Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Audience Research
From my audience research, it appears to me that many aged 15-20 enjoy wathcing horror with friends. However a small majority, mostly boys enjoy the experience being alone. I have taken note that many peoples biggest fear is clowns or insects such as spiders.
In my research 9 out of 10 said they would watch a horror, if the trailer looked appealing, not for a particular theme. They also said they watch a horror for the thrills, jumpiness and being put on the edge of their seat throughout the film. Everyone agreed that they would watch a film even if it was given a bad review as people added we all have different expectations and views on each genre of film.
Having knowledge of this information, i am quite overwhelmed that even if what i produce was not given good feedback by a few people, the viewers would still watch it for themselves. However to create that jumpiness atmosphere for them can be quite difficult because what appears as horror to one person doesnt always appear the same to another.
In my research 9 out of 10 said they would watch a horror, if the trailer looked appealing, not for a particular theme. They also said they watch a horror for the thrills, jumpiness and being put on the edge of their seat throughout the film. Everyone agreed that they would watch a film even if it was given a bad review as people added we all have different expectations and views on each genre of film.
Having knowledge of this information, i am quite overwhelmed that even if what i produce was not given good feedback by a few people, the viewers would still watch it for themselves. However to create that jumpiness atmosphere for them can be quite difficult because what appears as horror to one person doesnt always appear the same to another.
Hourglass
There are several names for hourglass. Some people know them as an egg timer, sand timer, sandglass or a sand clock. Below is an hourglass in a three-legged stand:
The reason for choosing hourglass as the title was because an hourglass is a symbol of time. Puzzles are apart of the film, and as everyone knows puzzles have a time in which they are completed in.
There are different running times for an hourglass, some can go on for 1hour, 45minutes, 30minutes or 15minutes. In modern uses they now appear in board games such as pictionary and boggle, using a 3minute egg timer.
There are different running times for an hourglass, some can go on for 1hour, 45minutes, 30minutes or 15minutes. In modern uses they now appear in board games such as pictionary and boggle, using a 3minute egg timer.
The Main Character Of Hourglass
The main character of hourglass has an illness called schizophrenia which involves delusions and hallucinations. There can be negative symptons such as them being unemotional, unsociable and unable to concerntrate. 
The main character has no name so she is known as The Lady. The character is all alone in a empty house where she has to solve puzzles to escape but there is an hourglass timing her, and when time runs out she thinks she is trapped forever. So the process of her trying to solve the puzzles goes on and on and the hourglass is reset by The Lady. However solving these puzzles are not as easy as they seem especially not when things creep on out and make you more delusional.
Schizophrenia
As already noted schizophrenia is an illness with positive and negative symptons. Positive symptoms being the delusions, strange thinking and hallucinations, and the negative symptons being listless, avoiding protection and avoiding people. It is not known what causes schizophrenia and why only a majority of people are diagnosed with the illness.
If you find yourself interested in schizophrenia and would like to know more below are links to websites that give more detail on this illness.
http://www.drjack.co.uk/the-future-of-schizophrenia-by-dr-jack-lewis/">
http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/schizophrenia#what%20is
Schizophrenia
As already noted schizophrenia is an illness with positive and negative symptons. Positive symptoms being the delusions, strange thinking and hallucinations, and the negative symptons being listless, avoiding protection and avoiding people. It is not known what causes schizophrenia and why only a majority of people are diagnosed with the illness.
If you find yourself interested in schizophrenia and would like to know more below are links to websites that give more detail on this illness.
http://www.drjack.co.uk/the-future-of-schizophrenia-by-dr-jack-lewis/">
http://www.mind.org.uk/help/diagnoses_and_conditions/schizophrenia#what%20is
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Monday, 20 February 2012
Film Classification
Each film, video game etc is to be classified by the BBFC (British Board of Classification)since the 'video recordins act 1982'. In December 2002 catagorie logos were introduced, which replaced previous logos from 1982. These logos are:
Universal: all ages over 4 are allowed to watch the film as there is nothing unsuitable for them. A Universal film should indicate a positive moral that does not involve any violence.
Parental Guidence: all ages allowed, although some scenes may not be suitable for children under 8.
12A: A 12A film only exsists at the cinema. All ages above 12 are allowed but anyone under the age of 12 should be accompinied by an adult.
12: No one under the age of 12 is allowed to watch that particular film. To rent or buy a DVD rated 12 you must be over the age 12.
15: only those aged over 15 are allowed to buy, rent a DVD with this rating. You must be aged 15 or over to watch the 15 rated film at a cnema.
18: only adults, aged 18 and above are admitted. Films rated 18 are only allowed to be bought or rented by someone aged 18 or over.
Restricted 18: Only licensed cinemas are allowed to show films within this catagorie. Only people over 18 are allowed to purchase. These films are usually sold in licensed shops (sex shops).
Universal: all ages over 4 are allowed to watch the film as there is nothing unsuitable for them. A Universal film should indicate a positive moral that does not involve any violence.
Parental Guidence: all ages allowed, although some scenes may not be suitable for children under 8.
12A: A 12A film only exsists at the cinema. All ages above 12 are allowed but anyone under the age of 12 should be accompinied by an adult.
12: No one under the age of 12 is allowed to watch that particular film. To rent or buy a DVD rated 12 you must be over the age 12.
15: only those aged over 15 are allowed to buy, rent a DVD with this rating. You must be aged 15 or over to watch the 15 rated film at a cnema.
18: only adults, aged 18 and above are admitted. Films rated 18 are only allowed to be bought or rented by someone aged 18 or over.
Restricted 18: Only licensed cinemas are allowed to show films within this catagorie. Only people over 18 are allowed to purchase. These films are usually sold in licensed shops (sex shops).
Zombieland
This is part of the opening scene to the film zombieland. The credits are shown in red which represents danger, love, evil and death. In here we can see they mean 3 out of the 4, love not being shown. The reason why they could have chose red may be reflecting on the evilness that is within this film.
Editing
The whole clip seems to be shown in slow motion apart from a moment at the very start, when a rule is said about fastening seat belts. The effect of having the clip shown in slow motion helps to emphasis what is going on at that particular time. There are also fades or slow cuts when it is showing a different location of people being attacked. After my first time watching the opening sequence the fades helped relaxed me as it fluently moved through and it meant that with the slow motion i got to look at every detail of that particular shot that caught my eye.
Cinematography
We have a birds eye view of the woman who flew out of her car showing us that she appears helpless and insignificant whilst the audience appears in power and godlike.
A low angle shot is shown as the guy jumps of a building to get away from the zombie trying to attack him. Low angle shots make the character appear more powerful, which makes us think was it the zombie who was the one with the most power or the guy who managed to escape. Many wideshots are used which helps show the audience what one character is about to face and what is going on around them and only we the audience know this. When the audience knows a possible outcome they sometimes can feel incharge.
Mise-en-scene
All different costumes are used; the zombies are shown clearly with blood on their bodies mainly dripping from their mouth. Other people wearing workwear, suits or casual clothing with no blood are the humans trying to escape from the zombies who are chasing them to feed on them. With many of the characters the props they have are to do with their work whether its a suitcase, a fire hose/engine or a police shield.
Sound
Non-diegetic sound was used and all the diegetic sound that was seen was overhead by a soundtrack by Metallica For whom the bell tolls.
Monday, 6 February 2012
Genres
There are different forms of conventions for each genre.
HORRORS
Horror films such as 'Saw', 'Scream', and 'The House of the Devil' all acquire a human in an identity hunting people from a past problem.
- The camera movements are at slow pace when a killing is about to take place or to build suspense.
- Sometimes there can be quick movement to show the panic one is struggling to fight against.
- Their facial expressions and reactions from being hunted by it's predator are seen through close-ups and shot reverse shots.
- Usually tense non-diegetic sound IS used to create that wary atmosphere.
Some films such as 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Grave Encounters' also horrors use hand-held cameras, which makes the film appear as though the footage we are seeing is live.
There is usually a trademark characteristic within the killer, this could be todo with the way the killer kills each of its opponent. In the outcome of the film the lead character, the good guy manages to survive and is sometimes able to defeat the bad guy.
ACTION/ADVENTURE
Action/Adventure films such as 'Knight and Day', and 'Transformers' all involve a chase seen either by foot, car, plane etc. The storyline is usually straightforward the good guys who always win verse the bad guys. In both named films, the main character is male with a strong female character who works alongside.
- An establishing shot is used at the start of a scene, this helps the audience get the full view of what is yet to come.
- Point of view shots tend to be used, so we as the audience can see it from the view of one of the characters.
- High and low angle shots are used, to show the ones in power and the helpless characters.
- The props used are usually the typical guns, any form of transport, and gear of clothing.
HORRORS
Horror films such as 'Saw', 'Scream', and 'The House of the Devil' all acquire a human in an identity hunting people from a past problem.
- The camera movements are at slow pace when a killing is about to take place or to build suspense.
- Sometimes there can be quick movement to show the panic one is struggling to fight against.
- Their facial expressions and reactions from being hunted by it's predator are seen through close-ups and shot reverse shots.
- Usually tense non-diegetic sound IS used to create that wary atmosphere.
Some films such as 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Grave Encounters' also horrors use hand-held cameras, which makes the film appear as though the footage we are seeing is live.
There is usually a trademark characteristic within the killer, this could be todo with the way the killer kills each of its opponent. In the outcome of the film the lead character, the good guy manages to survive and is sometimes able to defeat the bad guy.
ACTION/ADVENTURE
Action/Adventure films such as 'Knight and Day', and 'Transformers' all involve a chase seen either by foot, car, plane etc. The storyline is usually straightforward the good guys who always win verse the bad guys. In both named films, the main character is male with a strong female character who works alongside.
- An establishing shot is used at the start of a scene, this helps the audience get the full view of what is yet to come.
- Point of view shots tend to be used, so we as the audience can see it from the view of one of the characters.
- High and low angle shots are used, to show the ones in power and the helpless characters.
- The props used are usually the typical guns, any form of transport, and gear of clothing.
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
The plot of A series of unfortunate events
The film 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' was released in 2004, and it is a series of children's books written by Daniel Handler, pen name Lemony Snicket.
Three Orphans, Violet aged 14, Klaus aged 12 and Sonny who is just a little baby at the start of the novels come home from going out to find their house burnt down and their parents to be dead.
Mr.Poe, the man in charge of the orphans affairs, find a distant relative, Count Olaf who was willing to let them stay with him. It is not until further on into the film we notice Count Olaf wants the Baudelaire's fortune and plans to marry Violet when she turns 18, but after the signing of the document we see the document burn after Klaus's mastermind idea.
Count Olaf disguises himself many times and along the way commits many atrocities such as murder and arson to help get his hands on the family's fortune. The roles of the orphans and the relative are switched as it becomes times for the orphans to disguise themselves from the police after they are framed by Count Olaf for his murder.
They become in dire need of help by Mr.Poe who seems oblivious by the children's dangerous situation they have been caught in. Along the way the try to uncover the death of their parents and start to find out they were from a secret organization V.F.B. They also make friends with other orphans whose parents were also coincidentally killed in a fire.
Count Olaf dies after he plans to kill the islanders from throwing a harpoon into the air and releasing a deadly gas but he himself dies with the rest of them. The mystery of their parents death is left unsolved and the orphans still trying to find a place they can call home.
Each Orphan has a skill to work there way out of these situations. Violets is inventing things, Klaus is gathering information from books and Sonny's is her extremely sharp teeth. Sonny later on grows up developing a primary skill of how to cook.
In my own opinion i enjoyed every moment of this film as i was intrigued the whole way throughout the film wondering when the orphans would be in safe hands and if their relative, the protagonist would ever get his hands on the fortune to which you know he never did.
If you find yourself interested in this film and would like to find out more information about the film, click on the link shown below.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339291/
Three Orphans, Violet aged 14, Klaus aged 12 and Sonny who is just a little baby at the start of the novels come home from going out to find their house burnt down and their parents to be dead.
Mr.Poe, the man in charge of the orphans affairs, find a distant relative, Count Olaf who was willing to let them stay with him. It is not until further on into the film we notice Count Olaf wants the Baudelaire's fortune and plans to marry Violet when she turns 18, but after the signing of the document we see the document burn after Klaus's mastermind idea.
Count Olaf disguises himself many times and along the way commits many atrocities such as murder and arson to help get his hands on the family's fortune. The roles of the orphans and the relative are switched as it becomes times for the orphans to disguise themselves from the police after they are framed by Count Olaf for his murder.
They become in dire need of help by Mr.Poe who seems oblivious by the children's dangerous situation they have been caught in. Along the way the try to uncover the death of their parents and start to find out they were from a secret organization V.F.B. They also make friends with other orphans whose parents were also coincidentally killed in a fire.
Count Olaf dies after he plans to kill the islanders from throwing a harpoon into the air and releasing a deadly gas but he himself dies with the rest of them. The mystery of their parents death is left unsolved and the orphans still trying to find a place they can call home.
Each Orphan has a skill to work there way out of these situations. Violets is inventing things, Klaus is gathering information from books and Sonny's is her extremely sharp teeth. Sonny later on grows up developing a primary skill of how to cook.
In my own opinion i enjoyed every moment of this film as i was intrigued the whole way throughout the film wondering when the orphans would be in safe hands and if their relative, the protagonist would ever get his hands on the fortune to which you know he never did.
If you find yourself interested in this film and would like to find out more information about the film, click on the link shown below.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339291/
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