Calendar

 CALENDAR

The best way to be able to make sure this project is spaced out is to follow a calendar. My group and I made a calendar of each thing we want to be done by what due date. This will help us stay organized and stay efficient getting things done.

Week One (1/16-1/23)

• begin genre research

• choose genre and start planning narrative/script

• 3 blog posts

Week Two (1/26-2/1)

• finalize genre and basic plot

• find opening examples for chosen genre

• start finding possible filming dates, locations, actors

• start writing script 

• 4 blog posts

Week Three (2/2-2/8)

• research media theories to include in script 

• storyboard 

• group meeting to finalize filming dates, locations, etc.

• 4 blog posts

Week Four (2/9-2/15)

• try to get most filming done

• record necessary foley sounds 

• 4 blog posts

Week Five (2/16-2/22)

• start editing 

• finish first cut 

• record any additional foley sounds if needed

• 4 blog posts

Week Six (2/23-3/1)

• revise editing 

• compare changes and make sure they're justified, if not, change back (play around, see what works and what doesn't)

• research for question #1 on CCR

• 4 blog posts

Week Seven (3/2-3/8)

• research for rest of CCR

• finalize project details 

• finalize CCR

• 4 blog posts

Week Eight (3/9-3/17)

• make sure all elements of project are ready (opening and reflection)

• fix/make any last minute changes if necessary 

• post all elements of project

• 4 blog .

Credit Sequences

 

As I try to figure out the way I want to do my opening I have been researching many different credit sequences from the psychological horror genre. Three films are "Climax", "The Conjuring", and "X."

"Climax" is about a group of dancers who go to a school that is empty and they get drugged. The film is watching them go through the night at the school. In the credit sequence it starts off with 2 people dancing and then what it seems to be blood splattered everywhere. As the camera circles the bloody background the start of the names appear. The font for each person is different. Some of the fonts are very bold and big while some other ones are easy on the eyes and supposed to look "cute." The names are set into groups with different colors, some are yellow, orange, black, green, and purple with little animations next to it of what the people did. The different fonts and colors could possibly be what represent that specific person. The music playing throughout the entire credit sequence is very loud drums, this could possibly be representing the intensity of the movie and the plot. As the names end the sequence finishes and the screen changes to black. 

"The Conjuring" is about a family that moves into this house where there is a lot of paranormal activity. Throughout the time of them living at the house things just get worse and worse. The credit sequence really mirrors what the film is about and the vibes that it has. This film is based off of a true story, as the credit sequence begins they use pictures in black and white of the two families that the film is based off of. This brings in a very creepy feeling. The pictures are large and in the middle there is the names in a black tight font. The sequence then goes into the creators of the film with background pictures of the house and the words are in the same font. Then the sequence is a newspaper with the actors, producers, and more. The names being on a newspaper emphasizes that it is based off of a real story and could make it feel scarier for the audience watching the film. Throughout the entire sequence there is a very eerie music being played, this matches with the horror that has been shown from the film. 

"X" is a a film about a group of actors that are staying in a hosts house in Texas, when the hosts see them things start to go wrong. They then are being chased by the hosts and try to survive. The credit sequence really matches with the aesthetic of the film. The music playing is old rock and roll music which fits with the setting and vibes of the film. The credits look similar to an old television, it squares off and has a complete red background with white words. There is also old TV glitches added over to make it fit in with the setting. The red background could possibly symbolize the death that happens in this film.  The font of the words is very plain and the letters of the names are all in capital letters. 

CITATIONS-

Duban, V. (2019, January 26). Climax — Title credit sequence [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuRXJja_p6Q

Just The Titles. (2021, October 1). The Conjuring (2013) – Closing title sequence [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YFSvW_W5BI

Art of the Title. (2015, August 28). Se7en (1995) — Opening title sequence [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHMofokLkTA

Film Opening Research

 

Study 3 films

For my project I have decided to make a psychological horror/fantasy film opening. All different movies take a different approach in their openings. Three films that all open in different ways are, "Ring", "Split". and "1408".

The "Ring" is a film about a video tape that mysteriously leads people to dying exactly 7 days after they watch it. This opening focuses on getting to know the characters. There is 2 girls in a room on a rainy night, one of the girls is blonde and in a white top while the other girl has black hair and is in a black top. You can tell that the girls are comfortable around each other by the way they were sitting. The coloring is very dark and gloomy. The audience gets to know the characters by their dialogue. As they are watching TV they turn it off and the girl with black hair starts talking about the rumor that if you watch a specific video tape, you die. When the girl is telling this story the camera slowly zooms in on her face emphasizing that she does not look scared or uncomfortable. The blonde girl who is hearing this story completely changes her expressions from comfortable to then horrified, she says that last weekend she watched the film. The genre of this film really shines through because of many aspects, one is that when the opening starts it shows the house in night time which is made out of wood and very dark. You can see a tree that is highlighted which is very lifeless and has no leaves, this could possibly symbolize death throughout the film. Only one of the room lights are on showing that these girls are home alone which connects to the horror genre. Right away as soon as the scene cuts to inside of the girls room you can notice the back round, the one yellow lamp lighting up the room, the window thats curtains are open and you can see outside, and the door being open. This adds to the eeriness of the film by making it feel like they could be in danger. 

                                          

The film "Split" is about a man with many different personalities that kidnaps three teenage girls. The first two minutes, of this film opening really focus on developing the characters. It starts off at a girls birthday party where this other girl is being left out. Then after the party is over the girl who was left out does not have a way home, while she is calling her parents the birthday girl is talking to her other friend and her dad explaining how this girl is very different and has a past of running away from home. The girl who is left outs character is being developed by her body language, expressions, and dialogue. Her body language is very uncomfortable and her expressions are very emotional and she seems that she feels very out of place. Her voice is very soft and she doesn't want to bother anyone so she says she will take the bus home. The birthday girls dad is shown as very nice and welcoming, he encourages that he takes the girl home. The birthday girl is developed as someone with a big personality. She talks about how she should not have invited the girl but she felt that she needed to but eventually she tells the girl she can take her home. This shows that she may not be the nicest but she can be welcoming. The birthday girls friends character does not really go into depth, all the audience can really tell is that she is most likely her best friend. As the girls and the dad leave the party and get to the car the girls get inside of the car and the dad is packing the trunk. Here is when the mood shifts to scary. You can start seeing the camera slowly getting closer to the dad with slow footsteps that are now heard. The music throughout this entire opening keeps an eerie, suspenseful feeling. 

                                                                    

The film "1408" is about a well known author that is very into paranormal activity where he then stays in a haunted inn and stays in a haunted room. The opening of this film really focuses on displaying the genre as horror. It starts of with an empty road on a dark and stormy night where there is one car driving by with creepy music playing in the background. The car then stops and there is one man alone in the car with what it sounds like screaming in the background. It shows that the man is leaving a county which could show that he is in an usual, far place from home. The man still being the only one on the streets turns around and drives to an inn. The man runs through the rain where you can see it seems like an isolated location and he is still the only person in sight. When he walks into the inn he is greeted by the couple that works there that they have been waiting on him. They then talk to him about the inns haunted history and he asks for the most haunted room. The feel of the inn is very dull and lifeless. There is no other human activity but the couple and the man which adds a sense of isolation and fear. 

CITATIONS

Movieclips. (2012, October 6). The Ring (1/8) Movie CLIP - The Opening Scene (2002) HD [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VCaqCUavhs

1408 Media. (2018, October 24). 1408 Opening scene [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N_QdGlwUPU

Universal Pictures. (2017, March 2). Split - The kidnapping: Kevin (James McAvoy) kidnaps three teenage girls [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhVYKO22FjU

Portfolio Project Genre #2

 

Horror Genre Research 

HORROR- 

In Aice Media we were introduced to the film opening project. I started thinking about all the different genres that I could choose from and the best way that I can go about this project. The horror genre really interested as one of my possible choices. I typically enjoy films like comedies, and drama but I think horror could be something different then what I am used to and I could come up with good ideas for it. I started looking into some characteristics of the horror genre and here is what I found. 

In horror films the vibes are usually very dark and suspenseful. Mise-en-scene plays a huge part in the horror genre. Most films within this genre have low-key lighting and and often use colors like dark reds, black, greens, blues, and lots of cool and dark tones. 

(The Purge Election Year 2016)

The typical target audience of the horror genre is usually young people who enjoy suspense, jump-scares, and fear. The audience does not depend on gender and both male and female enjoy this genre. There is many different types of horror films, some popular examples are phycological where it's about mental issues and emotions like in the film "Get Out", monster horror where there are monsters as the "villains" like in "The Babadok", Body horror where things happen in the body like in ""Raw", Super natural horror with things like ghosts and afterlife like in "The Conjuring", Slasher horror where there is a killer following people like in " Scream" and more. 

 

In horror film there are many techniques that are used to add depth to the genre. Throughout horrors there are many close-up shots to emphasize the fear and emotions that the characters are feeling. They also often use dutch angles to express the feeling of distress and give a unwell vibe to the film. "The Shining" is an example of a horror film that uses lots of techniques to add to the eerie feel of the movie. It uses close up shots during jump scares to emphasize how scared the characters are. They also use dutch angles when the main character is looking in the mirror and starting to go crazy, it shows that things are shifting in the film. Another very common technique in horror genre is jump scares to catch the audiences attention and add intensity to the film. Another example of a horror that uses techniques to add to the film is "The Conjuring", they use a lot of silence throughout this film to create a build up and a frightening feeling of the quiet. This film also uses POV shots which bring the feel of the movie to the audience and make them feel connected in the fear. 

 ("The Shining" 1980)

(The Conjuring" 2013)

Often in this genre the setting is somewhere isolated like in a house far away from civilization as an example like in the movie "The Night House". Often while marketing horror films they show a snip of who the "monster" or "villain" is in the film and builds suspense for the audience to want to go and watch the movie. Often in the trailers they will show suspense and leave off with a jump scare to have the audience wanting to go and see more jump scares in the real films. 

ERMW Team. (2024, October 31). 30 film techniques for horror and Halloween movies. El Raton Media Works. https://www.elratonmediaworks.org/northern-new-mexico-film-tv-blog/30-horror-making-techniques

Wilkinson, A., VanDerWerff, T., Suderman, P., & Phipps, K. (2018, October 22). The 100 best horror movies — and the scenes that define them. Vox. https://www.vox.com/a/best-horror-movies-scary-scenes

Rivero, S. (2016, September 20). The do’s and please-don’ts of horror movie marketing. Medium. https://solinwords.medium.com/horror-movie-marketing-516d3c99f1fa

Kubrick, S. (Director). (1980). The Shining [Film]. Warner Bros.; Hawk Films.

Wan, J. (Director). (2013). The conjuring [Film]. New Line Cinema; The Safran Company; Evergreen Media Group.

Bruckner, D. (Director). (2020). The night house [Film]. Searchlight Pictures; Anton; Phantom Four.

Peele, J. (Director). (2013). Get out [Film]. Blumhouse Productions; Monkeypaw Productions; QC Entertainment.

Kent, J. (Director). (2014). The babadook [Film]. Screen Australia; Causeway Films; South Australian Film Corporation.

Ducournau, J. (Director). (2016). Raw [Film]. Petit Film; Rouge International; Frakas Productions.

Craven, W. (Director). (1996). Scream [Film]. Woods Entertainment; Dimension Films.

 DeMonaco, J. (Director). (2016). The purge: Election year [Film]. Platinum Dunes; Blumhouse Productions; Man in a Tree Productions.

Portfolio Project Genre #1

 COMEDY GENRE

When my class got assigned the film opening [project I started to wonder about what movies I typically enjoy. While thinking I realized that I love to watch comedy films. I decided to look into this genre and see if this would possibly be a good choice of genre for my project. 

CONTENT- 

The fun part about watching a comedy is that it is very fun to watch and is very engaging with the audience with the amount of laughter that it causes. These films are often a very light watch and usually end with a happy ending. Things are often exaggerated in an amusing light hearted way to get the audience to laugh. Common storylines within comedies is about a crazy family for example the film "Meet The Parents". There are many types of comedies, some popular ones are romantic comedies, dark comedies, and parodies. 

                                              ("Meet The Parents" 2000)

TECHNIQUE-

Many techniques are used within the comedy genre that help it come together. Sarcasm is often used to add humor into the film as well as exaggerations. Characters also tend to "break the fourth wall" in comedies and talk to the camera to make the audience laugh. Repetition is also used in many comedies. Also, another technique is characters in comedies are often very different from each other so when the are put together in the film it comes out as very funny to the audience. For example in the film "Step Brothers" when 2 families are put together that are very different and it makes the film very humorous watching them interact. 

("Step Brothers" 2008)

The target audience in comedies are people who want to laugh and watch something that is not very serious. Many different types of comedies have different target audiences but romantic comedies' audiences are usually young woman. The marketing for comedies are very energetic and relatable content.  They want to connect to peoples crazy lives in a light hearted way that will make them laugh.

Comedy film. (2024, January 15). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comedy_film

Comedic device. (2026, January 9). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Comedic_device&oldid=1332065656

No Film School. (n.d.). Comedy genre: Definitive guide to types of comedy in film and TV. https://nofilmschool.com/comedy-genre

McKay, A. (Director). (2008). Step brothers [Film]. Columbia Pictures; Relativity Media; Apatow Productions; Mosaic Media Group.

Roach, J. (Director). (2000). Meet the parents [Film]. Universal Pictures; DreamWorks Pictures; Nancy Tenenbaum Productions; Tribeca Productions.

 

Beginning Portfolio

 

ITS JUST THE BEGINNING

This week I was announced my portfolio project for the 2025-2026 school year in aice media. Starting now all of my blogs will be apart of the project. I am assigned to create a film opening. I am not exactly sure the way that I want to approach this project. Here is what I do know that I want to focus on. 

One of the ideas that I really like is the developing characters. When characters are being developed it makes so many opportunities for your film. Setting plays a huge part in developing a character, designing what I want the main setting to be could be really interesting to see how it adds depth to the character. Another way to develop the character using mis-en-scene is very helpful, choosing the clothes and style of the character plays a huge part into who they are. The dialogue as well as the tone of the characters voice gives a feel to who they are deep down and lets the audience know more about them based on how they act around others. 

Another approach that I might do is establishing the tone. Playing around with lighting whether it is while filming with real lighting or editing in types of lighting can change the whole feel of the opening. The colors can completely change the way that the opening is interpreted by the audience which I think is very interesting. Mise-en-scene is also very interesting to me and the way it changes the tone. If the colors of the characters clothing are very bright the film could have a happy, light tone to it while if the opening has very dark, somber colors it could feel sad and dull.