research, how do flim makers build up tension

After my last post Simon mentioned that it might be worth looking at how we see things with our perhiprial vison, out of reach, etc.. This could be something intresting to pursue in the making of the final piece of work. As I am such as wuss when in comes to horror flims, even for the case of research purposes i am going to not watch the flims, but actaully look at notes and information from the directors and writers from such flims to see what methods they use, and how the exploit this in order to create tention and build up to those "jump" scenes

Lucy Mcleod

update

time and space: 11th March 2012 update

lucymcleodfortimeandspace.blogspot.com

· · · Share · 11 March at 11:31

• • 
    

    Simon Larbalestier
    

    ‎"It got me pondering the idea to use the idea of showing shadows and unclear objects in my final selection, I have to be careful however as I'm using the same kind of idea for my main study project, I'm hoping that the content that will be... showed "distorted" will be so different that it can veiwed on its own merit and not linked together." I think you could develop this more to suggest things that happen on the edges - fringes - of our peripheral vision - I see memory like this anyway - often things are glimpsed very briefly and usually feel out of reach. You might want to research film narratives and the ways in which certain film directors manipulate and evoke fear without actually showing the source. The Blair Witch Project (first film) was quite good at this - the original Ring series (Japanese not USA version) was also good for this - in fact this and the USA version had some very interesting scenes where the couple began to view the video frame by frame - image association for this was extremely effective) - this was on the only bit and the scene where the horse jumped off the ferry that worked in the US version for me anyway. Point is both films when originally screen to cinema audiences (before the deluge of net downloads) managed to keep the views in suspense - things happened around the edge of scenes in several instances - so maybe your shadow photos could move in the same way. For ambulance shots how about thinking about photographing toy model versions - look back at your recent photos that are very strong in content and simple composition. If I was back in Bath I could show you quite easily what I mean! anyway a bit of food for thought1See more

    
    

    12 March at 22:52 ·
  • 
    

    Lucy Mcleod hmmm, I like the idea of making it appear around the edges, i would watch these flims, but im a wuss, and can't do horror flims.... in terms of the "recent photos" i assume you mean the ones on the blog. And I have been looking at shooting toys to fill the pieces
    

    13 March at 09:10 ·

I have started simple and looked at camera angles. 5 key elements

Low angle.  This gives the illusion of the subject being larger then the veiwer, these shot are used to  symbolize power, strength, and authority. These images can  invoke feelings of inferiority, fear, and vulnerability in viewers.

High angle This is seen as the reverse to the above low angle. Inciting the feeling of being small and insignificant. This angle is typically used to show the attenten to the surrondings for setting the scence. This angle can highlight feelings  of empathy, authority, and control in viewers

Oblique Angle The camera being tilted on its axis , with the lens being focased on its main subject, it gives the illusion of the charchatur being confused or anxious, the horizon is disorated, and leaves feelings of  fear, disorientation, and playfulness in viewers.

Eye Level  By placing rhe camera at the same hight as the main subject, this gives the viewer the sense they are there within the action.Using this angle gives the directors the chance to move the story along and place the characthers at common ground with the audience, these shots create feelings of commonality, understanding, and acceptance.

Birds eye level Placing the camera directly above the action taking place, it puts the audience in an almost god like postion looking down on to the world, its used in the same way as the high angle shot, to set the scence, but it gives viewers a different feel as they feel so far above the action, envoking feelings of control, possessiveness, and patience in viewers

This also another intresting guide about different view points of the camera, and how point of view works, depth of field, compostion rules etc.. Alot of information here that was covered during our contexial studies lectures in the past. so heres the link as they explain it much better then i can.

http://accad.osu.edu/~midori/Materials/camera.html

Heres also a video i found listing alot more of the type of camera angles used in flims, the quality isnt very good i'm afraid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwbsYgZ7d-8

This also another really intresting video i found which is more adpt to idea of using camera angles and music etc.. to help build up the tention for horror flims.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynimvXmfXxc

Some other intresting tibits of information i have found

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/20-greatest-horror-directors

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/20-greatest-horror-films-you-ve-never-seen

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/bio

I also looked at some authors who write thrillers, and came across this lady Alexandra Sokoloff. this is a link to her blog where she talks about how to create the drama needed when writing about this drama is usally to see it the context of a writer as its the place where i am currently, when looking at planning my shot list and trying to tell the story and create the atmosphere needed.

http://thedarksalon.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/creating-suspense.html

I found these things really intresting, the idea now is to move this into still photography, then place them together possibly to create a moving piece. After researching it some depth and revisting what was advised by Simon, Im unsure to follow along the lines of horror, as at the time I had absolutly no fear, as I didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't predict that this was about to happen, or even remeber being shouted at.

There is still alot of thought that needs to go into this, would be intresting to see what other think about how I could move this forward.

 I want to capture what happened, what i think happened, and what I can and cant remember. Its by no means a clear cut concise piece and prehaps thats something that should continue though to the end, the confusion..

Story of my life .....

Will do another update later today as this is a combintaion of work from the past week. I want a more solid post on my progesstion.