-Knife 
These ‘Saw’ posters definitely represent a horror movie. The main focus of them is the body parts displayed; part of an arm and part of a leg and foot. Both posters anchor the title and therefore give an idea to the audience as to what the film is about. The title of the film is pretty self explanatory; however the body parts anchor the meaning further. The arm and leg are also very repulsive and disgusting, showing people the genre. At the top of eac
h poster, there are also parts of an image of a saw, again representing the title. The use of blood which is associated with death also shows what may take place in the film. Despite the fact that the main colour used in the background didn’t really follow the conventions of other horror posters I looked at which mainly used black to make it a dark background, it is still effective in representing a horror movie.
This poster for the horror movie ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ represents the film well. The main image shows one of the main characters with their mouth covered up by an odd looking hand. This immediately alerts the audience that the characters will be in danger and there will be enemies to fight. She has blood on her face which emphasises the fear further as this colour is related to death and danger. The woman’s expression also shows extreme fright, and this can especially be seen clearly in her eyes. The background helps set the scene and this is related to the title as it is hills. This shows the audience where the film will be based and an area like this seems quite isolated. Overall, I think the poster represents the film well and the feelings/themes that will be conveyed, especially fear by the characters and audience.
The lucky ones die first...
This horror poster of ‘The Ring 2’ is different to the previous ones as it doesn’t really reveal much to the 
audience. It features a young girl sitting on a seat and looking down towards the floor. Her face is concealed by long black hair, leaving the audience unaware of what she looks like, possibly ready to shock them in the film. She seems quite isolated in a deserted room, leaving the audience feeling quite sorry for her as she is highlighted in this dark, empty room, but seems trapped. This use of lighting creates mystery and the use of black was a common convention that I saw associated with horror films. This sinister and mysterious atmosphere created by the poster all creates enigma as the audience are unaware as to what will happen. The use of the ring above the girls hard relates to the actual title, and the font relates to a child’s handwriting. The overall feeling of the poster created is quite mysterious, setting up a feeling within the audience that will make them want to watch the film.
Fear comes full circle...
The opening sequence begins with titles introducing the production company. This text is displayed using a wipe effect against a dark background and flashes of lights are seen occasionally. This sets the tone of the whole movie, where the girls are eventually stuck in the dark in a cave, have slight glimmer of hopes, but can’t seem to find an escape route and encounter dangerous situations. It is accompanied with quite creepy music, which seems to show an approaching disaster.
The film begins with a family and their friends on a trip doing white water rafting. There is screaming and laughter, but the audience still seems to get a feeling that an accident and tragedy will take place now. This is down to the camera techniques used, for example the hand-held, jerky movements of close-ups in the boat. There is also a use of wider shots to set the scene.
As we are introduced to the characters, we are also shown that the man and little girl standing on the rock are related to one of the women, as the little girl shouts “mummy!” at 0:36. They are shown again at 1:15 clapping and waving. This shows that the women in the boat are out of danger, for now, as the audience are unaware as to what will happen next, but are relieved for the moment.
The use of slow motion at 1:02 builds tension as it shows they are falling clearly and keeps the audience, as well as the occupants of the boat anxious. This also shows that they are heading for disaster.
The next few seconds of conversation and laughter shows the strong bond between the people, but as it reaches 2 minutes, the audience are made aware that something is not quite right, and possibly, one of the friends likes the other’s husband or is having an affair with him, this is shown at 1:55, 2:01, 2:10 and 2:17. The third friend notices this at 2:12, but as the man returns to his family at 2:14, the disappointment is shown on the woman’s face. This all begins to show the breakdown of friendships that will occur as a main theme throughout the film, due to the situation that they find themselves in.
At 2:33 the scene changes to the family returning home in their car. There is no music, just the background sound of the car and conversation between them. The conversation between the mother and daughter portrays happy family life, but this soon changes as the woman turns to her husband who replies quite bluntly and seems distant. This is to be their last words, as the man isn’t watching the road, we hear the breaks of a car and there is a car accident, where the poles go through the car killing the man and daughter. There is then a crane shot which moves out to show the disaster of the accident and the shot fades to black. This portrays the death of the characters.
The next scene then enters the dream of the woman, who is currently in hospital. The music used is very eerie; the shot begins out of focus, showing just the candles on the birthday cake of the daughter. This again symbolises the darkness they will enter. As the camera tracks in towards the cake, it becomes in focus and we are able to read the writing ‘Happy Birthday Jessica’ on the cake and are made aware that it would have been her fifth birthday. We then hear the little girl blowing out the candles, and this sound is enhanced and exaggerated, making the shot seem unnatural, and therefore a dream. It then cuts to the woman lying in the hospital bed who is shown to be disturbed at this memory, but the audience are made aware that it is still part of her dream due to the use of low key lighting that doesn’t look very natural. It is then cut back to the little girl who is shown fully in this shot and all the candles are blown out, moving straight to a black shot, again signifying the darkness that surrounds the woman at the moment, and what she is going to encounter in the future.
At 3:43, it cuts back to the woman at a medium close-up, who we believe is beginning to wake up, as she looks around the hospital room. The audience hears the sound of hospital the machine beeping, which becomes a consistent sound as the woman removes the wires and we feel the sense of her urgency.
At 4:11, it cuts to a deserted and dark hospital corridor, as the character moves into the shot at a medium shot and calls for her daughter. It then cuts to an extreme long shot, and we are shown just how isolated the woman is. This signifies the people she has lost (her family) and how she now feels alone. The corridor frames the shot as a tunnel, and in the distance, we see darkness approaching and closing in on her as each light goes out. As she turns and realises this, it cuts to a medium close-up at 4:22 and we see the character’s expression of shock and horror. This shot is quite strange as the camera doesn’t seem to move, but the background seems to be moving, this gives the effect that escape is further away.
At 4:25 it cuts to the woman looking back into darkness and realising that she has to run to avoid this darkness. As she runs and passes under each light, they turn off and it turns black, giving the feeling that she can’t escape the darkness and it feels very claustrophobic. It seems the faster she runs, the faster it closes in on her.
At 4:38 however, it cuts to the back of her and begins to give a bit of hope. The camera stays in the darkness, but shows the woman heading for light. However the darkness catches up and the screen goes pitch black again.
At 4:45 it then cuts to the woman running into the arms of her friend and the audience are made aware that it was a dream. This next scene is very emotional, as the woman grieves for her lost loved ones. She completely breaks down in tears and falls to the floor. The camera then circles her, showing that she is in this nightmare that never seems to end. This is shown when the film ends in a cliff-hanger, and she is still stuck in the cave.
At 5:07, it then cuts to a close-up of her friend also crying, this really conveys the emotion felt by the characters. At 5:09, it then cuts back to the woman crying on the floor and reverse tracks. This shows the same corridor as before, one of the friends leaving, and the woman distraught on the floor with her friend.
It then fades to black and at 5:20, it introduces the title of the film ‘The Descent.’ This is in white font, but is wiped off the screen, leaving the screen black again. This again conveys the darkness, and we see a torch light effect again as before with the credits, signifying the whole theme of the film.
At 5:29, it cuts to a helicopter shot of a forest, which sets the scene and the audience is told that is in the mountains in the USA. The music hear is eerie again, which alerts us that another disaster might strike. We are also told that it is one year later, therefore we know time has passed since the accident. The area is shown to be deserted, emphasising their isolation when they are alone in the cave, or so they believed.
We then see the car they are travelling in, as the music changes to a slightly happier tone from the radio, and the woman talking. Then they turn off the radio and we are shown bullet holes through a road sign. The music changes back to the eerie type and we are shown their destination, ‘Chatooga National Park.’ However the fact that this sign has bullet holes through it, already signifies the danger they are entering.
As they approach the house they are staying in, the music changes to more adventurous music, to seem as if they are going on a journey. The rest of the scenes are just of the women meeting again and having conversations, seeming in a good mood, but unaware of what is going to happen.
The feelings sensed in the opening sequence are also conveyed in the trailer, as it states
Claustrophobia, Disorientation, Hallucination and Fear.
The Trailer:
As well as these villains, the make-up of the main characters (the six friends) is essential, as their situation is shown to gradually deteriorate and a lot of make-up such as blood and slime is used to add to the fear. 
Another example is in ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ (2006)
Plot Synopsis:
The Carters, an idyllic American family are travelling through the great American southwest, but their trip takes a detour into an area closed off from the public, but more importantly from society, due to being misled to a shortcut going to nowhere by the owner of an isolated gas station. An area originally used by the U.S. Government for nuclear testing that was intended to be empty...or so they thought? When the Carter's car breaks down at the old site, they're stranded...or are they? As the Carters may soon realize that what seemed like a car casually breaking down, might actually be a trap. This trap might be perpetrated by the inhabitants of the site who aren't pulling a prank, but are out to set up a gruesome massacre. Absolutely trapped by the psychotics, they have to fight to survive.
THE LUCKY ONES DIE FIRST…
Characters:
The group of deformed cannibals that begin to attack this family were created well using skilfully designed 
costumes and make-up. They are made to appear very savage and threatening, frightening the audience who are watching. This adds to the experience of watching a horror movie. As the audience feel for the main characters (the family), they realise that they are in danger as the creatures are unwilling to give up and determined to kill them. The villains’ appearance emphasises this feeling and the family find themselves in numerous dangerous situations.
The family member’s costumes are originally normal holiday makers clothes, but are also adapted as time passes. Time, attacks by the villains and injuries all affect the costumes, therefore they have to be changed to fit the storyline. For example there is use of a lot of blood and dirt added to garments.
Below is the trailer, which shows some of the costumes and make-up of the characters:
Hair and Make-Up:
Make-up artists are beauticians that apply makeup to anyone appearing on screen. Their role is to manipulate an actor’s on screen appearance whether it makes them look more youthful, larger, older, or in some cases monstrous. The hair stylist is responsible for maintaining and styling the hair of anyone appearing on screen. He or she works in conjunction with the makeup artist.
Order of the Phoenix,’ where the director has given a brief and direction to the costume designer to place Dolores Umbridge (Senior Under-Secretary to Minister for Magic) in pink constantly. The garments change, but the colour is consistent throughout the film. This could be seen as ironic as pink generally represents girly, fluffy, soft etc. but Umbridge is not seen to be 
this type of character, in fact the opposite. Therefore this colour could be used to fool the audience into a false sense of security and add a twist.
He was an iconic and highly influential British filmmaker and producer. Psycho was a powerful, complex psychological thriller and is seen as the "mother" of all modern horror suspense films. 
house’s sinister feeling. He drops little hints to the audience of what’s to come, for example “the bathroom, well, he cleaned all this up now, big difference, you should have seen the blood.” Also the trailer doesn’t follow conventions and is the opposite from trailers nowadays as it is a continuous structure, where it doesn't follow a narrative and usually just features different parts of the film. The trailer then ends with a shot from the famous shower scene, of Marion screaming and part of the music used in the scene.
can't move a finger. And I won't. I'll just sit here and be quiet, just in case they do suspect me.”
I have decided to analyse a clip from 'The Pursuit of Happiness' (interview scene) in order to demonstrate continuity techniques.
[I am analysing from 0:23]
The clip begins with a tracking shot of Will Smith (Chris Gardner) running very quickly. It is a medium close-up and profile shot. He is running down a busy street and this is shown effectively as objects wipe the foreground of the frame, which gives a sense of speed. Despite the fact that it is a busy scene, the camera always keeps the focus on the main character.
There is a good transition into the second shot, which also uses a tracking shot but changes to a long shot. The viewer’s eye is not disturbed as he is still running at the same pace and the area is still busy. This shows good continuity as the audience does not notice a change.
Towards the end of the second shot, it becomes less busy and therefore making it easier on the eye as it cuts to a medium long shot. This shot does not involve as many objects or people but due to a good cut, this goes unnoticed. This shot contrasts to the previous two shots as it is handheld and from behind the character, giving it a sense of urgency and realism. It places the audience in his situation. The framing in this shot is also done effectively, as the camera uses the wall and road to create a feeling of perspective, meaning he is going somewhere and there is a focus point. The lighting has also stayed the same throughout the three different shots, as the sunlight is in front of Chris Gardner.
All throughout these three shots, the feeling of importance and desperation is never lost. This is down to the timing of each cut and the continuity of the shots’ composition and contents. The use of cuts and match on action also add to the pace.
The next shot is a medium shot and despite the fact that he has a different pace, the frantic feeling is not lost. The people in the foreground and background walking at a normal pace emphasises his hurry. The use of a pan and tilt effectively follows his path up the stairs, leading to the building. This emphasises his destination and establishes a change of location.
The next shot is handheld and a medium shot. This is the first time the character and camera come to a stop, as well as the fast paced music. However, similar to the previous shots, this sense of urgency continues to be present. In the build up to this shot, the audience believes that the character has not stopped running. This flow and camera movement shows good continuity. Also the use of shot order throughout this part of the clip takes the audience smoothly through the narrative.
The sixth shot is a huge contrast to the previous shots as it is a big change. There are no props, different lighting, different camera movement and no sound. However, even though these have all changed, that sense of urgency is still conveyed through the use of a close-up shot, the camera tilt and zoom, and the character’s expression. The tilt up and slight zoom of the camera resembles the feeling in a lift. Also the tilt up shows he is still going somewhere and the close-up creates the feeling of pressure and stress. Despite this big change in mise-en-scene, the continuity is still successful from the previous shots.
The next shot is a long shot and contains no camera movement. This represents the passing of time. This contrasts to the other shots where there was the sense of speed and movement; however it still shows stress as he is waiting. This shows that it is still continuous but we have hit a point where he has done all he can and now must wait.
The shot at 1:05 is a close-up profile of the character and shows his expression and hand gesture clearly. The audience concentrate on him mainly, however when the door opens, the attention is diverted to the door which is framed in the centre of the shot and Will Smith goes out of focus.
1:14 uses a tilt up of Chris Gardner, emphasising the fact that he is rising to challenge and is on the move again. He walks towards the camera as a medium shot and exits the frame to the camera’s left. This matched cut changes the shot to an over the shoulder shot as the camera moves behind him; however the timing of the shot causes the cut to go unnoticed by the audience. This change in shot means the audience can see from his perspective as we enter with him and therefore the audience has the same feeling of apprehensiveness. This feeling has been built up by the previous shots which didn’t include much movement or action but have led up to this point and always kept the audience’s attention on the room.
The shot continuing from 1:16 uses a steady-cam. It is 15 seconds of camera movement, following the character as a medium shot. However he is slightly out of focus to draw our attention to the busy and hectic surroundings. Towards the end of this shot, the music becomes noticeable and creates a sense of achievement.
The next shot is a close-up, to show the expression of the character and his reaction to the previous shot. Now he is in focus and the background is out of focus, in order to divert our attention to him. The cut works well as it is a continuation of his movement through the busy place, using a steady-cam but in a reverse direction.
The next shot is a point of view shot, therefore the audience can see what he sees and are placed in his position. The cut is timed well as he looks to the left, this POV matches his view. 1:35 uses another point of view shot. It is still the use of a steady cam but pans right matching his head movement which leads on well to the next shot which uses a steady cam and close up of the character.
There is another POV shot at 1:52 but this time is tracking to the right, which creates the effect of physical movement. This shot is different as there is a change in the setting. The continuation of the previous six shots, which used POV’s and steady cam, lead on well to this new setting.
As he enters the interviewing room, the shots show a conversation between Will Smith and four men. This part of the clip includes shot-reverse-shots, placing the audience in the action. It is also a conversation which is shot over the shoulder to allow both characters to remain in the shot. The 180 degree rule is also considered in this part and it matches on action, allowing the dialogue to flow consistently.
Continuity is good down to well timed cuts and the use of a combination of effective shots. These all create the ‘invisible’ editing which allows the audience to see the narrative clearly and establishes a plausible, professional scene.
I have decided to analyse the film trailer of ‘The Departed’. It is effective as it uses varied shot types, with clips from the film.
The trailer begins by introducing Jack Nicholson using a tracking shot as he is talking. This shot is very sinister as it just shows the silhouette of him and the viewers are unaware of who it is.
After ten seconds, there is a medium close up of Matt Damon, ‘Colin’ as a police officer, just after Jack Nicholson, ‘Costello’ says “you become cops” and then it flashes to a shot of Leonardo DiCaprio, ‘Billy’ in prison and it pans to the right across the cell, as ‘Costello’ says “or criminals”. This is extremely effective as the shots that are shown quickly of the police officer and criminal relate to what ‘Costello’ is saying and this is seen later in the film. Therefore these shots help to anchor part of the plot of the film. The viewer believes that this clearly lays out the ‘goody’ and ‘bady’ in the film; however this is proven wrong later on.
As Jack Nicholson continues to talk, this effect is used again at 0:15, where we see a slightly low angle close up of ‘Billy’ looking worried, and it flashes to a close-up of someone cocking the trigger of a gun. Then as ‘Costello’ says “when you’re facing a loaded gun”, there is a whip pan shot reaching a police car, and then a medium close-up of a police man firing a gun. This is quickly followed by another close up of a gun being fired twice. These various shots help to anchor the line used by Jack Nicholson, and alerts the viewer of what’s to come in the film (confrontation between two sides.)
As the trailer reaches 20 seconds, the character of Jack Nicholson is revealed using a medium close-up of him saying “what’s the difference” with a slightly different tone of voice. This is related to the fact that there are the previous shots of both criminals and police officers using guns.
At 25 seconds, the viewer is shown flashes of various parts of the police uniform, including close-ups of hats, police badges etc. This is then revealed as medium close-ups of police men lined up, including ‘Colin.’
The next shot is a crane shot, behind a man wearing a suit. This shot is used in order to give a clear idea of the setting and viewers can assume it is the police department, as the shot is used with the line “this is the State police.” The next shot reveals the character from the previous shot with a medium close-up, who is ‘Colin.’
Next is a medium shot in a police briefing, which moves into a close-up of the main picture on the board. The viewers are then shown who it is with a medium close-up of Costello and are officially introduced to him as a character as they state his name. We are then shown a close up of an exchange of money, followed by a two shot which is a long shot of two bodies lying on the ground. This implies that ‘Costello’ set this up, and is therefore the reason that he is wanted.
These shots are followed by an introduction of another character, using an extreme close-up, followed by a tilt up of the character as a police officer. This is then followed by an arc and medium close-up of him pointing a gun (in practice.) In the next shot, it is the same character, but this time in an office. It is first a medium shot, followed by an over the shoulder shot, and then a zooming shot as he asks a question, this is used to get a better idea of his reaction and expression.
At 0:40 there is another pan to the right across the prison cell, containing the character that was just introduced to us, about to be released.
At 0:45, there is a two shot with a slight arc, followed by an over the shoulder shot, and another two shot of the characters in the previous shot. This shows the audience that they are quite important in the film.
0:53 is a bird’s eye view of the character that has just hurt his arm. This gives the viewers a full view of what has taken place. This is followed by various two shots and medium close ups of characters.
1:03 is an extreme long shot of offices with the two main characters in the centre. This gives the audience a wider view and helps give a better idea of the setting.
1:10 is an over the shoulder shot, which shows us that there are two characters, however it gives us a better view of the one that is talking and her expressions.
1:24 is a low angle shot, and makes us feel as though we are in the shot, as the actor is looking directly into the camera. This adds realism to the shot.
At 1:36, it is a slow tilt upwards and gives us a clear view of the character’s expression as he looks anxious.
1:42 is a forward track, following a character that is running. This also makes the shot seem realistic, as we feel present in the scene.
1:45 is a crane shot, giving us a wider view of the setting and showing us the direction that one character is moving in.
1:46 is a reverse track, moving along with the character, and again feeling as if we are there.
Extreme long shots are used in many places to help us see the action taking place in the film clearly over a wider range; 1:51, 1:53, 1:59, 2:02, 2:10.
1:52 is a low angle shot, as one of the characters is about to punch another. This gives us the point of view of the character that is about to be punched and helps us feel fear for them.
2:01 is a high angle shot, directly above the character, as he looks up straight into the camera.
2:17 is a close-up of Matt Damon holding a knife, which immediately alerts the audience of his intentions, and then tilts up to his face, with his poised expression. The next shot of him stabbing a man is less of a shock as we are warned before that he is ready to do it.
This is followed by an extremely fast-paced sequence of various shots and ends the trailer with the same character that it started with (Costello).
