Story Board Draft 1

Damnatio Pitch

11/01/2010

We spent this lesson brainstorming different ideas for films we thought would allow us to make an effective opening. Before thinking of an opening

Target Audience Questionnaire

As part of our research into horror films, we created a questionaire aimed at teenagers. It consisited of six questions we believed would help us establish what we needed to include in our horror opening and what we should avoid.

Q1.

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Q3.

Q4.

Q5.

Q6.

Past Production Review: Distortion

This past production uses many conventions typical to the horror genre. For example, the setting is in a dark alley at night, alleys are viewed as dangerous scummy settings and this is emphasized by the rubbish and bottles on the floor. Darkness is a very common convention and having the film set at night emphasizes this as it represents isolation and gives and eerie and uncanny feeling to the audience. The lighting was used very effectively in this piece and we could learn a lot from it as the faces were kept in darkness and characters walked in and out of pockets of light; this representing the girl leaving the more comforting feel of being in the light, to the mysterious and dark alley. The character being pursued is also a teenage girl; which is a common convention in horror films as they are seen as being vulnerable. It was fast paced which kept the audience on their toes. There was not any noticeable diegetic sound, however the diegetic of her walking seemed to emphasise her loneliness as is show just how isolate she is. There was also a lot of high pitched sounds and added noises played during he girls chase that were jumpy. However, the opening did not have a clear narrative, which is important in making the scene make sense, and instead left me feeling confused. This is something we should take note of when making our film.

Past Production Review: Don't Look Back

The film uses many typical conventions, for example the location as a house is uncanny and is frightening to the viewer as it gives a sense of realism. Also the fact that it is set at night makes the scene more eerie and emphasizes the isolation, which is also done in many horror films. Another typical convention is the music used, both diegetic and non-diegetic sound; the classic string, repetitive music and the girls scream at the end is what you expect to hear in any horror film. The fact that the victim is a teenage girl is also conventionally used as they are seen as the weaker sex and being more vulnerable. The mask of the antagonist also acts a traditional convention. The beginning, establishing shot of the house was effective in setting the mood as, to the viewer, it was as though the shot was a point of view of the antagonist, watching the house. Another thing i found effective was the props used; for example the created news story on the laptop made the whole plot line more realistic and believable. I also liked the use of the flashing lights, as it was unnerving for the audience and created a sense of confusion and disorientation. The loss of light also symbolised the sudden danger the girl is in, as light normally symbolises safety and hope, so the loss of it puts the viewer on edge. The use if mirrors was also very effective and added to the sense of disorientated aswell as allowing us to get a glance of the antagonist. The music was also cleverly used as the stringy music is unnerving and the continuous, repetitiveness of it gives the sense that is it leading up to something. Aswell as this the music speeds up and gets louder the nearer the the girl gets to danger creating fear within the viewer. However, the only problem i have with the film is that it is a very stereotypical, predictive storyline, in particularly the ending when the girl is grabbed from behind with a knife to her throat. This is something i will take into account when creating my own horror film; to try to come up with a more original idea that will shock the viewer, aswell as taking now of all the conventions pulled off very effectively in the film.

Past Production Review: Abandonment

This past production uses many conventions typical to the horror genre. For example the location is in the woods, an already unsettling setting that is conventionally used in scary films. Also the main character is a girl on her own, making her vulnerable which is a commonly used in horror films. Although there was both diegetic and non diegetic sound, the only diegetic was from her walking and calling her dog, emphasizing the fact she is alone. Her scream at the end also is a common diegetic sound of horror films. The non diegetic sound was low pitched, repetitive music, which created an even more eerie feel to the film. The use of a variety of camera shots and angles is very effective, especially the point of view shots from the killer's perspective, which built tension because the audience was able to see where the killer was, even though the character could not, creating dramatic irony. Also, the flashback shots of the rope hanging from a tree was effective because it foreshadowed the death of the girl and also added more background to the narrative, aswell as making the audience feel more uneasy and worry about the girls fate. One of the things that i believe worked against the film was the unrealistic aspect, as the girl seemed to give up after calling her dog back twice, and instead throws the lead to the ground and walks off into the woods, which is quite obviously not what would happen in real life. This in particular is what i will make sure doesn't happen in my film as personally, it took a lot of the fear out of the film and instead made it rather comical. The final shot was my favourite as it concluded the story well and evoked fear in the audience, as the loud, irritating sound of the phone was uncanny and made the viewer question why it is the girl can't answer the phone, fearing the worst. The shot of the hanging feet also proved to be terrifying as it was quite obvious what had happened to the girl, and acted as an effective finish to the film. We will take all of these aspects into account when creating our own film, as it showed us what was successful in scaring the audience, for example the point of view shot from the antagonist, and what was not as effective such as the fact a wider variation of camera shots and angles could of been used.

A Nightmare On Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American horror film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. Set in the fictional Midwestern town of Springwood, Ohio, the plot revolves around several teenagers being terrorized in their nightmares by the ghost of a serial child murderer named Fred Krueger. A Nightmare on Elm Street has become one of the most popular entries in the horror genre and the film's villain, Fred Krueger, has become one of the most well recognized villains in cinema history. Both critics and Craven have mentioned that the film owes some of its success to John Carpenter's Halloween.

Common Conventions:

• Girl victim
• lack of light
• religious props
• white dress

Mise en Scene:

• isolated location emphasises how alone she is and her vulnerability. This makes the scene more surreal, which makes it more believable that it is a dream.
• There is an unrealistic prop of a goat running through the hallway which also adds to the surreality of the scene. The goat emphasises that it is a dream because it is not a normal thing to see in a workshop.
• The floor in the warehouse is flooded which connotes danger and also puts the girl in a vulnerable position where she can easily be hurt.
• When the girl wakes up from her dream there is a crucifix on the wall in her room which has religious connotations. When she takes it off the wall and holds it to her heart it shows that she is reliant on religion and it makes her feel safe.
• The girls costume is a white night dress and this represents the innocence and vulnerability of the girl. When she wakes up the dress is ripped to show the destruction of innocence and the attack of vulnerable girls.
• The killer in the warehouse is fashioning a glove out of knives. He is using instruments such as hammers, saws, files and screwdrivers to fix these knives to the glove. These tools are all dangerous which adds to the feel of uncertainty and fright during the scene, not only is he using them with skill to show his capability but he is using them to make another more menacing weapon. The glove is also a symbolic prop of the film overall as the weapon the antagonist uses to kill his victims.

Sound:

• In the beginning sequence the non-diegetic sound is chiming and string music. This is a common convention used in horror films because the sound is eerie and builds tension a lot as viewers know that the music often leads up to a dramatic scene.
• The diegetic sound includes the girl's footsteps running through the water, adding to the effect the water has of making her seem vulnerable. Also the goat bleats which not only makes the character jump but disturbs the audience, adding to the surreal feel of the shot.
• Diegetic sound is also heard when the audience can hear the antagonist laughing as he is chasing the girl and the girl panicking and screaming. This builds tension as we cannot see the killer but we can hear him so we know he is around, and we know that the girl is distressed.
• The children singing in the scene emphasises innocence and vulnerability

Camera Movements/Shots/Angles:

• The camera tracks the girl as she moves around the warehouse, and it is an over shoulder shot so that the audience feels uneasy as they cannot see what is behind her. Also it allows the viewer to feel part of the scene and feel like they are in the same position as the character.
• There is also lots of close ups of the weapons and tools the killer uses. The close ups shock us and make us aware that the man in the warehouse is dangerous.
• When the killer catches the girl we have an over shoulder shot from him so we never actually see his face. This makes the viewer feel uneasy because they do not know who the killer is and therefore we are unaware as to when the characters are in danger, until we see the weapons. It also leaves the audience in suspense to find out who the killer is.
• When the girl wakes up from her dream there is an establishing shot of her in be. This allows the viewer to see her room and everything around it. Everything is white, again emphasising innocence, and the bedroom is the same as any average bedroom, which makes it uncanny and relatable.

Editing:

• The shots are very face paced during the dream sequence when she is being chased, creating confusing and building tension, making the chase more dramatic.
• When she wakes up however the shots go back to a slower pace which emphasises how she is back to reality and normality and to put the audience at ease as she is.

Halloween

Halloween, directed by John Carpenter, is a 1978 American independent slasher film set in the fictional suburban mid-western town of Haddonfield, Illinois, USA on Halloween. The central theme of the film is Myers' escape from a psychiatric hospital and his subsequent murder of a number of teenagers, whilst Dr. Loomis' attempts to track and stop him. Halloween is widely regarded as a classic among horror films, and as one of the most influential horror films of its era.

Common Conventions:

• Halloween uses many traditional horror conventions in order to scare viewers. These conventions include the sound, lighting editing and mise en scene. However, aswell as these conventions, there is one particular aspect used in the film which broke out from the stereotypical horror conventions and started of a new craze in the horror film genre; the way in which the opening of the film was shot.

Mise en Scene:

Sound:

Camera Movements/Shots/Angles:

Editing:

Jacob's Ladder

Written by Jean-Marc Rocher, Jacob's Ladder tells the srory of a New York postal worker Jacob Singer who is trying to keep his frayed life from unraveling. His days are increasingly being invaded by flashbacks to his first marriage, his now-dead son, and his tour of duty in Vietnam. Athough his new wife tries to help Jacob keep his grip on sanity, the line between reality and delusion is steadily growing more and more uncertain.

Opening scene focuses of Jacob's ladder. The opening scene of the film focuses on Jacob as he is stuck in a uncanny underground system at night as he starts to experience weird happenings.

Common conventions:

• the uncanny day today situation
• sound of footsteps
• small pockets of light
• lack of sound
• Diagetic unsettling noises
• claustrophobic enclosed spaces.

  Mise En Scene:
• Work clothes; shows how it is normally casual and he is totally unprepared.
• Underground train carriage; makes a dark and claustrophobic environment. We are placed in the train as well and claustrophobia is a common fear.
• We are always placed in the dark, this means we can’t see what’s behind us or what he is looking at.
• The rats show how he is not alone. It also shows how dirty and vermin filled the setting is. Rats and rodents are also another common fear. The wet and dirt everywhere also shows vermin and makes you feel like your in hell.
• Every time something new is introduced the carriage goes dark: This is to build suspense and makes us feel unsettled. It also shows that each thing is a possible threat.
• Poster says “HELL” in red.- Red is the same colour of blood. Red is also associated with danger as is the bold letters. It is also a form of dramatic irony.
• The metal bars, gates and locks. - Implies that Jacob is imprisoned or trapped. Again makes us feel claustrophobic.
• You can’t see through the windows- This creates tension as you don’t know what is there or where you are.
• Shadows- These create more dark areas and give the feeling that something is lurking or following Jacob. This makes the audience feel uneasy that something will jump out.

  
  

  Sound:
• Every time it goes dark the train squeals louder, almost like a scream. This is an uncanny as this normal sound is made out to be much more terrifying and irritating that makes the audience feel unsettled. It also created tension as we can’t see what’s happening or were anything is.
• General squeaky sounds of the train- makes the audience feel uneasy.
• Jacob's footsteps emphasises how lonely he is. The echoing footsteps in the background however create tension as they show how he may not be alone.
• Repetitive background sound- raises tension

  
  

  Camera Movements/Shots/Angles:
• Low angled wide shots of Jacob (establishing shot) - shows his isolation from the world and his loneliness.
• Shot through class of Jacob- shows how unaware he is of his surroundings. As the audience is placed on the train with him it makes us feel uneasy as it also looks like somebody is watching through the window.
• Extreme high angle from the stairs- shows how powerless and small Jacob is. Also makes Jacob look like he’s caged in.
• Multiple tilted angles- These are abnormal and make the audience feel unsettled as they make the shot uncanny.
• Pans across the train- shows the audience all the props and gives us an establishing shot of the train.
• Upwards tilt on the tramp/demons body- unveils him, creates mystery and tension as we wait for it to be shown to us.
• The camera slowly follows Jacob- makes the audience feel unsettled as it’s as if something’s following Jacob and we can’t see what it is.
• Shaky point of view shot- shows fear in Jacob and creates realism.

  
  Editing:
• Slow cuts until the train almost hits him.
• Zoom on Jacob- establishes that it’s dawned on him that he’s trapped. The chains, which represent hell and imprisonment, also do this.

The Ring (Japanese Version)

The Ring is a film about a cursed, disturbing videotape that, when watched, will cause the viewer to die a week after. The Ring (Japanese: リング Ringu) is a 1998 Japanese horror mystery film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki, which draws from the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film was later remade in the United States as The Ring (2002). The film is the highest grossing horror film in Japan at 12 billion yen ($137.7 million) and is also considered the most frightening horror film in Japan.

Common Conventions:

• Using music to create tension
• Darkness and shadows
• vulnerability of women
• comfy clothes
• using an uncanny house

Mise en scene:

Set in domestic house; this is meant to make the audience feel uneasy and make the house seem uncanny as it is decorated in the right way.

There are only small pockets of light and all light is few and far between and causes shadows on people and objects. The TV is one of the main sources of light. It lets out a blue glared light to show distortion and that there’s something wrong with it. The poor lighting in general shows how they are surrounded by darkness which is symbolic to danger. This is a precursor to the audience of what will happen next.

When in the kitchen half the room is contrasted in darkness and half the room is poorly lit. This is to show the thin line between danger and safety. This again is uncanny to the audience. The darkness of the living room shows its deep like a cave.

The young girl wears a hoody and skirt; the hoody emphasises that she how casual and unprepared she is. The skirt is iconic of young women which reminds the audience just how vulnerable and weak she really is.

Sound:

As usual, the non dietetic sounds involved stringy music which sounded like broken and deformed chords that made the characters seem lost. It is also unpleasant for the audience to hear so it makes them feel uneasy.

Silence: Often during the dialogue the music and background noise is silence. This creates tension as it makes the audience feel paranoid that something will make them jump.

The girl’s whisper: The two girls whisper when they don’t need to. This again makes the audience feel paranoid that they are trying to avoid something that’s watching them.

The dialogue in general is used for normality to set the audience in false sense of security which makes the film seem more realistic.

An example of this is the ringing of the phone. This breaks the silence and the high pitched sound is irritating and makes the audience feel uneasy. The sound of the ringing also breaks the laughing of the girls making them feel uneasy and afraid. As the ringing of the phone doesn’t stop it implies that the danger won’t go away. This situation has been made very uncanny.

The TV in the living room: When it comes on it makes very distorted, un-nerving and obscure sounds. It is Incongruous and builds a lot of tension and suspense to what it is.

Editing:

The TV in the bedroom has been given a blue film to create distorted and weird shadowing on the room and characters.

Cross cuts- Goes from the characters looking to what they are looking at. This is so we have a delayed reaction of what’s going on. The cross cuts give us a panoramic view gives us a point of view of what the characters can see which makes the situation seem more real to the audience as it seems like we are in their shoes. As the cross cuts speed up this creates and increases tension.

Camera Movements/Shots/Angles:

Shots close to girls- This is to make the audience feel like were right behind them in the situation. Also the fact that we then couldn’t see behind us was to induce fear in us because we couldn’t see what was going on.

Camera moves out of TV- This shows us that this object is of upmost importance in the film and that we as the audience should be focusing on it.

Over shoulder shot- This makes it look like somebody is watching them. It could also again make the audience feel like they are in the house in the situation.

Close ups- makes us feel claustrophobic and builds up suspension. The close ups also show the emotions of fear and this is meant to be transported onto us.

The mid shots- These mean we can see the darkness and shadows behind the characters. It is suppose to make us feel paranoid that there is something in there.

Tilt shot of clock- The tilt shows distortion and makes the clock seem uncanny and having a low angle of it shows its dominance over us and the characters. That time is controlling them and has some kind of power.

High angle when TV turns on- This shows isolation and emptiness of the house. It gives an uncanny atmosphere.

How Horror Films Have Changed and Adapted Over Time

Over the years the horror genre has been forced to change and adapt to suit audiences as not to become boring and predictable and instead continue to entertain and scare viewers. These changes include the plots becoming more complex and psychologically baffling, a change in the way films are shot and arranged and the blood and gore has increased to shock the viewers more and more. Here is an overview of the way the genre has changed from the 30s to the present day:

• 1930’s – horrors were based on literature and films such as Dracula and Frankenstein were made.
• 1950’s-1960’s – alien and monster movies were created to take away some of the nations fear during the cold war, by allowing human kind to seem in control and as wanting and achieving peace allowing them to escape from the realities of fear of nuclear attack. During this era movies such as Godzilla and Them! were produced.
• 1970’s – realism was introduced to the genre. More relatable films generated more fright during this time. Films such as the legendary Psycho and Halloween were created.
• 1980’s – in the 80’s slashers were the most popular of horror films such as Nightmare on Elm Street. Also special effects were used more and more during this decade creating monsters as the villains resulting in films such as An American Werewolf in London and The Thing.
• 1990’s – psychological thrillers are introduced and fear of the unknown is used widely. Films such as The Blair Witch Project, which was the first of its kind and changed the horror genre completely, introducing a completely unique style. Also films such as se7en had a lot of religious connotations, the victims having to pay for their sins.
• 2000’s – religious connotations followed into the noughties, with films such as Saw being made. Also predictions for world chaos and destruction such as The Day after Tomorrow and 1012, as well as inescapable and unprovoked deaths such as in the film Final Destination. More recently films such as Paranormal Activity and The Orphan have reintroduced psychological horrors.
  

Five Influential Horror Films

Frankenstein (1910)
This is the original film version of the Mary Shelly book and although not known for being particularly scary (and thought to be lost for 50 years) it still influenced the making of 59 remakes between the years of 1915 and 2005. Having a 12 minute running time and being a silent film barely effects how influential the film was for the future of horrors, perhaps because of the strength of the original story.
However it is known as the founder of gothic horror influencing modern blockbusters such as alien and the Childs play series with the theme of monster over paranormal.

The Exorcist (1973)
This film was probably most known for how it properly introduced the “innocent child-evil possessed child” scenario to horror movies. This story line in its self influenced other greats such as The Omen and more modern films such as The Orphan. With such a twisted storyline and characters it was quickly renown as a terrifying and massive influence to films books and Tv around the world.

Don’t Look Now (1973)
In Don’t Look Now, the only true horror film that Roeg has directed, the reading and misreading of signs not only causes anxiety for the spectator but also becomes life-threatening for the characters. Second sight, premonitions, and communications from beyond the grave—all of these flood the screen (and the mind of the protagonist, John Baxter) with fragmented images, pieces of a narrative that resist coherence. Each fleeting glimpse represents only a tiny part of the larger picture, like a mosaic tile, the fragment of a broken mirror, the light reflecting off the canals of Venice, or an individual frame of motion picture film.
Complete with drowned children, a blind seer, an intimidating clergyman, and an impressive gushing of blood Don’t Look Now manipulates the conventions of the horror genre while it adds its own peculiar sense of foreboding. But even in the film’s closing moments, as the fragmented images fall slowly into place, the resolution keeps the film’s final meaning disturbingly elusive. The viewer is left with the question of which of John Baxter’s aphorisms to believe: “Seeing is believing” or “Nothing is what it seems.”

Films influenced by Don't Look Now;

• Flatliners (1990) Boy in red with hood who is haunting Kiefer Sutherland is similar to haunting child (also in red with hood) who Donald Sutherland (Kiefer's dad) keeps seeing in Don't Look Now.
• Dark Water (2005)Ghost of drowned girl in red jacket; sanity of mother questioned; marital discard.
• Hostel (2005)The pursuit of a figure wearing a red coat through the narrow backstreets of a strange city.
• Silent Hill (2006)Recurring motif of parent chasing the ghost of a child
• The Omen (2006)A girl in a shiny red coat whose face is not shown runs through rainy streets in a creepy sequence.
• Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)Blood forms a spiral pattern in the opening credits sequence of Sweeney Todd. This red spiral is a recurring motif throughout Don't Look Now (Both films deal with self-destructive obsession).

Dracula (1931)
This movie was also the first of many movies based on the novel, Dracula, written by Bram Stoker. Dracula came out only four years after the first talking picture. Many of these first movies weren't very good because the film studios didn't yet have a grasp on how to pair sound with the visual element. Dracula did a great job with this. Bela Lugosi starred as the title character and his instantly recognisable accent still gives chills to movie goers today. While Frankenstein came out in the same year, Dracula can still be attributed with starting the new monster movie craze. The Mummy (1932) and The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) were soon to follow.

Halloween (1978)
Up until this time, movies have mostly been about monsters, zombies, or ghosts. Halloween presented public with a new subgenre of horror: slasher. Instead of an obvious villain with a large on-screen presence, Halloween showed Michael Meyers, a man of no words. Instead, we watch his destruction unfold as he slaughters numerous horny teenagers. This movie started the large slasher trend that continued into the 1980s. We wouldn't have Friday the 13th (1980) without it. The opening scene of the film is also one of the most memorable, as it is shot from the point of view of the killer, this was the first time something like this was done, and it allowed the audience to take on the persona of the killer aswell as creating dramatic irony.

Why is Horror so Popular?

There are many different genres of film; romance, science fiction, action ect however, arguably one of the most popular being horror. As over hte year and still up to this day it attracts milions of viewers for various reasons;

• Horror films enable viewers to detached themself reality and lose themselves in the polt. They act as an escape from everyday life.
• Provides emotions we don’t normally feel from other genres; fear, thrill and gives on an adrenaline rush!
• Scary films can also be used as bonding experience or social event with friends. This is partiulaly relelevant amonst teengers, as adults normally tend to have a more realistic approach and can be harder to scare.
• Another factor effecting the popularity of horror films it that there is always an audience and rally of supporters for them. Even if a film is given a bad review there are some people who will still go to see it, as a novelty.
• The fact that there are so many horror films means a higher chance of attracting a larger number of viewers. The reason why there are so many films is that film producers like making them, as it lets them experiment and breakout from the normal reality. Aswell as this, horror films are very cheap to make, Particularly because well known actors are hardly ever star in them so cheaper actors can be used.
  • Horror films are watched more than ever during the Halloween holiday as it adds to the atmosphere of the night.
  

The Main Conventions of Horror Films

There are many traditional conventions used in horror films, these conventions give the horror genre their own identity and help in scaring the viewer!

• One of the oldest conventions is the hiding of the antagonist in the darkness. This is a kind of a form of dramatic irony as we can see the antagonist and but the victim cannot.
• The concept of using a shaky camera to show realism is a relatively new convention first used in the 1980’s. However it wasn’t successfully established until the “Blair witch project” in 1999. Since then it has been used in a lot of horrors and psychological thrillers.
• The victim is often only partly dressed. This convention is supposed to show vulnerability. It is also often used to show how they would nakedly exit the world the way they entered it.
• A similar convention is the victim’s costume. They often wear white to show their vulnerability or improper clothing such as night gowns to show how unprepared they are.
• Also due to the stereotype of being weak, women are often the victim, as they are seen to be the more vulnerable sex.
• The high pitched stringy music is one of the very oldest conventions in horrors. Its uses trace back hundreds of years to plays and one of its first film uses were in silent films such as the original Frankenstein in 1910. It is suppose to make the watchers feel uneasy and distort the film.
• Also making the setting of the film isolated is another common convention used in horror films. Used to make the us and the characters feel isolated and lonely it is very effective technique.
• Using a normal place such as a house; but decorating it to look freaky is also a common convention. It makes us feel uncanny and gives us the sense of realism.
• Another convention that has been surfacing over the past 30 years is using children as the antagonists. Children are normally seen as vulnerable innocent and cute. Using them in horror films is seen as freaky and uncanny. This has been used in films such as “The exorcist” and “Halloween”.
• Another convention is how the character often dies after sex. This is because the director is using religion to show that they have sinned. It’s trying to show that death is being used as a punishment. The same concept is used with drugs.
• The antagonist having a mask is also a common convention in horror films. It is partly used to hide the characters face to show dramatic irony and partly used to make us feel uncanny. If the mask is something innocent like a clown it can be made freaky in this situation. This has been used in films such as “Halloween” and the “Saw series”.

Kelsey James :]

Honestly, I’m not the biggest fan of horror films because I’m scared too easily! But I have watched a lot with my friends because the atmosphere when we’re altogether watching one is actually exciting. My favourite kind of horror film is definitely paranormal and psychological horrors, especially those that are relatable for example when the setting is a normal house or a school. Blood and gore doesn’t scare me as much because often it seems unreal. One of the best bits of horror films for me are the parts that make you jump, and the build up just before, when you can feel something bad is about to happen. Or even better when tension is built simply to end in an anti climax so the actual frightening moment is unpredictable. And general unpredictability makes the genre so much more exciting than any other genre.
I am definitely excited about making our own horror, because it means we can use all our favourite conventions to make our own ‘perfect’ film. Also it should be really fun researching the best horror films, finding the best locations and coming up with an exciting narrative.

Michael Still =D

To be honest, I have never been a big fan of horror films that scare through blood or human related murders. i do however, enjoy the original Saw film as it was very clever, however the blood and gore was more humorous then it was scary. I most enjoy paranormal horrors or psychological thrillers. I most enjoy such films as the Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity and The haunting in Connecticut. I also enjoy films that mix this with other conventions of horror films such as using innocence such as in little girls; for example The Exorcist.

Amy Ling (:

Horror films? Love them! I’ve been a fan of horror films for many years. My first memory of them being The Others, in which I loved the eerie storyline and shocking ending! Since then my love for horror films have grown with such gruesome films like Hostel and Final Destination. However, although these are indeed scary I personally prefer films such as ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘The Others’ purely because I find paranormal and the unknowing to be much more scary than outright gore, as the not-knowing makes me feel uneasy. This is why, when we were told our coursework genre was horror I was very pleased as it means I will be able to learn more about my favourite film genre, aswell as giving me the opportunity to actually make and construct my own horror film!