Representation of Characters

A media texts success partially comes from the effectiveness of the representation of characters throughout. Representation in the media often has a lot to do with existing stereotypes of particular groups of people. The main representations focused upon are class, age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, regional identity; whether it be commonly represented within media texts or not.

The example that I chose to depict was the horror film, 'The Cabin in the Woods' which shows a group of teens who spend time in a deserted cabin that leads them to the discovery that they are being played in some sort of game that leads to their death.

I decided to look at each individual character and investigate how they further or in fact challenge stereotypical roles through common representations of characters, specifically within the horror genre. 

Make-up Experimentation

Hair and Make up ideas: Character Two

Character and Costume: Character Two

We decided to make the antagonist a young girl who previously died in the house, she is trying to help the girl to get out of the house because she was killed by the spirits. Sally mistakes this as her being the evil spirit within the house and continues to make her way down to the basement. The dead girl stands at the top of the stairs saying "save yourself" in an attempt to get her out of the house. When she is in the mirror Sally doesn't see her, she repeats "save yourself" and walks past without being noticed. This will provoke further fear within the audience.

She will be wearing old fashioned looking pyjamas which will be dark coloured. Her hair will be brown, long and straight however, it will have a messy look to it in order to imply that she is in fact dead. She will be wearing extremely pale make up with dark eyes, we will use greys and blacks in order to create this look. She will potentially have fake blood dripping down her neck in order to emphasise the look we are trying to accomplish. She will be a teenager, around the same age as our main character Sally which will further provoke fear within the audience as the reality of the horror will become even more apparent.

Opening Sequence: Storyboard

Over the duration of this planning time, we have continuously thought about what our story will be a how we will approach it. During this time we have altered our ideas at different stages, to improve them and ensure that they are as effective as they can be. To begin the process, I looked at existing products to validate my understanding of our chosen genre. Then, I thought of some ideas and we collated the ideas as a group in order to begin to develop a clear image and direction for our opening sequence. We believed that the most effective way to do this would be a storyboard. Therefore, we sat down as a group and thought about the best ideas we had initially put forward, then came to a final decision and accumulated our ideas within a storyboard.

Focus Group Preparation

To prepare for our Focus Group we prepared ten questions to ask our participants during the discussion. We also decided to produce an information sheet to inform the contributors about the basic information they are required to know about our final ideas for the opening sequence. We decided to inform them about the title of our film, character profile and a brief description of the storyline. I believe that this will help us to prompt the group and ensure they are knowledgeable about our ideas in order to aid the discussion and for it to be a success.

Distributors for the Horror Genre

I researched different film distributors and categorised them into genre, in particular the horror genre. I looked at the specific distributors that are common distributors for this particular genre. I picked out three examples of distributors to use for our horror opening sequence:

1. Lionsgate: Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a a Canadian-American entertainment company. It has distributed films such as The Hunger Games, however it has also distributed a number of horror films. These include The Last Exorcism, The Cabin in the Woods and Acts of Death.

2. Blumhouse Productions: Blumhouse Productions was founded by Jason Blum. Blumhouse has produced several comedy films, science fiction films and multiple horror films. Although they specialise in low-budget films, Blumhouse has become well-known worldwide with the success of Paranormal Activity in 2009.

3. Hammer Films: Hammer was founded in 1934 by jeweller and theatre owner William Hinds. The company didn't originally begin making horror movies, but after the success of The Quatemess Experiment in 1955, the company produced many Gothic monster movies. Examples of horror films that have been distributed by Hammer are: The Woman in Black, The Resident and Let Me In.

Opening Sequence: Props

One we had thought about the character, costume and location, we began to think about props. I researched existing and the common props that are used throughout the horror genre. These include: curtains, household appliances which will create a sense of realism due to the domestic nature of these items. Also, we will use a mirror which will be a main focus as she will be looking into it and a figure will go past behind her - this will create a sense of mystery and suspense which will support the aim and ideology behind the sequence. Doors will slam, windows will unexpectedly open and curtains will move harshly without intention. This will further the mystery and horror concept. Floorboards and stairs will creak, as well as unexpected noises.

Evaluation of the Preliminary Task

During filming we used the Ipad to film the clips, once we were around half way through filming we realised we made an error. Unfortunately we had filmed the clips portrait which we discovered wasn't the most successful way to do so. Therefore, we filmed those clips again and fortunately, we managed to film them effectively and to a good standard. This put us back a bit on filming time however, we managed to film all the necessary clips to include in our Preliminary Task.

In my group it is me, Georgia and Danielle. During the filming process it was Georgia and Danielle who played the two characters who engage in the conversation. I took the role of filming the clips and then once we had filmed all of the clips we thought about the editing process. We all had a role to play in this and all engaged in discussion about what direction we wished to take this video through this stage of the process. As a group we collated all of our ideas and brought them together in order to create the final product.

Once we had filmed our preliminary task we started to think about how we would edit it together. We thought about the order of the clips, as well as the length, transitions and soundtracks as well as further sound effects. Once we had thought about this we began the editing process. First of all we ordered our clips to the desired effect in order for it to flow, then began to think about transitions in order to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible. Once we had done this we watched it through and picked out any mistakes we may have made in order to correct them efficiently. We then began to think about the filter we would use within our video. To decide this, we thought about our genre and came to the conclusion that black and white could be an effective way of linking the genre and theme into our set task. We therefore changed the filter and once again watched it through in order to make a second judgement on what we had created thus far. Once we had decided whether this was effective, we moved onto the soundtrack and any sound effects we may wish to use.

We researched existing soundtracks used within popular psychological horror films and then began to think about what we could use for ours. This was extremely helpful not only for the preliminary task, but also our opening sequence task because it gave us an insight into the types of soundtracks and sound effects that make a successful horror film. We looked through the file within Final Cut Pro, and found a track that we could insert to play throughout the duration of the clips. It has an eerie and mysterious feel in order to link into our genre. We then wanted to find a sound to be used when doors open and close. For this we looked on the website ‘Soundbible.com’ which enables you to use sounds without worry of copyright. We also found a scream on this website, which we decided to use in the final clip of the video for a dramatic effect and further imply the idea of mystery and suspense.

Once we had completed each step of the editing process we ensured that we re-watched the entirety of the video. We did this to enable ourselves to critique our work and make changes by shortening clips, adding more sound effects, differing transitions etc. This helped us as it enabled us to perform a type of quality control check after each stage which made the process run more smoothly and effectively.

Our preliminary task had to include different shot types, specifically shot-reverse-shot, match on action and the 180 degree rule. We ensured that we used this during the process of filming and checked that it had been used during the editing process as well. Within the video we have used the 180 degree rule and shot-reverse-shot together during the conversation the two characters have. Then we used match on action during the journey into the classroom, once the two characters leave the classroom as well as the journey to the hall. I believe that we have used our time effectively and created a successful video that enables the audience to have an insight into our genre as well as the fact that we have ensured that we have used a range of techniques and shot types.

Preliminary Task: Final Product

Hair and Make up Ideas: Character One

Opening Sequence: Character and Costume

We want the character to have normal clothing and quite a normal attitude. I believe that this will relate to the audience further as it emphasises the normality of the characters juxtaposed with the paranormal activity that is of course, out of the ordinary and away from normality.

Character Profile:
Name: Sally Wilson
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Background: Quite a normal girl, outgoing yet doesn't enjoy being the centre of attention by any means. Seeks a sense of adventure and mystery in order to discover new things. An only child that isn't very close with her parents. Recently moved into a new house in the middle of nowhere, away from her friends and relatives. She feels isolated and trapped away from her home town. Display of innocence and purity.
Appearance: Brown, medium length hair. Around 5"8.

How do we plan to represent her?
She is going to be innocent and have a sense of vulnerability about her. However, she seeks adventure and discovery of new things. We will use the Final Girl theory as she 'survives' at the end at the 'villain' does not defeat her. Although she is vulnerable she is strong and willing to seek adventure no matter the consequences. She has a strong and concentrated mindset that takes her through the film, she overcomes the issue and resolves what was once the problem.

Costume
In order to achieve the desired look we have decided on 'normal' looking clothes with jeans and a top in order to fit the personality we have set. Innocence and purity will be displayed through her appearance of minimal make-up and plain, simple clothing. She will also wear a simple jacket to complete the look.

Makeup:
Her make up will be minimalistic with pale skin to suggest innocence and purity. Cheeks will be a subtle pink colour to show youth and therefore emphasise this idea of innocence. She will wear a small amount of eye shadow and to finish it off she will wear a coat of mascara. Her lips will be a light pink colour to further imply an in-corrupt, moral character.

Opening Sequence: Audience Profile

For our opening sequence, we have decided on a target audience of 15-20 as we believe that this will target the exact people that will be interested in this sort of film. I believe that people of this age will also have similar interests to us therefore, we can take this into account and construct something that they can relate to and enjoy as a result of this. It will be aimed at males and females within this age group.

Name: Holly
Age: 16
Gender: Female
Interests and hobbies: She loves to socialise with friends on the weekends and is a big fan of horror films. Her favourite horror film is The Conjuring because it builds suspense throughout and she enjoys the adrenaline from being scared. She loves to read and write as well as listen to music. She is extremely creative and passionate about art.
Dislikes: Rom Com's, because she believes that they are predictable and always play out in the exact same way. This is why she adores horror films due to the element of suspense and therefore surprise. There are multiple cliffhangers and tension throughout which leave you on the edge of your seat as you don't know what will happen next.

Why is location effective?

http://www.slideshare.net/ChloeRose220998/location-how-is-it-effective-in-relation-to-codes

Opening Sequence: Location/Setting

As a group we sat down and thought about the ideal setting of our opening sequence. Once we had researched existing films in our chosen genre, we thought about how we could adapt this and use it within our opening sequence. Our chosen genre is psychological horror, therefore I looked at existing films such as Paranormal Activity 4, Insidious and The Conjuring. The thing that all three of these films have in common is the setting: a house. The location of a house portrays the idea of a domestic, family unit which is close to reality therefore, has the desired effect on the audience. If a film is close to reality and set in a house, no matter how unlikely the events within the film may be the audience will always fear the unknown as a house is domestic and relatable to everyone. We have decided to use a house with a mysterious look of the unknown due to the old nature of it. It has a basement where some of the action will take place as it is confined and therefore shows isolation of the character and therefore suspense for the audience. The house is surrounded by trees to emphasise the isolation we wish to portray and add to the desired feel of the opening sequence.

Opening Sequence:Paranormal Activity 4

Paranormal Activity 4 is another example of a psychological horror film which displays common attributes with other films within this genre that I have researched. It is set in a house, which is domestic therefore mirrors the idea of normality. The normality of the family setting is juxtaposed with the 'villain' that is present in the paranormal activity that occurs later on. There is a discovery of new neighbours within the opening sequence which implies a sense of mystery as to who they are and if they will play any sort of role throughout the duration of the film. The handheld shot of the camera is personal and you see the action as they do. It is closer to reality and therefore, entices and provokes fear within the audience.

Opening Sequence: Final Ideas

We took into consideration our initial ideas and decided upon our final ideas. We split these ideas into sub key areas in order to determine exactly what direction we were going to take our opening sequence in. In particular we looked at the title as well font, location, representation and props.

Title: We thought about a number of potential titles for our film, we thought of a few initial ideas. Then we decided on the title of 'Our House'. We believe that this will be effective as the setting will be a house - we chose a house in order to mimic the realistic sense of it, we aim to make it as close to reality as possible in order for it to successfully provoke fear within our audience. Many psychological films that I have researched take place in domestic settings to create this exact effect.

We believe that this title will be effective in that sense, however, it won't give too much away which will consequently leave room for mystery and intrigue for the audience.  At first glace it sounds innocent due to the domestic nature of the title and the setting. This innocent reflects the nature of the characters, as when they first move into the house it seems to be a 'normal' and typical house therefore, the tension is able to build when the paranormal activity begins to occur. This will provoke fear within the characters and therefore the audience.

Font: We looked at the font of the title and decided that it needed to fit into the theme of the film. Therefore, we looked at a typewriter font as we believe that it fits into the old-fashioned and haunted concept.  There will be a slight transparency to the font in order to imply paranormal and spirits to support the ideology behind the film.

Location: A house, which will be old looking with a sense of mystery yet appear to be innocent until the realisation occurs that there are paranormal happenings within the house. The front door will be the main focus of the initial shot which will be an establishing shot in order to inform the audience of the setting and the area in which this film will take place. The house will be the only setting that we will use within our opening sequence in order for it to give the desired domestic feel  which will provoke fear within the audience; there is a sense of realism and something that is close to reality.

Representation: The victim of the horror will be female, therefore it reflects the final girl theory. They will look like a typical teenager with an innocent appearance in order to emphasise the contrast between the 'villain' and the victim.

The 'victim' will not be represented by an action actor/character as it is a psychological horror and will consist of paranormal threat rather than physical threat like it would within a slasher horror. The paranormal activity will consist of moving household objects such as curtains etc as well as loud noises that pose threat and further props in order to emphasise this threat.

Props: Our props will consist of household items to further the idea of realism. These items will move unexpectedly and create sound in order to imply paranormal activity. Items such as doors, curtains, floorboards, mirrors will be used to create this idea.

The mirror will have a main focus, as she will be looking into it and will see a figure/ something moving behind her. This will provoke fear and lead to questioning of who it is, which will lead to further unexpected, paranormal occurrences.

Storyboarding: Preliminary Task

When beginning to tackle our Preliminary Task we first thought about our initial ideas, we wanted to surround it around the horror genre. We have decided to do this in order to focus our ideas on this particular genre for the opening sequence we will be producing in the near future. We have included the 180 degree rule, shot-reverse-shot and match on action. Story boarding helped us to collate all of our ideas and bring the image to life in order to visualise each step towards the final product. Before we collated our ideas onto the storyboard we drafted some ideas and brainstormed as a collaborative group in order to finalise our initial ideas. This helped us to focus our ideas and bring them together into one final plot.

After we had story boarded our ideas and got a clear image of the direction it was going to take, we began to think about filming. We thought about setting in particular, and decided that it would be in a classroom and then would move onto the hall in order to fulfill the desired plot of the task.

Questionnaire

We created a questionnaire and asked ten people, with a range of genders and interests in order to receive a wide variety of feedback. This is an example of the type of useful feedback we received in order to further investigate the path we are going to take with our opening sequence. We have received feedback on the structure of the film and how effective certain things are such as flashbacks and flash forwards, the codes and conventions for a horror film including what is usually expected of the genre by the audience. Expected attributes include cliffhangers, plot twists and fear provoking jumps that provide unexpected moments for the audience.

Shot types

There are a range of shot types that are used within the media in order to make it effective and lifelike. Movement needs to appear realistic and flow well therefore the shot type that can be used is match on action, which mimics the movements of a character in order to give the correct perspective and effectively create a scene that the audience can understand and engage with. It allows the scene to flow and appear realistic.

Conversations need to appear realistic and for this to occur the correct perspective needs to be presented, this is created through the use of the 180 degree rule.

The third and final shot type is shot-reverse-shot which consists of showing both characters within a conversation for example. Within a conversation it will show the dialogue of each character separately in order for the audience to witness both sides of the conversation that is occurring. It can also be used to show the action that is occurring from the characters perspective in order for the audience to audience to understand what is going on, for example it could show the threat that the character is faced with. Then, it will switch back to the characters face, which allows the audience to gain an understanding of how the character is feeling. This is due to certain facial expressions and chosen body language which will further allow them to empathise with that character.  Shot-reverse-shot also links to the 180 degree rule as it has to stay on the same side of this imaginary line in order for the conversation to flow and look realistic. It allows the audience to not get confused and allow them to follow the conversation and the characters that are engaging within it.

I looked at existing horror films in order to  identify when and where these particular shot types were used. I learnt that all of these shot types can effectively be used if they are used correctly. I used my research to look into our own opening sequence. I believe that all three can be effective within our own opening sequence as they will all allow us to build tension within the scene and effectively engage the audience on a personal level.

Consent Form

As part of our AS Level Media course we need to research into the horror genre and its audience, we will be asking you to show your opinion openly throughout this focus group. The information we gather will be used to help plan our opening scene to a horror film. Your ideas are importing in helping put together our final piece.

The feedback will be video recorded and posted onto Youtube as well as being posted onto our blogs which can be viewed by the public so we have proof of our research into audience; this is for academic and educational purposes only. There is no right or wrong answer and all answers and all answers can be your own ideas and opinions. We would really appreciate your involvement in our focus group.

I am happy to participate in the focus group whereby my ideas will be video recorded and used on Blogger and Youtube for educational purposes.

Signed..........................................

Psychological Horror Effective Soundtracks

I decided to research a number of soundtracks taken from popular psychological horror films in order to further my research into how to create an effective piece within the horror genre. I watched a number of opening sequences in particular, however I also focused on the remainder of the film to see how the soundtrack changes throughout. I also looked out for particular digetic and non-digetic, in order to distinguish between the two and see what was more effective. This helped me to analyse any previous ideas we had come up with and make any changes to them. Doing this for the preliminary task helped me within completing that as we began to experiment with potential soundtracks for our final opening sequence.

Certification

Each film takes a specific certificate based upon the content, nature and genre of the the film. They range from U to R18 and everything in between. All films receive a certificate along with consumer advice detailing references to sex, violence and coarse language. A certificate advices audience viewing over a specific age therefore, only those over that age may purchase it.

We looked at each rating and the genres as well as specific films that fit under each category. For example, we looked at 'A Clockwork Orange' directed by Stanley Kubrick. This specific film was rated an 18 due to its extreme violence throughout, it is an extremely controversial film that expresses disturbing scenes. We discovered further ratings for certain films and genres which gave us an indication as to what rating we shall issue our opening sequence which takes the form of the horror genre.

I looked at The Woman in Black (Momentum Pictures) that had a rating of 12 due to the fact that it consists of no sexual scenes, however it contains intense supernatural threat and horror. Another film I looked at was The Conjuring, which has a rating of 15 due to the frightening and intense scenes of a supernatural nature as well violence and gore. Also, Insidious takes the rating of a 15 for this same reason. We looked at this films in order to relate it to the nature of our film and what rating we will choose for it. The ideology behind our opening sequence is the paranormal, therefore it is a psychological horror and will consist of eerie settings and characters in order to create the desired effect of mystery and suspense throughout. We have decided to rate it a 15 due to the nature of the film - including the paranormal and mildly disturbing scenes that will be used to provoke fear within the audience.

Conventions of a Horror Film

Horror films typically consist of some sort of villain, whether that be the supernatural/serial killers or monsters. The setting is terrifying and sets a mystery, eerie feel to it which puts the audience on edge, examples of these sorts of settings are old houses, forests, dark settings. The horror genre usually consists of unexpected happenings and some sort of twist within the film in order to shock or scare the audience. Unexpected things could lead to fear provoked excitement and thrill which leads ultimately to entertainment. The setting and costume within horror films are usually dark in order to cause mystery, or costume can take the innocent route of white which emphasises the vulnerability and purity of the victim. Blood and some sort of weapon is used within a slasher horror in order to create fear and tension within the audience as it is realistic to an extent which intrigues them and leaves them wondering what the outcome will be.
Cliffhangers can often be used to create suspense and tension, leaving the audience wondering what has happened and what this tragedy will result in. Non-linear structured films are extremely popular within the horror genre as it creates tension and builds the mystery. We are going to begin our opening sequence in the middle of the action in order to create mystery for the audience, it will be dramatic from the very beginning which will hook the audience and excite them for the remainder of the film.

Audience Theories: Horror Genre

Films need to have a purpose and have a reasoning behind it for the purpose of the audience, whether that be in a positive or negative way. It could be for entertainment purposes, my film will fulfil my audience’s needs as it will create a sense of thrill and excitement, it will cause an escape from reality for the audience as the thrill will lead them into this world full of twists and turns which leads to excitement and joy. It will also create an emotional release of excitement as well as fear.

It could also provide social interaction, my film will find a basis for conversation and a social interaction due to the mystery that we will create within our opening sequence. This will make my audience talk about the tile sequence which will enable one to connect with family and friends over the shared topic of interest, this will make our opening sequence discussed and therefore, popular. This is an example of the two-step-flow theory.

By thinking about the effects of the hypodermic syringe theory, we want to create a title sequence that will convince our audience that the storyline is real. By using characters that would be in everyday life, this creates more realism within the sequence, this will inject the idea that the supernatural occurrences can happen, this will bring in more of an interest for the audience which will further initiate the sense of excitement that it is able to bring to them. It is argued that horror films can negatively affect viewers, however, I believe that it isn’t solely based on the genre, it is down to the individual and how they view situations.

Representation Theory

The feminist theory looks at roles of women contradicted to men's roles within films of different genres. For example, action/adventure likely consists of a male 'hero' and a female 'damsel in distress' like figure which follows the idea of the male gaze idea which looks at the visual pleasure within certain genres. It thinks about genres portraying women as objects for male characters sexual desire. Essentially, men enjoy looking at women which creates appeal for the male audience. An ideal example of this is the James Bond films, where there is always a bond girl that is portrayed in a certain way. They are seen as a vulnerable character that usually needs to be saved. Bond acts as the 'hero' therefore, this portrays him as a masculine and dominant character who is expected to save the woman.

Specifically to our chosen genre: horror, it looks at females typically as the victims and males as the villain which supports the stereotype that women are weak, vulnerable and threatened easily. Masculinity and femininity are socially constructed which creates stereotypes of who should like what and what their role is in life. Feminism is a label that refers to a broad range of views containing one shared assumption - gender inequalities in society where historically masculine power exercised at right of women's interests and rights.

Sometimes within a horror genre there is a 'final girl' figure that is essentially the last girl standing. She is usually a virgin or has some sense of innocence about her as well as the vision of a girl who's behaviour conforms with social expectations (the 'good girl'). There is usually a suggestion that she deserves to survive and is more than likely strong and intelligent therefore, she is able to fend of trouble. This contradicts the stereotype that men should carry this role where she has a masculine personality where she has survival instincts which leads her to the end. The appearance of this girl is usually quite simple and 'normal' with normal clothes and not overly attractive however, she is referred to by the 'blonde bimbo' stereotype. The Cabin in the Woods is an example of this as the innocent virgin character is the one that survives throughout the brutal deaths of her friends.

From looking at existing examples of representation theories within films I have thought about what is effective within a film and how the character within our opening sequence should be represented. We discussed our ideas as a group and came up with the idea to use the Final Girl theory for our main character as we believe that it is the most effective way to portray the main character within the horror genre. I think that the victim should be innocent and vulnerable, as well as pure therefore she should be a virgin type character in order to emphasise these aspects. This will show purity which will juxtapose with the horror aspect of the film. Our character will have brown hair which will contradict the 'blonde bimbo' appearance. However, she will have fair skin and slightly blushed cheeks in order to represent her as adolescent and naive.