Brainstorm for our opening horror film

Horror mood board

This is our horror moods board, on it we have all or most of our ideas. Some of the ideas we will not be able to use, however the purpose of this was to show our initial ideas. After finishing the mood board, it became apparent that most of the images were quite dark, therefore we had a dark theme on the mood board, and this highlights the horror genre.

In our film we used a lot of these ideas, we used ideas such as; train station, sound effects, low key lighting and bruises and cuts. We used the mood board for our inspiration, adding in these features increased the final quality of the film, as it created mystery and enigma codes. We featured the train station as our setting for the whole opening, we then used dark lighting so we filmed at night and had low key lighting from the train station. Cuts and bruises are a main convention of the horror genre, therefore we designed our makeup to look realistic and we used close up shots to show this.

Actor description and interview

Actor Description and interviews

Teenage Girl 1:

We have selected our main female character to be Grace Sullivan. She studied drama at GCSE and achieved a grade A, which proves that she is more than capable for the role. Her look, as well as being attractive to male viewers, is unique and portrays a vulnerable feeling. She has an ability to appear to be emotionally connected with a character and therefore we believe that she will depict our teenage victim role very well.

Interview –

Why would you be good for the role of main female teenage victim?

I would be good for the role of main female teenage victim because I have had experience playing roles similar to this before. I also do contemporary dance which main theme is feeling vulnerable so I am used to being in this role.

Have you considered how you could show the character successfully through your body language and voice?

I feel as though the character needs to be relatable for a wide teenage market, so in terms of my voice I would roughen it down as my well-spoken voice does not tend to fit this role. In terms of body language, when feeling vulnerable it is all about reducing your surface area. This could be by crossing your arms and legs or partly having your hair over your face to show insecurity as opposed to confidence.

How does you character relate to the usual characters commonly featured in this genre?

The fact that a vulnerable female character is commonly used in the horror genre means that I can relate to the character and gain inspiration for it through watching horror films.

Teenage Girl 2:

Another member of our group of teenagers is Gemma Flower. She also studied drama at GCSE and achieved a grade C. This demonstrates that she has some key skills needed to play the role. Her character, although more in the background, is still important for our opening scene as our female teenage audience may relate to her personality. Her role is important in demonstrating the contradiction between the safety that you feel when you're with your friends, vs when you are on your own.

Interview – Why would you be good for the role of a teenage girl amongst a group of friends?

I would be good for this role as I have had acting experience as a member of the chorus in school productions. I am very good at acting physically so this suits my role of not necessarily saying as much as other characters but still being able to portray the role.

Have you considered how you could show the character successfully through your body language and voice?

I would involve myself in conversation but not necessarily be the one in charge of it. For example, I would laugh along with jokes but not essentially be the one to say them. This means that my role would be important in showing a group of friends but not required for the main story line. I would be relatable for some members of our audience.

How does you character relate to the usual characters commonly featured in this genre?

My character doesn't necessarily relate to this genre, but it relates to the group of friends we are trying to portray to our audience. The character is essential in creating a realistic story.

Teenage Boy 1:

One of the members of our cast is Connor Bassett. He has not had any major experience in acting. However, his confident personality demonstrates that he could adapt to a role very easily. His character is important as every friendship group has a couple of main characters. We would like his character to be comedic and a leader figure. This means that he may influence other characters and their decisions.

Interview -

Why would you be good for the role of a confident teenage male?

I would be good for this role as I am able to adapt my personality to suit this character. I am naturally quite funny so would be able to use this to build a persona around my character. Although I am not a natural leader, my year 6 production acting skills may shine through into this role.

Have you considered how you could show the character successfully through your body language and voice?

I think that the most confident and leader characteristics are not being afraid to say anything and not being afraid to be seen. Therefore I will talk with a loud and manly voice, which isn't natural for me. I will also not cross my arms but stand certainly, looking open for a conversation.

How does you character relate to the usual characters commonly featured in this genre?

My character is normally seen at the beginning of a horror genre to help contradict the resultant at the end of the film where the characters cocky personality is now shy and intimidated. It is important to show the psychological effects of horrifying experiences such as these.

Teenage boy 2:

Prasanna is another member of our horror film. His role is to contradict the comfort felt in a large group of people versus when you are isolated. He should add a comedic factor to the first events in our timeline of our horror film when everyone is relaxed. He tends to follow the group and does what others do to fit in.

Interview -

Why would you be good for the role of a background teenage male?

Although this is different to my normal personality traits that is what acting is all about. I haven't had much more experience in acting than a toothbrush but I think my confident personality will help me to take on a new role well.

Have you considered how you could show the character successfully through your body language and voice?

My body language will be comfortable and not overly open or hidden. My voice will be slightly quieter than normal to adapt to this role. However, i will laugh along to jokes made by other characters.

How does you character relate to the usual characters commonly featured in this genre?

My character relates to a normal member in amongst a teenage group who has a friendly personality is happy to talk to most people. I believe there is someone like this in every group so I am a relatable character.

Location research - Train stations and underground

Train stations and underground:

Our clear winner when we analysed the results of our questionnaire proved that an underground train station would be the ideal place (according our questionnaire takers) to base our opening scene. I have a particular like to this idea due to the fact that it is a relatable location and would therefore allow the audience to put themselves into the shoes of our characters. I believe that this relationship between a character and its audience is what makes a film successful. This is why I also believe that maybe including some iconic locations in London, or simply a park setting would be of benefit to our film. This does not only allow the story to be identifiable for the audience, but it also adds interest for the basis of our story to build upon.

Aldwych: This train station was closed in September 1994 but the buildings and platforms remain. They are often used for cinematic purposes so our group has decided to contact transport for London and see if we have any luck when it comes to using their underground station. The reason that this station would be of preference to us, and not another station which is open, is the control that we would have over lighting, the unlimited amount of shots we could take and also the endless amount of ideas we could use without effecting train customers.

The aesthetic of the outside of the station has an old fashion look to it and this would, I believe, be a positive contradiction to the modern teenage group of friends that may end up visiting it.

This screenshot of the location on the map and a picture from Google maps shows what our potential setting looks like. It is positioned on the Strand in London and therefore has very good, iconic surroundings.

Obviously, there is a slim chance that a group of A Level students will be given the privilege of the use of this station so I am going to research other train stations in the London area that we could use.

                  

 

Stoneleigh: This train station is very near to our houses and has recently been done up, demonstrating a relatable and modern horror setting which is not normally seen. It also has low lighting in the evening and only lights up when there's movement underneath the lights. This could create a really cool scene for us and the shadows it would create would be a typical convention of horror. The benefits of this station are that it is not normally busy and the trains do not run at night so we would be able to film our footage without being disturbed, or disturbing other people on their commute. The aesthetic of the inside of the waiting room is slightly more run down so could create a feeling of horror and uncertainty. Furthermore, it is dirty so creates a negative feeling and aesthetic. The location of it means it will be very easy for us to film in.

The only negatives of this station is the fact that parts of it have been done up, and also the fact it is a public place restricts our ideas.

Location research - Iconic places in London

Iconic locations in London:

Southbank:

	Advantages:	Limitations:
Southbank Skating	o   The graffiti makes the area look ‘dodgy’ o   The dark corners would create good shadows o   The shadows created would mean we can use torch lighting	o   Other people would be in the area o   We would have to go up to the location and it would be dark so not everything would be seen o   The lighting may not always be correct, as it get dark quickly

From researching Southbank and its skating area, it is clear to see that this would work for our setting as there are many dark places for people to hide, these dark places are conventions of horror films. The graffiti on the walls make it look a ‘dodgy’ place as it looks like its abandoned and old. In the dark, if torches are used, a shadowed figure could be seen with the graffiti in the background creating a mysterious and tense effect.

                                                                                                    

                      

St Paul's Cathedral:

	Advantages:	Limitations:
St Paul's Cathedral	o   As it’s very open around, the audience wouldn’t believe anything bad could happen. o   The audience would recognise the area	o   Very busy, so other people would be in our shot (Could be an advantage) o   Wouldn’t be allowed to film inside o

St Paul cathedral could be potential setting due to the old building of St Paul's and as it can be busy, you wouldn’t expect many horrible things to occur. Obviously we wouldn’t be able to film inside however the surrounding areas could be potential. The dome from the cathedral could be the iconic spot which the audience could relate to. The historic cathedral would have many stories that we could also research into which we could use as part of our story line. It is said that the iconic cathedral is haunted by ghosts, this could be our horror part of this setting.

 

 

Museum of London:

	Advantages:	Limitations:
Museum of London	o   Has dark corners o   The lighting could be good with little beams o   Easy to get to	o   People may be around and we need an isolated area o   Far away

 

The museum of London could be an interesting setting, as from pictures and from experiencing it myself, the area surrounding it is slightly run down and quite grey and brown in colour. It’s not too far from St Paul's therefore, if we decide to film in both of these places and use these as our settings then it will be easy access. Obviously, we would have to only film in the surrounding areas we wouldn’t be able to get consent from the museum to film inside, but also, the inside wouldn’t complement our film genre.

Location research - Parks

Parks was one of the suggested places as to where we should locate the opening 2 minutes of our horror film. Parks would be a good place to use because there easily accessible and are often large places with a mix of facilities within. As we choose to use a group of teenagers as our main characters, a park would be a suited environment as you would typically see teenagers hanging around in parks, this would link nicely with our idea of involving underage drinking because it is a hidden environment where often things like this go on in other films. Below will be some research into possible parks we could use.

Auriol park:

Auriol Park is situated off Salisbury Road in Worcester Park and closes half an hour before sunset and re opens at 8 am Monday to Friday. The facilities within the park include two tennis courts, 5 football pitches in various size, children's playground, bowling green and a multi-use games area. This would be an ideal location for our film because it is a large space and is very close to where the people in our group live, so if the weather would affect filming we could leave and come back with no hassle. Some disadvantages of this location is it is quite open and there could be some interferences from the public, also it doesn't stay open to late so would be hard to make it look dramatic and scary.

Target audience questionaire and results

We have created a questionnaire in order to find out what people want out of a horror film and what they would enjoy watching. Below will be the link to our questionnaire, we used an online questionnaire as it would have been easier to get a wider range of views to respond to it. When the results start to come in, the data will already be organised and easier for us to spot patterns and present the data.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/K3DQCKY

Question 1 involved us asking 74 people what style of horror film they would prefer. The results show us that roughly 46% of people (34 respondents) would prefer to watch a psychological horror film. The bar chart also shows 32% of people (24 respondents) would prefer to watch a paranormal horror film. The following 16 people voted for either gore or sci-fi, based on these results we are going to make a opening horror film based on psychological/ paranormal horrors e.g. ghosts and supernatural with elements of gore e.g. blood. 

Question 2 involved us asking 74 people what setting they would recommend for our film. The results show us that roughly 53% (39 respondents) would recommend we set our opening of our film at an underground/ train station. The bar chart also shows that the following 3 settings listed, a park, a house and iconic London settings all have similar respondents recommending that location. Based on the following results we are going to locate our film at an underground or train station, we believe this will be the most exciting, unique and unpredictable place. 

Question 3 involved us asking 74 people what props they would want to see in our horror film. The results show that almost 33% (24 respondents) would want to see drug usage or reference to drugs. Similar to the question above the 3 other options were also popular. Based on these results we are most likely to use this idea as it links nicely with psychological effects drugs can have on our characters and the different emotions it makes the user feel.

Question 4 involved us asking 74 people what costumes they would want our characters to wear. The results show that almost 34% (25 respondents) want to see our characters being dressed up for a night out. I personally like this idea because it highlights that the characters had intentions for a good night/ day but soon could contradict what happens in later events. This links well with the idea of the props being drink or drugs.

 Question 5 involved us asking 74 people what characters they would enjoy watching in our opening. The results showed a total of 65% (48 respondents) wanting us to have a group of teenagers as our main characters. Teenagers are good to use because they are at a relatable age to our target audience, however older audiences can still relate to the film from past experiences.

  Question 6 involves us asking 73 people what type of lighting they recommended we used. The results showed that 47% (34 respondents) choose low key lighting (darkness) and closely behind 43% (31 respondents) choose night time with torches to create light. This is a very predictable result as darkness is a typical convention of the horror genre, however the use of torches will create an interesting twist along with the fear of the unknown.

Question 7 involved us asking 73 people what style of camera angles we should use to create the most effect. Based on the results all being very similar we will probably use a mixture of the shaky camera to demonstrate uneasiness and normal angles.

 

Question 8 involved us asking 73 people what type of editing we should use. The results show that 44% (32 respondents) voted for us to use normal editing, this would be the best to use as it is more realistic and adds to its being more relatable to viewers compared to slo-mo or fast forward effects.

  Question 9 involved us asking 73 people what type of background music they would recommend us using. The results show that predominately people voted for the option of no music (24 respondents). Hence why we will most likely use no music as once again it is more relatable to the audience. We could use some sort of slow classical music also just as an additional affect.

 

 

 

 

Audience research and profiling

Target audience for horror films:

 Woman in black -

-60% males watched the film compared to 40% females

-29% aged between 25 to 34 and 29% aged between 35 to 44 (joint largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 12A film

 

The Conjuring -
-54% females watched the film compared to 46% males
-69% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 15

 

Insidious -
-56% males watched the film compared to 44% females
-56% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 15

 The Texas chainsaw massacre -

-54% females watched the film compared to 46% males
-90% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 18


A nightmare on Elm Street -
-57% males watched the film compared to 43% females
-71% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 18


Saw -
-67% males watched the film compared to 33% females
-42% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 18

 Jaws re - release -

-53% males watched the film compared to 47% females
-33% aged between 15 to 24 (largest percentage of viewers)
Certificate = 12

From this research above and from my previous post analysing what target audience and certificate I should make my film, I discovered that the majority of people who watch horror films are male and predominately aged between 15 to 24. Hence I will use this evidence to focus my film on males aged between 15 to 24.

For my certificate rating I am going to make it a 15 as it will allow us to include an appropriate and effective amount of gore to go with our genre of horror. We can also reference alcohol and drugs and be able to make people appear more vulnerable by removing clothing which is accepted. Although this restricts who watches the film (no one under the age of 15) they aren't our target audience, so hopefully wouldn't affect it too much. I have also found out that by using an attractive female character and the use of blood and gore would attract a younger male audience. Opposing this, an attractive male character and a lack of violence would attract a younger female audience. 

                           

Certificate research

Certificate Research:

U (universal):

A universal film should be suitable for all audiences aged four years and over however it is difficult to predict what can and can’t upset any child in particular. A U film should be set with a positive image and should offer reassuring outcomes to any violence or horror. The content of a Universal film includes no reference to illegal drugs/ drugs misuse however if it does it should have a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message for young children. Discriminatory language or behaviour is very likely to be acceptable, language used must only be infrequent or very mild bad language. Also there should be no potentially dangerous or antisocial behaviour as it can influence young children and they could copy it, there is a big emphasis on not including realistic or easily accessible weapons. Occasional nudity is okay as long as there is no sexual context and only very mild sexual behaviour should be used eg. Kissing. Threats and violence should both be mild and only accepted if it’s unrealistic or justified by context eg. Comedic/animated. Even though a U film is
predominantly aimed at younger children it can also be viewed and enjoyed by parental figures of younger children or watched as a family film. A  U certificate can also enhance the success of a film because it can be watched by anyone and is widely available compared to a 15 for example because that certificate is aimed at anyone over the age of
15.

An example of a film rated U is Toy story 3, which was released on the 23rd July, it includes a storyline of animated characters Buzz, Woody and the rest of their toy-box friends being
dumped in a day-care centre after their owner, Andy, departs for college. This film was equally split 50% females and 50% males viewed this, highlighting how it is open to anyone to watch it and is enjoyed worldwide by both genders. Surprisingly the largest number of people who viewed this film was aged between 25 years old to 34 years old, with a total of 25%, however all the percentages for the other ages were similar including aged 7 to 11 being 20% and ages 15 to 24 being 18%.    

PG:

A PG film is general viewing but isn’t suited to younger children as they could find some scene unsettling, however it wouldn’t unsettle a child aged 8 or older. Unaccompanied children of any age may watch this film but parents are advised to consider whether the
content may upset or be sensitive for their child/children. A PG film should contain the following content, discriminatory language or behaviour should only be used if it is an educational or historical format, if there is any reference to illegal drugs or drugs misuse it must be to carry a suitable anti-drug message. Nudity is allowed but without sexual context also sexual activity may be used but should be discreet and infrequent (mild sex references). There should be little mild bad language and any constant repetition of bad language may lead to the film being put up into a higher category. Frightening sequences
or situations where characters are in danger should not be prolonged or intense and violence should be mild. Even though a PG film is aimed for a younger generation eg. Age 8 to 12 it can be viewed by anyone under the age of 8 if they have an appropriate adult with them and it can also be viewed and watched by families and parental figures. A PG certificate can also enhance the success of a film because it can be watched by anyone compared to an 18 which is aimed and restricts only people aged 18 and over to view it.

An example of a film rated PG is Monster house, which was released on the 11th August 2006, it is an animated film which includes a storyline of three children who realize a neighbour’s house is really a monster, although no adults will believe them. They then must
find a way to stop the house and save the neighbourhood. Similar to the universal example it is a mix percentage of age ranges who watched the film,
however the largest percentage who viewed this film were aged between 35 to 44,
with a total of 21%. 57% of females watched the film compared to 43% of males
who watched the film.

12A:

A 12A film is where an adult would need to accompany a child under the age of 12 to view the film in the cinema, the film industry (BBFC) advice the adult to pre plan whether they
think the film is suitable for them to watch it or not. No one under the age of 12 would be able to buy or rent the film. A 12A/ 12 film could use discriminatory language or behaviour but shouldn’t be a major role in the film and if it is used it should be minimal but only if it is clearly condemned by the film industry.  Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and shouldn’t be encouraged or glamorised in any way. There should be no promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to imitate, no emphasis on knives or other weapons and no endorsement of anti-social behaviour. Nudity is allowed and used in a sexual context but it must be brief and discreet. Sexual activity may be briefly portrayed and could include some moderate sex references but if it is cruder it is unlikely to be acceptable. Moderate physical and psychological threat and horror could be used although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone shouldn’t be also moderate violence may be used but not in lots of detail. There should be no focus on blood or injuries but some gory scenes are approved. Sexual violence may only be implied if it is justified by the context. A 12A/ 12 film can attract different audiences as it is upon up to a larger audience as long as a
child under the age of 12 is accompanied by an adult and also to anyone over the age of 12. 12A/12 films are most likely targeted at young teenagers eg. Ages 12 to 15 as the storylines of films become more detailed and the film itself becomes more intense.  A 12/12A film can also enhance how successful the film is because it is opened up to a larger target audience.

An example of a film rated 12A is Mean girls which was released on the 18th June 2004, it includes a storyline of an adolescent girl who moves from being home schooled in Africa to a public school where she falls in love with the ex-boyfriend of the most popular girl in school.This spirals into things getting out of hand and she soon becomes one of these mean spirited girls, the audience watch her develop and learn from her mistakes. This follows the storyline of a coming of age film and helps justify the target audience of predominately females who would watch this film.  

15:

A 15 film is where no one younger the age of 15 can view the film in the cinema or buy and rent it, however anyone over the age of 15 can view it. Discrimination may be in a 15
rated film for example racism or homophobic language or behaviour, but must not be endorsed or encouraged in any way. Drug taking may be shown but not promoted in any way, also any misuse of easily accessible drugs could be used. Dangerous behaviour like suicide, self-harming or hanging could be used but shouldn’t dwell on detail. The allowance of weapons will all depend on the realism of the film, the context and the setting. Strong language may be used and very strong language is permitted but depends on the manner in which it is used, who is using it and if it is frequent or not. Nudity can be used if it has an
educational purpose, similar to sexual activity it is permitted but references are to be displayed with little detail and strong references are likely to be acceptable unless justified by context. A strong threat/ horror may be used however a strong focus on sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable. Violence used may be strong but shouldn’t dwell on injury or pain and strong images of gore are unlikely to be accepted. A 15 film can attract different audiences as it is aimed at anyone over the age of 15 and different genres can entice
different people whether they are teenagers, middle aged adults or an older generation. A 15 film can also enhance how successful the film is because it can attract anyone over the age of 15 and in particular the majority of people aged 16 onwards work so they would be able to pay for there on tickets to view the film in the cinema.

An example of a film rated 15 is Purge; Election year which was released on the 26th August 2016, it follows a storyline of a two years after choosing not to kill the man who killed his son, former police Sergeant Barnes becomes head of security for Senator Charlene Roan, the front runner in the next Presidential election due to her vow to eliminate the Purge. It includes content of violence, horror and gore following the genre of Horror. It was predominately viewed by males (55%) however the remaining 45% (still high) was watched by females, a possible reason could be due to the attractive hero character James DeMonaco featuring as a main character. However the largest number of people who watched the film were aged between 15 years old to 24 years old, the total being 66%.    

18:

An 18 film is where no one younger than 18 may see, rent or buy the film, this is also the age where adults should be seen to choose their own entertainment. 18 rated films can
include violence, sexual violence, drugs abuse, dangerous or graphic features however there are some exceptions including the breach of the criminal law or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence, where material or treatment appears to us to risk or harm individuals through their behaviour to society for example a detailed use of drugs abuse. Where there are more explicit images of sexual activity in the context of a sex work. Where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human
sexuality or safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted. An 18 film can attract a wide range of audiences as it is targeted to anyone over the age of 18 (this is an age range where the majority of people have an income). However it is restricted to any of the younger viewers aged 18 and below. An 18 film can also enhance how successful the film is because it can attract an audience of anyone over the age of 18 which is a larger range as a certain type of viewer goes to watch it.

An example of a certificate rated 18 film is Saw I which was released on the 1st October 2004, it includes features of horror and gore. The largest number of people who watched the film were aged between 15 years old to 24 years old, the total was 42%. It also
reveals that the majority of the audience were male (67%) compared to females (33%), reflecting the genre of the film (horror) as in previous research I found out that it is predominantly males who watch horror films.