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Comparison of Genres: Horror and Action

Horror and Action films both have different stylistic codes that are present throughout the film. The two codes in this context are technical and symbolic codes; technical codes is the method used by equipment to tell a story, for example, the camera work can portray meaning and emotion in a scene. A symbolic code is how characters show emotion or action towards a subject, allowing the audience to gain an understanding of what the character is feeling and the overall mood of the scene.

The horror films that I will be analysing will be Silent Hill (2006) and Insidious (2010). Silent Hill is about a mother who takes her ill daughter to a faith healer but drive through a portal to a town called Silent Hill. The town is haunted and at night, monsters come after anyone who is exposed to the outside world. Insidious is about a boy who falls into a coma after an incident, the characters assume that the house is haunted and move house. However, the entity has possessed their child due to his ability to travel to the “further.” Both of these films have similar codes such as colour, sound, camera work, and location.

In horror films, the camera work that is often used are high angle shots, this is because it denotes the camera looking down on the subject, which gives an indication of vulnerability and weakness. If a low angle shot was used then it would make the subject look empowering and fearless.

Location is important for horror films as well, if the setting is in a bright, populated area then it may lose the horror feeling in the film unless it has been used to express juxtaposition. Typical horror films are usually set in a dark, lifeless area where buildings have deteriorated; this implies that people who used to live have been gone for a long time, which adds to the effect that the area may be haunted or another entity is in control of that location. 

Another method of making a horror film is the lighting and colour. Almost all horror films have been desaturated to imply that the setting is lifeless, dull, and old. Colour explains a lot about a film and its setting, if one scene suddenly becomes saturated then it shows that the scene will be positive and free from the horror that the characters are escaping from (depending on the context of the film.)

Furthermore, sound has a big impact on films, especially horror films. Diegetic sounds usually has a bigger effect than non-diegetic sound, this is because diegetic sound is played in the world of the film, rather than being edited into the film. For example, in the film “Insidious” the sounds of an entity is played through a speaker which grows louder. This has a bigger impact on the viewers and the characters because it is an actual sound that the characters are exposed to in the film, making the scene more intense and scarier. In another scene, a jump scare sound is played when a ghost walks through a wall, this may shock the viewers suddenly but has a lesser impact than the sound that was present in the film.

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Legal and Ethical considerations

There are multiple legal and ethical considerations that must be followed when creating a media product, as it will avoid the production team being involved in any lawsuits or controversial issues that can affect the reputation of the production team.

The first consideration is filming people, it is important to respect peoples privacy and volunteers should always be given permission to be filmed otherwise they may file a lawsuit against the company as they are filming them without their consent; these considerations are important when filming in public places around London or the UK. If people are filmed without their permission then the footage should either be deleted or blurred out so their identity is kept private.

The second consideration is filming buildings; if the building has a trademark or logo then it is important to gain permission to have that in the media product or to purchase copyright in order to avoid any possible lawsuits in the future. Furthermore, defamation must be considered as insulting or discriminating a particular business (or building) may result in conflict so the production team will have to focus on managing the situation rather than their own products. If a production team does lower the reputation of a business or person then they are subject to be sued due to defamation of character, which is illegal.

In addition to this, copyright must be taken into consideration as any breach of copying someone else’s content may result in a lawsuit, which can jeopardise the company or the production of filming. An example of a copyright lawsuit is between Apple and Microsoft, which rose around the question of who created the GUI (Graphical User Interface) and the similarities of the operating systems; Apple filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and lasted for six years. Copyright lawsuits can be dangerous as it can make a company vulnerable – if the company loses a lawsuit then they may lose a large sum of money and also consumes a lot of their time, they could be focusing on production but will have to be dealing with a lawsuit so copyright has to be considered during production.

Furthermore, an ethical consideration is the use of profanity – it has to be relevant depending on the target audience and must not offend people. For example, if there is a children’s TV show then it must not include swearing due to the offense that parents may take from the show. Also, there must not be any negative over generalising of specific groups as it can cause hatred to particular people and may even result in the company being sued because of the defamation of character which is illegal so this must be considered during production.

Regulatory bodies prevent these controversial events from happening; for example, Ofcom (Office of Communications) protects the public from harmful or offensive material so if the media product is considered too offensive then this regulatory body can prevent the production team from publishing the media product. Another example of a regulatory body is the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) and they label films as an age rating depending on the content that it contains. The BBFC can also reject films as well so films must consider their target audience and the type of content they want to have in the film, as long as it doesn’t contain any controversial or offensive content.

In conclusion, if a company fails to meet the requirements of considering legal and ethical issues it may result in a bad business practice such as controversially filming someone without their consent. It may even result in lawsuits which can cost a large amount of money and can give a bad reputation for the company which will ultimately affect how the production team will publish future films. In order to prevent this from occurring, it is important to consider the legal and ethical considerations; these considerations are significant as they will determine how the team will respond to disputes involving legal and ethical issues.

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Impact on Planning

Planning is the most important aspect for film production as it ensures that all considerations are met such as finding a cast and crew, finance, location and call sheets that can be given to everyone involved in the film production. 

If a digital media product is not planned efficiently then the entire film production can collapse and fail so every aspect must be considered at all times; therefore making the film production a waste of money and time. Planning will allow you to organise your time and resources effectively without going over the budget.

An example of a poorly planned film is Birdemic. The film took 4 years to complete as they only filmed scenes over weekends so time constraints affected this film heavily; location was hardly considered as the actors and crew did not receive permits to film at specific locations, they just showed up to locations and were often kicked out so there was no continuity: many film critics have given this film bad reviews due to it’s bad editing, CGI, sound and dialogue which has been ultimately an effect of poor planning.

As a result, if planning is poor then productivity will be low so more money will have to be spent on renting equipment, filming on certain locations and paying the cast and crew; it may also lower the confidence of the crew as they will be given no support (such as call sheets) at all due to poor planning. Also, if planning is correctly executed then it will result in a successful digital media product and will raise the morale and productivity of the crew because they will know what they are doing during production of the media product.

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Call sheet

Call sheets are timetables that are used during film production; it outlines what scenes will be filmed and the characters that are involved in the scene. It also shows the crew vehicles, equipment, make up artists and crew instructions that will be involved during filming of that day. In addition to this, the call sheet expresses the location of filming, sunrise and sunset and the weather for that day; it is important to know what the weather will be like as it may interfere with filming.

This is important for our own film production as it will keep everyone organised and up to date of what scenes are being filmed and who is being involved. The example I have shown here is from Hollyoaks. In the call sheet, it expresses the times that actors will be filmed so they have an idea of when they will be on camera, it will also organise filming for that day which can improve productivity and also allow the production team to get their moneys worth when renting cameras or other equipment. It also gives an indication of sunrise and sunset along with what the weather will be like for that day, this is important as the weather may affect filming; for example, fast winds may cause filming to be on hold and can allow for filming indoors (if possible.)

Furthermore, the call sheet contains all of the information for all of the characters on set during filming and the time shooting will occur. The table also expresses the times for make up and costumes of characters, this allows the production team to organise time effectively on the day of filming which is an example of good planning. 

In addition to this, the call sheet also shows the equipment that will be used for that day; it shows the crew vehicles, equipment, rigs, etc. This allows the production team to understand what equipment is available and if transportation to different scenes will be accessible/convenient for production.

This call sheet also includes the current day timetable for what scenes will be filmed which is beneficial for pre-production as it will organise where actors and extras will go during each scene for filming, times are also shown as well which will maximise the amount of equipment, actors, location rents used in that day which will make production efficient and cost effective.

This section of the call sheet gives the production team an idea of what the day will be like (length of day and weather) and the location of where filming will take place. This will help the producer and other members of the production team to have an idea of what the scenes will looks like due to the description of the weather; this can also give the team an insight of what the weather will be like for times later on in filming on the day (if the weather forecast predicts rain on the day of filming then it will be best to film indoors or film scenes with that expected weather outcome.)

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Recce

For the recce I have established all of the available facilities that we can use such parking, power capabilities and other notes that essential for film production, for example, alarms that are active every working day and are often tested at least once a month. It also shows the times of the day that we will be using the building for filming. 

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Recce Images

I have taken these photos because it shows the facilities and equipment that we can use during film production; our green screen, lighting, camera and sound editor are all valuable assets for production. Also, I have taken pictures of some of the facilities that we have such as toilets, water fountain and also a Coffee machine which is located inside the Cafe of the building.

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Cast and Crew

Health and safety 

Firstly, health and safety is vital for film production as it provides the crew some form of safe condition to work in; it can also provide quick access to helping injuries that may occur during filming. The company moodboard provides health and safety features to film sets and crews during the production of filming. In our case, we will not need this job role as we have staffs that have access to first aid kits and have some experience with threating injuries.

Actors 

Furthermore, actors are needed for the film production, as they will give the film a purpose; they provide the film with content for people to watch and enjoy. The company Alan_P organise talent to be used for each set during film production. We will not be hiring talent for this film production, as we will be using other students for each scene in the film.

Costumes and props

In addition to this, costumes provide the film with context, it allows the viewer to understand the type of character by the clothes they are wearing; it can also define the time it is set and the class that the characters are in. The company DNA Films provide production teams with costumes that can be used for filming. We will not be using any costume companies as we can use our uniforms for each scene, as it is based off the media suite in our sixth form.

Food

Also, catering allows the entire crew (extras, actors, cameraman, etc.) to eat meals at dedicated times so that they are well fed. The company Zurijeta provides food for crews during film production, we will not be needing this as we have our own chef, called Tony, who provides breakfast and lunch in the sixth form building. The set is also close to the town market so it is easy to purchase food there if there is no food being produced in the building.

 Cameraman

Cameramen are also important when creating films as it allows for different techniques to be used when filming such as tracking, zooming in, etc. This will provide the film with a unique point of view if done correctly; the company Leland Beaumont provides camera support for aerial support, although we will not be needing this type of cameraman, as our film will be captured indoors, it is useful to understand the different types of cameramen and techniques.

Lighting

Lighting also provides different scenes with some light that will enhance shots during filming, for example, scenes that are filmed at night must have some light so that it is visible by the viewer or to make scenes look brighter than they already are; the company the_guitar_mann will provide lighting for filming, usually by placing lights on scaffolding that will light up scenes.

Conclusion

It is important to tackle all of these sectors that are involved during film production as a poor cast and crew will result in a poor media product; it is also important to consider if certain cast and crew members are useful to film production, for example having an ariel cameraman for a film production filmed entirely indoors is a very bad way of spending money on cameramen as it is not needed for that particular film production.

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Requirements of Finance

When a company has sourced money to fund their film, they need to budget the amount of money they spend so that they don’t go over the budget, resulting in the movie production to end causing a loss for the company and therefore being a waste of time so the requirements of finance must be considered.

Equipment

The quality of the equipment will determine how good the scenes will look like in filming, for example, a good quality camera will be more expensive than an average quality camera. The Arri Alexa 4K Camera costs £49,030.80 to buy whereas other cameras such as FLIR T660 Thermal Camera w/ Choice of Lens costs £22,110.20 For a TV series such as the office, only one camera has been used for the entire series so costs of equipment will be lower than other TV series that use two or more cameras. For our production film, we will probably be using a Flip Video camera that costs £30.00

Lighting is important as well as it provides light for scenes, making them easier to view. According to the green kit website, their light “Stella Pro 5000″ costs £60 per day/£180 per week so a suitable time frame must be considered for the times of filming, if some scenes do not need lights then it is important to organise the time that filming will need the light source (therefore saving money.) Sound is important as well, the Sony ECM-VG1 Shotgun Microphone costs £179.00 to buy, which is essential for film production, as it will make the sound clearer than a built in microphone in a camera. From my research, the prices of these microphones do vary depending on their quality; the Shure SM89 Directional Shotgun Microphone costs £803.00

Crew

You will need a crew to operate the equipment, a cameraman, sound recorders, lighting camera Op’s and camera assistants. According to Bluefin television, the prices are negotiable depending on the length of day, short days, buyouts, length of shoots and travel. For a 2-man crew the minimum price is £900 depending on the camera used. All of the equipped rates include: friendly experienced crew, full specification camera kit of choice, lighting, full sound kit, VW transporter van. We will be filming this video in our media suite so transport will not be necessary; we will also be using one camera as well.

 Crew Support

The company Honest Foods London provides actors, extras and film crew something to eat and drink during breaks. This is important for filmmaking as it ensures that everyone that takes part in production is fed. Their food caters to all people, such as vegetarians and vegans. Another crew support company called Delicious Film catering charges £34 per head per day. We have our own chef in this Sixth Form so he will be feeding us at dedicated dinner breaks.

Costumes

The company Sands Films creates costumes for TV series and has created costumes for films such as “As you like it” and “The Fool”. Prices do vary depending on the quality of the costumes that they produce, for our own film production we will be using our uniform that I have purchased from Burtons.

conclusion

If the requirements of finance are correctly spent then it will result in the saving of money for the production team - therefore they can spend spare money on advertising the media product or for future projects. Also, if the requirements are suitable and relevant for the film production then it will result in higher productivity as the team have successfully gathered the correct equipment to film with. Therefore, it is important that the requirements of finance are spent correctly and efficiently.

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Sources of finance post

Creators of TV series and films often have to find sources of finance to keep production running. For example, if a TV show is free to watch then the recipient should expect advertisements midway each episode as it provides funds for content creators. Another source of finance is paid subscriptions, for example, YouTube Red and Netflix provide users with movies and exclusive videos. An advantage of this is that people can watch films/videos that other people do not have access to it (if they haven’t paid for the subscription) and that people may recommend the subscription to other people, encouraging people to purchase the subscription.

However, there are other sources of finance such as The British Film Institute who uses funds from the national lottery to help new filmmakers. People can also pay for licenses to watch films; Sky movies are a monthly paid subscription that allows users to watch unlimited amount of films during the time of owning the license. The advantage of subscriptions is that people will pay money directly to the company and watch products that are hosted on that platform. However, a disadvantage of paid subscriptions is the problem with piracy; people may download the product and upload it onto an external website for free to watch. This will lose the company money as people are watching the product without paying for it.

It is essential that movie producers handle finance carefully because if they run out of money then production of films may have to be cancelled; the best way to secure finance is by sticking to a budget so the production team don’t go over costs, risking the production of filming and meaning that the money spent was wasted. You have to consider all costs during pre-production.

The problems with sources of finance is that there may be too much debt to pay off (given that the finance is not a grant), if the company does not have enough money then film making will have to be rearranged or cut to save money; not keeping to the budget or spending too much can lead to the film not being finished, therefore a waste of money for the company. It is important that companies evenly share out resources and equipment to utilise their time efficiently in order to keep below the budget.

In addition to this, rather than applying for a loan, kick starting/crowd funding your idea can be a better option as a source of finance as the organization will receive the money for free; however you still need to consider keeping to a budget though so that you do not overspend and may have to carry out a loan which means that the organization has to spend more money in the long term. The website “kick starter,” allows people to ask people to fund the project that they are making.

In conclusion, it is best to source finance that gathers the production team the most money so they can plan on how much money will have to be spent and calculate the budget of the production. However, it is important to consider what types of gathering finance will or will not benefit the production team; for example if the team is borrowing money then it must have a good APR percentage so the production team will not have a large loan to pay off.

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Pre-production portfolio

As you can see, this blog is going to explore the purpose of pre-production documentation. I work for a local volunteer organisation who find it difficult to run various media productions. Researching the use of pre-production will allow this failure of an organisation to learn from their past mistakes, which I find may be useful to you as well. 

I need to consider:

1) Finance

2) Costs and logistics

3) Codes of practice

4) Formats of pre-production documents

5) Why these processes are necessary

6) Why we should keep pre-production documents