Name Of Production Company

Here are a few of the ideas we had for our production company name, we originally wanted to go with a name that had some sort of connection to parts of a human eye. This was because it would be the eyes that are consuming the media and be interesting.

Iris productions was the first idea we had chosen, but after doing some research on google, we realised that the name had already been used. So we are still in the process of elaborating on a new name.

Chosen Name Of Film

'Chromosome 17'

This was the title of the film chosen by the group this was down to one of the group members who had stumbled across an article in the newspaper which inspired our story line. we thought this as it was the most relevant due the fact that is based around Smiths-Magenis Syndrome (SMS) a rare developmental disorder which affects an average of 1 in 25,000 individuals. , with an abnormality of the17th Chromosome which then affects the individual causing them to have violent outburst attacking others including themselves.

By having this is the centre subject of the film, it allows the audience to be entertained by the media whilst informing them about uncommon disorders currently in the world that cause damage to lives and affect families.

Location

Here are images of location in Steatham that could be used for the teaser trailer.

A few months ago I had visited these location to do some person photography, I then later realised that I could contribute ideas by using this location to do some filming as it is relevant to the narrative of our film (awakening Spirits, which could be associated which Churches and Christianity in some cases). The below two images are of the back of the Church, this particular area looks very isolated and deserted, as well as being themes/conventions of horror- fear of the unknown or being in an area where there is very little or no help help when a person is in danger.

Name Of Film Ideas

Above is a variety of names our group suggested for the film. We wanted to base it around Smiths-Magenis Syndrome (SMS), which is the disorder the main character has been diagnosed with yet not revealing too much to the audience when seeing the title to keep them intrigued and eager to watch the film.

Storyboard

Storyboard

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Narrative For Teaser Trailer

• Heavy breathing - Lucy
• Hand held camera - night vision
• (Cuts to black)

Medium cuts

• Teacher talking about trailer
• Church - students walking
• Lucy saying "I don't like it"
• Outside the house - Riley "Perfect"

Fast cuts

• Charlie being zipped up
• Marilyn going into the bathroom
• Marilyn panicking

Mixture of cuts

• Church, the girls being attacked and walking through the bushes

• Lucy's hand switching on the light
• Name of Film shows
• Turns to black
• Tanya "what is that?"
• Bloody hand out of focus, moves towards the lens and the camera focuses, hand hits the screen
• "Coming Soon" is shown
• Name of production company

Narrative For Film

Characters:

• Lucy Damon [Shreena Patel]
• Marilyn Roberts [Rhiannon Williams]
• Charlie Lee [Nihal Shariff]
• Tanya Riley (Referred to As Riley) [Maria Adegeye]

During an A2 Media class, it had been announced that the students would have the task of creating a media horror trailer contributing to 50% of their final grades. And were then assigned to their groups consisting of Lucy, Marilyn, Charlie and (Tanya) Riley. Being so enthusiastic about death, horror and the afterlife, Marilyn is excited and has the perfect location for the group to begin filming outside a deserted church in the local area which is apparently haunted. So she arranges a time and the place for the group to meet for the first day of filming.

When arriving at the church, the group decide to go to the back of the church in an attempt to find something mystical as well as being the perfect location to film, believing that they would get a very high mark for the setting. They explore the area but Lucy does not feel comfortable and is insistent that they change location. With a large amount of convincing, Marilyn realised that there may be a more convenient place to shoot the film in a second location- an abandoned house. Again, the group reschedule another time and place to meet for the second day of shooting.

When the group is gathered together, for the second time, one of the group members was missing as Charlie did not come, assuming that she was lazy not unenthusiastic about the task altogether, Riley ensured that the group continued to shoot without her. (The entire group was unaware that Charlie has been mysteriously killed in her home- when her body had been carried out of her house and into an ambulance).

The group explore the house and realise that it is the best for shooting having everyone agree. As Marilyn, goes into the bathroom to look for props for a 'bathroom scene' the door swings shut behind her and locks itself so she is stuck in. the light starts to flicker so she cannot see where she is going, there are loud screams coming from the bathroom which alerts everyone then there is complete silence.

Riley is at the scene with Lucy closely behind and kicks the door down to find Marilyn murdered on the floor of the bathroom and blood smeared on the walls and floor. Panic breaks out between he last group members and they become suspicious of each other having an idea that one of them is a 'killer'. They both go into a room and sit down together in silence. There is a power failure where the lights switch on an off continuously and each time the injuries from Riley increase until she as seen as dead, all that is heard is screams. With the hand held camera that the student are using, in night mode Lucy's hand stretches towards the light switch, and as she turns it on, there is a flashback to the doctors office at the place where she had been diagnosed.

On may 17th, at aged 9, Lucy Damon was diagnosed with a condition that caused her to become extremely violent at any given moment for a short period of time, then returning back to her original state afterwards, unaware of any incident that had previously taken place. Due to the fact that her mother had died in a horrific accident being brutally murdered by her father and forced to live in a foster home.

Finally, there is a close up to Lucy's face where she smirks, then another close up of her eyes.

Initial Ideas

Above are a few of the ideas my group came up with as main elements of the teaser trailer.

Each of the points were then elaborated on and discussed into greater detail which eventually helped us to create the narrative for the film.

Conventions Of A Trailer/Teaser.

• Highlight the 'best bits of the film'.
• Not necessarily shown in narrative order.
• Showcase the stars of the film.
• Some visual images stay on screen for only just enough time got out mind to realise what we are seeing.
• Conversations between characters usually consist of one line each.
• Unusual angles are often used to show events of characters.
• Action is interspersed with credits on the screen.
• Voice-overs are used to tell the story and give credit information.
• Music plays an important role in creating atmosphere. (Manipulating emotions).
• The title does not appear until the end.
• Fast moving images.
• Production name at the start of the trailer.
• Reviews and ratings can be included.
• Do not reveal the plot of the film.

BBFC Guidelines.

U- Universal:

• Suitable for all audiences 4+
• Scary sequences should be mild, unlikely to cause anxiety.
• No reference to drugs unless infrequent/innocuous.
• Occasional natural nudity.
• Mild sexual behaviour e.g. Kissing.

PG- Parental Guidance:

• Should not disturb a child 8+
• Reference to illegal drugs or carry suitable anti-drug message.
• Frightening sequences should not be prolonged/intense.
• Sexual activity my be implied.
• Moderate violence.

12A-

• Material suitable for 12+
• Horror- moderate, physical/psychological threat may be permitted.
• Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed.

15-

• No younger than 15.
• Strong threat and menace are permitted sadistic/sexualised.
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail.
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on infliction of pain/injury.

18-

• All allowed.
• Explict images of sexual activity may be permitted.

What Effects Can Horror Have On An Audience? (Cohen- 1972).

Norm:

• Anxious
• Fear
• Alarm
• Alert
• Nervous
• Uncomfortable
• Enjoyable

Extreme:

• Panic Attack
• Hysteria
• Screaming
• Crying
• Fainting
• Heart Attacks

Venerable to effects: Older women of a fragile condition.

Who protects Us/responsible: Audience, BBFC

What Age Is Horror Suitable? 15/18+

Moral Panic

Horror films are often the centre of moral panic.

• Cohen (1972), argues that moral panic is when the media amplifies an event to refer its consequences to much wider social issues. Essentially becoming a 'crusade' against behaviours or perceived negative developments in society.
• Daily Mail, Daily Express, News Of The World, Sun & Mirror- can create moral panic.
• Moral panic works by raising alarm in people, the incident is representative of a decline on standards or values- being that society is becoming more dangerous/permissive.
• Appeals to a fragmented and fragile post-war consensus.
• Suggests that morality today is not as string as it was.
• Panic arises by deliberately isolating the event from socio-economic political circumstances in with 'event' took place.

Moral panic caused a change in law- 1984 Video Recording Acts that gave BBFC the power to classify videos and amendment to Criminal Justice and the Public Order Bill that insisted BBFC took issues of 'harm' on board when classifying films.

Timeline Of Horror Films.

1920: Cabinet Of Dr Caligani
1922: Nosferatu
1924: Waxworks
1926: Faust

1931: Dracula
1933: The Invisible Man
1935: The Bride Of Frankenstein

1940: King Of The Zombies
1942: Cat People
1944: The Uninvited
1948: Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein
1949: Mahal

1951: The Thing From Another World
1953: House Of Wax
1954: Godzilla
1957: The Curse Of Frankenstein
1959: The Tingler

1960: 13 Ghosts
1960: Psycho
1962: Mono Cane
1964: Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte
1968: Spider Baby

1971: Vampryos Lesbos
1973: The Exorcist
1975: Jaws
1976: The Omen
1978: Halloween
1979: Alien
1979: When A Stranger Calls

1980: Friday The 13th
1982: Poltergeist
1984: Gremlins
1984: A Nightmare On Elm Street
1986: Aliens
1988: Child's Play

1990: Arachnophobia
1992: Bram Stoker's Dracula
1993: Jurassic Park
1996: Scream
1997: I Know What You Did Last Summer
1999: The Sixth Sense

2000: Final Destination
2003: Freddy Vs Jason
2007: Halloween
2008: Twilight
2009: Friday The 13th
2010: Let Me In

Spectatorship And The 'Male Gaze'.

Psychoanalysis Theory



Focuses on the oedipus complex, electra complex and phallic symbols.



Laura Mulvey- Visual Pleasure & Narrative cinema (1975)

• Women are seen as a sexual spectacle and objects of pleasure for characters and the audience.


• Men have the 'gaze' to avoid being castrated.


• Men fetishise women imbuing them with overvalued and unrealistic status fetishistic scopophillia.


• The 'gaze' is constructed through a camera man and a production team, establishing and framing a shot by the 'look' within the film of male characters objectifying females. Spectators gaze is thereby constructed through the mechanisms.

Flaws In The Psychoanalysis Theory:

• Anne Doone (1982) added, women have a marginal gaze within the film, just in patriarchal society.
• Suzanne Moore (1988) added, male body's are only on display in certain conditions- always in active poses as if they can walk away from the woman's gaze.
• Van Zoonen (1994) added, men look at women, women watch themselves being looked at.

Paul Wells Research.

Paul Wells gathered together a small focus of 12 members being of the age groups:

• 16-25


• 26-40


• 41-55


• 56-80

Each of the groups were asked what was the first and last film they had watched.

Results-

The relationship to be frightened changes with age and relates to broader factors affecting emotional responses.

Audiences between 1970's-90's are more anaesthetised to explict special effects.

'Monster films' of the 1920's/30's reported a strong personal response to images and iconography of horror.

Young audiences are aware of artificiality and are becoming harder to shock.

My Research:

In order to gain primary information about audiences responses to horror, I conducted a similar study, creating a survey, with the following questions-

1. Are you male or female?
2. What age bracket are you in?
3. Have you been to cinema more than once month?
4. Do you enjoy watching horror films?
5. Have you watched a horror film this month?

My results shows that females of the younger generation (aged between 16-24) are more likely to watch horror films, enjoy watching horror films three times as much as people aged 40+, as well at attending the cinema more than once per month.

Why Do Audiences Watch Horror Films?

Todorov's Narrative Theory

Tzvetan Todorov (1969) constructed a theory of the narrative structures of horror, his basic theory consisted of:

• Equilibrium- Everyone if is equal status.
• Agent Of Change- What disrupts everything.
• Final Resolution
• New Equilibrium- Everything is back to normal.

Todorov also states that through the narrative cycle, each of the characters undergo a transformation where their situations are changes throughout the process of the disruption.

He also developed and extended theory which is the following:

• Exposition- Background information of the characters.
• Development- Of the situation.
• Complication- Main event and action.
• Climax- Confrontation.
• Resolution- Restoration of equilibrium.

An example of this could be used within he film released - 'The Faculty':

Exposition-

Some of the schoolteacher are shown,three of them. The opening scene is on the school grounds where each of he man characters re introduced, this allowed the audience to have an insight of their personalities.

Development-

Slowly,members of the school/college are infected by the organism (alien parasite).

Complication/Main Event-

After the realisation that cocaine can be used to kill the alien, they run out of supplies. Zeke and Casey are forced to leave the gym where they are safe, and get more supplies from the care having to face the army of aliens.

Climax/Confrontation-

Discovery that Marybeth is the 'queen alien' and changes into an aquatic creature, trying to infect the remaining survivors.

Resolution-

Casey kills the queen alien by trapping her and stabbing her in the eye with the drug. Everything is returned to normal, although certain characters merge friendships.

(Second Beginning).

Flaws In Todorov's Theory:

• Horror does not always follow the structure as other techniques could be used to unfold the narrative e.g. Flashbacks.

Propp's Character Theory.

Vladimir Propp (1969), developed a character theory after the analysis of 100 folk and fairytales to identify how characters are used to move the narrative forward.
The emphasis was not looking as the characters representing real people, but as functions who's whole was to move the narrative forward.

His theory consisted of 8 Characters:

1. Villain
2. Hero/Protagonist- As a role of driving the narrative forward.
3. Doner- Provides the hero with magic gift.
4. Helper
5. Princess
6. Princess' Father
7. Dispatcher- Send the hero on their way.
8. The false Hero

(A character could have several roles in the narrative).

This theory is still applicable to film that have been released recently, an example could be a film called 'A Cinderella Story':

1. Villain- Evil Stepmother/Fiona (Jennifer Coolidge)
2. Hero/Protagonist- Cinderella/Sam Montgomery (Hillary Duff)
3. Doner- Waiter At Diner/Fairygodmother/Rhonda (Regina King)
4. Helper- Geeky Best Friend/Carter Farrell (Dan Byrd)
5. Princess- Cinderella/Sam Mongomery (Hillary Duff)
6. Princess Father- (Died, But Gave Cinderella A 'Special Book')
7. Dispacther- Waiter At Diner/Fairygodmother/Rhonda (Regina King)
8. False Hero- Evil Stepsisters/Brianna & Gabriella (Madeline Zima & Andrea Avery)

Flaws In Propps Theory:

Propp's theory ignore the characters tones and moods in his analysis which differentiates one tale from another, as well as not seeing the meaning in each of the tales he studied.

Types Of Horror/Common Conventions Of The Horror Genre

Types Of Horror:

• Slasher
• Torture
• Exploitation
• Creature
• Vampire
• Sociological
• Allegorical

Conventions Of Horror:

What We Have To Do. [Brief]

Candidates Must:

Create a personal package for a new film, to include a teaser trailer together with two of the following three options-

• Website homepage for a new film.
• Film magazine front cover, featuring the film.
• A poster for the film.

AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Media concepts, contexts, and critical debates, using terminology appropriately and with accurate coherent written expression.

AO2: Apply knowledge and understanding to show how meanings are created when analysing media products and evaluating your own practical work.

AO3: Demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media product using technical appropriate and creative skills.

AO4: Demonstrate the ability to undertake and apply appropriate research.