Opening scene to The Grudge

We watched this video in a media lesson, to get an idea of what the openings to horror movies were like, in terms of the codes and conventions of the horror genre

Our groups mood-board for our target audience

What it says:
18-21
Social Networking
-Facebook
-Twitter
-My Space
Shopping
-Tesco
-Topshop
-Bargain stores
-River Island
-Bench
Fashion
-Make-up
-Tattoos
-Piercings
Free time
-Alcohol
-Parties
-Going out
-Music

Opening to the film 'Scream'

We watched this in a media lesson as an example of an opening to a horror movie.

Fim Genres

Horror - The Grudge
Comedy - Wedding Crashers
Romantic comedy - Love Actually
Action - Rambo
Romance - Atonment
Thriller - Dark Knight
Documentary - 102 Minutes That Changed America
Sci-Fi - Star Trek
Fantasy - Lord Of The Rings
Animation - Bambi
Mystery - Sherlock Holmes
Drama - Casablanca

Terminology

180 Degree Rule- A line of action not to be crossed, the camera can be placed in any position as long as it remains on one side of the action

Match On Action- A cut between two shots of the same action from different positions

Shot Reverse Shot/ Alternating Shots- Typically used when two characters are talking. Two shots from equal and opposite angles.

Denotation- Literal description

Connotation- Meanings from description 


Audience- Best understood as a category rather than a being. Being part of an audience is something we 'slip in and out of' - it is part of who we are, but does not define us, or how we think.
- All media products have a target audience
-There are various methods of research, by which producers and institutions target a particular group.
-Each audience member will consume the media product in a different way.
-There are two main areas of audience as a key concept:
      -Audience Theory
      -Audience Research

Demographic- Demographics refers to the facts about a population as used in government, marketing or opinion research. Commonly used demographics include race, age, income, mobility, educational attainment, home ownership, employment status and even location.

Verisimilitude- The creation of reality

Enigma Code- Make the audience ask questions (mystery)

Sound Bridge- Editing technique. When one sound carries on into the next bit.

Antagonist- The bad guy (Villain)

Protagonist- The good guy (Hero)

Convergence- The coming together of previously separate industries (computing, printing, film, audio etc.)

Synergy- The benefits to large corporations that are said to accrue from developing.

Conglomerate- A large company that consists of divisions of seemingly unrelated businesses.

Symbiosis- This is when different companies work together to promote a range of related products e.g High School Musical the film will enable spin offs like Happy Meals, Easter Eggs, bed linen, toy characters etc.

180 Degree Rule

We watched this video as well, as help towards our preliminary task. it explains the 180 degree rule.

Match on action

We watched this video in a media lesson so that we could see examples of match on action, to help with or Preliminary Task

Shot Reverse Shot in GWH

We watched this in a media lesson so that we could see an example of a shot reverse shot.

The Sandman

We watched this in one of our Media lessons and from it we had to list all of the horror conventions under the following headings:
Mise en scene
Rat (plays on our fears), creepy old house, wooden surroundings, staircase (representative of the bridge between the safety of downstairs and his room- connection unstable), boy sent to bed on his own, gothic iconography, sandman did ritual dance.
Sound
Deep sounds (get louder), breathing sound, ticking of clock (creepy), Drum noise, creaking of door, wind whistling, quiet then sudden noise, piano sound everytime the sandman steps up the stairs, bones creaking, noise matches the characters motion.
Lighting and colour
Hardly lit room, dark corridor in the creepy house, shadows, red eyes on the sandman, contrast of colours - downstairs has warm colours such as orange and brown whereas the upstairs has cold colours such as blue and black, the sandman is blue and the beginning has sharp blues.
Camera
Zoom in, Dutch tilt (creates disorientation, Gothic conventions) , birds eye view (different perspective) , reaction shots - close ups 9audience connects with the characters)
Editing
Graphic match, break in the tension, sound and editing work together (paced)

Preliminary Task

Our second attempt at filming

Our groups first attempt at filming

Possible locations for the filming of the opening to our horror film

Generic Horror Movie Log Sheet

What is the film called?

The Grudge 2

Who directed it?

Takashi Shimizu, he also directed the Grudge 1 and 3 and The Great Horror Family.

When was it released?

2004

Does it have any well known stars in it? If so who?

Sarah Michelle Gellar, known for playing Buffy Summers in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

 

List the horror genre conventions in the film.

Ghosts, Darkness, Creepy sounds, frightening music, an old haunted house, curses, people being killed and going missing, screams, evil, victims.

What elements in the film created fear and suspense?

The creepy throat noise of the Grudge, when you hear this noise you know that she is near. The phone ringing and when picked up the creepy throat noise is on the other end. Darkness and silence, then turning into loud noises and the grudge suddenly jumping out at the screen.

What elements in the film failed to create fear and suspense?

The beginning of the film where the setting is a school yard, it doesn’t have any features of a horror movie in it at all. 

The stages of film production

• Development - script is written

• Pre-production - preparation for shoot, crew etc.

• Production - elements for the finished film recorded

• Post-production - the film is edited, sound, music etc.

• Sales and distribution - screened for potential buyers

• Exhibition - the film is widely available to view