Reflection on Film Still
The film still shown here can be identified as a form of horror film for a number of reasons. Firstly, the still shows a victim unconscious and two threatening shadows, the idea of a shadow gives a threatening feel to the still because the audience isn't able to see the "attackers" therefore giving a fear of the unknown. The fact that it shows a victim knocked out also gives a sense of helplessness to the audience because the victim is unable to defend them self against the potential attacker. Lastly, the fact that there are glasses on the floor next to the victim is an automatic give away to the audience that there has already been physical violence and will make them worry more.
I made sure that only the shadows were seen of the "attackers" in this scene to create a fear of the unknown among the audience, I also made them to look threatening by raising there arms, therefore making the audience feel worried towards the unconscious character because they feel he is in danger. I made sure that there were glasses on the floor next to his face in order to look like they had come off when he had attacked and therefore signify to the audience that he had been attacked and would be attacked again to help signify the horror genre. The fact that the character seen lying on the floor next to a wall also helps to show the helplessness he is facing by having nowhere to run because he has "his back to the wall" meaning he is essentially cornered. All of these combined help to concentrate sympathy and worry by the audience to the unconscious character in the scene which was the desired effect.
In order to make all of these effects I did a number of things. From my perspective the most important part was to ensure I got the camera angle correct so I could get the shadows into the shot, the shadows being to me the most important part of it. Another important part for me was the prop which was the glasses and for them to be positioned next to the victim, this also playing off the stereotypical bullying victim who gets his/her glasses knocked off. Lastly, it was important to ensure that we had the victim on his front sprawled as if he had been knocked from behind which makes the attack seem more merciless.
The successes of the scene are in conveying the danger that a certain character is facing from two other characters who aren't actually in shot. I believe I have achieved this through the various subtle and less subtle devices used in the scene for example the shadows and their pose as well as the placed glasses.
To improve my shot in future I would have put the victim in a more sprawled position because to me I feel the position he is in looks to placed. Secondly, I would have changed the time of day to night time or early evening and had it lit by street lights, this would achieve an eerier feeling especially if its a dim yellowy street light, also the fact that its at night would add to the spooky feel of the still. Lastly, I would have changed where I had the camera as you can see a small shadow at the bottom of the shot which I do not want as it could take away some of the attention of the other two shadows.
I made sure that only the shadows were seen of the "attackers" in this scene to create a fear of the unknown among the audience, I also made them to look threatening by raising there arms, therefore making the audience feel worried towards the unconscious character because they feel he is in danger. I made sure that there were glasses on the floor next to his face in order to look like they had come off when he had attacked and therefore signify to the audience that he had been attacked and would be attacked again to help signify the horror genre. The fact that the character seen lying on the floor next to a wall also helps to show the helplessness he is facing by having nowhere to run because he has "his back to the wall" meaning he is essentially cornered. All of these combined help to concentrate sympathy and worry by the audience to the unconscious character in the scene which was the desired effect.
In order to make all of these effects I did a number of things. From my perspective the most important part was to ensure I got the camera angle correct so I could get the shadows into the shot, the shadows being to me the most important part of it. Another important part for me was the prop which was the glasses and for them to be positioned next to the victim, this also playing off the stereotypical bullying victim who gets his/her glasses knocked off. Lastly, it was important to ensure that we had the victim on his front sprawled as if he had been knocked from behind which makes the attack seem more merciless.
The successes of the scene are in conveying the danger that a certain character is facing from two other characters who aren't actually in shot. I believe I have achieved this through the various subtle and less subtle devices used in the scene for example the shadows and their pose as well as the placed glasses.
To improve my shot in future I would have put the victim in a more sprawled position because to me I feel the position he is in looks to placed. Secondly, I would have changed the time of day to night time or early evening and had it lit by street lights, this would achieve an eerier feeling especially if its a dim yellowy street light, also the fact that its at night would add to the spooky feel of the still. Lastly, I would have changed where I had the camera as you can see a small shadow at the bottom of the shot which I do not want as it could take away some of the attention of the other two shadows.
An excellent level of detail in your analysis and reflections; well done. EBI: try to ensure you describe very precisely your chosen framing; both angle and distance from camera to subject. If you denote these features first, you can then explain their impact more clearly. In this case it's a high angle extreme long shot.
ReplyDelete