Sound Research

                  Hi There, It's Juan 

Sounds Role in Films

Sound is real important especially in all types of films especially under the horror genre. In order to encourage deeper psychological connection and increase the fear of the horror film, it purposely affects the viewer's psychological view. In modern horror films, sound often takes the place of the screen and, in some cases, even take priority over it. Sound raises the viewers encouragement to watch the film and it increases the scare factor to the movie. Sound is used in multiple different ways through movies including music, dialogue, sound effects, ambient noise, background noise and soundtracks. The three primary categories of film sound are music, sound effects, and dialogue. For the viewer these three sorts of sound are important.

Video of Foley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BQvCCB-PiA&ab_channel=Insider

In these YouTube video they show how sound is used in horror films and how when it is used it creates suspense and scare in the audience. I came across these YouTube videos while i was doing my research under the sound for horror films. It is two  really great videos and in my opinion I do believe they both can actually show efficiently how to use sound to better a film and how it is used in films today.

YouTube Video on the sounds of horror: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nthl4yD2ubY&ab_channel=GammaRay

Throughout my film I will be using lots of Foley sounds and music. I believe the music in the background of a scene or something important helps much with suspense and helps bring together the scare for the viewer. At the moment i do not know what song it will be but it will most likely be some type of beat that has no type of talking but more a serious tone. As I progress on the blog you will se my journey on this topic and the whole project together, thanks for reading.

Group Meeting

                   Group Meeting Chat

Today in class we did what my teacher called a group meeting. This is when she makes a group of 5 and we al take out our blogs showing it to each member of the group. For this group meeting my group consists of 5 people including me all classmates of mine. 

My group gave me a couple of ideas including making the fighting low, using lots of close ups shots and maybe even over the shoulder shots. I was told by my group to use these three ideas for my opening to help create suspense and thriller into the film, which is helpful. I told them how I don't want to show the face of the antagonist or show him at all throughout the opening film. So they came up with ways to show the presence of the antagonists but now show him fully. I personally liked the group meeting as I shared my thought with everyone and they critiqued me with my ideas as well. Also, we looked at each others blogs and I got to see different types of blogs and ways people show their information in their blogs.

Group Picture: 

While looking at everyone's post I saw lots of creative ways and ideas that they portrayed their items and information. Furthermore, hearing everyone's thoughts and plots shows the variety of things you can do for this opening scene. All the different genres and scenes showed are helpful to see the differences in people thoughts and ideas. Someone in my group called Abraham was even doing a horror film opening but it had some type of supernatural aspect to it. He said that the killer ends up killing a person in the beginning of the opening and then at the end it shows that the killer was actually the victim that died. I was confused so I asked him more about It and he helped tell the group that he was looking for some type of supernatural idea in his opening. In the group we even had someone say their film was going to be on a mental health problem where the main character is the antagonist and she kills people in her dreams. This was such a creative way to show the horror into a opening scene. She also said that the people she kills in her dreams end up dying in real life and so it brings so much confusion and thriller into the opening that it seems like a great opening scene. I always liked the whole group meeting idea cause sharing your thoughts and ideas to other people especially people in your class that you know seems like a great way to improve and make key changes into the film's opening.

Technical Elements Research

                  Hi, It's Juan Again 

Technical elements are key parts to horror films throughout this post I will be showing my conclusions after my research on this topic. Shots and angles are key elements to this genre as the goal is the have the audience scared and create suspense throughout the film. A couple shots and angles can do exactly this and help with the goal on the film opening and fit in with the genre which here is horror.

 

Dutch Angle: The dutch angle, which may also be called the canted angle, is a technique often used in horror films to create confusions and panic to the film. Often this show is used as a long shot or a medium shot as it can not be too close to the character so it shows his surroundings and movements. The rotating background will be shown with the character this will create lots of confusion into the viewer and bring suspense into the film. 

Youtube Video on dutch angle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHYfsYQDr6M

 

Long Tracking Shots: In horror and suspense films, long tracking shots are an excellent way to give the audience the impression that the character is being followed or watched. The attacker's view could be from which the shot was taken. This type of shot can also be all about the surroundings, so it can be used to build a scary vibe. These extended takes are tiring as  they are so full of suspense and tension. These takes will not be too long in order to stop boring the viewers to the point where they stop watching.

Close Ups: Close ups are a key factor into bring suspense to the viewers. Showing the close features of items or a person helps create the scare into the audience by zooming in on the facial expressions of the character at hand. Also, by holding on the close up, jump scares are also used to create terror for a moment  In the audience. Even though this shot's not as wide as a establishing shot, there is large ways to be versatile with this shot. I will definitely be using lots of close ups in my opening scene and will do this because it will help improve and bring the idea of the whole opening together.

Youtube Video on Close Ups: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbO3BOsFacc

   I will be using all of these different types of shots and angles throughout my opening film this is research I was and have been doing on specific shots used lots of times in horror films. Throughout the post I show pictures and even the YouTube videos I had watched while completing my research on this topic. This research was done through the past couple days I believe I started doing this on Tuesday, its now Thursday. Hopefully you all enjoyed these posts and i'll see you in the next one. 

Project Schedule

                 Hi There, It's Juan 

So today in class I was reminded by my teacher to add a schedule to the blog. The schedule would show my days planned for every week. Though one week will be research and planning and others will be filming it is best to keep everything together and organized and follow a schedule to be precise with time.

Week 1: This week was all about planning and research. 

Week 2: By the second week I should have a overall idea of how I want the plot and the opening to go.

Week 3: By week 3 I will have the shooting schedule ready at the end of this week. Also, I will be completing a storyboard to show my ideas in the shots and angles I want throughout the film opening. As I want to bring lots of suspense into the opening I will be using lots of close ups and high angle. Also, in the week I will be developing the script and creating a shot list to use when filming.

Week 4: On the fourth week I will continue on with the research and planning for the project. Later throughout the week I will begin filming and creating some mise-en-scene elements. I wanted to add some mise-en-scene that I made into the opening. I was thinking about making my own newspaper and it showing the killings that have been happening in the story or some type of events in the story that have been going on.

Week 5: This week is a important week. By this week I should have finished my production maybe in the middle of the week and started editing at least on the weekend. If all goes to plan I should be editing my film opening by Friday and adding transitions, effects and more to the opening. Again, sound elements are really important for a horror film so throughout the week I will research more of sound and how to effectively use it in editing to scare the audience. 

Week 6: On this week will be ding research and watching samples of the creative critical reflections others have done. Also, if all goes right I shall have my editing to the opening completed and everything will be finished with the opening scene.

Week 7: On week 7 I will continue on with the research and post that process on my blog, and then hopefully by the end of the week being my creative critical reflection. 

Week 8: Finally,  I will create final, overall project reflection and also post my project all together including both the CCR and the Opening to the film.

Post 4 ( Week 1)

                       Hi There, it's Juan 

Ok so this is the final post of the week. This week we did a total of 4 posts and I think it all shows my planning into this project. The project is supposed to be a opening scene to a film, the rest you choose. My genre for this opening is as shown in past blogs, Horror. The whole idea for me is to show the viewer that the remainder of the film is going to be a horror, in just the opening scene. As time went on I thought about adding some comedy into the horror and changing some stuff up. 

I believe I have parts of the  scene planned out but not the entire of the opening ready. I wanted there to not be much characters added into the opening scene. I have asked some friends of they wanted to participate in my project and be the actors for my characters and most of them have said yes. I wanted the opening to start off with the credits. As the credits are being displayed in the background I want there to be some type of imagery playing out maybe I can do handheld camera techniques and walks around different room of the house before getting to the living room. In the living room I wanted there to be 2 male characters sitting on the couch watching some type of sports. In this scene there will be lots of mise-en-scene and stuff like chips, a ball of the sports chosen, and many more items. I wanted to show the antagonist of the opening with only pov shots. When he moves we will use handheld motion to capture what he does. Most of the scene will be the two men talking and constant cuts back to the antagonist. the setting will be a dark and, if available, rainy day. In the scene one of the 2 characters gets up and leaves to the bathroom. There is when the antagonist strikes and the opening completes. I wanted to finish it off with a transition to a bright sunny day and the outside of a house. If all goes to plan and the editing is done correctly i do really believe it will be a great opening to the film. 

To be Continued....

Portfolio Project Planning ( Sound Post 3)

 

                                Hi, It's Juan Again 

Paragraph 1:

Sound is going to be a key element to my project. The opening scene to my and most horror films has to have lots of sounds inputed to help create suspense and bring the audience to more of a conclusion of what the whole film will be on. For my sound elements I was thinking of having a clock constantly ticking as the opening goes on. Also, sound effects will be added when I am editing for situations when suspense kicks in.

Paragraph 2:

I'm currently doing some more important research on the sound part of my opening scene and which types of different sounds I should be using for specific parts. Like I said before I wanted to add some type of sound or item that resembles the popcorn that was used on the film scream. The popcorn in the opening of scream helps build suspense and excitement to the following events which was the attack of the antagonist. I was thinking of having a phone calling in the background like maybe a phone being called throughout the incident. No, the incident of the opening scene will not be revolving on the phone but I wanted the scene to constantly cut back to the telephone ringing. I think that helps make the viewer on edge and scare hem up a bit.

Portfolio Project Planning (Location)

                                          Hello, Juan here 

Location planning is going to be the way I start off my planning. I'll be talking on my thoughts and ideas of both my location and also some mise-en-scene elements in the opening scene. This all will be reflecting over my final product I the opening scene. These planning post will show my process and journey into finishing the project and having hopefully a great opening scene. 

Hello there so here we are back again but now I'm going to be bringing up my thoughts on the background, location, and mise-en-scene of my opening scene. At first thought I wanted to film in a couple locations like my home and School. After further thinking I realized that's it's likely better for me to stick to one general location instead of more than one. If I can set everything up correctly I should be able to film in my home. The only thing with this is that there is generally lots of people at my house but i'll make it happen. For my mise-en-scene I want there to be something like maybe a smaller object that shows everything going on it another way. As in the film scream there was the popcorn I want there to be something in the background that people can notice and it will help build suspense into the opening. My opening scene should have darker colors in the background. I was thinking of starting in the kitchen, in the kitchen the only light that will be on in the whole house is the kitchen light and maybe one more. I want there aspect of it all to be serious and a darker location than usual. One thing I definitely wanted to add is some type of comedy into the opening. The genre for the film as a whole is horror comedy. So in the opening I want there to be something that shows that later on in the film there will definitely be come type of comedy added onto it. Maybe a funny item being picked up or something to do with the mis-en-scene there will most likely be something funny to the horror of the opening scene. 

Sound is also an important element to my opening scene as my genre is horror. I want there to be a clock ticking in the back and the scene goes on. When editing I will add lots of sound and noises throughout the scene to add more suspense and further frighten the viewer. I will be doing further research into this topic and showing it in the next couple blogs. Again, this planning of my mise-en-scene will end up showing my process to creating my opening scene.

TO BE CONTINUED