Seclusion is a psychological thriller about the dangers and power of the internet. Seclusion follows a policewoman as she investigates the suspected suicide/murders of young girls who all have one link. Just remember, Do you know who's watching? Abbey Dare 6029
Abby Simcox 6122
Harriet Finch 6043
Social Media Alerts As a part of our research for sound we looked at the various different forms of social media to see what sounds would be appropriate to use in our teaser trailer as the victim is on an online chat.
As our film is based on social media, online promotion has become a popular subject. As we are aiming to create a teaser trailer we looked at promotions for various other media including t.v shows and films. A particular advertisement that caught our attention was for a programme called "The Secret Circle". The advert is stylised to appear as if a user's youtube or internet is malfunctioning, however it is the trick of the advert to create shock to the audience. We thought this may be particularly useful when it comes to editing our teaser trailer.
The website for "When a Stranger Calls" starts with a small intro with clips from the film which has sounds to conincide with the clip being played. The viewer is lead onto an interactive time line of events from the film, requiring user interaction. This for example is as simple as ringing a doorbell to open the door to the next scene on the website. After the interactive trailer is finished the screen returns back to the main page with headings.
A particular heading we found
interesting on the website was the "Tell us your story" tab. This gives the opportunity for people to share their storis annonymously, about scary experiences of being isolated in their homes and babysitting, similar to the narrative of the film. This could be particularly interesting when creating our website as audiences could post stories of dramatic online experiences.
Another tab included the "Synopsis" of the film giving an insight to some of the films events. However the description of the film is kept to a minimum acting like a blurb for a novel.
Other interactive sections of the website includes a "Photo Gallery" containing screen shots from the film, and a "Downloads" page where users can download wallpapers, screen savers and icons.
In the two blank squares (top right and bottom left), we have decided to change the shots to create disequilibrium. We decided to do this as our teaser trailer was too logical and was starting to look like a film opening instead. As our development we would like to show more conversations online to show a clear theme of our. In these gaps we will also use the opportunity to display our credits, showing our characters, editors, directors etc.
We have given our female victim a red satin dressing gown to appear seductive but teasing to the audience as she is showing her provocative nature. The second to last shot of the conversations will not contain credits like the shots prior this this as we will have an explosion of flashing screen shots to end with a terrifying hanging shot.
In our film trailer we wanted to end with a shot of swinging feet. Through researching the ways in which people create the believable effect of someone hanging, we found a few photographs of angles we would like to recreate for test shots.
Although the photograph above is of the whole body we wanted to research all aspects of the hanging body so that we could decide on how much of the body we did or did not want. The black and white effect on the pictures creates a more solumn feel as the coloured images look bright and more recreational.
At the end of this clip the swinging feet is the idea and influence we are using. (0.37 seconds). Similarly we would like to use the clip below although we would change the mise en scene so that it fits that of a stereotypical female teenager or the inside of her cupboard.
The male eye (top image) looks more daunting that the female eye (shown below). The lighting is ntense on the first face and appears as though they are looking through a key hole as supposed to an opening door. The lower picture however, shows a larger eye with emphasised eye-lashes through the use of mascara.
In comparison to the images above the picture below is considered to be stereotypically horrifying, as it is the victim looking through the door. This is evident because the eye is widely opened with an expression of shock and fear.
Nosferatu is a German expressionist horror film made in 1922 and is considered a classic. The film is directed by F.W.Murnau which stared Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker. However the film had to be adapted through characters names and other details because the studio could not gain rights to the novel.
PLOT SUMMARY: A german estate agent visits Count Orlok who embarks on a long journey. The locals in the mountains become scared by the mere mention of Orlok's name and discourage him from travelling to his castle as there is a warning of a werewolf. The castle is empty and Hutter has fresh punctures on his neck, which he suspects are from mosquitoes. After reading a book about vampires Hutter suspects Orlok of being Nosferatu, the "Bird of Death". After many suspicious events, coffins being re-opened by the 'dead', Orlok finds his next victim and drinks her blood.
Prana Film was founded in 1921 by Enrico Dieckmann and Albin Grau whose only film was Nosferatu before they declared bankruptcy. This was due to dodging copyright infringements from Bram Stoker.
Editing: When watching individual scenes from Nosferatu on youtube.com not all transactions are fluid and shots are not always compatible with each other. For example:
The transaction between these two shots when being played do not flow and merge together to look like one shot. Insteadt the editor has moved the positioning of the camera and because of this camera change the lighting therefore appears stronger as it hits the male figure. Later in the slip there is a fade out to black and fade in where the male is stood still before he begins to walk. This creates an unnatural effect making the film look jumpy between shots.
The change in movement from these screen shots can be seen in the first image as his legs are firmly together and there is no light shining through. However, in the second screen shot the footsteps begin and light begin to shine through and his weight has shifted to the right.
Close up of the photos on the wall, hand held panning across them, slightly shaky which makes it look realistic and believable but also makes it more frightening. The camera does a quick pan across his items and the computer then rotates around Cassie to reveal more of the room. Photos with black background on a white wall makes them stand out, she has blonde hair and she is wearing light clothing which makes her stand out in the pictures.
The shots of the boy are always low angle shots which shows Cassie has the power of the situation and it shows the weakness of the boy. Close up of both faces shows the different emotions and fear.
Dvds and a laptop can be seen in many shots which repeats the technology theme. A close up of a folder on the laptop shows that the folder is important. Videos of Cassie start to flash up on the laptop, the camera swaps between her reaction and the videos showing the shock and disgust of the situation. A close up of one of the videos shows Cassie undressing which shows the audience why he's been watching her.
The computer is black with a small webcam on top with a classic black swivel computer chair. The screensaver/background is once again Cassie showing the obsession with her. It is light and has a white background which stands out on the dark computer. Dvds and a laptop are seen.
The camera shows another computer folder and pans to the left to reveal another screen with cctv footage of Cassie's house showing how he has hacked into her computer, cctv, creating his own personal footage. A shot of Cassie holding the phone and a look of disgust shows that there are also images on the phone. This shows how technology and different forms of technology can be used and can be dangerous.
He has comic book posters on the wall which coincide with his nerdy/geeky stereotypical appearance and personality, lots of comic figures and collectable action figures around the room show his childish side and his immaturity. This also shows his obsession and his hobby. In all the shots there is bright, natural light coming into the room which helps emphasise the dark photographs on the minimal walls.
Editing: Quick, fast, straight cuts which is typical of a fast paced action scene. The camera alternates between the characters, the room and the obsessive features within it to position the audience with sympathy towards Cassie. However the shots of the boy are always very similar with quick changes between the laptop and Cassie.
Sound: An eery drone which rises slightly in pitch and also grows louder as she discovers the photos.
The central character of the poster is actor Alex Pettyfer. He is given this central positioning due to the fact he is the most recognisable British Teen Actor in the film therefore he would draw a young audience to watch the film
Alex Pettyfer appears to be amongst a pile of dead bodies indicating the genre of the film to be a slasher due to a large amount of death
All characters appear to be dressed in school uniform to emphasise that the target audience is teenagers. However Alex Pettyfer's character appears shirtless suggesting his dominance and also suggesting him to be a provocative and confident character
The review line at the very top of the poster suggests the film for the "Skins" generation, making reference to the popular UK teen drama and also emphasising its genre further
The film's title is in bold red capitals against the black background with other texts in white. The colour scheme of the poster appears to follow the colour scheme of the actors school uniforms
The film's tagline appears directly below the title of the film and is cleverly phrased to link with the idea that the characters are still at school
The film's release date is shown at the bottom of the poster in May which would be a close time to the "May" half term therefore targeting teenagers at school to see the film during their school holidays
In small print at the very bottom of the poster the listings of the film are displayed including actors,directors and producers
The film's website also appears at the bottom of the poster to target the online generation
As British Films differ greatly from American films we wanted to research modern British Horror Films. As a case study we looked at the comedy-horror “Tormented” (2009) which although a comedy shows typical codes and conventions of the slasher genre for example numerous characters being hunted and killed. The films narrative also contains elements of technology but unlike our narrative which uses online social media, Tormented sees its victims being tormented through the use of texting, leading to a gruesome death.
The film trailer contains the title and release date throughout in a red font with a black background which are two typical colours used to symbolise blood.
During the first part of the trailer a party environment is showing a sense of normality before the later events of the film occur. The diegetic heavy base sounds means the characters are forced to shout over the heavy music. The scene then follows two characters that are shown to be in an intimate situation, again emphasised by the sound of a heart beat.
There is a sudden shock to the audience as a masked character jumps into the scene with a chainsaw, a particularly recognisable icon of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. However the character rips off the mask and starts laughing, showing the comedic value of the film as well as the horror.
There is particular emphasis on the youthfulness of characters with a carefree lifestyle. After showing the film title the trailer cuts back to the party and The editors use fast cuts.
The sound of an echoing voiceover is heard creating a sense of isolation. The poor quality and shaky movements of the camera suggests the shot is from the mobile phone (hand held). The characters are dressed in school uniforms. However they appear to be represented as the “rebels”, involved in bullying, heavily made up and wearing their uniform incorrectly. This is a contrast to the victim who is over weight and helpless as they throw his inhaler to the ground.
The use of technology is evident with a close up of a mobile phone with a sadistic message threatening to kill the holder of the phone. The editing appears to speed up which contrasts to the eerie music and shows a build up of tension as the characters become stressed, paranoid and deaths are shown on camera.
One particular death that stood out in the trailer was the close up shot of a body by a fence with blood pouring down the leg, emphasising the gruesome death of the character.
The trailer then ends with the same message shown on the phone earlier and reveals the films website to the audience.
For our teenage girls bedroom we thought that the picture below is a suitable option in regards to mise en scene. The room is painted purple which is stereotypically associated to girls. The room also has posters of films, music artists and photos on the door, showing that it is a modern film. Make-up can be seen on the chest of drawers showing a typical female teenager.
As our filming will be set in our victim's bedroom, mise en scene is very important when looking for location. These videos are from the UK Teen based series "Skins" which gave us some inspiration for what our character's room should look like.
A particular heading we found 
Although the photograph above is of the whole body we wanted to research all aspects of the hanging body so that we could decide on how much of the body we did or did not want. The black and white effect on the pictures creates a more solumn feel as the coloured images look bright and more recreational. 
Nosferatu is a German expressionist horror film made in 1922 and is considered a classic. The film is directed by F.W.Murnau which stared Max Schreck as the vampire Count Orlok. The film was an unauthorised adaptation of Dracula by Bram Stoker. However the film had to be adapted through characters names and other details because the studio could not gain rights to the novel. 
