Sleepy Hollow (Tree of the Dead) Paragraph

The clip seen from the horror film Sleepy Hollow - Tree of the Dead, shows create depth in it's cinematography all throughout the scene. The elements of the cinematography used specifically in this scene was the framing, focus, camera movement, perspective, camera position, exposure and the speed. The use of framing was used extremely well. The rule of thirds was used a lot in particular therefore made the scene very appealing and intriguing for audiences especially as the characters came into the shot on the right side of the rule of thirds but left the rest of frame to be filled by the enormous 'Tree of the Dead'. Therefore made this tree in particular very predominant of the frame and in turn, giving of a sense of being powerful and some what scary. This therefore supported the genre of horror. The element of focus in particular was very interesting. The cinematographer let everything be in focus which therefore had no blurred shots. From this, it enforced the idea that everything in the shot was very important for everyone to see therefore letting the audience see the background therefore give off a sense of a follower/stalker. Therefore reinforcing the concept of the genre. Although, the camera movement was very impressive. At the start of the scene, some shots were shot in the trees. Therefore, this created a very suspicious idea that there was someone constantly watching the main characters. In turn creating a very thrilling scene. Other movement was used by moving with a main character riding a horse through the forest, creating a very intense scene. The perspective was not used as much but was used none the less. This was sometimes used in the perspective of the child servant for the main man character. This was used as put in the perspective of the child to look at the man character to show him cutting the tree with his axe open. However, the camera position changed at various times throughout the scene. This especially as the main character were coming into the frame. They used a high shot to show the characters as weak ones that were not powerful, but on some occasions low shots were used for the main man character to show power of him on the others. Although most low shots were used as the headless hunter rode out of the tree of the dead showing him enormous power and influence over the other characters. Another element used was the exposure. At some points, they used over-exposure at the start of the scene which blended with fog in the scene as it showed the mysteriousness of this forest setting. Although there was many more shots of under-exposure as the scene came into darkness as it was late at night, especilly as the headless hunter came out of the tree. One last element used, was speed. The speed was at a reasonable pace for most of the scene until the hunter came out and had that in slow motion for th shots, therefore exagerating the shots. Although as the main man character was chasing after the hunter and the end of the scene, the pace was fast as the intensity grew to find out who this man was. Therefore these elements of cinematography were used very well to create a horror based scene.

Recipe for Horror film

Recipe for one Horror Film

Ingredients

Method

Protagonist: 1 young beautiful woman 1 boyfriend 1 brother 1 best friend   Antagonist: 1 old creepy butler (antagonist) Skeleton army   Sub-Characters: Ghosts Movie goers Dog walkers Animals Police-men News reporters   Locations/Settings: 1 isolated haunted mansion 1 dark basement 4 dungeons/jail cells   Supernatural Elements: Many portraits seen around the mansion Butler wearing black cloak Blood 1 scary mask Several corpses Bones everywhere Swords Bow and arrows   Extra Elements: Strange sounds (eg. Screaming)

Have a young beautiful woman and her boyfriend, brother her girlfriend which is her best friend drive a car on a lonely road and make the car run out of gas. They all then walk a kilometer further up and there is a driveway with a very isolated haunted mansion. They don’t want to go there but do because it’s pouring rain. Make the woman knock at the door and then have an old creepy butler open it. He then lets then in and gives them a room and says it’s an inn but nobody uses it as no one likes the style of the house. Make him then give them each a room to stay but makes them come to dinner and eat the food. Have the woman; boyfriend, brother and best friend pass out as they have been drugged. Then have them wake up in a dark basement in separate dungeons/jail cells. Let the young beautiful woman find a way out and then slips and goes up a tunnel heading upwards where she climbs and then arrives in the yard where there is multiple graves/corpses spread around and with bones spread around. She is then seen to freak out after she hears a scream. Have her run behind a tree to hide and then make the butler come out in a black cloak with a sword with her best friend. Make him demand her to come out and then she does but as she does he smiles and then slits her throat. The woman falls to the ground and starts to cry. She then picks up a bow and arrow and shoot the arrow at him which hits him in the leg. She runs inside and tries to find her brother and boyfriend and then runs out but as she does, they see the butler has risen the dead/skeleton army and they chase after them. They continue to run but a ghost then jumps into her boyfriends body and tries to kill them. She then while crying shoots it into his head and then runs for the road. They see a truck coming but realize it is filled with skeletons and run a different direction. Make them then find a police-man and begs them to shoot the skeletons which then kill then all. They try to find the butler but are unable to. They find her boyfriends and best friend’s body and bury them. However the butler sneaks behind them and slits both of their throats and then laughs evilly.

Moulin Rouge Evaluation

Briefly Describe the Setting/Location and the type of activity/i.e. would usually take place in this setting?	The location or setting of the scene would be in Paris and the year of 1900. Therefore it is now what we call old fashioned. Then the main set though, is the apartment on a high floor of a building. It is on a slope on a mountain. It is a very messy place because of the character acting depressed and gloomy. It is all a small place being very tight therefore quite small for an average apartment. Other sets within the scene would include the train station, the night club and the streets within the village.
What props have been included in the setting to convey an intended message or describe the activity/i.e. taking place?	The props that have been included in the scene are the dull curtains, tables, and other furniture. The others also would include the clothes spread around the room, the papers from the typewriter that are everywhere around the room and also the empty alcohol bottles everywhere around the room. This suggests that he is depressed and sad. The typewriter is also another prop that is used many times by the main character. This shows he is reasonably wealthy to be able to pay for such equipment and that he is training to be a writer.
What does the contrast (light levels, difference between dark or bright areas) indicate about this setting?	In the apartment in the beginning of the scene, the light levels are very low. Therefore it creates a sad and depressing mood in the area and for the character making him a depressing character that is sad about something which he eventually confesses that the girl he loved has died. However as the film moves on and the character remembers the beginning he came to Montmartre from London, the light levels rise as he is new to a new place and is happy about moving. The light has risen also to show that it is a happy village and the character back then was happy with his life because he had no recollection of the girl in the Moulin Rouge.
What types of tones or colours are used within the setting; pleasant, simple, cheery, bleak? (Also consider the lighting).	In this scene there were many tones and colours used. The colours used in the first few shots of the main character in his apartment were very bleak and gave off a very depressing mood therefore the amount of lighting put into the shots was very low. However as the scene progressed, the camera focused on the night club of the Moulin rouge where the colours were very exotic colours such as red and bright warm colours such as pink and orange. The tones in those shots were very bright and extreme which involved the use of a lot of lighting apart from one shot as it focuses the camera on Nicole Kidman’s character otherwise known as the sparkling diamond. The next few shots after that were of the train station. These colours were very simple such as maroon type reds, browns, light greens, and very light pinks for skin. This therefore gives off a sense off pleasantness but plain.
Describe the spaciousness of this setting (Cramped or open/roomy).	The spaciousness of the main room which is the apartment is very cramped. This is due to the main character leaving his clothes everywhere around the room and other things to make it feel very cramped. These include clothes spread around the room, alcohol bottles left everywhere, papers thrown everywhere and the bed and his desk make the room look even more cramped.
Describe the physical state (messy, neat, and formal).	The physical state of the room is very messy. The bed looks as it has not been made in a very long time. There are papers all around the apartment as he is a writer. There are empty alcohol bottles spread around the room as he has been drinking which therefore means that he is depressed. There are also lots of clothes around the room which means he is very lazy and couldn’t be bothered to do anything.
What is the general atmosphere of this setting (what moods or feelings does it invoke)?	The general atmosphere of the setting in the apartment is very depressing. As it is very messy all around the room and that the room is very cramped and the colours that are shown in the apartment which are dark and gloomy, the mood that therefore comes from this is that it is a very depressing and sad place which the character is and looks to be like.
Describe the acting style of the characters within this setting?	The acting style of the main character in the apartment is a very sad and depressed character that looks to be grieving over another character. Therefore the acting style was to become a very sad and depressing character that cries and grieves a lot. However as the scene progresses and it moves back to one year ago, the character seemed to be very happy and a bright young character who wanted to learn everything and anything about the world.
How does this setting contribute to the acting style and character/s personality?	The setting contributes immensely to the acting style because if it looks to be a very happy and bright place like a zoo then the character is sad, it does not make the audience feel as much sadness as what you would if it was in a very cramped room with only one person in it.

 

Cinematography Evaluation

 

General Cinematography Evaluation
What types of shots are used to convey the intended message in this scene?	Some of the shots that were used in the scene to convey the intended message were close-ups of the character crying while writing a story on the typewriter in his apartment to show that he is grieving about something or someone. Another was a high full shot looking down at the character crying in a cramped spot in his apartment to show that he is weak and very upset and depressed in life.
How does the use of framing convey information to the audience; by hiding or showing specific elements and information?	The use of framing helps convey the mood of the scene and helps convey the intended messages across through hiding certain scenes within the shot. This to only show the most important parts within the shot so that there is absolute focus on those elements. This particularly used when the main character is crying and having a close-up which the background behind the character is blurred and cut off.
Describe how the camera position affects each shot?	The camera position affects each shot because if there is a high shot over the character, this can make the character feel weak and little, although when there is a low shot with camera looking up at the character, this can make the character feel powerful and strong.
What type of camera movement takes place and how does it enhance the shot?	The camera movement that took place in the scene was lots of zooming into the shots and other up and down scrolling movements. This enhanced the shot as it made the shots more interesting like the audience was being pulled into the shot which meant it was very interesting.
Does the cinematographer make specific use of under or over exposure to convey a message?	The cinematographer makes use of underexposure in some shots like when the camera slowly zoomed into a shot of the main character crying, which mad the shot more intense and very sad which made it darker therefore more depressing.

Classes Film (Production Activity)

Finding Yourself:
- Suspense Thriller
- To central (no rule of thirds used)
- Slow motion was well used at beginning
Journey To A New World:
- Adventure
- Different shot types used sometimes
- Contrast and exposure used well (colour corrections)
Rose:
- Suspense Thriller
- Good angles
- Rule of thirds used well mostly
- Expose used well and contrast of colours
- Good tracking
The Key:
- Suspense/Thriller/Crime
- Colour corrections used well
- Angles of shots used well
The Last Letter:
- Drama
- Some good angles
- Colour corrections were good
Valantines Day:
-Comedy/Drama/Romance
- Coloured corrections used good
- Too much in centre of the frame
Advice for our film: It was very shaky

Rose

For the past week and a half in Media we have been making a film. A production activity. Thi production activity is with a group of 2-3. As he picked the groups, I went with Christie and Shae from our class. After two lessons we came up with a story line for our film. This film was a suspense thriller. The name was Rose. It was about a lone character named Rose that trys to find a person that is leaving a trail of notes for her around her school which is very CREEPY. Then near the end, she was to walk by a classroom that a had someone in it writing repeatedley the name Rose. Then realised this person was a serial killer and then the screen fades and the film ends. This film activity can only be one minute. We then spent 3 and a half lessons filming this with myself as Rose and Christie as the killer. Along the way we had many problems like having to gwt the filming done as soon as possible which was very hard and knowing how to edit. But thank goodness Christie new how to edit on iMovie. Then we had an iMac crash as we started editing which was very frustrating. But in the end we were able to finish. CANT POST FILM UP...

 

Shot list (Rose)

Shot-list:
Shot of Reeves - 4 sec
Shot of Mulphy - 4 sec
Shot of bathroom - 4 sec
Close-up of Rose finishing writing saying "bye Rose" - 5 sec
Walks out of common room - 3 sec
Walks past senior school centre, notices no one is anywhere to be seen - 6 sec
Goes to bathroom to check - 4 sec
Finds tap running and finds note that says "Rose" - 8 sec
Looks around the bathroom - 4 sec
Follow her walking to staircase (move with her) - 6 sec
Medium shot of her opening door - 4 sec
High shot of her walking up the stairs - 6 sec
Follow her through the hallway and finds a trail of notes that keeps saying "Rose" - 10 sec
Sees a person in a room sitting down writing ROSE (close up) - 5 sec
Then peeks on the other side of her and finds that there is a knife with blood on it - 9 sec