Editing to create meaning

Since the creation of editing in the very first simplistic films, directors have used editing in order to convey meaning to an audience. The use of editing can take control of a number of things include, meaning, tempo and genre.

If a director wants to create meaning do a number of things with the use of basic editing, for instace in a slasher if violence was to be represented you could have the face of someone, then flash back and forth between that frace and a knife being held by them. You could even show the potential victim by having it flash to a person as well you continued these jump cuts. By using simple edits such as these you can create meaning from seconds of clips.

Tempo using edits can create different settings and aid the realisation of genre. For instance the use of quick edits in an action film during a fight scene create a sense of speed during these shots, thereby creating an adrenaline filled ride for us the audience. Another example would be the use of simple and few edits during a naturalistic/historical film in order for the audience to notice as little of the editing as possible. By using a variety of styles to edit we can show this great variety in editing

Software used

Hardwre

• High Definition Video Cameras
• Tri-pod
• iMac

Software

• Final Cut Express
• VisionLab
• Garage Band

Preliminary and Main Task Comparison

In my Prelimimary task I created a short comedic sketch called 'The Cupcake', it was filmed and edited in around two hours. However in the main task I'd decided to film a short intro sequence to a zombie horror film, this took around seven hours to edit and was filmed on two separate days. Although there are the obvious comparison that I have just pointed out like genre and filming lengths and editing times there are also many more complex and subtle variations to them both.

First of all The Cupcake lacked costume and makeup which helped create the mise-en-scene of our main task. Without it the preliminary lacked the realism and gore value that made the main task look professional and thought out. Unprofessional acting mistakes like looking into the screen were avoided by ensuring multiple takes happened on filming days. We also used multiple effects like blood, gunshots and title sequence effects. These were used as rarely as possible and help create a shock value to the audience when used, unlike in the preliminary which lacked these effects and general care that was put into the final film.

Reassessment

Having begun to edit my stock footage I have been adviced to reasses this plot line for my film by my teacher. She believed the plot to be far to comedic, therefor not a horror film rather a  "black comedy". So after a quick rethink, along with the help of freinds and teachers I have re thought up my video and will be
re-shooting tommorow. Below is the new story boards for the video:

Video or Magazine - A Coursework Choice

For my project I could either create pages for a music magazine or create a two minute introduction to a film. I've decided to go with the video project rather than the print project. I have chosen video because I feel that i'm far more technically advanced in this project as opposed to the print which can be used to my advantage. I have a wider variety of software and knowledge to use for creating special effects, titles and the general creation of video in general. I think that with this software I'll be able to create a better video than a music magazine as well as being better able to show off my creative skills whilst doing a film.

Horror Films - A Brief History

Horror films through the ages

Horror films have developed over the ages so we will study the changes and alterations of the films over periods of time.

1890's: "The house of the devil" was produced by Georges Meles was seen to have been the first real horror movie to be made.

1930's - 1940's: Universal Studios began to promote horror films bringing in successful films like Dracula, Frankenstein .

The indian film industry created a film Mahal which was the first film to use reincarnation which has also become a common characteristic on the horror genre.

1950's - 1960's: Three sub genres emerged.

"Horror of personality" In these characters are perfectly human rather than them being supernatural however the posses horrific personalities.

"Horror of Armageddon" In these films natural events plays a big role ie. A comet so big that it will destroy the whole of earth.

and "Horror of demonic film" This genre includes more evil

spiritual roles for example demons or witches.

1970's - 1980's: Steven Spielburgs "Jaws" was one of the biggest grossing films to be made in the 1970's and was one of the first horror movies to be a big budget hollywood film.

Comedy and sexual overtones began to emerge in to horror films.

Horror films in the 1980's were called "Splatterpunk" as they were often gory and violent with no limitations on how graphic they were.

1990's: They're began a decrease in the market for horror films as the 1980's as they're were many slasher films that had been released in the late 80's and early 90's so the originality had started to wear off by this point. The films that were being produced were more ironic and parodic.

2000's: At the start of the 2000's the was little horror being released how ever a few films like Final Destination were successful. Horror films in this decade tended to be more based on Zombies and Psychological.