Teenage Costume Inspiration

I decided to use the films "Blair Witch" and "Blair Witch 2" for my costume inspiration as both films star teenagers located within a forest. 

Within horror films located within a forest, teenagers are put into costumes that show their youth and also fit into the location. The costumes also establish their personality and their role within the film.

Check shirts are very common to use and fit in with the scenes.

They also wear costumes that are suitable for the environment, for example within this shot the character wears a hat and a coat. 

Dark colours are worn throughout.

This character shows her role within the film as she shows a lot of skin, therefore making her character more provacative than the others.

I decided to use these shots in order to inspire my own costume ideas. 

I stuck with the theme of check shirts as my inspiration as I feel that they are the current trend yet still comply with the teenager in a woods situation. They also look made for the outdoors. This outfit has dark blue jeans accompanying it and hat as a woods would tend to be cold and therefore the character must show this. 

The previous outfit could be adapted for a male character by adding thicker shoes and much darker jeans, also possibly a water proof jacket. 

A provocative character can still fit in with the theme but as pictured, more brighter colours are used to promote a feminine side and also the blouse is tied at the waist to show more skin.

A hooded jacket combined with the shirt would be good for a male character to use and the dark colours make this outfit appear much more masculine. 

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/blair-witch-2-deconstruction.html

Children Used In Horror Films Inspiration

I decided to go into my local woods with my younger sister and see the different shots that we could create in preparation for our coursework. My sister reacted with the camera and I chose positions that are likely to feature within our 2 minute opening.

The character is hidden behind the trees to recreate hiding from protagonists.

Abandoned Places

Researching into abandoned places proved difficult as there are very few to look into. 
One place that particularly grabbed my interest was this building: 

Throughout the day I took different shots to compare the use of lighting and it's effect on the building.

Corner of the building at 1pm.

The colours and big nature of the building have a creepy effect.

The back of the building at 1pm.

As you can see, the windows are uneven, the colours show that no care has been undertaken with this property, and there is a wide space outside. 










The building at 4pm from the corner.

Darker colours are seen when the sky gets darker.













The back of the building at 4pm.

The windows act as reflected surfaces from the camera's flash. The ground looks much more scary at this time of day than previously.







The buildings outskirts would be the best place to film most likely as it gets darker due to it's derelict nature however on the inside it is being used for other purposes, so no filming could be taking from the inside. 

Children in horror films

Conventions - Age/gender

The main conventions that come with those who are of a young age are:

• Vulnerable
• Weak
• Need someone to help them
• Happy
• Playful
• Humorous

The main conventions that come with gender are:

• Strong
• Masculine
• Powerful
• Dominant
• Protective

Some of these contradict each other in horror films, a child may tend to be always vulnerable, but they can also be the scariest and most unsuspecting main protagonist.

Children tend to be used to create a sense of normality within a film, viewers usually empathise with a child, so when the child is being used for example as a murderer, the story gets twisted, and creates a tense relationship between the viewer and the child or children.

This is the child from The Omen.

From this picture, we can see the innocent nature of the child.

However all hair seems to be perfectly in place apart from a few strands, connoting that not all is normal with this child.

His eyes are big and he doesn't look directly into the camera.

 

This is the child from The Orphan. From this picture, we can see that she doesn't dress as a "normal" chilld should dress. She wears something around her neck that is red. The pale skin and dark hair parted at the middle make us feel uneasy with this child, as she also appears to show no emotion.

 This is the child from The Grudge.
As with The Orphan, this child has pale skin - with a tinge of green - and dark black hair also parted at the middle. Hair covers the face. Eyes are big and dark both in the pupils and around. Centered into the shot looking directly at the camera makes the viewer realise that she is the powerful protagonist.

This is the child from The Ring. Once again, long black hair parted at the middle. White clothes used, hospital like. However also has a green tinge to her. Centered within the shot showing her power and importance.

This is the child from The Sixth Sense. This child looks very vulnerable, the blonde hair makes us emphasise with the child. The top is yellow, but doesn't appear to be a typical child like tone of yellow, no happiness is connoted. Looks sad and down at the ground.

Forest Inspiration

• This photo interested me due to the use of colours and the way that the forest appears to go really far back and very deep, creating that element of mystery.

• From a floor POV, you can see the vast nature of the forest and would be good if being shot from a characters perspective, allowing the viewer to see the detail of the shot.

• Shots from above are very creepy and good to use, I like this picture as it shows that there is no escape due to the trees taking up the sky's space. You can also see crows in the trees that connote danger. 

•  As the day progresses, the forest becomes more dangerous, and emphasises on the fact that escaping from this wide amount of space would be hard for a character. 

non - digetic sound inspiration - theme songs

By theme tune I mean the song to go over the titles. This song has to fit the opening of the film and also match the typoraphy. as it it the first thing you hear it will need to be perfect.

• The simplicity of this theme song creates suspense as it is quite a haunting song.
• There is a riff that is repeated non stop through out this piece which make the theme effective because it make the audience feel like they are waiting for a massive climax.
• the music then gets louder. this is effective because it shows me that to make something effective and haunting you dont need to change a song you can just change the sound of the piece.  

• This song doesnt sound as scary.
• It almost sounds quite child like subverting the audiences expectations for the film.
• it is light, bouncy and fun. almost like background music for a magic show.
• i think the light bubbly theme tune is a good idea for a film to subvert the conventions but i think that for a 2 minute film opening it would not be suitable as it wouldnt fit just a film opening. 

• this theme tune has similar effects to the one from 28 days later.
• it is disjunct but still in time making the suspense build.
• the way that the strings are introudced for bursts of sound adds suspense because its sudden and the audience dont suspect it (abit like the events in the film).
• half ways through the song a sound is played to add a scary feel to the song. it sounds likea faint scream in the background this forshadows what will hapen later in the film.
• Like the puppet master this song gets louder too creating suspense. it also makes the audience jump as it gets louder quickly and doesnt build up to it.

Inspiration- Costumes

Shaun of the Dead and 28 Weeks Later.

When looking at the costumes used for zombies in films, they seem to always be dressed in normal clothes that have just been blood stained. Also the use of contact lenses to change the colour of the characters eyes are used in Shaun of the Dead which separates them from the other characters within the films that are human.

American Psycho. 

Throughout American Psycho, Patrick, the protagonist wears this costume, it subverts the audiences expectations of his character as he is a murderer dressed in what seems to be just a normal business man's suit, and the audiences expectations of a man in a suit is just a working class man, who works somewhere like the city. His suit looks very pristine all of the time, which reflects his character which is revealed to us in the opening of the film and how that he cares very much about his appearance, we begin to understand his vanity, yet has no emotions. During the film, he puts on a plastic anorak type jacket which allows him to axe another character to death, preventing any harm to his immaculate suit, when he is done with the murder, he removes the jacket to reveal his suit again to show that it has gone unaffected by the murder, just like the character has. 

Orphan. 

This costume that is worn by Esther in Orphan contrasts with the character that she is. The audiences expectations of this character would be an innocent child, as that is usually how children are perceived and her outfit suggests no different to that at a first glance. This contrasts widely with the idea of good vs evil, with her being evil whilst dressed in a child's outfit. The old fashioned dress that she is wearing is collared and patterned which suggests that she is one of many. Also her ribbon around her neck and wrist are both a deep shade of red, which connote death. Her hair is slicked back with ribbons, which again adds to her innocence and to the fact that she is a child contrasting with the evil character that she actually is.

Lighting

Lighting is used in horror films to add tension and to highlight both objects and characters. 
Different horror films also have a tone of lighting throughout their films in order to create this anxiety.
For example The Ring uses lighting in a way that makes the audience feel nervous and creates an awareness that things aren't quite right.
This is done by the green lighting hue that is used throughout the film.

Especially in this shot there is the TVs highlighted due to them emitting a light source making them brighter and stand out more, adding effectiveness to the movie, where TVs are often featured. 

From this shot we can see how the protagonist is not highlighted with light, but the main focus is on objects behind here, that are all white and are square shaped, like a TV is. 

Throughout the movie, there is no obvious light shone on the main protagonists, showing how she is losing her life as the movie progresses.

I have also found that artifical lighting is used in a way to highlight features around a setting.

For example in The Strangers, this shot has features around the room highlighted with the lighting, both the lamps and candles create a brightness in a room which creates darkness in the centre. Therefore when the villain appears this highlights him more but in a subtle way.

Here we see the protagonist in a state on panic, the lighting shone directly on her face at a little bit of a high angle highlights the sweat beads on her face showing her anxiety. 

Sources of Inspiration; Use of Corridors

• the corridor in the possesion is painted green making the scene uneasy for the audience. it also brings a sense of illness to the scene showing the audience something is wrong with the character on the bike.
• by using this shot it gives the audience a sense of anticipation because its shows you how long the corridor is meaning it will take the little boy a while to ride down it and so there is probably going to be something at the end because it builds suspense as he rides down.

The pros of using a dark room or corridor

Doesn’t cost a lot

Can still look really effective with the right angles and sound

Easy to find

A corridor can create suspense because you never know what’s at the end.

Easier to light than a wood because you can hang lights off of walls ect.

Masks - Inspiration

Many Horror films feature the killer(s) with masks on.

Masks have many uses throughout horror films:

• Protects your identity.
• Create tension.
• Takes away your knowledge of who the attacker may be.
• Can give a power.
• Hide emotion.

There are a wide variety of films that feature the main protagonist with a mask on and we remember them for their individual masks that they use.

For example, Friday 13th, The Strangers, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Orphanage, Nightbreed, Scream, Halloween etc

The Strangers

• The primary use of masks in this film protects the killers identity's and to create tension.

• As you can see from the image above, they feature masks with the mouths drawn on, showing a fixed emotion, and only the eyes would be seen from the victims. 
• Two masks are traditional masks, one without the top of the head and big eyes taking up the face, the other with hair attached onto the mask in order to match the person wearing it. 
• The middle mask is a piece of fabric, with eyes cut out and a small smile drawn on, leaving no clue as to who the murderer is. 

The Orphanage 

• The Orphanage is a Spanish film that uses masks with children for the use of protecting an identity.
• From the trailer this is apparent as the boy kicks back the lady once she tries to lift off the mask. 

• The mask is quite childlike, using primary colours to draw on facial features. 

To conclude, the use of masks in horror films is a chilling way to show tension and terror. 

Camera Perspective from Villain

Slasher horror movies have many ways of showing the victim's feelings and emotions when killing a victim. 

This can be done by looking at all characters that are featured, or looking from the villains perspective.

In a previous post about the slasher film Halloween, I have mentioned the first scene which is viewed from the villains eyes by using the camera in this way, it creates tension and a mysterious feel about the scene. 

These villain perspectives feature usually during the start of the movie in order to create tension and set the scene throughout the rest of the movie, this is also seen with the film Halloween.

Other films such as The Last Horror Movie (2003) feature this technique, however this film  uses a camera to create a POV effect.

• The murders are then filmed as if the killer is watching the events unfold, creating an uncomfortable position for the viewer. 
• Killings are commentated and the killer interacts with speech to the victims.

• We are allowed to see and hear the thoughts and feelings of the killer.
• And the terror and sadness that is felt by the victims when they are going to be killed. 

This filming technique has been effective for many years, and this is apparent in the 1960 film Peeping Tom which also uses the camera as a way to gain an insight from the killers perspective. 

• We are first led into a false sense of security, and like the Halloween opening, the killer doesn't say anything for the first few minutes, aiding us to think that something isn't quite right. 
• Sound is used in a way that helps us to think that the person behind the camera isn't going to be a 'normal' character.
• The use of the traditional camera lines across the screen in this opening really emphasise the way that the villain is looking directly at a potential victim.
• Which is similar to all of the three films mentioned as other characters look directly into the camera, portraying the fact that they are looking into a seemingly innocent persons eyes. 

http://messmediatownley.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/halloween-i-1978-opening-credits.html

Inspiration- Death scene

• We can clearly see the water seeping towards him, foreshadowing the oncoming events. We see the beginning of his death start from his feet when he slips and when his life ends, we're shown first by his feet loosing movement/life. 
• The non-diegetic sound that accompanies the slip creates tension as its a conventional piece of music used in films to create tension, with a quite low tone, getting louder and then stopping, in this case when his foot slips. 

• Whilst we see Tod struggling to free himself from the plug from the medium shot, there's a jump cut to a point of view shot of the shower head showing us what Tod is currently seeing is his current state of panic. 
• The shot is slightly canted and it jolts when on the screen to show his sudden movements and panic. 

• This close-up shot of Tod shows the fear in his eyes and also blood shooting through his eyes has been edited in. 
• Soon after we see him looking at the animals in the cabinet that appear to have their eyes in his direction as though they're watching him which juxtaposes the father, who we see soon after the animals, asleep in another room as he's someone that could help but he's unaware of what's going on in the bathroom. 
• Diegetic sound of Tod suffocating is included here. 

• A clock is also shown ticking and the sound of the clock is also included making it clear that time is going on and as time goes on, the close Tod is getting to his death. 

• We see Tod's toes curling in his state of panic, as though he is putting in everything he possibly can, all of his strength even down to his toes, but then we see his feet lose movement completely a few seconds later and this is when we know that his life has come to an end. 
• The non-diegetic sound that accompanies this section speeds up and also gets louder as the end of his life comes, and when his life ends, the sound stops and we only hear one high note until the end of the scene. 

• Tod is almost always tightly framed, as if he cannot escape what is happening to him.
• Also the shots jump cut from one another quite quickly and we never see Tod for more than a few seconds which means that a scene like this could be shot in many different shots an edited together which makes it easier for the character to act more realistically and also when editing.