Assessing past coursework

Tiny terror

• Has good intertectuality with scream as the title is very similair, sharp serif font.
• The sound is like a kids toy, which is very effective, high and fast notes.
• Long drawn out notes.
• signifies or conotes of someone hiding by using a POV shot.
• introduce a false scare nice and early
• uses intertextuality by saying 'damien you little devil' which is influenced by the omen
• elipsis signified by a fade out then a fade in.
• girly room signified by pink walls and posters etc. 
• dutch angle to signify somethings not quite right. 
• Dialogue is used for exposition.
• cut away shot used to signify sexual activity, throwing a bra over the top of the toy box.

Underground

• He has some alchohol in his hand which signifies the character is going to die
• Shaky POV shot to signify he is drunk.
• camera in bushes to signify someone is watching.
• elipsis is porr because it does not show the killing, and just jumps to someone been dragged, also no diegetic sound.
• good blood effect on the show to signify he's been hurt.
• good narrative enigma, cannot see the character at all
• cctv effect to show the character high angled shot to signify it is cctv and the editing on the camera.
• not quick enough shot pace, too slow, not as much of a sense of panic as there should have been.

Red run

• missing diegetic sound, just slow drawn out music.
• Lack of Verisimilitude, e.g kettles been turned on yet we do not hear it.

Slasher genre overview, notes

Slasher genre overview, notes

Millie, Kate and Poppy's vodcast:
early influential examples which become stereotypes are called archetypes, this is shown in psyco, the archetype of a scream and editing of the killings. 

The Texas chainsaw massacre and last house on the left changed the way the horror worked they made them very realistic with very little money, made it gory. they both started with dis-equilibrium. 

Black Christmas very influential on screen. They shrunk the location variety making it a much lower budget, BC, TCM and psyco, all been remade.

Halloween was influenced by black Christmas  using a POV shot when the killing happens so you're in the eyes of the killer. peeping tom uses the same thing again, making the audience the killers.

big studios never payed attention to slashers however after Halloween, the big studios started to make slashers.

Halloween, the final girl is brunette, academic, smart clothes, personality and a few more  this is stereotypical of the final girl.

long notes sub-consciously make you hold your breath, messing with your heart beat, then the fast notes make your heart beat faster

Tilly, Hannah and James

prototype slashers feature serial killers, narrative appeal comes from who done it.

a trope is something widely recognised.

Drugs nudity and gore attract people to the genre.

TCM marketing idea was that it based on true events.

Hybrid genres are genres mixed together several different genres in one. zom-rom-com

Scary move is an example of post-modernism

self referential is a film about a film.

Dec, Dom, Ben.
Commutation test is used by taking out one thing out of a scene, e.g the music out of the psyco shower scene and it just wouldn't work. In the psycho shower scene was fundamental  it influenced so many other films with the high pitch music. primary audience is 15-24 for slasher movies. however it is what rating the bbfc give your film.
25-34 is referred to as mature youth. your core audience is 16-34. secondary audience is if people who are 35+ people are watching it and people younger than the age restrictions. the characters and language is appropriate for a teen audience. Halloween became the most profitable movie made of all time.an exception to Todorov's theory of a start of just equilibrium the into dis-equilibrium. this film starts with dis-equilibrium.

other points:
in the 50's and 60's most films were either Gothic or creature features mainly made by universal(like godzilla, king kong). most characters were mature upper class adults. then slasher changed the genre because the people were mostly either middle class or working class. used castles alot in the older movies. hammer were very stagey with there look. Slashers then started to come in, in the seventies, Halloween then started a whole new genre because it sparked an array of influenced movies. psyco and peeping tom didn't influence the genre, like Halloween did. Hammer in the 50's 60's were the biggest company in the world at the time, then afew low budget films ruined its reputation. the idea of scream queens were started and used in a lot of hammer films using the stereotypical blonde busty characters. used a lot in advertising.

Wrong turn 1

Wrong Turn, Rob Shmidt (2003) 

Box Office

Budget:

 $10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$5,161,498 (USA) (1 June 2003) (1615 Screens)

Gross:

 $15,417,771 (USA) (21 September 2003)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pathé Distribution (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)

About the film

• panning shot of Forrest with titles to start the film, extreme long shot.
• cuts to two people climbing a wall high angled shot to show dominance.
• Quick pace editing to show a sense of panic
• then denotes blood coming from the mans face signifying hes dead.
• Close up on the face of the girl to show she is panicking
• Girl brings out a knife and the camera shot conentrates on the knife cutting the rope signifying a knife murder later on in the film?
• quick pace editing following the woman through the woods again creating a state of panic and urgency, long shot.
• POV shot of her running to see it from her perspective.
• cuts from the girl been dragged into the woods straight to the titles which are white writing on a black and white trees background.

Halloween H20

Halloween H20, John Carpenter (1998)

Box Office

Budget:

 $17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

 $16,187,724 (USA) (9 August 1998) (2607 Screens)

Gross:

 $55,041,738 (USA)

Distributors

• Dimension Films (1998) (USA) (theatrical)

About the opening

• Again starts with jolly music of a female singing, non diegetic music.
• Someone stabs a pumpkin signifying a murder or a killing, that something like that will happen later on in the film later on.
• extreme long shot again panning the location
• then again exposition telling the viewer the location and the date and year.
• music stops when there is a close up on the woman's face, showing emotion on the womans face like somethings wrong.
• it then follows the character with slight background music, it then stops and cuts to a youth with a mask on similar to the of Michael's mask, which is then a false scare and a signifier that Michael is back
• The music starts again when the boy enters the house, a close up of the emotion on his face showing he is scared, and a shot from inside the building when he opens the door.
• music gets louder and louder the further that he gets in the house, intensity builds.
• camera following the boy round the house showing that stuff just isn't right.
• A false scare again when the iron falls out of the cupboard.

Halloween, John Carpenter (2007)

Halloween, John Carpenter (2007)

Information from IMDB

Box Office:

Budget:

 $15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

 $30,591,759 (USA) (2 September 2007) (3472 Screens)

Gross:

 $80,253,908 (Worldwide)

Distributors

• Dimension Films (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Genius Products (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Genius Products (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (UK) (DVD)

About the film opening:

• Starts again with a quote, white text with a black background, talking about dark souls to create a scare and an insight to what kind of film is coming up.
• starts with rock music, providing exposition again on the place and the date; Haddonfield, illinois. October 31
• Panning shot of the traditional Halloween house however this time in daylight, then again cuts to the house with a close up of rats and the little child with a mask on.
• Conversation between two adults, lots of swearing and using the 180 degree rule and shot reverse shot, close up when the baby starts crying.
• What appears to be the scream queen walks in as she is wearing revealing clothes and has blondy/brown hair stereotypical of a scream queen, she swears also suggesting she is a scream queen due to her rebel kind of attitude.
• Shows a close up of blood on a knife, signifying a killing that may happen later on in the film.
• The child gets bullied by his step dad and at school, this signifies that the people who bully him may be the murdered victims themselves later on in the film.
• The stereotypical Halloween music starts again, high intensity getting more intense by the minute.
• when the stalking scene happens the music builds and builds until the victim is first attacked then the music stops.
• Quick paced editing is used to show how much pain the character is in and to create a scarier 

Halloween 2, John Carpenter (1981)

 Halloween 2, John Carpenter (1981)

Info from IMDB

Box Office:

Budget:

 $2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

 $7,676,836 (USA) (1 November 1981)

Gross:

 $25,533,818 (USA)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia-EMI-Warner (1981) (UK) (theatrical)
• Castle Home Video (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (USA) (DVD)

About the film opening:

• exposition telling you where it is set; haddonfield illinois, October 31,1978, happy non diegetic music in the background
• panning shot from a low angled shot to a high angled shot, to show the viewer the location
• Music stops when entering the house, where what looks to be the scream queen is talking to 2 children
• High pitch music again whilst you can see 'michael' in the background.
• Music stops when the Dr enters the house.
• When he's shot the music starts again, this raises tension once again.
• When dialogue has finished between the Dr and the next door neighbor the titles start.
• Michael doesn't have a weapon in this scene and the scream queen doesn't get killed.
• The opening is set at night, this happens in basicly all of the halloweens

Halloween 2 (John Carpenter, 2009)

Halloween 2 (John Carpenter, 2009) 

Box Office:

Budget:

 $15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

 $16,349,565 (USA) (30 August 2009) (3025 Screens)

Gross:

 $33,335,670 (USA) (15 November 2009)

Distributors

• Dimension Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD)

About the film opening:

• white text on a black background showing text about psychotic dreams.
• cuts to a woman entering what seems to be a prison or hospital, extreme long shot panning the location and her. 
• cuts to inside the building where her and young Michael are talking, then after cuts to Halloween in white text on a black background and a woman screaming with police sirens
• panning shot and an extreme long shot of the location and a woman walking at night through a town.
• A woman walks down a road with the sound of whispers and a clock bell ringingabit of a dutch angle to show something isnt quite right.
• she's holding a gun and a police car follows her, shes bleeding.
• Quick pace editing and a variet of close ups and all different shots shows the patients pain and the seriousness of her injuries, set in a hospital ward.
• close ups showing the extent of her injuries, with classical violin kind of music in the background. less panic.
• Alot of quick pace editing to show different shots of different people, the editing makes it feel very chaotic.
• close up of the mans mouth whilst talking about doing sexual things of dead girls. they then crash, showing lots of gore
• no suggestion of a final girl, or a scream queen.

Halloween,John Carpenter (1978)

Halloween
John Carpenter (1978)

Budget:

 $320,000 (estimated)

Gross:

 $60,000,000 (Worldwide) (1978)

Distributors

• Compass International Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Mid-America Releasing (1979) (USA: Midwest) (theatrical)
• Miracle Films (1978) (UK) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)

About the opening:

• non- diegetic high intensity music during the opening. played on piano, high notes and fast throughout the titles.
• Exposition telling the audience the year and the day that it is 'Halloween night', white lettering against a black background
• cuts from children talking saying trick or treat straight to an extreme long shot of a house which is a POV shot.
• diegetic sounds of grasshoppers and an owl whilst leading to the house, still a POV shot getting closer and closer to the house, its at night time.
• panning shot across the house, now diegetic sounds of people having a conversation and showing a pumpkin lit up.
• The POV shot then goes straight to the window where it shows two characters flirting, the male character pretending to be a clown. The female character appears to be the scream queen as the is blonde, showing skin, and sexually active.
• music then gets louder, to a screaching noise and slow piano notes when the light in the bedroom is turned off. Then goes for a knife and continues to go in through the house.
• Non diegetic music get higher and higher the closer the boys get, he graps the mask then when in the bedroom very high pitch music.
• When stabbing the scream queen the music goes at its highest, can only see through his mask and the pov shows the quick pace editing
• at the end it zooms out from a high angled shot.

Casting, location and setting tbc

Curtis

Curtis - 'Smiley Pete'
Reasons for:
- Young
- Good actor for an important role






Jake - Dr. Cruger

Jake

Reasons for:
- Looks like a doctor
- Good actor for important role
- looks the oldest

Heather

Heather - Scream Queen

• We wanted to include a key slasher convention in our 
• opening and we felt that a scream queen role would 
• fit perfectly in our slasher.

We felt that Heather would fit the role perfectly for our scream queen because she is blonde which is the stereotypical scream queens hair colour. 
Location:

Jake Wilson House - Burley-In-Wharfedale, llkley road

Reasons for:

- Easily accessible

- A House - which is where it will be filmed

- Has a mirror in the bathroom which opens sideways. We plan to use a key shot with this, which is why its a key factor for our location

Manor Park and Jakes House

High Royds Establishing Shot

High Royds - Menston

Reasons for:

- Old mental asylum

- Scary vibe

- Easily accessible 

- Fits into our opening

- Links with the characters description

High Royds Front View

High Royds Forrest

High Royds Forrest

Reasons for:

-Near by

-Scary Forrest

-Easy to get to

High Royds Arial View

Using a Green Screen

Mise En Scene:

Crows flying across the camera shot to signify the slasher genre also signifying horror.

Each of our characters will have a certain costume to fit their role e.g. the doctor will be wearing a white lab coat and 'smiley pete' will be wearing a patients gown to signify that he is a patient with in the asylum. Also this will create a sense of realism in our opening.

Weapon of choice-Kitchen Knife we used intertextuality from psycho for this idea because it was the original weapon and we decided we wanted our work to contain originality.

Use of the forrest which is right next to High Royds for an escape route for 'Smiley Pete'. This is a location the is used in many films, as somewhere to run/ escape for example The Last House On The Left.

Narrative representations in Last House on the Left opening

Film Opening - Last House on the Left

Last House on the left (Wes Craven, 1972)

Budget was 90 k because of being an indie production.
it had no big actors or stars because its such a low budget however it made a colossal profit margin.

at the the beginning of the film Wes Craven uses exposition at the beginning to create a sense or realism, this scares the audience into thinking it was actually a real event with this text using sans serif font in the filmThis writing is chosen to look realistic to a scare audience. It uses conventional media language, opening with a panning shot of an extreme long shot which then cuts to a different part of the environment. It has been a convention of all the slasher openings i have watched so far that it starts with an environment shot and not just the characters. A lot of the exposition is done by showing graffiti. Initially by the protagonists name being on the screen. The quality of the footage on the film isn't very good. Also at the beginning of this film there are some discontinuity editing.

There are very minimal titles, only 6 including the film title being shown. No stars are mentioned because the budget wouldn't have been big enough to hire any. In a lot of the slasher films the reason for a lot of the deaths is due to immoral behaviour and the killer wanting to see them punished for something they may have done. Unlike a lot of slasher films it uses a lot of long takes and limited shot variety, this is probably also down to the lack of money.

In the opening there is also an extreme close up of a neclace 'magical object'. This is a very significant part of the mise-en-scene.