Production

     For this post, I wanted to talk about an important prop in our film. Our film includes many many different props due to it portraying a woman setting up dinner. She is moving around plates, silverware, cups, food, etc. However, this prop is a photo of Tinder messages to portray how Elena has had many people come over and the last thing they had said was that they were at her house. It shows how arriving at her house is their last event so when there's an unread message from Jackson saying her arrived audiences anticipate that he will be in a deadly situation. 

    For this prop, I initially thought we were just going to do this in messages by texting one of our phones from other numbers, but my group was actually thinking of having Tinder messages to emphasize that these are dates. So, we were going to just be making a Tinder account and screenshotting the messages from that. However, we realized that 

1. We would need the messages to have spaced out dates.

2. We would need people to send us messages saying something about arriving at Elenas house.

3. We would need peoples consent for this

In general, I though making a twitter account was just too much and that we should just make them image ourselves.  So, on Canva Juan made an image that resembled the Tinder messages with accurate dates and messages.

    The last step to completing the prop to use in the video was to find images for the dates profile. Each man needed a profile, but this was difficult because we need copyright free images. Most of these stock images appeared unrealistic/unnatural so it was a challenge to find good options. We ultimately did complete our prop which will be shown on a phone screen in the film. This is what it looks like: (We also added some details like Jackson being a lot nicer and more professional than the other man who are a bit more disrespectful, this foreshadows to the ending I talked about in character development.) (It looks very low quality in the post for some reason and I am not sure why)

Storyboard

     This week I am writing a planning post about our storyboard for the project. I previously posted our script but this should help better visually represent how our scenes will look. I think it will definitely make shooting easier since it will actually show what is being captured. Here are 3 pictures in order of our storyboard:

    This storyboard basically sums up what will be in the film except for all details, effects, and sound. We have also since revised scenes like the beginning of setting the table are not all high angles, some will be close-ups and some long shots so that is not yet decided. The title card will instead be displayed when the woman is looking at her phone, the doorbell will ring on a black screen and a scene will be added afterward of Elena walking towards the front door. We believe this will help the opening feel complete yet make sure people know that it's just an opening and there's more to the film. The storyboard also doesn't show where the opening credits will be because we need to figure out how to make the idea, we want for the credits possible within shots. The idea for our opening credits is that they will be reveled under objects or when objects move across the screen with masking editing tools. Ultimately, I think the storyboard is very solid and is very helpful in expressing our idea and will be perfect with our revisions. This is the link to my post with the script if you would like to check that out for a better understanding - Script.

Character Development

    Our main character is Elena, well who is Elena. hat is her personality and how does it change throughout the film?

    She starts out as a picky woman who is looking for the perfect man. She is distrustful, hopeless and lonely. She invites many men to her house, but they are never perfect, so she obviously has to kill them. Date after date they are all just not up to her standards until one date changes that. Jackson is the man who is arriving to her house for dinner that day and he is unlike the rest.

   

    I am not exactly sure how everything will go down yet, I need to continue working on the story with my team, but I think that Jackson will be well dressed, respectful, kind etc. But somehow (I am also not sure how) it will be revealed that Jackson is also a murderer while she is attempting to kill him for doing something that displeased her. In the end, she falls in love him because he is overall perfect and also a serial killer which she likes. She is now loyal to him, loving, and romantic. She and him will be killers together and happily ever after for them which is horrifying for the audience. 

    I still have a lot of gaps to fill to make the story more structurally sound and interesting, I only really have the main ideas I just need to work on details. It may sound a little wonky, but we will be working on fixing it up soon. 

Audio

     For our project we have been looking for 2 different categories of audio, a main song that is played throughout the opening and sound effects. 

    For the main song we have been looking for copyright free songs across YouTube and many different sound platforms however we haven't found a song that we felt was appropriate for the film. We have been continuing to look in our free time, but the kind of song were looking for is very unique and specific (a romantic yet eerie in context, song with lyrics that fit the opening) making this a very difficult and time consuming process. We have also reached out to use a copyrighted song "It had to be you" by Frank Sinatra which perfectly fits our film opening, but since we aren't sure if we will be able to use it, we will continue looking for other options. 

    For sound effect we will be using free websites like Pixabay, Epidemic Sound, and BenSound. We are also going to be creating some foley for more specific sounds or ones that we can't find on the sound websites. We are going to try and find/make these sounds next week so we can have all our audio readily available for editing. 

    So far, I believe we have the audio portion of the project is really well planned. I think we can gather all the audio aspects very soon and hopefully we are able to use the Frank Sinatra song because I think it would be amazing for our opening.

Lighting

    In this post I am discussing the mise-en-scene element, lighting! We have a certain vibe we want to capture an to o so we need to have a consistent mise-en-scene, an a huge factor for that is lighting. So for our film opening we would like to use low key light that a little warmer so it feels more homely like a household dinner would be and we want to use colored lighting (more specifically red).

    Throughout most of the film, we will just have the warmer-toned low-key lighting and during the gruesome flashback scene, we will have red lighting to emphasize the horror and intensity of the situation. Even though afterwards the lighting will return to normal it will leave audiences shocked and anxious about the potential upcoming situation and what this whole dinner was all about. 

This is a picture of how our red lighting scene looks:

Props

 This post is about the mise-en-scene element of props! For this film we want to pick props that seem to be regular for a household dinner however we want the elements to be consistent with our red, black, and silver color palate and to have a darker look. For filming we created a list of all the props we could think of except for costumes which we will think of separately. 

List:

-Record player

-Vinyl

-Tablecloth

-Napkins (2)

-Fork+knife (2)

-Plates (2)

- Flowers in a vase

-Candles (3)

-Glass cup (2)

-Wine bottle

-Wine opener

-Rotisserie chicken

-Spices for chicken

- Platter for chicken

-Cucumber

-Salad

-Cutting board

-Bowl

-Cutting knife

-Fake blood

-Cleaning gloves

-Paper towels

Here I have pictures of some props we already decided on:

These props have a consistent vibe that will be good for the mise-en-scene of the project like having a dark mysterious colored record player and a bright red record which foreshadows the future gruesome scenes. The rest of the props set an ordinary vibe like we want the film to appear as before the truth is revealed. Aswell as this list we also need accessories for our costumes which I will talk about in another post. We also need filming supplies like cameras and lighting. 

Media Theory

     There are many kinds of media theory however which theory should I include in my project? I have really taken an interest in the Narrative Code - Proairetic/Action Code. I believe there are many ways this can be included in our film after re-reading our script and it seems very fitting for the mysterious vibe.

    This code is when the plot point leads to other actions that make viewers wonder what will happen next. I think this will be used in my project through plot points like: seeing flashbacks to the crime and getting a notification that someone has arrived. It makes the audience wonder what will occur tonight and who the man arriving is/what will happen to him. 

I also think that Gender Performativity Theory is included to the extent that it means gender roles are not natural but societal constructs, it is a performance of gender from an understanding of gender due to repeated gender roles. This is used in the opening by having a female serial killer which is not typically expected of the gender and having her do tasks that seem typical of the gender such as cooking/setting the table. She shouldn't be expected to be so sinister especially since she is following these norms. 

    I think either of these theories could be used/emphasized within the project however I believe that I am pushing the gender performativity and would like to focus more on integrating the Action Code media theory.

Script

    This post will include our script which Juan wrote based on all the ideas we discussed in class. It is likely that it is exactly how our film opening will be however renovations or additions of material are possible. I think it sounds amazing, and I can't wait for our group to begin our filming!

SCREENPLAY

 

NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 7^TH, 2025

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

 

An empty vinyl record player rests on a table, the camera directly above it. Footsteps approach and soon, the hands of an off-screen woman places a vinyl inside the record player and readjusts the tonearm to start playing the vinyl.

*SONG NAME* starts playing over the scene.

MONTAGE START

The woman places a tablecloth over a long table and covers the camera which is placed at the opposite end of the table.

(CUTS)

The woman puts napkins on both sides of each table and adds a fork and knife to each napkin.

(CUTS)

The woman then adds plates in front of two seats of the table.

(CUTS)

The woman brings out a centerpiece of flowers and places it in the center of the table.

(CUTS)

The woman carries over two candles to the table and places it on both sides of the centerpiece of flowers, lighting them both.

(CUTS)

The woman transports two glasses to the table and rests them atop of the dinner table.

(CUTS)

The woman brings over a wine bottle and wine opener but before getting to open it, the oven beeps and interrupts her.

(CUTS)

While the camera faces the oven door from inside, the oven beeps and the door opens, the woman taking out a rotisserie chicken and closing the oven door afterwards.

(CUTS)

The woman places the chicken atop the kitchen counter and pours sauce over it before transferring it to a plate and bringing it to the dinner table.

(CUTS)

The woman begins chopping a cucumber on a chopping board with an empty bowl besides it. When one of the pieces fall to the floor, the woman bends down to pick it up and rises back up.

FLASHBACK SEQUENCE

The woman still carries the knife in her hand but now, blood covers the knife, her hand, her arm, and the floor below her. A dead man is bleeding out on the floor in front of her, the lighting darker and the background music distorted.

PRESENT TIME

The woman looks up towards the trash can. The camera angle is directly in front of the trash can but still shows the entire kitchen. The woman is seen approaching the trashcan, throwing away the cucumber, and inside lays bloody cleaning gloves along with bloody towels. The woman returns to the chopped vegetables and drops them into the empty bowl, picking it up and approaching the direction the camera is in.

The camera angle switches back to show the woman place the bowl of vegetables on the dining table when her phone suddenly buzzes. She opens the notification and her phone screen displays Tinder messages with the only notification being from a man named Jackson who texted her saying, “Hey Elena, I’m outside.”

Below the man’s message are several other men’s opened messages, all their last texts saying that they have arrived at the woman’s house.

The woman is seen smiling eerily and the title card appears.

*MAN*SLAUGHTER [title card]

The angle remains the same as the shot before the title card. The doorbell rings and the woman turns her head towards the front door.

The camera now faces the front door from the inside of the house, the woman opening the front door and showing the man from the message, Jackson, standing at her front door.

[END OF OPENING]

    We still need to decide on exactly the kinds of shots and angles to use for each scene as well as where to put the opening credits. I talked about how we would like to have them in a previous post, but we just need to decide on how exactly is best to integrate them into the script. We are also still deciding about certain aspects of character design for Elena and her victim which I will talk about in a post soon. 

Project idea

     For this project, I am working in a group with my two friends Victoria and Juan. We began with an open mind to all genres but ultimately, we narrowed down the possibilities to thriller, horror, and drama. We tried brainstorming for a while and our initial idea was some sort of loop however during the end of our class one day Vicky came up with a rough idea. We continued expanding on its next class and we have been consistently adding on and revising parts of it to come up with our current plan.

    It will be an opening of the horror genre. The opening will begin with an overhead shot of a record player, there will be foley high heel footsteps and a woman will put a record in the player and begin playing the song. The music is still undecided, but we would like it to seem pretty regular/romantic at first. The woman will then be featured setting a fancy dining table/preparing the dinner. During this sequence her face will not be shown, opening credits will be shown by having her move a cutting board and the credits appearing under it and similar ways. As she is doing this there will be flashbacks to gruesome scenes that distort the music. After these events, she will get a message saying something like "I'm here" and other similar messages from males will be shown. Then the title "Manslaughter" will appear across the woman's smirking face, afterwards the screen will cut to black as the doorbell rings. The flashbacks are to the serial killer's previous murders, and we would like to include some kind of trophy or clue as to her motive that would be recalled in the movie later. 

    The character is a serial killer named Elena; she kills her victims (men) at dinner, but we haven't yet thought of an interesting motive. She will be in her 20's, formal (probably black) dress and heels. We want to have lots of low-key lighting and a color scheme of mostly blacks, reds, and silver. She should appear kind of sweet which hides her twisted nature. We also want to include slow-dragging scenes to really build anxiety and tension to achieve that classic horror feeling. 

Overall, I think our idea is very solid and thought out, my group has been very considerate and compromisable so we didn't have much trouble coming up with this idea together. We will continue to add more ideas including the motive into the film, but I think our idea is very interesting and will be very successful in appearing like a legitimate horror film opening.

1st group meeting

 My teacher divided our class into groups of five so we could tell other students about our film ideas and blogs, we also gave each other feedback to help everyone improve.

 

Once we started the meeting I talked about my ideas and blogs (which I will discuss in another post later this week), and afterwards Candelaria Rush talked about hers. She is going to make a film with the genre sports drama, it will be about a gymnast and her rival. She is planning on filming in Tag Gymnastics with lots of bright lighting and featuring her gymnast friend as the main character. She is going to emphasize the rivalry by having the protagonist's outfit and style be bright and more colorful like the images below...

and she wants the antagonists to have darker and fierce costume like images below...

She is going to use lots of close ups, zoom ins, and slow mo's to dramatize the sport and create more intense scenes. I think her opening sounds like it has a lot of potential and it seems like she has really planned out a solid idea to continue working off of.

Candelaria's blog is linked here: Candelaria's blog
She does an amazing jo in writing her blog it feel natural and like you are talking right to her. She has kept up with frequently posting and each blog is detailed with many photos and links which really helps me understand what she is talking about. 

Audrey Pangalangan is making the film opening a psychological thriller about a man that goes insane, her explanation was a bit unclear and confusing, but she clearly had a set idea of exactly what she wants to do. From what I understood she is planning on the setting being her house or her dads bar, she wants the main character to stand out (kind of like the joker) from the rest with bright red theme while other characters are in muted greens, blues, and beiges. She later settled on a plot with a bit of help from the group which still needs more explanation, it will be that everyone starts out in their different muted colors but as they get corrupted, they will start to change into the (likely red) main characters color, which will be obvious due to how bright it is. I think with a little more she can better flesh out the idea for her opening, but it mostly seems like she knows it but not how to put it into words. Overall, her opening seems interesting and I'm excited to see how it ends up looking in the end. 

Main character inspiration.

Audrey's blog is linked here: Audrey's blog
She has very little links and photos (plus the theme is veryyy cute) however she has very long a detailed paragraphs which describe a ton of the information so well that I understand everything very well. She is attempting to be more consistent with posting and it seems she is. Her idea appears like it will become a very intense film that I can't wait to hear more about.

Alexis Lee's opening is a psychological horror which features a schizophrenic main character, casual clothing, lowkey lighting, and dark blueish color schemes. She didn't really have a solid plot/foundation except for the fact that she wanted to include these ideas, so we tried to help her create an idea, but we didn't really get to a solution. She also has a fun idea for the opening credits which is to have them be items that fly by and turn into credits (like the film Deadpool). She would like her setting to be in a house but she's not entirely sure yet. I can kind of envision what she is thinking when she was explaining it to us but it's a little hard to give recommendations without a plot to go off of, so we didn't have a lot of feedback however I feel like she's off to a good start.

Alexis's blog is linked here: Alexis's blog
Unfortunately, I am unable to open her blog from device no matter hox many times I try so I am unable to give any recommendations about the blog especially since we didn't really discuss hers in detail in class.

Paula Torres did not have a film opening plot yet or access to her blog, so I was unable to assess either. As a group we tried to support and inspire her ideas for the project, like doing about one of her interests or something she knows a lot about. She has fallen behind on her blogs, but she does seem genuinely interested in improving and catching back up so I am interested in seeing what she ends up coming up with. 

Feedback: I received some feedback on my film idea and blogs that I would like to talk about in order to continue improving on the positives and to work on the negatives...

-The group helped me decided that my openings genre was classic horror

- They suggested to only really use low key lighting

-They thought my idea was well thought out

-They suggested to make my scenes slow and drag out to better achieve that classic horror feel with less jumps from one thing to the next

-They felt I was doing well with consistent and efficient blog posts

Lighting

     For the film, I want to create an ominous and unsettling environment, and I think lighting can be really effective in helping achieve this effect. Therefore, for this blog post I will be researching kinds of lighting that can be used in my horror film. 

    -Backlighting: This is a lighting technique that is done by placing the light behind the subject, it creates a halo of light around the outline of the subject. It can be used to create mystery by showing the outline of the antagonist but now revealing their true identity. An example of this being used was in Halloween (1978), showing Micheal Myers silhouette with backlighting from a streetlight. 

    -Low-key lighting: This technique is done by using minimal lighting to create shadows and contrast between light and dark areas. This can be used to create mystery and suspense by hiding elements in the shadows and darkness of their surroundings. An example of this is in The Babadook (2014), low key lighting was used to create a dark and ominous atmosphere with lots of shadows.

    -Spotlighting: This technique is achieved by using a narrow beam of light to highlight specific areas or characters, it creates suspense and tension by creating a sense of realism and fear of what is lurking beyond vison. An example of this is a character exploring a room with a flashlight which only allows certain areas to be seen.

    -Practical Lighting Effects: This technique is lighting through physical light sources such as lamps or candles. This creates a sense of realism and authenticity by making situation that seems realistic and eerie through the only lighting available. An example of this is The Descent (2005), the characters were using headlights to navigate through caves. 

These are the sources where I found most of my information:

Horror Movie Lighting: Techniques that the Masters Use

These five lighting techniques will help you create scary horror scenes

Project Scedule

    Since this is such a long project, I want to make sure me and my group stay on task and have parts of the Project completed by a certain time in order to not have to rush. So below I have a breakdown of what I want to have completed on the project by each week.

Week 2: (2/3-2/9)

    During this week I want to work on

• Researching on the horror genre
• Starting the plan for the film
• Considering potential locations and script
• Blog Posts

Week 3: (2/10-2/16)

     During this week I want to

• Finish the idea for the film
• Make the general storyboard and script
• Narrow down potential locations
• Start talking about days to keep free on calendars for filming
• Blog Posts

Week 4: (2/17-2/23)

    Work on deciding 

• What free song will be played during the film
• Who will be our actor
• Character design (outfit, makeup)
• Props
• Final location(s)
• Maybe start filming
• Blog Posts

Week 5: (2/24-3/2)

    Work on

• Final plans
• Filming
• Start editing clips that are done
• Blog Posts

Week 6: (3/3-3/9)

    Complete

• Filming
• Refilming and revisions
• Editing
• Sound effects/music in video
• Start CCR
• Blog Posts

Week 7: (2/10-3/16)

    Work on

• Making sure film is complete and needs no revisions
• CCR
• Blog Posts

Week 8: (3/17-3/25)

    Complete

• CCR
• Last blog posts

I am going to attempt to make sure and do everything to the schedule in order to make sure the project is done flawlessly in a timely order and so that there is no procrastination or wasted time. I will try to make sure me and my group work swiftly and create a very successful project according to scedule.

Horror Film Opening Credits

The Omen (1976)

    The opening credits of the Omen set the tone for the rest of the film by establishing a sense of dread. It contains haunting music to pair with the credits followed by eerie abstract images of landscapes and mysterious symbols. They use Latin phrases and biblical references which adds to the sense of ancient and cruel forces. The credits play on the left side of a black screen which slowly has a red light fade into the left side of the screen. The red reveals the silhouette of a small child and its shadow which is an upside down cross. As the credits roll it leaves the audience preparing for the terror to come.

    Techniques I can use from the Omen's film opening are unsettling sounds during the credits to create unease and incorporating abstract symbolic imagery that just barely dips into the horror. Having this with credits allows the main people in the film to be acknowledged while keeping the attention on the film. This keeps the film foreboding and audiences still in the scary horror world during the credits, establishing the audience's dread for when the film actually begins. So for my film I can use these sound effects and imagery that keep the emphasis on the film during credits, keeping the focus on the story. 

The Omen opening credits

Dawn of the dead (2004)

    The opening credits of Dawn of the Dead are crucial in establishing the setting and building tension for the zombie apocalypse. It features a montage of chaos and disturbing images including many different types of media portrayed like news reports and newspapers. It actually makes it seem like the end of the world in a very realistic way by also including footage of riots, civil chaos, disturbing images, news footage, and shots of empty/desolate landscapes. They use a haunting/pulsing score which adds a sense of unease by creating a sense of impending doom. It shows the credits as bloody text pulling away to the side as a drip, with graphic images, reports, and landscapes flashing in the background. As these credits are rolling the audience is ready to experience the descent into chaos/carnage.

    I can use the techniques from the opening credits by making a montage of flashing disturbing/unsettling images that go with the eerie sound chosen to give audiences an intense stressed feeling that repeatedly shocks audiences to create unease. I can also do what they did with other media which makes the resources shown appear more realistic by giving a sense of realism to the film. I can also use pulsing and unsettling music to create tension and consider incorporating abstract imagery to hint at future horrors. I can also consider types of fonts that go with the film and add to its horror like Dawn of the Dead did with their bloody font. 

Dawn of the dead opening credits

SE7EN (1995)

    The opening credits of SE7EN is an unsettle sequence that sets the eerie tone for the rest of the film. It features a montage of grainy, mostly b&w images including shots of decay and a stressed man. It also includes disturbing and surreal imagery. Its use of haunting sound adds to the sense of unease and creates a suffocating feeling. The credits look handwritten and sketched through the use of eerie fonts, this yet again with fonts emphasizes the films horror theme and makes the credits better fit in the scene. As the credits roll the audience is preparing to dive into the world of darkness and madness.

    I can use similar techniques like using grainy or noisy images to make the opening feel more ominous and mysterious. I can also incorporate images that may seem irrelevant in the beginning but later have a larger purpose. As well as using a minimalist environment for filming that creates a bleaker setting. I can use these unique types of fonts and mystery within settings to make opening credits that emphasize the film itself.

SE7EN opening credits 

Horror Film Openings

    Here I listed 3 different horror film openings that I think could inspire my portfolio project. I will be talking about each of the openings and how they can impact my project.

A Quiet Place (2018) 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opening scene:

    The opening scene of A Quiet Place uses the film opening create mystery to set the tone for the rest of the film. The opening introduces the viewers to the post apocalyptic world where the alien like creatures hunt through their acute sense of sound. The film begins with a shot of a deserted street with a family walking barefoot. They are in an abandoned store collecting supplies, they are walking on their tip toes insinuating that they are trying to be as quiet as possible, however they are acting as if these errands are regular. This and their panic when the little boy almost drops a toy causes the audience to wonder what is going. Finally the opening ends with a brief moment as the boy is killed by the creature and the screen goes black the audience is left frozen in shock which sets the theme for the rest of the movie. The use of sound is the most important element in this film/opening. Having such minimal sound places the audience into the characters world, by having only diegetic sounds used and emphasized in moments where the characters need to be quiet shows the impact of sound in their world. This specific use creates a sense of uneasiness and tension, preparing the audience for the horrors to come.

    There are many ways that techniques from A Quiet Place that can be utilized in the project, especially the utilization of sound. For the project we can work on highlighting sound, experimenting with foley, and creating a sense of discomfort through visuals. For example, we can use some longer shots with slow camera panning to create tension while also allowing the audience to embrace the setting. Moreover, we can use diegetic sound instead of just music overlay to create a sense of realism and make the horror aspect seem more believable/plausible. We can also experiment with foley to create unique sounds for what visuals are being displayed such as some foley techniques used in the quiet place. These techniques can be used to create anticipation and tension to make the audience feel off/uneasy even if all the aspects aren't yet reveled. 

    This is a video showing techniques that were used to create some foley sounds for A Quiet Place which can help influence and inspire us in our project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jaws (1975)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opening scene:

     The opening scene in Jaws is a conflict opening of Character vs. Nature, the opening is iconic in building tension and suspense. It begins with a shot of a young woman swimming alone in the ocean at night. The camera pans across the water, showing the darkness of the environment and how isolated the girl is. Suddenly the music changes to a score, and ominous two note theme that increases in intensity. This score signals the presence of the shark, it attacks quick and brutally, dragging the woman underwater. The opening ends with a shot of the shark's fin gliding through the water and leaves audiences with a sense of shock and dread. The setting/envirorment is a huge aspect of the opening as well as the shark itself. The dark and mysterious enviroment already creeps out viewers, making them stressed even before the theme changes to one of danger. The films main atagonist Jaws is reveled right away although its figure is kept more hidden to allow a more intense revela later but it still strikes fear through its harsh kill right in the begginibg of the film. 

    Techniques that can be used from Jaws opening is creating vulnerability and isolation. For example having victims in a vlnerable state where they are alone or helpless can create more anxiety and suspense for the audience who already feel that their is no hope for the character. Additionally using music and sound effects can help influence the audience into feeling a certain way, especially by giving the antagonist a theme song/score which signals their presence so whenever the audience/characters hear it they know that something is about to go down, this creates anticipation and dread. WE can use these techniques with enviroment, sound, and character developement to create an opening that causes anxiety and fear before the main aspecs are even fully revelaed.

    This artices dives a bot deeper into the developement of some of Jaws features as well as sercing as a resoure for futher research or inspiration: Jaws Article. This video is a about some of the effects used in the movie that we can look at when working on the project.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scream (1996)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Opening scene:

     The opening scene of scream is an establishing background opening that seems earily possible to occur and makes viewers feel uncomfortable and anxious which sets the tone of intrige and analyzation of who coud be the killer for the rest of the film. The scene begins with a shot of a woman making popcirn and asnwering a phone call from a mysterious stranger who seems to be charming at first. The conversation starts out friendly but quickly turns sinister and nerve racking as the stranger reveals he is watching the woman and has killed her boyfriend. It ends with the woman being murdered and her parents coming across the scene. This leaves the audience wondering/investigating who the killer could be and what are their motives for the rest of the film. This opening scene does an amazing job of capturing a horrified teen faced with the chance of being murdered. It creates a very stressful experience for the audience as they the scene is so realistic they can emphasize with the girls emotion. It also is very unique in the way that it has audiences trying to predict the plot and investigate every detail of the film moving forward to find the killer.

    These techniques of starting of the film with a character that the audience feels emotions towards and then immediately killing her off sets the ruthless tone of the film and how the movie dosent mind killing off ny characters they please. It creates a sense of unpredictability as you never know the possiblities of what could happen next. The film also makes characters seem obvoous to be the antagonist only to kill them off and have viewers start investigating all over again. This uncertainty, questioning, and mystery can be used in the film opening by making teh antagonist seem less evil only ti later reveal the full extent of their ruthlessness later or to create a stiry that seemsto be predictable only for shocking revelas amd plt twists t occur. Also making the situation seem overall poretty realistic is a hood techniwue for the opening as it makes the audience feel that this horrible act could happen to them and creates a real sense of fear and dread towards the viewer.

    This is a video about some of the behind the scens of scream that can influence the film Scream Behind the Scenes, and this is a vdieo about the location of the scream house that can help inspire us when decideing on a location for a horro film opening.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Film opening genres

 The two possible genre choices for my project that I will be researching are horror and crime. I choose to research these because they appeal to me, and I think they would be fun and interesting to make a film opening of. My other group members are researching similar topics so that we have the most possible available information to use when we are deciding our film opening. 

Horror:

Horror movies are designed to scare and unsettle audiences. They usually use elements that are terrifying or supernatural such as monsters, ghosts, or serial killers. They do this by creating sense of tension and fear that keep audiences on the edge of their seat. 

Techniques:

-Jump scares: Sudden loud noises and unexpected imagery that startle viewers. (Ex: Antagonist jumping out from a hidden spot)

-Tension: Gradual build up of music, camera angles and lighting to reveal something. (Ex: Music getting louder)

-Unsettling atmospheres: Creating a disturbing or eerie environment to make viewers feel uneasy. (Ex: Foggy graveyard with dim lighting)

These films usually begins with a calm and peaceful setting that tricks audiences into a false sense of comfort which makes the future elements that much more disturbing. The calm environment is interrupted by a terrifying event or discovery. The contrast between security and chaos creates shock and fear. (Ex: Scream begins with a girl peacefully making popcorn talking on the phone like something that could happen in real life which is soon disrupted by the discovery that the stranger on the phone is watching her.)

Some examples of popular horror movies are

-Scream (and the series)

-Halloween

-Pennywise

-The Exorcist

Horror movies provide a thrilling experience that tests viewers courage and fear tolerance.

Crime:

Crime movies focus on investigation and consequences. They usually feature detectives, police officers, or criminals as main characters. Crime films range from gritty and realistic to stylized action packed thrillers.

Techniques:

-Non-linear storytelling: showing events out of chronological order to build suspense or create surprise for the films plot later on. (Ex: Showing a crime take place or criminal locked up and then showing the process.)

-False information: Placing false information or misleading clues to keep the viewers engaged and guessing. (Ex: Showing a character trapped, impossible to escape only for them to find a way.)

-Morals: Sometimes these films blur the lines between good and evil manipulating the difference between right and wrong. (Ex: Giving the criminal a good reason for their wrongdoings.)

They usually begin with a mysterious event or crime the sets the investigation in motion. Usually as story’s unfold tensions rise and clues are revealed.

Some examples of crime movies are

-The wolf of Wall Street

-The Godfather

-Inside Man

Crime movies give viewers a thrilling experience as they get to put together clues and try to think of possibilities.

Both of these genres are very interesting and would be really fun to make into a film opening, so it will be a tough final decision. Although this research had given me a clearer head spaces and has made me feel more secure about how to start the project.

Portfolio Project

    This portfolio project is to create a 2 minute film opening of a specific genre. This week I have been considering potential genres and ideas for the film opening based on notes I took in class. I have been breaking down the project and its requirements, for the type of fil opening I have been really considering mystery and conflict, but I have not yet decided. 

    For this project I am planning on working with two classmates, Vicky and Juan. We are currently discussing potential genres/ideas. Since we have an assignment of researching 2 genres my group has been discussing what genres we should each resrch in order to gether the most information possible to use for our assignment. We are trying to come up with something unique and different than most projects Cambridge sees and hopefully we can.