Group Roles

When it came to making our film we designated each other group roles so that we would be more efficient and each have a specific role. I was the director when we were in the progress of making our film. As director I over looked what everyone else was doing and made sure they were safe whilst doing their jobs. I also had the task of making sure people were in the right place when filming was in progress. Overall I found this task quite easy but challenging at the same time. The challenge in this job was supervising a group of people all at the same time, this was difficult as they were all doing different things and I had to watch out for they were doing.

The producer in our group was Charlie Marshall. As producer she was in charge of making sure all the conditions were right when we were filming, this means she had to make sure aspects such as the lighting and framing was all correct.

The editor in our group was Laura Dawson. As an editor she was in charge of putting the film together in the editing stages. She was the primary editor in the group however me and Charlie both helped in these stages.

We all took part as the cameraman. This part was particularly difficult as the we had to place the camera in a difficult position in order to give it a CCTV effect. 

"Intruder" Final Version

This is the final version of "Intruder" after we made all the changes that were suggested from the feedback we revived.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjkegfs2Dp8

"Intruder" Draft Version

This is the draft version of "Intruder" before we made all the adjustments to it.

Independent Research- Horror Film Settings

The Overlook Hotel from "The Shining"

A stereotypical horror film will usually take place in one location as it creates the sense of isolation and the fact that there is no escape. This makes the audience feel that there is no hope left for the people in the film which will ultimately lead to their demise. Stereotypical locations in horror films will be place such as churches as they are linked in with the dead and may possibly be haunted. Graveyards are also are common setting as they feature gravestones and are often shown at night to create a dark atmosphere. They often connote the idea of the dead rising from their graves which is a stereotypical plot device used in horror films.

An example of a stereotypical setting is the Overlook Hotel from the film "The Shining". This is a stereotypical setting as its isolated from society as its located in the mountains, making it difficult to get to or get away from. This is effective as the audience knows escape is inevitable. 

Independent Research- Typical Plot in a Horror Film

In the horror genre there is often a typical plot which involves one of three key elements, these key elements are Murderers, the Super Natural and Creatures/Beasts.

Murderers

A typical plot involving murderers within the horror genre usually consists of a normal person committing a string of murders most typically on a group of teenagers. The killer will usually wear dark clothes whilst making the murders and often kill their victims in a gruesome manner. Its often shown that the killer will have escaped from somewhere and may have some mental health issues, which makes them even more intimidating as they are unpredictable. One person is killed off at a time until the end of the film where the motive of the killer is finally revealed to the audience. A stereotypical motive for the killings within these films is revenge. The killer is usually revealed at the end of the film as it keeps the audience guessing until the very end and allows them to make their own theory's on who it might be.

Horror Films Which Use The Killer Element

Scream, Hostel, Saw, Wolf Creek, Halloween

The Super Natural

The super natural is a plot device used in horror films as they provide an easy scare towards the audience. A typical plot involving the super natural would include people mysteriously disappearing for no reason. It may also involve something or someone being haunted by an evil spirit. This plays on the audiences fear of the unknown as they question whether the spirit was even there at all and the fact that no one really knows whats going on. Ghosts are often put into a film to provide a quick scare for the audience as they wont be expecting it.

Horror Films Which Use The Super Natural Element

The Ring, Final Destination, Insidious, Sinister

Creatures, Beasts Or Aliens

The last plot device used in films is a creature or beast of some kind. This creature will usually be massive in size and will posses intelligence making them scarier than they actually are. The typical plot involving a creature will involve people being killed or eaten by this creature, then a group of people attempting to take down said creature. Its stereotypical that people will run away from the creature as they cant match its strength  Both men and women are powerless when it comes to fighting creatures or beasts. Aliens are often used within films as the audience always knows that they will be difficult kill as they are different to humans. Aliens are often used as no ones knows where they come from or what they will do which puts the audience on edge. Its stereotypical that the alien will result in killing most people in the film as people dont know how to deal with it or fight it.

Horror Films Which Use The Creatures, Beasts Or Aliens Elements

Jaws, Alien, The Howling, The Thing

Independent Research- Props In A Horror Film

Props play a key role within horror films as they are what makes the film memorable. This is what brings the film to life and makes it scary for the audience to watch. If a film were not to have props the actors would not be able to act properly as they can only do so much. A prop allows extra information to be added to a character as we can learn more about them depending on what the prop is. Props can also be added to characters clothing to give them that little extra detail. Stereotypical props suited to the horror genre include things such as knifes, masks and dark clothes.

Its typical for horror films to have a signature weapon that the killer would be using. This is normally there trademark weapon and is recognisable throughout their series of films. It normally becomes a famous piece of iconography. These signature weapons make any killer within horror films instantly recognisable due to how famous they are. These props help to make the films stand out in the horror genre as they are normally simple everyday items such as a mask or a blade, however due to how they are being used within the film they establish themselves within the horror genre as they make the audience nervous or put them on edge whenever they appear on screen. When these props appear on screen the audience can be certain that the killer is about to make their move.

Ghostface Mask from the "Scream" films

Freddy Krueger's Glove from the "Nightmare On Elm Street" films

Independent Research- Typical Characters in The Horror Genre

In horror/thriller films there is usually a stereotypical group of characters that appear throughout the genre.

                               

                                                                                                                   The Killer

Jason Voorhees from "Friday The 13th"

The first character who normally appears within the horror genre is a killer of some kind  In the picture to the left is Jason Voorhees from the "Friday the 13th" franchise. He is a very stereotypical antagonist as he is dressed in dark clothing and wearing a mask to hide his identity. If they are wearing a mask it often hides there emotion further portraying them as a killer and it makes it difficult for the audience to establish a connection between them. One fear that a mask can play on  is the fact that no one knows what lies underneath which creates tension among the viewers.  Typical killers are also commonly seen to be wearing gloves to hide evidence of themselves and to be carrying a weapon of some sort, usually a knife or dagger. A stereotypical killer is often depicted as having some sort of extra human power usually in the form of strength as they faster and more powerful than there victims. If they do manage to get injured they never show it as they get back up from it and recover straight away as if to show that they are immortal or inhuman.

Usual Qualities of a Killer

Dark clothes, Mask, Gloves, Weapon (Knife/Dagger)

The Hero

Rick Grimes from "The Walking Dead"

The next type of character to appear is the hero. The hero is the one who usually saves the day and anyone in distress. They are stereo-typically males as they are the more stronger and powerful sex, however its not uncommon for there to be a female hero. This is known as a counter type. A stereotypical hero is shown to be muscular and in good physical shape. They are portrayed as brave people who sometimes show little emotion to further reinforce themselves as a strong and brave person. This is usually the viewers favorite character as many people often wish to be a hero themselves and the hero contains characteristics that many people wish they had themselves. In a horror film its often stereotypical for the hero to die as it shows that the killer has triumphed and challenges the convention of good beating evil.

Usual Qualities of a Hero

Strong, Male, Athletic, Brave

                                                                                                              Female Victim

Sidney Prescott from "Scream"

A typical horror film always contains a female victim as they represented as weak and vulnerable characters. A stereotypical female victim is depicted as being clumsy and dumb. This creates tension within the audience as it makes her an unpredictable character and the audience never really knows what she will do next. She is often the first to die within a horror film due to her behavior and the way she acts. The purpose to having a female victim is to allow the audience to establish some connection between them and her as the audience would be feeling sympathy towards her.

Usual Qualities of a Female Victim

Vulnerable, Weak, Clumsy, Scared

The Non-Believer

Carter Horton from "Final Destination"

The Non Believer is usually the character who denies the killers existent or refuses to believe in them. They are usually portrayed as a cocky arrogant character. This role is most commonly played by males as it suits their personality more than females. The audience often finds it hard to like this character due to their personalities as they are usually mean towards other characters and can act as a bully in most films. Due to them not believing in the killers, its stereotypical that they are normally the first to die within a horror film. Once this character dies this leaves all the other characters within the film on edge as they are now aware of the killers presence. 

Usual Qualities of The Non-Believer

Cocky, Arrogant, Attractive, Cruel