Codes and Conventions of our horror movie - M3.

Most horror movies are based in places where the characters are unable to get help for example, A Nightmare on Elm Street: Their dreams. Friday the 13th, A summer camp. Horror movies also contain a specific danger, we may not be given one instantly, but this danger is apparent later in the horror movies. Most horror movies also contain the victim also failing to survive in obvious ways. For example in most movies such as scream, a character falls over trying to get away. This is similar to ours where the character stumbles in the long hallways when running away. Horror movies also contain tons of jump-scares/scares. This could be from rising tension or just sudden scares, such as in ours the character turns right to see a spirit in his face. Most horror movies also contain a death at the start, this sets the tone for the following parts of the movie and gives a reason for the movie to continue. This is like how my character dies within the first three minutes that our opening takes place in.

Mise-en-scene analysis - P4.

The mise-en-scene in this image is that the darkness suggests evil. Also the area is slowly getting darker this suggests that the danger is increasing and binary opposition, the good guy entering a bad area. There's a slight sight of the newspapers on the walls, this shows that the area appears rundown and therefore, there's an idea of the character feeling safe in the area because he's therefore, got an idea of security and will be surprised that he's not actually alone.

The mise-en-scene in this image shows the character running down the stairs. The idea that the character gets smaller and smaller shows how weak he is to this force. He is vulnerable and this makes him look inferior to the spirits. The spirits could find him weaker and weaker by the second. This stairs also means that the character is going the wrong way, the image shows a door to the top left corner this could possibly be his safe haven as he is still a larger figure when passing the door.

Finally, the mise-en-scene in this image is that the angle is a low angle shot, this makes the character seem inferior once more, but this is the door he passed earlier, notice how when he passed the door it was closed. When he is dragged through the door was already open meaning the scenery changed and shows a mystical side. This is a small detail we made between these two shots to give a good idea that the character is being attacked by spirits.

Costumes and sets - P2.

Costumes 

As Frances was in charge of the costumes, she chose to keep what the characters wore rather simple and tried to convey certain points of their personalities through their clothes. 

For Simon, she decided to try and show that while he is an aspiring journalist, he also works a side job in an office - hence the choice of the bright button up, jeans and a rucksack. The colours of the button up also make his character stand out in his surroundings and it makes him seem like he is not supposed for. 

With Sam and Lisa's outfits she decided that it would be best just to use whatever the others had because it stayed true to the idea that all the living characters were still students at the time that the story takes place.

For the patients spirit, Frances used an old hospital gown and then dry brushed layers of brown and black paint onto the seems and around the bottom of the garment to emulate the idea of age and grime. This is meant to show that the patients spirit has been there a long time and possibly suffered before her death. This is also shown in how her hair has been pushed over her face.

The guards spirits costume was a pair of overalls and a cap. In some of the first drafts of our plans for the opening, she was also meant to have a broom that she would use to hit Simon with before he runs away as it was supposed to slow him down. 

Sets

For the sets, we decided to use the back of school as it looked more aged than the front which fit better with the idea of an abandoned asylum and because it would be easier to film there as there are always less people around and fewer things to give away the age of the location.



We also chose to film in the English corridor after school because it allowed us to use a larger range of shots, such as a tracking one as Simon walks down it looking cautiously through each of the doorways. We also chose to stick newspaper over the boards on the walls like what is often done to older building's windows when they become derelict and unused, and we also turned off all of the corridors main lights - only having it lit from the rooms that lined it.