Micro Anaylasis- Dawn of the Dead (Opening Sequence)

Dawn of the Dead Is a Highly rated horror film that captivated and terrified audiences around the world with its life like interpretation of a plague infested world. Overnight the world becomes a living nightmare of unreal proportions. The planets population is hit by an inexplicable, unfathomable and lethal plague. The worrying thing is that the dead don’t dye. Instead they linger looking to pounce on any of the few remaining survivors for their next meal. In my essay I shall be evaluating exactly how each different micro element works to capture the interest of the audience. The micro elements include Cinematography, Titles, Mise- en- scene, Sound and editing. All of these elements are important in the opening sequence of a film as when combined they compel a viewer into watching the film.

As with any film, the producing company’s have the first 30-40 seconds to introduce themselves. This is the case in Dawn of the dead. Universal studios introduce themselves in their stereotypical way, with the globe being engulfed by light. However, the sound/music is not the typical music you would expect from Universal Studios opening sequence. Instead the music is low and eary. The music has a significant effect on the interest of a viewer and creates a pending sense of doom, danger and an idea of potential action. The audience expect this music to lead into something. The same music continues through the Strike intro, however special effects are then used to make the word Strike literally melt into a Scull. This scull then takes its form on an X-ray sheet and the camera moves to an over shoulder shot from behind a doctor, viewing the same X-ray sheet. This shows that the X-ray has something of importance or significance. The icon of the scull is also associated with death and hazard so the audience begin to become suspicious.

Two characters are introduced as the camera uses a medium long shot to establish the hospital. We see a doctor and a nurse exchanging dialogue. We know their role through the use of Mise- en –scene. The doctor is wearing a traditional white overall and carry’s a heart- beat monitor. The nurse opposite the doctor on the screen is wearing the overalls commonly associated with the role of a nurse. The frame is closed in order to put attention on the characters dialogue. This is to give a good opening impression of the story and plot. Non- diagetic sound is limited through these opening shots. The audience therefore uses this Mise- en- scene to get a sense of location and situation whereas the story and plot is made obvious in the dialogue that is being centred on.

The opening few shots have significance to the rest of the film. When viewing these shots analytically interesting points can be read. The most important point being the positioning of the two characters on the screen. The male doctor is placed in the upper left part of the screen to show his importance and dominance over the female nurse who is placed in the lower right part of the screen. This weighting of characters is important as it give the audience an early insight into the characteristics of an individual. In this case, the nurse seems to be portrayed as weak and venerable. This portrayal could be used later in the film for contrast. For example, later in the film this nurse may become an aggressive heroin. This would have greater effect had she been portrayed as weak and innocent in the opening sequence. This weighting of characters continues throughout the opening scenes in the hospital. In a later shot we see the female nurse enter the shot from the right whereas a large male doctor enters from the left. This use of weighting makes the female seem yet more inferior and weak in the busy hospital environment.

Throughout the hospital scene the light is dull perhaps to give a contrast between the outside. Maybe this contrast is used to show the hospital as a dark place, perhaps the place where the evil starts. The mood is kept relaxed in the hospital via the use of editing. Shots last longer and change less often then in later points in the film. This allows the audience to meet some of the characters that have importance in the story and plot, without being distracted by music and effects. This use of editing could also be used to deceive audiences into a sense of safety when danger is only round the corner. This will have a greater shock on a viewer. The fact that the opening shots of the film are based in the hospital creates the themes and values of help and public service. The audience uses these factors as clues. These clues are part of what keeps the audiences interest through the opening of the film.

When the female nurse leaves the hospital and walks into the greater outdoors the first thing that you notice is the significant change of camera angle. The frame is open as she walks into it. The camera is angled up at her so suddenly she seems less inferior and fuller of curiosity and courage. This is significant for the audience as they are continuously learning about this character. Her curiosity is then explained when the shot follows her line of sight to the back door of an ambulance. Two legs extrude from the door. The next shot is an over shoulder shot that shows the point of interest to be these legs that are immobile and therefore suspicious. The nurse approaches the legs from the right so our attention is put on the legs to the right. The audience’s suspicion rises as eary music enters. The music creates a sense of danger as the nurse approaches the legs. At this point the audience becomes aware of the theme of death that may play a significant part in the film. However it transpires that the legs were simply those of a sleepy paramedic who awakes to the shouts of the nurse. We see the paramedic raise from his sleep in a combination faster shots that increase the tension. This collaboration of shots play with the minds of the audience as they are led to believe something is wrong when it is in fact not. However, the seed of suspicion is still planted and remains as the eary music continuous. This leaves suspicion that something is still not right.

The camera moves to a very long shot, angled above the woman. Two flags are also in the shot, one being the American flag. This gives a sense of location but also the theme/ value of patriotism. The movement of the ambulances in the back of the shot allow the audiences to make the association of patriotism more clearly as the paramedics are important in defending life. The continuous eary music leads a viewer to belief that the theme of the film will develop from this eary association with the paramedics.

It is important to bear in mind that the editing of the shots get steadily faster as the female nurse leaves the confines of the hospital and enters the real world. This gives the idea that she is nearing a area or location of importance.

Shortly after the nurse leaves the hospital she begins a journey to what the audience assume will be her home. In the car scene, the female nurse turns on her radio. We see this in an extreme close up shot of her hand. The non- diagetic sound of the radio creates a very different mood and atmosphere. The music is bouncy and gives the impression of a normal day. However, up to this point the audience have been led to belief that something is slowly taking place. An example is the early scene outside the hospital when the paramedics legs where left extruding from the ambulance doors. The audience’s suspicions grow and then are released. This happens a lot during the opening of dawn of the dead as the film continuously teases you with its music, mise- en – scene and camera angles/ shots.

When the female nurse reaches her destination after some long establishing shots to show the location of her home, she exchanges some dialogue with a young girl. The girl seems kind and gentle. This is due to the soft, happy music that continues to play in the background. The audience assumes nothing is wrong. However, when the young girl leaves the shot we see a very different side to her. The gentle, soft, happy music stops and is replaced by the same eary music as was common earlier in the film. This shows contrast in the girl due to a simple change in music making the audience suspicious. The themes of trust know one is obvious here as the girl’s behaviour is perhaps deceiving.

In conclusion, the opening sequence relies on mostly sound to create it atmosphere of potential danger and suspense. The audience knows something is going to happen through the use of mise- en- scene in the hospital, e.g. the skull X-ray. The first seed of suspicion is planted outside the hospital in the ambulance when two legs are seen extruding from the door of the vehicle. The use of interesting camera angles and eary music create the suspense needed in the scene. It is the use of deceiving scenes like this in the opening sequence of dawn of the dead capture the interest of the audience through building suspense and then releasing it and visa- versa.

Evaluation of final piece

As a media product of the horror genre, our piece both develops and challenges forms and conventions of real, existing media products. Throughout the piece we use and develop forms that make the horror genre a success, whilst challenging the conventions with our own ideas and techniques to give the opening sequence a unique flavour.

At a micro technical level, we observed the conventions and continuity of the genre. An iatrical part of our opening sequence is the contrast of two very different moods. The piece starts with up- beat music that gives a sense of security. As a result the mood is settled and at some parts even joyful. However, this mood is created only to give a viewer a false sense of security. This is a technique used in many horror films and its success in movies such as “An American Werewolf in London” prompted us to use it. As the sequence progresses there is a sudden change in mood and situation as a stalker begins focusing his evil attention on George. It suddenly becomes clear that they are not alone in the wood and the situation has changed from a joyful day out to a cat and mouse situation. This sudden change is emphasised by the discontinuation of the happy music that was essential in creating a sense of safety. When the music stops, so too does this sense of security giving a feeling of vulnerability. This feeling of vulnerability is made only more obvious by the empty silence that is created when contrasting the situation to earlier parts of the sequence. This lack of music is vital as it helps built the tension and suspense adding an eerie feel to the piece.

The speed of each shot increases dramatically as the sequence progresses into the final stages. As each shot increases in pace, there is a distinct feeling that the villain is growing ever closer to George, building up the tension. We recognised these techniques as an effective part of the horror genre so developing it within our own piece. However, to challenge the technique we opted against using highly strung, tense music that itself builds tension. Instead we choose to use silence to best possible effect. As a result, we managed to create an eerie feel that leaves a viewer unaware and confused about the location of the villain, just as the characters are. To create a looming sense of danger, we added in a simple sound effect titled “Scary accent”. This effect gave a pumping effect and so we felt this would be effective in our piece to show the mood has changed and that tension is rising, without sacrificing the eerie feel generated by the silence.

The preliminary task was of great use as it allowed us to learn about the equipment we would use in our final piece. This included the camera, tripod and editing software. As a result, most of our mistakes were encountered in the preliminary task and not the final piece, where they would be of worse effect. The preliminary task also enabled us to practice many of the shots that would play a vital part in our final piece. Match on action is often used in our sequence and much of its success was due to the mistakes we made in the preliminary task. Our editing in the preliminary task was also vital as we were able to practice creating the mood required in the final piece with use of sound and visual effects. We played about with lighting and special effects to get a feel for what we could achieve in our final piece. However, we failed to produce smooth transitions between each shot in our preliminary task. We therefore learnt from these mistakes in our final piece and we made sure that our piece ran smoothly before adding effects.

On top of our Preliminary task, we also choose to include a Practice filming day in our planning. This involved shooting some of our more complex shots from our storyboard on site so we would be able to uncover any difficulties before the final day. The opening few shots were of slight confusion to the group as we were not aware of how well they would flow and how the audience would interpret the actions. Our practice day proved that what had seemed a good idea on the storyboard was not so successful when put into practice. As a result we chose to make a creative decision that departed from our original plan. This decision was heavily influenced by possible layers of interpretation by the audience. We wanted to make it clear that the four friends were very close to one- another; close enough to have an argument and then to make up. However, after much debate we concluded that we had overdone the argumentative side of the group as they spent most of the sequence behaving aggressively to one another. This may have portrayed a very different relationship to the audience and perhaps suggested that the group were not friends at all. In order to keep this friendship obvious we opted to change a number of shots on our storyboard not only to make the piece flow better, but also to allow easy interpretation. As a whole the day helped eradicate many simple mistakes that we may have stumbled upon on the final day. This not only saved time but also allowed for improvements.

Though very few mistakes were encountered in our final piece we still encountered a few problems. In our opening, we first suggest possible danger in a shot, were the friends leave important safety equipment behind in their rush to leave. This equipment includes a first aid kit, a mobile phone, a number of other important devices and a pair of gloves. These gloves are of no significance, only that they too were left behind in the rush. However, in a later shot we made the mistake of including the gloves on Matt so bringing them back into the sequence when they were originally left behind. Though this is not a noticeable mistake it is a mistake nevertheless.

Though the practice filming day did eradicate many mistakes that we would have otherwise stumbled on, we did still encounter an extremely avoidable one. In one of the final few shots were George is seen to be stumbling about on the floor in pain. We made the unfortunate mistake of accidently catching too of the group member’s legs and feet within the shot. Though the shot is only short, the mistake can still be noticed in the top right area of the frame. However, after adding effects to the shot as originally intended, the legs disappeared and became far less obvious to a viewer. To make sure of this, we even tested our sequence on a group of people, not involved in media studies, and who were not aware of our mistake. There response was positive and they noticed no mistakes when watching the piece and so we concluded that we had successfully hidden an otherwise noticeable mistake. It is also important to bear in mind that a viewer reads a frame from left to right and the eye is drawn to the action. Considering our mistake is located in the top right of the screen, it is far away from the action so remaining hidden.

At a more symbolic, “macro” level our film both challenges and reflects the conventions of the horror genre. P.O.V shots are used regularly in the genre often to convey movement without giving away the mover itself. However, P.O.V shots are often used sparingly in the genre. We choose to challenge the genre with extensive use of P.O.V shots for both the Villain and George. As a result, the villain’s appearance is concealed, leaving his identity a mystery and adding to the tension created. The villain could be anything from a huge man to a strange disfigured mutant. It is up to the viewer’s imagination to decide. This reflects the horror genre and is reminiscent of the film “The Blair Witch Project”. The use of P.O.V shots makes the sequence far more personal, allowing a viewer to put him or herself in the position of the characters so increasing tension and adding to the fear that a viewer will feel.

Our piece challenges many conventions of the genre by delivering a more physiological horror as opposed to a bloody and perhaps disturbing horror. This meant we played more on the minds of viewers allowing them to conclude the appearance of the villain for greater effect. Our lack of budget also meant we would obviously have no access to expensive special effect software meaning that had we exposed the villain, it would have been unlikely to produce the desired effect. Though very few modern horrors conceal the villain to create effect, films such as Jaws used it to great success and we therefore hoped we would be able to achieve the same standards.

Within the opening sequence, we focus attention far more on themes and values, for example, we focused on friendship; as opposed to individuals and their attributes. This challenges the genre as many films of the horror genre like to play on the good guy, bad guy characters. We felt deviating from this would be a success as it would give our piece a unique touch.

The combination of stereotypical horror genre conventions and our own challenging ideas will allow the piece to fulfil the contractual nature of the horror genre with a unique and new touch. Element of the sequence may even subvert from expectations of the genre as the subtle introduction of the villain is less bold than the more common bloody and violent entrances that are seen in a number of horror movies. However, this by no means will reduce the overall effect of our piece, as our different techniques may be preferred by many individuals. By nature of the horror genre, we what to provide fear and suspense to a viewer through our dynamic use of tension and contrasting moods. I feel confident that this combination of common genre conventions and our own unique touch we will achieve this with great success.

Some moments within the opening sequence play with the genre’s codes and history. This gives the piece its own unique touch, making the work our own and not simply another product of the horror genre. There is a moment were the audience is deliberately fooled into thinking that one of the friends (Adam) is being stalked from the bushes as he observes the view from the top of the hill. The camera shot is P.O.V so it is not clear who is stalking Adam and what their motives are. The audience is not sure who is stalking Adam, but the effects on the screen and the positioning of the camera suggest that Adam is not aware, so there is the possibility of a villain. As the camera moves closer to Adam in P.O.V it becomes apparent that it is only one of Adams friends playing a practical joke on him. The audience is pulled into thinking that Adam is in possible danger when in- fact it is only a joke. However, the scene does nevertheless plant the seed of suspicion.

Management of time, equipment, resources and deadlines were all a vital part of our final pieces production. The effective management of these elements came from our detailed planning and awareness of our needs as well as the best possible use of human resources. Each group member was issued with a responsibility or task that it was essential they undertook for our final filming day to run smoothly. This dividing up of tasks also allowed time to be managed to great effect as no member of the group was lumbered with a job that was too much for a single individual. Though we all had our own responsibilities, we always helped each other out in order to meet deadlines.

Adam was issued with the responsibility of equipment. This involved collecting the camera we would use, and hiring out any tripods that we would need for shooting. We felt this would work well as it prevented unnecessary complications revolving around who would or wouldn’t hire out equipment. My own responsibility was organising a detailed props and costumes list that would be issued to each member of the group. The costumes list was also vital as it made each individual aware of their personal contribution on the shooting day. For example, it was important that we all worn backpacks on the day however only two of the group members, myself and Adam, were supposed to wear helmets in the shots. It was my responsibility to make each individual aware of their own costumes. The list of props was also very useful in our preparations as the list detailed what each group member was responsible for bringing. For example, the list detailed that Adam was responsible for bringing a telescope, and I was responsible for bringing the books.

It was important that we were all aware of where we each needed to be for each individual shot. The size of pitch hill meant that moving from location to location would take some time, so it was important that we selected a small collection of locations were we could film the piece. This would not only safe us time, but also energy. This was another task we completed on the practice day. Aside from practice filming, we also took time to simply wander around the hill to select the best possible locations, which would be most suitable for conveying our moods of vulnerability and fear. Therefore, we looked for locations that made us ourselves feel a little daunted, perhaps by the size of the trees around us or by the eerie emptiness. We were well aware that if we felt a little frightened at particular points on the hill, it would be far easier to convey our moods and conventions in our final piece.

The practice filming day also allowed us to manage the collaborative nature of film- making to greater effect and with deeper understanding. As mentioned earlier, the day allowed use to eradicate any mistakes and misunderstandings and allowed our final filming day to run smoothly without the mistakes we may have otherwise encountered.

Use of human resource never became a problem for the group as each person was well aware of their individual contribution to the group. However, on our two filming days we required an extra person to act as one of the friends within the group. We organised this extra person- Matt, by making him aware of our needs and likely dates for filming. This allowed him to ask for permission long before the filming day giving his family and others concerned time to consider our proposal. This also meant if he were to have turned us down, we would have had the chance to look for a replacement. However, Matt agreed to help and so we issued him with a script, outline for the opening sequence and a costume and prop list so he would have a deeper understanding of our story.

Health and Safety logistics were solved by common sense thinking. There were very few instances in the sequences were our group were put in danger. When there was the possibility of danger, we took the necessary precautions to prevent injury. The barbed wire we used in one of the final shots was one of these instances where there was a possibility of injury. To counter this danger we all handled the wire with gloves to avoid any cuts and scratches.

Both the practice filming day and the final filming day involved a lot of cycling, both on camera and off camera. Our common sense approach to the day meant we all made sure we worn helmets when off camera. Certain characters removed their helmets whilst on camera as it was part of their costumes.

A problem we faced was how to film the shot in which George is pulled away, without causing injury to him. It was essential that the shot looked authentic without sacrificing George’s safety. In order to improve the safety of the shot we wrapped a towel round George’s ankles (to protect his skin) before wrapping them in a rope which would allow us to drag him from distance. Before filming each take of the shot, we surveyed the ground on which George would be pulled to make sure that no sharp objects or roots would cause injury to George.

Creating a detailed shooting script and vivid storyboard proved very successful as it gave us a greater understanding of what we were trying to achieve in each shot. I used my skills in art to not only create the obvious movement contained in each shot, but also the mood that it was essential to create. The presence of this storyboard and shooting script proved a great success when filming on both the practice day, and the final filming day. The storyboard gave clear information on what each shot must achieve. This allowed us to easily refer to the storyboard to remind ourselves of key elements before filming a shot.

The use of technology was essential in creating our media product. Throughout the planning and production phases I gained experience of digital cameras, lighting and editing software. As expected, our lack of budget meant that many of these resources were not as close to industry standard as we would have liked.

Throughout the planning phases of our production, particularly the preliminary task we tended to use the camera offered by the school. The simplicity of the camera allowed use to practice many complicated shots, without any unwanted difficulties and complications. However, for our final piece, we wanted to capture the more dynamic and vibrant lighting that would be present at pitch hill. After asking for advice and permission on using a different camera we opted to use a H.D camera that Adam had obtained from a close friend. In contrast to the school camera, The Panasonic H.D camera filmed directly onto a hard drive. This was very different to that of the school camera which filmed onto a tape. Though filming onto a hard drive was simpler in the short term as we were able to quickly view our shots without the hassle of rewinding, the camera did prove a little too complex in the long term as I will explain shortly. The difference of the two cameras’s allowed me to broaden my knowledge and experience on the tools of the media trade. I felt this would be more beneficial than simply using one camera that was perhaps too simple to test my skills.

By nature of H.D (High definition) camera’s the image produced is far clearer and vivid than that of normal cameras. As a result, the camera picks out even the smallest details meaning it is very important that you are fully aware of what appears in the frame. We checked props in the foreground and objects in the background to make sure that nothing would spoil the overall feel we wanted our piece to generate.

Not only would the camera notice the smallest details, it would also pick up the smallest movements. This can result in attention being drawn away from actions and movement that is happening within the frame. To prevent this happening we used a tripod in all the shots that we had specified in order to give each shot the highest possible quality. However, I also leant how to use the camera’s sensitivity to our advantage. This is particularly evident in our P.O.V shots as I was able to mimic the motion created by walking with dynamic movement of the camera.

Throughout the planning and production stages of the course the importance of angled shots became obvious to me. Considering the great importance of creating tension in our piece, angled shots played a vital part in our production. An important feeling in our piece is the sense of vulnerability and I set about achieving this with high angled long shots. This shot was important as George falls behind the group and the villain begins moving in as it made George appear small and insignificant compared to the enormous, towering trees.

As I have already mentioned, the location for our opening sequence was Pitch hill, within the Surrey hills. The nature of the site meant that there was a variety of Diagetic noises, the majority of which came from the wildlife that flourishes in the woodland. We felt that capturing these noises would be of great use to us in order to emphasis the lack of human presence compared to the amount of animal presence. Thought filming, we leant of the advantages and disadvantages of capturing off screen diagetic noises. A noise of great use to us was the breaking of twigs whilst walking. We used this noise to great effect in the villain’s P.O.V shots to emphasis his movement and link with George. However, we also encountered many difficulties with diagetic sound. We noticed that it was important that the camera man was silent throughout a shot. The sensitivity of our microphone meant that even heavy breathing could be picked up so it was important to film with caution.

Editing was a skill that came to me after much practice. The importance of the preliminary task was very important here as it gave me the chance to learn and experience the software (I- movie) that would play a significant part in my final piece. Throughout the preliminary task my understanding grew as I had the chance to play around with many of the exiting features that I- movie had to offer. I realised the different moods that could be achieved by altering the lighting on the shot. The experience gained within the preliminary task meant we as a group could achieve a higher quality final piece.

The extensive use of P.OV shots within the opening sequence meant it would be essential to give each person’s view a different appearance. If George’s view looked the same as the villain’s, it would have been hard for the audience to tell the difference and perhaps have left many viewers unaware of any danger. I- movie enabled us to change the darkness and colours within the villains P.O.V shots to give him his own distinguishing features. Considering the villain is never seen, the only way to recognise him is through his view. Therefore, we significantly altered the colours and darkness to suggest his dark and gloomy character. Altering the colours turned the frame to a vibrant but distinguishable mash of colours suggesting him to be unlike your average human, possessing deranged and psychopathic motives.

To add to this sense of a deranged, psychopathic villain we recorded shallow and hoarse breathing to the P.O.V shots. The breathing also helps distinguish the villain from George. Though the nature of the breathing suggests him to be very different from a normal human, the simple fact that he breathes in a human like pattern reminds the audience that he is not supernatural.

Throughout editing I learned of the importance of transitions between shots. From the very first task we were given (the preliminary task) we as a group were aware that unless each shot followed on from the previous, our opening sequence would not flow well, reducing the overall feel of the piece. In our final piece we often faded out shots when there was a sudden change in location or situation. The fading helped suggest the movement of location instead of a sudden change that may have appeared like a mistake in the editing process.

Not only did technology allow us to develop our piece creatively it also (for a time) obstructed the progress of our creative flow. Not to our knowledge, the use of a H.D camera meant that the device would record footage and store it as a file that the I- Macs did not recognise. For a long while we were left unaware of what to do and weather we would perhaps have to re- film the sequence with the school camera. However, we eventually found out that we would have to convert the file to an A.V.I file that the Mac’s would recognise. After converting, we were able to begin our editing and quickly caught up with the other groups by taking advantage of free periods and lunch breaks.

Our analysis and research into the horror genre influenced our pre- production decision making and ideas. I analysed a number of films including the opening sequence of Dawn of the Dead. I made notes on a micro technical level, paying heavy attention to the way in which tension and suspicion is slowly drawn into the piece.

As mentioned earlier, contrast plays an important role and theme in the opening sequence. The idea for this also came from my research; in this case it came from the opening sequence of “An American Werewolf in London”. The sequence starts with up- beat and happy music before quickly fading into silence were tension and suspense take over. I felt this contrast between the happy opening to the silent horror filled ending created a larger impact than simply beginning in the action. This strongly influenced the layout of our storyboard as we wanted to achieve the same effect in our own piece.

When filming, it was important that we portrayed the meaning of the piece to our audience. From our questionnaires, we knew that our target audience (13- 20 year olds) found the idea of being stalked and alone in a wood frightening. Therefore we thought this an important theme to portray when dealing with our particular social groups. If our target audience is most afraid of the idea of being stalked, we felt it would be effective to use this against them. However, if we were to do this, it would also be important to convey our meaning of stalking to the audience so they could understand the direction and basic plot of the story. Stalking play’s a large part in creating tension within our sequence. We felt that use P.O.V shots with the diagetic noise of footsteps would best convey the meaning of this.

It was important to convey the inexperience of the group in the opening sequence whilst not focusing too much on their individual characters. Their inexperience is paramount to the overall meaning of the sequence as it provides the reason for the potentially fatal incidents. We portrayed this meaning via use of costumes, props and dialogue.

A common image we have of committed and experience bikers is the lykra leggings, biking shoes and fancy helmets. We therefore made sure that our character looked anything but organised, dressing in jeans and a jacket, some of them not wearing helmets. The use of props then suggested that the group were not in fact entirely ready for the trip and a shot shows George reading a book oblivious to the fact that the other friends franticly organise themselves.

Our media product represents particular social groups in society. The characters included in the opening sequence are very selective and the age range very small, between sixteen and seventeen. This will allow are target audience of younger adults between the ages of 13- 18 to relate more to the film as the characters posses much the same motives as them. The time period also helps our younger audience to relate to the film as the dress code of the characters is similar to that of modern day teenagers adding to the realism. This creates a very personal feel within the sequence as there is a strong link and relation between the characters and the modern youth. However, we have also included a very different social group. The villain represents a very different moral and social status within the film. Not only is he poor, he also has nothing to lose through his lack of dignity and respect. This creates contrast between the characters showing two very different angles at living life. This contrast is also essential in creating a feeling of vulnerability around the four friends, as their motives are innocent compared to that of the villains.

The location of the film also creates a link with our audience. The majority of today’s youth are used to a busy urban environment due to their parent’s careers. This is much the same for the character in our opening sequence. However, the characters are in a very different location to that of a busy urban environment. They are in an empty, vast environment were huge tree replace towering buildings. This change of what is normal will make our target audience feel uneasy when relating to the characters. A viewer will feel vulnerable and out of place in a location that he or she is not used to. This will add to the overall effect of the piece.

Due to our selective audience, the texts of our piece will exclude a large number of people who may find it hard to relate to the film. Middle age people are unlikely to find the piece appealing as the use of young characters means they will have very little in common. This will reduce the effect of the film perhaps also reduce the films ability to frighten certain individuals.

As a whole, the project was a great success for both myself and the group. This success was much to do with the excellent work ethic that me and my other group member’s posses. I feel proud of my own contribution to the group and I feel the effort I put into our storyline and storyboard paid dividends when filming our final piece. The descriptive drawings I created helped convey the moods and meanings of each shot allowing us to get an early feel for the sequence so keeping us one step ahead of the other groups. Not only this, the storyboarding also allowed the filming days to run smoothly and accurately to our original plan.

I feel my own knowledge of the horror conventions allowed me to convey this with great effect when filming the final piece. I was more aware than others of the dynamic shots that can be achieved whilst keeping the storyline clear. This was much to do with my confidence in using the camera and my want to try something new. An example of this is the final few shots, where George is thrown from his bike before being dragged away. I took responsibility for filming the shots and gave each individual one its one tense atmosphere. Each group member’s contribution was essential to the success of the final piece. Though we all contributed in different ways, the ideas that each of use provided is what gave the sequence its excellent look.

Post- Production report (post filming)

Filiming our final piece was for the most part, a great success. This was mostly because of our in depth planning, detailed storyboarding and a practice at filming some of the more complex shots.

Our final piece was filmed on Wednesday the 19th of November. We also had a practice filming day on Saturday the 15th, in order to test the camera and to try out some of the more complex shots. This day proved very important as we identified problems within our storyboard which we were able to change in time for the final filming day. For example, the shots in which Adam surveys the contryside with a telescope to then be jumped by Matt proved very difficult to film, without significantly diviating from the plot of the piece.

Our in depth storyboarding also proved vital to the success of the filming day as it enabled us to reffer to it for guidance. The descriptive nature of the storyboard meant that we were able to easily understand it when on site. The vivid drawings made it easier to understand the mood and feeling that it was essential to create in the sequence.

We practiced many of the complex and dynamic shots on our dedicate practice day. One of the hardest shots we encountered was the tracking shot which follows the characters as they ride thier bikes through the dence woodland. Using a tripod place ontop of a mountain board I managed to follow George and Matt as they slowly moved forward. The main problem with the shot was the difficulty of finding a smooth surface for the board to move on. However, after a number of attempts we eventually got a smooth shot.

In our pre- production planning, we also made notes on the costumes and apperance of the characters within the sequence. This planning made it far easier to organise for the filming on the final day as we all had a description of how we must appear (as characters). For example, Matt, the joker of the group was clothed in slightly unsuitable clothing for a biking adventure.

Filming

Practise day- In order to get a feel for the camera and shooting on site we opted to have a practise filming day, in which we would shoot the more complex shots. This enabled use to change are storyboard if nessesary for the shots that wern't sucsessfull enough. My role in the practice day was both operating the camera and acting. I played the role of the common sence character- Josh. My role in oprating the camera was vital as I was then able to lend my opinion to the sucsess of each shot and the option of changing some of the more complex scenes.

The practice day was also essential for chosing the individual filming locations on the hill itself. I guided the group about the hill so we could make a collective disision on the ideal shooting spots.

Final filming piece- The results of the practice day enabled us to make changes for the final shots. Again my role on the day was filming and acting. I also was responsible for finding the individual locations on the hill for each scene. I was responsible for shooting a number of the scenes including many for the more dynamic shots. I shot the P.O.V shots from both the villain and George, and the ending shot were george is pulled away. My role in acting was also important in giving convincing lines so to keep the mood of the film flowing.

The final day of filming was a great sucsess. Much of its sucess was due to the practice day which enabled us to spend less time on planning on the final day. I was pleased with my own contribution to the group as effort was required from every member in order to produce the quality piece we all hoped for.

Progress so far

We have completed one day of practice filming in which we covered most of the shots in our opening sequence. A few of the shots were so sucsessfull that we may use them in the final piece. The practice shots on location gave us a idea of what to expect when shooting our final piece and allowed us to make vital changes to the sequence that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. My role in the practice day was filming many of the shots, and also acting in the shots that I feature in. I also edited the practice sequence to get a greater idea of the final piece. Our final piece shall be shot on wednesday.

Opening Sequence

Genre:
Our opening sequence introduces the horror genre via a number of different teqniques. The use of laid back music will draw the audiences attention away from danger. A sudden change of mood will affect the audience and help emphasis our genre. We use a few teaser shots in the opening sequence when we will shock the audience into a sense of danger then only to show it was a joke. An example of this is the shot when Matt, the joker of the group jumps into the telescope sight of Adam, shocking a viewer. Tense music and dynamic camera shots all add up to make the sequence a production of the horror genre.

Story/ Plot:
The opening sequence introduces the basic plot of the story however does not conclude any significant points in the film. From the first few shots of the sequence, the audience meet a tight group of friends. There interests are also made clear as they all have a passion for biking. It is obvious that the friends are preparing for somthing as a number of camera shots feature preparotary actions. The theme of the film is shown, but not fully concluded as George, the weaker member of the group, is stalked as he falls behind. He is soon taken. The audience are lead to believe that the story will be based on the remaining group members effort to reclaim their fallen friend.

Characters:
The characters of the film are introduced from the first shot of the film. The four friends are shown and elements of thier personality are emphisised so the audience can gain a greater understanding of the group. For example, Adam, the ambitions member of the group is shown to be rushing his friends so they can begin thier venture. The villain is not shown within the opening sequence, however his intentions are shown through a number of P.O.V shots when he stalks george.

The Four bikers and thier characteristics are below:

Adam: The ambitions member of the group who tends to take the front seat in all things active.

George: The queit and intelligent member of the group who stays out of arguements and keeps opinions to himself. The inocent character who ultimatly pays the price for his groups inexperience.

Matt: The joker of the group. He looks of the bright side of life and manages to make a joke out of even the most uncomfortable situations.

Josh: The common sence character who tries to keep the cool and do everything how it should be done.

Themes and Values:
A number of Themes and Values are emphasised in the sequence. Perhaps the most obvious Value is fiendship. The friendship within the group of friends is tight and forgiving. Ambition is a theme that is portrayed by Adam. He is more organised and more willing to complete his goals and ambitions. Ultimatly this leads to the groups worst fears. Inexperience and nievity are other themes used. The group is inexperienced and are not aware of the sheer scale of the task they are facing. They are not aware of any rumours and dangers that the hills hold within them.

Situations and locations:
The location for the film is the great open space that is pitch hill. In the film, the hill shall be made to seem bigger than it really is to give a sence of scale. The location consists of many dark windy paths that are engulfed by dark trees; the ideal location for a masacre. The situation of the group soon unfolds to a viewer when they leave without vital safty kit (Phone, First aid etc). when George begins to fall behind his situation soon becomes clear as he is kidnapped. The audience can then conclude the situation of the remaining friends. There adventure soon turns into a search and rescue situation.

Post- research questions

1. My role in the research process:
I aided in the production of the questionaire and the handing out of it.
I conducted several film reviews within our chosen genre. 1 micro anaylasis and 1 macro anaylasis. This helped give us ideas and themes for our own film. I also wrote a detailed essay of the opening sequence of Dawn of the dead. Being a opening sequence this would aid the production of our own opening sequence.

2. We already had a fairly good idea of what genre of film we wanted to make. Our research furthered our knowledge and understanding of the genre and gave us ideas for our own piece.

3. The characters used in the movie are yound adults. We wanted our film to be aimed at the younger audience (15- 25). We felt the use of younger characters would help this audience to relate to the film and put themselves in the position of the troubled characters.

4. Our research so far has aided use in our choice of location. Our Questionaire results proved that vast, empty locations particuarly wooded areas are considered the most frightening location. We therefore chose to use Pitch hill in surrey as our filming location as the area is engulfed by woodland and is often empty. The towering trees can also create a feeling of vunerability that we felt would be esential in our movie.

Our research into current films gave ideas for the theme of the film, and for camera angles. This reseach was esential as it gave us a understanding of what works and what doesn't work in the horror genre.

5. A number of features in the film come together to make the movie a product of the horror genre. Firstly, the storyline is a plot that is common of the genre and a audience would expect many frights throughout the film. The use of dynamic camera angles, some of which give the impression of being stalked also add to the tension as is nesesary in the horror genre. Mysterious and somtimes decieving music that gives a sence of safty is used in the fim. This is also a common feature of horror films.

6. The mise en scene in the film is a vital part of creating mood and atmosphere. The film will use a combination of music and dynamic camera angles to create mood and tension. Some vital safty equiptment (props) will be left behind in the opening few shots of the film. This creates a uneasy mood early on in the film as a audience does not know what to expect next.

Mise- en- scene is also used to give tha character thier individual characteristics and personality. For example, we will use a odd array of clothing (costume) for the joker of the group of friends and a more expert array of biking clothing for the more coragous and ambitions memeber of the group.

When the bikers enter pitch hill they pass a sign. The sign simply state PITCH HILL, and the bikers suspect nothing. However, as the bikers pass the back of the sign is shown to the audience. The sign is covered in missing notices. This use of Mise- en- scene is vital in creating a early sence of potential danger.

Progress through Pre-Production Planning

Storyboarding
In resent lesson and homeworks, the groups main interest has been storyboarding. Our resent progress has seen us complete a detailed plot, detailed character information and detailed location information.

Our fast but neverthless effective progress through the task's has allowed use to begin and complete our final storyboaring. My role in the process was to draw up the shots, but also to feed shot ideas into the group. Geoge and Adam were also very important bringing up new ideas for me to draw up on the storyboard. We all worked together, sharing ideas to create the final storyboard.

Characters
To give the film a greater sence of depth, we spent alot of time giving the characters personalitys that would interest the audience.
We opted to include a group of 4 friends who all share a passion for exploration. However, they are all very different.
Character names are currently unclear

Biker 1: A couragous character driven by ambition and always the first to cross the finish line. Has little care for thous around him when comleting his own goals.

Biker 2: A funny kind off guy. Always looks on the bright side of life. doesnt take himself or anyone around him seriously.

Biker 3: A quiet but important character. Holds the foundations of the group together with his relaxed view of life and his ability to judge a situation without being bias.

Biker 4: A intelligent individual who lacks any ambition other than the ambition read a book from cover to cover. Always looks at the logical side of things. To him, everything has a mathematical answer.

Deranged Man: Once a man of the army, but banished for his passion for killing the weak and innocent. Banished to Pitch hill he has been given the simple task of keeping electricity flowing over the desolate area. Having lived up the hill for some 22 years, his knowledge of the outback stretches far beyond the knowledge of anyone else. He consider the vast hill his home, and he doesn't like trespasers.

Locations:
We have chosen two locations for our shotting. First and formost, the hill on which we shall be shotting is Pitch hill in the Surrey hills. I chose this location as I have visited the hill many times and am aware of its potential for shotting a horror film. The scenes leading up to the arrival at Pitch hill will be shot at a pub, just before pitch hill. I also chose this as I have knowledge of the area.

Pitch Hill: The towering trees and thin winding paths seen the pefect place to shot our idea. The darkness of the woods even in daylight over a opportunity to keep suspence and suspicion throughout the opening sequence.

The Pub: The pub is the location at which our characters shall be introduced. The location seems suitable for this introduction as less concentration will be on surroundings and more on the characters themselves. A pub is a sterotypical location for friendship gatherings and therefore we opted to include this in our locations for the opening sequence.

Themes and Values
friendship is a theme/ value that is important in our filming. However, we intend to explore both the positives and negatives of friendships. (Negatives being tension within the group, and the positives being the groups determination to find their kidnapped friend).

Experience is also a key element of the piece. In this case, it is the lack of experience that sees the group fall into trouble. We opted to include this as In many cases it is experience/ inexperience that holds a event together or turns it into a nightmare.

The theme of being followed/ stalked will also become clear in the opening sequence. The theme shall be introduced suddenly when one memeber of the group begins to fall behind and the villan begins to home in on his weak and vunerable prey. We opted to include this theme as the result of our questionaire proofed that people found the feeling of being stalked to be most frightening.

The theme of despair will also be used in the opening sequence. As the 1 member of the group begins to fall behind, he becomes worried and begins to pedal harder. The shot used will portray to the audience a sence of vunerability and desperation.

The value of tradition shall be shown when the group gather at the pub. It is common to see friends meeting at the pub before/ for a event.

The theme of missing/ lost shall be explored. The sequence of shots that show the missing posters on the back of the entrance sign shall portray a pending sence of danger with this common theme.

The Dark Night

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The homepage offers links to a variety of different areas on the WarnerBros website. The titles include:

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Planning for Filming Project

So far, we as a group have had 2 lessons to begin sharing our ideas and developing them. Our progess has be fast paced and our ideas have come thick and fast.

We began sharing our ideas by spending 5 minutes induvidualy, simply writing down the basic plot for a horror film we would each like to make/ like to see. After the 5 minutes, we came together to share our ideas with the intention of picking one as the base plot and then adding ideas in that the other group memebers came up with. The ideas were all very different. Redmirs idea was... sci- fi orientated. Adams and geoges was zoombie orientated and mine was more centred around a plot that could be developed into the horror genre.

We, as a group opted to use my idea as the basic plot. We then used good ideas from Geoges and Adams plots that developed the base story into a potential masterpiece.

The basic story is:
4 foriegn friends decide to take some time out together. They a very tight group however all of them are very different. One thing they all share though is there passion for biking. As a break, they organise a trip to The Britain were they intent to bike up some of the highest hills/ mountains in the contry.

Their journey starts at pitch hill, one of the tallest hills in the world covering a total area of 150 square metres. However, the group of foriegn friend are unaware of the shere scale of the hill and are considerably under experienced for what they are about to attempt. They have no local knowledge and rely on only a map as guidance. It is this lack of local knowledge that marks the start of the groups horrors.

Not long into the ride (about 60 miles) The weaker member of the group begins to fall back, as the ride becomes tougher and tougher. Before long the rest of the group have diserpeared round a cornor leaving the individual allown and vunerable. As he is allown he becomes more and more aware of his surroundings. The sheer size of the forest around him begins to get the better of his mind. The biker begins to pedal harder, his breaths become more eratic, but not once does he suspect that he is being stalked from the depths of the woods.... Not to his knowledge a deranged man, banished to the hill has slowly being moving in on him as he falls further and further behind weakening with every pedal. Suddenly a line of spikes shoot up through the ground pierceing the tiers of his bike. A trap? The rider and his bike are sent him flying. When the rest of the group return to the yells of their fallen friend, they return only to see the bike, mangled on the floor, the wheel still spining; the friend knowhere to be seen.


So far we have:

• Writen up characters in detail.


• Writen up information about location.


• Writen up a basic idea for the shot we will use.


• Writen up the storyline asif we would be shooting the whole film.


• Writen up our ideas that will give the opening sequence the genetric signifiers nessesary for the horror genre.

The Hills Have Eyes trailor -micro anaylasis

Cinematography
Trailor opens with Real footage (in Black and White) of Nuclear explosions and mutations the fallout can cause. This footage is edited quickly and splits between different shots to give a sence of the strange unknown.

Then, A collaboration of close- ups introduce the characters as they journey in thier car. All the characters are slightly left of the screen as this is how a audience preffers to read a shot (from right to left). The close up shots allow greater concentration on the story and plot. This is important for setting the scene and giving a idea of what the film is about.

After the crash, The shots have more variation from extreme close-ups to long shots. Many of these shots are angled over the travelling family to make them seem more vunerable and weak in comparison to the villans.

Sound
Opens with the sound of sirens to give the idea of potential danger.
The sound of sirens is then replaced by more common music accosiated with a laid back culture. This gives a sence of safty to a viewer when combined with the slower editing.
The music then stops after the car crash incident and is replaced by the sound of a owl shreaking. This sudden change shocks a viewer and changes the mood dramatically.
The eay music is combined with silence to give a sence of unease and potential danger.

Mise- en- scene
The costumes of the travelling family are that of a well- off american family. This makes a appealing and obvious contrast between the ragged and ripped costumes of the villans.

Early in the trailor we see a long shot of a car toeing a caravan. This use of props lead the audience to asume a group of people are travelling. This helps the audience gain a idea of story and plot.

Later in the traior we see the use of binoculors and tourches. This leads to the ussumation that they are lost and trying to find a way out or perhaps help. The theme of being lost leads a audience to suspect danger. This helps increase strength.

The trailor opens with sufficient lighting to make the audience feel safe. However, the lighting dims as the trailor progresses. Some shots are even taken in darkness to give a stark contrast with earlier points in the trailor.

Editing
Opening shot of real fotage is edited to be fast paced to confuse a viewer. However, shots of importance in the sequence are slowed down to allow the audience to get a idea of the story and plot.

Words are edited in inbetween the shots to set the scene and explain the footage that is being shown.

Editing slows down after the real footage sequence to allow a viewer to concentrate more on the introduction of main characters and less on sespence and tension.

As the laid back music stops after the car accident, the editing begins to speed up to slowly to increase the tension as the villans are introduced.

This use of editing creates contrast in the trailor. In the earlier shots when the characters are introduced and dialogue is exchanged, the editing is slow. This relaxes the audience and they suspect nothing perhaps being decieved. Later in the trailor when the editing begins to speed up the mood changes significantly. The audience is taken from a relaxed mood to a fast paced, thrilling and horrifying mood in a very short space of time. This has greater effect than simply starting in the action.

Editing the piliminary task

Once filming was complete, we began the process of editing the shot we had gathered. We did this on the programme i- movie on a I- mac. We used the programme to correctly order our shots and remove any unwanted footage that was accidentally captured.

Once we had ordered our shots to create a scene viable for the assianment of the piliminary task we began adding effects. We changed lighting and contrast from shot to shot as this ironed out any change in light that happend due to a change in conditions day by day. Editing also gave use the oportunity to add sounds and music. This was very effective for our group as our peliminary task was shot in the horror style. Sound prooved essential in creating suspence and tension.

Wolf Creek

Director: Greg Mclean
Writer: Greg Mclean
Release Date: 16 September 2005

BASED ON TRUE EVENTS
Three friends embark on an adventure in the rugged Australian outback, having set out to see a famous crater made by a meteor thousands of years ago named Wolf Creek. They spend time together partying and bonding during their long and lonely road trip to the landmark. When they arrive they leave their car at the bottom to make the 3 hour hike to the top of the crater. Upon their return to the car, they find that it will not start, and must enlist the help of a seemingly charitable fellow, who happens to "coincidentally" be meandering around one of the most remote areas of the world. They decide after much debate to allow him to tow them and their car back to his dwelling, where he has promised to quickly fix the car. The three friend’s suspicions slowly fade away as the charitable fellow seems more and more... charitable. However, the three soon realize he has other plans in store, when, after being drugged, awake to scenes of terror, grisly dismemberment, and even death. We get to know the three on a personal level, so that what happens to them is more than mere gore and torture; we actually feel for these characters as we become slightly attached to them and want them to succeed. A surprisingly well-done, yet very difficult film to watch.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Mick Taylor: played by John Jarratt
The charitable fellow who came to the trio of friend’s aid when the car would not start. However, not as charitable as it first seems. He is the notorious serial killer.

Liz Hunter: played by Cassandra Magrath
One of the two British females in the trio. She is seen to have a certain liking for Ben Mitchell which becomes apparent in the long journey to Wolf Creek.

Kristy Earl: played by Kestie Morassi
The second female of the group of three who is also British. A good friend of Ben Mitchell

Ben Mitchell: played by Nathan Phillips
The Australian who brought his two English girl friends over for a memorable journey.

John Jarratt has a huge experience in films and has appeared in over 50 movies. However, only a handful has been in the horror genre.
Cassandra Magrath has very limited experience in movies and has spent most of her acting career acting in T.V series including Ocean Girl, Sea change and Crash Zone.
Kestie Morassi also has limited experience in movies particularly in the Horror/ Thriller genre. She too has spent the majority of her acting career in T.V series including Satisfaction and Underbelly.
Nathan Phillips has a greater experience of acting in films and has appeared in some 15 movies. However he too has spent acting time in T.V series and even appeared in the Australian Soap Neighbours in 1985.
One thing that Cassandra Magrath, Kestie Morassi and Nathan Phillips have in common is that very few if none of the films they have taken part in (excluding Wolf Creek) have been real Blockbusters making them cheap to enrol for a acting contract for Wolf Creek.
From watching this film some themes and values are very evident throughout the movie. The most obvious value is “never trust strangers”. This is clear in Wolf Creek as the three friends do trust a stranger and it ultimately results in two of their deaths. The theme of fear and despair is also clear. This is obvious in the scene where Kristy Earl is seen running down a long empty road (The box cover seen on p.1). Other themes including terror are also seen when Kristy Earl is seen to be tied up like an animal whilst Mick Taylor abuses her sexually and physically. She is terrified and desperate.
From reading about the film as well as watching it for myself I would expect the film to be set in a deserted part of the world. Sure enough the film is based in Australia in the Great Victoria Desert. One of the most sparsely populated areas in the world. The reason for this location is much to do with the events that actually took place. The film is based on true events therefore for greater effect the film was shot on location. Though the film is individual in the fact that the events are based to true events, the location is relatively typical of this genre. A vast empty area where help is miles away.

Filming

Filming

My role was to draw up the storyboard and film the shots as required.

The film contained mostly medium close up's, close up's and extreme close ups. These shots where used to keep the identity of the villan a mystery until a later point and keep constant ambigoity.

The framing varied throughout the film. At some points we would keep a character central in the shot to gain more attention from a viewer. At other points we would have parts of a character e.g his arm angled in the shot or off centre to keep a constant sence of ambigoity.

The actors where positioned in a variety of different ways on the screen. The villan (Adam) was mostly positioned on the edge of the shot to give a sense of movement; movement toward a potential event. Most of the hostage's shots (Redmir) Where kept central and and close up to force attention from a viewer.

lots of love
Josh xxx

Preliminary Task

Film and edit a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/ he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.

This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/ reverse shot and the 180- degree rule.

Film Review

I have done a film review, it will be up shortly.
Enjoy your read boys and girls

Team Media

Hello again,
Today i introduce the team. Adam, Geoge, myself and Redmir. All the crew have there own specialities in the industry. Adam is the brains of the operations :) He comes up with ideas for myself to draw up in a storyboard. Geoge offers motivation and redmir offers.... somthing else

HOWEVER, Each member has their own importance as we all offer somthing different to the project.

Hello Sailors,
Here is my blog, don't be nervous. I am taking A-level media studies and this blog will follow my progress through the course.