Audience Research

I did my audience research by asking questions to do with Slasher Horror to help my ideas in my film. I asked the questions on the social network site Twitter. I got numerous replies and will show the best one from each question. The best answers were all from a media classmate who has great knowledge in this genre.

First I tweeted asking if anyone would answer my questions and I would give them a reward. This meant it would be more likely they would answer and then i would have a wider range of responses.

The first question I asked was about the location in Slasher Horror films. This means I can start thinking about locations for my film. I already had the idea of an isolated place and maybe deep in the woods. But I wasn't 100% sure and now with this feedback I have become more confident with my decison.

The next question i asked was about common characters that you would expect to see in the film. i already knew that the typical characters were attractive teenagers that aren't extremely intelligent and love to party.

The next question was about the typical music that the audience expects to hear when watching a Slasher Horror. I had trouble trying to think of music for a horror film as most of the music I had been sampling sounded more liek a sci-fi horror than a slasher horror.

Then I asked about the action they expect to see in this sub-genre of horror. The reply was too long so it is in two parts. I had a plan for the action in my film and I had thought about the deaths and the escape but I had never thought about a character fighting back and i may now re-think parts of my film to include that.

These questions I asked can now help me decide on where my film will be set, what music to use and what character I can use. The plot of my film may change slightly from the feedback, for example i haven't got any characters fighting back wish i could include in it.



Texual Analysis

This is the textual analysis of a Slasher film as that is the genre I will be doing for my film production. The film I am analyzing is the film Scream, I am going to show a selection of shots from the opening scene and describe what is happening and how this shows it is a slasher film.

·         The opening credit where it shows the institution. “Dimension Films”

·         Music is slow and then there is a lightening noise.

·         We could get that this is a slasher because the music sets an effect that it is a serious dark movie.

·         The film title appears “Scream”

·         Sounds: A telephone starts ringing and then a female screaming.

·         This could hint that it is a slasher because the way the title comes on is in a creepy way and the phone starts abruptly. Then the female screaming shows it’s a horror and could be a slasher as usually a female is killed first by the killer.

·         A shot of a ringing phone.

·         Sounds: The ringing of the phone.

·         This could hint at it being a slasher because the killer usually contacts the victim without revealing their identity before they kill them and seeing as technology is developing, phones would be the best way.

·         The killer and the first victim talk on the phone briefly before she hangs up.

·         Sounds: The killer talking to the victim.

·         This could show it’s a slasher as it’s a stranger calling her and he speaks in an extremely deep voice, which is creepy.

·         The victim hangs up the phone and as she turns away the phone starts ringing again. She picks it up and talks to the killer again and then hangs up.

·         Sounds: The phone ringing.

·         This can show it’s a slasher because its creepy how the phone rings immediately after she hangs up and also the facial expression of the victim shows that she is suspicious.

·         This is the shot from outside the house and it has a swing slowly swaying.

·         Sounds: You can here crickets cheeping.

·         This seems like a slasher because it is a secluded area, like most slashers and the swing is swinging slowly which is creepy.

·         The killer calls again as the victim makes popcorn to watch a movie.

·         Sounds: The phone ringing, dialogue between the two. The popcorn rattling.

·         This could be interpreted as a slasher because when the phone rings the victim groans as if she is fed up or getting annoyed at the persistence of the killer and shocked that he keeps on calling.

·         They start talking about horror movies and the victim starts playing with a knife.

·         Sounds: The dialogue and the noise of the knife.

·         This shows it is a slasher film as the dialogue is talking about slasher films and because she takes the knife which is a common used weapon in a slasher film. Also the sound of the knife connotates danger.

·         This is when the killer makes the mistake of revealing he is watching his victim.

·         Sounds: a low piano plays.

·         This seems more like a slasher now as the audience find out that the killer is there and the music makes it seem all dim and scary.

·         In this shot she realises the killer is watching her and she looks around.

·         Sounds: You hear a dog bark outside.

·         This makes it creepy because you then think maybe the dog is barking at the killer because he is outside.

·         The victim looks outside for the killer.

·         Sounds: Low piano and eyrie music.

·         This is creepy because there is steam and fog which means its hard to see and that means the killer can see her but she cant see him. Also you have been put into the victims eyes which makes the audience feel scared and uncomfortable.

·         The victim locks the door.

·         Sounds: Dialogue and the door locking.

·         This shows that the victim is afraid that the killer will come in her house.

·         As she hangs up the phone the killer says angrily “Don’t hang up on me!”

·         Sounds: The killer on the phone

·         This shows that the killer is angry and the audience start to think, maybe he is violent.

·         She answers the phone again angrily but the killer shouts angrily and threatens her “gut you like a fish” and this scares her.

·         Sounds: Phone ringing. Dialogue. Low Piano note

·         This shows the intent of the killer and makes it scary.

·         The killer says “blondie” so she knows he can see her and then she runs to lock the doors.

·         Sounds: the killer speaking. Lots of fast music which signifies the panic of the victim.

·         She looks out the window and the killer asks if she can see him.

·         Sounds: The killer on the phone.

·         This is scary because you are put in the eyes of the victim and this is uncomfortable for you because you feel like you are there being tormented.

·         The killer reinforces the fact that she is in the middle of nowhere and no one can help her.

·         Sounds: Dialogue on the phone.

·         This makes the victim scared because she knows she can’t be helped and can’t escape.

·         The doorbell rings and she says “Who’s there?” the telephone then rings and the killer says “You should never say who’s there?”

·         Sounds: Dialogue, Doorbell, Victim screams when the telephone rings.

·         This is scary because we know that the killer is close enough to hear what she is saying.

·         The victims’ boyfriend is tied to a chair on the patio that she had looked at just minutes before.

·         Sounds: Muffled scream form the boyfriend

·         This is scary because it means the killer is strong and determined because he has already taken down a tough footballer.

·         The victim hides behind the TV and switches off the light.

·         Sounds: Dialogue.

·         She is clearly scared and this passes on to the audience as they know that she is scared because the killer will kill her boyfriend and then her.

·         The killer kills Steve.

·         Sounds: Dialogue. Slicing of Steve.

·         This is common in slashers as the football jock dies and there is always lots of blood and guts.

·         She runs and gets a knife to defend herself.

·         Sounds: Fast music.

·         This shows that she will defend herself to the death because she knows the killer will kill her. This is done so that the audience, although they know the killer will kill her, it gives her a bit of hope.

·         The first glimpse of the killer.

·         Sound: Fast paced music.

·         The killer is in a costume and a mask which is scary because the face will have no expression. The killer is also very fast which is also scary.

·         The victims’ parents’ car is driving up the path.

·         Sounds: Music

·         This gives the victim slight hope as she can get help. The audience want her to get there and be saved but we all know she won’t.

·         Close up of the killers face as he turns around looking straight at the victim.

·         Sounds: Music. Scream of the victim because she is shocked to see him there.

·         This scares us because we can’t see the killers face and the mask has no expression. It is also a close up which makes us feel uncomfortable.

·         The victim runs from the killer but he is catching up to her.

·         Sounds: Musical ringing. Screaming.

·         This shows how much taller the killer is which makes him scarier. Also the victims breasts bounce around while she runs and this links to slasher films as they usually have sexually attractive females in them.

·         The killer stabs the victim.

·         Sounds: Music. Screaming. Groaning.

·         This finally sets the kill that has been building up through the whole opening scene.

·         The parents arrive home oblivious to what’s happened and the victim is in the background.

·         Sounds: Dialogue between the parents and slow music.

·         This shows how no one would know that the girl was being murdered.

·         The victim takes off the killers mask but the shot goes up so you cant see who the killer is and you see the knife that is about to come down and stab the victim.

·         Sounds: Slow music. Groaning.

·         This makes the killer see superior by how height the knife is and how he was looking down at us.

·         The victim is dragged away by the killer while her mother can hear her on the phone.

·         Sounds: Phone making noises. Groaning. Slow music.

·         This shows how helpless the victim is as she is dragged away and how the mother can hear her being killed but cant save her or do anything to help.

·         The parents listen helplessly to their daughter being killed.

·         Sounds: Groans. Slow music. Dialogue form the parents.

·         This shows how horrible it is, that they have to listen to it. It also agrees with most slashers as someone always witnesses the first death scene or knows its happening so that it goes on so the next scene is about a killer on the loose.

·         The parents see the dead body of their daughter.

·         Sounds: Scream from the mother.

·         This shows that it is horrible and the shock of what has happened.

·         Final shot. The victim dead.

·         Sounds: Music fast loud.

·         This shows what the killer has done and how gruesome it is which links to slashers as there is a lot of blood and gore in slasher films.

What i've leant from this.
From my analysis of this film, i've seen how my film can take ideas from it. I think that i might use some of the techniques and camera angles they use. I also think that the storyline might be good to use bits from. For example, she is in a very isolated place so the point is that the police or anyone wont be able to get there fast to help so i can use this in my film. I also like how her parents came home but they couldn't hear her because it added emotion to the film so i could try and add it into my film. The camera movements, for example when the killer stabs her, she reaches for his mask and the camera moves up so you dont see the killers face and that keeps the audience guessing of who it could be. I would like to use a shot like that in my film. This has given me some good ideas that i would like to try out when making my film.

Codes and Conventions of a Slasher Horror

Our film genre we have chosen is a Slasher Horror film. This is a sub genre of a horror film. Usually they are more gory and involve pretty teenagers. They are said to be the "sexual gore films" as they usually have a sexual activity and then a psychopathic killer going on a rampage. In this post I will show you which conventions a Slasher Horror has.

The setting and locations that most Slasher films are in are rural areas or abandoned areas where there isn’t much civilisation. Usually in it there is a farm or large building in the middle of nowhere, where there isn’t much phone reception or emergency services nearby, this means if the victim calls for the police, they can’t get there quickly or that because there isn’t any phone reception, they can’t call them. Other settings are, the woods/Forrest's, farms, old abandoned houses or cabins in the woods that teenagers go to in the summer break. In most teen slasher films there is a lake or a river, I think this is because it means the teenagers wear less clothing and it appeals to certain audiences.

The props we would use in this film would be common in Slasher films, for example if it was in a house party the props would be:

• Furniture - They would have house furniture that people would be lounging on.
• Alcohol and drugs - Most teen parties are when people go so that they can drink and do drugs.
• Food - There is usually someone eating or goes to get food and gets killed.
• Telephone - They have a phone to call the police but they either have no phone reception or it doesn't work because the killer have cut the phone lines.
• Knife/Hand held weapon - Hand held weapons means the killer has to get close to the victim and when they kill them its more gory and takes longer to kill than a gun shot.
• Mask - This hides the killers identity and makes them look creepy because they have the same facial expression.

The action in Slasher films are usually very gory violence. They can make this happen because they use knives and axes and this means that the killer must slice the victim so there is usually lots of blood and gore. Usually there is some kind of chase as the main victim gets away and usually fights back at the end of the movie.

The characters are usually very good looking. The victims are usually teenagers and almost always has a pretty girl and her boyfriend is a football jock. the characters are:

• Attractive females - These are usually the first to get killed and there is usually a female virgin who loses her virginity and gets killed after.
• A football jock - These are the strong good looking guys who date the main girl and always run into danger and end up dying or sometimes they are the killer themselves.
• The police - The police are usually either not very smart or unfit, this means that they are slow getting the person in trouble. or if they aren't smart then they cant solve who the killer is or they run straight into a trap and get killed. Usually there are more than 1 police officers and one gets killed and the other saves the day but gets injured in the process.
• The killer - The killer is often a male. Also, usually his identity is unknown until the end of the movie when there is a twist. Also the killer remains mute in the scenes as if he is in a trance. They often have a traumatic experience early in life and that's triggered them to go psychopathic. They are killed at the end but always seem to come back from the dead for one last fright but the main character, usually an attractive female finally kills him.

The storyline is slashers are usually very similar to each other. Its usually a group of teenagers in an isolated area getting drunk and having sex and then the killer comes in and kills them one by one. The common storyline is that the main females parents are away for the weekend so she has a house party and at the house party everyone is getting drunk and taking drugs and then they run out of alcohol so someone has to go into the basement or the garage to get some and this is the first victim. the killer kills that person, usually the victim is a pretty female. After a while people realise that person hasn't come back but don't make anything of it. Then the main female character goes upstairs with her boyfriend and they have sex, while this happens the killer is killing people one by one downstairs, and shortly after the couple finish upstairs the killer stabs the boyfriend and tries to kill the main female character but she runs and calls the police and then they take ages to get there so she has to fight back and the killer is unmasked. There is often a twist and the killer is either one of her best friends or her boyfriend or one of her school teachers. The killer is then killed but the characters walk away and then when they look back the killers body is gone, this leaves it open for a sequel.

My Film. Thanks to this research I can see how I must base the foundations of my film and then bring it together witht he appropriate characteristics from my genre. For example, The setting is usually an isolated place so I can film it in a wood or forresty area that is nearby. As for props, the killers weapon will be a stereotypical knife that is associated with slashers. I have a few kitchen knives that look scary that we can use. The killer usually has a mask and I have some scary masks that i've got so we can use that to link to the theme of a slasher. As for the drugs/alcohol, we wont be able to actually get any so we might have to use apple juice or fizzy drinks and pretend that it is alcohol. The research on characters made me think of who i could have in my film, the female would need to be a very attractive woman. The main males would need to either be football captains or popular or rather handsome guys. Finally, the storyline of my film may be a bit different from slashers because i want to add my own twist to it but there will definitely be the normal slasher storyline about a killer on a rampage.