Draft evaluation

Here is a very rough first draft of the evaluation for my practical coursework piece. It is much too short at the moment (1024 words), however I can continue to add to it.

For my practical piece, I made a horror film which drew inspiration from several different short films which I studied. Firstly, the film has almost no dialogue so the story is all told visually through performance and camerawork, similar to in Olly Williams’ ‘The Fly’. I paid close attention to the film’s use of camerawork, editing and performance elements, all of which are used to tell the story visually. For example, I used lots of eyeline matches in order to position the audience with the main character and give an insight into their thought process. Secondly, I used similar tension building techniques to the film ‘Operator’, directed by Caroline Bartleet. I was particularly inspired by Bartleet’s use of sound to build tension, and the general importance of sound as a filmmaking tool. I tried to utilise silence in my film which, if used correctly, can be a fantastic way to build tension, especially in horror films, where silence is generally contrasted with moments of sudden, loud noise. Operator also uses fairly restricted, un-stylised cinematography, with lots of static camera shots and close ups, forcing the viewer to pay close attention to what the actors are saying. Another inspiration was the film ‘Echo’, directed by Lewis Arnold. This film inspired me with its use of ambiguity, particularly with character back-stories and motivation. In ‘Echo’, we do not fully understand the thought process and reasoning behind the main character’s actions, and we are given clues to her backstory, then left to fill in the blanks. In my film, I tried to include very subtle hints to the character’s backstory, especially through performance. For example, when the character sees the girl behind her in the mirror, I directed the actor to react as if she had seen her before, suggesting that the girl may be a person from her past haunting her. The symbolism of the blood which she sees on her face in the mirror also suggests guilt about a violent action, perhaps murder, similar to in Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’, when Lady Macbeth has visions of blood on her hands which she cannot wash off.

In addition to these set short films, I was also inspired by other short horror films, particularly those directed by David Sandberg. In particular, I borrowed aspects from his short film, ‘Lights Out’, such as the basic structure in order to build up and relieve tension. Like in ‘Lights Out’, I built up tension before temporarily relieving it with a fairly small jump scare. After this, everything seems to be ok, however the film builds to a second, bigger jump-scare. I also was inspired by visuals in feature films, for example Stanley Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’. The is a scene in The Shining where two twins appear and gradually appear closer and closer to the protagonist, creating a very chilling effect. In my film, I adapted this to my concept by having the creepy girl in the mirror get gradually closer to the protagonist every time she turns around.

In my film, I tried to use narrative structure for dramatic effect and to grip the audience. I adapted Todorov’s narrative stages of equilibrium, disruption and new equilibrium in order to make the film both surprising and familiar. The film starts with the familiar equilibrium of the character getting ready for bed, until the equilibrium is disrupted by the appearance of blood on her face in the mirror. This threat gradually builds, reaching the climax of when the girl’s entire face is covered in blood. After this, the girl tries to calm herself down and the blood disappears from her face, acting as a false denouement, as if we have reached the resolution of the film. The girl walks back to the bathroom to check her face in the mirror and, to her relief, the blood has disappeared. However, just as we think that everything has gone back to normal, the creepy girl appears again, this time in real life and not just in the mirror, leaving the story on a cliff-hanger. This is one way in which I have demonstrated the difference in narrative structure between short and feature films as, in a feature film, the ending would tend to tie everything up and would not end on such an unresolved note, however this is fairly common in short films (including all of the aforementioned ones).

I tried to use micro-elements in my short film in order to tell the story, develop character and build atmosphere and tension. I used fairly low-key lighting to set a moody tone for the film, creating a sinister, uncomfortable atmosphere from the offset, suggesting that something bad is going to happen. I also used the symbol of blood, which contrasts in colour to the otherwise muted palette, as a generic symbol of horror, building fear and tension. I also used editing, specifically the pace of cutting, to build tension gradually and subtly. The film begins with fairly slow cuts, however as tension is build up and released in certain parts of the film, the pace of editing increases and decreases in accordance with the mood of the scene. For example, in the opening scene where the girl first sees blood on her face in the mirror, the pace of editing gradually builds throughout the scene, however when she gives up and continues getting ready for bed, this is contrasted with a long take which lasts about 20 seconds. I also used fairly subtle camerawork in a similar way, using tighter shots like close ups and big close ups on more intense moments, making the audience feel claustrophobic and boxed-in, contrasted by long shots for the more relaxed moments in the film, making it feel like the character has room to breathe. I used non-diegetic sound as a cue for fear and tension in various parts of the film. For roughly the first minute and a half of the film, the sound is all diegetic, however after this some ambient music creeps in, creating a sinister and supernatural atmosphere. I also used ‘jump-scare’ sounds as a cue for the audience to be frightened when the creepy girl appears.