The Ring

The Ring was a psychological horror film produced in 2002  by Gore Verbinski. The main plot was based on a Japanese novel of a cursed videotape displaying a set of disturbing images, after the tape finishes the viewer would receive a mysterious phone call in which they would be told they would die in seven days.

The film starts off with an establishing shot of a suburban house, it slowly zooms in closer. This shows to the viewer that what is going to happen is going to be here. This is accompanied by the ambient sound of rain and the scene is of night, using this pathetic fallacy it foreshadows that themes of dark qualities are going to take place inside the house as it creates a negative atmosphere for the audience. While the camera is still zooming in on the house dialogue from unknown female character starts from the place the established shot was focusing on.

The next scene cuts to a two shot of two females, one sitting on the floor while the other laying on a bed. The mise-en-scene is of a bedroom, the audience can tell this because of the composition of objects, bed, bed side lamp, curtains etc. The two characters are dressed in black and white school uniform, suggesting that the film is aimed at a young adult audience as the age group is relevant to them. The brunette character is sitting on the floor holding a TV remote, which is where the only light comes from which is dim and dark keeping the audience tense from because of the brooding scene as the diagetic sound of rain is still in the background. The blonde character is given the remote, the shot cuts to the TV being turned of then quickly cuts back to her, this showing that the important events are about to start.

Dialogue is shown to be the most important thing taking place as the audience is being made to focus on the conversation of the unnamed characters. The audience knows this by change of camera shots, it changes to a close up of the brunette character so audience knows what she is saying is important as nothing else is going on in the scene. The shot then cuts to a point of view shot to show blonde characters distressed reaction and response, another method of keeping the audience tense, as well as now the rain in the background is more distinct adding to the dramatic impact on the audience foreshadowing the darkness of the topic of conversation.

The dialogue then begins to increase between both characters as it switches between close-up’s of the characters. The increase in pace makes the audience feel more anxious as they feel that a shocking event is more likely to happen at any more as the pace continues to climb. By the end of the 2 minutes the characters are still un-named, this suggests to the audience that these two characters are irrelevant to the main plot.

Dawn of the Dead (2004 Re-make)

Dawn of the Dead is a 2004 American horror remake of George A. Romero's 1978 film of the same name. The remake and original both depict a handful of human survivors living in a shopping mall surrounded by swarms of zombies, but the details differ significantly. Directed by Zack Snyder and his directorial debut, the film was produced by Strike Entertainment and was released by Universal Pictures and stars Ving Rhames, Sarah Polley and Jake Weber with cameos from original cast members Ken Foree, Scott.

The introduction scene is about 5 minutes long and uses lots of methods to quickly tell the audience who the main character is, what the situation is and from this create a near instant conflict which grabs the viewer’s interest immediately. In the first few second of the film we see a skull that is glowing a bright gold, this then fades discretely into an x-ray image being held by a doctor in an over the shoulder shot. This then changes to a long shot of the doctor and the main character (Ana) who is tentatively listening to the doctor who is talking to a friend on the phone about a social outing. Already within just over a minute of footage we know that something about the x-ray may be foreshadowing later events (he enquires as to why the patient has been x-rayed when he came into hospital about a bite), that at the moment everything is normal as the doctor is talking to his friend as if nothing in the world is bad. 

Ana then walks out of the hospital to notice a pair of legs sticking out of an ambulance. In this segment the camera has been tilted to make her look as if she is still in a state of power. The use of costume really helps to add this mise-en-scene of her being still powerful and safe. She then approaches the legs to reveal that it’s just an ambulance driver sleeping in the job, this is then followed by an aerial view of her driving home with the song "Have a Nice Day”. These two parts of the scene are very clever. The reason for this is that when Ana investigate the ambulance non diagetic music starts to play which makes us the viewer feel as if something is wrong with the legs sticking out of the ambulance, but as previously stated its all fine. I think the Director was once again referencing the zombie scenes in which a survivor finds a recently deceased person only for them to reanimate into a zombie. The next clip is a complete juxtaposition as the music is calmed and relaxed, we have an aerial camera view that I believe references how she's in a built up area and most probably safe and even the fact that the music is diagetic shows the clear contrasts in clips. I think this exists in the film to communicate to the audience that something bad is going to happen but for now we know that every things fine and dandy.

Later on we meet Ana husband lying on their bed, he says how someone they know has gone missing (zombie foreshadowing) and they then proceed to have a shower together. In this segment we as an audience form a form a bond with the husband and so when he dies and is reanimated the director successfully scares us psychologically. Also the use of focus changing conveys to the audience that the couple (Ana and her husband) are unaware of the Emergency broadcast playing in the foreground on the television. This change in focus also helps us the viewer to realise this so that we know something is important to plot is soon to happen. The last minute or so consists of the husband waking up to find a zombie girl in their room, assuming she's just and injured girl he wakes Ana up and picks the child up only to be bitten. He then turns into a zombie and then proceeds to chase Ana who flees into her car, the intro ends after she crashes into some trees. The use of on-scene-effects like the husbands bleeding neck, explosion from the car crashes and decomposing zombies create a repulsive and shocking mise-en-scene that creates panic in the viewers mind, also the fact that there is such a large amount of blood within such a short amount of time also adds to the shock value. Finally the last segment in which Ana is driving away uses a camera or dolly that is attached to the car which creates the effect that we the audience are in her situation, also from these clips it changes to an aerial view of the chaos in the area which helps to create a juxtaposition from the first aerial view we saw.

So in conclusion The director frequently foreshadows his zombie pandemic to create suspense before it begins, he does this with the camera, actors and even the music. By using blood, on-scene-effects and fast pace he also creates a sense of fear in the audience. The director also uses camera angles to communicate certain things like basic plot line to the audience.                              

                                         

Night of the living dead

Night of the Living Dead is a classic zombie horror film released on October 1^st, 1968. The costumes used are fairly basic and don’t give too much away concerning the rest of the film. The male character is wearing what seems to be your average black and white suit, the female, seemingly basic casual 60’s wear. This choice of naturalistic costume is to reinforce the mise-en-scene of a normal day in the life of these character, by doing so making the following events far more astonishing and horrific to the audiance.

 The lack of dialoge in the beggining scene helps to create a hightened atmosphere as the audience is required to create their own perception of the events that occur.This is used in order to engage the audience successfully.

As for the soundtrack, the musical score used in this introductory piece of filming is very unique. The introductory music piece is orchestrated and is a rather sharp piece of music; it’s very tense. It’s obvious that the electronically created music used today was not available back then, so orchestrated pieces was the way to go. However, it’s also widely considered that orchestrated music has the best effect for building suspense and tension in a horror film.

The cut rate in this introduction is fairly average. The amounts of cuts are fairly consistent and each cut is roughly the same length as the previous.

Concerning the camera work, some very effective shots and angles are used in the opening sequence. We see the car travelling along to what seems to be a grave yard and its journey is the entirety of the introductory sequence. The camera never rises above the subject or lowers below the subject. It neither pans nor tracks the subject. The camera is fixed at the subject’s level and the camera is positioned along the cuts at various different angles throughout the cars journey. The use of the long shot and wide shot and often used during this sequence.

The mise-en-scene in this sequence is very chilling and defines everything the horror film stands for. The deserted, isolated forest and graveyard setting is has a very high scare value, and may make the viewer feel uncomfortable and even vulnerable. The music is orchestrated, sharp, tense and eerily slow paced. This just builds up the suspense and really makes the viewer, especially me, want to see the rest of the film; the ultimate purpose of any film introductory scene, regardless of genre.

 

 

28 Weeks Later

The intro to the film is 3 minutes long and introduces 7 characters to the story. 4 male and 3 female - 2 elderly, 2 in their 30’s, 1 in their 20’s and 2 children. The scene starts off in a dark house, with candles lit everywhere, this helps to create an un-nerving mise-en-scene that communicates to us the audience that for some reason (to find out at a later date) electricity in the house along with other typical items in a standard home are missing. This straight away suggests that this is a horror film because its dark with only littler light. These features in the film already help to create an intensely weird and worrying atmosphere that is perfect for any horror film. The characters are eating around a table talking about the zombies. This suggests that they are comfortable talking and that they have been there a long time. What also suggests this is the fact they have photos of friends and family set up on a shelf and wall. They must have barricaded themselves inside this building and have been there for a long time. Their clothes are dirty with holes in suggesting that they have only one pair of clothes or hardly have any to wear which also suggests they have been there for a long time. The food they are eating at the table isn’t anything special, it just looks like pasta with a basic sauce so that means they obviously don’t have much food. Maybe they’re saving the better food for later or maybe they don’t have any at all. So just to some up so far they’re clothes are in bad condition, its really dark, bad food and they’re all friends or family.

The camera is either kept still to show everyone or it’s hand-held, by doing this we feel as if were in the film and the same danger as the characters are in. Many close ups are used to help further emphasis the idea of being in the film. They really want you to feel as if you are a character in the film sitting down at the table eating dinner with them. 

Suddenly there are loud knocks at the door with young boy shouting for help. The tension now builds up from the music slowly getting louder, shall they risk blowing their cover to the zombies by letting the boy in or shall they leave him. The music really gets the audience going because they’re not sure what’s going to be behind the door so they’re getting really scared. As the music builds up, the cut-rate gets quicker which adds to the tension. As soon as the boy is let in the house the cut-rate slows back down which relieves the tension.

The boy starts to talk about how zombies were chasing him while the girl goes over to one of the walls in the house, she removes a cloth that was blocking a hole. She looks through the hole. The music builds up and the boy says there were loads of zombies. As he says that the camera is close up to him. While this is happening there is a build up of music again getting louder. This suggests that something bad is going to happen. Suddenly a zombie appears in front of the hole and its arm goes through the wall. This is extremely well done as the directors use of music and camera angle have successfully tricked the audience into falsely believing certain shall happen only for the opposite to happen, therefore when the predictable happens we as an audience are completely shocked by it

There are multiple things that I feel I can take away from studying this film. To begin the time of day and colours are something to be seriously considered when filming as they help extend the tension and mood in a scene. A mix of hand-held and still camera work to make it seem professional but also put you into the film. Close up shots also help put you in the film and to make it seem more serious. And finally the use of music to for instance build the tension can be extremely effective to get the effect I hope to achieve.

A Nightmare on Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street was first screened on November 16^th, 1984. It was written and directed by Wes Craven, commonly known for directing the SCREAM franchise and is widely regarded as one of the most famous people of the horror genre. This film is a great example of the iconic sub-genre, the Slasher! The use of deep reds and blacks in the title sequence and other credits helps to reinforce the slasher genre which over accentuates the use of blood, gore and general violence to shock viewers.

The costume work found in this introductory sequence is very distinct and unique; it really sets the scene and compliments the mise-en-scene. The male character of which we are introduced to, is wearing the distinct red and green striped jumper and the young, distressed female character is wearing a white night gown. The male character is also immediately seen to be wearing a knife-fingered glove, seemingly handmade. In addition to the white night gown worn by our newly introduced female character, it looks worn and tattered. This indicates that it has experienced some form of damage, possibly meaning the wearer has been in danger recently.

Throughout the introduction of this film, there is not actually speech used. There is the occasional moan and groan, as well as a blood curdling scream towards the end of the sequence. I feel this acts to the fear factor of which the film is trying to achieve as it leaves the viewer in both suspense and mystery.

The soundtrack to this section of the film is used tremendously and uses simple eerie noises such as the dripping of pipes and the sharp whisper of the wind. It also implements an electronically created soundtrack to its title sequence and occasionally present throughout, which sounds abnormal and strange, adding effect to the film’s scare value and packs a punch unexpected.

In terms of the sequences cut rate, the cuts are rather frequent, especially in the beginning, and shots are changed almost in the space of several seconds throughout the entirety of the introduction sequence.

Now, moving on into the key aspect of camera work. There are a wide variety of angles, shots and movement used in the introduction sequence of A Nightmare on Elm Street.  There is a strong use of the high angle shot which is used to almost make the female character seem inferior and small. This adds effect in that it creates the impression that the female character is helpless. Other shots used in the sequence include the over the shoulder shot (used from the male character’s, Freddy Kruger, perspective), close-ups, long shot as well a good use of composition (handmade knife-fingered glove and tools used etc.)

The mise-en-scene of this piece is very eerie and really sets the scene for the rest of this chilling piece of filming. The eerie boiler room setting, the sounds and music that is enough to make your hair stand on end and the clever and effective camera work all add up to create a great fearful mise-en-scene.

With reference to text use, the font used for the title banner is very distinct, bold as well as being presented in a sharp, red colour. This font type is carried out in order to present the introductory credits and additional information such as cast, characters, and production members such as the writer, director, screen writer etc.

Overall, this film introduction makes great use of technical features such as a great mise-en-scene, good camera work as well as a chilling musical score. This introductory sequence really sets the pace for the film ahead and is created to a very high standard for its time, and even more so today. By analysing such great horror films such as this I hope to tap into the same effects when I make my own film introduction.

The Grudge

The opening sequence of The Grudge is approximately three minutes and within this time zone, we are exposed to a lot of plot hints, settings, as well as some shocks and scares; for example when the male character of whom we are introduced to suddenly plunges off a balcony to his death.

Within the course of this three minute introductory piece, we are introduced to two characters, one male and female. The female, we see, is seemingly rather young and is lying in bed in what seems to be a small apartment located somewhere in Japan. The other character we are introduced to is a middle-aged male character, Peter, played by Bill Pullman, who I mentioned earlier, who we find overlooking the apartments surrounding area shortly before plunging of the balcony he is leaning against and falling to his sudden, untimely death.

The costume work in this introduction is fairly basic. The woman we find in the bed is typically wearing bed clothes in the form of a white nightie-type gown. The male character is wearing basic clothing.The choice to give the characters simple clothing is to emphasis their innocence as to the events that are about to occur, by doing this making the scene far more graphically shocking.

With reference to the cut rate and transition use, the cute rate is very slow and the transition between each cut is steady and calm. This, I feel sets the mood for the film and unnerves the viewer in a clever attempt to lure them into the film and immerse them.

Now, moving onto camera work. There are a wide variety of shots used within this segment of film. The most noticeable and longest used is the over the shoulder shot. The camera starts it’s filming with an over the shoulder shot. It is used to show over Peter’s shoulder and gives us the impression that we are seeing exactly what he sees. He is initially looking over the balcony at the busy streets and surrounding area, and that is exactly what we, the viewer, is seeing. The implementation of the close-up is also used to give the viewer a clearer, more defining view of both the female and male characters of whom we are introduced to. Another shot that is very cleverly used is the point of view shot. This is use as peter is falling to his death and thoroughly adds effect and highly cranks up the shock value and suspense that is struck into the viewer; a cracking piece of camera work. Other shots such as the pan shot and tilt shot are also used towards the end of the introduction when we are exposed to Peter’s dead body lying on the street floor and the locals flocking around him.

The mise-en-scene is very overall very calming and ‘realistic’, something of a rarity in the horror field. The setting takes place in Tokyo and we are exposed to the bustling streets and busy roads. We can hear the sounds of cars hooting and people nattering as well as the fateful wind crackling. This mise-en-scene is actually rather deceiving as it is not something commonly seen in a horror film and really tricks the viewer into feeling calm and relaxed, leaving them vulnerable to scares and shocks. This is a clever piece of film making.

The text used in this introductory sequence such as titles, names etc. is used to great effect. Perhaps the most iconic and profound use of text is the beginning explanation of curses. We are exposed to a black screen with red text appearing which tells us that curses are the result of a rage-filled death and how that curse remains in the place of death. Because this message is given in text form rather than speech, it makes the reader concentrate more and perhaps give them a better, more concise understanding of curses and maybe even hint them as to what the film to follow is all about. Text is also used towards the end of the introduction in which the title of the film is exposed after a mysterious is shoved into a pool of red, blood-like water. This also adds to the scare factor of the film and begins to take the viewer out of their calm state of mind that they were once in.

Final Destination

The Final Destination was released in 2000 which was a mix of genre's, a supernatural-thriller-horror.

The plot line follows freak accident death's that happen to a group of teenagers after they cheat death in a plane accident, which one of the characters had a premonition about.

The film is most likely aimed at an audience of an age gap between 15 - 25, as the film has an age rating of 15 and as it follow's teenagers it would probably be aimed at a younger audience.

The opening scene uses pathetic fallacy by using the weather. The camera has uses a long shot that tilted upwards giving the impression that we are seeing this from someone's eyes. The view is of dark thunderous clouds with lightning, this to the audience could represent many things it would give the impression that something bad was going to happen that they're is a sense of evil and anger.

The camera then pans down a window giving the audience a clue to the mise-en-scene. This is done slowly giving a creepy feeling as it the camera then focuses on a doll with a demon like face painted on it hanging from a string. The camera then focuses on a shoot of the floor of the shadow of the doll swinging on the string, this to the audience looks like a man being hanged, it represents death which suggest's this is going to be a theme of the film to the audience which is also a common feature of horror.

A common house object is also used in the opening scene, a fan. The fans gives off a sound that is like a growl before they realise its a fan, creating a little suspense here. The growl could be interpreted as a sign of danger.

Death is a common feature in this opening scene as it used again by showing the book "Death of a sales man" which is focused and meant for the audience to take notice of.

The fan the "coincidently" flicks a book on to a page of a past historic event of where a tragedy that had lost lives was shown, the coincidence of the book opening on the page also suggest's demonic forces at work. While this is showing soft screams of women are heard in the background blatantly showing the terror foreshadowing that terror is going to be a part of the film.

The music to the opening scene only uses one instrument, a violin. The violin is used to create suspense by having a slow tempo using either low and long notes creating a dark atmosphere or either high notes changing speeding up the rate of suspense for the audience.

An obvious sign that this is going to be a Horror of demonic film is that a series of demon like creatures is shown in a flash behind the spinning fan. A page also is flipping through a book, again, and momentarily pauses of the word evil, if the audience has yet again not picked up any of the blatant foreshadowing.

Finally the scene ends on a close up of a book using a tilted angle to focuses on a book with the words This Is The End in red writing. The rest of the book fades out and all that is left is the red writing. The words and the colour has meaning to the audience, the red colour represents blood and death, and the words foreshadow the end of the film, though they're not sure what going to end but they're most likely to guess that its either going to the end of the world of the end of

someone's life depending on the events about to take place.