Love you to death

The Preliminary Task

Monday, September 22, 2008

Horror Still Shot Analysis

1) Describe your Shot and Identify in what way it could be seen as representing ‘Horror’

This is a MLS Shot of a boy lying down however it has been made to represent horror through the use of low key lighting, the characters facial expression and the use of shadows. The key to creating a horror shot was the low key lighting making it dark and mysterious. This makes it seem like the character is in some sort of basement, and therefore a conventional horror setting. It also makes it seem like night time. The most obvious aspect is the actor’s expression showing fear and shock as if about to scream, which also connotes horror. His body language also shows how is scared and holding his face in defence and as if taken by surprise. He is lying down which makes him the victim and vulnerable. He is dominated by the shadow of a claw which makes it seem as if a monster character is also present. The shadow is above his head making it seem threatening as if about to attack. The fact that you can only see the shadow and not the monster itself creates suspense as used in horror shots. The tight frame connotes entrapment and makes it more claustrophobic which also represents horror.


2) What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

To achieve this dark mysterious effect we had to use two small artificial lights. One was used as an under light to light up the character’s face so that the characters facial expression could be seen clearly, but also to create a shadow on one side of his face making it seem slight distorted. The second lamp was used from above to distort the size and shape of someone’s hand creating the shadow effect of the claw. We used a plain board in the background to create the shadow on and blocked out all natural light by the curtains. We made the character look victimised by standing on a chair when taking the shot and therefore changing the camera level.

3) What is successful about your shot?

I think this shot is very effective in creating the idea of a victim and monster although we only had one actor on set. The shadow of claw looks quite realistic as if about to grab the victim, and looks extremely creepy. Here the shot makes it very clear to the audience as to who the attacker is and who the victim is. I also think the horrified facial expression is very successful in creating the perfect atmosphere for horror clearly portraying the overwhelming fear of the character. The lighting also gives the character’s face a red tint, successful portraying horror as red is usually associated with blood and danger. The darkness successfully creates suspense and mystery as the audience are unaware of the setting, also makes the shot more sinister.


4) What would you do differently in hindsight?

I would improve the lighting using a stronger contrast to distinguish the shadow from the darkness and the character and make it stand out more. I would also shine more light on actors face so his facial expression can be seen properly rather than his arms and body. Better use of under-lighting would also make the face look more distorted. I would make the shot more tightly framed so that there is less empty space on the left hand side and top so audience can focus better on the character and shadow above. I would also change the characters costume making it only one colour as it is too busy at the moment, distracting the audience from the main focus of the shot. A female or younger male actor would also make a better victim as they are usually more vulnerable. A higher angle shot would also make the actor look more victimised and the shadow more dominant and scary.




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