Sound

Rhythm

Sound is a hugely important aspect of modern films, whether it is noticed or not. Sound in film can actively shape a scene and how the viewer interprets it. 

The first major feature of film sound is rhythm. Rhythm holds a beat, pace or tempo and it is most recognizable in music rather than other diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. For example:

In this scene, the Jaws theme plays and gradually increases in tempo as Jaws gets closer to its victim. This has a recognizable rhythm that progressively gets faster and in turn, builds tension. However, rhythm is not only featured in music, it is also heavily used in dialogue, particularly speeches. For example, this scene from Independence day features the President making a speech; the actor speaks in a rhythm that keeps the audience captivated as it is not one, long, monotone speech with no pauses. The pauses in the speech actively add to the rhythm, making the speech much more captivating. 

Fidelity

Fidelity of sound is also a hugely important aspect of sound in movies. Fidelity is how faithful a sound is to its 'supposed' source. For example, if the movie shows a gun being fired, it should be accompanied by the sound of a gun being fired. However, lack of fidelity is sometimes used on purpose whilst still being able to add to the movie. For example, in war movies, techniques are often used that have an explosion go off which creates a loud ringing sound. This ringing sound then consumes any other sound onscreen, this cleverly puts the viewer into the mind of the characters on screen as the viewer is able to tell that the character cannot hear anything even though there should clearly be other types of sound in the background. 

Contrapuntal and Parallel sound

Parallel sound is where a sound matches what is happening on screen (in both physicality and tone) similar to the Jaws video. 

However, Contrapuntal sound is where the sound does not match what is happening on screen and therefore gives off a completely different feel and tone for the viewer.  For example, this scene from Reservoir Dogs, where a character is being tortured, but the music playing is completely opposite to the tone of the scene, this is very jarring to the viewer, which makes them feel especially uncomfortable. 

Synchronous and Asynchronous sound

Synchronous sound is simply where the sound matches up with what is happening on screen, for example, dialogue between two characters where the sound is synced with their lips moving. 

However, asynchronous sound is deliberately out of sync with the video. This can be used (and is often used) in things like flashbacks as it creates a much more dramatic and eerie tone for the viewer. 

Volume

Volume is how loud a quiet the sound within a scene is. Sudden and dramatic changes in volume are often used in horror films to scare the viewer. For example, this scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, features a very sudden change in volume and pitch which is used to scare the viewer . This use of sound is especially effective as there is a long stretch in which the film is very quiet, which builds tension. 

Lighting

There are two main types of lighting, Hard and Soft. How somebody uses these types of lighting can drastically change the overall mood of a scene and the shape of the subjects within that scene.

Hard lighting is from sources like the sun; hard lighting is usually from a single point light source, which means that all the light is striking the object at the same angle. Since all of the light is created from the same angle, it creates a 'definitive' or a 'hard edge' on the shadows.

Soft light creates a soft shadow on the objects in the scene. This is created by a much broader light source that is coming at multiple angles, it means it creates a soft roll-off of light.

This is how something looks in hard lighting:

Notice the hard, rigid edges of the cowboy's shadow. In contrast, this is how something looks in soft lighting:

In this picture, you can see that the shadow falls in a soft gradient around the edge of the cowboy. This type of soft lighting is commonly used in films like Birdman and The Revenant for example, this is because the lighting gives off a flattering and soft look for the actors.

For my short movie, I would personally like to use a much softer lighting as I believe that it sets the tone a lot better in contrast to the harder lighting. However, this will be difficult to achieve without the proper film-making tools like light sources and diffusion panels. 

It Watches - Rough Plan Part 2

After some more consideration and planning about my short film, I am now able to go into much more detail about what will be in my film.

The film will now start with the main character coming home (from school or work) and quickly rushing past his family, who are in the downstairs living room, in order to go upstairs into his room and play games/use laptop. Either way the main character is going to have headphones on full blast so that the camera can hear the music even though the headphones are on. As time passes, there will be multiple shots from outside the house, eventually getting closer to the house, the shots will be mixed with shots from both inside and outside the house, giving off the feeling that someone or something is watches (the title will imply that it is something rather than a person). 

As time has progressed, there is some kind of loud noise downstairs, the main character will go to investigate, but there will be multiple details about the house that have changed since the beginning of the film; I think that it will be a good idea to subtly draw the viewers attention to certain objects in the house as the main character is walking up the stairs, I am going to subtly change things in the environment i.e. slightly tilting paintings. As the character investigates the house, I will use mirrors to build tension. There are multiple areas on the set I have chosen where I am able to angle the camera towards a mirror, but still have the camera out of sight; I think I can use this to play around with tension as I could possibly have objects moving in the mirrors, only to have the camera turn around to show that nothing is there.

Furthermore, the character comes downstairs to find that his family is no longer home and they have left a note to say where they have gone. The note will be similar to this: 

I’ve gone off to work and I won’t be back till late… Here's some money towards dinner, order a takeaway if you like….. remember to turn the lights off if you’re not in the room unless you want to pay the electric bill

This note opens up possibilities for moments in the film where I can have lights on before the character even enters the room, even if he turned them off, this will let the viewer know that there is something in the house with the character. The note also leaves an opportunity to have the 'till late' part scratched out, leaving only the 'I won't be back', implying that something has happened to the family; however the note will be scratched out at a later point in the film. The main character goes back upstairs and carries on as usual. The character can here the door then open, thinking it is his family, the main character goes downstairs only to find that the door wide open with the note taped to it. This is where the note is then scratched out, as the character walks around he finds clues that lead him and the viewer that his family never left the house i.e. the cars will still be in the driveway (I will make sure that the viewer knows what cars I have and how many by having the character interact with the before he enters the house) or having the TV still turned on; although I would like to have the TV be turned full blast (on its own) will the main character is checking the house.

after a lot of tension building, I will have noises and movement coming from a cupboard and have the main character open it to find that one, there is nothing in there, or two, that his family members are tied up inside it, this will shock the viewer which means they will not expect the immediate jump scare as the camera pans back to the main character to show that there is something behind him.

Alternatively, the main character can hear the noise of the garage door opening, so he then goes to investigate, after he then fully opens the door to find that his family is sat at a table in the garage. the character will then be rightly confused as to what they are doing in there. He then might ask a question to his family, but they will not respond and only start to stare at him, then the camera will cut back to the main character to show that there is something behind him, this will be accompanied by a loud audio cue to help scare the viewer.

The Tracking Shot

Tracking shots are moments in films/TV that have the camera follow the object or person that is onscreen, tracking usually have the camera placed on a dolly, which is on-rails, and follows alongside the people/objects on screen. 

Tracking shots have become very popular in modern cinematography as evidenced by 3-time Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki. Lubezki has become renown for long, unbroken tracking shots that are featured in his Oscar winning (for cinematography) films Gravity, Birdman and The Revenant. Gravity and The Revenant feature long tracking shots that are eventually broken up by cuts, Birdman however features a tracking shot that is made to look completely unbroken. Lubezki (cinematography),  Alejandro G. Iñárritu (director) and the editors achieved this by cleverly disguising cuts with techniques like having the camera briefly covered by scenery or walls, they are also cuts where the camera is taken through dark rooms, eventually reaching pitch black for a short amount of time. This way,  they can create cuts while still making the film feel seem less (like a theater performance which was what the director wanted to achieve). 

What makes Lubezki's tracking shots different to others is the use of camera techniques and lighting. 

Lubezki uses mostly hand-held camera's for his more recent movies (Knight of Cups, The Revenant, Birdman and Children of Men) as opposed to the usual standard of having the camera placed on an on-rails dolly, this gives both more and less freedom to the cinematographer and the actors as every scene has to be meticulously planned out to perfection, but the camera is not limited to a dolly as it is handheld. The use of these types of tracking shots gives off a surreal vibe to the viewer, making them feel much more involved in the scene, like in Birdman, or a part of the action, like in The Revenant. 

Lubezki prefers to use much more natural lighting and a wide angle lens. Lubezki tends to use two different types of lighting, one where the shadow-side faces the camera and the other is (side-lighting) where it is split right down the middle of the actors face; for both of these techniques, he uses very soft and diffused lighting (often under multiple layers of diffusion), this gives the actors an extremely flattering and shadow-less look. In exterior shots, Lubezki loves landscaped, sunsets, sunrises and shots that are back-lit from the sun. Recently, most of his movies have exteriors that are almost completely natural lighting (like The Revenant) which can make it very difficult to film, but the payoff is worth it as the shots are much more pleasing to look at and they can achieve some beautiful shots. 

For example, this scene (and every scene) in The Revenant was shot with completely natural light, which shows off some beautiful shots whilst also making the viewer extremely close to the action.

It Watches/I Won't Be Back Till Late Inspiration - Cinematography

Most horror films tend to have very similar cinematography, this is because it is known to work and give off the proper desired effect on the audience. However, since I want my film to be a blend of more 'common' horror movies and the different type of horror films like 'It Follows' and 'The Witch'. 

I am going to base my cinematography and camera shots off of DP's like Roger Deakins (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Prisoners, No Country For Old Men and Sicario) and and Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman, The Revenant, Children of Men and Gravity). The reason I am basing my camera shots off of the work of these people is because of the work on their films. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is one of my favourite films and the cinematography is a major reason for that. Take the train robbery scene for example, Roger Deakins even said himself that this was one of his favourite scenes he had filmed. In the scene the train slowly arrives, and it appears as a tiny little light source way in the distance, flickering through the trees and creating a strobing effect on the faces of the gang as they wait. Gradually, it grows and grows and grows, and the whole forest through which the train is travelling is slowly lit up by this one light on the train. Finally, it comes to a halt at the spot where the gang are waiting, and an immense cloud of steam envelops Jesse James, who is standing in front of the train. It's a very expressionistic scene: there are only really two light sources, one being the little oil lamp that Jesse is holding at the beginning, and the second being the light on the train.

Secondly, Emmanuel Lubezki has also created some of my favourite scenes and has been the director of photography for some of my personal favourite films. Lubezki's speciality seems to be unbroken tracking shots, this came to its peak with 'Birdman' where the whole film was made to look like one, long, unbroken tracking shot to give off the feel of of real life theatre performance (which was the plot of the film), the shots were broken up by clever camera work and timing, but the actors had to perform for long periods of time without a break. Some of my most favoured scenes from 'Children of Men' have been the 'car scene' and the 'miracle cease fire' (although they are much more effective with context of seeing the film) as they are beautifully shot and choreographed.

I would like to blend these two cinematographers' styles together during my film. I would like to study Roger Deakins' work to find out how he achieves the style, lighting and quality of his shots; I would also like to have one or two tracking shots in the duration of my film, I believe that this blend of camera shots can achieve a high standard of film and create a great atmosphere.

'It Watches/I Won't Be Back Till Late' - Rough Plan

Short Film for media - 5 mins
Horror/Thriller
Aiming for a sense of atmosphere that is created by films such as ‘It Follows’ and ‘The Witch’.

The title I have decided to go with was ‘It Watches’ (blatantly based off of ‘It Follows’), but this may be changed at any time. The reason I have decided to go with this tile is because the main character is going to be ‘watched’ through the beginning of the film, until the viewer finally catches a glimpse of ‘it’.

I am going to start the film with the main character finding out he is home alone by a note let by his parents/family. The note will say something along the line of:

I’ve gone off to work and I won’t be back till late… Heres some money towards dinner, order a takeaway if you like….. remember to turn the lights off if you’re not in the room unless you want to pay the electric bill

After the character discovers he can order a takeaway, I believe it would be appropriate for the main character to do something funny/goofy in order to relax the viewer; similar to ’Ticklemonster’ where it starts with a much more relaxed tone before the horror actually starts.

The next few scenes will be of the character doing whatever while he is home alone. However, as scenes progress the camera shots will change from being inside the house, to outside the, giving the implication that someone/something is watching the main character, the shots from outside the house will slowly start to get closer the the character before eventually being inside the house again.

I think it would also be good to play around with mirrors in the house as I believe that it can create some nice practical effects i.e. have ‘it’ viewable in a mirror that the main character isn’t looking at, only to have the camera turn around to have ‘it’ not actually be there. I am hoping that these types of methods will be able to create a sense of tension and unease. After a while the character will start to move about the house as he feels unsettled, this is where the character will find the note that was left for him taped to the wall. The note will read the same, but have words crossed out of it, for example:

I’ve gone off to work and I won’t be back till late.

giving off the implication that ‘it’ has done something with the main characters family. I want this short film to play on tropes and cliche's of the horror genre, and I feel that this kind of thing gives off the type of ridiculous and cheesy atmosphere of similar films.

The viewer will then start to see ‘it’ more around the house, until one final jump scare, similar to the end of ‘Ticklemonster’.

Inspiration - Fright Bites ‘Ticklemonster’

For Halloween, Channel 4 released a series of short horror films called ‘Fright Bites’. These films provide as perfect inspiration for my short film. The Fright Bite that inspired me the most is the ‘Ticklemonster’. I am using this film for a basis of my short film because it achieved everything that I want to achieve with my short film.

‘Ticklemonster’ is only set in one room of a house and only has two character (three if you include the ticklemonster), this provides a perfect basis for me as filming in one general location (one solitary room, or more likely a house) minimises the chances of things going wrong during production. For example, my previous film was going to be about hitchhikers, which meant that I would have needed actors that were able to both drive and act at the same time, but I would have also struggled a lot with lighting and continuity (as the film would have had to take place late at night for the roads to be empty); the film would have also taken place in multiple locations, making it much harder to do reshoots and would have taken a lot longer to film as we would have had to spend hours perfecting every take.

However, my short film is now only going to be set in a house, therefore minimising risks with continuity problems and resolving the issue of reshoots as they can be done at any time. The problems with filming on a small scale is space issues (which the ‘Ticklemonster’ dealt with very well’ and creating a scary atmosphere in a place that isn’t necessarily scary as it’s only a house, this is why it could prove to be rather difficult to create an eerie atmosphere. This is another reason that ‘Ticklemonster’ is a great piece to base my film off of because they manage to perfectly create a scary atmosphere in a very small room. One reason I believe that ‘Ticklemonster’ is so successful in being scary is the fact that it plays on childhood memories/fears as the idea of a ticklemonster is not at all scary on paper, but the way that the film executes it is perfect with the acting and the practical effects (hands over the main characters body).

New Film [Untitled]

Due to problems with scheduling of the filming, the actors that were supposed to appear in my short film are now unable to. Therefore I have had to completely change the story and the genre of my short film.

I believe that it would be a smart idea to go with the horror genre as opposed the Black Comedy I had planned previously. This is because comedy (and especially a blend of comedy and drama) can be very hard to pull off without skilled actors. My previous short film was going to be a dialogue based black comedy which would have required precise comedic timing and expression; furthermore, due to the film being mainly two characters sat in a car together, the whole film depended entirely on the ability of the actors.

This is why I believe it is a much smarter idea to move forward with the horror genre as, in the past, it has proved that horror can be achieved with a very small cast and a very small budget. For example, Paranormal activity was made with a $15,000 budget, but managed to make a gross profit of $107,917,283.

Since films like ‘The Blair Witch Project’ have proved that horror can be achieved with a very small budget and a very small cast of characters; and since small, independent films like this have proved to be highly profitable as they have such a small budget, it has created a phenomenon with horror films constantly being released and making millions in profit.

However, while I chose the horror genre because it has proved to be ‘easy’ in the past, with certain tactics that can be used to create simple scares out of the audience, I will not be fully basing my film of of these types of horror films. I have chosen to base my films of Horror films such as ‘The Witch’, ‘The Badabook’ and ‘It Follows’. I have chosen these three films because they do not follow the conventional stereotypes of most horror films that rely on jump scares to provoke a reaction out of the audience; because most jump scares are not actually ‘scary’. I believe that these jump scares aren’t necessarily scary because 9 times out of 10, the audience tends to laugh afterwards in a moment of relief, whereas films like ‘It Follows’ and ‘The Witch’ isn’t necessarily a film where the viewer gets a moment of relief as the film creates a constant sense of tension for the viewer without relieving that with a jump scare to take all of the actual pressure out of the situation.

This is why I have chosen to have my film create a constant feel of tension for the viewer without relying on multiple jump scares. However, due to the fact that my film will only be around the 5 minute mark, I believe that it would be best to include 1 or 2 ‘big’ scares to provoke a reaction out of the audience as long, tension-building films such as ‘It Follows’ are able to do so because of their run time (1 hour 40 minutes), but a short film would not be able to create and maintain the same atmosphere as well as a feature length film.