Deconstruction of The List Film Opening

In preparation for creating our own film opening we thought it would be a good idea to look at other examples that people have already produced to get an idea of a certain standard we need to produce, and also to notice flaws in their videos that we should try to avoid in our own work. I decided to deconstruct 'The List' from guernsey media group, I believe the genre they were aiming for this to be in was psychological horror as there are no bloody or gory parts in it but a build up that leads to the girl in it to be gone with only her hoody and the sheets of paper she was holding left floating on the water she was standing by. I thought this would be helpful to look at to get an idea what a final product of a sub genre of horror film opening looks like as we have decided to make ours supernatural horror.



Sound:
- To begin there is only non-diegetic sound as the girl is walking down onto the beach, it sounds like a slow pop song and you cant hear any diegetic sounds from the scene as it is quite loud.
- It then becomes apparent to us that she is wearing headphones and the music drifts out as she takes them off her head, which has been edited well.
- There is no sound for a few seconds and then a different type of non-diegetic music is played it sounds creepy and sinister, we then hear off screen diegetic sound of a person breathing quite heavily watching her from a distance played over the top.
- The non-diegetic music continues and is the only thing you can hear in the scene it is powerful in creating an impact on the audience and reflect the mood of the sequence.

I thought this camera angle was effective as it is an establishing shot showing the full scenery of where they are and works well with the typography how they have placed it and the colours and font style they have used. This is effective for setting the scene and atmosphere of the sequence from the beginning and I think it also worked well with the non-diegetic sound.

I liked the idea they had and how they presented the book which was all about the girl who was the next victim on the killers list, also they used a POV (Point of View) shot to display this which engaged the audience to the story more and makes it more personal as if it was happening to us, which creates fear and also makes us scared for what is going to happen to the girl as we are now aware that she is in danger.

Straight cut edits are used throughout the sequence but speed up as the killer is getting closer and closer to the girl as he is coming up behind her, this works well as we see the girl becoming more distressed and dramatic irony is used as she does not know he is approaching her but the audience are aware.

Towards the end of the sequence the jumper the girl was wearing and pages from the book she was looking at are shown laying on the water but she is not shown again, this suggests to the audience she has been taken or killed by the villain. Personally I think this could have been made to have a scarier ending as the build up was effective.





Overall I think that this film opening was effective in terms of mise en scene, sound, editing and camera angles, all of these were presented well throughout the sequence and showed they were well thought out as a variety of techniques were used. The fact they used no dialogue made it more professional which is an aspect we want to use within our own opening so it looks as less amateur as possible. In my opinion this opening could have been even better if the ending had more of a scary impact to match the build up and the rest of the clip.

Deconstruction of Intruders

We are continuing to look at many different scenes from horror films to prepare us for filming our supernatural horror opening, this week I watched the film 'Intruders' (2011) which is about two children living in different countries who are visited nightly by a faceless being who wants to take possession of them. I looked at this specific scene from the film to deconstruct in terms of mise en scene, camera angles, lighting, and sound.


   Sound:

• The non-diegetic sound at the beginning of the sequence is very low and deep rumbling music, it is played quietly as the girl stands up from her bed.
• It begins to gradually get louder as she starts walking across the room, and a slight screeching higher noise is played subtly over the deep music to make a build up towards whatever she is walking to.
•  It continues to get louder until she reaches the cupboard with the mirror she was walking to, the music makes such an impact on the scene up to this point as it creates fear within the audience.
• When the cupboard door shuts and you see the girls face in the mirror all non-diegetic sound comes to a stop and there is silence.
• As she applies lipstick to her face the screeching music gradually begins again but not as loud as before.
• There is no diegetic sound within this scene but the non-diegetic music still has a big impact upon it, this is a technique we would like to use for our own opening to make it effectively scary without using any dialogue.

The scene begins with a POV (Point of View) shot from the demon who is hiding in the girls cupboard. The audience is shown the majority of her room from this angle, it fits the conventions of a little girls room within horrors, she has a white bed with fairy lights around the head and a matching white bed side table, she has a picture frame above her bed and classic girly bed sheets. Low key lighting has been used to show it is night time and create a scarier atmosphere.




The little girl is then shown with a close- up shot, she looks about twelve or thirteen, has long brown hair, is naturally pretty, and looks innocent and cute, these are all classic conventions of a little girl in horrors. She gets up from her bed and starts walking towards the cupboard we were shown in the first shot.

She reaches the cupboard and the door shuts showing a mirror and revealing her face but with no facial features anymore. This is only what we see from the mirror we do not get a shot directly showing her face from this point onwards. The audience instantly know from this point that whatever demon is in the cupboard has now possessed the little girl.

At the end of the sequence the girl applies purple lipstick to her featureless face which then shows demonic lips. It is shown from another  POV shot from the demon as it did at the beginning, which I think works well to show the huge contrast and change between the innocent represented by the girl at the start compared to her now she is possessed.

Deconstruction of Possessed Little Girls in Supernatural Horror Films

Little or young girls are a common choice for a possessed character in horror films, especially in the supernatural horror genre. This choice of character in horror films is effective for a number of reasons. Firstly, the audience does not associate someone as seemingly innocent as a young girl to be something so possessed and brutal when they are possessed. Secondly, since the Victorian era, the use of children and children-associated objects such as children's toys and old-fashioned prams have played a major part of traditional ghost stories because of the creepiness and eeriness it conjures up to the audience. 

• This is a screenshot of the main character of the 2002 horror film The Ring in a possessed state. 
• What makes this character conform to the horror genre is how her long hair is completely covering her face. This creates a sense of anonymity and mystery as the audience is unsure of the true identity mainly through the lack of visuals. 
• The character's long and old-fashioned clothing is very minimal and resembles old-fashioned clothing which conforms to horror and possession. 

• This is a screenshot of a possessed character from the 2007 Spanish horror REC. 
• Unlike in The Ring, this character's face is uncovered and reveals bloods stains and rashes or other types of reactions caused by the virus she has been infected with. 
• The girl's dark and blood-shot eyes are also one of the main aspects of the visual image which makes it eerie and frightening for the audience. 
• The girl's messy and un-groomed hair also conforms to the horror genre as it suggests that the character has been infected with a virus and perhaps a more savage environment for a significant period of time.

• This is a screenshot of a possessed character from the 2007 horror 30 Days of Night.
• Although this film is of the vampire-horror genre, which is very different to the supernatural horror genre our film opening is going to be based on, it uses the same type of character to create the same horror sense. 
• The blood around the character's mouth and on her dress strongly conveys horror and that the girl is very dangerous. 
• The use of a teddy bear as a prop emphasises the young age of the girl and also gives an eerie and creepy sense. This is because it creates a juxtaposition between the vicious acts of the little girl and the fact that she carries a children's toy.

REC 2 Deconstruction - Possession

[REC] 2 is a sequel to [REC] which is set in a quarantined building in Spain. A virus has broken out in REC 1 and in the sequel we learn that the virus is actually a possession, which started from one girl. Whenever someone is bitten, they too become possessed and the demon speaks through them. This makes this film very different to others as we know conventions of possessions are:

• Tied to a bed
• Young girls
• Priests performing exorcisms
• Speaking in tongues
• Speaking in reverse, with different accents
• Religious items
• Priests performing an exorcism 
• Usually in a family home / family setting

However, in this film, they have mixed zombies with possession. There is still a lot of religion involved, but the possessed people aren't exorcised and bite people, which is something uncommon in a possession film. Also, this is a found-footage style film which is quite popular within the possession film category.

Here, back-lighting casts shadows onto the people framed in the mid-shot. The shadow shows a crucifix being held over the possessed girls head. For the audience this will help their understanding of what is happening and the character of the girl. As well as this, there is non-diegetic screaming which is very low-pitched and unnatural, as if she is being possessed. This helps conform to genre as typical conventions are speaking in tongues / unnaturally. 

Again, this picture depicts something similar. The close up shot helps the audience see the blood and demonic-eyes that the girl has. Also, the facial expression of the civilian is interesting as his pure shock and horror helps the audience feel his fear. The lighting is low-key and using ambient lighting (the torches) which helps with the realism of the film.

In this image, the possessed character is spewing blood, which is frightening and unnatural as well as quite disturbing. The facial expression of the man is one of terror, which helps communicate to the audience the sheer fear that he is feeling. The costume of the girl is pink and pretty, which is quite conventional for possessed characters. 

In this image, the still has been edited to make it appear as though the camera is faulty and running out of battery. There is a yellow, blue and red hue being applied to the shot as well as fuzziness and blur. It makes the action on screen harder to follow, confusing the audience. There is off-screen diegetic sound of unnatural screaming and yelling, which connotes that something terrible is happening. This is clever and we could apply something similar in our film.

Here, a young boy is beginning to become possessed. The low-key lighting casts shadows which adds mystery and makes it harder to see what is happening on screen, which means that the sound here is very important. The non-diegetic gurgling and spitting, which are typical noises of a possessed person are frightening and make the audience aware that he is being possessed. 

Low-key lighting is again used, with ambient lighting of the torches on his face. This helps the audience see his face clearly. Special effects have been used to give the boy 'demonic' eyes, which are just pure black. This again is a typical convention for a possessed character. The blood and scarring also helps the audience understand that he is possessed. In his dialogue, which appears to be non-diegetic as it is unnaturally low and edited, he says things which his original character would never say, implying again that is possessed.

A close up shot of the boys face again implies his possession. Religious props are used, and his facial expression shows him resisting the props, a convention of a possessed person. The demon eyes also help show the audience the seriousness of his predicament. 

Evaluation of this type of possession

I feel that this type of possession would not be appropriate for our film as it is not a 'typical' possession and so would need background explanation and a whole plot of its own, rather than a conventional plot e.g. religious person becomes possessed, exorcism performed. I feel that we have more knowledge about how to shoot and edit a 'typical' possession than mixing it with a zombie-style genre. However, some of the features e.g. the religious props and the editing of the camera when it malfunctions, could be used as inspiration for our own opening. 

Rooms In Possession Films (Exorcisms)

• Though it is significantly dated, this image (right) taken from a scene from the 1973 classic horror The Exorcist gives a good and prominent example of a room where the possessed individual is being kept. In this image, the main object within the scene is the be which has no duvet or overlying layers and just a mattress. This is a commonly used object within a possession scene, especially where the subject is being exorcised. 
• The padding around the bed frame acts as a cushion and protection during the exorcism. These details make the room seem more like a setting for an exorcism or possession in general. The room is made purposefully dark with the only lighting being small lamps around the room. The darkness of the room is designed to be eerie and create suspense. The lighting created by low-lying lamps creates prominent shadows on the walls of, most notably in this image, the exorcist and the bed. 
• Overall, the room pictured is quite plain but this is done purposefully so that the lighting can create the main eerie effect. The room is also plain because the possessed subject is usually the main focus of the scene and the lack of objects in the room means that the subject has the audience's full attention.

• Similar to in The Exorcist, this screenshot from the 2010 horror film The Last Exorcism gives a good example of the setting and the contents of a typical exorcism room. 
• The room pictures uses the same main object of a double bed to carry out the exorcism. This is quite a typical piece of furniture to use during an exorcism within film. This is because it creates a composition which allows the audience to clearly see who is getting exorcised and the exorcist who is usually standing over the possessed individual.
• The setting created for this film seems to have incorporated more religious and spiritual elements including candles. This is effective as religion and spirituality is often a commonly used theme in supernatural horrors, especially when an exorcism is involved. 
• The room as a whole seems old-fashioned, notably the four-post wooden bed and the floral duvet cover. This creates a sense of, and relates to, old-fashioned ghost stories such as those of the Victorian era which is known to be effective in creating a spooky and eerie atmosphere. 

'The Possession' Scene Deconstruction

• The very white and pristine hospital theatre where the main (possessed) character of the film, "Em", receives an MRI scan has strong connotations of purity and innocence. This juxtaposes prominently with the nature of Em's possessed-like acts that are being investigated through the medical procedure. 
• The voice-over telling Em how the procedure will take place is heard over a microphone as if the audience is the patient in the MRI scanner. The voice is very low and is quite ominous which is lends itself well to the build up of what the audience expects to happen as they know Em is possessed. 
• Em's sister, Hannah, can be seen crying in the foreground of a close-up shot while Em is being prepared for the MRI scan in the background out of focus. This makes it obvious what Hannah is crying about and conveys to the audience that the upcoming events are something to be concerned about and that they are likely to be linked with possession, conforming to the supernatural horror genre.
• During this shot, the diegetic sound of Hannah crying can be heard while she is on screen. This is done to show the audience Hannah's concern which is made a prominent aspect of the sequence.
  
  
• The loud whirling diegetic sound of the machine moving Em into position is the only sound heard at one point. This is a very unnatural sound and is also quite dark which is contrapuntal to the shot of Em being moved into the MRI scanner but on the other hand, lends itself to the build up to what the audience anticipates to be a climax which incorporates possession.
• The continuous pulsating sound of the MRI scanner taking photos of Em's brain is also quite ominous in the way that it seems as though it is building up to a climax of some sort. The diegetic sound creates tension and anticipation and also intrigues the audience and holds their attention.
• The spirit which has possessed Em can be seen in the MRI scan towards the end of the sequence. Although the face is clear within the image, and there are no cliched 'jumpy' parts to scare the audience, the crescendo of the diegetic sound creates tension and with the image, it succeeds in scaring the audience in a more subtle manner.
• Despite a prominent build up achieved mainly through both the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, it ends with an abrupt change to a low piano note (non-diegetic) as part of the background music with no use of diegetic sound as Em's mother rushes to pull her daughter from the MRI scanner. This creates quite a morbid feeling where the family can be seen crying over the past events.
  
  

Heart of the City Deconstruction

Appropriateness for Film Opening

• Doesn't give too much away
• Builds tension and drama within the audience without giving away the whole plot
• Ends dramatically to leave the audience wanting to know more
• Sets the location and genre for the audience

Appropriateness for Target Audience

• Audience would probably be 15+ action/thriller fans
• Not too much violence
• Only a bit of blood so appropriate
• No bad language / sex so appropriate for 15 year olds

Appropriateness for Genre

• Use of guns and violence
• Use of special effects
• Quick edits, shows tension and drama
• A big chase
• Set in the city
• Male hero

Editing

The sequence uses straight cuts which get faster during the chase, to emphasise the speed which is appropriate for the genre. They also use special effects of a gun being shot, this is appropraite for the genre as a common convention for an action film is the use of guns and other weapons. Also, most action films have a large budget and so special effects are commonly used.

At one point the boy is walking, then the straight cut suddenly shows the stalker walking behind him, this is a common convention in action films. A non-diegetic sound also accompanied the shot.

Camera Angles

The sequence starts with a panning shot of the city, which links in with the title of the film, 'heart of the city', it is also an establishing shot of the location, informing the audience of where the film is set. There is a zooming shot into a boy sitting on a bench, showing him as the most important thing in the frame, it seems as though we are watching/stalking the boy. There is another long shot of him, the camera is set next to a car, so again it seems like we are watching him. This fits in with the action/thriller drama as it seems like a conventional plot. There is an over the shoulder shot, showing the boy facing the other direction and the stalker staring at him, again this is appropraite for the action genre as it seems like a chase is building. Also, the figure is hooded so this adds to the mysteriousness of the character. There was a close up shot of the boy running past a building and then the shot is repeated but this time it is the stalker running past the same spot. This shows the audience that the stalker is running after the boy and that he is close. There is a point of view shot from the view of the stalker pointing his gun. This reinforces the fact that it is an action film and shows the panicked and worried facial expression of the boy. There is also a low-angle shot of the stalker unmasking himself, making him appear large, dominating and powerful.

Sound

The sequence starts with non-diegetic music, which is a song with the lyrics 'Heart of the city' which relates to the film title. This music then becomes diegetic as it appears the boy is listening to the music through his headphones. There is frequent use of non-diegetic booming sounds to make the stalker character appear threatening and scary. During the chase there is a non-diegetic sound of a dramatic instrumental, which builds and rises the tension within the audience. There is also the non-diegetic sound of the gun being shot, which adds to the realism of the sequence and is appropriate for genre. There is an non-diegetic /off-screen sound of a police cars sirens, which increases the tension and drama that the audience is seeing on-screen. The whole sequence ends with a non-diegetic dramatic boom, possibly to make the audience jump.

Titles

The sequece uses a simple, capitalised font for their opening titles. Some of the fonts transition into bold, to emphasise the words.
Others are in white as they are over dark backgrounds. This makes them easier to read and helps them to stand out. They have the production company, directed by, produced by, starring etc. to help with the authenticity of the film. The font then changes to one with some flicks on the letters, which is still professional and simple but has slightly more flare. The title 'HEART OF THE CITY' is much larger, and heart is written in red, and flashes on and off.

Mise en Scene

The location is a sea-side city, and the shots of the city help to establish the location within the audience. This is a common convention for an action film as a city is where many action films are set. The stalker character is dressed in black, casual clothing, with his hood up, this creates a mysterious atmosphere around the character which helps the audience build their suspicions about him. The main hero is a teenage boy and his costume is jeans and a black jacket, quite casual with nothing suspicious about him. He also later puts on sunglasses which makes him seem more dangerous and makes the audience wonder why he is covering up his eyes. The lighting is all naturalistic as the sun is the source of light (it is all filmed outside). The main facial expression by the hero was quite frantic and scared as he was being chased, this creates tension within the audience as they feel the stress that the hero faces. The villain however is more determined and fearless as he appears to have experience in this kind of work. There is also use of an important prop, the gun. This is especially important for the genre and also adds a sense of realism for the audience, to be able to see the weapon.

Camera Angles Initial Practical

Deconstruction of an Image

This was work an analysis/deconstruction completed at the start of the year.

Creating Possessed Characters

For my groups' final piece, we want to represent a possessed character, ideally a young girl. To help carry out my practical, I have looked at possessed characters from other films as a source of inspiration. Below are some examples.

The Grudge

The Devil Inside

The Ring


As my group and I have decided to show an opening with a regular child becoming possessed, we thought it would be better to not reveal a possessed character similar to the one in 'The Grudge'. This is because the use of white make-up, may connote a supernatural character from the dead, rather than a possessed one. Below are shots I have taken to represent possessed characters.

• In supernatural horror films, possessed victims may sometimes make strange eye movement, such as eyes being rolled above. The eye movement helps to show possession, as the look has negative, scary connotations.

The use of under lighting helps build possession further. The lighting connotes evilness.

Our possessed character is meant to be a young girl. I took camera shots of my sister, wearing bright coloured night wear. The use of colour helped to show innocence, something an audience normally associate with young girls in supernatural horrors. To represent actual possession, I thought the idea of her hair being rested over her face was appropriate.

The high angle helps to portray a young girl, with long hair falling over her face.

 To also portray possession, I thought the idea of eyes being made bigger helped.

Low angle shots help to show the possessed characters to be dominant.

A direct address can be used to invite audience into the possession within the victim.
This therefore, fills audience pleasures.

Usually the possessed are seen to be screaming, throwing themselves around. To show this, my sister opened her mouth wide, which implied she was screaming in the camera shot. To represent possession, she also had her eyes enlarged.

 Evaluation - Strengths And Weaknesses

• Overall, the task was simple in a way that I could form possessed characters without the use of editing, such as Photoshop.
• However, I could have thought about costume even further. For young girls, a nighty would be more ideal, as they are commonly seen in supernatural horror films. Therefore, I could have made use of costume more, in order to develop my representations of possessed characters.