Target audience

We have decided on various aspects regarding the target audience for our film opening, taking into account demographics of recently-distributed existing films. Details of our film opening's target audience:

• We have decided that the age certificate and minimum viewing age of our film opening is 15. This is because we feel that some of the possessed parts of the sequence are inappropriate for anyone under this age. We also decided on this age certificate because many similar, recently-distributed existing films of the horror genre hold a 15 certificate. These films include 'The Conjuring', 'The Possessed' and 'The Cabin in the Woods'.

• The age demographic of our target audience is 15-30. The maximum age of 30 is because we feel that the film opening is likely to mainly attract a younger demographic due to the 'jumpy' content designed to scare the audience. 

• Individuals who are enthusiastic and have interest in the supernatural horror genre. This means our film opening is primarily aimed at people who enjoy supernatural horror films and have experience in viewing this type of film. 

• Although both genders are included in the target audience of our film opening, male individuals are more narrowly targeted than females of the demographic age of 15-30. This is due to the results of a survey we carried out which showed that males are more likely to choose to watch a film of the horror genre than females are. Despite this, we ultimately felt that our film opening should be aimed at both genders in order to attract the largest audience. 

Final Film Opening

Editing main title

The main title is a very important part of an opening sequence, especially those of films in the horror genre, as it acts as a bridge between the opening sequence and the main body of the film. It also acts as a conclusion to the opening sequence which is designed to pull in the audience from the start so they have interest in the rest of the film. This means that how the main title is edited and presented is crucial in how it carries the rest of the film.

For our main title, I decided to use the editing technique 'bad TV' on the Mac program Final Cut Pro. One of the main reasons I decided to use 'bad TV' was because I had to keep the aesthetics of the title very similar to the previous titles which show the cast and crew of our opening.

*insert screenshot of bad tv*

This use of bad TV makes the title seem mysterious and almost as if it is being possessed itself, conforming greatly to the supernatural horror genre.

I also decided to keep the main title visually similar to the previous titles which are shown during the opening sequence by adding different titles in different areas of the screen and showing them in rapid succession so they seem to jump around the screen.

*insert screenshot of multiple titles*

This creates a jolting and uneasy effect which makes it seem like the title is out of control which reflects the events and manner of the possessed character during the opening sequence. I found that adding the same title in different positions is a simple yet effective method to create an appropriate effect which conforms to the eerie and relatively disturbing conventions of the supernatural horror genre.

I also added the 'flashing' effect to the title which makes it seem as though the title is flaring up.

*insert screenshot of flashing*

Although this effect creates an eerie feeling and atmosphere, I feel that it does not quite conform to the supernatural horror genre with the same effect as the bad TV, for example. This is because I feel that the effect it creates is too soft and contrasts too greatly with other editing effects such as bad TV. This also means that the 'flashing' effect makes the title subvert from the conventions of the supernatural horror genre.

Editing

In the process of achieving our transitions, a shooting error occurred due to camera misplacement between two shots. We needed to figure out how to cover up this anomaly and so we decided to use a flash effect. The flash needed, had to be quick and bright so that the error was unnoticeable. After searching on Final Cut Pro for a good flash effect, we found that we had to use an existing one from a film. The trailer of "Sinister" had the flash we needed (at 1.39 seconds).

We used "KEEPVID" to convert the trailer from YouTube directly to Final Cut Pro.

We then imported the clip onto Final Cut Pro.

Afterwards, we bladed the clip until we were left with the flash.

Now that we had the flash, we could insert it between the two misplaced shots.

Evaluation:

• The flash we found was incredibly quick, which effectively covered up the error. The transition we made after using the flash, appeared out much better than before.
• The flash is also conventional to our sub-genre, Supernatural Horror.

Transition Editing

 

In the beginning of our two minute supernatural film opening we had to put in an original film production company, our own film production company and our film name. We, as a group chose 'Warner brothers' as our original film production company, 'Fright Films' as our own film production company and 'The Possessed' as our film name. This is what it looked like before we added in any transitions when it was simple blocks with straight cut edits.

 

 

We then added the transition 'fade to colour' from final cut pro which created a slight fade between each bit of film, we also added 'breaks' (black spaces) in between the transitions to drag it out a bit longer so that it didn't go too quickly from one part to another and we thought this looked more effective overall.

This is what we ended up with:

 

Evaluation -

It took us a while to get used to using the transitions on final cut pro as we found them quite tricky to place where we wanted them to go at first. But we both agreed that using that particular transition along with the blank spaces made the beginning of our film opening look as effective and professional as want it to be. We want to continue editing this with the rest of our group to add any improvements they think can be made, and also to put some non-diegetic sound in the background of the film name.

   

Possession Editing

Through research into films of the supernatural horror we noted that a simple yet effective technique to emphasise and add to the possession feeling was to take different segments from a long clip and put them in a different order in quick succession. This editing technique makes the movements of the individual seem much more jolty and unnatural which conforms more to the supernatural horror genre than a human's real movements.

We selected a relatively long clip which is made up of a single take and located parts of the clip which we found had good movements which were able to be edited well to good effect using this technique. The clip we chose is one of the raw takes from our opening sequence which features during the early stages of possession. 

During the first attempt, we separated two segments from the clip and changed the order in which they appeared in the clip. This first attempt resulted in the segments being far too long which did not make the character's movements seem possessed and unnatural. This meant that the cuts between the shots were not quick enough in order to create the desired effect. Also, the clips were taken from an area of the main clip which are too close together resulting in similar movements of the possessed character. This means that the audience would not be able to decipher the changes between the cuts as easily as if they were taken from more obviously different parts of the clip.

Our second attempt worked well as the segments were much shorter which meant they were much quicker when played back, giving a stronger sense of possession. Despite this, I thought that the segments could be shorter in length to speed up the changes between segments to further create a sense of possession within the character's movements.

The segments created were quicker which made the sense of possession feel much more intense and which conformed more to the supernatural horror genre. The quick cut edits between the segments made the overall clip seem much more unexpected and sudden which resulted in a much more possessed-like clip in general. The sudden nature of the editing used in the clip makes the possessed character's movement seem much more shocking to the audience and are made more effective than if we decided to use natural movements.

Even though we were satisfied with how the editing made the clip seem much more effective in how a sense of possession was presented, we decided to make the segments even shorter and put them in even closer proximity. This resulted in a more effective outcome as we concluded that when the segments are shorter and the clip is made more abrupt in general, the more possessed the character seems. The clip was trimmed at the beginning and end to only show the part which we edited and experimented on. The final clip from our experiment can be viewed below.

Opening Jump Editing

After researching different horror films, especially those of the supernatural horror genre, we concluded that a scary 'jump' into the camera by the possessed character is usually used at the height of a suspense-filled build up within a scene. This is designed to scare the audience by appearing suddenly very close to the camera in a single,quick movement. The effect of this part of a sequence is crucial as films of the supernatural horror genre generally rely on very scary and jumpy parts to make the film successful as it conforms greatly to the genre.

First we located the raw footage of the possessed character performing the jump. Our main objective to make the jump successful in the way it would affect the audience was to speed up the actual jump in the clip and cut it off to keep the character in shot for a very short time, causing it to feel very abrupt to scare the audience.

Although we wanted to speed up the physical jump within the sequence, we wanted to leave the build up where the room and bed are both empty at normal speed to make it look natural. In order to speed up the jumping part of the but keep the build up at its original and normal speed, we needed to separate the clip just before the jump in order to work with two separate clips and apply the different speeds accordingly. We did this using the programme, 'Final Cut Pro' and used the 'blade' tool to separate the clip. 

We then experimented with different speeds for the jump part of the clip and decided to speed it up to '147%' in speed (with 100% being normal speed). We thought this speed was effective as although it was scary and would bring out a reaction from the audience, the speed does not make the movement of the girl seem too unnatural. During experimenting with the clip by applying different speeds, we found some speeds (such as x2 the original speed) that made the jump seem unnatural and amateur-looking. 

We also decided not to apply visual effects to the general clip such as a darker filter to create a more eerie atmosphere, however we decided against this as we wanted the clip to visually fit into the finished opening of our film. We also understood that non-diegetic sound is a crucial part in creating a successfully scary effect and feeling however we have not yet created original sounds to accompany this part of the opening sequence and therefore could not yet add it into the clip until later on in the post-production stage of our opening sequence. 

Evaluation:

To get our chosen speed, a few trials had to be carried out. After noting that 'x2' wouldn't work well along with the other 're-time' options, we figured out that the percentage speeds were the best option. By changing the original percentage speed to 147%, this appeared more realistic and appropriate for the supernatural genre. Overall, although a few tests had to be carried out in order to identify our correct speed, the task went well, having finally selected our correct speed.  

Sound Deconstruction of The Woman in Black

This sequence is taken from the 2012 horror film The Woman In Black directed by James Watkins. 

• The sequence starts with non-diegetic sound consisting of a high pitched whirling sound along with occasional, quieter low-pitched drum beats (from 0:00) which plays in the background. This high-pitched whirling sound creates an instant eerie tone and creates suspense for the audience. The low-pitched non-diegetic drum beats also build tension and suspense as they allude to the climax on-screen. The single and double drum beats also hold some connotations of a heart beat which adds to the tension being created by the other sounds being played over the visual. 

• The diegetic mechanical sound of several automatons being started also begins at the start of the sequence (also from 0:00). These raw, metallic sounds contrast audibly with the high-pitched non-diegetic whirling sounds although they also add to the eerie and quite sinister feeling created within the scene. Children's automatons are commonly used in horror films, especially those set in the Victorian Era, to create eeriness and the sound they make add to the ghostly and mysterious effect. Some of these automatons create a more melodic and peaceful sound (e.g. 0:15) which is contrapuntal to the scary nature of the scene however again create eeriness. 

• Arthur Kipps, the main character of the film, mutters the words "Come on" under his breath at 0:25. The way the character says these words makes the audience feel the same anticipation as he does in the scene which adds to the general suspense of the scene.

• The exaggerated diegetic sound of Arthur Kipps' foot steps (0:45), which is heard after the diegetic and non-diegetic sounds of the background music and that of the children's automatons has stopped, conveys to the audience his anxiety due to the situation he's in. It also adds to the build up of tension and suspense as this is the main sound the audience hears as they watch the events unfold on screen.

• The non-diegetic sound which starts at 0:54 is similar to the high-pitched whirling sound featured nearer the beginning of the clip. This is the height of the clip in terms of suspense and reaching a climax and this very mysterious and sinister sound adds a huge amount of tension to the audience, especially when the scary visual plot line of this scene is taken into account. The low-pitched drum beats are heard again, however this time they get louder and create a crescendo, and is parallel to the suspense being created on screen. 

Film Opening Additional Shots

While reviewing the storyboard and the raw individual shots we filmed for our opening sequence, we decided that we needed to include some more, and different, camera angles. These camera shots will be used for the part of our sequence where the young girl character is shown to be physically possessed. The main reason for the addition of new camera shots is that we do not want our sequence to be too short as we are aware that the film opening has a minimum time limit, as set by the exam board. Another reason for this is because the possession part of the sequence will be presented with a series of quick cut edits which means that we would need a larger quantity of shots to use during this part of the sequence. 

The first camera shot we added to our opening sequence is a high angle shot off-center to the mattress. This was shot with my Nikon D7000 camera, which was also used in the majority of other shots in the sequence apart from the corner shots, and mounted on a tripod. A still of this shot can be viewed below.

• This shot is effective as it allows the audience to view the whole body of the possessed girl, giving a clearer view of the girl and the possessed situation in general. 
• This shot also acts as a contrast to other shots included in our opening sequence, especially close-up shots. This creates a range to the shots used in the sequence and adds variety.

Another shot we decided to add was an extreme high shot, again of possessed girl. I filmed this shot by attaching the camera (Nikon D7000) to the tripod and extending its legs fully and collapsing them so they were together. I then held the tripod by the bottom of the legs which meant that the camera was as high as possible looking down on the subject. A still of this shot can be viewed below.

• This shot is effective as it gives the audience a clearer view of the possessed girl and is again a contrast to other shots used such as close-ups and extreme close-ups.
• This shot also makes the possessed girl seem very small which although holds connotations of vulnerability and less intimidating creates a visual which compliments the general feeling of the sequence. The idea that the subject is less intimidating reminds the audience that the main character of the sequence is a little girl who would normally be associated with innocence.

The Cabin in the Woods Scene Deconstruction

This scene was taken from the 2012 horror film The Cabin in the Woods directed by Drew Goddard. 

• The opening high angle, overhead shot shows the two characters "making love" on the ground. Despite this, the audience immediately gets the feeling that something is going to go wrong, specifically something gruesome and frightening which conforms to the horror genre. This feeling is conveyed to the audience through very low key lighting with the focal characters only lit by ominous moonlight. 

• The non-diegetic background music is quite ominous and consists mainly of two consecutive notes, resembling a heartbeat. This background music crescendos as the overhead shot pans towards the floor. The music also includes a high pitched droning sound which also crescendos to add to the build of suspense and the eeriness of the sequence.
• The non-diegetic background sound stops suddenly at the height of the crescendo which leaves the audience in suspense which leaves them expecting something to make them jump. 
• The camera pans downwards on to the female character's (Jules) outstretched hand as the non-diegetic music comes to a sudden stop at the height of the crescendo and remains as a close-up shot. 

• The quick cuts between shots after Jules is stabbed in the hand make create a very high visual tempo to the sequence. It also makes the sequence have more of an action feel towards it which grips the audience and creates suspense but a different kind to the previous build up.
• The continual and persistent screams, which outweigh most of the different kinds of diegetic sound, conform to the horror genre as these sounds are heavily linked with films of the horror genre.
• The close-up shot of Jules' eyes as she watches the saw move in front of her face makes the audience appreciate the frightening and gruesome feelings the sequence conveys through mise-en-scene. The audience is made to fully understand the horror Jules is going through. The emphasis on Jules' eyes and how upset and scared she looks puts the audience on Jules' side even though they can tell what may happen next.

Typography and Production Companies

As with most films in all genres, films of the horror genre use specific styles of typography during the opening credits. The video below shows the opening title sequence from the 2004 horror movie Saw. Unlike in films of other genres such as action or comedy, title sequences in horror films usually are not super-imposed onto the visuals or moving sequences and are rather shown before the visuals of the opening sequence start, usually on a plain background.

• In this opening sequence for Saw, after the production company logo is shown on screen, the titles are shown on a plain black background. This lack of visuals accompanying the titles creates a more ominous feeling and doesn't draw the audiences attention to multiple things at the same time. 

• The titles themselves, which show the production company name, the director's name and the title of the film, are blue. This choice of colour is different to a colour which conforms more to the horror genre such as red or orange. The reason this blue was chosen was to match the main colour of the visual of the following part of the opening sequence. The production company 'Twisted Pictures' was chosen to distribute this film as they specialise in films of the horror genre and subsequently understand the audience and demographics that the film appeals to. 

 

• The titles also have a slight shadow effect which further conform them to the horror genre as it creates an eerie effect. Although it only creates a slight change to plain text, it adds eeriness to the sequence and is effective to the audience.

• The titles also distort slowly as if they are melting which, like the slight shadow, also adds an eerie and ominous effect and effectively conveys the supernatural horror genre through on-screen visual effects.

Lighting in opening sequence practical

I am aware that lighting plays a prominent role in creating certain eerie atmospheres which link into and conform to the horror genre. For our opening sequence, I knew that lighting would play a prominent role in creating a disturbing and eerie atmosphere in the possession scene we shot recently.

• Below are several photos of a bright light I had in my house which I thought would be ideal for creating light in our scene. I thought the light ideal as it is very bright (240W/70V bulb) and has a reflective inner surface which, in an otherwise completely dark room, would add to the sinister and eerie feeling.
• I also felt the light was ideal for our opening sequence as it has old-fashioned aesthetics which adds to the eerie and bleak atmosphere that is carried by the dark room and the possession scene that is taking place inside.
• The light can be adjusted using various screws which allows me to create different angles which is ideal and necessary during filming. 

I wanted to experiment with how the light would look in a dark room as it is projected onto the walls. I first looked at the light reflecting onto a bare wall on its own and without any filters. The photo below shows the light reflecting onto a bare wall on its own.

• Although it can't be seen fully in this photo, the lighting created by the light on its own is very harsh  and raw which I feel conforms to the horror genre as this harshness lends itself well to the harsh and eerie nature of the contents of the possession scene.

I then wanted to compare this raw light reflection to the same light but with different filters to create different effects. For filters I placed different coloured plastic bags over the front of the light and looked at the different reflections they made on the bare wall. Here is a picture of the light with a blue plastic bag over the front.

• Although this photo also doesn't give the full effect of the blue plastic bag over the front of the light, it is clear that it gives a distinctive blue tinge to the light that is reflected. 
• The blue plastic bag creates a cold and desolate effect which could be useful in many genres but I do not feel it is appropriate for our opening sequence which is of the horror genre. 
• The blue tinge is quite subtle which could be effective in giving film a slightly different atmosphere.

The photo below shows the light with an orange plastic bag over the front. 

• The effect created by the orange plastic bag is much more prominent than the effect created by the blue plastic bag. 
• The orange coloured light created by the plastic bag is also very strong and would be effective in creating an atmosphere for a variety of genres, one of which being horror.

In conclusion, I feel that the different filters used with the light could be effective in creating different atmospheres in various genres. Despite this, I feel that the raw set up for our possession opening sequence would not suit lighting using different coloured filters. I feel that the light created on its own and without filters is most effective for the type of horror sequence we are creating.

Final Opening Sequence Storyboard

In a previous post, I presented the initial storyboard for our opening sequence of the supernatural horror genre. 

• This storyboard included several characters including the possessed girl, the possessed girl's mother and the exorcist. Although we initially wanted to include these characters in our sequence, we came across issues concerning the availability of people we knew who could play these parts which meant one of the main and important roles of the exorcist could not be included. 
• Also, the exorcist was originally meant to be a priest which meant he would have had to be wearing appropriate priest clothing. We concluded that finding a priest costume would have been very difficult and decided to abandon the idea of using an exorcist in our sequence. 

Below is the new 8 page storyboard that I drew after our group decided on the basic story line and characters which we knew we could include with minimal problems.

• We decided to only include a possessed girl and an unknown older female character who is shown to have a close relationship with the possessed girl.
• We also decided on different editing techniques which would be added in post production to add to the possession shown in the movements of the possessed girl.
• As the garage we shot the sequence in didn't have a door for the character to leave through like that seen in shot #10 of the storyboard, we decided that we would add the sound of a door closing in post production as the character walks off screen.

Creating Exorcism Script

Before I wrote the script for the exorcism part of our opening sequence, I decided to research existing exorcisms in film and cinema to acquire ideas of what to include in order to make our opening sequence as gripping and interesting as possible. The first scene I looked at was the exorcism scene from the 1973 horror The Exorcist. Although this film is quite old, it is one of the most well known and critically acclaimed supernatural horror films in history. A exorcism clip from The Exorcist can be viewed below.

• The strong references to religion ("The power of Christ compels you", "The holy spirit compels you") play a prominent role in what the exorcist says.
• These religious references are relevant as the exorcist in our opening sequence was originally going to be a priest, much like Father Lankester Merrin in The Exorcist.
• There is a lot of repetition in what the exorcist says (e.g. "The power of Christ compels you. The power of Christ compels you" etc.)
• Father Lankester Merrin uses a range of tones through his speech which is effective within the exorcism.

During my research into this exorcism scene from The Exorcist, I also looked at the script from the scene (which is available to view online) as I thought it would give me a better understanding of how to lay out a script for an exorcism scene. A screenshot from the website I viewed the script on is below.

Exorcist's script for our opening sequence

EXORCIST

     (sets up camera in the corner of the room)

Camera is on. The date is 16th of December 2013, time is (looks at his watch) 2109. This is being filmed as video evidence for the exorcism of Anna Thurman. 

     (walks over to bed where possessed girl lays) 

The Devil is inside of you. He controls you- you are him. He must relieve himself of your body.

     (shouts) 

Relieve yourself! Relieve yourself! Christ's power defeats you! Repent! 

     (normal tone) 

Relieve yourself, Satan. 

     (shouts again) 

The Lord commands you! God the Holy Spirit commands you! Give way to Christ! Give way to the mystery of Our Lord! Murderer! You are the highest of murderers! You are guilty before God! You are guilty before Christ!

              

Evaluation

• At the beginning of the script, I included the part where the exorcist sets up the camera in the corner of the room as this plays an important part of the sequence. I thought this was effective as it informs the audience more of what is about to take place in the sequence. 
• As the main character of our sequence is a priest, I made sure that most of what was said held very strong religious connotations. I felt that this string use of religious elements were effective in portraying that type of exorcism is taking place. 
• I used a range of dynamic tones within the exorcist's script, using both loud shouting and a "normal tone". I did this through italicised stage directions.

Creating Jumpy Sound

In my previous blog post, I researched examples of the common technique of a sudden appearance of the possessed character of the film before creating my short clip. During my research, I found that a sudden and loud piece of non-diegetic sound is often used to intensify and emphasise the abrupt appearance of the possessed character. The main example of a sudden appearance of a possessed character was from the 2012 horror film Sinister which can be viewed below. I extracted this clip from the official trailer for Sinister from YouTube.

After looking at the sound used in this clip, I realised that the sound was created using multiple instruments and sound effects and mixing them together to create a more abrupt sound, designed to scare and make the audience jump. Using this idea, I thought about what instruments and sound effects I could use to create my own sound which would accompany a sudden appearance of a possessed character. After experimenting with different instruments and materials to create sound, I concluded that the best sounds which would be most effective in order to create my desired sound are those which are harsh and unnatural. Sounds which I created and fit this criteria were created using an electric guitar to make different sounds such as harsh feedback and loud and abrupt strumming of the strings. Other sounds I made included me banging loudly on my desk or other surfaces to create harsh sounds and dropping objects on the microphone. Some of the raw, individual recordings can be listened to below.

'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' Opening Sequence Deconstruction

Opening Credits of 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' from Hollie April Buhagiar on Vimeo.
The opening sequence to the 2005 horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose begins with a completely black screen and the non-diegetic sound of a female voice melodically saying the word "Emily". As the audience already knows, this name features in the title of the film and is likely to be the name of the main character of the film. The way the voice says "Emily" is as if she is luring or beckoning the character which creates an eerie sense and makes the audience weary of what may happen next in the film.

• This eeriness is carried on through the following non-diegetic low and quiet rumbling sound created by an orchestra accompanied by another non-diegetic sound of crickets chirping in a field. These sounds get gradually louder, creating suspense and are accompanied by the visual of two production companies' logos (Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment). During the production logo visuals, the same voice repeats the name "Emily" in the same beckoning and eerie manner which adds to the suspense and eeriness. 
• The non-diegetic sound of heavy breathing of what seems to be a young girl builds up by getting louder and faster. This is an obvious and effective addition to how the start of this opening sequence aims to build suspense, primarily through sound. The loud breathing abruptly goes silent along with the screen which goes completely dark. This is followed closely by the voice again saying "Emily", but the voice whispers it this time. This whisper in otherwise complete visual and audible absence makes the audience seem unsure of the events which have just taken place.
• Several production companies' names then fade in and out of a black screen in a consistent, dark and eerie font. While these are shown on screen, non-diegetic sound of what seems to be machinery or an old video recorder plays in the background. Machinery and video recorders used in horror films have connotations which strongly conform to the genre including death as certain types of machinery are often used as weapons by the antagonist. The use of hand-held video recorders/camcorders are also a commonly used object in horror films as seen famously in the 1999 horror film The Blair Witch Project. This sound is followed by low and high non-diegetic droning sounds which become relatively loud to create a dramatic and eerie atmosphere.

• The first proper on-screen visual which is part of the film is the title of the film, 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose', which is written in a slightly sinister, dark red font. The dark red colour that has been chosen resembles blood to carry connotations such as death and violence. The deathly and eerie connotations are highlighted further with the image of barbed wire which is partly covered in blood. 
• Several equally eerie shots are shown consecutively which all convey a farm which the audience assumes is the setting of the film. These shots include a close-up shot of corn crops in a field and wider angle shots of pumpkins in a field and a farmhouse. The wintry and lifeless images create pathetic fallacy as they convey the overall horror-like mood of the sequence. The individual shots are separated by high-pitched notes which also convey an eerie sense. While the shots are shown, the main cast's names are presented in a similar font to the previous title shot.
• During the wide-angle and high-angle shot of the farmhouse, a darkly dressed man walks towards the building, appearing from the bottom of the frame. The man is then followed by the audience through several other types of shot such as a close-up shot of his feet walking through a frost-covered field and a wide-angle shot of him walking up to the front door of the house. The way the man is darkly dressed and approaches a seemingly deserted farmhouse, mixed in with the eerie, low-pitched non-diegetic sound in the background, makes the audience feel uneasy about the situation and brings a level of doubt of what may happen next.

Possessed Jump At Camera Practical

A common technique to scare and cause a reaction from the audience of a film of the horror genre is a sudden appearance on camera of a possessed individual accompanied by loud and very abrupt sound which can be both diegetic and non-diegetic. A sudden and very quick appearance is designed to scare the audience but without showing too much of the identity of the character. 

Before trying to create my own abrupt appearance, I researched existing examples of an abrupt appearance in an existing film. One of the clips I extracted is from the official trailer for the 2012 horror film Sinister. I used the iMovie to shorten the trailer to produce the clip I was focusing on. Below is the clip I looked at during my research.

After looking at existing clips from horror films, I made my own clip. I used a Nikon D7000 mounted on a shelf in my bedroom to film the clip. Below is the raw clip with no editing.

I took the raw, original clip and uploaded it to the movie editing program iMovie where I applied some effects and sound to make the clip more scary and authentic. I used the non-diegetic sound from the Sinister trailer to accompany the visuals as well as applying a visual effect on the program which makes the clip seem old and more eerie. Below is the final clip with editing.

I think my example of a sudden appearance is effective due to the reactions of those who I have shown it to. After completeing this task, I realise how important the use of non-diegetic sound is in order for the appearance to be as effective as possible and succeed in scaring the audience. Although I knew this to be the case before making my own example, I mostly realised that non-diegetic sound is important when I saw the reactions of people when they were shown the clips above, one with and one without sound.

Final Opening Sequence Storyboard

This is our storyboard for our opening sequence. It includes camera shots, movements, special effects, any sound and anything else we need for our opening sequence. It will help us keep track with our filming and editing as we will use it as a guide. 

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.

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.