BWB: IInstitutional context - Paronormal activity (2007, Peli)

Production


Paranormal activity (2007, Peli) is an independent film produced by Solana films. The film was produced with a budget of $15,00. The films first screening was in 2007 at an independent film festival, the film was then acquired by paramount pictures and adjusted. Paranormal activity was released in US cinemas on the 25th of September 2009, then later released nationwide on October 16th 2009. The film earned a worldwide total of $193 million,


Distribution


The trailer is a low budget triumph which was released only on YouTube and garnered nearly 1.5 million views. Paranormal Activity opened in the U.S. as the end of September with midnight screenings in just 13 small college towns. From there, it has become a Web sensation, with excited chatter about the movie bouncing from Twitter to Facebook, spurring an upcoming nationwide release. On Friday, it was screened in 155 US cinemas. Despite the limited nature of its distribution - most Hollywood films debut in around 3,000 cinemas. Its website allowed people to demand it be screened In a cinema near them.

RD: Task 5: Horror Research Task

Reading source 1

1. In the late 60's/ early 70's women were repositioned in the horror genre. They we no longer seen as the weak characters they became able to defend themselves and seek out the antagonist and fight.
2. The conventions of the 'stalk and slash' subgenre of horror: Group of teenagers, use of drugs and alcohol, "masked killer".
3. Slasher and Stalker films are most commonly watch by teenage boys and young men because they enjoy the female nudity and the graphic violence shown.
4. The author of this article argues that theses types of film are significant because they have given birth to some very important film franchises and at the core of all these films it is a deeply moral tale.
5. The final girl is the sole female survivor of numerous Slasher films. The final girl is generically more intelligent than the rest of the group and much more "morally pure" than the others, giving her the ability to recognise the danger earlier. An example of a final girl is Clover in "Her body, Himself".

Slasher Film-Friday the 13th

Stalker Film- One Hour Photo

Final Girl

 

 

 



Reading Source 2

 

1. Stories that aim to scare are so popular because cultures create and ascribe meaning to monsters, endowing them with characteristics derived from their most deep-seated fears and taboos.
2. A study of horror monsters can give an insight into the anxieties and concerns of the contemporary culture.
3. Nosferatu (1922), one of the earliest horror films use the vampires as a metaphor for the Germans in WW1.
4. Horror is still popular with audiences today because it has the ability to adapt and change to the preferences of each generation.

Horror Monster

RD: Task 3: Institutional Context: Frozen(Green, 2010)

 

 

• Frozen was filmed at Snowbasin near Utah, in February 2009
• The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
• It was released in North American theatres on February 5, 2010
• Distribution from Anchor Bay Films
• Frozen also opened the Glasgow FrightFest, and other horror film festivals
• It screened in 106 theaters
• The film earned over $2.4 million

RD: Task 4: Moodboard Task

RD:Task 1: Title sequence analysis Saw (Wan, 2004)

Mise-En-Scene

• Location- dark, dingy
• Props-Bath tub, underwater- near death experience
• Gun
• Feet handcuffed
• Costume-normal clothes, everyday people
• Lights coming on
• Dead victim

Sound

• Eerie music
• Dialogue-shouting, swearing
• Sound are effects amplified

Camera

• High angle shot over man in the bath
• Close up on light going down the drain
• Medium shot of man standing with foot hand cuffed
• Close up on lights
• Close up on man as the lights turn on
• Medium shot of the second man
• POV shot blurry as the lights come on
• Top shot of dead victims body

Editing

• Camera spin over dead mans body
• Jump cuts from the victim to the gun to the voice recorder
• Switch between the men fast

BWB: Moodboard

The pictures in the mood board I created all are all representations of the sub genre "Slasher, horror".

 The predominant feature throughout the photographs is the iconic weapon which when used will create a lot of blood and gore. These include the use of, knives, chainsaws and axes, all of which are brutal handheld weapons which enhance the viewers fright factor.

Slasher films involve a series of murders and periods of stalking to build the suspense before the murder occurs.

There is typically just one villain which brutally murders a variety of often innocent characters.

Due to the simplicity of the genre, making a "slasher" film is often very cheap. They largely attract a 'cult following' audience

Group: Task 2: Location Reccie Planning

Purpose of Location Reccie
The purpose of a location reccie is to asses the location and see if it is suited for your film. We are looking at wilderness woods as a potential location so we need to see if it is an appropriate set and do a risk assessment.

Risk Assessment
A risk assessment is a systematic process of evaluating the potential risks that may be involved in filming at a potential location or set. Our location is wilderness woods.
We have identified these risks:

• There is a pond so there is a risk of falling in this risk can be minimised by mapping out where to go and watching where you walk.
• There is a risk of getting stung or cut by stinging nettles or brambles so these need to be avoided when mapping out the plan.
• It may be slippery if it is wet so we must wear appropriate footwear with grip.
• Getting lost in the woods is possible so we must keep our phones on us at all times.

Planning

• One of the sub-genres we are thinking about is slasher, so this will give us a chance to try that out.
• We are thinking about doing a girl being stalked in the wood.
• It will also give us an opportunity to try out different camera shots and angles.
• Help to recognise what is effective and what isn't.

Wilderness Woods

 

Horror Stills set in Woods