Different types of mask

Masks are effective in horror, as they have a fixed expression which is abnormal, so it covers someone underneath and we don't know who is under the mask. Masks can also intimidate or enhance the creepiness of the person, by adding fake blood or abnormal features, like small eyes or different coloured skin.

Below- first mask is un-nerving from the authoritive smug expression. The mask below that doesn't look real and almost like an animal, creating a very disturbing atmosphere. The next mask is from the film "Saw" which is used as a disguise. The pale skin and eyes create an un-natural atmosphere, making it un-nerving. The next mask is odd, even though the mask is smiling, it seems like it is putting on a friendly disguise when actually they are the opposite underneath. The clown mask is twisting a friendly entertaining smile to an unpleasant smile which is like the previous mask. The next mask is used for protection but seems scary becuase the whole face is covered and makes the person seem tough and dangerous. The Scream mask is famous for having the exadurated features, such as the pale skin, long face and low eyes and mouth. The next mask is very simple, and can be used in a non-horror way- to disguise but not give a personality through the mask, just to disguise someone in a blank way. The next one is from the film "The Mask" which is a comedy, showing that masks can be used in a humerous way as well. The final mask can possibly be the oldest mask in history, made out of stone from 7000 BC.





                                                                                                                     
                                                             

Establishing Characters in my Trailer

Hannah- main character- girl who lives in caravan. Is desperate for attention and love in an evil sense. The antagonist who seems controlling, dominating and terrifying to audiences and characters within film.

Father & mother- don't care about their daughter. Can't understand what they've done wrong and why she belonged to them. This is inspired from film The Ring (2002), where the mother doesn't love the antagonist, making her become a violent ghost girl.

Sam- main victim who stands up to Hannah. Is strong willed, brave and confident. Typical leading male role.

Peter, Sue and Helen- friends of Sam who are victims of Hannah and don't survive. Seem weak, vulnerable and innocent.

Sam's parents- naive and obnoxious to what he is up to or the traumas of reality. Typical convention of parents in horrors, or binary opposites where the parents do care.

Jim- Sam's younger brother. Innocent, wants to help his brother in every way he can but he isn't old enough. Innocent, naive and  immature.

Above are a few ideas for specific characters I could use in my trailer. I was inspired by Vladimir Propp, who has a theory about specific characters in horror films. I decided to use or challenge these conventions. Ones I did use were the villain, the helper, the false hero, the dispatcher etc. I decided to use these characters, as they work well in horror films as they create binary oppositions, and make the film more interesting by having a variety of characterizations.
I wanted to have the main character which makes the horror film, as well as some victims to help the story seem more disturbing and effective. I wanted to include a protagonist in the trailer, so that there are tense moments throughout the trailer as well as character building. The parents are extra characters, which could be used for short clips of extreme close-ups to show fear or anxiousness, flashbacks or using them for vocal clips, such as heavy breathing or screams.

Manteno State Hospital

These photos were taken in a hospital called "Manteno State Hospital" which was a mental asylum in Manteno. It was founded in 1930 and closed in 1985 due to disease.
A photographer found the hospital and did some research about it. They found out a story about a woman who was admitted into the hospital. She described her story and what treatments she had. He decided to write on the walls the story of her mental illness and experiences in the hospital. He took photos of the written on walls and used a model with words on her body in a few of the images.
Writing on the walls is a great way to scare the audience, as it makes a very personal way to scare someone, as it is aimed directly at that person in particular. Some films which use writing on the walls are "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" and "Blair Witch Project", which create an-nerving atmosphere.
These places to film in are effective, as they are in isolated locations where they are sepreate from everyday life. Abandoned mansions or hospitals are also frightening as they are large, and you never know what is in the same building with you or what is hiding behind a door or corridor.

Effects of black and white

Classic films were grainy and in black and white, which wasn't very good quality or very clear to watch. Nowadays technology has improved, but for some reason black and white in film and photos create a very original atmosphere. They give a retro/vintage feel to the shot, and black and white can be used and is used frequently used to suggest a past memory, or how someone is feeling inside their head. Black and white allows the audience to see one subject in one light and another in a different light, making it more obvious to the film what is going on or suggesting a particular mood, eg. sad.

I would like to use black and white in my trailer for certain scenes, as I think it creates a dark, defined and eerie atmosphere to the shot, as it blocks away colour, which we associate with happiness. Because of the darkness, it creates a mysterious and suspicious atmosphere as the audience might not be able to see everything clearly in the frame.

I was inspired by German Expressionism, more specificially from the film "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and other classic horrors. "Night of the Living Dead" is a zombie film from 1968 and is filmed entirely in black and white, which made the story seem more realistic and eerie, caused by the shadows and darkness. I was also inspired by Schindler's List. In Schindler's List, the film is in black and white, taking us back to that era. There is also a girl in a red coat amongst the black and white. This creates so much focus and definition on the girl, and it draws attention to that person. You could also do this where everything is in colour and one person/object is in black and white.                                                                            
Below- Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Night of the Living Dead. City is an example of how black and white creates atmosphere. Girl in read coat from Schindler's List.

Potential props I could use in my trailer

*Creepy letters. These are effective in horror films, as they create an ominous atmosphere where the characters in film and audience don't know who they are from and why they are being sent to them. They have no control over receiving them or what the future will hold about what is written in the letters.  

*Chemicals. Chemicals are dangerous and can be used to threaten vulnerable characters, which could create tension for audiences, as they can recognize the panic and fear the characters are experiencing. 

*Weapons. The majority of horror films use weapons to create fear. They can threaten characters and raise disturbance for audiences, or they can physically be used, creating a gruesome/ bloody horror such as a slasher, eg. Scream.

*Fake/real mud to put on costume. Mud can have a connotation of a person being dirty, bad, evil, going against what is normal. By using mud on costume can represent an un-happy jealous antagonist who is evil and not normal.







*Fake blood. In combination with weapons, this can create horror for audiences, as they realize that whatever is going on is serious and they are in danger for themselves or their friends.

 

 *White dress. Night gowns are a common convention for female antagonists in horrors, such as The Ring (2002) and The Grudge (2004). They create fear, due to the fact that they will come at you most commonly at night time when people are asleep and vulnerable. 

How to improve my work

In AS media, I learnt that getting constructive and positive feedback from different people helps your research and your improvement hugely. This is because everyone's opinions differ, and you might be able to see a trend or pattern in who likes or dislikes what. What works well is to have a focus group that you meet with every few weeks to discuss how you're doing and how you could improve. You could show two different pieces of work which are similar, but have slight differences, such as editing differences in photos, or different filming angles in the trailer. This gives them the choice and the opportunity to speak about why they prefer one version more than the other.

Another great way to get feedback is to create surveys on Survey Monkey. You can create your own questions, and you can send the questionaire to particular people, whether that's to a random audience, an older age group, younger age group or your peers. This gives you a huge range from different people and for you to see what works best. Some good questions include:
"What font do you like best and why?"
"How does the ending of the trailer make you feel?"
"What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of horror trailers?"

Another way to improve is to look at other blogs and to see what content they are posting/have posted. I will also be looking at specific qualities for a particular target audience, such as story lines, locations or props.

Camera positions and angles

Camera angles and positions have a huge impact on the atmosphere of a scene, trailer or film. There are so many different ones, but some are used to show certain things, such as special props shown throughout the film, showing the proxemics between characters or showing the mise-en-scene.

Tilt shot is when the camera is down below looking up at someone. These shots make the person in the frame seem authoritative, powerful and important. These shots would be good for the antagonists or protagonists standing up for themselves confidently.

Crane shots are taken high up when the camera is on a crane which makes everything look small, helpless or un-important in terms of their emotions or their position compared to other characters in the film. The camera can be lifted up or down on the crane to change the dynamics.

Establishing shots are always the first shots that the audience see. They set the scene by letting the audience know where this film or scene will be taking place and gets the audience interested in what will happen during the course of the film.

Crab shots are when the camera is in a space, such as a cupboard or cabinet. This gives an isolated trapped feeling, or a less professional/relaxed manner, such as the Paranormal Activity style of filming, where lots of the filming is through CCTV.

Subject filming and point of view shots are taken from the position of the audience, getting them more connected emotionally as if they are that character.

Head on shot is when the action comes directly to the camera which can be very full on and dramatic for the audience, as it makes them feel as if it's happening to them personally.

Tracking shot is when the camera is moved along on a track on the floor, following a character. This can get the audience more involved, due to the slow movement of the camera shadowing a character. What will happen next?

Close ups/extreme close ups are great shots in film as they show someone's expression and how they're feeling, whether they're screaming or crying.

Paranormal Activity Filming Style

Paranormal Activity are a series of psychological horror films starting from 2007. They have a very iconic filming style, as they seem very naturalistic. The cameras are usually hand-held and shaky, as if the actors aren't actors and are making home videos or vlog footage. They are also normally families in their houses, once again referencing to isolated locations.

The films start normally, but further on in the film more thing start happening, such as things being moved or broken in the house to seeing ghost figures to people being thrown against the wall violently without knowing why. They also use point of view and subject filming to get the audience as involved in the films as possible. They often use CCTV type footage which creates a very naturalistic feel to the film, making it scarier for normal viewers watching.

When I watched the Paranormal Activity films, I really liked how they were structured differently and in a more casual/relaxed way as I had never seen another horror film series like this before. I like how these films establish the characters in-directly like in normal horrors- we learn their names differently through the casual chatting through friends outside or family inside the house. It inspired me to use similar footage in my trailer, such as friends walking in the woods holding the camera, then the audience hear screaming and the camera suddenly drops to the floor. Also outdoor CCTV footage could be effective, or police tracking the area through naturalistic cameras.

Target Audience & Rating

When films are rated U, PG, 12, 15 or 18, there are specific reasons why.

12/12A: Horror films with jump scares more than visually graphic things can be rated at a 12/12A, eg. "Woman In Black"

Moderate Drug use

Moderate bad language

Moderate sexual scenes

Moderate threat

Moderate violence

Nudity is possible, but it is short and discreet

15: The most common rating for horror films. Most common horror genre at this rating is psychological, eg. "Insidious"

Drug use can be shown, but not in a convincible aspect

Sexual contact may be shown, but not in strong detail

Dangerous behaviours can be shown but scenes can't dwell on detail

There may be strong horror and threat for a 15

Violence may be strong but cannot dwell on pain or injury 

18: Not many films are rated 18, as it means a smaller audience will view, giving them less money. 18's will be rated at this for a reason, such as very bad language which is offensive or racist, strong sex scenes such as rape, disturbing psychological scenes or strong violence or threat is permitted. Gore is often rated at 18 as it's un-normal behaviour, eg. "Hostel".

The BBFC are a trusted organisation for media content in the UK. Their mission is to protect the public (especially children) from content which may raise harm risks, as well as empowering parents to make informed viewing choices. The next one is to recognize and respect adult freedom of choice within the law. They are extremely important in the UK as they help the country recognize particular media products which would be suitable for different people around the country, as the media can create explicit content which could be easy to access.

Clowns in horror

Clowns have been around since the 1800's as comic performers, performing in circuses performing in a physical/slapstick style, sometimes including mime.

Clowns became popular from "Comedia dell'arte" based off Greek and Roman characters as the "Rustic Fool". Court jesters and harlequin have references to the historic side of clowns.

Horror films like to twist different situations to make them horrible, such as making dolls scary, going into a forest or an old house etc. Because of this, the horror genre changed the comedic side of clowns to be unpleasant. There are some links between paedophilia, as clowns often work at parties with children, so horror films can play on this idea.

Clowns are very staged un-natural characters, so clowns may be seen as covering someone's personality through costume or acting, making them suspicious. There are many clown masks which have the same eerie mysterious effect.

When clowns perform, they have a physical slapstick style and way of moving. This is another reason why directors can associate clowns with violence, such as slasher films.

Barbara Creed: "The Horror and Monstrous Feminine"

Quotations from book shown by "...."

*Before horror films were written or spoken narratives, fables handed down from generations and theatrical presentations.

* "Origins of the horror story may be traced to the narrative or in the Babylonian "Epic of Gilgamesh" and horror's "Odysey" monsters with a strong otherworldly flavour in which man is but a tool or pawn of the gods".

This quote demonstrates how there were many different sources from back in the day to help us understand more about the horror genre now.

*Dante's Divine Comedy (1310) has been a template for a horrific scenes of eternal damnation. This can be traced from the middle ages more specifically in French folk tales.

*Marlowe's the Tragical History of Dr. Faustus (1590) as well as Johann Wolfgang Von Gloothe's two part poem Faust (1808 & 1833) proved fertile ground for film makers from the late 19th century.

*Classics such as Frankenstein, Dracula and Sweeney Todd were the books which got horror to where it is today, such as drama and musical theatre performances.

* "Horace Walpole's "The Castle of Otranto" (1794) is generally considered the 1st horror novel, and the work of Gothicist Ann Radcliffe, who most successfully foray into the genre was undoubtedly "The Mysteries of Volopho" (1974) was also popular with audiences".

This quote is good to know, as we need to know where origins came from and which books came out when.

* "Most famous of all these early works is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or the modern "Prometheus" (1818) which was created as the result of a bet of sorts by Lord Byron, who, ensconced in his summer hous on Lake Geneve in 1816 with Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Polidori, Mary Goodwin and Claire Clairmont in attendance, proposed that he and his friends should try their hand at writing ghost stories pass the time".
"The weather was cold and rainy, and created the proper mood for such an enterprise".

This quote sets the mood and allows us to think about what these authors were like and how they started these books.

*Others got out of the situation apart from Mary Godwin who was determined. It was published in 1818, was hugely popular and it has served the basis for many films, nationalities, "From the dawn of cinema to the present".

Photo ideas for magazine/poster

I took these images myself, and I chose them as I thought that they could be used in different ways in my poster or magazine cover as secondary images, or even still ideas for filming angles for my trailer.

Mysterious shadows/silhouettes. These create an ominous atmosphere, as we don't know who that person is, what they're doing or where they are.

Eerie grand filming locations. In many horrors, such as The Woman in Black and The Boy are located in mansions, often because the people inside them feel vulnerable as they don't know who else is in the big house with them.

Candles are good in horror, as normally they are used in the dark and don't give off much light, giving a mysterious un-nerving feel creating shadows, where protagonists may see things which might be in their head or real.

Drug use in horror can be very interesting, as it gives different effects to different characters. A film that I think of for this is "The Facility".

Different types of lighting, such as high-key or low key. Typically in horror they use low-key lighting, as it creates shadows, darkness and the un-known.

Dark locations, so that protagonists can't see what's coming for them.

Damaged objects/locations in horror, showing violence or old locations where ghosts or spirits may live.

Establishing shot- showing the dark location of the film.

Isolated locations, so that protagonists are vulnerable and stranded if anything did happen- no help anywhere.

Showing different expressions for different characters.

My Trailer Narrative

A young teenager got kicked out of her home years ago as he parents didn't love her. To this day she is still out there, wanting peace and love. She lives in a caravan in the woods with many weapons and personal belongings from other victims in her caravan. If people walk past her caravan, she has to draw them in somehow. If she likes them, they have to spend time with her and she chooses what she does to them. If she doesn't like them, she sees it as disturbance, and she has to torture them as soon as possible. She is invisible during the daytime as she hides, but at night she sits in her caravan, humming and singing to herself until someone comes along. They have no idea at first, and she shares her life story with them whilst possessing them.

Trailer ideas:
Establishing shot in woods then in caravan.
Slow fades in and out with simple piano music with a cold feel to it.
We later meet trespassers in the woods.
We see the girl peeping out of her window.
Sudden black out.
"I will get them."
*Scream*
Visuals of people falling over with things like trees falling on top of them.
See more panic from the trespassers. Are trapped in the woods and can't get out.
Point of view shot from a victim running. We hear heavy breathing and the camera is hand-held and sharp.
Black out.
Heart noises.
Music builds up more tension. Cuts become faster and we see more and more things happening to the victims in the woods.
Sudden silence.
"Don't go near the woods."
*Scream* to finish.

False Shock and Sudden Shock

"Jump scares" are a very well-known aspect of a horror trailer/film. False shock is when the audience are waiting and waiting, and when there is a build up nothing happens. Sudden shock is when the film makes the audience jump suddenly without any warning which can be frightening. Directors and editors can make these effective by music. If the music gets louder, more eerie and intense the audience can sense something bad is about to happen, or a horrible loud bang will make the audience jump in addition to what is going on visually.

Film directors learn how to do jump scares well if they have enough experience. The majority of horror films include jump scares to get the audience as involved with the film/trailer as possible, and to create different forms of fear and tension throughout the viewing. In horror trailers jump scares are the most common way to end a trailer to entice the audience.

Some people think that jump scares are the most effective ways to get the audience scared, as it builds tension and adrenaline, frightening the audience suddenly, which film directors may enjoy. Other people have negative opinions, thinking that jump scares are an easy way to get the audience involved in the film. All they need to do is to make a sudden cut with some scary music. This can be the case but isn't always, as jump scares can be done well.

Some examples:

"Alice Sweet Alice"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0lFjNy8sOc

"Jaws"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrEvK-tv5OI

"Mama"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYidLUda8tk

German Expressionism

German Expressionism began before the first world war which reached a peak in Berlin during the 1920s. German expressionism had a huge field from architecture, dance, cinema, acting, painting and sculpture. This kind of expressionism is very recognisable and stylised, shown through jagged rough set designs with sharp angles, eerie effects created through shadows, silhouettes and fog. It also included isolated locations sometimes, such as a haunted house.

Some classic films from this type of expressionism include "The Student of Prague" 1913, "The Cabinet of Dr Caligari" 1920, "From Morn to Midnight" 1920 and "The Golem: How He Came into the World" 1920.

Different European cultures of the 1920s embraced an ethic of change to look to the future of cinema by experimenting. They did this by using very bold artistic styles with new un-heard of ideas.

The most common narratives in German Expressionism films were to do with unpleasant things, such as betrayal or madness triggered by world war one.

Extreme anti-realism created from such stylised films didn't last longer than a few years, apart from themes of expressionism crept into different films throughout the years and we know that these ideas were created from the German Expressionism style.

Some film examples:

"Cabinet of Dr Caligari" trailer, 1920
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAtpxqajFak

"From Morn to Midnight", 1920
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTHWiPWlPHg

"The Student of Prague", 1913
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWycNxqotmQ

Conventions of the Horror Genre

Aesthetic conventions are what we see in the film. One effective use in horror is the mask. Masks are effective as they cover the face, and the audience don't know who is underneath. It could also cover someone's power over protagonists.




Children in horror films are very popular as they can scare others and could make parents worried by watching these horror films. Children are seen to be vulnerable and happy in the media, and horrors twist this idea by making children all the things they shouldn't be: in charge, powerful or scary.


The majority of horror films are set in isolated locations, such as the woods, a new house in the middle of nowhere, a tent, shed, attic etc. This is to scare the audience even more, as they can't get any help if they are in an un-known area and makes the film scarier.




Weapons are great in horror films as they make the audience feel squimish and sorry for the victim. It makes the audience process what is going on in their head and they can imagine what it is like in real life/if it happened to them. Weapons in horror cause shock, panic, nervousness and a dangerous un-naturalistic atmosphere.




Horror films like to make normal situations horrible to scare the audience, eg. dolls and toys. It is very normal for children to play with toys, and if films make that seem like a dangerous thing, it can scare children, parents and families. Another one is exaggerating illness or moving into a new house which is completely normal.

Some good film examples are "While the Children Sleep" which is about a horrible babysitter and "Chucky" about a horrible doll.

Here is a clip from the film "The Orphan" . This was intended to scare mothers to be:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCOMZ2YFJzQ

I researched some different horror fonts that I like which I could use or get inspiration from in my magazine cover and poster.

Horror fonts tend to be thick, wide, dark and have blunt edges or have extra embellishments, such as flickers which make the font look like a type writer or that they look like blood. They have a medieval feel, or they feel modern from the caps lock effect. In my magazine cover I want my title/mast head to be very big with an interesting font which stands out. Some of my favourite fonts from my research are "Animal Silence", "Unrealised" and "Amaz Obitaem Ostrov".

For titles on the magazine cover, they tend to be slightly thinner but still noticeable enough to stand out on the page. Some of my favourites are "Northwood High", "Backyard" or "Van Helsing".

For my poster, I would like a font that is very different and isn't necessarily easy to read. Some of my favourite fonts are "Barbarian," Card Shark" and "Godhong".

Location Idea for filming trailer

I found an abandoned caravan nearby where I live and I thought that it would be a great location for filming some parts of my trailer or taking photos for the poster or magazine cover. I love the broken windows, flat tyres, dirty walls and how there are many personal objects inside, such as shoes, clothes, food, mugs, cutlery etc. It also includes a candle stick holder which looks very eerie. There are many gardening items inside, such as saws, forks, hammers etc which could be used as weapons in the trailer.




One narrative I could use for my trailer is a story about a zombie/ghost girl who could've died in a horrible way, and she lives in this caravan, and when people walk through the woods at night time or when they walk past her caravan, she has to torture them in some way for trespassing and disturbing her privacy.