Questionnaire Answers

We asked 20 people in total, all the questions so all answers would be divided between 20.


What features would you find appealing in a Horror film and why?
Editing 6/20
Mise en Scene 5/10
Camera shots 2/10
Sounds 7/10

Why would you choose to watch a horror film?
Thrill 9/20
Social 6/20
Pleasure 1/20
Casual 4/20

What is your favourite horror film?
Most people said Insidious, various people said Sinister and a few random horror films like The Exorsist, The Shining and Friday 13th.

If you had a style of horror film, what would your favourite be and why?
Gore 10/20
Thriller 1/20
Paranormal 6/20
Abnormal 3/20

How many horror films would you watch a week?
1-2 11/20
3-5 4/20
6-8 3/20
9+ 2/20

What makes a horror film scary for you and why?
Most people said the build up of suspension and being drawn in by the anticipation of whats going to happen. Not being able to judge or know what will happen next is what excites the viewers.

What is your favourite series of horror films?
My personal favourite series of horror film would be all 7 Saw films, this is not only due to the gore and fear factor, but is also because of the intelligence behind the plots within the film. Others agreed but varied between Paranormal activity and The Ring.

Questionnaire

We will be asking a questionnaire to find out more about our film from other peoples point of view and what are the good and bad things about our film so far. The advantages and disadvantages of picking a horror film for our 2 minute clip.

What features would you find appealing in a Horror film and why?
Editing
Mise en Scene
Camera shots
Sounds

Why would you choose to watch a horror film?
Thrill
Social
Pleasure
Casual

What is your favourite horror film?

If you had a style of horror film, what would your favourite be and why?
Gore
Thriller
Paranormal
Abnormal

How many horror films would you watch a week?
1-2
3-5
6-8
9+

What makes a horror film scary for you and why?

What is your favourite series of horror films?

Research and planning of horror genres

-Comedy-Horror
-Comedy-Horror combines comedy with traditional horror movie themes and characters. Because of the subject matter, Comedy-Horror films can cross over into the Black Comedy sub-genre. Comedy-Horror films aim to scare the audience, but also provide comical outlets that let the audience laugh at their fear.
-Examples: Beetlejuice, Zombieland, Shaun of the Dead.
-Teen-Horror
-Teen-Horror is a sub-genre that revolves completely around a teenager or a group of teenagers. Typically, these movies have a large cast and a clear hero or heroine. Teen-Horror films often play upon traditional teenage issues, such as dating and prom, and turn them into suspenseful and thrilling situations.
-Examples: I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream, Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
-Monster-Horror
-A Monster film is sub-genre of Horror that centers on a struggle between human beings and a monster.Often, the monster in the film has been created in an “experiment gone wrong.” The monster usually serves as a villain, and the film portrays a hero or heroine that ultimately saves the world from the monster. Although these movies commonly fall into the Horror genre, Monster films have a long tradition within Science-Fiction and Fantasy film as well.
-Examples: Aliens, Godzilla, Creature from the Black Lagoon.
-Slasher
-Slasher film is a sub-genre of Horror film that revolves around a psychopathic killer. This killer stalks and murders his victims in extremely violent and memorable ways. Though it centers on a specific killer, the violence is what sets Slasher films apart from other horror films. A Slasher film will devote more screen time to portray murder and mayhem than a traditional Horror film.
-Examples: Halloween, My Bloody Valentine, Black Christmas.
-Supernatural-Horror
-Supernatural-Horror film is a sub-genre that includes ghosts, demons, or other depictions of supernatural occurrences. Often, Supernatural-Horror films combine elements of religion into the plot. Common themes in Supernatural-Horror films include the afterlife, the devil, and demonic possession. Unlike Religious Thrillers, Supernatural-Horror films are not limited to specific religious elements and can contain more vivid and gruesome violence.
-Examples: The Exorcist, The Ring, The Omen.
-Zombie-Horror
-Zombie film is a sub-genre of Horror film that portrays mindless human beings who are raised from the dead. These films often include a Zombie invasion, and center around Zombies feasting on human flesh. The plot of a Zombie film then revolves around the struggle between the living, and the living-dead. Zombie film not only falls into the Horror genre, but Sci-Fi, Thriller, and Comedy as well.
-Examples: Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later.

Our horror film name

Horror film names

Disney - Film industries

Walt Disney Pictures is the most famous industry, due to the fact that everyone in our generation grew up watching disney films. It also has the most famous founder - Walt Disney. . Disney traditionally specialises in family movies and animation, but in recent years it has been expanding more into live action. They also own an incredible amount of film institutions: Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, Marvel, and most recently Lucasfilm. Lucasfilm is the most controvertial of these companies as they have decided to extend the Star Wars films to an extra trilogy. Pixar are, in my opinion, one of the best film institutions in the world, as they consistently make excellent films, for example the most famous film the produced, the 'Toy story sequence'. They do not make films for money, but rather more for the art form, and they don't make films as often, making every film special. Their films are enjoyable for both children and their parents, making them a real money grabber. Marvel too, are a brilliant way to get money, as they have a huge fan base of all their comic book fans, from making films like; spiderman, batman and mst recently the Avengers. Like Pixar, don't bring out loads of films, and instead take their time with each one, but in this case the quality isn't quite so high, but more enjoyable for the audience. Through these companies Disney manages to get a huge amount of money, and it is a big factor in their recent success, this has happened over the past 6-8 decades.

Paramount pictures - Film industries

Paramount pictures corporation is a world wide film industry that focuses on films and television production. Paramount is consistently the number one ranked film industry in the world. he company dates its beginnings to the 1912 founding date of the Famous Players Film Company, one of the companies that merged into Paramount Pictures in 1916. Paramount is the fourth oldest existing film studio in the world behind Universal Studios, Pathé and Gaumont Pictures. Also, it is the last major film studio still headquartered in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles.
Paramount Pictures can trace its beginning to the creation in May 1912 of the Famous Players Film Company. By mid-1913, Famous Players had completed five films.

On December 11, 2005, The Paramount Motion Pictures Group announced that it had purchased DreamWorks SKG (which was co-founded by former Paramount executive Jeffrey Katzenberg) in a deal worth $1.6 billion. Under the deal, Paramount is required to distribute the DreamWorks animated films for a small fee intended only to cover Paramount's out of pocket costs with no profit to the studio, including the Shrek franchise.

18 Certificate

No-one under 18 is allowed to see an ‘18’ film at the cinema or buy/rent an ‘18’ rated DVD or video game. No ‘18’ rated works are suitable for children.

Is an ‘18’ certificate on a video game the same as an ‘18’ for a film or DVD?

Yes, if a video game is rated ‘18’ it contains strong material and is not suitable for players who are under 18.

 

What sort of issues might I find in an ’18’, film, DVD or video game?
‘18’ works are for adults and can contain strong issues such as:
• very strong violence
• frequent strong language (eg f***) and very strong language (eg c***)
• strong portrayals of sexual activity
• scenes of sexual violence
• strong horror
• strong blood and gore
• discriminatory language and behaviour

Can you see drugs in an '18'?
At ‘18’ drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse

15 Certificate

No-one under 15 is allowed to see a ‘15’ film at the cinema or buy/rent a ‘15’ rated DVD or video game. Parents are warned that ‘15’ rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age

Is a ‘15’ certificate on a video game the same as a ‘15’ for a film or DVD?
Yes, if a video game is rated ‘15’ it is not suitable for players who are under 15. Parents should not assume that because something is a game it is unlikely to contain the same sort of material as a ‘15’ rated film or DVD. If the BBFC has rated a game ‘15’ it is because it does contain the same sort of material as a ‘15’ rated film or DVD.

What sort of issues might I find in a ‘15’ film, DVD or video game?

‘15’ works are stronger than '12' or ‘12A’ rated works and could include any of the following:

• strong violence
• frequent strong language (eg 'f***').
• portrayals of sexual activity
• strong verbal references to sex
• sexual nudity
• brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
• discriminatory language or behaviour
• drug taking

What about a horror film?
At’15’ there can be strong threat and menace (as long as it is not sadistic or sexualised), although the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable

Can you see drugs in a ‘15’?

At ‘15’ drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.

The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances like aerosols or solvents is unlikely to be acceptable at ‘15’.

 

12A Certificate

The A stands for 'accompanied' and 'advisory'. '12A' means that anyone aged 12 or over can go and see the film unaccompanied. Children younger than 12 may see the film if they are accompanied by an adult (eg someone over the age of 18), who must watch the film with them.

What's the difference between '12' and '12A'?
The '12' certificate is just for videos, DVDs and games. '12A' is for films only.

Is there a lower age limit for a '12A' film?
No. However, the BBFC considers the content of '12A' rated films to be suitable for children aged 12 and over, and we would not recommend taking very young children to see them. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which many parents will find unsuitable for them. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult

Will there be any strong language in a 12/12A?

The BBFC's Guidelines state that there may be strong language (eg 'f***') at ‘12’ or ‘12A’, but it must be infrequent. The context of the strong language is important and aggressive uses of strong language may result in a film or DVD being placed at the ‘15’ category. There is some allowance for puns on strong language at this category. There may be moderate language (uses of terms such as ‘b*tch’ and ‘tw*t’ at ‘12’ 0r ‘12A’.

Do 12A films contain Sexual content?
Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed in a ‘12A’ film, DVD or video game. Verbal sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers and frequent crude sex references are unlikely to be accepted. There may be nudity in ‘12A’ films but sexual nudity should only be brief and discreet.

What sort of violence can I expect in a ‘12' or '12A’ ?
At ‘12A’, moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if they can be justified by their context (for example brief sight of bloody injury in a medical drama).
Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated at ‘12A’. It must also have a strong contextual justification.

Can 12A's be passed off as a Horror film?
Yes, some horror films are passed at this category. Moderate physical and psychological threat is permitted at ‘12’ or ‘12A’ as long as disturbing sequences are not too frequent or sustained.

PG Certificate

‘PG’ stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for younger children. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the content might upset younger or more sensitive children

Are all ‘PG’ films made for younger audiences?
No. Some films, such as documentaries, are given a ‘PG’ certificate but have not been made with a young audience in mind. However, the certificate means that any issues in the work are appropriate for the majority of this age group and nothing should upset a child of eight or over.

What sort of themes are passed at ‘PG’?
No theme is prohibited at ‘PG’, as long as it is treated in a manner appropriate to the category. ‘PG’ works can explore challenging issues such as domestic violence, bereavement or racism.
In a ‘PG’ work, illegal or antisocial behaviour, such as bullying, will not be condoned or seen to go unchallenged. Smoking and drinking will not be promoted or glamorised and if child characters are seen smoking or drinking, there should be a clear message that this is bad. If drugs are mentioned or seen, a ‘PG’ work should emphasise that they are harmful.

Will there be any bad language?
There may be mild bad language (such as ‘shit’ or ‘son of a bitch’) in a ‘PG’ film, but the context and delivery are always important. For example, if the language is used aggressively or if there is too much bad language, a work may be passed at the next category.

What about sex?
References to sex are acceptable if the activity talked about or shown is implied and lacking in detail. In addition, if a child is unlikely to understand a reference, we may allow it at ‘PG’.

What about violence or horror at ‘PG’?
There should be no detail of violence in a ‘PG’ work, so while there might be some blood, we would not see how the injury was inflicted. Violence is generally more acceptable in a historical or fantasy setting, because of the distancing that this provides.
As far as horror goes, we allow some 'jump' moments and scary scenes, but sequences showing significant or realistic violence, horror or threat must not be prolonged.

What about behaviour children might copy?
Potentially dangerous behaviour which children might copy (such as a child climbing into a washing-machine or playing with electricity) is unlikely to be acceptable at ‘PG’, especially if it comes across as safe or fun. Realistic or easily accessible weapons, such as knives, will not be glamorised or focused upon in a ‘PG’ work.

Will there be any drugs in a ‘PG’?
There might be innocuous or passing references to illegal drugs or drugs misuse in a ‘PG’ work, although there should be no strong focus on this. In addition drug references may be permissible if there is a clear anti-drugs or educational message likely to be understood by children over eight.

 

'U' certificate

The ‘U’ symbol stands for ‘Universal’. A ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, it is impossible to predict what might upset a particular child, especially at this lower end of the category range.

Will there be any bad language in a ‘U’ film?
There will only be mild bad language in a 'U' for example, 'Damn, hell, etc'. Occasionally, bad language such as ‘bloody’ or ‘bugger’ may be included, where justified by the context.

Do ‘U’ works contain any sexual activity?
Characters may be seen kissing or cuddling and there may be references to sexual behaviour (ie to ‘making love’). However, there will be no overt focus on sexual behaviour, language or innuendo

Is violence or horror permitted in a ‘U’ film?
A ‘U’ film may include brief fight scenes or moments where characters are placed in danger. However, moments of emotional stress or threat will be quickly resolved and the outcome will be reassuring.  
There may be brief scary scenes and moments where the characters are placed in danger. As with violence, however, these scenes will be balanced by reassuring elements, such as comic interludes or music.
‘Baddie’ characters may carry or use weapons, but there will be no emphasis on these. Child or ‘hero’ characters are unlikely to use any kind of weapon. Potentially dangerous or imitable behaviour, particularly those which come across as safe or fun, will not be present.

What sorts of films are usually passed at ‘U’?
The films that would normally pass as a 'U' certificated film, would normally target a younger audience for example years 4+, such as Toy Story.

Will there be references to drugs?
At ‘U' there will not normally be references to illegal drugs or drugs misuse unless there is a very clear anti-drugs or educational message which will be understood by a younger audience.
Drugs references which are unlikely to register with young children and are brief or passing may occasionally be passed at ‘U’ – for example a verbal reference to ‘the Opium wars’ in an historical documentary.

Movie genres - Ours is Horror

Brief film analysis

The film made by Bryony, Jordan, Emma and I, will be carefully strcutured and thought out before put into film as we don't want to rush and make silly mistakes and errors. We decided on a horror purely because I find it the most exciting out of all genres and it really grips the audience the most aimed at an age group which would be more likely to watch more films in their spare time. We have analysed and done background research on horror films which we have also done a few blogs on to give a few ideas on what features our film will contain. There are certain skills and techniques used in horror films to give off effects to scare the auidience and intrigue them more into what the plot is. I will give an example as to the camera angles, shots, and techniques we'll be using in our short video clip to the film.

These skills would be:
Zoom- This is used when they want the audience to see something specific about what is on camera, it could be emotion on the characters face or it could be an object of some sort.
Two shot- Commonly used when two people are having either a casual conversation giving vital information or they are interacting about what has happened previously when they want the audience to pay attention to what they're saying.
Long shot- This will be used to give someone a view of the surroundings and the character involved. This will be effective in the scary parts in our small horror film clip as it is commonly used in most other horror films.
Extreme long shot- This will be the shot that we use mostly and this is because you can see a slight outline of the character but not details, it also focuses more on the setting so that the audience don't know too much about the character and it adds suspense.

Mood Board analysis

The wooded pictures- The main setting of our 2 minutes is going to be a wooded clearing at night near a river. These picture are good because they highlights the tension and feeling of foreboding. All the pictures of the woods combined highlights the look and feel that we want to create while filming in the woods.
The wooded picture with the figure- in one of our shots we are planning on having a partly concealed figure, this picture sort of illistrates what we want, however the feel of our camera shot of the figure in the woods to come across paranormal and spooky.
The mask- is there because we are planning on concealing the identity of our 'killer' completly so that you can only see a black outline of a figure.
The pale face and the running eye make-up- our victim of our first 2 minutes is going to have a distorted and creepy face, to make this we are going to use pale face make-up and black running eye make-up. This is designed to scare the audience, showing them that the film is about a paranormal evil.

Horror Movie Poster Analysis - Present Day

A lot has changed over the last 30 years, horror movie wise, as the movies get more scarier and the budgets get higher and also as technology grows everyday, we see that there has been a huge difference on how the film industry presents their movies on posters, from the 1980's to the present day.

Insidious was produced and released in 2010, and was made by the makers of Saw and Paranormal activity, as we can see at the top of the poster.

Insidious is in the horror movie genre and the target audience for this film would be teenagers/ young adults e.g 16-24. The film poster for 'Insidious' follows the codes and conventions of a horror film poster; The audiences eyes moves straight to the main image, which is the boy, it dominates most of the page. He is wearing a red shirt, which could represent blood and death. The shot is a medium close up, clearly showing his face and eyes, which stand out the most. They look like they have been scratched out by the nails of the evil spirit. They are also white, which usually represents innocents but in this case would represent the supernatural. He has a very blank facial expression, he almost looks numb which links in with the fact that in the film, he is in a coma.  The tag line is placed at the bottom of the page, just beneath the film title. It's a light blue colour, representing a the feeling of coldness and emptiness, it also links in with the colours of the background which is also mainly light blue. It's placed in a location where the audience would look next, after they see the title of the film, that way they will know what it is that they should fear which is the boy as the tag line is 'Its not the house that's haunted', it gives clues as to what the narrative is, and tells us it's the boy that is possessed. On the film poster, we see ratings from a source, probably film critics, who has watched the film before hand, this would also attract the audience because the critics have given the film 5 stars which will bring in a bigger target audience as it has good reports.

Horror Movie - Poster Analysis - 1980's

A lot has changed over the last 30 years, horror movie wise, as the movies get more scarier and the budgets get higher and also as technology grows everyday, we see that there has been a huge difference on how the film industry presents their movies on posters, from the 1980's to the present day.

In the 1980's we see that the posters are normally have a big, bold title which would normally be in a dark red, to represent blood. They would also have the 'killer' or mastermind on the front of the poster to make it scarier for the viewers.

The Fog, this movie would be suited for an adult audience, e.g. 16-24 age group, because the image of the main character looks like a young adult and it feels like it would suit that age group. Firstly, we see 4 main colours, red being the main colour, which had made the title of the film, represents blood, passion and just pure evil, to make the audience feel uneasy or scared and it also makes it stand out, the red drips from the the title also represent blood which represents the blood dripping from a victim, which could also represent violence and harm and will inflicted onto the victim from the killer (maybe the main character on the front of the poster). We also see a mixture of grey, green and black in the background, which makes it feel its a sort of graveyard, misty feel, which drags the audience into the poster, making them feel that they are there within the poster.

The facial expressions in the poster show horror, excitement and astonishment, these are essential to a horror movie, as it brings in the target audience into the movie. The face on the poster takes up a third of the poster which highlights the presence of fear, which will surround the presence of fear in the movie.

There is one main character in the film, which shows the importance to bring in a huge audience as they wouldve heard of the name before. In movie posters, the celebrities name is at the top, stereotypically for the 'star factor' and for the celebrities name being at the top is so the audiences eyes would be drawn to the name.

This film has followed the convosations of being a horror genre as the victim in the poster as being female. This is cause females are often chosen as victims in horror movies as they are thought to be vulverable and that they are weaker than men, therefore still being vulnerable to the actions of the villian.