Title research: Scary stories to tell in the dark

A horror film titled “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” was researched on www.artofthetitle.com to resonate with my movie genre. In the opening, there are nineteen titles. These included the title, director, screenplay, screen story, based on series by, producer, executive producer, director of photography, production designer, editor, costume designer, music, music supervision, actors, casting , presenters, associations, and the production of the film. In the opening sequence, the background is overpowered with black and dark red images. It's clear that images are outlines from trees, roots and other earthly yet scary things you will see in the woods. The connotation in these images invokes a scary and grimy idea of what the movie will possibly be about. Horror movies typically have mystery and suspense in their openings to catch the audience's attention. The opening of this movie creates suspense which is a technique that is carried out in every horror film. Its puzzling in the opening because of how much information is not given about what is going to occur in the movie. For audiences that are intrigued by horror films, the images and colors used brought in mystery which is something that is predicted to make any horror film lover intrigued. The transitions used were very common with a change of titles. The editing skills used were impeccable due to the different images of trees and roots displayed in the opening sequence and how well everything wrapped into each other. 

Title research: Get out

The movie “Get Out” was title researched on www.artofthetitle.com because it has the same genre as my group and I’s genre, Horror. This movie contains seventeen titles with multiple people in each category. These titles included presenters, production, in association, the film type, the actual title, actors, castings, music, music supervision, costume designer, edited by, production designer, director of photography, co-producers, executive producers, producers, written and directed by. The first couple seconds of this opening is showing a white car on the street driving away. Instantly it switches to a tracking shot of a car driving past the woods really fast. Following that scene, the main characters appeared fulfilling their daily tasks. There were pictures shown that one of the characters took displayed in his house however it's believed to be there for aesthetic purposes. It is believed that the opening should have a connection to what the actual movie is about but there is none. The opening just included a change of scenes from a dark road, to the wood, then one of the characters house. Before the movie starts, we know its a horror film but the fact that the intro isn't scary confuses the viewers. There is nothing about fear or terror seen so if anything the viewers should be open into seeing what will happen when the movie actually starts. Around the time this movie was released, the director was getting a buzz which is why the movie did so well its opening week, not because of the opening. Viewers knew it was a horror film, they just wanted to know what direction it would go in which is what drew so many people in. The film started at a high angle with a white car driving off, there was then an eye level tracking shot just showing the woods in the background with the actors name. The shots with the characters appearing varied due to what they were doing, there were a few medium shots, medium close up, point of view and over the shoulder shots. The transitions were very quick and there was no fade into any new background or image. The editing techniques were pretty basic as well, there was no irregular or unusual technique used. 

Title Research: Venom

In the opening sequence of venom in which it’s off of the website www.watchthetitle.com In the opening sequence of venom there were 22 titles displayed in the film.
The images that are prioritized in the opening sequence are parts of the city and the venom monster itself.
The images carry a very important role because the whole movie is about the venom monster and most of the action takes place in the city.
The genre is reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset by the whole scary monster being in the film killing people and making people become horrified creeping out the audience.
The film establishes enigma from the outset by putting the monster and the voice over in the beginning and it helps me jump to the conclusion that at the end of the movie the venom monster will most likely get killed because someone will want to stop him from hurting others.
Some strategies that are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience is by suspense. With the first clip of the movie inserted in the beginning along with the voice over that was inserted it leaves you wondering on what is about to happen.
Technology has been used effectively by inserting the voice over, fade in, fade out, and high angle.

Title Research: Conjuring

In the opening sequence of conjuring in which it was off of the website www.watchthetitle.com Throughout the opening sequence of the film i counted 22 titles in total.
The images that are prioritized in the opening sequence are pictures of families with different kids ranging from different ages and a picture of the nun
The connotation that the image carries is that there is going to be some paranormal activity going on inside the families houses and something horrible is going to happen
The genre is reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset by being a horror movie. The movie is basically a paranormal movie and how horrifying events happen in the house with the family. The suspenseful music that is used in other horror movies is also there.
The film establishes enigma from the outset by to show you what families are going to be in the movie and to keep you sitting in your chair to wonder what’s going to happen next because why are there multiple families in a horror movie it gets you wondering. It gets you jumping to the conclusion of thinking these families are bout to go through terrible scenarios
The strategies that are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience is by the suspense. The suspenseful music and the images provided keep you wondering and sitting in your chair waiting for the next scene.
Technology has been effectively used through the film by Fade in, three shot, two shot, eye level, fade out, and establishing shot

Art of the title website research

The first thing I noticed on this website is all the different movies and shows they have. They have the top ten when you first see the website. Then when you scroll down and they have a few movies. Each movie has a couple of sentences about the movie or show. Then, you can go further in depth in the movies and shows.  There are two drop down menus. The drop down menus are “Title sequences” and “designers and studios”. The ‘Title sequences” gives you many different sequences that you could look at and watch for example as well as learn from. The designer and studios drop down menu has a bunch of designers and studios that you could look at. The designers with blue dots next to their name means that there is full interviews available with them. From the interviews, you could learn a lot about them and the ideas and meanings behind their work. When you click the studios, they give information about it. The information given is about when the studio is established, some articles about it, and the designer behind it. Over all, this was a very information filled website. I like this website.

Watch the title website research

The first thing that catches my eye on the website is the interviews. They have a lot of different interviews with many different groups and people. Most of them, I don’t know. But, they have a lot of information. So, this would be a good place to do research. The next thing I noticed is how many different subsections the website has. They have feature film, TV shows, event titles, student projects, video games, and french fridays. Each one has a little bit of information. Each one also has examples and different shows or movies. At the top of the website, there are starters to films. I also do not know the shows or movies that are in it. This website could be beneficial to me. Many of the information and examples it has, I don’t know about them. So, I could learn a lot of the people, the shows, and movies. I like this website. 

Genre research: Get Out

The horror movie “Get Out” is based on a man falling in love with a causcasion woman who was not with him for the right reasons. Her parents and her collectively preyed on black people. The most common camera angles that were used in this movie were eye leveled, medium close up, POV shots, pan and tracking shots. This is important because the main thing was focusing on the characters reactions every time someone said something unusual. The location, a lonely city with an open field and the closest house being miles away were filled with artificial lighting and natural lighting that really made the film understanding. The characters wore regular clothes, though the questionable characters wore older clothing. The sound in this film was pretty regular with diegetic sounds and incidental music every once in a while. The editing that took were pretty basic editing skills that takes place in many movies such as razor cuts. In horror films, the main elements are fear, suspense, and creepy things occuring. “Get Out” was able to achieve this by following these guidelines and creating a strong suspense. I admired the fact that while I was watching this movie, I stayed quiet with the character and I was on my toes whenever someone would make a questionable statement. The director, Jordan Peele did an amazing job at keeping the audience interested with suspense. The one thing that was disappointing at first was the fact that I didn't understand all of the saying and pick up lines from the jump. I was disappointed the first time I watched it, but the second time I understood everything.

Genre Research: Powerpoint Information

The power point was about the genre horror. We included Mis en Scence which included talking about  the lighting which is typically dark, the settings which range from forests to houses, props like rocking chairs and children toys, and costumes like mask. The common sounds that we hear in horror which include ambient sound and different sound systems that help create the creepy sounds we hear. The camera movements which ranged from zoom, pan, tilt, establishing shot, and tracking shot . The camera angles which were high, low, and oblique. The common lighting which were things like silhouette and underexposure. Some example films of horror were movies like It, US, Insidious, and the conjuring. The elements of horror and how they are suspense, fear, mystery, imagination, spooky music, foreshadowing, and disfigurement. What elements of the genre that we like and don't like. We liked the special effects, the suspense, and the whole idea of being scared but didn’t  like the gross special effects and old fashion horror movies.

Genre research: A quiet place

A quiet place

     A quiet place is a horror movie. Some of the common CAMS in the film were zoom, pan, long shot, close up, and tracking shot. This helped add to the suspense and make some scenes scary and interesting.

    The costumes in this movie were simple. They mostly wore camping clothes, materials that did not make any noise but, they never wore shoes. The lighting was natural outside lighting. At night stage lights and small things like candles and Christmas lights were used. Throughout the movie, the characters could not speak or make any noise, so they had to use sign language. They also had to show their emotions through facial expressions and actions. They wore little to no makeup throughout the film. The actors gave a natural look through the entire movie. The monster they had to stay away used makeup/special effects. The monster is shown down below. The props and settings were a house, farm, and some small stores and just the normal things inside of those settings. A small but impactful prop in the movie were a toy airplane and hearing aids. Both of these props created big scenes during the film.

     There was a lot of ambient and diegetic sound. The actors could not speak so the audience heard many of the small sounds and nature sounds that were used. There also was a small amount of ambient sounds when the monster came around.

    Some of the common editing used were close up, cutaway, action match, and eyeliner match. These edits were used to enhance the films to create more suspension throughout films.

    The Quiet Place is a scary movie. I liked the plot of the movie. I also like the suspense created by the directors. During many times in the film, the audience was waiting for what would happen next and was on the edge of their seat. I did not like how the actors had to use sign language. For those who don't know sign language, the translation was on the screen. So the audience has to read and watch. But, it is important to watch the movie and pay attention to exactly what was going on because the actors couldn't make any noises. So the sign language translations were distracting from the movie.

Genre research: US

The genre we picked for our film is scary. The movie, "US" is a scary movie. Some of the common CAMS in this film were two person shot, three person shot, tracking shot, pan, establishing shot, high angle, and some of the most famous shots of the movie were zooms.

     The costumes were very simple for this movie. The doubles of the regular people, which was basically a doppelgänger, wore a red jump suit and carried golden scissors for the entire movie. The regular people had on pajamas the entire movie. The lighting was fairly simple as well. Majority of the movie used natural lighting. It was dark outside and towards the end of the movie it got light outside. In few parts of the movie, the characters went into houses or building where stage lights were used. The regular people in the movie acted scared and frightened while the doppelgängers acted crazy and mad. The characters had on a small amount of makeup and it was very natural. The props and settings were homes and outside. They used a few different setting and props when characters got into the car or on boats. The only different settings were the building that the doppelgängers lived in underground. It was set up like a school with bunnies in it. There was a room full of cages the held the bunnies, which was food for the doppelgängers. The other different setting was the fair and beach that were set up right next to each other.

    Common sounds in the movie were ambient sound and diegetic sound. Ambient sounds were mostly used when characters were outside. The diegetic sound was used in scenes where the director wanted to build up the scene or make it more creepy and scary.

    Common editing in the movie were flashbacks, cutaway, cross cutting, and action match. Directors used this type of editing to enhance the film and make it scary and suspenseful to the audience.

    This movie was scary and creepy. I liked the plot of the movie. It started as a home invasion and the movie had more plot twists as the movie continued. The audience found out many things about the main character as the movie went on as well. But, I did not like the cliffhanger at the end. The movie did not answer all the questions that were given to the audience. The directors left the audience to answer their questions with what they learned throughout the movie.

Genre research: two other genres

The two other genres that resonate with a horror film are thrillers and Noir films. In thrillers, camera angles such as high angle, close ups, tracking/panning shots, titled angles, long shots, low angle shots and handheld shots are used. Directors use these techniques so that the audience views the movie the same way they envision it. Common Mise-en-scene in thrillers are popularly known for their lighting, costumes/makeup, locations and props. The lightnings are usually low creating mystery and are surrounded by warm colors. Costume is very important to any film because it brings representation to the film. The location is usually somewhere extremely isolated and the props are commonly extreme weapons that create suspense. When it comes to editing a movie, the editing techniques are similar. There is reverse/flashbacks that take place and there is always action match scenes in thrillers. Due to these guidelines there are certain elements, elements such as suspense, tension, and terror that all create the thriller genre. Movies such as “Get Out”, “Us”, and “Don’t Breathe” all are thrillers with suspected terror. It is predicted that folio studio would be responsible for many of the sounds created like footsteps and surrounding noises. Incidental sounds are the most common sound effect use because it defines the moment of suspense in any thriller. The most appealing thing about thrillers are the thrill of course. You are watching this movie because you want to be amazed and the director usually achieves this goal with that being said, there is nothing unappealing about thrillers. 

The other genre is Noir. Common angles used in Noir are low, dutch and high angles. These angles allow the audience to see what the characters are seeing and in a sense feel the moment. Because Noir films were created in the earlier days, the mise-en-scenes have a certain type of aesthetic to them. The lighting in these films are usually shadowed with silhouettes. There is a high sense of darker colors because noir can be used to describe something black. The costume in these films are usually formal clothing that are well fitted on the cast members. The props are usually newspapers and cigarettes because around that time people thought cigarettes were cool. Noir Films used less editing technique due to the time that they were created and their focus. There was just quick razor cut and flashbacks in these films. The elements that create Noir films are the intense plots, lightings and intentions. Common Noir Films are “Sin City”, “L.A. Confidential”, and “Touch of Evil”. Sounds such as diegetic sounds, incidental sounds, and ambient sounds are used to make Noir Films. These films portray mystery which draws me closer to them. The only thing negative thing about these films is the fact that I can't relate to the things happening because of the time they were filmed. 

Genre Research: The genre we chose

The genre my opening sequence will be is horror. We decided to do that genre because of the way we want our film to be. We want our film to be scary and very suspenseful so we decided to do the third pitch of when the girl is trapped in the closet and confused on where she is at. The way we have it pictured to be set up it will be very suspenseful and scary. It will leave the audience on the edge of their seats which is how horror films leave viewers. We will include typical lighting and sounds that are used in horror films like natural and dark lighting. As well as common mis- en scence that are used.

Genre Research: Rattlesnake

 Some common CAMS in the movie are high angles, three person shot, medium shot, and POV shots.
Some common CLAMPS in the movie are; When it comes to costumes it’s mainly suits and ties, hospital gown, and jeans and shirts. When it comes to lighting It’s usually natural light from the sun since majority of the scenes are outside. The actors are scared or they are serious and doing the scaring. The makeup is a very natural look for all the actors until one of them die then the makeup enhances and it’s now a bloody look on their face. Some props that are in the movie include guns, bikes, and a knife. Settings include in a house, hospital, in the dessert, on a road, in a trailer, and on a mountain. Common sound in the movie are very suspenseful sounds that enhance the movie and sounds of rattlesnakes rattling. Common editing in the movie include Fade in, Fade out, and razor cuts. The elements  of the genre in the movie were mainly suspense and fear. Most of the time someone was scared. Some elements of the movie that i did like were the fact that i was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole time. I never knew what was gonna come next it kept me interested and guessing. I loved the suspense of the movie. Some of the elements i didn’t like was the gruesome killing part of the film. I don’t like blood and i don’t like seeing people die so it was those parts where i had to close my eyes at and not look.

The Final Pitch!

From the three pitches that was created, two of them seemed more intense and achievable than the other. The first pitch is “ A young woman was seen reading a book by herself being watched in a library. She then ended up dead in the back of a car. The second pitch is kidnapping a kid at the park, killing that kid then trying to find somewhere to dispose the body ASAP so that more kidnapping and killing can occur.

A young woman was seen reading a book by herself being watched in a library. She then ended up dead in the back of a car. Pitch one is being used because of how well thought out it is. The idea was brought up by a group member who was interested in a trunk shot. We wanted to exercise every material that we could possibly use to make this movie trailer interesting. We also have a good amount of people in our group that can act and record each scene the way we vision it. It is also very common in our days because of the amount of kidnappings that have occuring. In a sense, it'll be an awareness film of your surroundings as well as a suspenseful film. 

A girl walking up confused about her surroundings because she's trapped in an unknown closet with weird noises coming from the outside is the third pitch. This trailer can be visually pleasing in a sense when it comes to figuring out what the girl might do. We are able to use all the shots and props necessary to fully execute this trailer the way we want it to be. A scene with the girl looking out the closet with the lines across her face is expected and we plan on hopefully executing a scene like that to test our skills. We have enough members to properly record and act in this trailer as well. 

These two pitches are both suspenseful and informative, which is why they are the two perfect pitches for our trailer. They will leave viewers thinking about what will happen next and test our skills. 

Start of Final Task

My name is Na’Mya but i usually go by Mya. I’ve always wondered how the editing process goes behind commercials. I also wondered how the whole process of recording went and now I’m in control of that. I’m a very curious female that thinks deep into things a lot. I love to listen to music. I also love astrology and learning about my zodiac sign. I love thinking about space and the ocean and what all we haven’t discovered. I’m the oldest of 2 and it’s fun being the bigger sister. My group went from 4 people in total to 3. My group now only consist of Ambriellé , Naiya, and  I.

In this class I’ve learned a lot. I’ve learned how to edit through pinnacle studios. I’ve also learned how to edit through iMovie. I now know the real terms used in the filming industry for instance things like pitch. I know more about angles when recording and how to incorporate them in my videos. I learned how important it is to have a planned out storyboard when you are doing these type of things. I learned that you have to do multiple takes when recording just Incase. The talent i learned and loved the most was the acting part. I loved turning into something different and becoming an actor. I’m super excited to use that task in this coming up project. 

A pitch is a Hollywood term used to describe an idea. It’s when an film is encapsulated into 25 words and usually only one sentence. I have 3 pitches to choose from for my project. My first pitch is kidnapping a kid from the park, murdering it, and then trying to find somewhere to put the body so we can kidnap and kill some. Second pitch is a young women in a library being stalked She then is murdered and is put into the back of a car. My third pitch idea is a girl unconscious then wakes up not knowing where she is at because she’s trapped in a closet but hears noises coming from the outside.