Planning: Mis-en-scene

Our group's task is to create the opening two minutes of a horror film. With the genre being horror, naturally, there will be many props and examples of make-up involved. Now that we are in the later stages of of our planning, we have a good idea of what sorts of examples of mis-en-scene we will need.

What is mis-en-scene? 
Mis-en-scene is a french term which translates literally as 'put-in-scene'. It includes things such as costume, make up and props.

Costume: Barney

Black Hoodie:

    This hoodie is very light, and with the time of year being mid winter, it suggests that the character is vulnerable, as he's unprepared for a cold winter night. When the audience first sees him, they will not assume that he is about to become the victim, with him being male. The light clothing alludes to the fact that he may well be the victim. 

White polo shirt:

    The polo shirt should be seen a little bit under the hoodie because of the way the zip is done up. This proves further that not much is being worn. The all buttons will be done up, to show how cold it is, because a more casual look without the top button done up would be more suitabkle for the summer. 

Dark Blue Jeans:

    The jeans are in keeping with the mood off the whole outfit, with the dark colours. The dark colours of the outfit reflect the character's subdued mood to the audience. 

Black Trainers:

     The trainers are very light light duty, which again shows how unprepared and vulnerable the character is for a cold winter night. The setting is also quite rural, so the light footwear may again suggest vulnerability as he could encounter mud or similar obstacles which the shoes aren't designed to endure. 

Props

Mobile Phone:

    The mobile phone will be slightly outdated and its screen will be cracked. It had to have this sort of look because our male character would never have thrown a modern fully functional phone off of the bridge. 

Rope/ Noose

The rope that will be used by Maisie as her chosen weapon for killing needs to be strong, tough and durable; she wants to ensure that no victim escapes alive. Strangling someone can also be thought of a more sadistic way of killing someone, and the process of dying would be more painful for the victim. Maisie wants her victims suffering as much as possible.

The planning for the mis-en-scene was completed by Jake. I have agreed with his decisions.

Planning: Casting

After completion of the treatment and screenplay, we have decided that we need to include two characters in our opening. One of them being a male, the attention will be focused on him so we need someone with a look that is memorable and plays a victim role well. 

We also need a female character, Maisie. In our opening we only really see Maisie when her hands wrap a rope around our victim's neck down by the river, we decided on this method of killing because it is very personal and it conveys psychopathy.

I took some photographs of male faces and female hands.

I decided to cast the hands first. 

These are Emily's hands. I decided to have Emily in the shortlist because she has rather short fingernails. Men generally have short fingernails and I think that we should keep Maisie's gender hidden in the two minutes because men are stereotypically more feared in horror films. 

Emily, I noticed, also has a large hand-span which could look awkward in the film. Perfect for a horror film!

Secondly, I photographed Jerin's hands. Because Jerin has rather long and thin fingers, this means when they are in a fist, holding the rope, they will look bigger and stronger. However, with her long, dagger-like fingernails, it will be obvious that Maisie is a woman.

These hands belong to Agne. I particularly like Agne's hands in terms of horror because, to me, they look slightly out of proportion. Her short fingers don't compliment her rather large palms. Also, I see that her knuckles are particularly flexible, this means that she may be able to get her hands into some difficult, for some, positions.

Tonicha's hands are rather long, much like Jerin's; however, Tonicha has short fingernails. this means that the gender of Maisie will be kept rather a mystery. Also, her hands are quite skeletal and veiny. These would be good because the look rather supernatural and with the costume they would suit Maisie well.

And now for a male actor, the victim! 

This is Marshal. We decided that Marshal had a very innocent look about him and that is perfect for a victim. In this photograph particularly, he has a very distant look about him. This is good for our character because he is meant to be oblivious to the danger. 

This is Brian. He is a very happy man and I believe that this would go down well with the audience. He has a friendly aura and this will make the audience even more shocked when we kill him off within the first few minutes. 

This is John. He has a strong figure and this would then show how strong Maisie is and would make the audience wonder if she is supernatural. 

After looking at these different people and their specific features, myself and my team have decided that John and Agne are going to be our cast, as they have the desired characteristics for both leads in our 2 minute horror opening.  

Chelsea carried out the casting, and myself and the rest of my team have approved and agreed with her work.

Location Planning

The next stage in pre - production is the location planning. I visited the location and took pictures of specific areas of it that we would be using during the production phase, and pivotal areas where the action would take place. By visiting the location, it means I can tell whether or not it would be suitable for filming. If the location would have been unsuitable, we would of had to adjust our entire plot and idea for the two minute opening of our horror film. When considering the suitability of the location, several things need to be taken into account. Particularly for this location, we had to take consider the weather conditions, and also the business of the area.When taking the pictures of the location, I had to stop momentarily for people or cars travelling over the bridge; cars would also pass through the water. This could be a flaw and also a problem when it comes to production. However, I took the pictures during the day, and it will be considerably less busy during the night when we shoot our opening. All of the locations in the images below will feature in the opening at some point. After assessing the suitability of the locations, I have concluded that they are appropriate, and it is confirmed that this will be the setting for our teen horror opening. We can now move onto the next stage of pre - production, which will be the storyboard and shot list.

An arch under the bridge, which our victim will peer under to check for the source of the splashing.

The walk way down to the river under the bridge, which out victim will walk down to being his wade into the water.

The bollard where our victim pauses his walking and stares out into the water, unaware he is being watched himself.

The tree which our villain, Maisie, will hide behind and watch her victim (Barney) from a safe distance. This is where she monitors his movements.

The entrance to the bridge, where our victim will enter the bridge.

The swings in the playground. Anyone walking over the bridge can see the park. The swing will be swinging slightly.

The opposite side of the bridge.

Research: Location Planning

Scouting for a location is vital during the pre - production process of filmmaking.

There are many factors that need to be considered when choosing the right location. These factors include;

• the aesthetic and general look of the location, and whether it matches and suits the description and fits in with the themes, tone and other aspects of the film.
• the financial cost to production.
• the distance from base of operations and other planned locations.
• availability of facilities to keep crew and talent safe.
• the availability of electrical power and the feasibility of bringing in lights and electrical power.
• available light and weather conditions.
• permission from the owner of the location.

Filming location would be discussed between the production department and the locations department. Once they have decided upon a location, they must check if the location is still viable. After that, it is confirmed. A legally binding location contract is usually drawn up for all parties involved to sign. 

Planning: Storyboard

The next stage in pre-production was creating our storyboard. We completed this task a group so we were all aware of what the two minute opening of our horror film would look like. However, when we begin filming, we do not have to stick strictly to the storyboard; we can change certain elements if we find that we are incapable of accomplishing certain shots, or we do not like the idea we previously came up with. Creating a storyboard gives us a structure and a certainty when it comes to the production phase, so it is vital that it is completed. Included in the storybaord is dialogue, camera movement and shot, location and more.

Storyboard Planning: Research

The purpose of a creating a storyboard during the pre-production phase is to pre-visualise the sequence and the shots of a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence.

Drawing a storyboard for a motion picture helps the film directors, cinematographers etc visualise the scenes and find any potential flaws or causes for concern before they occur. In addition, storyboards also help indicate the overall cost of production. They also include arrows and instructions that indicate movement.

Creating storyboards also allows the user to experiment with changes in the storyline, in order to benefit the audience and provoke a stronger reaction.

This is a storyboard for an 8 minute animated cartoon:

Research: Casting

Casting is an important part in the pre-production stage. Therefore, I have done research in order to deepen my understanding of how the process would be done in the film industry.

The casting process can involve a series of auditions before a casting panel which can include the producer, director and casting director. The actors may be given a prepared audtion piece such as a monologue, as shown above in Emma Stone's audition tape for Easy A. The auditions are usually taped so they can be shared with producers, directors and studio representatives. Later on, the actor may be asked to audution again with another actor playing another role so the casting directors can assess the talent of the individual actor and the chemistry of their combination.

After all of the candidates have auditioned, the casting directors, director, producers etc. have to make a decision on who to cast.

Several factors have to be taken into account when casting. These include; age, gender, race and ethnicity, personality, ability and the availability of the actor in question. For example, if the actor is unavailable during the production phase, they would have to cast someone else due to scheduling conflicts.

Although we will not be holding auditions for our horror movie opening, we still have to consider these factors when making the decision on who to cast. We must also be able to justify why we chose that particular person.

Screenplay: MAISIE

*MAISIE*

by

Evie Brudenall, Chelsea Craig, Jake Hughes and Lucaas Chaiyaractha

16 December, 2013

TITLE: produced by CLING FILMS. 

The font is white and scratched and lower case, apart from 'Cling Films' which is in capitals.

FADE IN:

ON A SLOWLY SWINGING SWING. SCREECHING OF THE SWING IS HEARD.

TITLES: directed by...

Camera cuts to a shot of person walking over an arch bridge late at night. The person is 25 year old male, Barney. He is wearing black jeans, a black coat with a red scarf which resembles a noose, and black trainers.

Camera cuts to a tracking mid - shot from behind Barney, then to a tracking mid - shot from in front of Barney. 

TITLE: starring...

He is looking down at the floor with his hands in his pockets. Barney turns into the final bollard on the bridge and places his hands on either side. 

He rests his elbows on the bollard and leans over slightly. He looks out to the river below him momentarily, with a look of dissatisfaction and discontent.

He produces his phone from his pocket. A close up of the phone reveals it has no signal. Barney manoeuvres his mobile in different directions to try and find reception. The camera follows the phone's movements. In frustration, Barney throws his phone into the water below. A splash is heard.

Several cuts are made to within the trees, to show that someone or something is watching Barney. Score comes in during these cuts.

Score continues, but is quieter and more subdued. Barney hears a splash, as if someone is moving through the water. He is visibly startled. Score becomes more prominent.

BARNEY

Who's there?

Barney looks frantically around him to try and discover the source of the disruption. His eyes are panicked and his breathing becomes heavier. He exits the bridge and into the shallow waters to investigate.

He walks slowly through the water and peers cautiously under an arch of the bridge. An unknown figure steps into the frame. Barney thinks all is safe and walks slowly backwards. The mysterious figure throws a rope around his neck. A deafening scream is heard.

FADE OUT.

Research: Writing a Screenplay

In order to write a screenplay correctly, I decided to carry out research on screenplays and observe how they are set out and written. For inspiration and guidance on how to write the screenplay, I looked at the screenplay for the film 'Silver Linings Playbook', written by director and writer David O. Russell based on the novel by Matthew Quick.

                         (READING)

           "Dear Tiffany...
          SHE STOPS, surprised it is addressed to her.

           150.

                         

                          TIFFANY (CONT'D)

                          (READING)
           "...I know you wrote the letter.
           (long pause) The only way you could
           meet my crazy...."

                          PAT

                          (RECITING)
           "...was by doing something crazy
           yourself. Thank you. I love you. I
           knew it the minute I met you. I'm
           sorry it took so long for me to
           catch up. I just got stuck. Pat." I
           wrote that a week ago.

                          TIFFANY
           You wrote that a week ago?

                          PAT
           Yes, I did.

                          TIFFANY
           You let me lie to you for a week?

                          PAT
           I was trying to be romantic.

                          TIFFANY
           You love me?

                          PAT
           Yeah, I do.

                          TIFFANY
           Okay.
          SHE LEANS FORWARD AND KISSES HIM, they kiss. Camera pulls
          away. Score comes in.

A screenplay differs from a play script. Play scripts use many stage directions to direct the actors. However, as demonstrated in the screenplay, the actors do not have directions on how to perform their dialogue. This leaves the actors free to interpret the screenplay in their own way. Screenplays are also set out different from play scripts. The dialogue in screenplays are centred, with the characters name above it, also centred.

There are different types of screenplays. These are:

• Literary Screenplay - language used is the same as fiction and is literary.
• Publistic Screenplay - uses 'broken' language that is normally found in newspaper articles.
• Original screenplay- independent piece of work.
• Derivative Screenplay - the adaptation to the original.
• Director's Screenplay - descriptive part which usually includes boundaries between the definite shots. 
  
  Writing a screenplay is an incredibly crucial part of the filmmaking process. Once the idea and concept for a film has been put forward, it is the screenwriter's job to bring their vision to the page. Screenwriters are responsible for researching the story, developing the narrative and subsequently writing the screenplay which will then be delivered and presented to the executives. 

Research: Which Horror Movie Opening is the Best?

1) Read our group's three potential horror openings. These can be found on a previous post on my blog.
2) Click on this link to answer our survey. Please answer the last two questions in detail if possible.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8RTQZWG

Thank you for your time.

Research: The Importance of Sound and Music in Horror Films

Sound in horror films is very important. Sound and music are used in horror films to create tension and suspense among the audience, as well as to scare them; the ultimate aim of a horror film. Sound can increase an audience's heart rate and boost their adrenaline.

Commonly, there is little or no music before the action takes place. The 1975 horror film 'Jaws' directed by Steven Spielberg is an example of this. During the opening of 'Jaws' (as seen above), a teenage girl, Chrissie, and her male friend run down to the beach, and she is shouting at him, encouraging him to go swimming. All that can be heard during this scene is the crash in of waves and dialogue, and also music from a party that is happening away from the beach. When Chrissie jumps in the sea, and begins to swim, a gentle dinging of a bell is quietly heard. As she starts to swim in the deeper part of the ocean, the first example of a score is heard. Low strings are heard, which is juxtaposed with the increasing pitch of a xylophone. The music does not subside when Chrissie stops swimming momentarily. However, when the the camera cuts to a shot underwater, with the camera slowly moving toward her, the score takes a different approach. Drums and strings are heard as the camera moves closer, and when the creature tugs at Chrissie's feet, there is a distinct high pitched instrument. This is then interspersed with frantic strings as she tries to escape what is trying to drag her down into the water. Drums are once again introduced when the clearly distressed and hysterical teenage girl is dragged from side to side by the beast. As we leave the action briefly to see a shot of her friend lying on the beach disorientated, we hear the high pitched sound again; when we return to the scene, the added instruments are reintroduced.  However, the music is not very loud, so the victim's screams are the main thing the audience hear. When Chrissie is dragged under the water for the final time, the music completely stops, and the bell begins to ring gently again. The silence signifies the attack is over, and that Chrissie is indeed dead.

Music has a great effect on the audience, and tells them how they should be feeling during the scene (if the visuals weren't enough). Click here to read an article on how and why the music in horror films scares us.

We listened to several scores from 10 different horror films, and found that they all have similarities with each other. For example, the music in 'Suspiria' and 'The Ring' both feature sounds from a music box. This creates a haunting child like feel, which makes the piece sound even more terrifying and eerie. The films 'Children of the Corn', 'Suspiria' and 'Poltergeist' all have children singing in their music, which once again makes the audience feel more terrified, and also more uncomfortable. They all juxtapose innocence with a haunting melody and creepy, sinister singing voices. The films 'The Exorcist' and 'Halloween' both make use of a piano, which repeats the same chord sequence throughout the piece.Both have a quiet background beat or noise occurring, too. All scores also tend to reach a crescendo; this part of the music would be played during the pivotal part of the film where the action has reached its peak.

Research: The Importance of Sound and Music in Horror Films

Research: The Opening Titles of 'Se7en'

I located the opening to the psychological horror film Se7en on Art of the Title. This film was released in 1995 and has an interesting title sequence which draws on a series of images and non-diegetic sound rather than using a narrative. The synopsis of the film is as follows:

Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his modus operandi.

I watched the opening several times to familiarise yourself with it. I took a piece of A3 paper and divided it into 4 sections. In the appropriate box, I made a timeline for the opening sequence. It started at 0.00 and finished at the time the opening sequence finished. The opening to Se7en is just over 2 minutes long.

Whilst watching the opening, every time a title appeared on the screen, I paused it and made note of the time and wrpte the exact wording of the title above this time on the timeline. The first title was T1, the second Y2 and so on.

I watched the opening again, but this time without the sound and made notes abou the visual aspects of the opening. I had to describe what I saw which included locations, characters and any other images. I also had to comment on the font and colour of the text.

I played the opening for a the final time and this time watched it with the sound. I had to describe what I heard as accurately as possible. I had to include if there was music playing, and if so, what type of music. I commented on the tempo, the instruments and the feeling and emotion the music evoked. I also commented on the sound effects.

The Importance of Opening Titles: The Film Before The Film

Click here to view The Film Before The Film video.

A Brief History of Title Design (2011) — Art of the Title

A Brief History of Title Design (2011) — Art of the Title

Research: The Importance of Opening Titles

What information might you be given during the opening titles of a film?

• film's title
• cast members
• production company
• distributor company
• director, producer, executive producer, music, make-up, costume design, cinematography etc.

What is the difference between opening titles and closing credits?

The difference between opening titles and closing credits is; the opening titles inform the audience of the more important roles that people played within the making of this film such as the director, producer and production company. The closing credits list everyone who was involved in the making of the film, from costume design to the runners. The opening titles display the theme including font, colour, style and appearance. These all tie in with the film's genre.

What is the importance of opening titles?

The opening titles of a film are very important; the give the audience a lot of information. For example, they tell the audience who stars in the film. The most important roles in the film usually come first in the list of cast members. For example, in the opening titles to the psychological thriller film 'Se7en', Brad Pitt's name is the first of all the actors to be displayed on screen. Brad Pitt is a high profile name in Hollywood, which is possibly a reason why some of the audience were attracted to the film, so it was of great importance to include his name in the opening credits. It may also have been put in his contract for his name to appear first in the list of cast members in the opening, as profile and exposure is important. In addition, other crew members are mentioned in the opening titles. These include: the director, producer, executive producer, music and the distributors. These are important to include in the opening titles as, like the actors, the crew who work on the film can also attract audience members. The director of 'Se7en', David Fincher, is a very famous and successful director. Prior to 'Se7en' he had directed only one feature film, 'Alien 3'. However, he had directed many music videos for high profile artists which would have gained him fans.
Not only do we learn information about the cast and crew during the titles, we also recognsie the symbolic codes. The symbolic does during the opening mainly give the audience a strong indication as to what genre the film will be. During the titles of 'Se7en', the font and style of the credits, the music and the images used all contribute to the genre. It is clear in the titles that the genre of 'Se7en' is a thriller.

A Treatment for the Opening 2 Minutes (including titles) of 'MAISIE'

The screen and first shot of the opening will slowly fade in from black. It will commence with a long shot of a swing in the park, gently swinging back and forth. The creaking and screeching of the swing can be heard as it does this action. An arch bridge can be seen in the background of the shot, with a figure walking slowly over it. The camera then makes a cut to a long shot of the person walking over the bridge, and then to a tracking mid shot of the walker from behind. This then cuts to a mid shot of the person (our protagonist in our opening, 25 year old male Barney) from the front, once again it is a tracking shot.

Only diegetic sound can be heard, for example; the footsteps of our protagonist, the creaking of the swing (which will stop as soon as we cut away from the shot of the swing) and natural sounds, perhaps from insects. In addition, weather conditions may have an impact on the sound. As we are filming in the night time, harsh winds may be heard. If this is the case, that will be fixed during post production, otherwise it will overpower the subdued mood that the opening scene is aiming for and ruin the intensity.

The camera continues to follow the protagonist face on as he turns into a bollard on the bridge. As he turns into the bollard, it cuts to a shot of the camera hidden in the trees near the river, to give the feeling that the protagonist is being watched. He places his hands on either side of the bollard. He produces his phone from his pocket and the camera cuts to a close up of the phone. As he turns his phone on, it says that he has no signal. The camera remains focused on the phone as the protagonist tries in vain to find reception, moving the phone up and in different directions. A close up of the protagonists face depicts his frustration. He throws the phone into the river below the bridge. The audience hears a splash but does not see the impact of the phone hitting the water. The camera then cuts to the phone in the water, floating away to symbolise that his only means of communication are gone. This is a common convention used in horror films and makes the protagonist extremely vulnerable.

The camera then cuts back to the shot within the trees. However, this time it is moving forward slowly through the trees to the water to signify whatever or whoever is in the trees, they/it is on the move.

Cutting back to a close up of the protagonist's face reveals that his anger has subsided. Suddenly, he hears something moving around in the water. An extreme close up of his eyes shows them shifting from side to side, trying to deduce where the sound came from. The camera cuts back to a close up. 'Who's there?' he shouts. There is no reply, and when he hears someone moving in the water again, he decides to investigate. He exits off the left side of the bridge, the camera shows him leaving the bollard and in the next shot, shows him exiting the bridge and entering the shallow water. He starts to look all around him for signs of the source of the noise. As he peers under the arch to see if the mysterious cause of the noise is under there. The camera cuts to a long shot from behind the protagonist. An unknown assailant steps into the shot with her or his back facing the camera. The camera then cuts to a close up of the protagonist again, his face slightly relieved as he sees ni sign of danger. As he steps backwards away from the arch and out of the water, the assailant steps forward with a rope in their hands and pulls it round their victims neck. A deafening scream is heard and the screen goes to black and the title of the film 'Maisie' appears.

During the shots in the trees, non diegetic sound will be used, and we will create a score. The music will be brooding and ominous. The instruments that may be included could perhaps be a piano, drums or violin. The score will continue when the camera cuts back to the victim's face, but the music will be less prominent and noticeable. However, when he enters the water to investigate, the music becomes more prominent. It eventually builds to a crescendo when he is seemingly murdered, but is cut off immediately when the screen fades to black.

Titles will be included in the opening. The font will be lower case and scratched and in white, as it will stand out against the darkness. 'Produced by Cling Films' will appear during the shot of the swing, and other credits including who stars in the opening, director etc will all appear during the opening.

Audience Feedback

Planning: Potential Opening

Me and my group have identified who our target audience for our teen horror movie opening will be. With this information, we can now begin to plan and create ideas for the opening. In this lesson, we thought of 3 horror potential contenders for the opening of our film, Maisie. Each idea had to be distinctly different from the others in order to show variety and our ability to create and come up with different ideas.

Our first attempt to brainstorm ideas looked like this:


Potential Opening Planning: 1

 

For each of our three ideas, we gave a brief outline of what they would include. However, we did not give more insightful details such as the victim's name and the exact locations. Our mistake was quickly pointed out, and this structure to follow was written on our sheet:



 In order to giver our three openings the necessary detail they required, we decided to follow the formula of giving examples and an answer for 4 questions: who, what, when and where? Using this structure, we created our third and final sheet which had just the right amount of detail on:

 

For each potential opening we gave an answer to:

1.) Who?

-we answered this with what our victim would be called and their age. Their gender was evident by their name.

2.) What?

-we answered this question with a brief but concise synopsis and timeline of how the opening would play out.

3.) When?

-we answered this question with what time of day the opening would take place, as well as the time of year. We also included the day (Tuesday, Friday etc.) to give extra detail. Whether this will prove useful or necessary is yet to be determined.

4.) Where?

-we answered this question by stating where the opening would take place, and the conditions of the location. For example, potential opening 2 takes place in a small, cold and dingey room.

 

I will answer the final question, 'why?' now.

 

Opening 1:

We decided that our victim should be a man and the villain a female as it challenges the stereotypical horror convention of a female being a victim as they are considered weak and vulnerable as opposed to men. Males are usually the villains as they are capable of doing more harm than female villains. However, we have reversed the roles for the reason stated above: to challenge the convention. For this potential opening, our victim (Barney) is walking along a bridge, possibly returning home from a friends house. He stops, checks his phone for signal and when he cannot find any he throws his phone into the water out of frustration. He stops for a while and looks out over the water. Suddenly, he hears/sees something suspicious and decideds to investigate. Whilst in the water, he is attacked by the villain (Maisie, although the audience does not know who the villain is) and is strangled. His limp body is then dragged off. The audience are left unsure as to whether the victim is dead. We designed the opening this way as it uses some of the typical horror conventions an audience would expect to see, such as the phone having no signal and therefore removing a source of contact. The victim also decides to investigate the mysterious noise/sight instead of being sensible and running away. The opening takes place near midnight. It will be very dark at this time of night and therefore increases the risk the victim is taking. It also creates and eerie atmosphere for the audience. The scene takes place on a bridge where water flows underneath. This is significant as water is dangerous and is a possible hazard for the victim. It is also a long drop from the bridge to the water, which creates another source of danger.

 

Opening 2:

Just like opening 1, our victim is a male, and therefore we challenge the convention again. Our victim is tied to a chair, with his mouth taped over. It is clear that he is a in a helpless position and is desperate to be found. As he starts to struggle in his chair, the ropes around his wrists and ankles begin to loosen and he eventually breaks free. As he almost reaches safety, he is confronted by the unknown (to the audience) assailant. It is then heavily implied that he is killed. This opening challenges another well known and heavily used convention of the victim almost making it to safety before being caught. We can also use fast paced editing to increase the tension and suspense. The opening takes place in the day as the victim can see sunlight. However, the room he is being held in only provides artificial lighting. We designed this opening to be set in a small, dingey and poorly lit room. On the walls are newspaper articles that detail murders of the villain's past victims and pictures of couples, and one of the victim in particular. The size of the room is important as it creates a claustrophobic feel. Possible signs of exit are almsot non existant which makes the audience feel hopeless for the victim. The newspaper articles and clippings also increases the fear factor; it is really sinister and shows that the villain is not a first time killer. Clues are also given away about the killer's identity.

 

Opening 3:

Opening 3 also has a male victim and female villain. Our victim Paul is 32 years old and has just said goodbye to his date at his door. He begins to tidy away the mess in the kitchen. During the process, he spills a glass of red wine. He then receives a text from his date, saying she has left her bag at his house and that she is returning to collect it. He opens the door as she arrives with a knife in his hands. Paul is then murdered by the person at his door. The villain's identity is kept a secret. We had Paul spill red wine as the colour red is symbolic of blood and this foreshadows that something dangerous is about to happen. This opening takes place at about 10/11 p.m on a Friday. It is set at night as it gives a more eerie, dangerous and secluded feel. The scene takes place in a house, which gives the audience a false sense of security. It is clearly the victim's house as he is clearing away the mess and is very comfortable. By not revealing the killer's identity, it leaves the audience in suspense and it ends the opening on a cliffhanger.

 

 

 

Research Into Target Audience: Pen Portrait

Me, Chelsea, Jake and Lucaas creating our Pen Portrait.

Our ideal target audience member.

Blue- Evie

Green- Jake

Red- Lucaas

Yellow- Chelsea

Female Villains in Horror Films

Unlike many other genres, horror films have not been very hospitable to the concept of female heroes, let alone female villains. Many of horror's protagonists have been women, but in addition they have also been victims. The rarity of strong female leads may be due to the stereotype and common misconception that women are weaker and more vulnerable than men and need a male companion in order to feel safe and secure. It is also for this reason that there are little female villains.

In our horror film, Maisie, our protagonist and villain is a female called Maisie Sedna, who has been betrayed and hurt by men her entire life and seeks revenge on every man she encounters.

I will be researching some of horror's most famous female villains in order to get a better understanding of how they are portrayed and their characteristics, so we can incorporate some of the features into the opening minutes of our teen horror film.

Misery
Misery is a 1990 American psychological horror film, starring James Caan and Kathy Bates. The film is based on acclaimed novelist Stephen King's book of the same name. Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a best- selling novelist, on his way home from Colorado after completing his latest book when a blizzard causes him to crash his car. He is found with critical injuries by former nurse Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), who takes her back to his remote house in the mountains.

 

Annie claims to be his 'number one fan'. Paul soon discovers that Annie is unusual and overbearing; she orders him to burn his latest manuscript after reading that her favourite character dies. Paul also unravels more about Annie's past and is terrified as he tries to escape. But there's one problem. No one knows where Paul is.

 

This particular female victim is clearly struggling with mental issues and obsessions, which lead her to become deranged and unhinged. Annie Wilkes is one of our inspirations for our character, Maisie.

 

Carrie

Carrie is a 1976 and 2013 American supernatural horror film, starring Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie (1976) and Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore (2013) as Carrie and her deeply religious mother Margaret respectively. The film is based on Stephen King's 1974 novel Carrie.

 

Carrie an unconfident and painfully shy teenage girl, who suffers abuse from her extremely religious mother at home and is bullied by her peers at school. After Carrie is humiliated publicly by her class mates in the girls changing room, she becomes increasingly more frantic and distressed and suddenly a light bulb bursts in the shower. This is the first sign we see of Carrie's...uniqueness.

 

 



 

One of Carrie's tormenters has a change of heart and regrets her actions toward her. She urges her boyfriend to ask Carrie to Prom as a way of apologising. However, another popular cliquey teenager is not prepared to let Carrie have her moment in the spotlight and plots a horrific prank. Everyone is unprepared for the catastrophic consequences.

 

 

Unlike Annie Wilkes in Misery, Carrie can be considered a victim rather than a villain. Carrie implores a different approach; it explores supernatural elements as opposed to mental illness and obsession Bullied and tormented her whole life, her powers manifest when she becomes distressed. Carrie causes havoc with her telekinesis and in the process kills many of her fellow pupils. However, she is the female protagonist who extracts revenge on her schoolmates and also her mother through murder; whether she is in control of her powers or not is unclear.

 

Orphan

Orphan is a 2009 American psychological horror film starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard. Husband and wife, John and Kate, recently lost their baby and decide to adopt a child. They visit an orphanage where their attention is quickly captured by the polite and charming Esther.

 

 

Kate becomes of suspicious of Esther when she displays maturity and knowledge beyond her years. As she tries to reveal and learn information about her past, Esther becomes increasingly more violent, especially toward Daniel, Kate and John's son. Kate's distaste for Esther becomes more and more evident as she begins to see her darker and less innocent side. In a dramatic and unexpected plot twist, the race is on for Kate to stop Esther destroying her entire family.

 

 



Orphan, like Misery, deals with the psychological aspect that is often explored in horror films. As the film progresses, Esther's past is unravelled and her mental instability becomes more obvious. However, unlike Carrie, Esther is fully aware and in control of her actions and plots with great consideration how and who she kills next.