Light shining in dark places - this allows things like dust particles to be shown and scenes like this are often used to suggest that apart from whatever movement is currently happening in the scene, not much activity had taken place in there previously. This could be used when showing the old house to suggest that it has been untouched for a long period of time.
Low-key lighting - low-key lighting gives a very dark look to the film and in this both warm and cool lighting can be used to suggest the mood of the shot. Warm lighting can be used to show that things are ‘okay’ and cool lighting can be used just before something happens or even while something happens to give a more sinister style to the scene.
Lighting through windows - this gives natural lighting to the scene, this can be used when ‘normal’ things are happening and there is not any action happening. It gives the sense that everything is okay and all is well.
Shadows/Contrast - shadows can be used to show things that maybe the character in the scene can’t see such as maybe the character walking alone and a second character is walking alongside the character but due to the lighting being used the camera can see it. High contrast can be used to show extreme emotions, such as a close up with a single light close to the subject hitting the subject on an angle showing the harsh bright and dark contrast.
Darkness - setting darkness right from the beginning adds atmosphere and tells the audience that the entirety of the film will be dark and gloomy.
Infrasound - infrasound is sound that can't actually be heard however, it plays a vital role in setting an ominous tone. Infrasound is a wavelength of sound that is just out of range for human ears to hear, however it does not stop it from causing humans to react to it.
Foley Sound - foley sound can be used to create suspense in horror films. Foley sound in a horror film is about creating the sound for the character who is not there.
Wind - wind can be used to show something being present without seeing anything. Wind can also be used so the audience can hear it but the actor can not.
Darkness - Darkness can be used from the get go, maybe the title starts with a fade in from darkness or is against a black background (added in editing).
making ghosts - shoot the scene with the actor and then shoot the scene again with the ghost and then overlay them. The actor needs to make sure they do the exact same movements in each scene.
To create a ghost effect (slightly translucent body) you record a video of the empty set, with no actor in the shot. You then re-shoot the scene with the actor in the scene. Then in post production, you lay the video of the actor on the row above the empty scene in the timeline and you turn the opacity of the video with the actor in down, this will create the a ghost like effect of the person in the shot. Another way to do this is by masking the person in, if the ghost is on one side of the shot and there is a non - ghost actor also in the scene, the ghost can me masked into the scene.
One of the shots that we are taking inspiration from is Nanny McPhee. In the film, the camera operator shows the letter box and then you see Colin Firth as Cedric Brown looking through the letter box. We want to take inspiration from this scene and use it in our film to show Jacob looking through the letter box to the house at the beginning of the film.
There is often more action than dialogue which allows the audience to be shown that they are afraid rather than being told that the characters are afraid, it also allows the audience to see what it is that the audience is afraid of.
Mounting suspense allows the story to have pace and then the action will take the audience by surprise when it does happen.
Gore is used to unsettle the audience, this could be anything from gruesome death or torture scenes with blood and guts.
A villain or monster to show that anyone or anything can be beyond control, the audience needs to know what drives the bad guys and what they are capable of.
The target audience for the brief is 15-21 years old, the genre of short film that we are creating is horror. After doing some research, we have found that the target audience for the genre horror is also 15-21. We have found that the most common reason that the target age for horror is 15-21 is because young adults and teenagers enjoy thrill and these thrills are more likely to excite a younger audience than an older one. Many younger audiences are not put off by graphic images but they are actually drawn towards them; however, many older audiences will be put off by the use of such graphic violence.
We have also found out that a majority of the people who watch the horror genre are male. This is because stereotypically, males enjoy the violence more than females, the thrill seeking attitude is also associated with males more than females. Horror films with more gore, blood and guts are aimed at young males as they are more susceptible to it.
Horror films are generally aimed at the middle class. This is due to the fact they can acquire a good thrill at a reasonably low cost. The upper class may be less likely to watch horror films as they acquire thrills if they need to do so in other ways whereas for a member of the working class, it may be a way of escaping their more less exciting lives.
Generally the target audience is interested in blood and intense violence horror films are also targeted at those who have interests in the supernatural and the unexplained. Horror films may also be targeted towards groups of people for example groups of teenagers as it is almost a social event to watch a horror film and be scared together. Groups of teenagers are also attracted to these films as it gives a group something to talk about and become an active audience not just a passive audience.
Hannibal Lecter - specifically his attitude and persona when talking with Clarice as opposed to everyone else and how quickly even that can change when Clarice hands him the case folder.
Author Kipps - his style and look more so than his character, his tendency to speak only when spoken to.
Eleanor Crain Vance - her ability to see things that other people can't, gradually becomes more scared.
Slenderman - faceless, tall and sinister.
Dementors - the effect of sucking in the ghosts is similar to what we want.