Main Product - Horror Film Trailer

Final Products - Poster and Magazine Cover

Final Poster

Final Magazine Cover

First Draft Magazine Cover

First Draft Magazine Cover

Poster Plans

Poster Draft

Here, I have displayed my plan for my poster for our film 'VIOLET'. The final product was created in Adobe Photoshop CS6, and was almost exactly the same as this plan. I knew almost exactly how I wanted my poster to look, which made the planning and the actual creation of my poster remarkably easy - and planning it by sketching it was the best way to keep my idea together in one place.

The main image is placed on the left of the poster in order to leave room on the right for the title, tagline, billing block, and release date. Above the main image is a list of the some of the actors in the film, which could potentially attract different viewers. I showed the film's title 'VIOLET' in a different way to show that it will be different and will stand out on the poster when it came to creating the actual product. Below the billing block is the release date, and below that and on either would the logos of several production companies. The main image on the poster would depict the antagonist of the film, and nothing else. I believe this could be a unique selling point as many other film posters show either the main character, the main character and an antagonist, or a group of several protagonists. Although there are a few which show only an antagonist, they are much less common.

Magazine Cover Plans

Magazine Cover Draft

Above is a plan for what I roughly wanted my magazine cover to look like. I created the final product in Adobe Photoshop CS6, however having this initial draft made it much easier for me to figure out what kind of thing I was aiming for, saving a lot of time.

The masthead 'PREVIEW' is an original title outlining the magazine brand. To the left of the page are cover lines which would be expected on any magazine, but also the tagline which reads "EXCLUSIVE NEW SCOOPS ON THE HOTTEST NEW FILMS!" There is also a sticker located on the left side of the page, outlining briefly some of the magazine contents - a free poster for, and an article on "THE HOTTEST HORROR": "VIOLET". More contents are revealed below this, reiterating that there is an article on "VIOLET", but this time also outlining that there are cast interviews as well. Along the top of the magazine is text revealing that the magazine will also contain a list of "THE TOP 50 SCARIEST HORRORS". A sketch depicting the main photograph [which would be to show a star of one of the films reviewed within the magazine] is placed on the right side of the cover, taking up about a third of the entire page. Along the bottom of the magazine is what I intended to be similar to a film strip, with stills from other horrors placed within it in order to show some more of the magazine's contents without giving too much away at first glance. The barcode is placed in the bottom left corner to as not to detract from the magazine's overall aesthetics, or to draw the viewer's eyes away from anything else on the cover they may be attracted to.

Although on the sketch I forgot to add a date, price and website, these details would most likely be located below or beside the masthead.

Film Magazine Cover Analyses

Horror Film Poster Analyses

How effective is the combination of your product and ancillary texts?

How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

What have you learnt from your audience feedback?

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Storyboards - Violet

Here I have scanned and imported an image for each of the storyboards for our horror film trailer: Violet.

Although many of the shots in our trailer ended up being somewhat different from what we had initially planned as shown in these storyboards, the outcome was similar to what we wanted overall. Many shots that we initially planned in these storyboards were cut out completely, others were adapted, and some were included as planned.

For example, the shots of the tied up hand, and the gagged girl have been cut out. Instead, we have included a shot of myself hiding from ‘Violet’, and then a shot of me being attacked by her. On the other hand, and example of a shot that has been adapted is the one of ‘Violet’ holding the teddy bear. This has still been included, but is instead placed at the end of the trailer and is cut into three different shots, separated by flashes.

Moodboard

This moodboard shows some of the things we are planning to incorporate in our trailer, from setting, to characters, and similar media texts.

Group's Trailer Ideas

Dan's Idea –

Set in an abandoned hospital, in its past life – several children were murdered by who was meant to be their legal guardian. All of the children, bar one, died peacefully and were buried. One child came back as a spirit and haunted anything and everything it could find. One group of teenagers decide to investigate the hospital and when they get there it all starts off fine, but as the teenagers explore the dark rooms one problem leads to another, and no-one is safe.

Main Characters: Group of innocent college students, typical ‘slasher horror’ sort of group, typical blonder, ‘badman’ and others.

Location: Set in an abandoned hospital, late noughties. Old English marsh sort of surrounding.

My Idea –

Set in the modern day in an old mental hospital, a group of teens explore as they discover the building on their way to a party. Little do they know that the past patients here were mistreated – abused by those who were supposed to be taking care of them. Haunted by spirits of the mistreated patients, the teens must fight their way out and find their escape. Unfortunately for them, they cannot see what it is they’re up against.

Main Characters: A group of between 4 and 6 students, aged around 17.

Location: Old abandoned hospital somewhere in the country – out of the way, similar to The Cabin in the Woods.

Zak’s Idea –

Set in an old care home/orphanage, the spirit of an abused child haunts anyone that comes near. A group of high school/college students venture inside, having been told that the building will be the site of a rave. Apparently having found the wrong location as nobody else turns up, the students become trapped and have to escape the spirit in order to survive. But do they all make it out alive?

Main Characters: A group of teens, between 16 and 18 years old.

Location: Abandoned and derelict buildings, some scenes in a school/college.


We have decided that the voted idea for our trailer will a combination of all three of these ideas. All of these ideas are incredibly similar,  only differing slightly mostly in terms of location, and details which would be major if creating an entire film but as we are only creating a trailer will probably go unnoticed.

Recces

Release Forms

Here are some of the talent release forms for the actors in our trailer. Unfortunately, along with several of the talent release forms, our location release form has gone missing. However, we did have full permission to use the location, and full permission from each actor, and or their parents/guardians as necessary for the trailer.

Props and Costume List

Here is a list of the kind of props and costume we will be using in our horror film trailer.

• Costume - Regular clothing
• Fountain pen
• Teddy bear
• Cigarette
• Hammer
• Folders
• Paper
• Bat
• Car
• Books
• Torches
• Toys

Production Schedule - Violet

Shot List - Violet

How Research has Impacted our Ideas

Research has not majorly impacted our group's idea. Our original idea had already met several parts of the criteria for a standard horror movie. It is set in a dark, abandoned location to create a scary atmosphere. The protagonists are all teenagers as this seems to be a key convention of horror movies, as well as to attract the largest audience of horror fans as most are young adults.

 

 

Horror Character Analysis

Horror Trailer Analysis Two - Grave Encounters

Above is the trailer for the 2011 supernatural-horror film, Grave encounters. The film was written and directed by The Vicious Brothers and stars Sean Rogerson, Mackenzie Gray, and Ben Wilkinson among others. With a budget of $2 million, the film grossed a total of $5,408,334 at the box office more than doubling its worth, and has an IMDB rating of 6.1 out of 10.

This film trailer is particularly interesting. Although it does show an equilibrium at the beginning, the first shot is fuzzy and static – like a camera that doesn’t work. Despite the equilibrium, this may create a sense of disturbance or disorientation. We then get a mid-shot of Lance [Sean Rogerson], the host of Grave Encounters; a popular fictional ghost investigation television series. This creates a connection between the character and the audience.

We then see an establishing shot with a caption, informing us that the following events will take place at ‘Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, Ryerson Valley, MA’. After this, we see several hand-held/point of view shots, which create a further connection between the audience and the trailer itself – it brings us into the trailer, as if we are a part of it. At this point, we see a couple of shots which look like footage being replayed. This adds to the context of the trailer and the film itself.

A voice comes in now, adding further context. Halfway through this piece of dialogue is a cut, and we see an over-the-shoulder shot of an elderly lady being interviewed. The dialogue belongs to her which adds more context, showing that interviews of locals are part of the fictional television series created for this film. This adds a degree of realism and therefore potentially scares the audience more as it gives the trailer more depth making it seem more likely, bringing the audience closer to the world of the characters by showing them something with which they can identify.

Further into the trailer we see the Grave Encounters crew being shown around the hospital, presumably by the caretaker. Following this, the trailer begins to get more intense, showing us more of what happens in the film. These shots include monster-like creatures appearing, panic shots of the crew members, and a particularly interesting shot of a bed frame being thrown around seemingly by nothing. This is all shown through hand-held shots, which once again bring the audience into the trailer, making them feel like a part of the experience.

These shots also use a variety of different angles, such as low angles and canted angles. A great example of a canted angle is when Lance is lying on the floor with the camera facing him, which seems to be him staying low and keeping hidden from any monsters. Many of the shots are also filtered so that they are green and slightly grainy, like night-vision footage. This again adds realism and context to the trailer, adding another layer of depth and potentially making the audience feel even more unsettled.

The main sound in the trailer is dialogue, although there is some background music and a few sound effects. However, I think the most effective sound in the trailer is the screaming. It is uneasy, loud, and piercing, which may cause the audience to jump and be more alert. Also, Sasha’s [Ashleigh Gryzko] dialogue seems to be very effective – her voice becomes breathless, rough and panicked toward the end of the trailer, showing that she is clearly distressed due to what is happening.

Horror Trailer Analysis One - Resident Evil: Retribution

This is the trailer for Resident Evil: Retribution. Written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, it is the fifth instalment in the Resident Evil film series, released in 2012. Anderson also wrote and directed the first film, and the fourth instalment of the series. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Michelle Rodriguez, Shawn Roberts, Oded Fehr, Johann Urb and many others. The Resident Evil film series is based on the video game series, created and owned by Capcom. As a fan of both the video game series and the film series, it is interesting to see how this film, as well as the others, tie in with the video games’ storyline – although the tie is loose. For example, characters such as Ada and Leon feature in several of the video games, whereas Milla Jovovich’s character Alice does not appear in any of the video games. I believe that the concept of creating a series of films based on a series of video games is extremely effective: a big part of my seeing the films at all was due to growing up playing the video games – as I’m sure was the case for many others.

The film had a budget of $65 million, earning an impressive $240,159,255 at box office almost quadrupling its worth, and proving its success. The point of a film trailer is ultimately to convince people to watch the film being advertised by grabbing their attention and revealing small parts of the storyline. This trailer does exactly that – it reveals to the audience interesting and significant, yet small parts of the plot. In this case, one of these pieces of information is that Alice’s memories have been imprinted in her mind. This is an intriguing part of the plot to reveal, for a couple of reasons. One being that the trailer starts with an equilibrium – a typical, American suburb in which Alice lives with her husband [we know she is married from the extreme close-up in which we see her eyes and a ring as she has her hand placed close enough beside her head for the ring to be in the frame] and daughter, causing the audience to realise that this equilibrium was fake, as well as this being a realisation for Alice who has the fact revealed to her by Li Bingbing’s character, Ada. The second is that this is the fifth instalment to the Resident Evil film series, meaning that for anyone that has seen the previous four films, anything recalled from Alice’s memory in any of the previous instalment is immediately called into question as to whether or not it is true.

As the film switches from the disrupted equilibrium to show the audience what is really going on, there are a number of captions. At first, these are written in a simple, neat font in white placed on a plain black background. Then, the final caption at this stage which reads ‘NEVER EXISTED’, changes to a sharper, metallic font on a dark, fog-like background. This new font is silver in colour, typical of the Resident Evil film series, and may connote knives, or even part of the genre of the film – science-fiction. The new background for these captions also creates a sense of disorientation, which then leads to a further element of mystery. In addition to this, the voice over revealing that Alice’s memories are fake continues over a cut which shows one of these ‘memories’ in black and white – the transition being static like a camera that has stopped functioning properly. This further adds to the sense of mystery and disorientation.

I think that the extreme close-up of Alice’s eyes being one of the first things we see in the trailer is effective as it introduces the character to the audience almost immediately. At the same time, the background music which has been playing since the trailer began with two establishing shots becomes lower with the sound of an alarm clock interrupting it. At this point, the main sound in the trailer is dialogue, with the background music stopping eventually – possibly to show that the equilibrium is about to be destroyed. Sure enough, that is exactly what happens. After another few seconds of normality, a monster comes crashing in attacking Alice’s husband, signifying the typical disruption required in any horror film. From here there are a number of cuts showing the monsters, and Alice and Becky’s escape all mixed together.

At this point the audience is given more information as to what’s actually happening – that Alice is under control, as revealed by Wesker [Shawn Roberts. After this, we get another voice over, this time from Alice, informing us that she was used to perfect ‘the virus’, and now that everyone and everything she knows is being used against her, and that ‘now, they can manipulate the world’. All of this is a lot to take in, but there is one key piece of information – Alice is part of something much bigger than the audience had perhaps anticipated. We can gather this as we are told that ‘they can manipulate the world’, as well as being told that ‘this is humanity’s last stand’, as though the upcoming events are like a final battle, emphasising that there have been similar events beforehand.

Throughout all of this, there are more cuts and fades from scene to scene, introducing us to more characters and showing us more of the events within the film. This is another way to try and pull in consumers – they may see an actor or actress they particularly like, which may persuade them to see the film. Amongst these are a large variety of camera angles and shots, including mid-shots, long-shots, close-ups, and pans.

Although Resident Evil: Retribution is a horror film, the main genres seem to be action and sci-fi. This is shown throughout the trailer due to a number of different factors, such as the font used for the captions which may depict elements of the sci-fi genre, and some of the footage shown in the trailer itself which may depict elements of an action film – for example the last piece of footage we see is Alice throwing some kind of bladed weapon at Jill [Sienna Guillory], who dodges. A few seconds before this, we see that the film has used 3D technology, which may attract more potential consumers who enjoy films created with the use of this technology.

Horror Trailer Analysis Three - The Cabin in the Woods

This is the trailer for The Cabin in the Woods, the 2012 satirical horror starring Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, and Kristen Connolly among others. The film has received an IMDB rating of 7.1 out of 10, and made a solid profit of over $66 million at box office, more than doubling its worth from its $30 million budget.

The characters’ suburban setting is immediately introduced to us through an establishing shot, displaying an equilibrium – this is very conventional of horror films and their trailers. This shot, combined with the music that goes with it, creates a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. After this, the camera pans around the campeer van, almost as if someone is watching the protagonists. This adds elements of horror, like they are being spied on. However, the audience would probably still feel relatively comfortable as the music is still upbeat.

The extreme close up of Curt’s [Chris Hemsworth] hand turning the key in the ignition may be significant – it signifies the beginning of their journey. After this, we see several pans and tracking shots. These types of shots are effective as they show the characters’ journey in a way that makes the audience feel like they are part of the trailer, especially as some of the shots are almost like point of view shots. There are also a few shots recorded inside the camper van where the camera moves with the vehicle, again making it seem to the audience as though it is something they are seeing for themselves.

About 26 seconds into the trailer, the comfortable, upbeat music stops. After this, the main sound in the trailer is character dialogue. During the next few shots, we see some mid-shots and some close-ups of different characters, reinforcing the element of the protagonists as a group, and the older man as an antagonist on his own, his face being the main focus of the frame when he is on screen. His dirty appearance also gives a stereotypical portrayal of being a villain of some sort. Shortly after this we are shown another establishing shot, this time taken from a lower angle. The shot shows the cabin itself, and low angle makes it seem more dominant and powerful than if it was shown from above.

Here, we are shown a caption which reads ‘YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE STORY’. This appears on screen to a beat in a new track in the sound mix, which is much lower, slower, and more sinister than the previous piece of music, creating a sense of unease for the audience. Similarly to the previous caption, another one appears on screen which reads ‘YOU THINK YOU KNOW THE PLACE’, again on a beat, continuing the uncomfortable atmosphere. We are then shown a shot of Curt diving into the lake which some of the other protagonists are in already – they don’t know as of yet what is really happening.

A little bit further into the trailer and the audience is given the most vital piece of information within the trailer – the protagonists have walked into a trap, a set up. This is shown to us through three different shots – the older man from earlier who is on the telephone, another shot of what appear to be surveillance screens, and a third shot which again consists of screens but also two men sitting either side of the frame at large control desks.

After a couple more shots of the protagonists being completely oblivious as to what’s happening, we begin to see some more shots at a faster pace. The majority of these are of the protagonists being attacked, such as Jules [Anna Hutchison] and Curt in the woods, but in between these there are odd shots of controls being activated by someone, although we never see who. Eventually, Marty [Fran Kranz] catches on to what is happening, telling Dana [Kristen Connolly] that ‘somebody sent those things’. At this point, more and more panic-like shots, which depict more and more monsters, are shown at a quick pace to create and unsettling atmosphere for the audience – to keep them alert. Then, after the title of the film is shown, we see that Dana and Marty have survived the longest as they establish whether or not they want the elevator they have found to go down. Clearly having no other option, they take the elevator as shown through a small montage of mid-shots and close-ups of Dana and Marty, the last of which is Dana hitting out at something and screaming. These shots make the audience wonder where Dana and Marty are taken in the elevator and what else they encounter. The very last shot leaves the audience wondering what happens to Dana, and creates a lasting impression that may be what persuades them to go and see the film.

Film Distribution and Marketing

1. What is meant by the term film distribution?

 

Film distribution is when a film is made, then shown to an audience in a cinema. Between this is also the stage where people are made aware of the film, for example through marketing campaign and advertisments.

2. What does a film distributor do?

 

• Producer/company acquires rights to film a sotry or treatment.
• Screenplay is developed by one or more writers.
• Production finance and cast and crew are confirmed.
• Principal photography takes place, in studios and/or on agreed locations, followed by some months of post-production, editing and scoring.
• Distributor develops release strategy, considers release date, and takes delivery of a master print of the finished film.
• Distributor presents the film to exhibitors and negotiates bilateral agreements to have it shown in cinemas.
• Distributor's marketing campaign aims to create a 'want to see' buzz among the target audience and launches the film.
• Film prints including the British Borad of Film Classification certificate are delivered to cinemas a few days before opening.
• Film's run extends any number of weeks subject to demand, which may be augmented by additional marketing.
• Following its run in cinemas, the film is released in other formats (home entertainment, television) and quickly becomes a catalogue title.

Chart taken from: 'Guide to UK film distribution 2012', page 9.


3. How does reach relate to film distribution?

The reach of a film relates directly to the film distribution as if the film is not marketed and/or distributed well, its reach will be less. For example, part of the marketing campaign for each film is advertising. Without advertising, many people would likely not hear about the film and as a result may not ever see it.

 

 

4. What is meant by the marketing plan?

 

"The marketing objective is to create visibility, raise awareness and engage interest, cutting through the blizzard of competing messages." - 'Guide to UK film distribution 2012', page 21.

 

Each film is marketed similarly, but to different consumer audiences. There are several marketing techniquesm such as film posters, trailers, online sites and mobile media. Each of these targets specific audiences, for example a horror film is more likely to be marketed towards young adults aged 15+, or possibly even 18+, as opposed to a film like 'Toy Story' which is aimed toward young children and families.

 

5. What is meant by the distribution plan?

 

 

Audiences and Institutions - "The Woman in Black" (Watkins 2012)

1. Who do you think the primary and secondary target audience is for "The Woman in Black"? Why?

I think the primary target audience for this film is young adults as the age certificate on the film is 12, as well as Daniel Radcliffe playing the main character in the film which would have drawn in many of the fans of the "Harry Potter" franchise. The secondary audience for the film is probably slightly older people, possibly from the middle class. This may be because the film originated as a book, and then was staged in various locations as a theatre play.

 

 

2. How was "The Woman in Black" marketed?

 

The marketing campaign for "The Woman in Black" was extremely large. It was very widespread, with advertising coming from radio stations, televised advertisements, YouTube trailers, and promotional film posters etc. Not only this, but there were Facebook and Twitter pages set up for the film, as well as Daniel Radcliffe's Facebook page posting soem content around the time the film was being made and marketed. Daniel Radcliffe also did a series of interviews about the film, partly to show that we was able to break out of the "Harry Potter" role, but also to talk about the film itself.

 

 

3. Do you think the marketing materials for the film were appropriate? Why?

 

Yes - the way the film was marketed and promoted through different media platforms was particularly clever and allowed for a wider reach in terms of audience. For example, radio advertisements would probably have reached the middle classes who may have read the book or seen the play, while the YouTube trailers would probably have been aimed at film fanatics, and the Facebook and Twitter pages probably targeted the young adults and "Harry Potter" fans.

 

 

4. What kind of release did the film have?

 

The film's release was very big, and greatly successful and had a gross of $54,322,273 (April 29th, 2012). On the opening weekend, it was shown in 2,855 screens in the USA, and a further 412 screens a week later in the UK, totalling  3,267 screens in the USA and UK alone within just one week. At the world premiere in London, many of Radcliffe's fans attended purely because he was there as opposed to actually wanting to see the film; which they may not have had he not starred in it.

 

 

5. How much did "The Woman in Black" cost to make? What was the industry impact of the film?

 

"The Woman in Black" had an estimated budget of $17,000,000; meaning that by the end of April 2012 it had more than trebled its worth.

The Representation of Women in Relation to "The Cabin in the Woods"

1. What are Jeremy Tunstall's 4 character roles for women and do they apply to "The Cabin in the Woods"?

Jeremy Tunstall, in his book "The Media in Britain", identified four types of character roles presented by women.

Character Types (and whether or not they apply to "The Cabin in the Woods"):

• Domestic - No; none of the women in this film are presented in a domestic role.
• Consumer - Again, none of the women are presented as consumers.
• Marital - No, however we are made aware of a wife within the film (the zombie mother).
• Sexual - Yes; Dana is desired by Holden, while Jules is sexually objectified by almost every male character in the film, at some point, with the exception of Truman.

2. How is Dana typical of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory?

• Audience Identification - Clover argues that the audience will identify with the 'Final Girl', through identifying with the fright of being attacked. We are also shown a direct example of this in the film when Dana is being attacked by the zombie on the pontoon; we are shown a cut to the control room in the underground facility during which one of the 'game makers' almost empathises with her.
• Gender Fluidity of the Final Girl - Clover says that "The Final Girl is a congenial double for the adolescent male who remains virginal and pure". Dana does remain virginal and she also fights back throughout the film, which may be seen as a masculine trait. An example of this is when she and Marty are in the underground facility and she releases monsters on the security team.

• Horror and Homogeneity - Dana fits this concept of Clover's 'Final Girl' theory as she does not have sex, drink, or take drugs etc. She does not, at any point in the film, venture outside "socially acceptable parameters". Her appearance also supports this; her body is completely covered with the exceptions of her forearms, ankles and face. She is not sexually objectified, except briefly as Holden sees her changing through the one-way window, or possibly through 'Male Gaze' at the beginning of the film when she is seen in her underwear.

• The Final Girl: Empowered Woman or Damsel in Distress - Although Dana fights back in the film, it takes her a long time to do so. She is often in need of rescue; such as when one of the zombies is smashing through her window and Holden saves her by breaking the window between their rooms. She is not a victim of masculine rage, but rather of a twisted "tradition" that the 'game makers' follow.

3. Jules undergoes physical and emotional transformations during the film. What are they and how do they cause her to become a horror archetype?

One of the first pieces of information we are given in the film is that Jules has dyed her hair blonde. This becomes symbolic of her objectification in the film and therefore emphasises the idea that the slutty female will be the first to die. Another point in the film which is symbolic of her objectification is the reaction to the dare she receives from Marty which she executes willingly and without hesitation.

One of the emotional changes that Jules goes through in the film is the transition from having innocent fun with her friends to going out into the woods with Curt. To begin with she is just having a good time, but then her frame of mind changes and she wants to have sex with Curt. At this point, Jules experiences another emotional change; fear. The pair are attacked in the woods by the zombies, and we see a close up of Jules' face and a jagged saw blade right before she is killed.

4. Is Mulvey's 'Male Gaze' theory exemplified in the film and if so, how?

Mulvey's theory is echoed throughout the film in several ways, the most obvious and possibly the most significant being Jules' dance in front of the fireplace in the cabin. She dances provocatively in order to create sexual interest in both the male characters in the film, and the male audience. She is in the centre of the frame, making it clear that she is what the audience is supposed to be focusing on, as well as this shot being a point of view shot which locks the audience's vision to her.

A not-so-typical example of the theory being shown in the film may be when Dana is in the camper van in the lake. She is trapped in the van underwater, creating the sense that she is restricted. She is also literally restricted by her seat belt, as well as the confines of the van itself until she eventually manages to open the hatch through which she escapes. Also, another odd but possible example of the theory being exemplified may be when she is being attacked by the zombie on the pontoon. Just beforehand, we look down on her to see that she is laying there, panting. Then, the way the zombie throws her around may create a sick sense of male dominance.

5. In the film we, as an audience, are made to be voyeurs; when does this happen and why is it important in regards to representation of character?

As an audience we are made to view certain characters sexually, usually through the point of view of another character. An example of this is when Holden sees Dana undressing through the one-way window. This is significant in the representation of Holden's character as he is the scholar; therefore, supposedly, the nice guy of the group. However, upon viewing this scene, we may question him as a character, or even his morals. Another point in the film at which we are made to be voyeurs is when Jules and Curt are about to have sex in the woods; and we even see the men in the control room as voyeurs as well. This supports the stereotype that men objectify women and see them as being there to satisfy their sexual desires and fantasies.

6. Summarise (briefly) the way women are represented in "The Cabin in the Woods". Are they objectified and there to provide satisfaction for heterosexual males and/or do they fulfill another role/purpose?

Women are definitely presented sexually in the film, and seen as being there to provide satisfaction for the heterosexual males; several examples of this are seen in answers to the previous questions. However, there is also another purpose for women in the film. Dana, "the virgin", has the role in the "tradition" of being pure, as if she is the only one worthy of the Gods that the others have been sacrificed for. This is supported by the fact that she is allowed either to die or to live.

Also, at the beginning of the film, Jules and Curt are seen helping Dana find the right book, presumably for her educational studies. This suggests that women are able to get an education and eventually a job, and therefore fulfill several different types of roles. This is further supported as there are female employees at the underground facility, as well as the fact that none of the women in the film are presented in a domestic role, showing that women are breaking free of those stereotypes.

Narrative Theory Relating to "Halloween" and "The Crazies"

"Halloween"




"The Crazies"

1. Does "The Crazies" follow the Classical Hollywood Narrative (CHN)? Why or why not?

 

The Crazies does not follow the CHN for a number of reasons. For example, there is a desequilibrium right at the beginning of the film. Another example is the lack of a happy ending despite David and Judy managing to escape.

 

2. How many of Propp's character types can be identified in "The Crazies"?

 

Hero - David

False Hero - Russell, Military

Villains - Crazies, Military, Government, Mayor

Donor - None

Helper - Judy, Russell

Princess - Becca, Judy

Princess' Father - None

Dispatcher - Mayor (inadvertantly)

 

3. List five examples of binary oppositions in "The Crazies" and explain them briefly.

 

a) Good vs. Evil: The virus that has infected "The Crazies" acts as an evil force, sending them on a killing spree. The good in the film, embodied by David and Judy, manages to overcome the evil.

 

b) Sane vs. Crazy: This is a literal view of the events in the film; the sane characters attempting to fight against, then escape from, the infected ones.

 

c) Moral vs. Immoral: It is arguable that the government could be seen as immoral for ever creating a virus such as the one used in the film. A strong example of a moral character is Judy. We are shown this in several scenes, such as when she contemplates that she may be infected, and when she screams to save Becca from being murdered.

 

 d) Safe vs. Unsafe: Safety is never really seen in the film, although there are points where the characters feel safe. For example, Judy seems to feel safe when they reach their home again. She also seems to feel safe enough to be left alone in the diner to wait for David.

 

e) Day vs. Night: A key convention of horror; distressing events often, if not always, occur during the night. However in "The Crazies", the first distressing event we are shown happens in broad daylight when David shoots Rory on the baseball field.

 

4. Identify the three 'durations' and give an estimate of the time each duration covers in "The Crazies".

 

a) Screen time - 92 minutes.
b) Plot time - 3 days.

c) Story time - 1-2 years approx.

 

5. Give two examples of events that cause later events in the film, but occur before the films 'starts'.

 

a) Creation of the virus.

b) Judy's pregnancy.

 

6. List two events from the 92 minute film that happen in a different time and space to the one we are shown.

 

a) Infection of civilians in other towns.

b) Spiking of the tyres on the Sheriff's truck.

 

The History of Horror

Roots of Horror in Classic Literature:

Mary Shelley conceived the idea of Frankenstein having listened to ghost stories at Lord Byron's home. She was there with her husband, Romantic poet Percy Shelley, and her half-sister Claire, who would later become the lover of Lord Byron (another Romantic poet of the time). Byron had challenged the three to come up with the most terrifying ghost stories they could, and after days of rain, storms and gloom, Mary had a nightmare from which the concept of Dr. Frankenstein's monster was born. Frankenstein in some instances had a somewhat negative effect on society at the time. For example, the story raised controversy within the Science vs. Nature, or Science vs. Religion arguments. As well as this, the scene in which the monster throws a girl into a lake, causing her to drown, raised major upset among parents at the time, purely because they were uncomfortable with seeing this.

Bram Stoker was living in Whitby when a Russian ship, the Demeter, ran aground there. It has been said that a big part of his inspiration for writing Dracula came from rumours about a massacred crew and a large black dog which had leapt from the ship. It is also possible that he may have had a particular interest in folklore. It is probable that he wrote for the money, as he wrote many other books, although none hit the mark like Dracula. Dracula probably had one of the biggest impacts of these three novels. Although people would have known the character of Dracula was not real, realism was added to the story by his ability to transform into a bad. This was on top of the idea of diseases and infections being spread through being bitten.

Robert Louis Stevenson may, like Shelley, have written Jekyll and Hyde due to having dreamt about it. Aside from this, Stevenson was apparently intrigued by the concept of 'duality' - that every person has a good side and an evil side; that these two opposing forces are inherent in every human being. This work is largely associated with the rare mental condition referred to in psychiatry as 'dissociative identity disorder', meaning that there exists more than one distinct personality within someone's body (in the case of Dr. Jekyll, these are good and evil). This is something which people of the time were extremely uncomfortable with. This is clear because, due to the impact of the novella, the very phrase 'Jekyll and Hyde' has become a part of our modern language coming to mean somebody who is very different in moral character from situation to the next.

The Horror of the Silent Era:

Nineteenth century audiences enjoyed seeing ghosts captured in still photography, so it was natural that the techniques would be transferred to new technology in order to tell fantastic and bizarre stories. Although the first moving pictures tended to be of the action and comedy genres, early film makers used photographic trickery to explore darker stories with supernatural and psychological themes. These are recognisable as the first horror films. The first horror film on record is titled Le Manoir du Diable, and was created in 1896. It was created by one of film's earliest visionaires, Georges Mélies. Despite having a running time of little over three minutes, this supernatural story still manages to pack in all the genre stereotypes; ghosts, bats, trolls, cauldrons etc., all of which appear and disappear in puffs of smoke.

German expressionism refers to many related creative movements beginning in Germany prior to WWII, which were most popular in Berlin during the 1920s. The developments in Germany were part of a larger expressionist movement in European culture in ways such architecture, painting and cinema. Some German expressionist films include The cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu.

Monsters and Mad Scientists:

During the 1930s, horror was reborn featuring monsters and mad scientists as the main characters. Sound began to play an important role in horror films at this point in time; the use of dramatic music to build suspense or music used to signify a threat then became a big part of the horror genre. The horror films of this decade still use 19th century literary classics as their source material. The films are often set in for off places, with the characters dressing in period costume. It was at this point that Universal Studios emerged having become extremely famous, partly due to their success with Frankenstein and Dracula. These monsters are still recognised today by people of all ages. Some other famous films from this era include King Kong, Freaks and The Mummy, with Frankenstein and Dracula being the most famous.

Enthusiasm for horror greatly increased from the 1920s to the 1930s. The cinema provided an escape from depression and the ominous war. 80 million people (65% of the total United States population) attended the cinema weekly in the decade of monsters and mad scientists. Universal Studios gave two actors their break through Frankenstein and Dracula; Boris Karloff (playing Frankenstein's monster) and Bela Lugosi (playing Dracula). Both of these actors were associated with horror for over eight decades after playing these characters. The mad scientist side of the genre had reached its peak in 1993, the year Hitler came to power, due to his dictatorship being similar to characters in some of these films. Despite this, these few years saw the production of some successful films including The Invisible Man and The Island of Lost Souls.

The Primal Animal Within - Werewolves and Cat People:

The majority of horror films during the 1940s were American products as, at that time, they were banned in Britain. Americans saw themselves as safe, whereas anything coming from Britain was seen as dangerous. As much as they tried, Americans could not keep themselves separate with their basic European roots coming through; links with lands of their ancestors would eventually pull them into WWII. Many horror films of the time also deal with roots peaking through in the form of men and women who were subject to the emergence of a primal animal identity. An example of an animal state being used as a negative way to show a person can be found in the 1940s film Pinocchio, where the bad boys in the film turn into donkeys.

It was wolves that became a threat in the early 1940s. Hitler himself strongly identified with the iconography and legends of a wolf. In old German, the name 'Adolf' means noble wolf. Hitler became obsessive with wolves, with many Nazi Party HQ being names after the animal. He even referred to his SS forces as his "pack of wolves". Not surprisingly then, Universal Studios chose to use the wolf as a figure of menace in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Mutant Creatures and Alien Invaders:

The end of WWII left 40 million dead, causing people to be more aware of the inhuman acts that man were capable of. Because of this, people were living with the fear of war. The horror films of the 1950s focused on the advance in science and technology, and therefore horror broke free from its literary roots and introducing mutants and aliens.

The Space Race was a competition during the mid 20th century between the USA and the Soviet Union. The Cold War meant both nations were focused on who would be the first to explore space, seeing it as essential for the security of their country. In the 1950s, America was under constant threat of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. Sightings of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico scared Americans, causing a new trend of horror/sci-fi films.

Ghosts, Zombies, Satanism and Your Family:

Many ghost stories appeared within the 1960s which may be seen as a reaction to some of the elaborate creature features of the late 1950s. The horror lies in the journey the main protagonist takes between their starting point of sanity, ending up with a case of psychosis. These reflect a preoccupation with change, often with women on the front line being the first, and often only ones to be destroyed by it.

Horror movies of the 1970s reflected the grim outlook of the decade. However, this is also the point at which big budget, respectable horror returned. These dealt with societal issues and mainly addressed genuine psychological fears, one of which was children and the fear of childbirth. One of the main films of that era that dealt with the fear of children was The Exorcist. It was banned in the United Kingdom up until 1999, and was also voted the scariest film of all time. Films like this reinforce that children can be unwanted and do bad things to their parents. The crumbling family becomes a source of fear and mistrust, implying that the enemy may be closer than originally thought. Satanism also comes into play here, as the enemy is possessed by the devil with the act of the exorcism having the purpose of getting rid of the devil.

Hammer Horror:

Hammer Horror is a British film company originally founded in 1934. It was largely successful in the 1950s where it had its major breakthrough. During these years, the company was thriving worldwide and was a hit across the globe, dominating the worldwide market. However, it died down again in the 1960s. Despite this, there are still Hammer Horror films such as The Woman in Black and Let the Right One in being classed under this sub-genre, although these were not as popular as Hammer Horror films were back in the 1950s. Eventually, the company ceased production and stopped producing films in the mid 1980s.

The UK Hammer studios reinvigorated Bram Stoker's novel Dracula by creating nine Dracula sequel films. These were low budget films which employed garish, sensual colours and blood reds - and more overt, suggestive sexuality and graphic violence. Director Terence Fisher created the classic Horror of Dracula (1958 UK), which was the first of the Hammer Horror films about Dracula, with Christopher Lee playing the reclusive Count Dracula. He eventually played Dracula in seven of the total nine Dracula films created by Hammer from 1958-1973.

Slasher Movies and Body Horror:

Slasher is a type of horror that depicts a person/killer that mutilates people by using weapons such as knives or razors. Body Horror is a genre of horror that's main feature is the graphically shown destruction and degeneration of the human body or bodies. Some horror films which also follow these sub-genres are Scream, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th, Psycho, My Bloody Valentine and Prom Night. Slasher films first really came about in the 1980s due to the advances in technology allowing for the use of improved special effects, which therefore enabled film makers to show much more explicit scenes to their audience which the audience would love, hence the many sequels of films such as Scream or Nightmare on Elm Street. 

Audiences grew to love the killers from many Slashers such as Freddy Kreuger, Michael Myers, Chucky and Ghostface. This led to the creation of many sequels and spin-offs; Freddy vs. Jason, for example. Scream challenged the conventions of Slashers and Body Horrors by using a totally different motive for killing people as opposed to gaining something like revenge. The killer in Scream would kill people if they didn't know facts about other horrors, making it self-aware.

Format Fears and Moral Panics (Video Nasties):

The term 'straight to video' was born in the 1980s as a result of films being put directly on to VHS cassette tapes instead of being shown in cinemas. The popularity of horror at this time was at a new high, and the release of VHS tapes meant that films could be watched at home again and again. However, people soon noticed that children were getting access to (and viewing) horror films because they were on VHS. This then led to VHS tapes being blamed for changing Britain. Soon, newspapers were printing headlines about 'sick films warping a nation's young minds', and the UK government decided to take action. During the 1980s, 39 films made a list of the 'video nasties'. Some of the films included are Axe, Cannibal Apocalypse, The Burning and The Evil Dead. These films were then withdrawn from sale and banned within the UK.

Now, all 39 films on the 'video nasty' list are available purchase and view within the UK. However what hasn't changed, is the way some people feel about children watching violent and/or gory films. In 1993, Child's Play 3 was blamed as having influenced two ten-year-old boys who tortured and killed three-year-old James Bulger. Not everybody agreed with this though, and Inspector Ray Simpson of Merseyside Police commented: 'If you are going to link this murder to a film, you might as well link it to The Railway Children'.

Gorenography and Torture Porn:

Gorenography is a genre of film which focuses solely on showing brutal gore, where plot, story and character are practically non-existant. These films often claim to be horrors, but are completely different because they are not actually scary, just sick and twisted. A sub-genre of Echhi (Japanese animated pornography) usually involves the characters cutting one another apart with sharp instruments. The gore in such cases is extremely excessive, and may even include young, underage girls.

The popularisation of extreme graphic violence in the horror film franchise, in films such as Audition and Wrong Turn, took its cue from films like The Last House on the Left, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This helped with the emergence of a type of horror that emphasises depictions of torture, suffering and violent deaths.

People often imagine disturbing things; 'what if...?'. This can be represented within films as they are often fictional, allowing sick films to be deemed as 'ok' or 'acceptable'. People often get a thrill out of such films, also known as 'fear factor'. People also like to see how far horror and gore can be pushed, and some people even enjoy the satisfaction and/or adrenaline felt of being taken out of their comfort zone.