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Textual Analysis on the short horror film “Vanished”

The short film vanished written and directed by Andrew Fitzgerald and produced and edited by Patrick E. McCabe is a horror film that utilizes many generic conventions associated with the horror genre such as being set in a remote area, using low key lighting, a voice over etc. The target audience for this short film would be between the ages of fifteen and thirty year olds for both male and female having the psychographics of explorers as this particular audience would be most intrigued by watching this film.

The storyline of the short film “Vanished” is about a young woman called Jenna who is in a counselling session with her physiatrist who asks her what happened to her boyfriend Scott. There is then a flashback of Jenna and her boyfriend Scott walking through a woods and into an abandoned house in which they stay the night in. Once inside the house Scott asks Jenna what they are doing there and she tells him that a young girl called Mary killed her father, mother and herself inside this house and that it is haunted. The young couple stay the night at the haunted house and in the morning as Scott looks out the window he is pushed out of the window and dies ending the flashback. Jenna then tells her physiatrist that there session is over and leaves. However as she leaves she drops a piece of paper which is the article about Mary killing her mother, father and herself and at this point it becomes clear to the audience that it was Jenna that killed Scott. The narrative of this film is not linear as it does not follow a chronological order it is of two scenes in the beginning and the end joint by a flashback which lasts most of the duration of the film.

Different types of camera shots and techniques are used in the short film “Vanished” in order to create different types of effects and atmospheres for the audience watching. For example at the beginning of the film there is a tracking shot of the young couple Jenna and Scott walking through the woods which shows the audience the setting in which the film is set in, a remote woods which is a conventional setting for the horror genre. There is also an establishing shot of an abandoned house in the middle of the woods which foreshadows to the audience that something bad is going to happen in the house and again this setting is conventional to the horror genre. A close up is used to show the article Jenna is holding about the girl Mary who kills herself and parents which connotes to the audience something bad is going to happen later on in the film.

Also a medium shot is used when Scott goes to the toilet showing him alone in the dark and a shadow moving past behind him creating a scary and tense atmosphere for the audience watching. This is further emphasised by the medium close up of him showing his worried face adding to the tension of the audience. A low angle shot is used showing Scott’s trainers and the feet and legs of a girl wearing a white dress which adds to the suspense and tension of the film as the girls face is not revealed yet at this point and the audience are thinking to themselves who is she and what’s going to happen to Scott. Another conventional camera shot used by the film “Vanished” is an over the shoulder shot of the girl looking at Scott who is looking out the window and this adds to the scariness, suspense and tension of the film. Also a handheld shot was used in order to show the dark and scary environment the young couple are in which makes the atmosphere for the audience seem more tense and scary.

The editing in the short film “Vanished” is also significant in order to create a realistic, scary and tense atmosphere for the audience watching for example the fade when the film cuts from Jenna in the physiatrist’s office to the flashback of her in the woods with Scott which adds to the suspense of the film as the audience are wondering what happened to Scott. Also the eye line match when Jenna’s physiatrist picks up the article of Mary killing herself and her parents which indicate to the audience that Jenna killed Scott and this adds to the spookiness of the film. This is further emphasised by the frequent cuts of the words in the article. Finally a long take is used when Scott is alone in the dim lit room and this adds to the suspense, tension and scariness for the audience watching and this is also done by the fade out of the music.  

Sound is also a very important part of the short horror film “Vanished” as it adds to the scariness, suspense and tension of the film for example the unusual non diegetic music of the piano playing in the woods when the couple walk towards the abandoned house which adds to the scary atmosphere of the audience watching. Also the voice over when Jenna tells Scott about her discovering the article of Mary killing her parents and herself in the same house they are in adds to the suspense and scariness of the film as the audience are wondering what will happen to the both of them now that they are in the same house that Mary lived in. Diegetic sounds are also used for example the floor boards creaking when the girl in white dress slowly approaches Scott adds to the suspense and tension of the film as the audience know that Scott is going to be killed. Ambient sounds are used for example of the birds singing when Scott looks out the window and this puts the audience in a false sense of security as they think everything is ok when really it’s not as the music then changed and Scott gets killed. Crescendos and diminuendos are also used when Scott is alone in the dark to further add tension for the audience watching and to make it more scarier for them.

Mise-en-scene is selected and contrasted to create a scary and realistic environment and atmosphere for the audience watching such as the lighting being low key and only lit by candles a conventional lighting technique used by the horror genre adding to the suspense and tension of the film. Make up is also used well for example of the girl who kills Scott by pushing him out the window, the make up on her face is of white foundation with blood marks around her face making her seem scary and supernatural adding to the scariness of the film for the audience watching. Finally the acting is also important in order for the film to seem realistic and scary for example Jenna acts mysterious and suspicious intriguing the audience in to carry on watching the film.

To conclude the short horror film “Vanished” uses the four technical codes camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene effectively in creating a scary, tense and realisitc atmosphere for the audience watching. This is also mainly done by the film using generic conventions of the horror genre such as low key lighting and unusual music which builds up suspense and scares the audience further.

Textual Analysis on the short horror film “Bump”

The short film “Bump” directed by Martin Troy, Jerod Brennen and produced by Zane Gocha and Martin Troy is a horror film having many generic conventions of a horror film such as unusual music, frequent cuts and being filmed at night. This short film was found on YouTube and was produced to experiment with a new camera purchased by the film production team. The target audience for this horror film would be between the ages fifteen and twenty five year olds for both male and female and having the psychographics of explorers.

The storyline of the short film “Bump” is about two girls house sitting for some friends who are on vacation, who come across bumping noises in the basement garage. They then decide to investigate what the noises are being made from and come across a dog putting them in a false sense of security thinking it was the dog that made the noises when actually the noises came from a man wearing a clown mask who then kills both the girls ending the short film. The narrative is linear as it is shown in a chronological order and is concentrated on one scene and not cut with others making it clear for the audience watching to understand what is going on in the short film.

There are many different types of camera shots used in the short film “Bump” in order to create different effects and atmospheres for the audience watching. At the beginning of the film for example a pan and high angle shot is used in order to show the environment the two girls are in a dark bedroom creating a scary atmosphere for the audience watching. Also an establishing shot is used to show the setting in which the short horror film is set in a big house, which is a conventional setting and this camerawork is particularly conventional to the horror genre as it shows the situation the characters are in. A medium close up and two shot is used in order to show the reaction on the two girls faces showing that they are scared and freaked out which creates tension for the audience watching. Hand held shots are also used for example when one of the girls looks around the garage basement to create a “shakey effect” creating suspense and tension a very conventional camera technique used in horror films. Another conventional camera shot used in the horror genre by the film is a point of view shot when the girl looks around the garage which is again used to create tension and a scary and realistic atmosphere for the audience watching.

The use of editing is also significant in horror films such as the frequent cuts used for example when one of the girls hears a noise in the garage and goes to find out what caused the noise. These frequent cuts are used to create tension and suspense for the audience watching a conventional editing technique used in horror films. Reaction shots are used to show the expressions on the characters faces for example the noises they hear in the garage and this creates tension and makes the atmosphere in which the characters are in seem scarier for the audience watching. Also a long take is used to build up tension and suspense for the audience watching and this is a commonly used technique associated with the horror genre. An eye line match is also used when the girl opens the door to the garage in order to create further suspense and tension for the audience watching as time taken to open the door is increased.

One of the most important aspects of short horror films is sound and this is used effectively in the film “Bump” for example at the beginning of the film there is a crescendo which makes the atmosphere in which the characters are in seem scarier. Also non diegetic music is used to create suspense and tension for example when one of the girls enters the garage. The use of diegetic sounds such as the door creaking and the girl screaming adds to the tension and suspense of the film for the audience watching and further emphasises something bad is going to happen to the two girls known as foreshadowing. The dialogue in the film “Bump” is mainly used to explain the situation the girls are in and to show how scared they are which is again a conventional technique used in horror films. A synchronous sound is also used in the horror film “Bump” when the girl gets stabbed by the man she screams scaring the audience watching and making them “jump” from their seats.

Mise-en-scence is also selected and contrasted in order to create a scary and realistic atmosphere for the audience to watch in for example lighting. The film is mainly shot in low key lighting in order to create a scary atmosphere for the audience watching and when the girl enters the garage the lighting used there by the girl is a torch to further create tension and suspense for the audience watching a commonly used technique. The use of props for example the baseball bat the girl carries a conventional proximity weapon indicates to the audience that there is someone else inside the house with them and this adds to the suspense. The acting style of the girls is of them acting scared and worried which adds to the tension of the film and this is a stereotypical acting style associated with the horror genre. The costume used in the short film “Bump” is used to make the film seem more realistic for the audience watching and the clown mask of the man a conventional iconography associated with the horror genre makes it scarier for the audience watching.   

To conclude the short film “Bump” is an effective short film as it uses the four technical codes camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene to portray a scary atmosphere for the audience to watch in. They are also used to create tension and suspense for the audience watching leaving them “sitting on the edge of their seats” waiting to find out what happens to the two girls towards the end.
 

Intial Ideas Considered

Our first idea for our short film we considered is about a boy called Joe who goes camping with his friends and decides to also invite his ex-girlfriend Emma which whom he is still upset about breaking up with her. When Joe packs for camping in the woods it is revealed that he also packs a photo of Emma and a knife. The auidence are lead to believe that Joe is going to kill Emma which is also assumed when Joe goes to collect more wood for the fire whilst his friends are getting killed by a mystery killer. Towards the end the killer is revealed who turns out to be Joe's Mum adding a twist towards the film, who also kills Emma as she hurt his son. However this hurts Joe more than the break up and he finally ends up killing his own mother when finally he wakes up and realises that it was only a dream.

Our second idea that we considered is about a seventeen year old girl who is fighting for her life with the help of her mother,  step brother and a priest from an evil spirit possessed in her body. For the course of the film the priest’s faith will be tested in the battle to save her from the evil spirit and both the mother and step brother will be subjected to great terror as she goes through an experience they will never forget. Towards the end of the film the priest is lead to believe that he has killed the evil spirit when he releases it from the girl but the spirit then posses the mother who ends up killing her step son, the priest and herself.

An analyse on the short film “The Black Hole”

I am analysing the short film “The Black Hole” directed by Phil & Olly. The genre of this short film is comedy having the generic conventions of having a twist towards the end, a recognisable setting and a simple idea that is not complex. This film was found on YouTube on the Futre Shorts channel a film festival company funded by the UK Film Council. The target audience of the film would be somewhere between the ages 25-30 because of the simplicity.

The storyline of the short film “The Black Hole” is about a man who is working alone at an office photo copying sheets when he suddenly comes across a sheet of paper with a black circle on it. He then realises that the black circle on the sheet acts like a black hole and allows objects to go through it and then ends up using it to steal money by sticking the sheet of paper on the safe. However his greed takes the better of him and he ends up getting trapped as he climbs into the safe whilst the sheet of paper falls down behind him being the twist towards the end of the film. The narrative is linear as it is shown in a chronological order and is not cut with other scenes taking part at the same time.  

The main camera shots used in the short film “The Black Hole” are medium close ups and close ups in order to show the mans reaction on his face for example when he finds out that the sheet with the black circle on acts like a black hole. Also wide shots and long shots are also used to show the setting and action taking place in scene for example the wide shot showing him that he is in an office. Editing is also used for example the use of reaction shots on the mans face when he finds out the piece of paper with the black circle acts like a black hole which is then followed by an eye-line match to further emphasise this. Frequent cuts are also used in order to make the short film seem paced and less boring for the audience watching which is a convention of a short film. The sounds used in the short film “The Black Hole” are for example diegetic sounds of the photo copier for example in order to make the scene seem more realistic for the audience watching. Non-diegetic music is also used for example again when he finds out the sheet of paper acts like a black hole indicating to the audience that something weird and unusual has happened.

Mise-en-scence is selected and contrasted in order to create a realistic environment and atmosphere for the audience to watch in for example the props used such as the photo copier, plastic cup, chairs, lamp etc. This is also demonstrated with costume as the man is wearing a smart shirt and tie a stereotypical thing that would be worn in an office. Low-key lighting is also used in order to show that the man is alone in the office and that no one else is with him. I believe that there is an encoded message or value in short film “The Black Hole” being that it is bad to be greedy and we find towards the end of the film he actually climbs into the safe to check whether he has taken all the money only to get trapped inside it.

To conclude the short film “The Black Hole” is an effective short film as camera shots, editing techniques, sound and mise-en-scene are used effectively and appropriately to create humour for the audience watching and it also has a twist towards the end a stereotypical feature of a comedy related film.