortunately we were able to get around this by either going to another location to get shots for another part of the film whilst we waited, or Seeing if there was anything we could do to help other members to speed up the process.
- Unfortunately it began to rain quite heavily at one point, meaning we were unable to shoot outside due to potentially damaging equipment. However, we found an area that was under cover, where we could still use the jib to get the shot we wanted.
- Also, the rain turned out to produce a nice effect for the final edit.
What didn't work so well?
- Due to the rain, obviously, the ground quickly became muddy and unstable, meaning we couldn't move around as easily with the camera, making some of the footage more shaky than we would've hoped.
- Also, due to being on a strict time limit we were forced to slightly rush our tracking shots, and they ended up being quite shaky and jittery. We will have to aim to fix this issue when it comes to using tracking shots in future projects
How has this experience influenced our production?
- As previously mentioned, due to the success of the jib and parts of the tracking shots, we will definitely be using this equipment in future projects
- Perhaps in future we will spend less time on location recce's if we are on a time limit, in order to ensure we have enough time to get good quality footage.
- We agreed that the woodland setting worked really well for this genre, so it is a definite possibility that we will consider using this sort of setting for our final production.
My role - In the group I took part in a couple of roles, one was an acting role where I was being chased by an antagonist with very little given away in these shots, we used the fear of unknown by not showing the face of the antagonist. I also took part in the directing of the production which we did between the three of us, to get the best ideas possible by discussing between us.
What did I learn?
- From this filming experience I learnt many things including many filming techniques, like the usage of pull focus which we used relatively effectively. Also, we used different camera equipment that I had not used before like the Jib to get slowly moving shots to go up and down, also the tracking shots we used I was new to.
What was I most pleased with?
- From this filming expedition I was pleased with many things our group did, like the varied use of camera techniques and equipment used, I think the shots that we got were very good, which lead to a good beginning of a storyline with a hint of mystery.
What challenges did we overcome? - There was the issue of adverse weather conditions which we had to overcome. Halfway through our filming there was the problem of rain, which lead to us having to remain sheltered with the camera, although we still managed to gain many shots, including the jib shot.
What didn't work so well?
- In our group the biggest problem for us was the usage of sound, we could not seem to get any effective sound for our production either diegetic or non-diegetic, we tried to get some sound effects online, but we couldn't find any suitable for our production. Next time to improve this I think we should record more sound effects at the location and add them in later in Premiere.
How has this influenced our production?
- This experience has influenced our production in different ways, from this we have learnt many techniques we can use in our next productions, for example the jib and tracking which are very useful for us, due to how effective it looks, also the editing we did also has helped us to improve for our upcoming tasks.
My role
- My role in the production of our 'Wilderness Woods film' was to co-direct the film and to also help create a suitable story for us to follow the criteria that was capturing footage of somebody following someone else in the woods
- I helped to analyse the areas that we discovered after our recee by going back to the locations that we had looked at, and to identify what footage could be shot their and how it could fit in with the story
- I helped with the tracking shots as the weather was making it difficult to reduce the amount of unfocused footage we captured
- I also helped with some of the handy cam shots we captured, as Finn was helping Leo to show him where he should walk through the paths
What did I learn?
- From this experience, I was able to learn how to use the Jib, understanding how to capture high quality footage starting from a low angle and ending at a high angle or visa versa
- I learnt that the weather can help make footage look a lot more professional and help with the scenery, as we filmed the first clip in our film in the rain
- The weather can also cause problems in capturing the footage as we attempted to use the tracker however, the ground became muddy which caused our footage to be shaky and out of focus on a number of occasions
What was I most pleased with?
- I was most pleased with the first shot. The jib helped to create a very professional opening as we see Leo starting on his journey in the rain whilst walking past the tyre swing
- The cutting rates towards the end made it clear who was the antagonist and the protagonist and also introduced a number of enigma codes, as the audience questions what the antagonist did to the protagonist at the end
What challenges did we over come?
- I believe we used the weather well. Although some of our shots are not as still as they can be, I think that we were able to put up with the muddy conditions that affected our footage, and used the rain to our advantage
What didn't work as well?
- I feel as if we spent too long on the recee which meant we weren't able to capture enough footage for our final film. This meant that we had to use the footage that we had filmed, and use editing to make the final film much longer
How has this influenced our production?
I believe that this experience has enabled us as a group to understand that we can produce a high quality film. Finn's camera enabled the footage to be high quality, Leo's acting allows the story to feel more professional as he co-operated with us as a group and adjusted to the conditions of the weather. Overall, as a group I believe that we will be able to create a good story for our final horror film and with all of the components we are able to offer to the final production, we will create a high quality, understandable horror film
After completing the filming of our short film using the location of Wilderness Woods, we went back to school and used the school editing software (Adobe Premiere Elements 9.0) to make our footage more presentable and professional.
- Using the timeline in Premiere, we were able to trim our footage to a suitable length
- We re-ordered the footage so that the audience would be able to identify the antagonist and the protagonist
- We included some gaps between the footage, to increase the tension of the story
- This helped to connote fear, as the antagonist was shown to be following the protagonist through the woods
- Towards the end of the clip, we increased the cutting rates of the footage, showing the antagonist come into contact with the protagonist which help to represent vulnerability
- At the end, we included a black screen which helped to cut the tension that had been built up as we increased the cutting rates to show that the antagonist was getting closer to the protagonist
"Production studios (New Line Cinema)"
"A Robert Shaye production"
"A Wes Craven Film"
"A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET"
"Starring Ronnie Saxon"
"Ronee Blakely"
"Amanda Wiss"
"Nick Corri"
"Introducing Johnny Depp"
"With Charles Fleischer"
"Joseph Whipp"
"Lin Shaye"
"Robert Englund as Fred Kruger"
"Casting by Annette Benson"
"Director of photography Jacques Haitkin"
"Production designer Fred Fonseca"
"Mechanical special effects designed by Jim Doyle, Theatrical engines"
"Associate producer John Burrows"
"Film editor Rick Shaine"
"Music by Charles Bernstein"
"Co-producer Sara Richer"
"Executive producers Stanley Dudelson and Joseph Wolf"
"Produced by Robert Shaye"
"Written and directed by Wes Craven"
- The titles for this film seem to appear in a fairly random order. First of all the production studios, Director and Producer are listed, before the Film title is revealed. The titles then follow as the principle actors of the film, the casting director, director of photography, production designer, special effects designer, associate producer, film editor, music producer, co- producer, executive producers, producer, and finally the writer/director once more. One thing that is unusual about this title sequence is that the film title is shown around the middle, as opposed to right at the end of the title sequence. People of higher importance tend to have more time and space dedicated to their name.
Typography
- This title sequence uses a fairly stock white font. This has few connotations in a horror/slasher situation, other than the possible connotation of paranormal/ghostly activity.
- The titles also seem to be placed quite randomly around the screen, with no particular people/groups of people taking certain places.
Relationship between text and visuals
- In this particular title sequence the titles do not appear to interact with the scene much. They are simply layered over the top in random places. However after the title of the film is revealed, the following titles are shown over the top of a scene that is part of the actual film. This somehow suggests that they are less important because there are other things to pay attention to whilst they are being shown.
- Each of the Titles stays on screen for 4-6 seconds, enabling the audience to read and decipher the names of the cast and crew behind the film.
- The film title comes at the end of the sequence, this is because it is the biggest part of the titles.
-It begins with arguably the biggest name in the film "Martin Scorsese" as he is the director of the film, then continues with the bigger names from the crew including the producers through to the director of photography.
- After these it goes through the names of the three A list cast members, followed by the editor and the composer behind the music of the film.
-It is finished with the the film title all in capital letters taking up the whole screen to show its dominance and importance as the title of the film.
Typography
- The font does not vary at all throughout this title sequence, apart from the colour of the font changing from red to grey/white, there is no particular pattern behind this apart from the colour in the background behind the text.
- Due the boldness of the text and in some cases the colour it creates tension for the audience, especially in the instances where the text is of the red colouring as it promotes the themes of death and blood.
- The film title at the end of the opening credits, also creates tension in other ways through it moving slowly towards the audience.
Relationship between text and visuals
- The combination between the darkly lit areas in which the opening sequence is shot and the bold red typography tension is created, alongside the eery minor key music promoting the genre of horror throughout the opening credits.
- The staircase is shown to be spiralling and spinning for the audience, this creates visceral affects of dizziness, this can put the audience under a sense of unease as it can delude the audience.
- The colour of the font in these scene can generally be linked with the background of the rest of the scene, the red colouring is shown to stand out portraying blood, whereas the white/grey colour gives and more ghostly effect, this generally merges with the background of the shot creating a black and white effect.
Own Production
In this background in which I have created, with a large amount of inspiration from the shots from the title of Shutter Island. I used the same colour scheme with red on black as it creates an image to the audience of a dark film promoting the genre of horror. The typography is particularly intense especially in the red colour scheme, the font gives the impression of blood with splatters of red drops surrounding the writing.
"Produced by Gavin Polone Judy Hofflund David Keopp Cean Chaffin"
"Written by David Koepp"
" Directed by David Fincher"
- The duration of each title sequence is 4 seconds, this is to give the audience enough time to briefly read the titles on screen and to also take into account the background the titles are embedded upon
- The first half of the titles include the production and distribution companies, the first four (A/B list) main characters in the film
- In the second half, it continues to include the rest of the main characters in the movie and slowly progresses to include a number of people who were involved in producing the film from least important to most important at the end
- The film title is in the middle of the title sequence
Typography:
- The font is very noticeable, using editing such as After Effects or Sony Vegas, producers were able to position the text within the background of Manhattan where the film is located
- The colour of the font blends in with the metallic structure and glass panels of the buildings in the background, making it feel more natural
- The camera often moves from the left to the right, from a low angle or from a birds eye view in order to make the title sequence more interactive
Relationship between text and visuals:
- The text blends in with the busy streets of Manhattan as the camera focus's on the titles as well as the atmosphere of New York
- The text makes the background iconic to the film; the audience understands that the city is significant to the film
The Purge opening sequence analysis (DeMonaco, 2013) Genre: - The sub-genre that this film belongs to is 'home invasion' however, the concept of the film is expressed within the opening sequence as we see violence occurring in the streets - The Purge does not share any of the same characteristics with any other films made, making it unique. The opening is a general outline for the audience to understand the concept of the film, later introducing a story-line involving a neighbourhood who attempts to break into another family's home
- The audience's generic expectations are challenged in the opening sequence, the opening sequence does not reflect what is about to happen later on in the film and so makes the audience feel as if the film is different to generic 'home invasion' films such as 'Panic Room'
Film Language: Camera - Uses CCTV to connote chaos and to exaggerate the violence that is occurring in the streets
- CCTV camera at a high camera angle to show the full image of the violence
- Handy cam from a news reporter in the sky shows the chaos in the streets connotes that the streets are unsafe and should be avoided
- The CCTV camera effect makes the violence feel more gruesome and chaotic, making the audience believe the purge has stimulated chaos
- In the second clip, the action is continued out of the shot and so the CCTV camera is tilted forward so that the audience is able to follow the footage at a birds eye view
- Most of the shots are at the edge of the screen, as the director attempts to show that these images are not staged and that this is real footage caught on CCTV
Film Language: Editing - Fast cutting rates are used to convey the meaning of chaos, we only see the CCTV footage for 4 seconds
- The fast cutting rates in between the woman and the other violent scenes presents the woman to be vulnerable and incapable of becoming safe
- Distortion is used throughout the clips to make the footage feel as if it was damaged throughout the chaos that emerged on the streets, seeing that the CCTV camera would've been in the street with them filming them
Film Language: Mise-en-scene - Knives and handheld objects (props) are used to show the brutality of the streets in order to further show the chaos
- Character blocking of the female makes it look as if she has been attacked and is looking for shelter. Her slow movements prove to the audience that she is hurt
- Shop front windows being set alight increases the sense of chaos, making the audience feel uncomfortable as the see the actions of those who are exposed to the annual purge
- The clothes each character is wearing is very casual, making it feel as if the purge is a casual approach to committing crimes against the law
Film Language: Sound - Contrapuntal sound makes the audience moreafraid of the violence they view on screen as the music indicates a sense that the violence is of some good and this is what is needed to keep the peace
Titles: - Titles included throughout the clips on the left and right hand sides of the screen so that the audience is able to focus on the action
- Same distorted effect is used on the titles on the outro making it feel more chaotic as the footage is shown
- Distorted effect connotes chaos; the audience feels that the action on the streets has caused the footage to be damaged
- 'Purge feed' and the location is used in the CCTV footage to make the shots more disgruntled and to inflict anarchy
Narrative: - The plot outline is not shown in the opening sequence of this film as i believe the director attempts to show how the Purge can cause chaos
- Including the 'Purge feed' on screen creates an enigma code as the audience questions why the 'Purge' has inflicted such disorder on the streets
- The CCTV footage shown in the opening sequence creates an action code, as the audience questions the characters actions in the scene, what is their motive to do such harm to others? is the purge a good thing or is it just inhumane brutality?
- The shots are organised in the way in which it shows the characters to be 'thug-like' as they do not seem to have organised themselves regards to the action they carry out. This can be seen in the opening clip, as we are presented with a man on his phone whilst another person quickly shoots him and removes himself from the sequence
- Non-diegetic sound is used to create tension throughout the opening sequence as we are presented with chilling footage of people being shot, murdered and scenes of people fighting in the street. The music does not match with the mood of the footage and so therefore the audience may feel perplexed at what to make of this opening sequence
Representation and Ideology: - Young men/teenagers are represented in this clip to be the antagonists, as they feel motivated to carry out the violence. This reinforces stereotypes towards teenagers who are believed to cause trouble
- Hooded characters are seen in the footage, reinforcing the stereotype of 'the hoody' and how this item of clothing connotes violence and terror
- The only female character in the clip is represented as being vulnerable as we see her on her own in the street covered in blood, after we are have seen the chaos that seems to be happening during the night of the purge. The gender stereotype towards women is reinforced in this clip, as we question why is this woman still out on the street? and how has she obtained these injuries?
Media audiences:
- The target audience for this film is for young men between the ages of 16 to 25, we can tell as the footage includes chilling violence that may not appeal to an older audience and also, the concept of the purge may make other audiences feel disturbed
Institutional context: - 'The Purge' was produced by Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse productions
- It was distributed by Universal Productions
- Platinum Dunes have been involved with films such as 'The Amityville horror', 'Texas chainsaw massacre' and 'ouija' - Blumhouse productions have been involved with films such as 'Paranormal activity', ' Insidious' and ' Sinister' - The film was commercially successful, grossing $89,328,627 during its run, far surpassing its $3 million budget. It was the lowest budget film to hit the top of the box office charts in 25 years before its release - Ethan Hawke stars in the film as the father of the family of four, also the head of the security company that has made all of the instalments for his neighbourhood for the annual purge
Genre: -This film is part of the ‘Slasher’ sub-genre, which is said
to have had its peak in the 1970’s and 80’s. -Immediately it becomes clear that ‘Scream’
is a typical slasher film due to the fact that it features several of the
defining slasher conventions. For example, straight away we are introduced to a
‘vulnerable’ female character, alone in an isolated location.
-An enigma code is
created when the phone rings several times, and she speaks with an anonymous
male (antagonist) character. This character seems harmless at first but
throughout the opening sequence it gradually becomes apparent that he poses a
threat and may possibly be psychologically impaired.
-The fact there are many
conventions of thriller present at the beginning of this film means that the
audience’s expectations are suitably fulfilled quite early on, and the film is
very similar to what they were likely to have expected it to be.
Film Language:
-There is abundant usage of close up shots to effectively
convey the female character’s facial expression and what she is feeling at
different points during the sequence. However mid shots are also used very
often to show her surroundings and emphasise the fact that she is alone (except
for the antagonist, whose presence is suggested through dialogue and not
visually expressed). -The connotations of a young woman on her own in an
isolated location are that she is significantly unable to defend herself
against an attacker, and this puts her at a higher risk of being harmed. In
terms of editing, long takes are often used. This helps to create a sort of ‘Calm
before the storm/false sense of security’, feel to the scene, because it
creates a slow pace which suggests safety and a lack of action, when in fact
the danger is introduced quite suddenly. -During the chase/hiding scenes, a
faster cutting rate is used to increase the pace of the sequence and give it
more energy and excitement. -Throughout
the entire sequence, one of the most noticeable features of mise-en-scene is
that the lighting is used in such a way that many shadows are created in the
background and at times they appear to be moving. This creates the sense that
there is someone else (an antagonist) present in the scene, that is yet to be
identified and that the protagonist is unaware of. This is an effective way of
generating a lot of fear in the audience due to the theory of ‘fear of the
unknown’. -Also, one of the props used is a very large knife, also a convention
of slasher films. However, in this case the use of a knife is contradictory because
it is first wielded by the vulnerable protagonist, in self defence.
Nevertheless, it introduces the fact that knives will be a prevalent feature
and important part of the film.
-In the beginning of the sequence, the dialogue
between the antagonist and protagonist is quite playful and harmless (again
contributing to the false sense of security) so the audience are lead to feel
safe, but the mood quickly changes when the male character mentions that he can
see the girl, despite the fact that until now they have only spoken on the
phone and we are under the impression that the male character is elsewhere.
-However this suggests that he is actually present in this scene and poses an
immediate threat. Once the female character knows this, she begins to show
signs of fear and panic such as shaky movements (especially in the hands) and
running around nervously and at times without purpose.
- As for sound, there is
generally very little background noise (to emphasise the fact that she is
alone), except for the popping of the popcorn which helps to build tension and
make the scene very stressful at its climax.
- Other loud sounds include the
smashing of a glass door which is shocking and makes the viewer jump.
-There is
some music used when the girl begins to panic, that is quite low and ominous,
with a minor key. This has connotations of fear and imminent danger.
Narrative: -During this opening, a young (approx 18 year old) female
character, who is home alone at night, receives a phone call from an anonymous
caller, who she quickly disregards as a ‘wrong number’ situation.
-However, this
male character keeps calling, and expresses an interest in her. They discuss
harmless and playful topics for several minutes before the conversation takes a
turn for the worse and it becomes apparent that this male character has
sinister intentions for the girl and is in fact present at her home.
-She
threatens him with the imminent arrival of her boyfriend, only to discover that
the antagonist has the boyfriend tied up and injured. The antagonist then
proceeds to torture the girl with irrelevant questions, resulting in the death
of her boyfriend. Then, following a short chase scene around the house, the
girl is dragged away and killed.
- Her parents then return home to find that she
is missing.
-This theme of a lone
(and often vulnerable) protagonist, being brutally killed by a psychotic male
killer for no apparent reason, is fairly typical of slasher films. Also, this
setting of suburban, middle class USA is very conventional of horror films because
it is relatable for a large proportion of audiences and increases the fear
factor.
- In this sequence, tension is created very effectively through the use
of many techniques, including sound (e.g popcorn popping), and dialogue. An
enigma code is created when it becomes apparent that the antagonist can see the
young woman. The audience want to know how this is possible.
Representation and ideology:
-In this particular opening, one of the social groups that are
represented is middle class, white youth people, particularly females. In this
case, the stereotype that young women are vulnerable and unable to protect
themselves is reinforced, because the young female protagonist is killed so
early on in the film.
-Also, when the girl lies about having a boyfriend when
speaking to the male character on the phone, is evident of the ideology that
adultery is considered less of a 'big deal' nowadays than in the past. Media Audiences:
-It is very likely that the target audience for this film is
middle class people aged 14-25. This is because it is set today (or was set
during the time when the film was released) and aimed to frighten people that
were very similar to the characters affected in the film. -This was done by
creating an environment that much of the audience would be familiar with, and
then introducing a character or situation that destroys this ‘ideal’
environment. -Because of my situation as a young male,
in a relatively similar situation to several characters in the film, I find
that I am able to put myself in the position of many of the film’s characters,
quite easily, and understand why it is frightening. Institutional context: - Scream was produced by Woods Entertainment, and
distributed by Dimension Films, the company behind several other horror
franchises such as ‘Halloween’ and ‘Scary Movie’.
- At the time of the release of ‘Scream’, ‘Dimension
films’ was owned by the Walt Disney Corporation, suggesting that this film had
the potential to be an industrial film. However, having a budget of only $15
million, we can assume that is was somewhat independent. - Despite the relatively small budget, the film
featured several A-list actors, such as Courtney Cox and Drew Barrymore.
- From the opening sequence of this film I can see a combination of two sub-genres these are paranormal which is relatively self-explanatory and home invasion due to the setting of the film in the location of a home a place known for safety.
- What this opening sequence does is show us the family the film is set around without getting in too much detail or action from the outset.
- Due to this film being part of one of the biggest horror franchises (Paranormal activity) making it not particularly unique, also the paranormal genre is a particularly popular sub-genre.
- This opening scene maintains the audiences expectations, it shows a slow and calm build up. One can tell from the peaceful nature of the film opening that it is foreshadowing taking place, we can tell something bad is going to happen. this is a particularly generic opening to a horror movie as it builds up throughout.
Film language: Camera
- A handheld camera is used to put yourself in the scene as the audience, it also makes it much more personal between the characters, it creates verisimilitude.
- Towards the end of the opening scene, it comes to slight panic after it seems they have been robbed, the camera (handheld throughout) is shown to be moving much faster showing a sense of urgency in the scene.
- The POV usage from the handycam is used as a way to get you into the story yourself, which is clever in a horror movie as it can make it seem more scary.
Film Language: Editing
- The shots in this scene are of a relatively long length making it seem again more realistic, it shows a smooth fluidity between each cut.
- Due to the actor permanently being in control of the camera, there is one particular moment in the scene where the actor is getting the camera in a rush and the screen goes blank, this is used as a way to promote a sense of realism.
Film Language: Mise-en-scene
- Character blocking is used in this scene with the Wife position painting on the ladder painting which is a piece of domestic work, showing a continuation to the stereotype of a women doing the domestic work.
- It is also used to create a sense of urgency, the second part of the scene when they find their house has been what they think has been broken into (paranormal creature?), the characters are rushing around.
Film language: sound
- Very little usage of sound is shown in this scene, apart from dialogue, this is used to show the relationship between these two characters, shown to be very happy with high prospect for their future.
Titles:
- There is only one usage of titles in this scene, it shows the location of the characters house and the date of the film, this is particularly ambiguous as it gives so little away at this point in the film, it gives the audience information about the couple.
Narrative:
- From this opening scene very little is given away to the audience, we get a small introduction to the family in question, I think the director does this so we can warm to the couple to create a more personal level, making what to come in the film more tragic.
- An enigma code can be noted from the second part of the scene, who did this to their house? it is left at the end of the scene on a particularly ambiguous note making the audience as questions like this.
- The scene has been organised in this particular order to show the audience the 'calm before the storm' through to a minor upset which is a use of foreshadowing.
- Tension is created with the use of camera in many ways in this scene, it is handycam throughout, yet when the scene becomes more urgent it can be told more due to the shakiness of the camera increasing.
Representation and ideology:
- A key factor that can be noticed from this opening scene is the fact that the lead women is pregnant, this gives to the audience a sense of innocence, like nothing bad can happen to her. Pregnant women are usually shown to be in safety, completely going against the Paranormal creation of havoc, showing binary opposition.
-In the second part of this scene we can notice the male takes a leading role in the drama, after they return to find the house not looking in a good state, he leads the wife showing the masculine role like he is protecting his wife and child. This conforms to the male stereotype of a strong man who protects his family.
Media audiences:
- From the opening scene little can be told for identifying the films target audience, yet due to the factor of it being a horror movie where the male protagonist is shown to be the lead with authority and conforming to the male stereotype you can come to the conclusion that this film would be targeting the male 16-25 range.
Institutional context:
- This film was produced by 'Blumhouse Productions' which primarily makes horror movies, some of the biggest were made here like Insidious in 2011.
-It was distributed by 'Paramount Pictures' which is known as one of the big 6 Hollywood film studios with films like Titanic from 1997 to their name.
-The two main characters are Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, they play a big part in this film being the couple facing the paranormal.
In summary, we looked at a number of genres and the group decided to choose the three sub-genres of 'home-invasion', 'slasher' and 'paranormal'. This will be useful to us in completing the next task for Mrs Fernandez on analysing an opening sequence of our own choice as the three of us are able to analyse a film in each of the three sub-genres. It is useful to us in using slasher and home-invasion as we can use similar props that are generically used in both sub-genres e.g. the scream series.
- Script was co-written by joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, who had both previously worked together on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and 'Angel'
- CGI was used to create many different 'creatures' for the film, involving close to a thousand actors and extras.
- For several wide shots, the British Columbia institute of technology's Aerospace building was used.
- Key cast members include Chris Hemsworth
Distribution
- The film was advertised on the side of London buses
- Commercials for the film gave as little as possible away about the plot. In fact, they attempted to mislead potential audiences about the content of the film, so that when actually going to see the film, audiences would be surprised and intrigued.
- This film had the budget of £318,000 which was raised through a small grant as well as funding from the friends and family of the cast and director.
- It was filmed in Barcelona, Paris, Italy and Vancouver.
- It was Lee's first ever feature length film, This meant it was difficult for them to produce to a good level.
- They got the inspiration from a bizarre web series, as well as world renowned horror movies such as The Blair Witch project and paranormal activity, which they praised a lot throughout the filming of Afflicted.
- The film contained no A-listers, promoting the idea of a independent film, but they did say that there choices of the cast were strong due to their flexibility, giving them more freedom to shoot and re-shoot scenes. -
The use of exotic locations created some difficulty due to the weather in countries like Italy combining with the demands of the role.
- The two directors Lee and Prowse both play a big part in the film with lead acting roles as well as directing.
Distribution
- This film had a small promotion, with traditional means such as a trailer which is particularly gripping showing the events not in chronological order, showing how the trip the pair go on going in the direction the film takes it. It gained a review stating that it was the best trailer released from Hollywood from a film critic known as Germain Lussier.
- It was distributed by CBS Films which is considered as a major-mini film studio.
- The films lifetime gross is $121,179, where it made $69,447 of this in the opening weekend, in the 44 cinemas it was shown in.
- Insidious used suggestion and old-fashioned discretion to unnerve viewers - The film uses shadows. slow-burn chills and off-screen space in effect - The same set is used in the Devils dimension to the set of the home but has just been given a creepy makeover, - The musical score to Insidious was composed by Joseph Bishara, who also appears in the film as the demon - Most of the music was improvised and structured in the editing process - Insidious had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2010. Less than 12 hours after its screening, the film was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for theatrical distribution - The most challenging aspect of the production was probably trying to get the film to look like a classic horror film on such a low budget - Wan edited the film in a gritty MTV-style way, in order to hide its small budget - After their first low-budget horror film, Wan formed a company to produce the kind of horror movies audiences were interested in. They wanted to collaborate with the best horror filmmakers out there and help them make the kind of movies they want outside the Hollywood system; a low budget but also full creative control - The directors focused on good acting and a good script. The most effective beats, didn't really cost too much money - Insidious is more about creating an eerie, atmospheric mood - The opening credits feature spooky little Easter eggs for the audience Distribution - The company's model is to produce movies independently and release them wide through the studio system - Insidious had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2010. Less than 12 hours after its screening, the film was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for theatrical distribution - Insidious was released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 12, 2011 through Sony Pictures Home Entertainment - On the day prior to the film's home media release, Sony Pictures and Fangoria hosted a free screening of the film at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles followed by an interactive Q&A with director James Wan and screenwriter Leigh Whannell - Insidious had its world premiere in the Midnight Madness program at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 14, 2010 - Less than 12 hours after its screening, the film was picked up by Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions for theatrical distribution - On December 29, 2010, it was announced that the film would be released theatrically on April 1, 2011 by the then-relatively new film company FilmDistrict - The film was also screened at South by Southwest in mid-March 2011
