Group: Audience Research

Purpose:
The purpose of doing our audience research was to test our concept. It was to help us find out what our target audience liked about horror films and what they thought would work best in the ideas that we had. From the results we gained, it meant we could take those ideas into account to make our horror opening something people will like and want to see.

Methodology:
The method we chose to carry out our audience research was to do a questionnaire. Within this, we used a variety of questions. The type of questions we used were closed questions, open questions, scaled questions, ranked responses and semantic differential in order to get a variety of quantitative and qualitative data. This meant we were able to draw better conclusions from the data we had. We handed out our questionnaires to people within our year group at school and we received 15 out of 20 back.

Results:
From analysing our data, we found that 12 out of 15 people liked the idea of a female being the victim. The majority voted for her to be blonde, innocent and wearing jeans and a t-shirt. 10 out of 15 people voted for her to be aged 15-18. Our results for how the villain should be were an equal weighting between a normal person and a paranormal being. On average, people wanted it to be filmed in conditions where it's starting to get dark but it was an even opinion where half wanted it in rural and empty and half wanted it to be urban and busy. 4 out of 15 people said it is very important to see someone killed in the opening, 2 said important, 4 said slightly important, 2 said not important and 3 said it doesn't matter. In our open questions, the overall opinion of what people expect in a slasher film is for someone to be followed, it to make you jump sometimes and for their to be a mysterious villain. Our final question was asking people what their favourite horror film is. We looked at the answers of these and tried to get some inspiration from their openings.

Evaluation:
From our findings, we have decided to go to use Mel's friend Lizzie and the victim as she is a blonde teenage girl aged 16 and is available from filming. As the results from how the villain should be are of equal weighting, we are deciding to combine the two and show our villain to be a normal but with something small to make him different e.g. contacts. Also, as we also had equal weighting between the conditions for it to be filmed in we have decided to film it in a urban, slightly busy area but not overly crowded as this is quite different to make ours unique.
Some problems with our results are that we only handed out our questionnaires to people within our year group and they are mostly boys who go to our school. This means our results won't be from a mixed range of people but it is our target audience.

Group: Pitch Presentation

Feedback:

• Use of compact mirror will be effective
• Terminology used was good
• Use of backup ideas in case shots do not work was a good idea

Targets:

• Making sure people do not interrupt/get in the way of our shot while filming in town
• Titles and credits to be integrated into the shot
• Use Camden Road shops instead of main town centre as it will be less busy and easier to film without logos.
• Decide if we want the protagonist walking home instead of getting a bus as issue of continuity.
• Could have a notepad/taking pictures of the girl to make that fact he stalks her seem more effective.
• Try to use a pull-focus to from protagonist to antagonist in shop window.
• Play with levels of diegetic sound (loud voices in town becomes more prevalent)
• The protagonist could go in a shop for a haircut/nails done to show time differences while killer is setting up her house.

Group: Pitch drafting ideas

Plot Synopsis:
The film explores a serial killer's perspective and the twisted and sadistic reasons behind his killings. We see him preparing for his next victims and follow the journey he goes on to achieve his next kill. The last victim is the only one who has ever been able to escape from him and manages to end up killing him; ending the terror.

Title ideas:
Followed
Watched
The Followed

Location:
Tunbridge Wells Town Centre
Katie's house at Benenden               - recce photos needed
Bus stop

Casting:
Katie's friend Hebe and her boyfriend      - get photos
Mel's friends Lizzie and Sean

Costume:
Look at our results of audience research to decided.
Will either be a dress or jeans and a t-shirt if victim is female.

Props:
Compact mirror
Tools/weapons in girls house
Girl's handbag to get keys out of

Visual Effects:
Dissolve of two shots
Text fades in on black screen
Maybe altering the lighting to make it more creepy

Division of Tasks:
As we have other people acting, we will both be behind the camera and equally sharing the editing.

Technical excellence:
Using a dissolve of two shots over the top of each other to show simultaneous action
Use of continuity editing - 180 degree rule
(add in 6 storyboard frames)

Sound:
Possible upbeat music to make it ironic yet creepy, however it might not fit with the action
Sudden increase in volume to create a loud bang sound when hand comes over her mouth at the end
Breathing sounds for POV shots
Underlying creepy music throughout
(get links to possible sound ideas)

Major Influences:
Screenshots from technical and opening analysis to show where we got our influences from
Add in comments about audience research and what we found and how it influenced our choices.

Treatment:
Look at other blog post and add it into our pitch.

MC: Technical Analysis of The Shining (Kubrick, 1980)

	Duration of Shot	Camera distance, angle, movement	Mise-en-scene	Sound
1	7 secs	Tracking backwards. Mid long shot.	Axe – iconic prop to signify a gory murder. In a house to show an ordinary person about to be killed. Costume of jeans, checked shirt and jacket to make him seem like a stereotypical wood chopper crazy man. Internal lighting only, makes room seem more creepy. Non verbal language of man is a psycho smile.	High pitched screeching sound. Iconic to horror to build tension
2	4 secs	Mid shot.	Distressed woman hanging out of window trying to escape. Flailing hands – non verbal language.	Same sound as shot 1 with an increasing underlying increasing of pitch sound to build tension.
3	2 secs	Mid shot	Young boy wearing a winter jumper and jeans that are covered in snow to show that he's had to escape as well. Distressed, worried non verbal language – scared facial expression and clenched fists.	As of shot 2.
4	6 secs	Steadicam Mid long shot	Same as shot 1 but showing other areas of the house – bedroom.	As of shot 3. Dialogue, talking to woman hiding in bathroom. 'Come out come out, where ever you are'.
5	4 secs	Mid long shot	Woman wearing dressing gown. Smudged makeup to show she's been crying as she's scared. In a bathroom where she's hiding.	As of shot 3.
6	4 secs	As of shot 2.	As of shot 2.	As of shot 3. With women making grunting sounds to show she is struggling to get out.
7	13 secs	Mid shot from the side showing man standing next to door.	Man has a creepy smiley facial expression with his tongue out to make him seem quite psychotic.	Same high pitched sound but becomes more of a drone. Goes to a quiet drone to hear him trying to open the door but realise it's locked to build suspense. Then same high pitched screeching and drone starts again.
8	4 secs	As of shot 2.	As of shot 2.	Same drone/screeching. Dialogue from women saying how she can't get out in a distressed whisper.
9	9 secs	Establishing long shot.	Shows house and snow build up against it but can also see woman hanging out of window and little boy.	Same drone/screeching. Dialogue from women telling the little boy to run away in a whisper. Becomes more of a deep drone when he runs away.
10	6 secs	As of shot 7.	As of shot 7.	Same drone. Dialogue from man telling them to come out but referring to a children’s nursery rhyme about little pigs.
11	6 secs	Steadicam Mid shot	Women in bathroom. Terrified non verbal language – facial expression, failing hands. Prop of a knife.	Drone then the screeching sound comes back into the sound mix again. Emphasis of the sound of the knife being picked out the sink.
12	10 secs	As of shot 7	As of shot 7.	Dialogue – reference to little pigs nursery rhyme again. High pitched screeching.
13	3 secs	Mid long shot from behind showing him about to smash the door with his axe.	Same costume and showing part of the bedroom again and showing the door.	Same high pitched screeching. Continuing with the children's nursery rhyme.
14	7 secs	Steadicam from the side, watching him hit the door with his axe.	As of shot 13.	Hear extra diegetic sound of woman screaming from the bathroom. Same screeching sound. Diegetic sound of axe hitting the door.
15	24 secs	Mid shot from the side.	Shows axe breaking through the door as well as showing the woman non verbal language - terrified, almost crying facial expression.	Dialogue – womens horrorfic screams showing pure terror and distress. Same screeching non diegetic sounds. Goes more quiet once he's nearly through. Hear axe breaking through door.
16	8 secs	Mid shot through the door.	Shot through the door, bits of the broken door in the shot. Shows him breaking the door down.	Still hear the womens screams and the sounds of the door breaking down. Same screeching sound.
17	6 secs	Mid shot from the side.	Showing him breaking the door and the power of his swings.	Screeching sounds that build up once he's finished hitting the door. Still hear the womens screams.
18	3 secs	Close up	Man has a creepy smile on his face – psychotic.	Man's dialogue – 'here's Johnny!' iconic horror saying. Same high pitched screech.
19	2 secs	Mid shot	Women up against wall of bathroom. Holding a knife to her chest for protection. Terrified facial expression.	Women still screaming. High pitched screeching.
20	3 secs	Close up of face. Then he moves away but camera stays still.	Shows man's creepy smile and then moves away to do something else.	Man has heavy creepy building. Same high pitched screeching. Still hear women's screams.
21	1 sec	Close up	Reaching to unlock the door.	Women screaming. Same high pitched screeching.
22.	1 sec	Mid shot (as of shot 19)	See women holding the knife then moving it to attack the man.	As of shot 20.
23	1 sec	Close up	Man's hand that gets cut by the knife she's using – blood – iconic to horror.	Hear the sound of his hand being cut. Extra diegetic sound of man beginning to scream. Same high pitched screech.
24	2 secs	As of shot 20.	Shows man's facial expression has his hand has been cut.	Man screams. Same high pitched screech.

From this technical analysis, I found that using a variety of different length shots help to make a sequence more interesting. There is often a lot of similar shots to show continuous action through the use of shot reverse shot as it allows us to see both characters reactions to what is going on. I like the idea of filming through the door whilst he is knocking it down as I think it's an original idea and shows technical excellence.

These are some shots I thought we really effective:

KT: Technical Analysis of Strangers (Sawyer Hartman, 2013)

Strangers: (Sawyer Hartman, 2013)


Context Analysis:

	Duration of Shot	Camera Distance, angle, movement	Mise-en-scene	Sound
1.	30 seconds	Black screen Title Sequence	Iconography of blood red text.	Deep voiceover, non-diegetic. Harsh drone as undertone and sound bridge.
2.	7 seconds	Close up. Over the shoulder. Handy cam. Pull focus	Dark lighting, highlighted red.	Drone continues, getting more prominent and higher in pitch.
3.	14 seconds	Mid Shot. Low Angle. Below eyeline. Pan left to other character.	Red lighting illuminates face. Tears on women signal something is wrong.	Drone continues but gets softer.
4.	5 seconds	Mid Shot. Low angle.	Dark lighting. Red traffic light evokes a warning.	Drone continues playing, and background sound of characters is muted.
5.	5 seconds	Establishing Shot. Eyeline level. Steady cam.	Single car (none else around) Quiet	Drone continues.
6.	8 seconds	Close up. Handy cam. Pan left.	Silence with car stereo.	Car stereo is turned on and underlying diegetic background music is introduced into a sound mix.
7.	3 seconds	Shot 5 repeated		Car stereo music plays
8.	4 seconds	Extreme Close Up Eyeline level Handy cam	Lighting from traffic light reflects on man’s head.	Diegetic voice on radio speaks, drone cuts out.
9.	7 seconds	Close up. High Angle. Reaction shot. Handy Cam.	Green traffic light also reflects on woman’s face.	Diegetic voice of radio continues.
10.	10 seconds	Shot 5 repeated but car now takes off instead of standing still.		Music from radio becomes non diegetic as the angle moves to outside the car.
11.	4 seconds	Long shot. Pan up. Steady cam.	Driving through the dark, through a wooded area where nobody else is around.	Non diegetic background music becomes louder in volume. Sound of car tyres driving along road is heard and creates a sound mix.
12.	10 seconds	Long shot. Pan left. Pull unfocus. Steady cam.	Shot through trees.	Music continues
13.	6 seconds	Mid shot. Pan up. Handy cam.	Gated house shows a sense of protection that could be broken.
14.	2 seconds	Close up Steady Cam High Angle	Seatbelt being removed could be shown as a metaphor for a sense of protection now being removed.	Diegetic sound of a seatbelt being undone is heard.
14.	11 seconds	Pan shot High angle	Props: Rubbish on floor and mask puts audience on edge.	Background music cuts out and silence appears with only the rattle of the man picking up rubbish to be heard with a few crickets in the background.
15.	3 seconds	Close up Steady cam High Angle	Iconography of mask to cover face connotes something is out of place.	Slow drone picks up as non-diegetic sound.
16.	6 seconds	Close up High Angle Handy cam	Mask is shown then rubbish is placed over the top signalling the man hasn’t noticed it. This creates dramatic ironic as the audience notices it but the character doesn’t.	Non-diegetic drone gets louder as man picks up the mask, this builds tension.
17.	4 seconds	Mid Shot Eyeline level Steady cam Reaction shot Shot reverse shot		Quiet non diegetic background noise can be heard.
18.	2 seconds	Shot 16 repeated
19.	4 seconds	Close up Worms Eye View	Camera being placed in the bin and lid being shut over it creates a POV shot which is iconic in horror as it is usually the perspective of the antagonist; however this shot almost conforms to this as it is from the view of where the mask is.	Drone and sound of crickets continues. Diegetic sound of bin lid being placed on creates a sound mix.
20.	2 seconds	Black Screen	Creates a pause between scenes	Drone increases in volume
21.	8 seconds	Handy Cam Low angle. Midshot                           Pan up to woman as man walks forward.	Man opening a door is then revealed through black screen being removed. Lighting becomes slightly brighter as characters enter the house. Desaturated filter becomes apparent as the shot Is no longer in the dark.	Diegetic sound of door opening and footsteps as characters enter the house.
22.	9 seconds.	POV shot Handy Cam Low angle Long Shot	Camera filming from behind bushes. The woman’s outfit can now be seen; she is wearing a tight dress which sexualises her and labels her as a vulnerable, young woman as she has also been crying.	A higher pitch, instrumental sound plays over the drone to evoke panic in the audience knowing someone is watching the characters.

 

Strangers • A Horror Film by Sawyer Hartman (mp4 1080p) from sawyer hartman on Vimeo.