case studies.

 

Research/case studies:

The Possession -The Possession Movie CLIP - Slap (2012) - Horror Movie HD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IznzCJ_sP5Y&feature=plcp

Release Date: August 31, 2012
Genre: Horror
Cast: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kyra Sedgwick
Director: Ole Bornedal
Screenwriter: Juliet Snowden, Stiles White
Studio: Lionsgate

Plot: Based on a true story, "The Possession" is the terrifying story of how one family must unite in order to survive the wrath of an unspeakable evil.

Synopsis: Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie Brenek (Kyra Sedgwick) see little cause for alarm when their youngest daughter Em becomes oddly obsessed with an antique wooden box she purchased at a yard sale. But as Em's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, the couple fears the presence of a malevolent force in their midst, only to discover that the box was built to contain a dibbuk, a dislocated spirit that inhabits and ultimately devours its human host.

 

Narrative: the narrative structure of this film involves that of a linear narrative as the film starts of normally, a problem arises (the box) and then it ends with the problem being overcome and the family finally living happily ever after.

 

·         The film itself is shot in live action.

·         The characters are presented as being a normal homely family, however with problems between the parents as do all families at one point have. The children are presented as respectful young girls, specifically adhering to the term ‘daddy’s girl’, they all just happen to come towards such a problem which they believe is destroying their child.

·         The film itself consists of all types of camera shots ranging from long angle shots to extreme close ups and many mid-shots. Moreover the film is mostly conversation and action based so a great deal of shot reverse shot has been used. Special effects have also been used quite a large amount, this is to obviously connote the horror aspect of the film for example things flying across the room, someone entering the little girls mouth etc.

·         The location of the film is based in America with most of the scenes filmed at the family home, although there are times when the little girls are attending school and the times when the family has to visit the doctors due to the girls condition as well as the scene where the father is seen to be visiting a specific place to get information on the treasured box purchased at the boot sale, props include everyday items such as a phone, home ware clothing etc and the lighting is mainly daylight although some scenes contain an element of artificial lighting.

·         The film contains non-diagetic sound as well as diagetic such as the music being used and the conversation between the characters.

·         The target audience of this specific film is teenagers of the age of 16 and over as stated by the film producers who have set the film.

·         The potential ideas we can take from this film include the various special effects that have been used, these help to connote the story of the film as well as add effect which is directed at the audience. For example the various special effects used when there are things flying across the room as the audience make you leap from your seat slightly and this intrigues the audience more as they would like to know what happens further as well as being slightly terrified which is what films like the possession intend to do as they are of the horror genre. Also this specific scene in which we see the little girl getting slapped from what appears to be her dad but in actual fact is the demon, the tension that builds up to the point in which she does get slapped is effective in the sense that it makes the audience think what is going to happen, and then of course we are shown a relief of this tension and suspense through the slap. I believe this is a very strong technique as it makes the audience terrified of what has just happened and how/why it has happened. We can then implement this into our own short film as it is an easy to connote and effective concept.

 

My murder:

 BBC3:  part 6 (the murder) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh5Uc3pEuCM

Synopsis: A chance meeting with a girl leads to murder as a teenage boy is engulfed by a web of lies in this innovative and gripping factual drama. My Murder tells the true story of Shakilus Townsend, a 16-year-old boy who was led to his death by the 15-year-old he thought of as his girlfriend, in what became known as the honey trap killing.

·         The film itself is shot in live action and is of a linear narrative in which the ending is of the young boy losing his life due to his own girlfriend.
 
·       The characters within the film are represented as deviant teenagers. Shakilul himself has just been released from prison from which the audience can insinuate that he isn’t exactly a law abiding citizen.
 
·        The girl is portrayed as an individual who isn’t exactly worried about school and
views it as pointless, this conclusion can be drawn from the girls attitude as well as her       interest in actions other than paying attention to her education. All other characters are represented with the traditional stereotypes of teenagers i.e. hanging on streets, causing trouble, engaging in criminal activities. This helps the producers of the film show accurately what does happen in some parts of the world and the fact that this was based on a true reality situation helps them.
 
·       Within the film there are many camera shots used particularly a variety of close ups as the characters are often seen alone with their mobile phones at which there are various shots focused on them. This helps the viewers make out just what is going on and puts them in the place of the character allowing them to experience the different emotions they are feeling. The film has been edited to show flow and continuation this helps the audience as it follows the story, not only this but editing plays a huge part in the production of the film and determines whether the message/narrative of the film is communicated effectively.
 
·       Filming is carried out in daylight with little use of artificial light; again this is necessary as having a film based on a factual account means that the reality of it needs to be as specific and accurate as possible. Costume of the characters is relatively casual everyday wear; however when it comes to portraying certain characters as adhering to stereotypes many of them are shown as wearing garments of the correct stereotypical character. Make-up has not been used at all as it is based on a real life scenario and based on the story make-up would highly unlikely be the characters priority.
·         Sound within the film is of a mix of diagetic and non diagetic for example the voiceover which we can instantly hear at the beginning is something which has manually been put on top of the music in the background, both are non diagetic; however the conversations between the characters and the noise from the surroundings are all diagetic sounds. The music predominantly adds to the overall effect of the film and at certain points being in the position of the audience makes us feel sympathetic towards the character being harmed. This again is an effective tool in communicating the message of the film.
·         The target audience, due to the themes and narrative of the film are those aged 16 and over. This is drawn from the fact that the film contains sensitive scenes as well as concepts which will not be understood of anyone below this age. Also because of the fact that this is based on a true story many users watching may feel disturbed so therefore it is necessary for the producers to set an age rate.
·         There are many ideas from this film which we wish to illustrate in our own. To start with the storyline of the film is the main one that has attracted us as being teenagers it is something we can relate to, having a short film based on this concept would allow us to show the reality of such crimes and being of the same age would benefit us as we nearly every day are in contact with people of the likes of the characters within the film. Secondly the music has been utilised to its full potential when it comes to having an effect on the audience. It is essential as producers to be able to achieve the aim of what has been set and this was to aware every one of such conspiracies that take place, the music has alleviated in achieving this. In co-operating the music use into our own film would help us achieve the message and would generate sympathy from the audience leading to a rise in awareness of the issue. Moving on to the particular aspect of the scene of the case study, the most important factor which attracted me was the sound and the effect this had at the end. After the killers had taken their toll the police sirens and an emergency call are being played in the back. This makes the whole scene stand out and generates a great deal of audience sympathy as the person who has just been stabbed needs help however there is no assistance available. Showing the reality of the struggle and pain the character is going through also makes this effective as it demonstrates accurately just how bad such incidents are and the effect this has on individuals.

 

Nightmare on elm street:

A Nightmare on Elm Street #2 Movie CLIP - Won't Happen Again (2010) HD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QjC0jXb-9k&feature=relmfu

Director: Samuel Bayer
Release: 4/30/2010
Genre: Fantasy/Horror/Thriller
Studio: New Line Cinema
Website: http://www.nightmareonelmstreet.com/
Synopsis: Freddy Krueger returns in A Nightmare on Elm Street, a contemporary re-imagining of the horror classic. A group of suburban teenagers hare one common bond: they are all being stalked by Freddy Krueger, a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they can protect one another, but when they sleep, there is no escape.

·         The narrative of the film is non linear as there appears to be no set story line although you can argue that there is a sense of a linear structure as the teenagers are no longer alive at the end. The film is shot in live action with some animation of the killer who is not human.

·         The themes of this film include loss of innocence of the teenagers and American suburbs which basically relates to the fact that the parents are moving to a better place for the safety of their children but in actual fact what they are not aware of is the reality of area they are moving to and the disastrous effects this would bring. The characters are presented as normal teenagers minding their own business living with their families happily until this problem arises.

·         Many camera shots have been used in this film; these vary from extreme close-ups to midshots to wide angle shots, over the shoulder shots and countless other types. At the points these are used they add to the effect of the scene for example when the killer is moving towards the target, the close ups and transitions to other shots make this attention-grabbing for the viewers. The editing techniques within the film also contribute towards this as having to fake the illusion of blood to make it seem as realistic as possible with all the effects and noises is a whole major part of the film and if not done correctly can lose the attention of the audience.

·         There is a mix of lighting within the film, artificial lighting as well as natural light has been used and both of them contribute to the overall effectiveness of the film. Having dark low it scenes within a horror film help to create and build up the ambience of the whole story as well as capture the attention of the viewers. Scenes have been filmed in a combination of outdoor and within the home. Props such as knifes etc have also been used which help the characters. The costumes connote the personalities of the characters, for example the young girls are seen to be wearing white which symbolises their innocence whilst the killer is wearing black which shows the opposite and the fact that he isn’t so innocent which is then demonstrated by his actions. Make-up has played a huge part in this film as it is vital to show as accurately as possible how the characters look. The killer has a huge amount of makeup applied to their face which helps the audience see as well as develop a sort of disgust and fear towards them. This then helps as the intention is to frighten the audience and to create extreme dislike.

·         Sound has played a huge part in this film. This is due to the fact that music helps to create suspense in particular within a horror film this is compulsory as it helps the effectiveness. Sometimes however having no sound proves to be effective, except having both just creates that little more anxiety. There is also a huge amount of dialogue used within the film as well as sound from the surroundings which creates tension.

·         Due to the themes the suitable audience for this film is 18 and over. Some may find it disturbing so setting an age rate is necessary.

·         The ideas we intend to take include what has been used within the film to make it seem as real as possible and shock the audience, the blood, the music, the costumes etc all assist in doing this which makes the film very effective in achieving its purpose of thrilling its audience. Moreover the fact that the killer was one of the teenager’s friends was another alarming fact; this was unknown to them and was concealed by the friend so well that they were not even close to suspecting it was one of their own. The ideas I hope to invest from this particular clip include the fact that the suspense caused at the point at which the killers hand is shown, moreover the sound at this point added to the whole effectiveness of the scene and I believe this is a strong method of retaining as well as petrifying the audience.  Furthermore hope to invest the overall narrative of the film into my own short film and create the relationship with the audience which will enable me to play with their minds and startle them once they are aware of who was actually behind the events of the film the whole time.