Fake Blood

Cuts Practical

Look #1

The following YouTube clip is one of two ways in which I achieved my looks. I used the exact same method as shown.

• Firstly, I moulded a small piece of wax in the shape of a sausage.

• After blending the ended on my skin, I then used a little foundation to blend with my skin tone, before using the back of a pin, I made an incision in the middle of the area (where I wanted my cut to be).

•     After this, I put a dark red colour inside the incision before addimg fake blood.
  
  
  
  

Evaluation

Pros

• I feel that this is an improvement from my previous make up/bruises practicals in terms of it having a realistic look.

Cons

• I would have preferred if I had branched away from the exact method as shown in the clip in order to add more originality.
• I don't think this would fit in well with our genre as it isnt as likely to see such bloody wounds in supernatural horrors
• If I were to use moulded wax again, I would try and get the colour as close to the victims actual skin colour as possible or add additional colour to fit the skin colour.

Look #2

With this cut, I used liquid latex  and tissue paper instead of using the moulded wax. 

1. Firstly, I made around 2-3 layers of the liquid latex and tissue paper in order to add some 'skin' texture.
2. Whilst the latex was drying, I cut 4-5 very small pieces of black thread and set them aside.
3. Next, I carefully cut through the 'skin' area and covered the whole area with a small amount of foundation which was as close to my skin tone as possible. 
4. Once this was done, similarly to look #1, I covered my actual skin (inside the cut) in a dark red colour before layering the same are with fake blood.
5. Then I added the black thread using a minimal amount of glue to mimic stitches.
6. To finish off, I added a lighter red colour to the surrounding area to make it look sore/swollen.

Evaluation

Pros

• I like the realism of the area surrounding the wound as I think it actually looks swollen.
• I think that this conforms better to the genre as even though it looks gory, it isn't too much as it doesn't look as though it would fit in a slasher film.

Cons

• I could have made the stitches look more real if I had placed them neater (even though this could alternatively be seen as conforming to the sinister genre).
• I could have used a smaller area as the wound.

Garage location mise-en scene

Garage Location Mise-en Scene

Carrying on from my last blog post on location, we used my garage for our latest day of filming.  It fitted our supernatural horror really well as it was very dirty and dingy.  The bare walls and dark colours made the scene look very effective and scary.  

 To fit with the religious, exorcism theme we used burnt down candles to mimic candles used in churches and exorcism scenes from other films.

 The costumes for the scene was a priest's outfit and the young girl victim.  For the priest we used a plain black suit and priests front and dog collar.  This looked very effective and realistic which made the scene look very realistic for an exorcism.

 We chose a position in the garage which would look the best on film of the background.  The wooden and metal brown wall looked the best as it was dirty and broken in places to make it look run down and unused.  We organised the candles into a semi circle around our victim to mimic a ritual like situation which looked very effective for the genre.











We then tested the lighting by switching off the over head lights.  Through the
camera the candle lighting lit up the victim very effectively as the low lighting
was very specific for the genre.









In evaluation I feel that the mise-en scene was very effective for the supernatural horror genre and fitted our exorcism theme very well.  The candles worked well as low-lighting and gave a religious feel to the scene.  The costumes looked very realistic which is good for the scene as horror is usually more effective at being scary by using realism.

Walled In Deconstruction (2009)

Walled In Deconstruction

Costumes

The very beginning scene shows a little girl dressed in an animated night dress which highlights her innocence whilst causing the audience to instantly be sympathetic towards this character alongside a series of her scared facial expressions within harsh high key lighting and the high angle shot, which also highlights her vulnerability. 

In addition to this, the juxtaposition between Mary and Sam may cause the audience to be suspisious of Mary, who is initially portrayed as a "clean freak". She is well presented with her bright hair always being slicked neatly, her clothing is also neatly buttoned up, alongside minimal make up. She is also well presentation through her composed posture whilst talking to Mary. Her behaviour further causes suspision as she hints of a set of rules which Mary must get accustom to as well as not going to the top floor of the apartment, hinting that everything may not be as it seems.

Locations

The building has an eerie look through its gloomy grey colour, as well as the sheer size of the building, which brings across an isolated atmosphere. The building also doesn't look as though it is an apartment/hotel due to it's unwelcoming appearance. One reason for this is due to its desolated surroundings, which is juxtaposed with Mary's suburban home; its bright white colour alongside.  The power lines are in the shape of a cross which could be to symbolise death. Other icons within the opening is the image engraved in a wall, which mimics a sword; this could be to introduce a common theme within supernatural horror-violence.

Furniture

When Sam gets into her room, there is a further element of isolation as the room seems bare, which further adds to the audiences suspisions alongside the artificial lighting within the low key lighting in her apartment. Furthermore, within the room, there a few old, antique looking furniture. For example, centred in the room is a wooden rocking chair. The rooms are neatly kept which could be to further illustrate Mary's tendency to keep everything clean and well put. The glass cabinet could also be symbolic to Sam being forbidden to do what she wants due to the ghosts. Similarly, to the shelf and its objects, they are delicate (china doll) therefore they must be carefully handled.

Low Key Vs. High Key Lighting

At the very beginning of the opening, there are only scenes which have high key lighting, however after Mary's entrance into the building, generally, the scenes are of low key lighting. As well as this, after her entrance into the building, there are several mid and long shots with back lighting, which further adds suspense for the audience as a silhouette of an unidentified person is on screen. This is further emphasised when we see a sector of light as a silhouette walks across.

When Sam first enters, there is an instant juxtapositon as she stands in bright artificial lighting, whilst Mary stands behind the door in low key lighting, which further adds the audiences suspicions of Mary as the audience are left in the dark, which is symbolised by the pitch dark room which she initially comes from.

Realism

In the title scene, whilst the story is being set, there is an image of an "Official Coroner's Report", alongside pictures of former victims, which could be to make the film seem more believable, as it seems to add scientific facts. Furthermore, images of a newspaper article also adds realism to the film which may cause the audience to become cautious as well as more scared as the film goes on. Its creased and dark colour, alongside the serif font, all add to emphasise the sinister appearance as it makes the article seem quite old, which is necessary for the background story.

Location Mise en scene

Location Mise en Scene

Unfortunately one of our planned locations for filming the flash back shots was not able for us to use.  We decided to find a different location so I thought that my garage would be a good location to use.  The garage is mainly dark colours and is messy and dirty, which fits with our supernatural horror genre.


The first video is showing the garage before I moved some of the objects that would not fit in with our film opening.  I took away the ladder, BBQ, bikes and plastic bags to create a better atmosphere for the opening.

The second video is the garage from the POV of the victim.  We plan to have her on a chair or sitting on the floor against the brown wall.  From her POV you will see the priest and some of the garage.  I feel that this location is suitable for the opening because it is bare and dirty which goes with the conventional horror location.  

Religion in Supernatural Horror

How Religion in Incorporated in Supernatural Horror?

As we are planning to have a priest in our opening scene, it is important that his occupation is instantly identifiable to our audience. One way in which this can be done is through the mise en scene. It is common for religious figures in supernatural horror films to wear a white clerical collar as well as the plain black cossack. For example, in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the priest's costume consists of these alongside a purple religious scarf. As well as this, religious objects such as holy water and pectoral cross or rosary beads which is commonly associated it  Christianity.

Sound

Another way in which religion is incorporated in supernatural horror is through the non-diegetic sounds of traditional church music which has been manipulate to sound sinister. This is seen within the opening scene of Stigmata where it starts with the non diegetic background music sounding similar to faint low pitched chants alongside faint high pitched wind instruments which creates an eerie atmosphere.

Symbols

One of the most common symbols using in supernatural horror films where religion is a common theme, is the cross which is a direct link to Christianity. The cross is incorporated in The Devil Inside to appeal to the genre. Firstly, the symbol is red, which is symbolic to danger and violence as well as being a common colour scheme in this genre. In addition to this, the symbol is in reversal as well as being made to look as though it has been cut into the woman's mouth which all effectively emphasise the sinister element which is being brought across.

Candles Practical

2nd Candle Attempt

As we felt that our first practical of how we wanted our candles to look didn't bring across the supernatural element which we wanted for the genre, we decided to make another attempt. 

We felt it would be effective to include candles in our opening as not only are they symbolic to spiritual enlightenment, they are also a common convention in supernatural horror films. As well as this, the use of candles are also effective as it can limit what the audience is able to see. 

Final image

As I had new candles, prior to photographing them, I decided to let each candle burn between the duration of a few hours to a few days, so that they were all different sizes in addition to this giving them a worn out and shabby look (which is also achieved through the dark marks I was able to achieve by putting parts of the candle in direct fire).

Evaluation

Although I felt that this was effective as I was able to make the candles look tarnished, I felt that I may have left the candles burning for too long, as in the final image, the candle in the middle lost its structure, also the remaining candles seemed too small. When we decided to film our scene with the candles, I would but thick and tall candles as opposed to the ones I used as these are more common in horror films when candles are used. In addition to this, when filming our candle scene, I think it would be more effective if there were a larger amount of candles as opposed to only having 3 or 4 candles as I think this more effective when trying to create an eerie atmosphere. As well as this, I would also ensure that all the candles are of the same colour.

 

House at the end of the street deconstruction

 

This scene contrasts with the rest of the film as it is light and bright. It is very summery and the choice of colour means that it liiks very happy.

There is lots of soft light used in this shot and the child is wearing white to show innocence again.

There is a teddy bear use here which convey's innocence and all the colours are pastels which are very soft and synonomous with children.

The colours are very light and warm which creates a very welcoming room. The netting in front of the windows could portray the idea of privacy being an issue.

The child's costume conforms to stereotypes as she is young as in s  long white nightie to show her innocence and purity. The nightie is still very clean which portrays the idea that she has not always worn it otherwise it would be dirtier. this contrasts with the image of her holding a knife as that is not something a young girl should have. When the audience see the knife they know that something is not right with the girl.

The Possession Deconstruction

Mise en Scene

Genre- Thriller, Horror

 This shot shows the girls bedroom. It is typically girlie as it is messy, with pictures all over the wall and colours such as blues and reds. There are drawings in the background, which shows she is still fairly young. The low lighting creates a dull and sombre mood within the scene.

The house is a typical family home, surrounded by greenery and other houses. It is part of a friendly suburb, that is typical to the supernatural horror genre due to the sense of reality and feeling of security it presents.

The use of a pink lamp with heart-detailing to make shadow puppets again shows how young she is and her level of maturity. The fact that she is doing it with her dad means they are close and it gives a warm, family feel, which completely contrasts the events to come.

 The box is the main object, as it is the source of evil and cause of all supernatural events. The old wood style gives an eery feel, as it is obviously old and its past whereabouts are unknown, which would be disturbing to the audience (links to the genre.)

 Again there is a typical girls bedroom, with a pink lamp, mirror, bed, desk and chair. Allowing the audience to see she is just a typical young girl, which allows them to sympathise when really bad things start ti happen.

This shot shows the girl eating a casual everyday breakfast in a family home (white shutters,  with her father. This scene again re-enforces the realistic everyday life tasks that are being carried out, which the audience are able to relate to, and this makes things more distressing.

The use of characters of older religious values not only brings in the element of religion, but also allows some light to be shed on the events that occur (brings the audience up to date.) The use of old fashion costume allows the audience to realise that they will be characters of some significance. 

Having the young girl out in the dark in the middle of nowhere with the box on the floor in front of her creates an unrealistically troubling scene for the audience, it is obvious that something will occur in this scene, and that builds tension (linking to the supernatural horror genre.)

The laminate floor, electric plugs and contemporary walls shows that the house is modern, and it is set in this time, which is more distressing to the audience. Therefore the fact that creatures are coming out from under the door is un-nerving, as something behind there is obviously not right, building suspense.

 The audience is then able to see what is behind the door. The young girls bedroom is filled with small black creatures, creating a creepy reveal for the audience, The girls modern and typically girly room (bright bedding, desk, lamp, pretty mirror, light walls) in contrast to the horrible creatures flying around it frightening.

 The idea of science is then bought in, as the character is now in a hospital setting. The character going into the scanning device and all the hospital equipment that goes with it allows the audience to see that the other characters are searching for a scientific explanation that makes sense, however this is not the case.

 The young girl wearing white surrounded by white bedding represents innocence. The fact she is being read a bedtime story by her dad allows the audience to feel sympathetic towards her as she is still a child, and therefore anything that happens to her is perceived as much more horrific.

 The use of an old-fashioned ring (which is found in the box) allows the audience to try and make links between the object and the unusual events. Could the ring have a significant power behind it that has something to do with the supernatural occurrences? The dark blue spreading underneath it shows the character is being directly affected.

 The red lighting is symbolic in this case of evil and anger. The word 'exit' will be commonly associated within the audience as a way out, however the possessed character symmetrically standing in the way of it frightens the audience as it is like they are trapped. This links nicely to the supernatural horror genre.

The little girl using a small torch to investigate the strange happenings inside her, and the revelation of the fingers coming out the throat is un-natural and unpleasant, which the audience will find particularly unsettling.