Blurb

Hi, I'm an AS Media student, and this blog contains research into the different aspects of film and media, specializing in the Slasher genre. The research has all been put towards the development of my coursework production 'Camp Ivy', which I co-produced with Poppy and Millie. Our coursework has been influenced by the rural locations and mise-en-scene in Friday the 13th and Eden Lake.

Tuesday 26 February 2013

First Shoot

Interior
Our shoot took place on the 17th February 2013. We filmed all of the shots for our film opening at Linton Camp. We started filming at 11AM and finished at around 4PM. The location was extremely good for getting a range of framings and shots, but we did spend a lot of the time trying to figure out what would look best. It would have been more ideal and time efficient if we had been up to the location before the shoot as a group to plan where we could shoot and how we would do it. Our actors all arrived at different times during the day, so we planned to shoot the shots in a particular order to save time.

The weather on the day was very sunny. This was a slight issue as we were hoping for a dull day which would have created a more eerie atmosphere.
Here are a group of photos taken throughout the day:
Filming the Killing Scene
Props; Knife & Fake Blood

Millie filming
Building
Millie Filming

Location; Linton Camp
Millie filming
Filming Group Shots



Wednesday 20 February 2013

Audience and Ratings

BBFC Age Ratings: http://katesfilmproductions.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/bbfc-age-ratings.html

Friday the 13th (Marcus Nispel, 2009) is an 18 rated film in the UK but the certificate does vary from 12 to 18+ worldwide. Although our production has similar qualities, the content is not as explicit, which proves why the age rating of 15 on our production is suitable for a younger teenage audience. In Friday the 13th, there are some very violent scenes, and despite there being scenes of a violent nature in our film, they are not as explicit as those shown in Friday the 13th. A 15 age rating for a production like Camp Ivy would be suitable, as it attracts a teenage audience, yet not too young for scenes of a violent nature.

As well as Friday The 13th, Eden Lake (James Watkins, 2008) has also influenced our production. This too has a UK age rating of 18, and differs from 12 to 18+ worldwide. In Eden Lake:
 'A boy, around 10 years old is doused in petrol, A tire is thrown over his head and he is burnt alive. His screams can be heard yet he is not seen burning. Only from a distance we see him yet no detail can be seen at the distance'. 
We do not have scenes at this level of violence in our production, which again proves our age rating is suitable. 

Saturday 16 February 2013

Script (First Shoot)

[walking towards camp through a field]

Ashley: We better not have much further to go I need to sit down... These shoes are killing me.

Charley: Well I did say it would be a long walk it’s your fault for not wearing sensible shoes.

Ashley: I don’t remember it being this far last time.. I really need to sit down.

Patrick: Look, it’s there in the distance we will be there in a minute. You’ve already slowed us down we’re not stopping again.

Ryan: Leave it out man, you’re the one rushing us it doesn’t matter when we get there.

Charley: Come on let’s not argue tonight we’re here for Mikey, tonight isn’t about us.

[arrive at camp] *putting bags down*

Ashley: This place creeps me out.

Ryan: Watch out there’s something behind you.. (false scare).

Ashley: (screams)

Charley: Shut up Ryan.. just ignore him Ashley.

Patrick: Ashley.. where have you put the flowers?

Ashley: Oh man I knew there was something I forgot.

Patrick: But you still managed to remember your make-up.. You’re so self-centred you couldn’t even remember the one thing we asked you to, what are we going to do now?

Ashley: I’ll go into the woods to pick some flowers, if you’re all so bothered.

Ryan: Patrick stop winging on it doesn’t matter, I’ll I come with you..

Ashley: No I’ll go on my own I’ll only be 5 minutes.

[leaves group]

*walking in woods, hear rustling*

Ashley: Hello? Ryan stop trying to scare me I know it’s you.

Ashley: Stop messing around! You’re scaring me now..

Mikey: Hello Ashley.

[Ashley turns around and is stabbed]

                         END

Friday 15 February 2013

PP - Shoot Planning

We are planning to do a shoot for our production on Sunday 17th Feb. Here is a list of shots we plan to film:
(everything will be filmed from a variety of angles with different shot types.)
  • Take a variety of establishing shots of the surrounding area.
  • Establishing shots of the area from behind trees (POV of killer).
  • Group shot of them walking to the camp.
  • Shots of them setting up and sat round (variety of different framing options etc).
  • Scream Queen separated from group - POV shots of her walking away, different angles.
  • Stalking shot of Scream Queen - her realising she's being stalked leads to quick pace editing and chase shots. Lots of shot variety framed with trees and buildings.
  • Back to shot of group wondering where scream queen is, close ups etc.
  • They hear scream.
  • Scream Queen killed.

Thursday 7 February 2013

Primary & Secondary Slasher Audiences

Laura Mulvey - feminist theorist
The primary target audience for a slasher film is the 15-24 age group. They're also mostly aimed at males, and to attract the male audience, Laura Mulvey's male-gaze theory is often used. The male-gaze theory is a feminist theory, which was developed to analyse the way women are portrayed in films. She stated that the camera shows off women's bodies, and objectifies the woman on screen give the male viewer 'pleasure'. This can also affect the way women view themselves and other women. Because of this, the audience is almost forced into viewing the film from a male's perspective, which can affect the way in which women view themselves and other women. The characters in slasher films also tend to be teenagers, and the adult characters are portrayed as useless, which again attracts a teenage audience, as they can easily relate to the feelings and emotions denoted by the characters. 

The secondary target audience tends to be the mature youth (25-34). Higher rated films (18+) may be more appealing to this age group, due to more scenes of a violent nature, nudity and sex. 

Wednesday 6 February 2013

The Big Six and Integration

The 'big six' refers to the most dominant film companeis worldwide. A conglomerate (e.g. NBCUniversal, News Corp) is a large company which owns many smaller companies. A subsidiary is one of the company's owned by the conglomerate (e.g. Working Title - NBCUniversal, 20th Century Fox - News Corp).


S'shot taken from Wikipedia. Lionsgate is a new entry to the 'Big Sx' and has only recently become dominant in the film industry.
Vertical integration:
This is when one conglomerate is able to control the 3 aspects of film; production, distribution and exhibition, through their multiple subsidiaries.

Horizontal integration:
This is when subsidiaries from the same conglomerate work together, however the subsidiaries are not necessarily from the same industry.

Friday 1 February 2013

Slasher Overview Vodcast Notes

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
40 shots in 50 seconds. Early example of archetypes - sexually confused killer, scream queen, 'slasher' refers to killing of knife.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Redefined genre. Violence starts instantly, compared to psycho. Realistic violence, more gore and nudity, low budget (+Last House on the Left)

Black Christmas.
Pays for one location - shrinks budget. First film John Saxon appears in - unknown to go on to Nightmare on Elm St. Halloween influenced by BC. Use of camera as killers pov, audience becomes killer. Technique also used in Peeping Tom. Motivation is never revealed - narrative enigma.

BC, TCM and Psycho -all had remakes. TCM + Psycho have sequels.

Halloween.
Little blood or graphic violence. Compared to Saw and Psycho = contrast. No major stars were featured. Jamie Lee Curtis also stars in Terror Train and Prom Night - post Halloween films. Her mother was the scream queen in Psycho.

Friday the 13th
Sequels released - 12 films altogether.

Carole Clover devised the final girl concept.

Sydeny Prescott in Scream, childish bedroom and clothing and is doing her homework which signifies academia.

Music
Physiological effects - raising heartbeat, subconciously holding breath.
Increase fear and tension. Commutation test - imagine shower scene in Psycho - would it be scary without music? No music would dull the scene. Auter theory.
Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960)
Proto-slasher. Audience view the killers view (pov).

Post modern - New Nightmare (Wes Craven), Scream, Scary Movie
  • Intertextuality taken to the extreme.
  • Hybrids.
New Nightmare - slasher about a slasher (Self-referential).

Different genres attract different people. Primary and secondary target audience. Death of a Stranger rated 12 - puts people off as they want to see gory, violent films. Mature youth (primary audience) - 25-34. Secondary audience - 15-24, 35+?, lanugage is appropriate, older characters are useless.
Halloween is an exception to Todorovs equilibrium theory (no new equilibrium), sequel is a follow on from the previous events.
False scares partially demonstrate hybridity - comedy/slasher genre.

50's and 60's most horror was gothic or creature features (universal). Hammer Horror dominant worldwide in the 60's - main characters were upper-class, mature adults. Theatrical/stagey whereas Last House on the Left, Black Christmas, TCM were filmed with portable cameras - shakey camera work and ultra realistic design.
Peeping Tom and Psycho in 1960 - PT runied career of Michael Powell as people though it was 'sick' so the slasher genre didnt catch on until the 70's with films like Halloween and TCM.

Blair Witch Project - early example of viral marketing. Started a new genre - 'found footage'.