Questionnaire Analysis

How old are you?

From the results of my questionnaire, It looks like the target audience that I will most likely to appeal to 17-21 year olds, with 12-16 year olds as the second audience I will most likely appeal to. This means that I should research some popular horrors and thrillers that appeal most to this audience and that I should look at my questionnaire as mostly a representation of an audience aged 12-21. However I should also consider that a good chunk of my interviewees are also 42+ so I should also research my other audience on the side.

 

What is your gender?

My interviewees are mostly half male half female so I should interpret the data as a good representation of all of the genders so that it can appeal to all audiences. However, the fact that there are 2 more female interviews then male interviews is a fact I should consider since this could have changed the results drastically.

 

Which of these genres do you prefer?

The most popular genre that I presented for the interviewees was the crime-thriller, with psychological thriller in a close second. This suggests that my audience wants a more action-filled movie or at least one set in real-life. The fact that Body Horror was the least popular suggests that when I am making my Horror/Thriller that I don't need to focus on gruesome special effects to thrill and scare my audience which will make costs less expensive.

 

Which of these Horror icons do you recognise?

The most recognised character from the selection availible is Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs. This may not be a big of a shock since the movie that he starred in has become so popular but it gives us an idea about how we should design our antagonist. If we give him a unsuspecting look to him, like hes a normal person, people seem to identify him better since he looks so human.

 

Which of these Horror icons would you be most afraid of?

The character that scared the majority of the audience the most was Samara from The Ring. This icon might have scared people because of the fact she is just a child and the fact she has features that disturb or confuse the viewer. This means that our antagonist must have an iconic unique appearance and a feature about them that rubs the audience the wrong way so that I can appeal to my audience. The fact that Jason Voorhees was the least popular leads me to believe that old-fashioned giant brutes are not what my audience is afraid of and are afraid of the unsuspecting and the disturbed.

 

What do you believe to be the most important elements of Horror?

The most important thing that my audience looks for in a horror movie is suspense. This tells me that my movie must have atmosphere and tension-building moments to be successful and popular with my audience. The two other most popular elements is death and darkness which means my movie should have some dark undertones and my mise en scene should incorporate a lot of darkess or at least shadow.

 

Which of situations would you be most afraid of?

From the situations that I have presented, the most scariest situation in the eyes of 12-21 year olds is being chased by a serial killer or at least a malevolent force. This means that my movie should have scenes where characters are being chased or at least running to build up tension for the viewers. The other two most frightening appear to be insanity and the super-natural so including some psychological aspects to it might make it more interesting for my audience.

 

Select three aspects that make a Horror protagonist

The three aspects that people seem to think make a horror protagonist is that they have to be strong, courageous and intelligent. This means my character needs to brave to face whatever adversary is in his/her way, but she must also be intelligent so he/she can outsmart and better the villian but must have some sort of mental/physical strength. What I thought was strange though was that people didn't think he needed good morals which means I should create a more morally questionable character otherwise known as a anti-hero to make the story more interesting. 

 

Which setting is best for a Horror movie?

The most popular setting that people considered to be appropriate for a horror/thriller was an abandoned location. This is quite interseting since I now have to search for abandoned or rundown areas for my horror movie to be the most popular or I could choose the second most popular one and set it in a Wooded area which would be much easier. It seems populated areas, like suburbs were the least popular among my target audience, suggesting i should find more places where I can film in isolation.

 

Which type of music is more suited for Horror?

The type of music that my target audience though would be more suited for horror was orchestral music. This means I must find a way of obtaining big music scores in easy and, if possible, a cheap way. There was almost a tie between orchestral and ambience so I think I should search for ambient music as well as orchcestral so I can please both sides of the argument.

 

What should be the power balance between hero and villian?

The majority of the vote was on the protagonist and anyagonist have equal shares of power so that they equals. However some people commented that they would like to see shifts in power so that it would make the plot more interesting. If I do have shifts in power, I need to make sure the villian is not overpowered by the hero too much since that was the least popular set-up from the selections availible.

 

Notting Hill Analysis

Plot

The plot to Notting Hill is very typical romance premise of boy meets girl and they form a relationship, and most of the plot points in film follow the development of their relationship through time and the obstacles that they have to overcome. There is a difference in this story though as instead of just the romance between two people, they have created a unique premise of when a ordinary English man and a extraordinary American actress meet and fall in love. This is unique because these two have contrasting backgrounds which can generate interesting and funny situations since it takes time for the two to understand each other and the lives that they live. The setting is also different from most rom-com's being set in a London setting rather then something like New York or any other American cities.

Characters

For a rom-com to succeed, they need to create unique, interesting and lovable characters for the audience to watch and relate with. For starters, our main protagonist, Will, is written to be a typical likable and ordinary every man that is both cool-headed but passionate so that we would as a audience wish for the character to succeed in his endeavours and get the girl at the end of the movie. Anna, who is our leading lady. is written at first to be a bit of a diva but also shy and reclusive to prevent herself being discovered in the public eye but as the movie goes on she develops and evolves within the story to become a better person, just like Will who is encouraged to be more adventurous and to take a chance once in a while.

Mise en Scene

A lot of comedies sometimes use props in their movies to bring comedy without the use of a verbal joke. For example, we see in the beginning where Will is talking with his friend Spike about what to where for this date he has with a woman. The first two shirts are in poor taste and usually have a funny phrase on them. The last shirt looks like its appropriate to the situation, because it says "Your the most beautiful woman in the world", but it throws a curve-ball at us by having the back of the shirt say "Fancy a F**k" which is funny because it contrasts the sophistication of the the phrase on the front and it has a expletive profanity which makes inappropriate but funny because of it's bluntness.

Camera
Two shots are heavily used in rom-com's for certain reasons but the most important one is so that the movie can establish character relations and show the meaningful conversations that the characters have. For example in one scene we get a conversation between Will and his fellow colleague about their coffee habits which to all respect doesn't serve much to the plot but it shows an understanding of character and that the little conversations between people do matter and should be acknowledged by the main characters. It is also used in kissing scenes because we can directly see two characters connect in a fit of passion and the build up towards to when they actually kiss. 

Editing
One of the most used editing techniques used in rom-com's is seamless editing since your trying to portray a realistic setting in a real-life situation. Its mostly used when there is banter between multiple characters in different positions. This used in the segment at the beginning where Will, Anna and an attempted thief talk at the desk. They use multiple medium shots of the different characters to show their different reactions to each other and the situation; an example being where Anna ans Will exchange looks about the appearance and the manner of the their as their acknowledged his overall demeanor. Fades are used in the opening to portray how famous Anna is and how much of an elegant woman she is.

Sound
Music is important in rom-com since it is used to establish the mood and themes presented within the movie. The opening song is used to portray Anna's career as an actress, where she is a like a modern day princess and is shown to be elegant and refined. The music presented throughout the movie is minimal and is only played during emotional or funny scenes, for example, piano music is played when they first kiss and show a immediate affection and connection between the two. It is also used when a comedic situation happens and usually consist of clarinets and plucked violins to give a feel of oddity and humor. 

The Dark Knight Rises Analysis

Plot

The plot of TDKR is about the hardships of being a superhero and the consequences of a large  cover-up. We see this through the portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman who has become physically impaired thanks to his continuous physical harm he has been put through under the Batman persona. He has also been mentally damaged, becoming reclusive and refusing to partake in social interactions. We can see the consequences of a large cover-up through the Harvey Dent conspiracy which has been revealed to the public causing mass hysteria among the Gotham populace. But another plot theme (which is in the title) is the concept of rising, seen through the revival of Batman, Bruce Wayne climbing out of the supposed inescapable prison, and the rise of the working-class against the upper class when the Gotham prisoners are released.

Characters

Even though the Christopher Nolan Batman franchise does a more realistic and gritty approach to the Batman mythos, it still has the two most essential archetypes that make a super hero fiction; a hero and a villain. Our hero, of course, is the titular Batman/Dark Knight who is played by Christian Bale. The hero is usually our moral compass when watching these movies but Christopher Nolan tries to do something different by questioning Batman's morality such as posing the question of "If he doesn't kill, is he actually doing more harm letting villains live?" and sometimes questioning his sanity as a person through the tearful departure of his Butler, Alfred, who departs because he feels that he failed to keep him from harm. Our main villain is Bane who is strong, intelligent and merciless who will do anything to achieve his goal. This makes him a good villain because he matches Batman physical skills and even brutally beats him in combat and breaks his spine which incapacitates him for most of the movie.

Mise en Scene

Since not much is known about Bane's past in TDKR in the beginning of the movie, they need to introduce the character through his appearance and they do this through his costume. Bane's  mask is supposed to reflect his physical impairment and shows he has weaknesses but its appearance reflects his beastly and wild behavior by looking like a beasts mouth with sharp teeth. His coat reflects his military training because it commands authority and is quite intimidating but its rough handling and making reflects his survivor aspect of his personality and his class among his fellow man. They use a similar technique with Catwoman who has a sleek body suit to show she likes to show off but is also stealthy with her approach to certain situations. Her goggles/ear-piece shows her technical prowess but also pays homage to the original character.

Camera

The heavy use of medium shots of people when they giving speeches to a large crowd reflects their state of power in the current situation. This is used in the opening where we get a shot of Commissioner Gordon giving a speech about Harvey Dent, which lies about his involvement in police murders, this shows his current authority but also foreshadows a downfall since we know that the new Dent act is a conspiracy against crime. We also get another speech later on from Bane about people's freedom but ironically he has just trapped the city with no means of escape. This shows that there has been a shift in power where the lower-class have rised above the upper-class and actually reflects the first speech made in the opening because its two people in power lying to the Gotham populace.

Editing

Super-imposing is heavily used in TDKR to tell character back-stories and to recap on events in the earlier films. This is used in the opening where we see Commissioner Gordon making a speech about Harvey Dent and how great he is but then he pauses for a second and we get a flashback to the previous movie where we see Dent threatening his son by gunpoint and Batman tackling him. We also see it used in the reveal of Talia al ghul where we see her as a child escaping from the prison and how Bane came to wearing the mask. Narration is used to describe the images presented but the clips themselves are mostly silent to show that its just her describing the events back to the characters.

Sound

Music is important in superhero movies since most of the pieces are used for characters and are used to introduce and reveal characters when they enter and exit a scene. Batman has his own theme which is played when he appears in scenes or when hes doing something heroic. The theme itself has a main melody which is big, epic but also action-packed and tense to show both his presence and his handling of situations. Bane also has his own theme where it consists of booming drums to show his raw power and ruthlessness but also has violins to keep up tension and to show his intelligence. Catwoman also has her own theme  where hers a lot more quiet and unsuspecting to show her stealthiness but also has a classical style which shows her sophistication ans wealth.   

Candy Man Analysis

Plot

The plot of Candy Man is based upon a short story by Clive Barker about a local urban legend serial killer terrorizing the city of Chicago. The killer kills his victims by gutting them when they mention his name five times in front of a mirror. This urban legend premise is relatable to modern audiences since local legends are all over the world and are usually centered around a dare which drives most of the suspense since you know when he is coming but your not sure how he is coming. It also combines the slasher genre by having a variety of gory and creative kills executed by the Candy Man. This actually parallels another well-known urban legend 'Bloody Mary' which uses a similar concept, which makes it feel even more familiar to the mainstream audience.

Characters

Our main character, Annie Tarrant, is great example of horror movie protagonist. First off, she is blonde, white women which plays a homage to the classic horror movie, Psycho since the character in that film was also a blonde white women. She is confident, intelligent and unshaken but too curious for her own good and because she is a woman she appears more vunerable since she is quite appealing in appearance and he have this innate instinct to want to protect her. The Candy man is a quite intimidating villian since he never shows himself in bright light and when he does hes breifly tere or in the dark making him more mysterious and scary for the viewer.

Mise en Scene
The costume of the Candy Man is designed in a specific way to look both intimidating and grotesque. The coat is designed to be long and flowing and covers his entire body giving him a tall and slender appearance. This makes him look very powerful and big but also makes him look strangely fragile which is creepy and strangely appropriate. His hook hand is hastily nailed on and incredibly grotesque, in contrast to his almost normal looking appearance is quite freaky for the viewer and also simultaeously gives him his signature weapon.

Camera
In a movie about a killer that appears by chanting in a mirror we are obviuosly going to get a lot of mirror shots. Because of the reflection, the camera is always positioned at the side of the mirror rather then directly in front of it. This fact can actually provide some suspenseful scenes where viewpoints are slightly obscured and even provides an early jumpscare in the beginning of the movie where the lights turn of and he suddenly appears behind the woman in the story. There is also a scene where we reverse track from a mirror which generates a feeling of suspence since we hold on the image for a long time.

Sound
With the concept of the urban legend and slasher guiding its style, there must be certain situation which summons or generates the killer, in this case uttering his name five times summons him. Having a repeated phrase in your moivie drives the viewers suspense because if you can scare your audience with the just the mere chanting of a word, your already got your hands on a winning horror gimmick that will stick with viewers for a long time.