Yasmin and Lauren Productions

Special FX

Before the Filming Days, we made sure to practise with the special fx makeup.

At first, we weren't sure what cuts and bruises we were going to need, so we experimented on hands.

After we sorted out our plot, we knew we needed a head wound so we started practising:

However, at first we received negative feedback.

In the end, instead of a prominent head wound, we decided to simply drip blood from the victim's temple, to make sure it looked realistic:

Unlike the head wound, there was no way around the slit neck, so we used liquid latex, fake blood, and a variety of cosmetics such as eyeshadow and lipstick.

Once we had a fake layer of skin over Yasmin's throat, we slit it open, and added red makeup inside the flaps. The finishing touch was the blood.

Music

Music

One of the most important parts of a movie is the score. Music can either make or break a horror film in particular.

Ideal pieces of music:

file://localhost/home/voony002.303/Downloads/The%20House%20of%20Leaves.mp3

opening.file://localhost/home/voony002.303/Downloads/Redletter.mp3

file://localhost/home/voony002.303/Downloads/Insidious.mp3

file://localhost/home/voony002.303/Downloads/Intimidation.mp3

Deconstruction of Donnie Darko

Deconstruction of Donnie Darko

The first thing the audience see is a slow zoom up towards an unknown object in the road, with the only sound being a few quiet birds chirping- an off screen diegetic sound and some subtle eerie non diegetic music, which makes the atmosphere tense and ominous. The trees and scenery are vast and surround what we realise is a man, as the camera zooms closer and he starts to move. The piano starts to play as the camera does a 180 pan around the man so the audience can see the tranquil expression on his face. He is wearing checked trousers and a long sleeved top, most likely- pyjamas, suggesting he slept out all night on the road. His hair is messy and he has a tired expression. A point-of-view pan of the scenery, accompanied by the calm music creates a peaceful setting. The man then stands up and turns towards the camera to smile to himself, showing the audience his character is currently in a good mood rather than a melancholy one.
After the screen fades to white there's a straight cut to a man on his bike, and the parallel non-diegetic music picks up tempo which is synonymous with the increased speed of the man on his bike. tracking shots are used to film the man cycling whilst he is travelling down the hill. Point-of-view shots are also used to allow the audience the same experience of the surroundings as the cyclist has.
Next, the camera shows a close-up of an advertisement for a Halloween carnival, informing the audience that Halloween is approaching and this could play a part in the story of Donnie Darko, who is presumably the man on the bike. Although straight cuts are primarily used, the camera often moves from one point of focus to another with cutting. For example, the camera simply pans until the cyclist is out of view, before zooming closer to a mute scene with a man and a girl. This camera technique represents the way the cyclist sees his surroundings as he travels at a high speed.
As he enters the house, the non-diegetic music begins to fade, suggesting the montage will end and the dialogue will begin. The note on the fridge says, "where is Donnie?" which is a narrative enigma, inferring the cyclist is Donnie, he has been sleeping out all night and people at home were only moderately worried about him- suggesting he is a teenager given quite a lot of freedom by his parents.

Deconstruction of Silence of the Lambs

The sequence begins with close up and medium tracking shots of a girl running through the woods. This creates ambiguity, especially as it is paired with non-diegetic parallel, sinister music composed mostly of string instruments. The location is some woods (dimly lit), which shows how isolated she is, and the audience is not sure if she running away from something.
The tilt to "hurt, agony, pain" introduces the audience to the genre (crime thriller) and establishes a violent theme.

It is later revealed that she is running an assault course, which changes the mood of the scene, and gives the audience the idea that she is much more masculine than most female characters.
This is further emphasised when she enters the building of the FBI base, as she is very small in comparison to the men that fill the corridors, and the medium shot of her standing in the lift in blue with lot's of large men in red, indicates that she is not the typical female character.
The use of colours could be used to represent the male gender as being a threat, as the colour red connotes danger, especially as it stands out against the muted colours of the building and her clothes.

Comedy vs Horror

Rom Com/ Comedy Films

-Usually occur in a busy, urban place- difficult to film in

Several scenes in Love Actually are filmed in an airport, a busy and chaotic place.

-Need dialogue, to develop characters- therefore need good quality acting throughout (hard to find)

Professional actors used in Bridget Jones Diary ensures character development.

-A funny, witty script is needed and it would be hard to think of original ideas

Valentine's Day

-Typically higher budget

A high angle shot from a helicopter, or top of a building is used in New Year's Eve.

-Humour can be hard to evoke from the audience

Well known actors are used in Friends with Benefits, which already adds to the comical effect.

Horror Films

-Can often occur in a quiet abandoned place- good to film in

Cabin in the woods

-Script is not as important, the audience want to see action

Nightmare on Elm Street

-Good quality acting is not a priority

Nightmare on Elm Street

-Can have a lower budget and still be convincing

-Fear is an easier emotion to evoke

Typography

Horror movies usually have some 'horrific' typography for the opening and closing credits. 'Conventional' horror movie typography has evolved over time.

1931

1960

1963

1968

1973

1976

1978

1980

1981

1984

1986

1990

1995

1999

2005

Horror movie fonts get scarier as they evolve through the years.

The saw 3 poster looks like this:

Production Companies

A lot of thought needs to be put into which production company we should use for our film opening. It needs to be appropriate to our genre, which is horror.

One option would be NEW LINE CINEMA, who have produced several horror films such as:

A Nightmare On Elm Street