Inpirational Text- Short Horror Films

I have chosen these horror films purposely to analyse on the basis that I will be pulling out specific techniques relevant towards my own production. Both short horror films include lots of useful sound effects, special effects, camera angles, location, general narrative of a horror film and acting. However I have researched through many films and have found these two films to have a direct link towards my story plot, which will personally adapt my own knowledge when establishing my own film through the different stages of filming, editing and directing. From looking through each film numerous of times I have picked out key features that has caught my attention.   

Short horror movie

A slow build up is used to let the target audience feel comfortable and recognise the location of this film, which you can see is the main character’s home. Setting is at night time, dialogue at the start helps you understand narrative horror genre parents going out leaving son in house, leads to plenty of opportunities for an incident to occur. A non-diegetic sound is used around 30 seconds in to show tension and increase target audiences attention knowing something could happen soon. A special effect of the radio going out of signal making a loud noise normally indicates to a problem, which leads you to believe something is happening in this house. An incremental zoom is also used on the radio, which shows this object to have significance towards the film. High angle shots are used to let you see surroundings and also the characters facial expressions, while low angle shots are used when tension is build up through sound tempo showing the characters vulnerability and lack of authority. Cuts are used to build up the tension quicker to leave out unwanted wasted film time and pan shots used to show characters scared fast paced walk. A long shot is used effectively with the character lying down on the laptop, which gives you a feeling that someone is hiding behind a door. Door effective straight away alerts danger with the rattling noise no one there but door still moving and creaking. Ending is shows a pitch black effect with a flash light only showing light to allow the target audience to see characters facial expression and shortly after film ends with a dead girls face on screen seen to be in house with a loud sound used to get you off your seat. 

Love Hurts
The start of the film uses an effective non-diegetic sound(mood music) in a slow pace to build up tension, which gives a good indication to the target audience that the films genre is horror. Lighting in this film sets the scene perfectly for a horror film; it looks as if dimmers are being used with a faded spot light on the subject of the scene to bring style and dramatic content towards the narrative. A pedestal shot is used to view the subject of the mirror moving vertically up and then once the target audience’s attention is shown where the location is a pan shot is used to show the surroundings. This leads you to believe that this is where something is going to happen. Cuts are used effectively mixed in with a cautious sound effect and a special effect of blood running down the toilet sink, which gives you a gut feeling that the character shown is not safe. A over the shoulder shot is used to show the facial expression of the character from a mirror, giving a sense of feeling that the target audience is involved in the scene, looking at what the character is seeing. Mid shots are used when the music tone is steady; this is the build-up that something is going to happen. High angle shots are used when the character is currently safe showing she still has authority, however when music speeds up and there are more cuts there are low angles shots on the subject of the film shot at the time e.g. character or object. Establishing shots are used to create more tension that time is dragging something will happen sooner rather than later. The ending is very effective with the special effect of the evil girl killing the main character with fake blood splattered everywhere and the man been evil at the very end giving a good twist to the film.

Overall I have taken into consideration many aspects of both these films and valued the techniques highly. In my own production I will use certain camera angles and special effects, which has been showcased in this film e.g. death, fake blood, non-diegetic sound, high/low angle shots, cuts, tempo and camera movement (handheld), however I will use these in a different context and format.