Research and Planning - Genre (Horror)

• Comedy-Horror: combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy-Horror films can cross over into the Black Comedy sub-genre. Comedy-Horror films aim to scare the audience, but also provide comical outlets that let the audience laugh at their fear.
• Examples: Scary Movie 2, Black Sheep, Shaun of the Dead.

• Teen-Horror: is a sub-genre that revolves around a teenager or a group of teenagers.These movies have a large cast and a clear hero or heroine. Teen-Horror films often play upon traditional teenage issues, such as dating and prom, and turn them into suspenseful and thrilling situations.
• Examples: Scream, Prom Night, I know what you did last summer.

 

• Monster-Horror: is sub-genre of Horror that centers on a struggle between human beings and a monster.Often, the monster in the film has been created in an “experiment gone wrong.”  Monster films have a long tradition within Science-Fiction and Fantasy film as well.
• Examples: Aliens, Godzilla, Creature from the Black Lagoon.

• Slasher: is a sub-genre of Horror film that revolves around a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims usually in a graphically violent mannerm, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe.Although the term "slasher" may be used as a generic term for any horror movie involving graphic acts of murder, the slasher as a genre has its own set of characteristics which set it apart from related genres like the splatter films.
• Examples: Friday the 13th, halloween, savage weekend

• Supernatural-Horror: film is a sub-genre that includes ghosts, demons, or other depictions of supernatural occurrences. Often, Supernatural-Horror films combine elements of religion into the plot. Common themes in Supernatural-Horror films include the afterlife, the devil, and demonic possession. Unlike Religious Thrillers, Supernatural-Horror films are not limited to specific religious elements and can contain more vivid and gruesome violence.
  Examples: The Exorcist, The Ring, The Omen.

• Zombie-Horror: is a sub-genre of Horror film that portrays mindless human beings who are raised from the dead. These films often include a Zombie invasion, and center around Zombies feasting on human flesh. The plot of a Zombie film then revolves around the struggle between the living, and the living-dead. Zombie film not only falls into the Horror genre, but Sci-Fi, Thriller, and Comedy as well.
  Examples: Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead, 28 Days Later.

Research and Planning - Questionnaire (and feedback).

We created a questionnaire in order to gain feedback from ten people to ensure we were on the right tracks to making a good opening two minutes. It included questions that would help us make our opening two minutes. The majority of people had the same opinion, therfore I have only seleceted a ferw peoples answers,so that you can see what they thought.

1) What do you think should be included in the first opening two minutes of a horror film?

- 'Normally, I would expect to see a death, or a cliff hanger. as it creates tension and engages the audience early on.'

- 'I love a good horror film and the main thing, I think that grabs the audiences attention most is a death scene at the beggining. Especially,if you don't know who the killer was!'

From this feedback jess and I can say that if people expect a death to be within the opening two minutes of a film,wes hould include one in ours.To grab the audiences attention,and to make them want to carry on watching it.

2) Do you think that their should be a certain type of music that is played during a horror film?

-'Yes I think that it should be eery, and create lots of tension as there is nothing better then sitting on the edge of your seat!'

-'I think that its important to make sure you dont play the same songs throughout the whole film, but during the first two minutes its shouldn't really chop and change as it will loose the effect that you are trying to create'

- 'I think that the music should be a certain type otherwise you do not get the feel that you should,and then the opening two minutes.'

From our feedback we need to make sure we have music that create tension and that will make people dit on the edge of their seat in order for people to be enaged in our opening two minutes.

3) How often do you see horror films? (select appropriate)

- Weekly
-Once a month
- More than once a month
-Every  year
-Only when there is a new one out at the cinema that looks appealing to you.

Our feedback for this shows the following:

Once a month: 1/10
More than once a month 3/10
Every year 0/10
Only when their is one in the cinema 6/10

From this feedback it implies to us that people will only really see them when they are out in the cinema.


4) Would you like the opening two minutes of a film to give much away about the storyline/plot?
-yes                                                                 
-no
-explain why

Our feedback shows the following:
yes 3/10
no 5/10
explain why
-'I think the opening two minutes needs to inlude little about the storyline/plot to leave more to our imaginaition, keeping us in suspence is a good thing!'
-'I like to know a little about the story line but no more than the characters know. I like to associate myself with one of the characers and follow the journey they are in the film.'

From this feedback it is better if we include a little, but not too much of the storyline. Although we want people to keep wondering whats going to happen next, in order for them to stay hooked we need to make sure it is a straight forward storyline, so that we risk confusing our audience.

5) Which horror do you find the most scariest?

-Thriller
-Gory
-Slasher
-Teen Horror
-Comedy Horror
-Zombie Horror
-Supernatural Horror
-Monster Horror
-Other

Our feedback shows the following:
Thriller 1/10
Supernatural 9/10
 The rest of the possible answers were not selected. Therefore the one that came out as most scariest was the supernatural horror. Because of this reult jess and I are going to do a supernatural horrror as it will appeal most.

From our feedback its shows that supernatural was the most scariest horror films. Therfore we are going to use our feedback and aslo create the opening two minutes of a supernatural horror.

6) Do you think there should be a single antagonist or more than one?
 -more than one
-not more than one

Feedback shows the following:
More than one 2/10
Not more than one 8/10.

From this quetionnaire we will take away all the valuable points which will help us create an opening two minutes that will hopefully have all the right things included.

Research- Costume And Location

Our opening two minutes begins in 1996. I have chosen costumes which reflect the time period in which it is set in.

For the mother in the past (1996) should be wearing fairly simplistic clothing in order for the audience to keep focus on the plot and story rather than being distracted on her outfit.

-leggings

-baggy dull coloured jumper

-hair up (messy bun)

Make up:

-pale face

-dark circles under eyes

-no make up otherwise (bronzer, eyeliner) this will degrade the look for both the time period and mother that we are trying to create.

 

The mother in the present however, will be wearing clothes that were worn in 2006, as that is ten years later.

-jeans

-top

-jacket

-jewellery

Make up:

-natural and fresh faced look.

 

 

Research and Planning - Drama Mind Map

Research and Planning - Teen Mind Map

Research and Planning - Action Mind Map

Research and Planning - Comedy Mind Map