Day One of Shooting

    Hey everyone! Guess what. Filming has begun. I repeat, filming has begun. It was honestly so fun but took a lot more work than I thought. In filming, I decided to split it up into two days, focusing the first day on the scene that occurs before Nicky starts her tarot reading and the second day on what was remaining. I have shown my process for actually filming down below, including pictures and videos taking you along the way.

Planning:

Setting up the set

    All my blog posts so far have helped me plan for this moment. My storyboard, research, and mise-en-scene planning have all helped me get ready to film. Before I actually started to film, I created my set, built the lights, turned my friend Olivia into Nicky (costume and makeup), and then began.

Filming:

Here is a picture of me at work

    Next up was to actually start filming. Filming was a lot harder than I expected. My goal was to get through half of the filming, but I really only got through 1/3. I filmed using my iPhone, filming handheld shots to make the footage feel more raw as we are in the protagonist's room, a place where she is comfortable to be herself. In filming, although I did get some awesome clips, I ran into a good amount of problems. I wanted to film for at least 3 hours, but by the time I started, my actor had to leave after only 1. I didn't realize how long it would take to film even small parts and how much overshooting I wanted to do. Considering this, I plan to have my friend sleep over so we can work on it as late as we want to finish up. For lighting purposes, I only film when it's dark out, so I think having her sleep over this weekend will be a fun and good idea.

A lot of shots

    So what did I accomplish? I was able to shoot the part where Nicky is scrolling through TikToks up until she is about to start to set up for her tarot reading. Although I would have liked to film maybe the setting up, I am happy with the progress I have made. I am looking forward to my second and hopefully last day of filming.

Here are some clips I have so far:

Example One

Example Two

Planning: The Tiktok

    Hey all! Welcome back to my blog. It has come the time for my last planning post, and I'm very excited to soon be starting fully producing my opening. For this post, I'm going to be focusing on planning out a very important aspect of my opening. In the beginning of my opening, Nicky lies on her bed scrolling through TikTok, where her feed is filled with all sorts of witchy content. This makes it clear to audiences that it's an interest of hers and a trend among teens. The plot of the overall film is centered on how witchy things and tarot cards have become a trend, so including this part in the opening is vital to setting up that the trend is being spread through social media, hence targeting teens. I thought it would be smart to plan how I was going to go about making these TikToks and what they would consist of before I started filming.

    My plan is to show Nicky scrolling on her phone without having the phone screen ever on camera. That way, in creating the TikToks, I don't need to produce separate visuals. I thought I could record audios and add them during editing so the audience can hear the TikToks Nicky is watching, getting the message across without the need for the creation of actual TikToks. I plan to include two TikToks, which I will outline below, but I may add more later on.

TikTok #1

The first TikTok will be a TikTok centered around TikTok's newer feature, the TikTok Shop. 

    I plan to have this video be a shoppable video where a creator is pushing their audience to buy a deck of tarot cards (the one Nicky already owns). This will help demonstrate how in the film, teens (the main users of the app) are being pushed to purchase tarot cards as a result of a trend. As a teen with TikTok, I have seen countless sponsored videos marketing items to be purchased on the TikTok shop. The scripts usually mention how there is a "big sale" going on and how the product "is a must-have." I plan to use this wording in the audio I will create to represent this TikTok Nicky watches, stating something along the lines of "This deck of tarot cards has changed my life. Not only do they work so well, but they also just look so cool. Right now you can get them off the TikTok shop linked below on sale for only $4. It's a steal. Get them while this deal lasts because this is the lowest they will ever be, and there is even free shipping." Of course this script is subject to change, but the TikTok will go like something similar to that. 

Tiktok #2

    For the second TikTok, I plan to indicate that Nicky had looked something up (through typing sounds) and make it clear she used the TikTok search feature.

    Nicky, after searching up tutorials on how to use these tarot cards she just bought, stumbles across a video explaining how to do a reading. I will create the audio for this video by having a friend read a script on how a proper tarot reading should go (cleansing with incense, shuffling, then a placement of 3 cards). This helps transition from the part of the opening where she is merely scrolling to the point where she actually starts practicing witchcraft, doing a tarot reading. 

Breaking It Down: Sound

     Welcome back, all! As I've already discussed, audio in horror films is the most important part.  It has been proven that without sound, horror films are not as effective in giving a scare. Sounds (both diegetic and non-diegetic) are manipulated to help add suspense and fear into a film. They can be used to foreshadow, creating atmosphere, but most importantly help in building tension. For my own film opening, I plan to use a mix of sound-based audios, foley sounds that I create, and copyright-free music. As sound plays a huge role in horror films like mine, I need to be really carefully selective of my choices in sound. With that in mind, I decided it was time to start planning out my sounds (at least some) and providing some examples of these sounds in my blog. My goal was to find at least 1 song I could use, 1 sound base audio for one of my effects, and to create 1 foley sound. I completed this and have provided it down below.

Music:

Link to Background Music

    In terms of background music, when searching, I really wanted to include music that added tension to the most stressful part of my opening (the tarot reading) but not something too intense that it would take away from what is going on. After scrolling through and playing a lot of different options in music, I settled on the one linked above. I think it's the perfect balance of what I was going for and am planning to include it when I start to edit my film.

Sound Effect:

Link to Candle Burning Sound Effect

    Next when using a sound base, I wanted to find a good audio for the candles my main character sets up during her tarot reading. I wanted to find that cracking sound that fire makes as a candle burns down. So, I searched through sound bases and looked for candle sounds but found nothing I really loved. I decided to switch to looking through fire sounds instead, and that's where I found the audio I'm planning to use linked above. It's long and nice and subtle, making it perfect for what I need it for. 

Foley

Index Cards used to resemble tarot cards 

    Another sound vital to my film opening is the sound of the shuffling of the cards. It's a sound I really want to emphasize. I originally planned to use a sound base, but I didn't fall in love with any of the audios I found. I decided I needed to pivot. I figured I could use and make my own Foley stage and make a Foley sound for the sound of the shuffling of the tarot cards. I went around my house rubbing things, banging things, and just playing around until I found something that I thought was perfect. My foley for shuffling cards is shown above. I used index cards and tried playing with them in different ways to create many different trials for audios of my protagonist playing with the cards, shuffling them, and collecting them into one pile. I used index cards because the tension creates a very clear sound that was perfect for what I was going for.

Developing Lighting

    Hey all readers! Welcome back to my blog. In further preparation for creating my film opening and in focusing on mise-en-scène a lot this week, I thought it was very important to focus on lighting. I really wanted to create a specific color scheme within my film (as evident by my research blog) and thought lighting was the best way to go about it. In film specifically, lighting is used to create mood, set tone, and/or work towards creating some type of atmosphere. In horror films, lighting can be used to heighten tension and create that unsettling atmosphere that is needed to cause fear. It can be used to conceal or reveal things and allows for the manipulation of an audience to generate whatever feeling a producer wants. 

Application to my film/Testing:

LED Lights

   

    Around my room I have these lights called LED lights, which allow me to change the color in my room. The lights are controlled by the remote on the right and plugged into an outlet on my wall. The picture on the left is a picture of LED lights in my actual room. The color I chose here is a purple, which I plan to use for my film as it is part of my developed color scheme. Purple often represents the supernatural and witchcraft, which is why I believe it's a perfect choice. I can use this lighting in my film to help create an eerie and witchy atmosphere, which helps me in trying to set the tone in my opening. The use of the purple LED lights also allowed me to have low-key lighting, a common aspect of most horror pieces. 

Mirror Light

    In addition to the LED lights, I decided that in order to create the perfect lighting before I film, I needed some type of other alternative white light that would brighten up my room with the purple. The purple LED lights alone made my room too dark, and when trying to take pictures of people, it was too hard to see, especially details like facial expressions. To solve this, I thought of using my mirror light on the lowest brightness setting to try and add more brightness to my room without taking away from the other purple lighting, and I think it worked out great.

Developing Setting

     Hey all readers! Before I can even think of filming for my opening, I need to really think about turning my room into Nicole's room (aka the set design). My room currently is very plain and basic. It's light pink with grey accents like my headboard and desk. I have LED lights around my room (which I plan to use to develop lighting) and overall a more simplistic room style. I believe the character Nicole would be more opposite. I believe her room would be messier, more alternative (by our measures), and include some witchy things to show her newfound interest. I do believe including some more basic things would make sense for a character who still redeems some more basic interests, as she is someone who goes with what's trendy. So as I build the setting in my room, I will take pictures that I will show below.

My Desk:

    In creating my character Nicky's bedroom, I wanted to create her desk with a lot of clutter and showcase all her witchcraft materials. The lighting as well as the inclusion of candles, mirrors, and most importantly, a Ouija board, all helped in creating the vibe I want and in making Nicky's room seem as unique as possible. Additionally, I wanted to demonstrate her need to follow trends by showing many witchcraft products in her room which shows that she purchased all sorts of witchcraft things from online to fuel her ambition to stay trendy.

My Bed:

    For Nicky's actual bed, I tried to make it look slept in and used and like she attempted to make it, but not very clean and perfect as teenagers often aren't. The tarot cards, which play a huge role in the film, are scattered across her bed; there are posters on the wall, and crystals are all on her bed, which work together in creating the vibe and tone for the film as well as in establishing Nicky as an active consumer with a lot of trendy products for her witchcraft. 

Takeaway:

    Now that my room is turned into Nicky's, I feel I'm almost at the point to start production. I think the setting looks great, and I am so beyond happy with how it came out, especially how it photographed. The vibe really matched the color scheme research I did and really matched the vision I had. I cannot wait to start the filming process next week and will keep you all updated. 

Creating Nicole (Nicky)

    Hey all readers! As I continue to create the plot for my film and specifically its opening, I have continued to develop the main character of my film. I plan to have one main protagonist in my opening (a teenage girl) and have a friend be the actor. My friend Olivia (female, 17) will be playing the main character in my film. She is around the age and has a similar look to what I was going for, and she was glad to help. Here is a picture of Olivia down below.

Olivia (Female, Age 17)

Age/Sex/Name

    Considering the plot of my film being centered around social media influence, it was clear a teen girl was the best choice in terms of character. Teen girls are typically most susceptible to social media influence, and so my character is a 16-year-old sophomore in high school who is more on the alternative side (more on that later). In terms of her name, I wanted to include a female name that also has a more unisex nickname because I feel as if this would help encompass the personality of a more alternative-looking character. So upon a lot of brainstorming, I have come up with the name Nicole and nickname Nicky. 

Mise-en-scène

   Mise-en-scène elements rely on visualization, and so I decided to include a mood board for the visual elements (like costume and makeup) that make Nicky. As you can see, Nicky is very into the witchcore and more gothic and alternative aesthetic (as influenced by a new upcoming social media trend) but does not necessarily dress gothic. This is because the social media trend of the time is practicing "witchcraft" like doing tarot readings, and all types of teenagers have been trying it out.  The two pictures on the bottom left and on the picture on the bottom right represent what how she dresses, a cross between the more general and popular styles and some ones we consider alternative but in my film would be considered becoming mainstream because of a trend. 

Personality

    Nicky is more of a reserved person and kinda keeps to herself. Nicky, like many other teen girls, is just trying her best to get through high school. To her, what others say holds a lot of weight, and she is very influenced by other people's opinions of her as well as internet trends. Being someone who is very affected by others and easily influenced is what gets her into trouble in the film. She follows the witchcraft tarot reading trend from online and buys the deck of cards (on TikTok shop) that are marketed to her. Her reserved and impressionable personality is what makes Nicky get into the trouble she gets into. 

Storyboarding

    Hey readers! I have officially finished my storyboard of my film opening. I am so excited to start filming very soon. My storyboard is my way of visually showing off the main shots I plan to use in my opening. They have helped me in this pre-filming/planning stage of this project in organizing my ideas but will also help me in my next step.

    In the production stage of my opening, I plan to follow my storyboard and keep it with me to help me stay on track. It has helped me in putting what I need to film on paper in an organized way and is hopefully going to ensure I get all the necessary shots for when it comes time to edit my film.

Here is my storyboard if you want to check it out:

    Although I am sure I will run into several issues while filming that will cause me to have to revise my storyboard, I'm glad I have this to help me feel less overwhelmed. I'm excited to get started on the next step and start producing the opening!

Researching: The Target Audience

    Welcome back, readers! I am hoping to start filming my film opening next week. I can't believe that time has come. But before I start, I am continuing to research to help me feel more equipped to succeed in producing my opening. For this post, I have researched all about target audiences. 

What is a Target Audience? 

    The target audience of a film is who the film is marketed to. It's essentially who the producer or director of a film wants to actually watch the film. Target audiences can be defined by different demographics (age, sex, race, etc.) or psychographics (personality traits, interests) and often build up brand loyalty and encourage a specific group of people to purchase a product. Target audience doesn't just apply to film. Most businesses selling anything have a target audience. Target audiences help companies make more profit through how helpful they are in marketing.

    There are two types of target audiences—primary and secondary. The primary target audience is the main target audience and who the film is marketed to based on demographics. The secondary target audience does not have to be identified demographically but more by having an interest in a certain part of the film, so through things like psychographics. Despite whether it's secondary or primary, target audience remains very important to a film's success.

    A target audience can be found or created through analyzing different things such as a company's competition, different demographics, and psychographics. Through picking a target audience, certain production choices can be made to "target" this specific audience.

But why?

    The reason those behind filmmaking chose or find a target audience is for its ability to create a distinguishable brand identity. By creating your brand identity, you help establish a brand voice and brand loyalty, which keeps audiences coming back. In film specifically, it helps encourage people to come watch the film, purchase tickets at movie theaters, watch it on streaming platforms, rent it, or buy it online. The ability to create a brand identity centered around a film encourages more people to watch, allowing for more profit. Since this stems from the target audience, it explains why the target audience is so important.

Ex: The Scream Franchise: 

   An example of a target audience could be the target audience for the Scream franchise. The target audience for the Scream films is focused on the age demographic and is marketed to teens (15-18). The film targets this audience through its focus on high school life and teens as the main characters in the movie.

Takeaways:

   For my own film/film opening, I have chosen my target audience of Gen Z (15-25) and don't have a strong preference for gender but more of a lean to women. I have centered the plot of my horror film around a teen girl and witchcraft but with social media as a main element of the film, which should help target my target audience.

Resources: 

O’Grady, Natalie. “Target Audience: What It Is and How to Find Yours.” Sprout Social, 19 Jan. 2025, sproutsocial.com/insights/target-audience.

Prezi, Emi On. “Target Audiences of Horror Films.” prezi.com, prezi.com/v8hdcg267oom/target-audiences-of-horror-films.

Plotting

    Hey readers. Since I have officially chosen by genre for my film opening, horror, I have decided that it's time to solidify a plot idea. I have been inspired by my 7th-grade self's interest in tarot cards and witchcraft and decided to make my film centered around the supernatural. Considering I was made aware of tarot and witchcraft through social media, sad I know, I decided for my own film I wanted to incorporate it as a modern-day social media twist.

    The overall plot of my entire film would be centered around a social media trend (especially on TikTok) encouraging teens to try to read tarot cards and do "spells" from the internet. Teens around the world would start to buy a modern deck of tarot cards online, which is marketed to them online through collabs and tutorials. The more teens that buy these cards, the more bad things that happen to them. Some of these teens go missing, some have altered features or personalities, and parents are very worried and concerned. It seems as if the reading of the cards alters the life path of those who were read. As the film unfolds, parents and concerned citizens try to research more into this company selling the cards and find that there is a factory where all these witchcraft products are being sold. The weird thing is that the factory is running but with no workers. In the end, a concerned parent (of the girl in the opening) does her own reading in hopes of answers. She then pulls out the card death. And then the film ends there, on a cliffhanger. Is the parent going to die? Is this "trend" dead? The audience will never know. 

    In terms of my opening, I plan to focus on one girl's experience with buying and using the cards. I plan to have it start with a girl scrolling on TikTok, her feed filled with this witchcraft and tarot stuff. She has already purchased the deck off of the TikTok shop and is watching videos on how to use it. She sets up her room and gives herself a reading. As she puts her last card down, the candles blow out, and the opening ends.

    Above I have included some things I plan to incorporate into my opening (the deck of cards and the pic of the characters room) that are especially important to the plot. I plan to use this as the main setting in the opening and the cards as the main prop. Soon I'm going to develop a storyboard to help me picture everything before I start my opening, but until then, I will continue to plan and research! 

Research: Roland Barthes 5 Narrative Codes

    Hey all readers! As I continue to work on developing my portfolio project, I have continued to research a lot about the media sphere in an aim to help me with this planning stage of the project. In this post, I have researched and focused on Roland Barthes and his media theory on Narrative Codes. 

    Roland Barthes was a French essayist and social and literary critic who was born in 1915 and died in 1980. Barthes focused his writings on semiotics (the study and analysis of signs or symbols) and played a huge role in that field as well as in the establishment of structuralism and the New Criticism theory. 

Roland Barthes

    In his 1970 book S/Z, Barthes used Honoré de Balzac's short story "Sarrasine" as an example of his theory for 5 Narrative Codes, which stemmed from his analysis of narrative structures. Barthes narrative codes theory helped explain how meaning can be created in a text or media text as explained by these 5 codes. In his book, he outlines 5 narrative codes (aka systems of signs or meanings in a narrative) that can be used to understand and convey meaning in a text. 

These 5 narrative codes are explained below.  

1. Hermeneutic or Enigma Code: A Hermeneutic or Enigma Code refers to the code in a narrative when there is withheld information, gaps, or questions that are used to spark mystery and leave things unanswered or unexplained. This narrative code is used by emphasizing and encouraging audience engagement. This code is commonly used in mystery films/texts where the goal is to keep the audience guessing who committed a crime or even in horror films/texts.

2. Proairetic or Action Code: A Proairetic or Action Codes are plot points in a narrative that are caused by events that lead to other events or actions. Because they lead to other events, they made audiences wonder what event is to come. This could be things like a car chase that keeps the audience wondering if the criminal in the car will be caught. 

3. Semantic Code: A Semantic Code is focused on signs or elements of a text and how they represent more than basic definitions or the literal object. They carry connotations, not just denotations, to bring more knowledge on character, plot, etc. This code is often used to convey a specific theme or meaning to its audience.

4. Symbolic Code: A Symbolic Code is focused on using signs, symbols, or metaphors in a text that typically represent antithesis or opposition. These codes are a battle between contrasting signs. This code is helpful in emphasizing the difference between whatever is shown or represented. 

5. Cultural Code: A Cultural Code exists outside of the media text and comes from outside a production as historical, social, psychological, and even literary references. In order for cultural codes to work, the audience, better yet, the target audience, must understand them.

This video is very helpful and helped me break down this theory:

    Takeaways: In my own production and film opening, I hope to utilize Hermeneutic or Enigma Codes to create suspense or mystery. Considering the fact that my opening genre is horror, I hope to utilize this code by not explaining the reasoning why bad things happen to my protagonist after she does a tarot card reading, and in doing so, I hope to leave a plot point unexplained to build fear or suspense. 

Resources:

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Roland Barthes | Biography and Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998, www.britannica.com/biography/Roland-Gerard-Barthes.

Introduction to Roland Barthes, Module on the Five Codes. www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/english/theory/narratology/modules/barthescodes.html. 

Researching Color Schemes

Hey readers, and welcome back! As a part of preparing for my film opening, I have furthered my research on different elements involved in production. For today's research, I have learned all about color schemes. 

What are Color Schemes?

    Color in general is a very important marketing tool for companies and institutions. Color is based off of perception. Color is the result of what each person sees when light is reflected off an object. Color is so important that 90% of a person's decision on if they like a product is based on coloring. In film, color schemes are picked out and used to help create atmosphere and/or a certain mood. Colors are intentionally picked and combined to serve a specific purpose. Color schemes are a powerful tool used by filmmakers to evoke a specific emotion through different scenes in a film and are used specifically in setting a scene. 

The Color Wheel 

    

    The color wheel plays a vital role in creating a color scheme. The color wheel which is shown above can be broken down into primary colors (red, yellow, blue), secondary colors (colors created from just primary colors), and tertiary colors (colors made from both primary and secondary colors). There are cool hues on the left and warm hues on the right. The most important thing about the color wheel when it comes to film is how the coloring can carry meaning or emotion. Colors are associated with feelings and emotions (like red can be passion and love, or blue can sometimes mean sadness), and this can be manipulated by anyone to help market products. A color scheme is a result of the combination or arrangement of these colors.

Color schemes are typically created in three ways:

    

    These three techniques for creating color schemes all center around the color wheel. Complementary colors are opposite colors, and color schemes containing complementary colors often are used for contrast or differentiation and making things stand out. Analogous colors and colors close to one another, when analogous color schemes are made, usually one color is the main color while others are more there for support. Analogous schemes look good together and can help guide someone's gaze. Lastly, triadic colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel and help in doing what both complementary and analogous colors do: make things pop but also harmonize.

    In horror films, usually tones are desaturated, leaving for a more washed-out, lifeless coloring to create more of an unease. Colors like gray, maroon, blues, etc., are all used to create suspense and evoke fear. Color schemes are important to films because they create atmosphere. In horror films this is especially important because atmosphere is what allows films to actually create fear and scare their audience. 

Example:

    An example of a color scheme used by a horror film could be the one used for It (2017) shown above. The red in this color scheme stands out compared to the more muted other colors. This red is used to emphasize danger, as it was associated with the main antagonist and was used to market the film.

Takeaways:

   All this research on color schemes has gotten me thinking about my color scheme for my film. I'm not sure my exact plot for my film opening, but I do know it is a horror film that revolves around witchcraft and tarot cards. Because purple is often associated with magic and the supernatural, I've been thinking of many an analogous color scheme with purple as its main color. Examples are shown below. 

    

Credits: 

“Basic Color Theory.” Color Matters, 29 Jan. 2025, www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory.

Decker, Kris, and Kris Decker. “The Fundamentals of Understanding Color Theory.” 99designs, 21 Dec. 2022, 99designs.com/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory.

“

Breaking it Down Further: Analyzing Credit Sequences

A vital part of any film opening is the credit sequence. The way that credit sequences are presented varies within openings, especially in the way they are shown, which is why I have researched and watched several opening credit sequences and analyzed them below. 

But First.... What is a Credit Sequence?

    Credit sequences in films are a way to credit the people behind a film. Credit sequences often display text that lists the cast and crew, but they are presented differently in different films, especially in the way they are visually shown. Typically, things like producer, director, writer, cinematographer, editor, main actors, and music credits are all part of the credit sequence. In my own opening, I plan to include one of these sequences, but before doing this research, I hadn't really thought about how just yet. In doing this research, things became a little more clear.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The visual appeal for the title for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) wasn't really great in my opinion. Although the coloring matched the opening scene's color scheme, it still somehow looked off. Personally, the outline in gray of the lettering messed up the title, and I think if the title was more visually appealing, it would have made the credits seem better. 

The general credit sequence for The Silence of the Lambs (1991) seemed quite distracting in my personal opinion. I didn't like the font of the text, and the outline in gray didn't strike me as visually appealing. When the credits appeared, they were big and intrusive and took away from what was going on in the scene. The credits did match the title which  made for a clean look that I liked. 

Misery (1990)

The general credits for Misery (1990), although being a contrasting color, didn't distract from the scene of the opening. The credits faded in nicely and were very visually appealing. The opening did a nice job of portraying a car crash, and the credits were fluid and didn't take away from the story. The credits matched the title, which added to the cleanliness of the credits. 

I really liked the title for Misery (1990). I think although the red contrasts the winter storm, it made the title stick out and seem more interesting. I liked the font better, and I think it went with the whole Christmas time winter theme of the film and the film opening.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Out of all the titles, the title for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) was my favorite one. It matched the coloring of the opening, and it was very visually appealing. The title was quite distinguishable, making it recognizable, and it could be used as a logo for marketing the film. 

The general credits for A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) are most alike to what I want to do in my opening. They are a basic font, white, and kind of small and off in the corner, ensuring they don't take away from the film. I like that they are kind of off to the side and not covering what's going on in the opening.

Takeaways/Credits:

    In watching and taking notes on all these credit sequences, I have realized for my own film opening, I want my credits to be small with a more simple font. I want them to not take away from the opening's actual plot and to match the color scheme of the opening.  To watch all the openings/credit sequences, I used a website called Art of the Title. It has numerous openings to watch and focuses on the credit sequences within the opening. I have given credit to the website and provided the URL below. 

Art of the Title. www.artofthetitle.com.

Film Openings Unraveled: A Deeper Dive

     Hey all readers, it is official. I have chosen my genre! I'm making my film opening a horror piece. In an aim to help me further understand film openings for this genre, I have analyzed three horror film openings below and explained what aspects of these openings I may want to include in my own opening. 

Film Opening #1

A Quiet Place (2018)

    The first film opening I watched and analyzed was A Quiet Place (2018). I watched the first few minutes of the film and took note of what I liked and didn't as well as what aspects could be helpful for my own opening. I really liked the way this film opening introduced the alternate world this film takes place in, without revealing too many details. It was clear sound triggered some type of monster in this universe. The way they manipulated sound, including having no dialogue and mostly a lack of sound despite some diegetic sound, helped in emphasizing the little diegetic sound that actually was included as well as making the film seem more real. In terms of shots, angles, composition, and movement, the film uses a variety of types of shots and movement techniques that add depth to the film (like the long shot of the little boy in the woods emphasizing how far he was from his family when the monster took him). Even the inclusion of shots of nature like the ground or the sky played a specific purpose and emphasized that the family was isolated and that there was a lack of sound in this world. Movement techniques like tracking shots and pans helped in creating a still environment that seems calm until it very quickly didn't. These techniques worked together to create a very eerie feeling.
    
    In my own film opening, I also plan to not include dialogue and focus on using sound bases and foleys for the majority of the sound. This opening made it clear that this was more than possible. This opening also helped in allowing me to further understand the importance of sound to horror. The variety of shots, angles, and movement is something I need in my own opening. I want to use this different variety of shots, angles, composition, and movement to make my film more interesting and less boring. The inclusion of shots of the environment also is something I may want in my film because I believe the environment can help create atmosphere which helps set the tone of the film.  

Film Opening #2

Annabelle (2014)

    This film opening for Annabelle (2014) particularly freaked me out. The film opening starts with a close-up of Annabelle's eye and then is broken up into cuts between people talking, another close-up of the doll, people talking, and then a long shot of just the doll that zooms in with a loud non-diegetic sound. This sequence (doll, talking, doll, talking) was very effective in its goal of associating the fear of the characters with the doll, painting the doll as scary. The dialogue of the people explaining how they were scared of this doll really helped create fear around the doll. The film's opening use of low-key lighting and the mise-en-scène elements, such as the dolls exaggerated features and look, furthered the creepiness of the opening. In the end, when the doll is zoomed into, a loud, eerie non-diegetic sound is played, hinting at a potential jump scare that didn't happen. This was the part that built up the most fear and suspense. 

    For my own opening, I think I want to use low-key lighting and make smart mise-en-scène choices like the one in this film opening. As I already mentioned, sound is very important to horror, as made evident by all the openings I have watched, but I like the specific use of sound in this opening. The use of a loud, non-diegetic sound with a still doll and no movement other than the camera movement is something I think really built up tension. I may want to do something similar, including loud noise in a more still moment to build tension and emphasize that sound to create more fear. 

Film Opening #3

SCREAM 3 (2000)

     This film opening for SCREAM 3 (2000) really relied on the atmosphere and auditory elements to build suspense and create an eerie feel. The use of cross-cutting between where the killer was as well as where Cotton was added suspense by allowing the audience to understand things the character was unaware of. The atmosphere is a direct reflection of the low-key lighting as well as the cool color palette, creating an ominous effect. The sound elements are vital to this opening, both diegetic and non-diegetic, which work together to build suspense when Cotton realizes his girlfriend is in trouble and in other parts of the opening. 
    

    The technique used in this film opening I think I could implement into mine would be the cross-cutting or maybe just letting the audience know something the character doesn't. This really added suspense and built up intensity in the piece and I believe it could do the same for mine. Additionally, using and manipulating sound and lighting effectively can be useful in my opening just as it was in this one. The manipulation of both the character and the audience is cool and something I may also want to use. 

Takeaways

    Before conducting my research, I was very much aware of the importance of my mise-en-scène choices and shots/angles/composition/movement choices for my film opening, especially in horror. My analysis of several openings within the genre has opened my eyes to the emphasis on sound in horror films. In my own film opening, I plan to use sound to my advantage to build tension, suspense, and instill fear. I want to stay away from dialogue, focusing on sound bases or foleys for audio, as dialogue is hard to make clear without proper equipment. Overall, I'm glad I watched and reviewed these openings before starting mine because they definitely have altered the way I'm approaching my project. 

Breaking it Down (My Schedule)

Since this project is my first long-term project, I thought it was very important to make a timeline or schedule to follow while completing this assignment. Although things happen, and sticking to a schedule isn't always possible, I will be trying my very best. Time management is a big concern of mine, so I'm hoping this will make me feel more organized. 

Pieces of the Puzzle:

This project has many parts, so first I want to break it down into its smaller parts before making my timeline of events.

1. Planning/Research: After solidifying my genre, I first need to research the conventions of the genre as well as analyze specific openings within the genre. As part of this research and planning process, I need to further brainstorm a plot for my opening as well as further plan through details like actors and location, and I need to make a storyboard. 

2. Filming/Production: The next step is to actually film my opening. For the production process, I need to film, work on creating or finding any foleys or audios, and work on mise-en-scène elements. 

3. Editing: After filming is done, the next step is to edit. Within editing, I need to piece together the opening, add credits, and overall actually make the opening into an opening.

4. Revisions: At this point in the process, mostly everything should be done. I want to leave time to revise, edit, and reshoot as well as time to work on things if my schedule gets delayed. 

5. CCR (Creative Critical Reflection): This is the last step in my portfolio project. I need to work on the elements to create my CCR. 

Schedule:

Week One (1/29-2/2)

• Genre Research
• Brainstorm plot for each genre

Week Two (2/3-2/9)

• Solidify genre and plot
• Storyboard
• Plan 
• Find actors
• Find locations
• Set filming schedule for actors

Week Three (2/10-2/16)

• Create Mise-en-scène elements
• Create costume
• Create set design
• Make any props
• Filming
• Record foley's
• Film videos

Week Four (2/17-2/23)

• Finish up filming 
• Start Editing
• Find audios
• Start editing (at least half done)

Week Five (2/24-3/2)

• Finish up Editing
• Finish last half to edit
• Revisions
• Revise first editing cut

Week Six (3/3-3/9)

•  Revisions
• Complete opening
• Creative Critical Reflection
• Research information relating to the reflection.
• Create the reflection.
• Edit and review CCR.

Week Seven (3/10-3/16)

• Creative Critical Reflection
• Research information relating to the reflection.
• Create the reflection.
• Edit and review CCR.

Week Eight (3/17-3/25)

• Use this week to finish up if any issues occur 

    

Additionally, to make sure I really stay on schedule, I have printed out my timeline and hung it in my room. This, I believe, should help me really stay on track. As things get done, I will cross them off. I have shown proof of this down below. 

    

Of course this schedule is tentative and subject to change, but breaking up the project and giving myself these weekly deadlines has really made me feel better about the project overall.