Suggested Elements (Emma Mitchell)

As our film is a horror film, lasting only 2 minutes, and must represent the genre horror, we need to build up a reasonably tense atmosphere and we could do this by using many different aspects of media. Iconography is essential in suggesting the type of genre a film is, in order to ensure the audience know our film genre is horror, we could do the following;

• We could use dark lighting/dark filter to suggest an ominous atmosphere, and also to make the film more eerie.


• Music is an essential element of horror films, as it adds tone and depth to the film, and therefore we should include non-diagetic sound in the film, to ensure tension is in the film.


• The audience must immediately be drawn into the film, and therefore we could use a character with blood on them, to represent what is to later happen in the film. (Do this by using flashback)


• We could have the diagetic sound of the same character screaming at the beginning, suggesting she is in pain, or scared. As our film is a horror movie, we would film the character screaming at the camera, in mid long shot, to show her facial expressions and the little of the background, adding a mystery eliment to the 2 minutes.


• Preferably, the character should be a girl because in most horror films, the last person standing against the monster of the film is usually a girl, as woman are less likely to succeed and live, and also they tend to scream, adding a more unnerving tone.
  

EXAMPLE

MISE-EN-SCENE
This is an image which I found on the internet which shows how our set design included in the first scene should be visualised.
The main character should be sat in a dimly lit room (dark filter), with a mid-long shot of her,
and her surroundings, with a defeated look upon her face.
Make up includes dark eyes to suggest the girl is distressed, and also to represent her deprivation
of sleep, and freedom. Her skin should be covered in dirt, scratches, bruises, cuts, blood etc,
to symbolise she has been/is being tortured. The costume should be a light/pastel coloured to symbolise her innocence and purity in the film, it also makes her look less inferior, rather than if she was to be wearing black. A lightly coloured costume would also make her stand out from the darkly lit room, representing that she should not be there.
The background should not be revealed just yet, as this then adds an element of mystery for the audience, and furthermore the shot then look claustrophobic to the audience, adding tension to the film. Predominately, the background should be a desolate area; a room, a wood etc, so the character looks alone and vulnerable, furthermore it should be based around the materials wood/stone/dirt as these surfaces look cold for the character to be sat upon, and this further adds an eerie tone.