Make up tutorial research- Bruises and Cuts

This research is to investigate what kind of make up we could use to add the effect of injuries and brutality, which occurs during the opening scene. This video I discovered from Youtube, which is very reliable to use as this was broadcast on a BBC show, which is aimed for children; this means it is easy to do even for children.

How to make cuts? - Online tutorial.

 As you can see throughout this tutorial the equipment needed to produce an effective cut is fairly easy to require, as to begin with moisturiser and make up wax is needed. The equipment also includes make up foundation ( preferably the same colour as the actors to ensure the cut looks as gruesome as a real cut), paintbrushes, cotton buds, spatula, red- brown paint and fake blood. This is all equipment which we can purchase from local shops and off the internet, with little expense.

This process is very easy to do as this tutorial was aimed at young individuals, which means the process would be easy and quick to do, with high quality results at the end. This would mean that we can focus more time on filming as this make up process does not take that long to achieve. As it is an accurate but quick process it would mean we can do quite a few of these on the actor, to show the brutality and fatally they faced, during trying to defend themselves. However as this is research these elements may not be used in our final production.

I believe this is very effective as these cuts can be added either on the antagonist or on the protagonist. Adding this make up on the antagonist, would create an enigma as the audience would not know how and where the antagonist gained these injuries. This could suggest that this is not the first time the antagonist has striked, meaning this is not his first victim...

Using this make up effect on the protagonist, could add many engima's for the audience as well. Firstly we 

could use them to suggest that they have been in a fight previously but who with. They could also be used to suggest domestic violence, or something which has occurred between someone,which the audience wants to know desperately.

How to make bruises? - Online tutorial

This piece of research is to see the effects of bruises would be ideal for our opening scene. 

Throughout this tutorial you can see that the process is relatively easy to do due to the use of make up brushes, and the technique of using them. 

This could be effective to use on the antagonist to make they seem as if they have been in previous fights with their previous targets and victims. It could also be use for the protagonist, for the same reasons for using the cuts on them. This could symbolise violence occurring in the characters life, which could occurred by their partner or other sources.  

Title for our Film Brainstorm

'Hunted'

This was an initial name for our production of our theatrical film trailer. This could be used for our trailer as it creates numerous enigma's which would attract our target audience, 15 year old horror thriller fans. It automatically creates the question of who is getting hunted and what by, which creates a eerie haunting atmosphere due to the uncertainty's and unknowing of this enigma. The title also follows the conventions of a horror genre film as you can tell gore and death will be involved. However, if we do use this title, it may cause confusion within our audience. This is because it could be associated with action genre, for example someone getting their revenge. This is the primary disadvantage if we use this title for our trailer. 

'The Campsite'

This is another name which was mentioned in our brainstorm 'The Campsite'. Here, you can see that we were going for a simplistic and obvious name, as the primary location of the trailer would be in a campsite. The word 'the' makes the title seem bold and important in which makes the title haunting. In my opinion, this title is fairly boring and self- explanatory, which could lower the quality of our film trailer as the title doesn't provide any suspense or enigmas. 

'Campsite 31/ Pitch 13'

As you can see we came up with two similar titles for our trailer, which both involve numbers. 'Campsite 31', suggests the location of the film, in a wood or forest in the area of 31. This therefore tells the audience what you could expect from the horror film. Having both these titles involving numbers, it creates an enigma of why are these areas so important, what actually happens there? It could even create a further enigma as it could be where the murders occur or where they are based... The down fall to these names is that they suggest a sci fi genre which would cause confusion, which we strongly do not want to do.

'Betrayal' 

This automatically creates tension and suspense due to numerous enigmas generated from this title, 'Betrayal'. It creates enigmas such as; who has betrayed who, why, and what is going to happen if you betrayed this person... This therefore ideal for our horror trailer as we are going for a horror with a good storyline. As it creates many enigmas it would mean that people would want to go and watch it, especially if the title is reinforced by the cinematography we film. 

'Silent Scream'

This is the final initial idea of what our film trailer could be called, 'Silent Scream'. This acts as an oxymoron due to two contradicting and conflicting ideas being used to describe each other, as you do not expect a scream to be silent. This connotes that there will be be lots of screams within the film, therefore following the conventions of a horror, but these screams may not be heard or unnoticed. This therefore creates an eerie and unsettling atmosphere. The title also uses alliteration which emphasises the 'S' of the title, in which makes the title stay in the audience's mind. In my opinion this is a very effective but simple title which could be ideal for our theatrical trailer.

Audience Representation

Audience Representation

We are planning on using mise- en-scene to make our protagonist characters to look as much like standard teenagers as we can. By doing this we will make sure we show various different stereotype of a teenager (goth, girly girl, ignorant guy, a wild one etc); this will make it easier for our target audience to relate and link their own life into the film. This makes a greater effect on the audience because it links into mundane realism. As we want to conform and subvert to the stereotype of a female teenager, we will make one of them look girly. By doing this we will have her wearing clothing which is seen as pure for example; have her wearing white/pink top. This will make her look vulnerable and will put the audience on edge whenever she is in danger as they will think she wont be able to look after herself making her look like a damsel in distress. However, the other stereotype of a girl that we will show is making her look quite rough. We could make her look 'gothic' in some way. This will make the audience assume she can look after herself better than the 'damsel in distress' This will subvert to the usual stereotypes that is shown in horror films. It will also allow the audience to compare and contrast both girls and decide initially who will get them selves in trouble first.

The male actors will be shown to be quite cocky, this will link into how most teenage boys like to show part of their persona as it makes them seem confident and some could find funny and attractive. By making sure our actors pursue this, we will need to do auditions. We want the actors to come across as quite strong and in charge, this will attract the female target audience because they will find the actors attractive not only from appearance but also how they will be seen as being the 'protector' and therefore want to see the film. The clothing we are planning to dress the male actors in is just casual clothes. For example just a plain black hoodie with black/blue jeans. This is what a lot of male teenagers tend to wear which allows it to be more realistic towards to audience. 

This picture to the right is what we hope to use for one of our antagonists. Through the research we have seen that the audience find it more frightening when the antagonists are seen as normal as any other human being. This means that we would want to feature this fear into our cinematic production. We will achieve this by making the antagonist wear normal clothes such as denim jeans and an oversized hoodie, due to the normality of these clothes but also it does not give their gender away. We will also give our antagonist a mask, for example, a gas mask, to hide their identity but also would imply an indication of a back story to this character. 

Font analysis- Fonts used in film trailers

Last Things

The font used for 'Last Things' subverts to the stereotypical font which is usually used for trailers or posters. It subverts as usually the font is in an 'Arial' white coloured font, which is simple but effective to use for a horror genre. However, 'Last Things' uses decayed bones to spell out the name, which automatically connotes to the genre of the film; a horror. As this subverts to the traditional font used, it means it would stand out from competing trailer fonts, therefore making it more eye catching. Using bones for the font gives an insight to the film as they connote eaten, death and remains. Although this font is effective, there are downfalls to the font. One negative is that it may make the trailer tacky, therefore taking away from the tension and atmosphere we have created. Another negative to this font is that genre could be mistaken for a historical action film as the these bones could connote to this. The title 'Last Things', could suggest the remains of the last protagonist or even the antagonist. 

VHS Horror 

This font is for the film 'VHS' which 80% of the film is recorded on a hand held camera or GoPro camera. Having used a digital pixelated  styled font similar to font seen on video tapes, links to the type of cameras used to film the production. This tells us that the font is very important as we want to get the right message across to the audience. The use of having the font white, allows it to, firstly, stand out from the background; but secondly follows to the conventions of a horror film as the font is usually white as it creates an eerie, spooky atmosphere. The background of this font furthermore creates a daunting atmosphere due to the shallow depth of field shot. This creates a dark shadows, which suggests the location of the film being mostly set in the woods or forests. When creating our font, we need to take into account what background would mainly make the font stand out and portray the correct message we want to show and also create an unnerving atmosphere, which would make our target audience, horror fans, to become intrigued to watch it. 

Insidious 2 
This is the font used for the film 'Insidious 2', a demonic horror, which 'Patrick Wilson plays the complex protagonist. As you can see, this font uses two colours, red and white. The white obviously follows the conventions of horror font as its simple but create an eerie atmosphere. The red connotes to blood, murder and death which are all involved within a stereotypical horror. Having these colours both in the font could suggests an alternative meaning, especially due to having these colours being next to each other. This could suggests that it is good vs evil as white connotes to purity and innocence whereas red connotes to blood and murder- effective use of colours. The use of the red colour is only used for certain letters of the title, which makes the font seem more eye-catching and boldly stands out. The word 'Insidious' has synonyms such as 'evil' and 'demonic' , which instantly intrigues the horror fans, but creates an enigma on what is so evil...

 A Nightmare on Elm Street
The use of the red font connotes to blood death and murder, which like I have said, are the conventions of a horror film font. However this film titles is developed more as they have added a red splattered mist behind the font, making it seem as though blood has sprayed and condensed behind the font. This automatically tells you, the audience, that violence and murders would commence within this film, therefore follows the horror genre conventions. Having the background effect as if it was mist suggests that the murders are infectious, therefore numerous murders within the film. The mist effect also allows the typeface in the foreground to stand boldly out, even though they are both red colours. The sizing of the title of the font is effective as well, due to having the word 'nightmare' smaller than 'Elm Street'. Having this size for the word 'Nightmare', makes the appearance seem blurry, which could suggest the dream element to the name. The larger sized font obviously tells the audience where these 'nightmare's' occur, on 'Elm Street', which due to the emphasised size, is an important feature to remember for the film. The black background is used practically in every horror trailer, stereotypically. This is due to the black being one of the only colour which allows the font to stand out boldly. 

Location research- Buildings

Location research

Epsom West Park Hospital

This is Epsom West Park Hospital, which is an abandon hospital which many people in my area know it as ‘Epsom Asylum’, spooky right? Anyway, this is location one of my location research. As the location is in Epsom, it is very easy for us to get to so minimal transport,

however this is the least of our worries as we want a perfect location for a high quality trailer. As you can see, the external environment of the location creates an eerie and unnerving atmosphere which is ideal for a horror trailer as a scary location is part of the conventions of a horror. The unkempt and overgrown plants makes the building seem as being untouched which makes it seem frightening, especially the ivy growing up the side of the house. We could do many camera shots with this unkempt rural environment, such as, a low angled shot therefore having the camera within the long grass, with a black silhouette of a figure holding an axe, walking towards the camera. This shot we could add a blurry effect, which could suggest POV (point of view) shot. The building is also very large, similar to the buildings used in ‘The Woman in Black’ and ‘The Others’ which are all successful films. Within the location there many empty rooms which have decayed and aged, which would create an uncomforting and scary atmosphere; especially when the rooms are badly lit which would build tension. However a limitation to this is as the building is abandoned, there is no electricity, therefore the only light we would have is natural lighting, meaning filming in the daytime. This may take away from the fear factor we wish to create; as stereotypically the horrifying events usually occur at night, however we could subvert from this stereotypical convention. A way we could avoid this is that we bring portable lights which we can equipped ourselves if we pick this location for some of our trailer. There are places within this location which would provide us with frightening shots, such as this long walkway. As the walkway is very long and full of windows, there will be lots of light which we could use, even when it begins to get darker. We again can do many shots here, such as, the antagonist running after the protagonist (maybe using a GoPro camera). We could also have the antagonist walking on the outside of the walkway dragging a knife along the windows, while the protagonist is within the walkway! Due to the walkway being narrow, it would build up tension as it’s such a confine space, and many people fear being in this situation as there is no place to run, except for going straight. This location has many aspects which would suit our theatrical trailer, especially the long walkway…

Ashtead cricket club

This is Ashtead cricket club which is a we can do.

one floor building, which is open to the public. This location could be used for our trailer, as during night time it becomes very spooky, which will bring tension to our trailer. Due to there being four/ five outdoor lights outside, it illuminates the outside deck dimly but enough for us to capture objects in high quality. This dim lighting would create an uncanny atmosphere which is ideal for a horror trailer. However this would not be the main location where the film would be set as the inside is too modern, therefore subvert the stereotypical horror setting. This location could be where a protagonist runs to, to hide from the antagonist. On the other hand, as there is lots of grassland, we could have a tracking shot of a protagonist running away from the antagonist, as this would provide tension but also create an enigma, why is the antagonist doing this? A negative to this location is that we cannot go inside as it is too modern to be in a horror trailer; this therefore means this cannot be the main location for where our film is located. This means we are limited to using the deck and the grassland, which isn’t too bad, but it does limit what

St Peters, Chertsy, Surrey

This is St Peter’s which is a deserted building where it used to be a hospital. Automatically, there is a negative to this as there would be a bit of transport needed to actually get footage. However, from what I have seen the place is very ideal due to the numerous rooms, which create an atmosphere that will scare any audience. As the walls have aged and moss has grown, it causes the rooms to seem creepy and unnerving. The outside appearance makes the building very secluded and hidden which is ideal for a location for section of our trailer as, it would make it more realistic, meaning no one will hear the murderous screams... There are many shots which could be used such as the antagonist

jumping out from behind doors or even having shots which suggest the antagonist is cutting a person; these are all shots which we can achieve from this location. Another positive is that as you can visit this building, it means there is electricity meaning we would have sufficient light in practically all the rooms. However, when there’s good, there is bad; some rooms will be unavailable due to maintenance meaning we would be limited to only a few rooms, which isn’t ideal. However apart from this the place is ideal to use for shots of our theatrical trailer.

MJC Production houses

Finally we could use our houses for filming as they are obviously easy to get to and all our equipment are already at either of our houses. If we use a household location, it would allow our audience to associate with the trailer more as they feel this could happen to them. This therefore would intrigue the horror fan fanatics (target audience) as they will gain an adrenaline rush, meaning they would then go to watch the film. Furthermore, if we use this location we know which places are scary and which places are not, ideal for time keeping. As it our house we can easily change the atmosphere which we create by changing what mise en scene is shown, what objects are used to create enigma and symbolic codes. This means it is easy to convey which we want to compare to using a location which we cannot alter. The only negative is that the different locations within the trailer have to link somehow, which means we have to choose very carefully, on which locations are used. In our last production ‘The Woods’ we used a household which was very effective as it unnerved our target audience, which we know from all the positive feedback we gained. This therefore gives us confidence in using this location as it worked previously; however we need to remember this is a theatrical trailer therefore it may not be as effective as last time. 

Location Research- Woodlands

Location research- Outdoor

Ashtead Common

This location could create a creepy and unnatural atmosphere due to the numerous overhanging trees surrounding large areas of the woods. The wood is also very close by meaning we wouldn’t need excessive transport. The wood is very open meaning we would be able to have as much light as possible, making the trailer more realistic as use using natural light. As there are lots of open areas, it means we can make the location seem as though it is a campsite, where a group of friends could hang out. As there are lots of these, it means we have options on where we should film so we can have the ideal place for our trailer. A negative is that if we have shots of people running away, we need vast amounts of trees, so it would build up tension. This location doesn’t provide this, however we can film in numerous location, which we could use this one.

Fetcham Mill Pond

This location could be used within our trailer as the location can create an eerie effect due to the use of the dimly lit lamppost. This lighting creates a scary and unnerving atmosphere which we want to achieve through our trailer; therefore attract our target audience, horror audience. This lighting would ensure the shot is gloomy therefore adding tension to our trailer. However, this would only be created during night time as in the daytime the location would seem too friendly. A negative to this location would be that there’s only this lamppost which lights up the area, which means we wouldn’t be able to do long shots due to the limited light. This means we would need to bring extra lighting equipment when we film here.  The darkness of this area will allows us to achieve pathetic fallacy, where we use the environment to reflect the characters feelings. A positive is that it’s in such a everyday place, a walkway; meaning we would create a scare factor for our audience. This is because the audience would feel like this could happen to them as this is always a fear of meeting an antagonist down a long alleyway. Also, using such an everyday place would make the trailer more realistic as the audience would think this could happen to them. This location could be used for the fast editing section of our trailer, as during fast editing section of horror trailers, stereotypically, they are usually outside in the dark, as due to minimal light the protagonist wouldn’t be able to see much, especially the antagonist.

Boxhill woods

This is Boxhill, which is where there is lots of woodlands which could be ideal for our final location. This is because as there are lots of trees it could act as a campsite, which could be part of the plot to our trailer. Also the location is very secluded meaning we would not have many interruptions from the public. This therefore means we can film as long as we want and use as much mise en scene as we can, (tents, clothing etc). The overhanging branches would create distorted shadows, which would be effective as they can be mistaken for something or someone else. The location is also very easy to get to, meaning we wouldn’t need to travel a long distance to film shots of our trailer. This location could be linked to the ‘Epsom West Park Hospital’, as the protagonists could stumble across this scary building, where all the horror takes place. A negative to this location is the lighting, which seems to be a reoccurring problem with our locations. Due to the overhanging branches, it means our filming times will be cut short as it the light will be limited, unless we bring our lighting equipment. Another negative is that as it is open to the general public, it means we will have disruptions, which could affect the type of shots we use. However, this location looks like a realistic campsite, which would be effective as this could be a location in which the whole trailer takes place. As the location is large it provides us with lots of choice on where we film, meaning we can find the perfect place to shot our trailer.

Leatherhead cemetery

This location is obviously a stereotypical location which is used in countless trailers, not only horror genre. Using a cemetery can symbolise many connotations which could be effective as the audience can interpret our trailer in their own ways. For example, cemetery connote to sadness and despair as a loved one, our protagonist, could have died or it could be the place where our antagonist could be buried. However, as there could be many meanings behind using this location, it could confuse the target audience as they may think we have given away too much about the film. On the other hand, if we film during the evening it means that we can have the antagonist walking around the area as if

looking for our protagonist, who is hiding behind a grave stone, scary! As it is such an open space it means we have all the natural light we can use, which would be more realistic as it would provide us with what you would expect the atmosphere to be like in a horrifying situation. The biggest negative to this location is that it’s a cemetery where actually loved ones have been buried, meaning we wouldn’t want to be disrespectful. This therefore means we would have to ask the owner if we could film little section for our trailer. Apart from this, the atmosphere of horror and scariness has been created by the cemetery as the grave stones and the casting shadows when it is dark would portray all this. Therefore we wouldn’t have to alter or change the mise en scene in the location.

Bookham woods

This location was used for our AS production, ‘The Woods’. This location was perfect for our opening two minutes as we achieved numerous high quality shots, which build up tension from the word ‘GO’. This location has lots of branches overhanging creepily and numerous trees which means we can achieve the running shot effectively. This location could be the place where the fast edited shots could be filmed as there are countless hiding places we can place our protagonist/s. As we have used this place before it means we know the area really well, therefore knowing where we can film to gain effective shots. This has quite a numerous amount of trees which would make the protagonist feel as if they are close in on her, which would increase the tension. As there are many pathways and walkways it means we can choose where we are film. These walkways are long and narrow, which means we could have the shot of the antagonist at one end while the protagonist is at the other end, where all she can do is run.

Early Location Research

Early research into locations

 Common/Campsite

The main place we want our plot to be set in is a common/campsite this will be where the protagonist and antagonist will meet. This will be a good place to set a horror film because it’s normally very shaded therefore making the area dark and gloomy, it’s also creepy due to the shadows the trees cast over its surroundings . Stereotypically horror films are set in areas such as this because they are normally very isolated and secluded where crimes are able to take place. They are also stereotypically used as it’s such an everyday place to go, which makes the production even more horrifying as the audience would feel like this could happen to them. We will be looking out for a small piece of open space where our protagonists could set up their camp but also far enough into the forest that it frightens the audience due to the seclusion of the environment. The area will have to be shaded enough by trees to make the area darker rather than letting lots of light in. Most of the leaves on the trees will be dead this could mirror the essence and mood of the film, an area that feels dead. Later on in the trailer when the protagonists are trying to get away from the antagonists they will be further into the common where the trees are more densely packed ,this would make the film more scary because it’s a good hiding place, the tree roots could also become a danger to the protagonist by tripping over them whilst trying to run a way- a very stereotypical way the protagonists are caught!

Journey – Country Lanes

The beginning of the trailer will show a members of the group of friends travelling to the campsite/forest down some small country lanes. These roads normally come across as dangerous and could build up suspense and could give the audience the impression that something bad is going to happen to the group, due to the uncertainty of what is round the sharp corners. They could encounter some dangerous drivers down these roads and make the audience think that’s how they will get killed. As these country lanes may be used at the begin of the trailer, this location will be portrayed as happy and relaxed as we want to gradually build up the tension, meaning it begins happy and then ends in a climax horror.