Audience and Institutions Essay - To what extent is digital distribution vital to film?

To what extent is digital distribution vital to film?

        Technology and the digital aspect of film are something we take advantage of today. We have all sorts of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Disney+. Digital distribution is the delivery or distribution of digital media content such as audio, video, e-books, video games, and other software. Digital distribution is extremely vital to film, especially nowadays. 

         Digital distribution is a great way to earn money once a film gets out of theaters. Typically, movies do not come out on DVD until around 17 weeks after they premiere in theaters. With this comes the possibility of people pirating movies and selling or downloading them illegally. One way around this is to do a day and date release. By releasing the film in theater on the same day as DVD, conglomerates can lower the risk of illegal copies springing up. This is called shortening the distribution window and it saves huge companies hundreds of thousands of dollars per film. Companies have also begun to turn to streaming services rather than physical media. In the article “The Ins and Outs of Hollywood Film Distribution,” written by Jonathan Paul this is detailed further. Paul writes, “With each passing year, digital distribution is positioning itself to surpass disc-based media as the top home-entertainment revenue. Studios and distributors are including digital copies with psychical [sic] copies. They’re even beginning to release digital versions of films to online retailers like iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play before the disc-based option is released.” We see this example within the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Walt Disney Pictures Motion Studios held a movie premiere and afterparty and the film hit theaters on May 05, 2017. The film made its way to streaming services before disc options were out, becoming available on Netflix and Amazon Video on August 8, 2017. It was then available on DVD and Blu-ray 2 weeks later. 

         Another way that digital distribution helps films advance in today’s consumerist economy is through music. Films nowadays tend to include original songs, created either by the same company or by another one for a small price. Black Panther is the most obvious example of this. The soundtrack for Black Panther featured many rap and hip-hop artists like Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, and SZA. (Billboard) Creating a soundtrack using some of the most popular artists of today was a smart move by Disney because they were able to appeal to an entire generation. The soundtrack was released on iTunes and Spotify with the Black Panther movie poster as the cover for the album. This caused audiences to gravitate towards that movie poster because they associate it with a song they like. This made Disney a lot of money. Another example of digital music distribution is Spider-man Homecoming. Sony released an original soundtrack with the film, similar to the deal with Black Panther. However, we know for sure that Sony produced its own music, seeing as how it is a music company as well as a film company. This tells us that they not only made up for the costs, but most likely surpassed it and gained a huge profit since they did not have to pay another company to produce the music. A personal experience that I have had with digital distribution is actually going on right now. With the global pandemic going on right now, movie theaters are closed, and we can’t go out to movies with our friends like normal. This is where the technology comes in. Most of us spend all day watching movies on Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc. We are spending our time on streaming services now more than ever, and companies are still profiting off of us, even in isolation. 

            Another way to use digital distribution is through regular TV. TV companies give us the options of video on demand or near videos on demand, usually the latter. But one thing that TV companies can do is collaborate with production companies to distribute and advertise for new movies. One way we see this is when Jurassic World came out in 2015. Comcast, the parent company, created slots in the movie section of their TV program in order to promote the new film. Comcast decided to show all of the previous Jurassic films and have the main characters of the new one, Jurassic World, host the screenings of these older films. This made the audience excited and appealed to older generations through nostalgia. People who grew up watching the Jurassic movies would hear the iconic theme song and feel as if they were kids again, leading them to wanting their kids to watch the movie. Also, the production company did not have to spend extra money on this specific advertisement by keeping it in the family, a very synergistic approach. Comcast is very bold when it comes to the release of films. According to a WIRED article called “How Tech Has Shaped Film Making,” by Charles Matthau, “companies seem willing to distribute films online. The 2011 film Tower Heist with Ben Stiller was almost released to Comcast customers alongside the theatrical release, but the idea was scrapped after several theaters threatened not to show the film in protest. Although digital promises an exciting new world of distribution, the business of film has yet to catch up with this idea.” While digital distribution is an up and coming achievement in the filmmaking world, people are scared that it might overpower theaters, which have been around for centuries. Some people are just not ready for that kind of advancement. However, companies can make very profitable deals with TV providers and streaming services concerning the coming out of a new film. Premiering a film on a streaming service can result in a lot of revenue for many companies. 

            In my opinion, digital distribution is a necessity in order for films to succeed. Today especially, people rely on technology as a source for entertainment, and institutions rely on audiences in order to make money. Streaming services and websites are the best forms of distribution because they are easily accessible by the public. 

         

Extract Essay - 24

           The themes of these extract are rivalry and a kind of daring enterprise. The man is trying to get valuable information on how to stop a deadly explosion out of the woman. She is in custody and clearly not very cooperative. The meaning behind this extract is that lives are at stake and two separate forces must come together to prevail. The director’s vision is to create a suspenseful and urgent feeling, causing the audience to be on the edge of its seat. This extract is most likely from an action or thriller genre, and this is definitely conveyed throughout this extract. 

            The first scene begins with a fade in to a medium close up of a woman. A fade transition typically implies a passage of time. A fade with black, specifically, is used when the scene that follows is going to be dark or action-packed. The director used a black fade in specifically to show us, the audience, that the scene following it was going to have a dark feeling. Eventually, a man walks in and we see him through an over-the-shoulder shot. Over-the-shoulder shots are great for adding perspective and establishing presence. We now know the woman’s location and where she fits in in relation to the setting. We also see the man’s initial emotions when he first sees the woman sitting there. We are able to see this all through the woman’s perspective and gain an idea of the relationship between the two characters. The first scene is interesting because it contains almost no dialogue and lasts almost a minute. This allows the audience to focus more on the lighting, props, and other sounds in the scene. We notice the clock ticking, the sound of the paper against the table, and the background sound in the TV room. These are all elements that we were able to focus on in more detail, and they were all important to the storyline. The director most likely did this on purpose to draw the audience in and focus on the important, minute details. 

            There is a sense of urgency that remains throughout the extract. This is accomplished through many things such as lighting, props, costumes, and angles. The security camera that we see in the first scene tells us a lot about the characters. The woman is not only in custody, but she is dangerous as well. The camera also tells us that there are other people watching them. The situation is important enough that there need to be witnesses. We learn that this woman is the only person who can dismantle a bomb, but she has proven difficult to work with. The sense of urgency and darkness is furthered through costumes. Both of the characters are wearing dark clothes to reflect their dark emotions. This shows the seriousness of the situation. The men in the TV room are wearing suits, showing that they are people in positions of power and the situation is important. 

            Camera movements are also great for showing emotion. The pan movement following the man’s entrance into the room shows us that the two characters have some sort of history. One thing that was different about this specific pan movement was that it followed a stack of papers. This definitely shows us that those papers are very important. So, through one pan movement, we can see that the stack of papers will play a prominent role later and that the two main characters know each other from a previous meeting. Scene 1 ends with a shot of the men in the TV room. We know that the two characters are being watched by them for some reason, but we don’t know exactly why. We hear a lot of background, ambient noise coming through in this shot. We know that there are many people involved in this interrogation, and we can infer that they are under the direction of the government. By the end of scene 1 we can see that the conversation between the two characters is not friendly and is being monitored by a powerful group of people. 

            Scene 2 begins when the man and the woman start talking. This is where we learn about their backgrounds and how they ended up in this position. After a while, the man becomes fed up with the woman. He throws the table between them out of pure frustration. By doing this he makes a loud, shocking noise. This is meant to slightly startle the audience, considering it is a random outburst if violence. This is a great addition of fear in the midst of a calm moment, really connecting to the thriller genre. The situation escalates and the man begins to attack the woma. Scene 2 ends with him pushing her against the wall and threatening her. Scene 3 begins with the woman telling the man that he will lose his job if he lays a hand on her. The tension is beginning to rise. The people in the TV room watch this go down and decide to intervene. The screen splits and we can see both inside the room and out, where the people are trying to get a hold of the two in the room. This split screen effect shows us many emotions all at once: the woman is fierce, but she knows she is in trouble, the man is furious, and the people from the TV room are fearful of what the man will do. This all plays into the suspense and darkness that has been building up. 

            Throughout this extract, we can see that the director used camera shots, angles, movements, and compositions, as well as editing, sound, and mis-en-scene to create a suspenseful and urgent feeling. The director has accomplished this in many ways and was very successful in his endeavor to create meaning through these physical elements. 

Final Task - Catfished Film and CCR

My final task was by far the most complicated project I've done. It was also the one I was most proud of. I think that the entire process throughout the year was to lead me to this point right now and I am very proud of myself. My movie is about a guy who gets kidnapped by his crazy ex-girlfriend. She pretends to be someone else online in order to trick him into trusting her. They plan to go on a date and she knocks him out and brings him to her garage. She keeps him there and tells him her story. I edited my film to show a flashback at the beginning. It then goes back to real time and shows a timeline of the events leading up to, during, and after his abduction. 

Music Video - Big Time Rush Video and CCR

For my music video, I wanted it to be very simple and fun. I got 4 friends who have great chemistry to jump round and have fun. I think this gave  a very realistic and authentic vibe to the video. This was a lot easier to film than the commercial. I think my skills had progressed a little at this point. I was really excited for this video because the band was a big part of my childhood and I knew that recreating their song would bring back memories. This was my favorite filming experience because it was so fun.

Commercial - Dunkin Donuts Video and CCR

This is my commercial I did for Dunkin' Donuts. It was really fun to film, but not my best work seeing as it was my first project. My partner and I were very confused on what exactly to do and how to film, but we figured it out, and it was a great learning experience. Our commercial shows two different people doing things like sports and homework. We showed ourselves being tired and running out of energy. Then after we have our Dunkin Donuts, we get our energy and get back to work.

Re-editing blog: Re-editing Any New Footage Filmed

I finally finished editing my video. I finalized my script for my voiceover and timed it so that it would start right after the title sequence and end when the trunk closes. The voiceover definitely solved any issues with timing and the different sounds I am supposed to include in my film. The new clips I filmed were also inserted at this time. Since there were only a few this was very simple. As I was editing, I realized that I did not have the required shots and angles I needed. Because I am missing just a few, I think I will do another day of re filming my movie. I want to make sure it is truly perfect and meets all requirements. I think I will have Mario, the other actor in the film, peer review my film. I was at a disadvantage because the person who was supposed to peer review my film did not show up. I am very proud of my editing so far. I think I have come a long way since our commercial as far as using the software. This is good because I can apply this to real life. There are a lot of things I can use these skills for, even if I am not making films. Using software like iMovie  can help me use other softwares like PowerPoint. I have progressed by learning through my errors. The difference between my editing now and before is immense. My film now is very clean. My edits are smooth and make sense. It looks a lot more professional and well done than my other works. I think my film is going very well and I’m getting close to finishing!

Re-Shoot blog: Re-shooting My Film

I have not been able to re-shoot some parts of my film. Because of how busy I have been, and my actor, we haven't been able to find a time. On Tuesday, we have a day off of school. I plan on re-shooting the kidnapping scenes using my camera instead of my phone this time. The quality on my phone camera was not very good because of how dark it was outside. This time I plan on filming during the day now that I know how to turn down the brightness. Hopefully this won't take long as I only have a few shots to film. The first one I have to re-shoot is the scene where I kidnap "Mateo". Because I filmed it on my phone, it came out vertical, but the rest of my film was on my camera and those shots are all horizontal. The next one is where I'm dragging him to the car. This part was really shaky because my 7 year old brother was holding my phone to film. The last thing to re-shot is me putting him in the trunk. This was also shaky and dark. Additionally, I will have my acting partner peer review my film to see if I am missing anything in my film. Based on this, I will see if I have to add any more shots and angles as well. If I am missing anything, I will have to re-shot again. Once I am done re-shooting is when I will do my voiceover. I wrote out a script for it and timed it well enough that it will fit the timing of the film without going over the title sequence. I will do this later on next week, around Wednesday or Friday. After that, I will be completely done with my film.

Peer Review: Watching Another Group’s Film

One thing I liked about the other group’s film was the storyline. The film is about a guy who gets robbed and has to find a way to get back all the money he lost in the robbery. I think it is a good idea for a movie and could be good as a mystery or comedy film. Their film was not finished, so I only got to see the second half. Because of this I feel like I can’t accurately judge their film fully. That being said, from what I can see, I think it would be beneficial to add some background music because right now with just dialogue, it sounds dry. My biggest suggestion would be to work on the editing more. In one scene, the main character is filming a pov but when he looks at the mirror you can see him holding the camera. I don't think this was intentional considering it isn't supposed to be a documentary where that would be a normal sight. Also another big issue is that of the titles. I realize that I only watched the second half of their film, but working on the titles would definitely be beneficial. Another concern of mine is that their second part is about 48 seconds. I worry that they may not be able to reach the 2 minute mark. Overall, I think the acting was not bad. It was a little stiff, but none of us are professional actors so I can't be too harsh on that. They also did not meet around five of the required shots and angles, but maybe they will include these in the other half. On the bright side, the transitions are clean, not choppy or immature looking. Also the lighting and sound were very good. The lighting matched the tone of the film and we are able to see everything clearly. The sound is great, you can hear everything clearly. However, there was only dialogue in what I saw, so no background music had been out in yet.

Editing blog: Finalizing My Editing

I've been running into a few issues with my film. My biggest issue is the time. My movie is currently about 3 minutes long, which is almost a minute over the cutoff. However, I can't find anything to get rid off without botching the storyline. I was considering getting rid of the scenes in the garage, but I feel like the movie will lose structure if I do this. There are some clips here and there that I might be able to cut, but the movie won't make a lot of sense. One idea I came up with was doing a voiceover for the movie and getting rid of the garage scene. If I do this, I can establish the "catfishing" plot and go into even more detail. This is, however, going to mess up my timeline and maybe put me behind schedule. I may be able to get it done by this Thursday, but most likely Friday or Saturday. In order to do this I would also have to come up with a script and take into consideration music, which I have also not done. The next few days will be focused on the different sounds I'll incorporate into my film. I have to work on adding my diegetic, non-diegetic, and ambient sound in addition to my voiceover. I'm beginning to worry about my film. Hopefully I can figure out the voiceover and time issue. My plan, once I'm done, is to do some peer review and see how else I can improve my film. I think that with a few more weeks work I can my film to where I really need it to be. Today I will work on finalizing my editing as much as I can. My biggest concern at this point is keeping my storyline and finding a way to to show the viewer what's happening. I might turn my speech in the garage into the voiceover and change the words.

These are the clips I am thinking about getting rid of.

Editing blog: Fixing Any Mistakes

Today I started wrapping up my editing. I had some issues with my title sequence. For one, I could not figure out how to move the text, so I was not able to display more than one title at a time. Another issue was that I could not make them any longer than 2 seconds each, even though I wanted to. I think that because of this it looks rushed. I was also thinking about getting rid of the portion in my film where they are in the garage after she kidnaps him. I feel like because of how short our films are supposed to be, I can't develop the story well enough to add the garage scene. I need more specifics when it comes to the parts leading up to his kidnapping. I'm not entirely sure yet if I will delete this part or not. I'm going to finish editing completely, watch it over a few times, and decide at that point if I should get rid of the footage. I began to clean up the editing more today. I had cut a lot of unnecessary footage yesterday and spent my time today going into detail of where clips start and end. I started adding some transitions like fades and crosses. I wanted to keep transitions to a minimum though. I feel like it looks more raw and authentic with hard cuts than the other transitions. I also worked on my action match. This was more difficult than I thought because I had to time it perfectly so that it looked smooth and cohesive. I also got rid of a few clips that seemed random and unorganized. One of them was just a clip of me driving in the dark, but I had another one and I felt that two would be overkill and boring. Another was in my room where I am moving to the other side of my bed. To me this looked sloppy so I scrapped it. The third was a close up of the bag that I put over his head with a dumbbell in it. I got rid of this because I felt it was, again, unnecessary and I also decided to not use a weapon to knock him out, so it would not make sense to show a weapon.

Editing blog: Getting My Footage Ready

Today I took all of the footage from my camera and my phone and dumped it onto my computer. I created a folder specifically for the footage and managed to transfer it all with no difficulty. I opened iMovie and I began creating my film. I went through each clip I had and arranged them in the correct order. Because I filmed out of order, this was pretty difficult and time consuming. I then decided to tackle any lighting issues I had. I was able to make the scenes I filmed on my phone brighter. Now we can actually see what's happening. I also made the garage scenes darker. This was great because I feel like it would not have felt scary without it. I also made up my title sequence. In my storyboard, I had it so that each title would have its own screen and would be on their own. However, because my film was already over 6 minutes once I dumped, I decided to go with my original idea. I had the first 5 titles on their own with a black background. After the title of the movie appeared, I put a fade into the first shot. I then added each additional 6 titles one by one, after each other. They each last about 2 seconds and have half a second in between. As my original plan directed, as one title faded out, a new one would fade in. I really like how my title sequence is looking. I think it gives off a very professional feeling and I hope when I add more effects and music, it will only get better.

Filming blog: Filming My Movie- Second Day

Today I filmed the second part of my movie. This time I filmed the parts that only I was in. I was able to do this on my own because my camera has a tripod, so I did not need anyone to hold it. My process was fairly easy. I only filmed for about 30 to 45 minutes and finished all the scenes left in my storyboard. There were some parts that were difficult to set up. For example, my over the shoulder shot was a hit or miss, and I had to redo it a few times. Also, I realized that when I was filming on Sunday, I forgot to film the other half of my action match: the car door closing. I did it today, even though it was still light out, and I hope I can make it look a little darker. I am definitely worried about the lighting in my film. The issues with the garage lighting may make the movie less creepy if I cannot fix it, as well as the lighting for the action match. Another difficulty I faced was that my family was home. I think they were quiet enough that I should not have to detach the audio when I'm editing. I should be able to just play over it. These were pretty minor issues and nothing I couldn't easily overcome. Luckily, I was able to film everything at home and didn't have to go anywhere. This saved a lot of time and energy. I actually really enjoyed my filming process today. It was definitely easier than Sunday, when I started filming my own movie after being in another movie for almost 5 hours. Based on how today went, I feel pretty confident in the other aspects of my film. Once I add background music and edit, I think it will be a really good horror/thriller film.

This is one insert I am going to put in the movie to make the conversation between the two characters easier to read. These were fabricated for the film specifically. 

Filming blog: Filming My Movie- First day

Due to timing conflict, I have to film my movie on two separate days. The other actor was unable to film on Saturday and cannot film during the week. We decided to film his parts yesterday, the 23rd. We began at 5 PM and finished around 7:15 PM. The reason we started so late was my actor had to film his movie first. I was also a part of his movie, and we decided that it would be smart to film both of our movies in my house. We filmed his movie for about 4 hours and we had to recharge my camera a few times. It wasn't dark outside yet, so we decided to film the inside portion of my film first. The part that we filmed first was the main male character getting ready for his date with "Amber". I used elements like pan, close up, over the shoulder, and many more. I wanted the viewers to feel like they were in the room with him and could feel his nervousness. I also wanted to create a fun, upbeat montage of him getting ready because I feel like it will add depth to the movie and show that it is not just a scary movie. After this we moved into the garage. Here we filmed the part that showed him after he was kidnapped and being held. Here there was an issue with light. I could not turn off the lights in the garage completely because the camera would not be able to pick anything up; it was pitch black. I decided to leave the lights on, and hopefully I can fix the lighting in editing to make it darker. This part was also very easy, except that my camera's battery died right when we finished. Because of this we had to film the outside portion with my phone. For the outside part, it showed me creeping up on him, knocking him out, and putting him in my trunk. This part was difficult to figure out because of lighting and we didn't know whether or not we should use the flash. We decided to not use the flash, and again I hope I can fix it in editing.

^ Screenshot of me closing the trunk using a low angle, point of view shot from what would be the victim's perspective.

Filming blog: Why I Didn't Film

This past weekend I was very busy and I could not film; I was very upset. I went out of town for our 4-day break and was unable to bring any equipment or actors. Also, I did not have my settings or props seeing as how I was not home. I plan on filming next weekend. Hopefully I can finish all of it in one day. I wish I could have filmed this weekend because I am now worried that I am behind. I created a schedule for myself that will hopefully let me manage my time so that I am not behind. If I do not get all of my filming done next weekend, I will have to continue during the week. I hope I can pull this off because I do have school this week. It will be difficult and time consuming but I think I can manage. If I do finish all of my filming in time, I can begin my editing process earlier than scheduled. The hardest week for me will be next week. I plan to write a blog every day. I also have to edit my film every day and/or film anything additional. After I finished my story board, I made some minor changes. During my title sequence, I had the titles coming in through a black screen. When going over this sequence, I realized that if I do it this way, I will go over my time limit. Because of this, I decided that I am going to have my titles going in and out of the screen after my movie has started. This will save me almost 30 seconds of film and I can make my film even better by adding more footage. This was my original plan that I changed, but I have now reverted back to.

Planning Blog: Storyboard

This week, I worked on my storyboard. Storyboards are the written version of your shooting and sound scripts combined. Here we can see the story coming into shape. When I began drawing my storyboard, I realized that I wanted to have my titles on their own, not playing in the background of the shot. I am still not fully sure if this is how I want it to stay forever, but once I get to editing my footage, I will figure it out. An issue I ran into was that when I finished my storyboard, I realized I missed a lot of details that I shouldn't have. To solve this, I decided to label each box with a number. My titles and my footage are separate so one goes from 1 to 12 while the other goes from 1 to 48. I did this because I wanted to get the full effect and show the potential I believe my film has. The numbers are a little scattered, but they are all together so it should not be hard to follow.

Planning Blog: Title Design

This presentation will explain my titles for my film. The first slide is about font to set tone. I decided to use a creepy font in order to make the film look scary. Next was about color. I decided to use a black background with white writing. The next slide was about spacing. I decided to do one space in between letters and two in between words. My working title is "catfished." I also spoke about my editing and how the titles will come in and out. My last slide is about how long the titles will stay in screen. Typically, titles last 2-3 seconds, so I decided the working title will last 3 seconds and the rest of them will last 2.

Planning Blog: Schedule, location, participation, and health and safety

In this presentation I am outlining these 4 aspects of planning. The first few slides contain my timeline. These are subject to change as nothing can be set in place this far back. The next few contain my locations. These are also subject to change because there may be an unpredictable occurrence to prevent us from filming there. Next is participation. For my film I only have two actors but three characters. The main female character is posing as another girl online but she only appears in pictures. As for health and safety, I only had two major concerns, which I explained in the slide. The purpose of this presentation is to prepare myself and plan accordingly.

Planning Blog: Sound Script

This is my sound script. This is how I will convey the other elements of my film. These include diegetic sound, non-diegetic sound, score, dialogue, and ambient sound. This part is extremely important. A thriller movie must have elements of sound, seeing as how sound is what scares the viewers. Creepy tones can show the viewer who the "bad guy" is. More upbeat, calm tones can show the viewer who the main character, and usually victim, is. I found that this was much easier to write than the shooting script. The dialogue in the last few scenes is very important, especially since there was none until scene 10. I feel like my dialogue can really help keep viewers on the edge of their seats, creating the want for more of the movie.

Planning Blog: Shooting Script

This is my shooting script. I created this as a way to see camera angles, shots, and movements at the same time as the storyline. This could be interpreted as the written version of my storyboard. I plan to create my storyboard based off of the details I described here. My script has a total of 13 scenes. Hopefully this will be enough to reach the threshold of 2 minutes for the opening of my movie. I wanted my movie to be dramatic. I decided to go more towards the thriller side of horror than the gore side. This means my film will be psychologically twisted, with a lot of shocking elements. The colors i will include in the opening title sequence will be black and white.

Title Research: Get Out (2017)

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

Thirty. 

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

We first see a man getting into a car and driving off. We then see a view of a forest as a car speeds by. We then see a few black and white photographs and the interior of the main character's apartment. The clips cut between the man in his apartment and a woman in a bakery. The last image we see is the woman showing up to the man's apartment and we see that they are love interests. 

What connotations do the images carry? 
When we see the first scene, we are left to wonder about the context of it, as it seems random and isolated from the rest of the scenes. We do not know yet what this means. The forest shot leads us to believe that a lot of the story takes place there. The two characters we see are clearly love interests. 

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 
In the outset, there is not much to link it back to the horror genre. The only thing that can come close is the opening car scene and the view of the forest, as the forest is often a setting in horror movies. 

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
We wonder what the car scene means. We also wonder what takes place in the forest in the second shot. 

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

We see a couple who seem very happy, but since we know this is a horror movie, it is apparent that one or both will die. This makes the viewer interested in who dies, how they die, and what else happens. 

How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques. 
Because this was an opening sequence with the titles playing over the clips, there was more attention paid to the clips themselves and their actors. The transitions between clips were blunt, except for from the car scene to the forest. The transition between the titles were fades. There was cross-cutting when it went between the bakery and the lead's apartment. 

Title Research: Split (2017)

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

Twenty four. 

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

The opening image shows a man in a car with a gas mask on attacking someone. The images that follow show air vents and a girl being dragged to a room, coming in and out of consciousness. The last image after the titles shows the girl waking up on a bed of hay. 

What connotations do the images carry? 
The opening image creates the idea that someone is being attacked in their car. The images afterwards show that the girl being dragged is the man's victim and that she had been drugged and brought to a secondary location. 

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 
The genre is reinforced through editing, colors, fonts, sounds, and images. The title sequence is very creative. Some titles  come one after the other, the screen looks as if it is glitching when it changes to a new title. The other come right after the appearance of a clip from the kidnapping scene. The titles are only in black and white, the font is large for the names, small for the descriptions, and in all capitals. The sound is very sinister, making the viewers feel anxious and empathetic. The same aspects for the clips matter as well. We see a dimly-lit hallway with filthy walls and flickering lights, as well as a room with a bed of hay. 

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The viewer wonders who the man is, who the victim is, and how they know each other. They then ask themselves where he is taking her, how did they get there unnoticed, and what is going to happen now that she is awake. 

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The creepy music draws people in, but the part I believe appears the most is the insertion of clips through the title sequence. People want instant gratification, and they receive it when the title and opening scene of the film are going on at the same time, intertwining and creating a story. This makes the viewer want to watch the film more, as they do not have to wait for the title sequence to be over to begin the film. 

How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques. 
The angles are used to show the perspective of the victim for the most part. We see first the man attacking her in a point of view shot. We then see a low angle shot showing the flickering lights and the room she is moved into. The transitions between the clips is very harsh and sharp, no fades or dissolves, just one clip to the next. However, the editing for the titles has a glitching effect which is very interesting and appealing to viewers. 

Title Research: Halloween (2018)

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film? 

Thirty one. 

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

The only image in the entire sequence is a jack-o-lantern. While the titles are going by, the jack-o-lamtern is slowly inflating, coming back to life from being squished. 

What connotations do the images carry? 
There are 13 films, to date, in the Halloween film franchise. This specific one is a direct "sequel" to the original 1978 film, even though there had been 10 films made in between the two. The connotation of the pumpkin in this 2018 film is that Michael Myers has returned, and will continue to, no matter what. 

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 
The genre is reinforced through the use of color and font. All of the titles are in capital letters, but only the name of the movie and names of the actors, not the descriptions. The colors orange, red, and black are used throughout the sequence as well. 

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?
The film creates an enigma by asking making viewers question what is so important about Halloween? Why does he choose to kill on that day specifically? 

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 
The iconic Halloween theme song is played during the title sequence. This draws viewers in because it is a part of pop-culture, the sound is very well known. The slow resurrection of the pumpkin also appeals to audiences by creating confusion and interest in its symbolism. 

How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques.

The transitions between the titles were used effectively. The titles appeared as red, then changed to orange, then changed back to red, and finally turned into the next title. The animation of the pumpkin also attracts viewers and keeps the attention pointed there. 

Title Research: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019)

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

Twenty nine. 

What images are prioritized in the opening sequence? 

There are no specific images per se, there are more graphics than images. For the first minute and a half, it is primarily a black screen with red, dripping details. Some of the details look like grass or a forest. In the last 40 seconds, there are faces made out of the red detail and well as a clearer forest view. 

What connotations do the images carry? 

The abundance of grass and trees shows the viewers that the movie may take place in a forest or that forests play a large role in the film. 

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset? 

The genre is enforced through codes through the use of color, sound, and imagery. The opening title with the name of the film has creepy, suspenseful music, but the rest of the sequence has a calm, pop-sounding but still menacing song. The colors are solely black red, colors always used in horror movies. The font also reflects horror technical codes by being in all capitals and "scary" font. The graphics are creepy, and dripping with blood. 

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset?

By showing characteristics of a forest, the viewers are lead to ask certain questions: What importance does the forest have? Is the movie set in the forest or a graveyard? What are the characters' connections? 

What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience? 

The menacing music entices people. The forestry theme prompts the audience to question things, making them want to watch more. The use of "scary" and "dark" implies that the movie will in fact be scary and dark, pulling people in. 

How has technology been used effectively? You want to consider camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques.

The transitions are fade and dissolves. The titles dissolve into one another, one name transforming into another. The graphics are the most important part, again with the forestry and blood dripping details. 

Title Research: Watch the Titles Website

This is the second site I am looking at. This one is called Watch the Titles. This website is basically the same as the other one about titles. I feel like this one was much easier to navigate and find information from. I saw the same exact things as I did on the last website. I noticed that the set up of how the titles were arranged was much easier to interpret. I again noticed that the color schemes for horror movies consisted of black, red, and gray. The video lengths vary based on the films. Some may be only 42 seconds with others going up to 4 minutes. The titles must always include the name of the film, actors, production studio, director, and more. The fonts and styles of the movies also vary. Horror movies will typically be in all capital letters, large font, and some sort of creepy effect. For other genres the fonts may be small and simplistic or large and loud. Based on my research, I have found that title sequences are shorter now than movies in the past. This may be to the impatience of our society, the need for instant gratification.

Title Research: Art of the Title Website

For the title research portion of my final project, I will be looking at two different websites. The first website I am looking at is Art of the Title. I am looking at this website in order to find conventions for titles of horror/thriller movies. Through researching this site, I will learn about title sequence designs and how they work based on different mediums of film, television, and video games. For my final task, I will have to correctly input the titles for my film. This includes the title the film, actors, production studio, director, and more. I noticed that each film designs its title through font, editing, and color to match the theme of the film. Colors play a part in setting the theme of a movie, and are based off of their genres. A horror movie will include a lot of red, black, and gray while an action movie might include blue, white, and yellow. When it comes to font, it also depends on the genre. If it is a horror movie, the font will be red or gray and may have some sort of dripping effect or have the letters spread out. If it is a romantic movie, the font will be soft, small, and white with some sort of establishing shot as the background or right before. This site has showed me that a lot of times, the titles also reflect the time period from which the film is set in. Also, a lot of films in the past decade or two tend to be shorter, one to three words. While these conventions are not true for all, they are very common.

Genre Research: Past Horror Movies - The Belko Experiment

The Belko Experiment is a 2016 film about a social experiment done on an office building starting with 80 employees and ending with 1. A man called "The Voice" locked down the building and forced them to kill each other in a last man standing type battle. Camera angles I noticed were eye level, low, and high. I noticed eye level the most of the three. A few movements I saw were pan, tilt, tracking, and zoom. What was different about this movie from the others I've researched, other than Creep, was the use of a zoom movement. The others did use this feature but not as much as this film or Creep. I think zoom is a great addition because it shows that whatever the camera is zooming in on clearly has some importance or meaning. Per usual, pan was used the most. As for shots, establishing, wide, long, two, one, medium, and close up shots. The establishing shot was very important because it showed the viewers the isolated Belko Industries building in the middle of Colombia. The wide shot is also used to show the slow diffusion of people as the movie goes on. The costumes were modern, office apparel. This consisted of suits, dresses, pantsuits, ties, and dress shoes. The costumes stayed the same throughout because they were trapped. The lighting changed depending on the scene. In the basement it was dark and cloudy but upstairs it was fluorescent, office lighting. There were around 80 men and women in the building when the movie first began. They were between the ages of 25-65 and they were all English-speakers from America, but with different cultural backgrounds. The only makeup would be anything the women had on and special effects makeup for blood. Some props included guns, office supplies, knives, kitchen supplies, mini bombs, and phones. The whole film is done in the Belko building in Bogota, Colombia. The editing I noticed was shot-reverse-shot, cutaways, and cross-cutting. There were scenes where there were different main characters in different areas of the building simultaneously. The cutaways and shot-reverse-shots were used when someone was killed or during conversation. There was diegetic sound as well as ambient sound. The non-diegetic sound would be the score, which was suspenseful and fear-inducing. At some points during massacres or kill scenes, the score would change to classical or pop music in an attempt to make the killing less extreme. There is also quite a bit of dialogue between many different characters. This film incorporated foreshadowing, mystery, and imagination very well. We could see foreshadowing when the character who survived managed to retrieve the mini bombs from his peers and pocket them; he later used them to kill "The Voice" and his henchmen at the end of the film. The mystery element comes in to play when the audience has to figure out who "The Voice" is. Having a deep-toned, ominous voice giving orders creates an image in the viewers minds of who they want the antagonist to be. I really like these two aspects because they require a deep thinking process; Who is the villain? Why is he doing this? What next? It keeps the viewer excited. I did not like how graphic the film was. Just like Jigsaw, there were severed heads and blood splattered on the walls, this was a lot to watch.

Genre Research: Past Horror Movies - Jigsaw

Jigsaw is a 2017 film that is the 8th in the Saw series, which have been around since 2004. Typical camera angles included aerial, high, and eye level. I believe that the majority of the angles were eye level on purpose so that the viewers could feel as if they are there in the movie. Some common movements were tracking, tilt, flash pan, and most of all, pan. Pan movements are extremely common in horror movies because they are great reveals. Tracking shots are also abundant in horror for chase scenes, car scenes, walked, anything really. Shots that I noticed a lot were wide, long, two-shots, medium, over the shoulder, and close up. Close up shots are great for conveying emotion, which plays a huge part in Jigsaw. The captives had to go through mentally draining games and witnessed their peers murdered right in front of their eyes. There were also a lot of wide shots to show the full range of the barn the victims were held in, with all of the contraptions and people. The costumes are very modern and up to date. The victims' costumes stay the same as they are being held captive, they just progressively get dirtier. The doctors and police men wear their uniforms, and the detectives and regular people do the same. Jigsaw has his mask, wig, and outfit. The lighting varied depending on which story was being followed. The captives in the barn had natural light pouring in during the day and darkness at night. The regular people (extras, police, doctors, detectives) had outside lighting and lighting from offices, hospitals, and homes. The actors consisted of 5 people being held captive, the villain playing Jigsaw, the doctors and police, and the extras. As the movie went on, more people died and there ended up being no more captives. As for makeup, the captives wore none unless some of the girls had excess from earlier in the day. They also had special effects makeup such as dirt, blood, scars, scratches, etc. Jigsaw wore his mask which could have consisted of some makeup. The rest of the actors were playing every-day people, so they only wore the bare minimum or what its typical of people in this time. The most obvious props would be Jigsaw's tricycle, his mask, chains, the recording stored in the victims, a tape recorder, big contraptions he used to kill, captives items, and cars. There were a few different settings: the barn where the victims were held, the hospital, the police station, and various outdoor scenes. The editing consisted primarily of cross cutting. The film had two different storylines: the people outside trying to solve the crimes and the victims trying to win or escape. This meant that it flipped back and forth between the two stories, often with them happening at the same time. There were also a few cutaways and jumpsuits included. There was plenty of diegetic sound, such as the recordings, the sound of the tricycle, everything. Non-diegetic sound consisted of score, which was suspenseful and ominous, excited at times. There was also plenty of dialogue between victims, officers, doctors, and the villain. This movie was really good at inciting fear, suspense, and mystery. They kept the villain's identity a secret, pointing to a few scapegoats before revealing the truth. This keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat. Suspense really excites me because it keeps me interested, so I don't get bored. The movie was very graphic. There were a lot of scenes where people were hung, decapitated, and cut open. This is something that does not appeal to me as I am very squeamish and sensitive to blood.

Genre Research: Past Horror Movies - A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place is a 2018 psychological thriller/horror movie. The story follows a family in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters who survive off of sound only hunt people down for food. Camera angles that were seen a lot include eye level, low angle, high angle, and aerial. Eye and high angle were of the most abundant. The low and high angles were mostly viewed when the camera was trying to show the kids' or parents' perspectives. The aerial angle could be seen mostly when the family was traveling. The most common camera movements were tracking and pan. These are also the most typical movements for horror movies in general. Occasionally, you can see some tilt movements, for example when looking the monster up and down, but these were not nearly as common. The camera shots I noticed the most were wide, medium, close up, establishing, long, over the shoulder, two-shots, and one-shots. These also fit very well with the conventions for a horror film. The costumes here are very simplistic, but with one stand out difference. They wear normal clothes, most are old and they wear long pants and sweaters and hats, but they do not wear shoes. They do this in order to stay as quiet as possible. The lighting is fairly bright and natural, they have lanterns for the nighttime but the majority of the time, there is outside light shining in. There is also a lighting they put on the monsters to make them more distorted. The actors/characters consist of a husband and wife and their children. There are two sons and one daughter, but unfortunately the youngest son dies after getting attacked by one of the monsters. Later on the wife ends up having another son. Makeup in this movie is little to none, there is some on the wife, but the only other time would be if they had dirt or bruises.  The various props here are the toy airplane, guns, stuffed animals, and the bathtub, to name a few. The story begins in a deserted town in a grocery store. When they cross the bridge, a prominent place in the story, is when the youngest son dies. They then move on to the house they decide to move into where they create an underground sound-proof safe house.  There is also a large field right outside of the house. The editing here is very simple. There are many cross cuts, jumpcuts, cutaways, and eye-line matches. We see the jumpcuts when they go from 89 days to 173 days to 439 days. This way we see the passage of time even without watching what happens during the time. There is also a lot of cross-cutting so we can see what the different characters are doing all at the same time, but in different places. The sound is the most important part of the movie. It is famous for its lack of sound. It is quiet until some sort of loud noise comes in, like a picture dropping or fireworks. There is a lot of diegetic sound in this film. From the monsters to the toy airplane to the birds, everything. The non-diegetic sounds include incidental music, sound motif, and score. There is always some sort of suspenseful, intense instrumental playing when something important is happening. Other than that, we do not see much score. As for the sound motif, every time a monster approaches we hear a certain clicking sound. This is how we know they are nearby. There is some dialogue in the movie. When the dad and son are at the waterfall and right after the baby is born in the safe house. They use sign language most of the time. There is definitely a lot of foreshadowing here. The 4 year old boy is seen playing with a toy airplane that makes noise, and he is later killed when it draws a nearby monster's attention. Also, there is a nail in the basement stairs that gets caught on the laundry bag that later goes into the wife's foot when she goes into labor, also drawing the attention of the monster. This movie builds suspense in that there is no sound until a loud one appears for a jump scare. I really like these two elements because they create meanings that the viewer creates a story around. We know when something has meaning, but what really is the meaning? There is also a fear aspect. We see this when the monster creeps up on the characters and they have to stare right at it while being perfectly silent. I do not like this aspect because of how it builds in my mind and becomes a real, scary thing.

Genre Research: Past Horror Movies - Creep

Creep is a movie that came out in 2014 and is called an independent found-footage psychological thriller. Because it is a found-footage film, the majority of the movie is filmed hand held. This includes awkward camera angles such as a low angle when the main character, Aaron, turns the camera towards himself. The film is also heavy on eye level angles, which makes sense as the camera is being held by Aaron next to his face. Also abundant are dutch angles, which are done to disorient the viewer. There are a lot of zoom movements as well. For example, Aaron zooms in on an axe stuck in a tree stump, this also ends up being the axe he is killed with. There are also examples of pan movements. The first example being when Aaron is in his car waiting for Josef, the man who employed him, and he pans the camera to the window where Josef is waiting for him. In the first few minutes, there is an establishing shot of a "Crestline Mountain" sign as well as the name of the lake where the main character ends up dying. The whole film is basically a POV shot, except for when the camera is lying somewhere (like a table or a rock) or turned around to face Aaron. There are also a lot of close up shots of the two guys. There are a lot of wide shots with one of the two guys in the middle of the frame surrounded by trees or the lake, the house. An example of a two-shot is when Aaron and Josef are swimming in the water in the forest. As for costumes, the characters are dressed very contemporarily. They wear long pants, casual shirts, and jackets because it is supposed to be cold. One odd addition to these costumes is the wolf mask that Josef wears when he attacks Aaron and ultimately kills him. The lighting here differs. There are a lot of outside scenes with bright, natural light. However, there are also scenes during the nighttime where it is pitch black at the only source of light is the flashlight attached to Aaron's camera. The actors are two men in their late 30s. Josef is a stalker who pretends to have terminal cancer in order to trick Aaron into filming a documentary about him. Aaron is a videographer who takes up the job Josef posted on Craigslist because he is strapped for money. These two are the only people who physically appear in the film, other than the few phones calls made by Aaron. Since the only people in the movie are Josef and Aaron, there is not a lot of makeup to be done, just a few touch ups. Some of the bigger props include the axe, the wolf mask, a shovel, Aaron's camera, and a box of creepy things Josef sent Aaron. The setting consists of the mountains where they go into the water, Josef's family vacation home, Aaron's home, and the lake in the last scene. The editing is very choppy. This is purposely done to make the footage seem more realistic. There are no special effects like jumpsuits, crosscuts, inserts, etc. The only ones really discernible are cutaways, shot-reverse-shot, and the occasional eye-line match. As far as sound goes, there is not much more than diegetic and dialogue. We hear everything the actors hear because we are supposed to feel as if we are in the film. There is no score or soundtrack. There are also a lot of moments where there will be no sound and then some sort of crash or noise to make the viewers jump. This film definitely touches on the 5 main elements of horror films: foreshadowing, fear, suspense, mystery, and imagination. The biggest examples of foreshadowing is in the first 10 minutes where we see the lake the Josef kills Aaron, and almost immediately after we see the axe Josef uses. There is definitely a lot of suspense, especially in the cases where there is no sound, followed by a loud noise. The film does a great job at pulling on our emotions and making us use our imagination by using a very real-looking filming process, the video footage. Because of all of the jump scares in this film, this film definitely instills fear in the viewers. Our hands are shaking, we are sweating, and our hearts are beating profusely. The foreshadowing aspect is very interesting to me. I find that foreshadowing in any type of movie or book is a great way to keep the viewer scared at the end. When they see the victim killed by the same axe from the first minute of the movie, it gives a sense of closure but also immense fear. I really do not like the fearful aspect. This movie is great is instilling fear and keeping it there throughout the movie. However, I get scared very easily and this causes my imagination to wander and create scenarios that aren't necessarily true, which, in fairness, is the point of a psychological thriller.

Genre Research: Finalizing the Genre

After researching, I decided on the horror genre. It fits the best with my pitch. To restate, my final pitch is the thriller about a boy being tricked online. An ex-girlfriend of his is still upset about their breakup and poses as a college girl online in order to trick him into falling in love with her again. She makes a plan to meet him at her "house" but ends up knocking him out and drugging him, taking him to her real house. This could fit into the horror genre because I plan on using all of the elements of a horror film: creepy sounds, dark lighting, suspense. I think this will not only be fun to film but a good amount of difficulty, not too easy and not too hard. Acquiring the actors, props, and setting should be pretty easy considering there are only two characters and a few locations.

Genre Research: Additional Genres

There are many different genres within the subject of film. Two that I will focus on are romantic comedy and action. I will be evaluating each genre's camera angles, movement, and shots as well as costumes, lighting, actors, makeup, props, and setting. I will also be looking at editing, sound, elements, and my likes and dislikes.

Romantic comedies are staples of American culture. They have a very basic guideline: two people fall in love and must overcome a few obstacles before their inevitable reconciliation. One typical camera shot is the over-the-shoulder shot, used to show a conversation between two people as well as their facial expressions and body language. Two-shots are also common. They show a relationship between two characters whether they are relaxed and in love or shy and platonic. Also common are the close-up, mid-shot, long shot, and establishing shot. An angle you will likely see in this genre is a low angle. You can see this when the two love interests finally kiss and the camera is pointing up at them and spinning to get the full effect. Another angle is an eye level angle, this shows the love interests straight on, giving the effect that we are in the story with them. A typical camera movement would be a tracking shot. The camera must follow the guy as he chases through the busy street to catch the girl he let go. Another movement would be a pan revealing something in the story that causes tension, like an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend. Costumes in this genre really depend on the time period, they should be whatever is considered contemporary or popular in the time the movie is being shot in. Lighting in romantic comedies will typically be very bright and cheery. When watching a movie like this, viewers want to feel light and fun, otherwise the movie will not feel romantic or comedic. Certain colors denote certain emotions. Red shows passion and lust while white shows purity and yellow shows happiness. As for actors, in the past it is usually one male love interest and one female love interest. However, as our society has become more accepting to the LGBTQ+ community, the love interests may come in any gender, sexuality, etc. The makeup should be natural but noticeable. If the scene permits, we can always add heavy makeup (a night out) or very little (a night in). Props used in romantic comedies will vary based on the locations of the scenes. For example, a restaurant scene will have different props than a scene in a home. It will have tables, candles, other people, and a waiter. The setting is usually a big city like Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, etc. Typical sounds in romantic comedies will be romantic sounds, lots of swells, violins, piano. It will usually start with a non-diegetic score. It will usually be pop or jazz, as long as it is upbeat and light. Then, a voiceover may begin, talking about who the main character is and how they got to where they are. Editing in romantic comedies is typically very simplistic. Mostly used are straight cuts and cross cuts. Straight cuts are used to show continuity in the story, to move the story along. Cross cuts are used to establish that a story is taking place in two different spots at the same time. The pace will change as the story moves on and important events take place. Typical elements or characteristics of this genre are: contrived meetings, polar opposites, ordinary problems, comic friends, some sort of climax/breaking point, and a happy ending. I really like romantic comedies because they tug on the viewer's heartstrings, but also provide comedic relief. This makes it so that they aren't the most serious and they are easier to watch in one sitting. Also, the music is always good in romantic comedies, they tend to be modern and upbeat. What I do not like about romantic comedies is that sometimes they can be predictable. When a movie has to stick to a specific formula, it can become overdone and boring for viewers.

Action movies are also extremely popular. Commonly used shots in action films are establishing shots, close ups, and aerial shots. Establishing shots are important because they let the viewers know where the majority of the film will be taking place, as well as the time period. Close ups show emotion, so these are incorporated a lot, especially if a character dies and the tone of how the other characters feel needs to be set. Aerial shots can be used in a superhero movie to show the hero flying. Camera angles in action are usually high angles, low angles, and dutch angles. High angles are used to show a fuller, wider view from a high angle like the side of a building or a roof. Low angles create an effect of courage and dauntlessness. Dutch angles are used to confuse the audience, these can be used if someone is getting knocked out or drugged. Camera movements used are usually tracking shots, tilts, and pans. Tracking shots are used a lot in chase scenes to make the viewers feel like part of the film. Tilts can be used when looking a person up and down or as a POV. Pan shots are great for action films because they are typically used for dramatic reveals, an important element in these films. Costumes in action movies depend on what kind of action movie. If it is a superhero movie, the costumes will be boring and unassuming until the hero changes into their superhero costume. This usually includes tight pants and shirts, along with a cape and mask. If the movie is more of a James Bond type, the costumes will be quiet and expensive. This consists of suits and "normal" everyday clothing. Lighting consists of mostly daylight, searchlights, and street lamps. It really depends on the specific scene of the movie. Dark colors like black and brown are put on the villains to make them seem more intimidating while the hero typically wears blue or white to make them stand out. Actors playing the hero in action films have predominantly been male. A female would play a sidekick or companion, some sort of supporting role. The makeup in action films is a little more difficult. Not only is there normal makeup, but also special effects makeup. Some props that would be included are cars, planes, capes, guns, and more. These movies usually take place in cities as well. Specific places like buildings, skyscrapers, warehouses, casinos, banks, police stations, offices, and roads. There is a lot of editing in action movies. Between sound effects, explosions, making people fly, and cgi action films rake up a lot of costly editing. Speaking of sound, action films depend on it a lot. Sound effects such as explosions, gun shots, running, screaming, and car engines are the most common. Soundtracks are usually pop music, intense music, drum beats, etc. A few common themes/elements of action movies are good vs. evil, family issues, revenge, death, car chases, and gun fights. I like action movies because they keep you on the edge of your seat. There is always a conflict that needs to be overcome and a team of experts is contrived to save the world. An aspect of action movies I don't like is that some have too many fight scenes or a series becomes very predictable.

Genre Research: Horror (previous)

This is a project that I did last September. This project was actually very fun to do because I learned the conventions for the horror genre. I personally find some horror films way too scary to watch, but the genre has always appealed to me. Our directions for this project were to choose a genre and evaluate it based on the following: common lighting, common angles, common movements, elements of our genre, common sounds, mis-en-scene, examples of films, and which elements appealed or did not appeal to us. This project took us a few days because we had to hit every element of this genre, and there are many. We had to make a creative powerpoint all the elements, one slide for each. We also had to add videos and sounds which cannot be heard here because they are saved as png files, not ppt files. Researching genres is actually very interesting and I am excited for the next few.