Blair Witch Project

I was looking through some horror legends when i came across the Blair Witch Project.

I found it really intreaging as the effects of using a hand held camera gives a real one to one feel, leaving the impression that the viewer is part of the documentary. The panic and sadness of the events that happen are extremely moving and makes you wish you could help.

I thought that the most scariest parts of the movie was when there was alot of screaming in the dark. You cannot see what is going on so this lets your imagination run wild. I maybe could use this as a possibility for the opening of my horror movie.

Another effect that i thought made this film really realistic was because they are using hand held cameras which shows us how frightened they really are by how much they shake. Also when they run or have a fight you cannot see the whole picture so again this adds more atmosphere to the scene.

Analysis of Shower Scene in the film 'Psycho'

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Made in 1960

The scene starts off with the woman getting into the shower.

When she turns it on the camera looks up at the shower head.

Diagetic sound of the water coming down, no non-diagetic music at all.

The camera keeps going from the woman and back to the shower head, the editing is quite quick so it shows there maybe something quick that might happen later on.

After this the camera shows her with the shower curtain behind her, we see that someone has opened the door.

The person gets closer to the curtain but we cannot make out their face.

They pull the shower curtain fast out of the way to show that they are holding a knife.

At that point a non-diagetic music coming on.

It sounds very sharp and it is similar to the sound you get when you scrape a sharp object along another sharp object.

We then see the terrified expression on her face, she then screams, and then the camera zooms to a close up of her mouth.

The camera quickly shows the person (still not being able to see there face as it is all in the dark) holding the blade high ready to stab her.

We don't see the knife actually pierce her skin.

The non-diagetic sound of high pitched noises is still there but this time with a sound of the the knife going through something.

Camera shows her feet and the bottom of the bath tub with blood dripping heavily down.

The person then walks out the room leaving the woman to die alone.

After this we then see her hand scrape down the wall and at this point the sounds switch to a non-diagetic music which sounds sad because it has a low pitch.

She then raises her hand towards the camera a if crying out for help but then she grabs the shower curtain to stand up but t breaks and she falls to the floor.

The camera shows us her feet in the air.

We then see her blood flow towards the bottom of the bath near the plug hole.

Then the plug hole graphic matches to an extreme close up of her eye.

The camera zooms out very slowly with a slight spin to it.

We now see her tears from her eye and her face flat on the floor. 

Analysis of the Opening Title of 'Shadow of a Doubt'

Director: Alfred Hitchcock  --  1899 - 1980

Film made in 1943

The opening starts with people dancing. 

They are very smartly dressed and you can tell it is in the past because of the old style of clothing.

Then it the image dissolves into an industrial scene. We see a big river and bridge, burnt cars and a very dirty landscape.

The music that was very cheery and theatrical turned into a dramatic and eery non-diagetic music.

While this happens it dissolves out again to a rundown street with children playing.

  

Analysis of Opening Title of 'Se7en'.

The opening starts with a ticking machine which shows how slow everything in this scene is slow moving.

Then the camera moves onto someone's hands.

The graphics in the writing is all disturbed and has no structure. 

Then it shows us someone cutting off the top layer of skin on their finger tips.

After this image we see various images of cuttings, writing and pictures of people.

It seems as if someone is making a scrap book of killings or what they are about to. (plans)

Red colors are used to show various different things; such as: it could symbolize anger, blood, death or even danger. 

The editing in this scene is very quick, this shows us that a lot of events may happen in the rest of this film.

Thriller Conventions

A crime at the core of the narrative (often murder, but not necessarily).

A complex narrative structure, with false paths, clues and resolutions.

A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.

A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered  and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.

Extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations.

Themes of identity

Themes of mirroring

Themes of voyeurism

Protagonist with a flaw which is exploited by the antagonist.

Titles often reflect an aspect of the protagonists psychological state.

There is often a scene near the end of the film which the protagonist is in peril.

Mise en scene which echoes/mirrors the protagonist's plight.

In my group there is me, jessica, grace and rebecca.

We discussed ideas for a potential media thriller.

Our first idea was; opens with a girl rocking back and forth holding her knees, crying in a darkly lit room, looking into a cracked mirror with a small stream of light shinning on one side of her face, making shadows on the other side. Or the mirror crack in half separating her reflection into two parts.

The camera would zoom into focus on her eye for an extreme close up.

Next shot would be a graphic match where the camera fades from the same girls eye to a flash back to a sun into a happy memory of her past.

Camera follows her having fun and having a laugh.

Our second idea was; a person is found lying on the floor disorientated and unconscious.

People try to help them but they don't see another person hiding in the shadows round the corner.

The camera in a high angle shot looks down at the person lying down on the floor, then sweeps from their feet to their head.

Fade in the person round the corner, seems as they are standing above them looking down at camera (low angle shot here)

Zoom in to the strangers mouth as they smile and laugh, all other features are hidden by the shadows (chiaroscuro)

Camera spins around the victims as if it symbolizes their world turning upside down

This could then have a graphic match to earlier on in the story where the victim wakes up to a fresh new day all happy and cheerful, not knowing what is darkness is around the corner.