Questionnaire: Results

After asking willing volunteers to answer my questionnaire this is the following analysis of my results. In total I asked 31 people, 14 of these were male and, 17 female.

Within the different age groups I asked 22 people aged 15-24, one person 25-34 and one person 35-44 and for 45+ I asked 7 people.

My next question was crucial to how the attitude to there responses was determining on them watching horror films or not. 24 watched them and 7 don't the reasons for not watching them were they found them traumatizing, they don't find them exciting, it will keep them up all night! Generally don't like them or would prefer to watch a different genre.

Question 4 asked what do they usually expect to see when watching a horror film this was an open question and produced qualitative data. People who didn't watch horror films popular choices were darkness, blood and generally scary things. Other answers were, ghosts, horrific images, music, suspense, trees and gore.

People who do watch horror films popular choices were: blood, things that make them jump or shocked, gore, a culprit, suspense, murders and death, the unexpected and zombies. Other answers included vampires, the scare factor, mystery, weapons, ghosts, masks, element of evil, and to do with the UN-natural.

Question 5 wanted know what element of a horror frightened you, people who didn't watch horrors answered: unnecessary jumping, true stories, seeing gory images, the unexpected, people sneaking up on others. People who did watch horrors popular answers included the unexpected, making them jump, psychological aspects, gory parts, suspense and the music. Other answers included were, vampires, silence, possession, fast pacing and true stories.

The next question asked what they like to see a popular answer from people who answered no to watching horrors said comedy/humour other answers were: people getting back together, no blood/gore, a decent plot, originality, psychological games and nothing. A popular answer from people who do watch horrors were, tension/suspense, good ending which is well explained, a good twist, along with a good storyline/plot, the unexpected and blood. Other answers included, vampires, nudity, something different, a happy ending! scenes shot in daylight, death, cliffhangers, shocking items, zombies, and the ability to empathise with the characters.

Question 7 asked what people disliked to see when watching a horror a popular answer from people who didn't watch horrors was gore other answers included unnecessary nudity, cliches, blood which was another popular answer, children and everything in general!

Answers from people who did watch horrors were: predictable this was a popular answer along with, unrealistic, gore, blood, boring plot and bad endings other answers were, stereotypes, love, not understanding the genre, sci-fi, murder, unnecessary things, too much violence, and body parts.
I wanted to find out the what characters to use so I asked the next question giving them options they are presented bellow in the pie charts:

I also gave an option for other 4 people ticked this and some commented vampire or monster.

The last question asked whether they watched the same horror film again, 21 said yes and 10 said no.

After receiving all the answers to the questionnaire the results will help me when creating the film as it will let me make my film better for the different ages.

Research: Questionnaire

These are the questions which I will ask on a questionnaire to help undersatnd the opinions of horrors based on my target audience:
1) Are you male or female,
2) How old are you?
15-24 25-34 35-44 45+
3) Do you watch horror films?
4) What do you usually expect to see in a horror?
5) What element of horror frightens you?
6) What do you like to see in a horror?
7) What don’t you like to see in a horror?
8) What characters do you like to see? (you may tick more than one)
Female victims
Male victims
Child/teen victims
Adult victims

Female culprits
Male culprits
Child/teen culprits
Adult culprits
Other
9) Do you watch horror films again?

Continuity Piece - Filming

After completing my storyboard in the next session I was able to film.

There were five of us made up of different groups this was so that we could all help each other out when it came to their turn to film. I needed a setting which was a basic classroom type location all I needed was a door, table and chairs. After having access to a empty classroom, I set the tripod up and got the camera ready for action it wasn't very busy at the time of filming so I had no problem getting the shot of person A (Lee) walking through the door without interruption of any passer by's. After a few rehearsal shots so I could learn how to move the camera, in a smooth angle I recorded the shots. It was good working with other people because we could help each other with where to get the camera how to get a better shot and keeping an eye on what hand was used to open the door so they it all matched etc.

The basic synopses of the continuity piece was someone walks into a room sits and has a conversation with his friend, in the storyboard it was a handshake however on day of filming it was changed to Lee passing Beth something over the table to get the match on action required, they then leave heading for Starbucks.

It was good practice using the camera because when it comes to filming my main project I will not be so inexperienced and won't be making the actors wait for me. For the main project I will need to write a script as for this piece I let the characters just have a random conversation.

Tools for Analysis

When doing my textual analysis on the opening scenes of my chosen genre, I need the essential items to make notes and then be able to write up my analysis afterwards:

• The films either on DVD or recorded from TV - this is the most important as without it I would have nothing to watch to analise
• Pen and Paper to make notes and when I watched to opening scenes again to make extra notes
• Computer - this was needed to write my draft onto a word processor then copy up onto my blog

These are the basics tools needed when writing an analysis, when watching the opening scene I needed to be looking for

• Camera Angles - how they were used, the effects, what they helped portray
• Editing - was it invisible or made visible
• Special effects
• Sound - digetic or non- digetic, soundtrack
• Representations - how are the characters being portrayed
• Mise en scene
• Verisimilitude
• Movement
• Pacing

And many other key features which I needed to pick up on when writing my textual analysis'.

Continuity Piece: Storyboard

Before filming, I needed to create a storyboard this allowed me to plan my ideas and understand which camera angles I would need on the day of filming, and how I would capture it, to practice before my main project I tried to included as many different camera angles and movement possible so I could experiment and learn how to use the equipment. Whilst drafting my storyboard I was shown how to set the tripod up the key features and what must be done to enhance the quality of my short recording for example the spirit level section so the camera would always be level.
In my short sequence I required a match on action, in my planning stage I decided to shoot a handshake however when filming this was changed as thoughts from the actors said it would look better if they passed something across the table as it would look less formal.

Textual Analysis on Bridget Jones's Diary [Romantic Comedy]

Bridget Jones’s Diary
The opening of Bridget Jones is effective because it engages the audience with the humour from the beginning. It begins showing us a ‘winter wonderland’ picturesque scene already using a convention of a romantic comedy being set some where romantic. The establishing shots allow us to see the snow and the house of where the first scene is going to take place. The pan movement allows us to follow the character as she walks towards the house, it has a running commentary throughout the beginning of the scene allow us to hear what the character is thinking at the time of things as though we are in her head this is due to it being based on someone writing their diary. When she enters the house another cheery Christmas love songs play in the background, there is an high angled shot which looks as if it’s shot from the top of the stairs allowing the audience to look down and see what is going on. A mixture of MS and MCU shots are used in the various conversations the editing is made to be invisible to allow it to flow and show that she is socializing around the room. A full length shot is used to highlight the embarrassing outfit she is forced to wear, when she is introduced to her future love interest which is played by Colin Firth which if we didn’t know anything about the film we would know that it’s a Romantic Comedy because he is in it. There is an ECU on the reindeer jumper he is being forced to wear and here is our ‘meet-cute’ situation a must convention in a romantic comedy, the conversation is awkward as the Bridget starts to ramble making herself embarrassed, later in the scene when she over hears Mark talking to his mom, she pretends not to have heard the mean sayings and walks towards the camera as it follows her it then uses a freeze frame to highlight the moment in which the character narrates and then fades into another wintery scene.

Textual Analysis on Dark Corners [Horror Genre]

Dark Corners
Dark Corners use an effective opening it begins with a constant creaking noise whilst the opening credits played on a black background to white text similar to ‘The Host’ it uses a ghostly text effect which plays on the audiences minds. It the uses a long shot showing a women dressed in black rocking on a rocking chair the source of the creaking noise, we can also hear the ticking of the clock enhance the importance of time possibly for the rest of the film there is no camera movement it then fades black and quickly grabs the audiences attention with dramatic opening music revealing the title of the film with the same ghostly text effect.
It then fades into a long shot of a church decorated with candles the mise en scene is effective at this point as it sets the scene. As the female character enters it uses a CU and diagetic sound is present e.g. the echo of foot steps on the stone floor etc. as she sits down the camera tilts up to show a religious statue and focuses on the writing saying ‘The lord praise him’. It then goes to a ECU of the women asleep and blood dripping onto her face it shows the confusion in her face, we then see a body covered in blood and is generally disfigured, tension building music is playing in the background quick camera shots of the woman, the body and the religious quote. The music is getting louder showing us an increase in tension we then see the woman running away trying to escape through the door, she turns around a sees a man with a knife there is a mixture of MCU and ECU as the man walks towards her, she turns around and the man is not there, and appears to be on the other side of the door she is trying to escape through, she then backs away and backs away into the killer, he grabs her a slits her throat we are then shown an ECU of her bloody throat using the element of the unseen. It then shows the man walking through the camera shot. It the shoots to a shot of a man and woman who is blindfolded in a car, playing on the theory of dreams?

Textual Analysis on The Host [Horror Genre]

The Host
The beginning of The Host is black background with white text, there is no music so the silence already begins to make the audience uneasy and confused. The wide angled establishing shot allows the audience to see where the opening sequence is taking place it uses diagetic sound which you would expect in the science lab setting. Within the conversation over shoulder MCU shots are used, to allow flow it then gives and ECU of the bottle of poison which shows the relevance of this for the rest of the film as the two characters disagree in the disposure of the harmful substance and ECU is used to show the emotion in their faces and the concern in one character. As it then fades into later on in the night due to darker lighting used showing the intenseness, there is an element of danger because of the character wearing safety clothes, the sound is enhanced as the liquid is poured into the sink, it then zooms in onto the empty bottles the slow pan movement express the importance of what is happening which will impact the rest of the film the audience want to know the consequences of these actions as the music begins to build tension it fades into a new scene. From watching the opening of this Korean film we can see that as music is important so is the use of silence, lighting can create a tense atmosphere and that beginning the film with the problem e.g. the harmful bottles can create curiosity within the audience.

Textual Analysis of The Horror of Frankenstein [Horror Genre]

The Horror of Frankenstein
The opening of Frankenstein is effective because of the focus kept on the drawing on the picture intrigues the audience making them want to continue watching to understand what is going on.
The opening credits watch someone draw dashed lines on a naked picture of a woman this provokes curiosity in the watcher as they want to know what the lines demonstrate. The fonts used looks old and fancy informing us that the film is set a log time ago from present day, the typical red colour already shows us that it is going to be horrific. The music played through opening titles is subtle but still creates suspense in the different key changes. The sudden change into reality allows us to see that the film is set in Victorian times because of the mise en scene seen in the wide angled shot. When the two characters are having a conversation MCU shots are used over looking Frankenstein’s shoulder the editing is intended to be invisible to show a flow, the high angled shot from the teacher looking down shows power and authority which the teacher initially has. It then uses CU shots to show the emotions on the characters face which allows the audience to see and empathies with the character. The pan movement of the camera allows smooth transition of movement. The full length shots allows us to see what all the characters are doing and wearing which had to the reality which has been created, The opening is slow paced.
By watching this opening scene I can see the benefit of using a tempting device like the dashed lines on the picture used in The Horror of Frankenstein because it creates the element of aversion of the unseen.

Textual Analysis on Halloween [Horror Genre]

Halloween
The opening of Halloween is effective because it keeps the audience very interested and on the edge of their seats. It does this using many different techniques such as, Point Of View shots and constant music.
The opening credits uses the symbolic Halloween image of a pumpkin whilst the opening titles and credits are playing the font used is regular and uses reds and oranges which are typical Halloween colours representing fire. The famous Halloween theme is played merging into non diagetic tension building music when the film begins. The black screen with the creepy use of children singing is used which plays on peoples minds. The opening shows a house in the dark on a Halloween night within a ‘normal’ neighborhood as the text gives us this information a handheld camera and POV shots are used allowing us the viewer to be in eyes of the character we are yet unknown off, this makes the viewer curious. We are taken round the back of what we assume to be the house of where the action is going to take place, it looks on at a couple because we are in the eyes of the character we presume these are the victims. The non-diagetic sound continues as well as the diagetic sound of light switches and the grandfather clock chimes. When the character enters it focuses on the butchers knife they collect as an audience we know something terrible will happen due to the couple upstairs and the ‘stranger’ which as entered the house now equipped with a knife. The constant music keeps things tense which is effective because the audience are always wondering what is going to happen next, has the male character leave we are taken upstairs picking up a clowns mask which gives connotations of people fears of clowns. Our vision is then restricted to the two eye holes in the mask, the female character recognizes her killer and we are shown the repetition of the stabbing action, we then see the bloody dead body on the floor as the character leaves we see that the killer is a child dressed in a clown suit which already provokes peoples fears of clowns and children. In addition because there are no cuts until the end it makes it feel as though everything is happening in real time which adds the reality that this ‘could’ happen, also the usage of the POV vision makes it seem more like the audience are the one who is killing the girl.
From watching the opening scene we see that using powerful music throughout is important as it can make things appear tenser. We have also seen the effect of using POV shots and how it adds to the suspense and horrific genre.

Task 2: Research into Existing Products [Thriller]

Research into the genre of Thriller

Thriller is a genre of fiction in which tough, resourceful, but essentially ordinary heroes are pitted against villains determined to destroy them, their country, or the stability of the free world. Part of the allure of thrillers comes from not only what their stories are about, but also how they are told. High stakes, non-stop action, plot twists that both surprise and excite, settings that are both vibrant and exotic, and an intense pace that never lets up until the adrenalin packed climax. The Thriller fiction genre is a genre of literature that typically entails fast-paced plots, numerous action scenes, and limited character development. One example is that: the hero, who may even be an ordinary citizen drawn into danger and intrigue by circumstances beyond their control faces danger alone or in the company of a small band of companions. The protagonist may be a law enforcement agent, a journalist, or a soldier, but typically he or she is cut off from the resources of "their" organization. Part of the allure of thrillers comes from not only what their stories are about but how they are told. The plot of a thriller is usually driven by the villain, who presents obstacles that the hero must overcome.

sources: http://www.findmeanauthor.com/thriller_fiction_genre.htm