Empire Magazine research

Empire magazine- house styles and conventions from Janaan Jan

USE OF SOUND EFFECTS

The sound clip below highlights some of the sound effects we used throughout out trailer. We found that the majority of the sounds we included appeared to elevate and get higher in pitch to come across as scarier and to build up tension; this was included after the period of the disruption of equilibrium. 

 After putting in sound effects with music included, we started putting in diegetic sounds such as heavy breathing and panting as well as door knocks and phones ringing. We did this as after the production process, we found that most of the sound made during recording was made fainter by music and other sound effects put in during post production. The diegetic sound effects put in and heightened allow the audiences to really understand how the characters are feeling and this is especially important with the genre of horror. 

THE GATHERING-Rough cut

We have put in some of the clips we would like to use and where the titles will go. There will still be more filming to do as well as editing at this stage.
Some of the things we would like to change would be adding more sound effects to add to the jump scares.
We would also like to film other clips some that we have more option and can fill in the blank spaces in the trailer.
There are some parts that don't make much sense due to the absence of dialogue and it would therefore benefit the viewer in terms of making the story line clearer should we add more dialogue.
Most of the clips are in the wrong place at the moment and we will need to look back to our storyboard to see where the clips fit best.

RESEARCH INTO MUSIC

When deciding what kind of music to include in our trailer we looked at a multitude of trailers with similar concepts. We found that the majority begun with happy and upbeat soundtracks that then progressed into slower tracks, got cut off completely or got distorted. An example of this would be the "The Visit" trailer which was a film that came out last year in September. 

This is also achieved in the trailer for "Unfriended" which was released in January. The music progresses from light and happy to suddenly being cut off by non-diegetic sounds which is a feature that has been used in out trailer.

When deciding on the types of sound effects we wanted to use, we looked into existing media texts to find out what worked best naturally without appearing out of place. Below are two clips of sound effects that we have used in our trailer.

Exploring Shot types and Sizes

Evidence of controlled use of camera

In order to create the right ambiance for this shot, we decided to use light from a phone. This was to include a white light which appears to create themes of exposure and panic as the normal yellow toned light conveys a feeling of calmness and normality, The camera in this shot was positioned at the top of the stairs whereas the actors where at the bottom running towards the camera and in this case safety. As they both frantically run to safety, one actor is pulled down the stairs and away from the camera by the supernatural force which illustrates the idea of further transgression from the equilibrium, 

Here we have a camera placed on one of my team members. It is placed in such as way to effectively create panning shots smoothly ans steadily as we did not have access to a track to create a dolly shot. Moreover, the dolly was placed at a lower angle than eye-height to convey the idea that it was through the eyes of the villain who would be lurking around the house. This is similar to the shot taken below. 

In order to create a similar idea of dominance with the villain, the majority of the shots after the distribution of equilibrium were at a lower angle as the villain now has full power over the protagonists. 

These shots above were shot by hand without the use of any equipment to create the effect of intimate scenes were the audience may feel closely attached and included with the goings on in the situation. The natural jolts and movements created by the hand of the camera places emphasis of the feelings and general build up of tension and suspense.

Construction linking to theories and storyboard

We decided not to go with the idea of having Alex walking down the street on her phone. This was because we thought that it would be more intimate if we were to keep all the scenes shot in the house, but instead have a chasing scene after that would take place late at night highlighting discomfort for Alex on her own street. The first few shots would all tie well with Laura Mulveys theory of the male gaze. We demonstrated this by having the camera in Alexs’ bedroom watching everything she does. We also filmed some shots where the camera would move up Alexs leg as she was laying down on the bed.

Using the peep hole to see when the characters are approaching the door gives the opportunity to show little snapshots of their personality traits as they wait for the door to be answered. We therefore get our first opportunity to put props 8 character theory into play as we try and decipher which characters are which.

The shot where the villain is seen through the door is a perfect way to catch a glimpse of the character. It represents some sort of invasion and a disruption of the equilibrium. This links to Todorovs theory of equilibrium where once there is a disturbance in the story it cannot go back to normal without first having met the recognition and repair stage.

It is at this point that the disruption period will come into play and the story will start to develop. This is shown on our story board with scenes such as where Alex answers the phone and there is a mysterious voice calling or where Tiffany’s nose starts to bleed.

As this is a trailer there will be no repair scene as the intention of the trailer is not to give away the ending to the story. Therefore at this point the scenes will develop in their brutality. Meaning that there will be more blood and gore. At this point it will become clear that our villain is female which goes well with the theory of the Monsterous feminine.