Gantt chart for time management

The skeleton key

At first it starts with dark scenery. A deep voice over (non diegetic),heavy rain and a camera panning along a graveyard. This is the typical conventions of a horror film. What appears to be screaming there at church service. This gives off a spiritual feeling, like a curse or something similar will be involved. It then cuts to a peaceful non-diegetic sound of piano playing. With bright lighting and a sunny scenery. We then get the impression as she’s applied for a nurse job that someone has something wrong. We later discover he’s got something wrong with him and his wife is trying to cover up. Its mysterious and gives off the impression it’s a horror however its actually a psychological film. The trailer shows most of what's going to happen in the film. They've obviously done there research into that area considering the weather,and society's religion/morals etc.

Shutter Island

The lighting throughout the beginning scene is natural when they are coming to the island on a boat. It is quite a fast opening due to the dramatic non diegetic music. There are quite a few establishing shots to begin with which lets the audience get the feel of the place that they are going to. The island looks dark and scary so these kind of shots help the audience feel like the actors. The detectives look confident arriving to the gates where as the police men are a bit shifty because they know what happens here. The voice over saying ‘ we take only the most dangerous, damaged patients , the ones no other hospital can handle’ this is said whilst the camera is on a character. This is more effective than having the camera on the person speaking. We can tell that this film will be psychological when introducing the patients and the hospital.

Scream

The opening to this film is very tense and has atural lighting throughout. The sound is diegetic when the phone rings and they are having a conversation, however it also had non diegetic, parrallel music over the top to add to a dramatic, tense effect. A variety of shot types are used however it is mainy mid-shots of the women showing her expression. At the start as an audience It would appear as if its a comedy or a romatic movie as the beginging is only of a blonde women on her own. However when the conversation gets going we can tell from her expression that she is scared, so the film could be a horror or thriller.

What lies beneath

This film has a very slow low lighted opening with non diegetic tense music to build up suspense. The scene is very hard to establish where it is set as it is too dark. The music builds up faster when we start to see a character then cuts off when she comes out of the water (bath). The scene is in the bathroom. The woman starts to use a hairdryer, automatically as an audience you assume something will happen or something will appear in the mirror. However nothing happens and the film is a slow start. It goes against the natural conventions of a horror therefore the genre isn’t obvious.

Silence of the lambs

The scene starts with non-diegetic, quiet music, parallel with the outdoor scene. Block capital titles appear on the middle of the screen, this makes the film look a little more lower budget, it was made In the 90s so it may be a little dated. The lighting is natural so the scene looks a bit dark and dreary which adds suspense, this fits with the genre however at the start we don't know this. The camera cuts to a long shot so the scene can be established. A close up of a lady running who looks sweaty, as she begins to run the music becomes more tense and faster this is parallel tot he scene. As an audience it's then made obvious that she's taking part on an obstacle course.

Red Dragon

The scene opens at the orchestra with different various shots of instruments and musician. The use off close ups and mid shots creates suspense alongside the parallel diegetic sound. The camera then pans and zooms towards a guy in the audience, as people leave the orchestra, the camera cuts to a long shot of the house. We don't see them walk there, therefore it's a match-on-action. The houses are quite tall and big therefore we assume whoever owns it is rich. The next scene is a long shot of people round the dinner table, the camera then pans to one another with close ups as they make conversation. It was made in 2002 however was set just after the 50's.

Survey

Most horrors/thrillers are certificated a 15 or an 18 so our target audience is going to be around 15+.
We have decided that we will do a questionnaire for this range of people to see what they prefer, we can keep this information in mind when producing our film.

1) What is your favorite genre of film?
a) Psychological horror
b) Bloody horror
c) Psychological thriller
d) None of the above. Please state here ..............................................

2) What sex do you prefer as the protagonist? 
a) Male
b) Female 


3) Is there any actors/ actress's that stand out to?
....................................................

4) Do you prefer...
a) Fast/upbeat dramatic music that gets your heart racing
b) Slow music that adds suspense?

5) would you prefer... 
a) To know the genre from the beginning
b) Have the genre established later on in the film


- 'Results shown in presentation power point'

Brief

To make a two minute film opening. I am going to be doing this with Yvette Rees.