Nine-Frame Analysis

This is a Nine-Frame Analysis of the Opening Sequence of The Women in Black. The Women in Black is one of the two films that inspired the story-line of my Film Opening.

SHOT 1: This shot  represents their childhood and what they did in their childhood, which further portrays their innocence. Later on in the Film Opening they step on these toys and crush them, therefore in the process destroying their childhood before their death.

SHOT 2:  This shot also portrays that they are only young children playing, so therefore the audience may sympathise with them and be anxious for the children as because it is a horror, they know something bad is going to happen to them because of the normality that is being shown, which is another convention of Horror film.

SHOT 3: This is the first shot that shows all three children. They look young, so this increases their vulnerability and innocence. It also makes the audience feels sorry for them as they seem oblivious to what is going to happen to them. 

SHOT 4: This shot again shows the innocence of children in horror films. This portrays that they do not deserve to be killed and make the audience sympathise with them. This idea will be shown in my own Film Opening to emphasise the fact that children in horror films are usually shown to be innocent and care-free.

SHOT 5: Here the two girls smiling faces portrays that they have no idea of what horrors are going to happen to them. It also shows that there is happiness even when their young lives are about to become no more due to a ghost seeking revenge.

SHOT 6: This shot also portrays happiness and the normality of the children's lives. This normality is playing which all children do. However, the sight of the ghost will destroy this happy scene and force it to become dark and miserable.

SHOT 7: This shot shows the three girls looking up to the camera which represents the ghost (which the audience does not know what they are looking at). As they do this, the mood and atmosphere of the film opening changes from happy to tense and mysterious, which is also shown through the more serious expressions on the girls faces.

SHOT 8: Here it portrays the three girls going towards the window, on whatever they have seen orders, to open it to jump. This sets the scene of the movies dark and murderous tone due to the loss of innocence.This also makes the audience more tense and horrified of the suicide that the children have no idea is happening to them.

SHOT 9: This shot is the last shot of the sequence and portrays an over-the-shoulder shot of the woman in black looking at the three windows the girls have jumped out of. This shows that she has not completed her revenge and also makes the audience more scared of what she is going to do next and how horrific the death is of her next victim.

Film Company Idents

What is a Film Ident?

• A film ident is a short section of a film which are usually shown in trailers or in a Film Opening. 
• Film Idents are also used in Television Programmes because audiences can understand who is responsible for a the film of the Television Programme.

Why do we need a Film Ident? 

• Film Idents show the audience who is responsible for the production of the Film or Television programme. 
• Film Idents could be an animation, logo or company name.

Here are the different types of Film Company Idents:

Age of the Mother in my Horror Film Opening

I have changed the age of the Mother in my Horror Film Opening from 38 years old to 48 old in the present day as it would be more realistic as she would be 38 when her son died and 48 10 years later in the present day in which my film is set in. 

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death Film Review

A group of children move out of London because of the war into Eel Marsh House 40 years after Arthur Kipp's left to carry on schooling them and to keep them "safe". Eve who is a teacher starts to notice odd occurrences as the children in her care begin to be killed, after they bullied one young boy who always carries around a doll he found in one of the rooms. The audience know that he has been possessed by the Woman in Black, who seems to want revenge on Eve for getting rid of her own child. Eve enlists the help of a pilot to help investigate what she wants and why...

I like the Angel of  Death as it tells the audience what happened to the house after Arthur Kipp's left 40 years previously. It is a sequel of the Woman in Black (2012) film but tells the tale of the same woman but this time from a more horrific point of view. As children disappear in this film it tells the audience that Jennet Humfryes has not forgiven for the death of her child and is carrying on her revenge. This relates to my Film Opening as it contains a ghost that is seeking revenge by killing innocent children. The special effects in this film make it more scary, realistic and believable.

Here is a trailer for The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death: 

Certificate Ratings and what they mean

•   Not suitable for persons below 12 years of age. 
• In a cinema, they have to be accompanied by an adult, to watch the film. 

• A PG is suitable for viewers in General.
• However, some scenes will not be suitable for young viewers. 

• Films are not suitable for viewers below the age of 15.
• Viewers below 15 are not allowed to see the film in the cinema.

• No one younger than 18 can see the film in the cinema.
• Adults are free to choose their own entertainment.

For my Film opening I will us the age rating of 12A as some scenes are not suitable for those persons that are younger than this age,.

Iconic Sounds in a Horror film opening

1.  Squeaking door: This may happen in the background of a scene in a horror movie. This is usually portrayed as a ghost opening a door. This will make the characters and the Audience more tense and apprehensive. 

2. Demonic Laugh: This will usually come from the villain or the ghost in a Horror Film. A Demonic Laugh will intensify the scariness of the Film.

3. Children Giggling: In horror films a dead child's laugh is seen as scary. Especially is it has an echo effect. Most people may find small, ghostly children in Horror films frightening.

4. Footsteps: Directors in Horror films usually use Footsteps to create a scary atmosphere and to increase the tension for the Audience and the fear and sense of threat for the characters as well.

5. Children Singing: As well as a child's laughter, they often use singing in a horror film. This increases the creepy atmosphere and the tension in the scene that it is being used in.

Setting and Title of my Horror Film Opening

I am going to film the mother in a clinic room to show that she is in a hospital and is not allowed out into society. I will film the son and the supernatural entity in the living room of an old house to show that the house is haunted. The room will be full of junk e.g. toys like children's and other pieces of furniture scattered around the place.

The door will have a window on it so I could film through it in the mothers perspective of watching her child being killed by a vengeful ghost. 

I have decided the title of my Film Opening will be Nemesis which means vengeance as the ghost wants revenge on anyone who tries to live in the house.  

Idea for the Story Line of my Film Opening!

Here is the story line of my Film Opening:

The Mother's story

A mother talks about (in her head) and flashbacks to her young son's death, six years previously. She is not allowed out into society, because she has been driven mad by guilt and also the fact that the same creature that killed her son now haunts her. When she is allowed into society, it all gets to much for her as she keeps seeing the same ghostly figure everywhere she goes. This leads to her eventual suicide which would have been at the end of the movie if it had been a whole movie.

Why the Ghost killed her Son

The Ghost is of a young Woman in her twenties, who was viciously murdered by her husband. From her death, she has vowed revenge to tear apart any family that tries to live in the house (as a ghost). Therefore, when a mother and son move into the house (this would take place two months before the time when the film is set) she haunts them before killing the son, whilst the mother is watching, helpless.

Where it is set

The film opening is set in one room of an old house, which is the room the son is being killed in, whilst the mother watches on through a window. She is unable to do anything, however.

Ideas For my Horror film opening...

I have taken inspiration from the horror film, The Messengers in order to have a rough plan on what my film opening is going to look like, sound like and what the story line is going to be. Even though I have not figured out my story line just yet, I have figured out what colour-grading I want to use and what sounds I want to use. 

I would like low-grade lighting for my film opening to make the audience know that it is going to be a horror film opening. I also would like the sound affect of nails scratching against a floor, like someone being dragged away. This is a picture of Lindsay Rollins in The Messengers being dragged away: 

I think I would like to base my story on a family being killed, like in The Messengers, however, I would like a supernatural entity to murder them instead of an alive person, to make it more spooky and interesting. This is what I would like the base the face of my supernatural, ghostly being on:

This is a young boy that was killed in the opening sequence of The Messengers,who made a ghostly appearance in the film. However, I would like to edit it to make it look older and use a woman instead of a man or a young boy, to alter the story line of my film opening, 

The Messengers Film Review

The Messengers starts with a grey-scale screen of a family being killed and tortured by an unknown entity. The screen then flicks to a coloured screen with a family of four driving towards the same house. Little do they know the dark occurrences that  happened in the house years before. It was six years since the Rollins family left with no reason (even though we know from the opening sequence they were killed)  The Soloman family then move in to the house to rebuild their lives after their young sons accident which caused him to be hospitalised due to Jess' (Kristen Stewart) drunk driving. When they settle in to the house strange occurrences start to happen which seems to have an affect on the youngest son. Jess to realises something strange is happen, but her parents will not believe her. The Soloman family meet John Burwell a drifter, but Jess soon finds out something about him that will change everything, could he be what the supernatural creatures want? and why? And what are the significance of the crows? Can Jess persuade her parents that something terrible is happening? Can she save them? 

I like the Messengers as it is full of mystery and horror. It also makes you want to watch more as it makes the audience question everything. I also liked how the film started with a grey-scale colour grading to inform the audience that the opening scene is set in the past and then flicking to a screen full of colour to signify the present. I also liked how one of the Rollins family is dragged away in the opening sequence, this makes me want to use this in my own film opening and also it makes me want to think about whether I want my own film opening to be in greys-scale or in colour to represent the past, present or possibly the future. Lastly, I also like how the audience is kept in the dark about what is attacking the Rollins family in the opening sequence of the film. The audience will assume that it is a ghostly or supernatural entity that is attacking them, but by the end of the film they will learn that it was something very very different, which will shock the audience as all the questions they were asking will finally be answered. 

Here is the Film trailer of The Messengers: 

The History of Horror

Here are some facts about the History of Horror:

• Horror films first found their inspiration from Gothic Literature.
• The term "Horror" was not used in films until the 1930's.
• Several experiments were carried out on silent film-making in the horror genre. This included the first Frankenstein which was adapted by the Thomas Edison studios in 1910 and Dante's inferno by Giuseppe de Liguoro in Italy in 1911. 
• Horror is an ancient art form. 
• Since the first communication in man, the horror genre has been used to scare and frighten others.
• Horror is not just in the form of films, it is also in the form of novels, comics, stories and television shows.
• The 1920's and the 1930's were the first decades to show scary films. In this period, there were remakes of classic stories, for example: Brams Stoker's Dracula, Nosferatu, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and The Mummy.
• In the 1940's there was a steep decline of horror films. There were however some horror films released such as; Wolf Man, Cat People, House of Dracula and House of Frankenstein.
• The 1950's saw films such as; The Wasp Woman, The Beast from 20,000 fathoms and It cam from beneath the Sea being released.
• The Birds, Carnival of souls, Blood feast and Night of the Living Dead were released in the 1960's.
• In the 1970's films like; The exorcist, Jaws, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Carrie, The Omen and Halloween were released.
• The 1980's saw Hellraiser, Nightmare on elm Street, The Fly, The Thing and The Shining being released.
• Horror films such as; Se7en, Silence of the Lambs, Misery, Candyman and Sixth Sense were released in the 1990's.
• Lastly, in the 2000's films such as; Final destination saga, The Ring, The Grudge and the descent being released.

The Horror Genre is very popular, especially amongst teenagers and young adults. I could use inspiration from all these different films, to use in my Film Opening to make it more lively. Also, I like some of the ideas used in these horror films and therefore want to use them in my own. 

In my opinion, horror films have got more complex and scarier over the decades because of the increasing number of fans and the increasing amounts of different technology they could use to edit the films to make them scarier. 

Here is a trailer from one of my favourite horror films, which was released in 2012. This Horror film is called the Woman in Black based on Susan Hills story:

Top Ten Camera Shots

Here are 10 different camera shots I could use in my Film Opening for the genre, Horror:

Top ten camera shots from Kathryn Thornton

Harry Potter Tour Film

Here is short video of our tour around the Warner Bros. Studios, the making of Harry Potter. Here is some of Mrs Williams' footage from our trip. We had a lesson and learnt about the different marketing techniques that companies such as Warner Bros. did to promote their films.

Conventions on Film Openings

Here is a short slideshow on what I found about Conventions of Film Openings

Conventions of film openings from Kathryn Thornton

Help from a camera man

On Wednesday in our lesson, Mrs Williams' friend who is a camera man came in to critique our Preliminary tasks and instruct us on how to make the perfect film opening. He also showed us how he would film our Preliminary tasks and corrected us on our mistakes. 

What I learnt from him about how to make the perfect film opening:

• To maintain headroom and to either have a mid shot, close up or a shot of the whole person, not in between, especially as they were walking away from the camera.
• To film at each persons eye line.
• To use up as much space as possible to avoid empty spaces which are not needed.
• To call for action after rolling the camera in order to capture all of the action - you can always cut the director saying "action" during the editing stage.
• Never cross the 180 degree line.
• Finish each shot completely before cutting. 
• Frame the shot when a person sits down. 
• Have the camera at the correct height. 

Foley Sounds

Foley sounds are sound effects which are added to a film or any other media source in order to enhance the quality of the audio. Foley sounds are created in the editing stage.  These sounds can be:

• Swishing of clothing or wind.
• Footsteps.
• Squeaky doors.
• Shattering glass.
• Knocking.

Foley sounds are used in the film Hunger, especially when the doctors puts the duvet over the main character. Foley sounds are also used through footsteps in the hallway in some scenes of the film. However, we would expect to hear these sounds as they sound realistic and they contrast whats happening to the main character. This contrast is the noise of the hallway compared to the silence that surrounds the main character when he is on his deathbed. 

I can used Foley sounds in my horror movie to enhance how realistic it is. For example; I can use footsteps to increase the tension of some scenes in order to make the audience feel tense and scared. Knocking can also be used to create this tense and scary atmosphere I intend to accomplish when making my film opening. 

Here is a trailer of the Film Hunger:

Warner Bros. Studio Tour

On Thursday we went to the Warner Bros. Studios where the film Franchise Harry Potter was made. We toured around the studios and saw all the different props, costumes, make up and sets that were used in the making of the eight films. It was interesting to see how many props and costumes were made for the characters or sets in the film and how many props that were expensive to make but hardly ever appeared in the actual films.

We also had a lesson on film marketing where I learnt how they story boarded each scene in each movie very carefully and with lots of detail. I also learnt that the director used cardboard models of various sets to plan out what he wanted it to look like and also where he wanted to stage the actors and actress and where he wanted them to move to throughout the scene. This was a good way to plan in advance so both the directors, producers, actors and cameramen knew where to move to and which spots they should be standing or sitting in. This plan would also be helpful to the cameramen so they know where to position their cameras to get the best shot.

I can apply what I learnt to my own Film Opening as I can plan out exactly what I want my actors to be doing the day I film my Film Opening. This will help me film the scenes more accurately and easily. Lastly, I will storyboard in great detail what scenes are going to be where and how I want each scene to be acted.

Here are a few pictures I took on my tour around the Warner Bros. Studios: 

Digetic and Non-Digetic Sounds

In our previous Media Lesson, we have been learning about Digetic and Non-Digetic sounds are.

• Digetic Sound: Sounds which exist within the film. A character in a film would be able to hear Digetic sounds. Digetic sounds could be a door slamming or footsteps along a hallway etc.
• Non-Digetic Sound: Sounds which no character inside the film can hear. These sounds could be music playing in the background or a voice over portraying a characters thought for example.

An example of Non-Digetic sounds can be heard in the Film hunger. When Bobby Sands dies sad music can be heard playing in the background. There are also examples of Digetic sounds in this film when the prison doors slam and there are footsteps in the hallway. Lastly, when Bobby Sands dies the audience can hear the faint sound of birds flying away from the tree, this is another example of a Non-Digetic sound.

I can use both Non-Digetic and Digetic sounds in my Film opening. As my Film Opening is a horror I can use Digetic sounds such as footsteps and loud crashes and bangs to amplify the fear of the the audience and to induce jump scares more efficiently. I could also use Non-Digetic sounds such a scary background music and a voice over to show the audience the characters fear. 

Mise En Scène

In the last couple of lessons we have been learning about Mise En Scène. When analysing a sequence of Mise En Scène, you have to look at how the different elements and techniques work together in order to:

• Tell a Story
• Evoke and atmosphere
• Give the audience information
• Provoke the audience to respond
• Highlight key themes.

In Chicken Run, the sky is red when Mrs Tweedy - the antagonist of the film - enters the Chicken Cage. The sky is red to signify danger. When Edwina is carried off to be killed the sky goes dark and the mood changes the scared. After Edwina has been killed, the Sky behind Ginger reflects her sadness by turning a dark blue. I can use different effects to make the sky different colours in my own film opening. As my film opening is a Horror, I can use darker and more sinister colours such as black or brown.

Also, Mise en Scène is used in the film, The Duchess. In this film, different settings are used to portray her departure from civilisation to pure isolation. The settings that are used are:

• The streets of London.
• The courtyard of Devonshire House.
• The hallway of Devonshire House.
• The bedroom where The Duchess awaits the arrival of her new husband.

The streets of London are presented with brown colours, to give it the look of uncleanliness compared to Duchess' carriage which is pristine. Shen then travels through and archway to the courtyard which is clean and more richer and well kept than the streets. Going through the first archway signifies one more step into isolation. She then goes through another archway into the hallway. The hallway is big and grand, this signifies herself in total isolation. The bedroom where she awaits her new husband is small and dark which portrays her as trapped and isolated. I could use different settings in my Horror film opening, to emphasise isolation from Civilisation like in The Duchess. 

Cinematography

In Chicken Run Mrs Tweedy is film from a low angle shot to portray her power over the chickens. This low angle shot portrays her a tall and makes her the evil character due to her facial expression. The chickens are relatively small compare to Mrs Tweedy. Close ups are also shown of Mrs Tweedy's face. This portrays the evil and malice on her face as she prepares to choose which chicken will meet their end (getting their head chopped off) There are also close ups of the chickens faces to portray their fear of her, as they see her as a tall and frightening. After Edwina has been killed, there are several close ups of Gingers (the main character) face. The close ups of her face portray her sadness and teary eyes as she has lost her friend.

In Wallace and Gromit, there is close ups on Gromits face in the scene where they brainwash the rabbits. There is a mixture of emotions like fear and disbelief. Also, the camera is still whilst focusing of Gromit who is a calm and sensible character and when the camera focuses on Wallace who is in the midst of the action, the camera is slight shaky and at different angles to represent chaos. Framed shots are used in Wallace and Gromit. These shots are used when Wallace and Gromit surround the cage containing Hutch (the rabbit that has been brainwashed). Wallace is half inside the cage with hutch and Gromit if on the outside of the cage looking sceptical. Once Wallace and Gromit leave , hutch shakes. This creates tension for the audience as to what is going to happen next.

In my own Horror Film opening I will use a range of close up shots of the protagonist characters to portray fear and a range of emotions in their faces. I will also use close up shots of the antagonists face to portray their evil and malice on their faces. I will also use low angle shots of the antagonist to represent how scary and tall they are compared to the protagonists. Lastly, I will also use framed shots in my Film Opening to give a feel of isolation to the protagonists of the Film Opening.