Planning: Sound

Sound is a key feature of a a film and is especially crucial in the making of a horror film. For my own short film I have decided to keep the sound simple. There will be no dialogue in the film as I think this would be hard to present in the format of a short film and may over complicate it for the audience as it is only a short amount of time. Keeping dialogue absent form the film also develops a strong sense of mystery for the audience which I want to be continued through the narrative also.
There will be a mixture of diegetic and nondiegetic sound in my film to create a realistic but sinister effect. The diegetic sound from within the scenes will create a strong sense of realism. Sound such as a kettle boiling and TV playing will be heard which is something that would be heard from an average household. There will also be screaming in the diegetic sound which is a typical feature of horror films and instantly instils fear with the audience. I will also add non diegetic sound in the form of background music to be played over certain scenes. I think this will be a key element in adding more fear to my film as it will be creepy, sinister music. Also loud sound effect will be used to create a jumpy effect, shocking the audience.

Websites I will use to find copyright free music and sound effects:
www.freesound.org
freeplaymusic.com
www.royaltyfreemusic.com

I have used freesound.org the most because I found this easy to sign up for and there is a wide range of sound and music that can be used for any film type. I managed to find the necessary sound effects and music that I wanted to create the effect for my film. The website is also easy to use and it provides free downloads with no copyright or royalties.

Short Film: Butterface

Butterface
Mise-en-scene

• view from a moving train - passes by buildings, cars, houses etc. - through scratched window showing the normality or the situation and making it relatable - production company and film title also shown
• inside of normal train - relatable for audience
• camera opposite man and woman sitting next to each other
• man wearing dark shirt/woman wearing oink scarf - showing differences between them
• man goes to bathroom - looking into scratched mirror - basic props that would be seen in everyday life
• woman standing outside train on bare platform

Sound

• constant sound of train moving - diegetic
• man's voice over - as if the man is speaking his thoughts while on the train - thinking about the woman next to him
• doubtful/dull tone in his voice - gives indications to his personality

Lighting

• Natural lighting from window - grey/dull because of weather
• little lighting on train - mostly form windows
• bathroom has darker lighting - contrast in settings from when the man is with the woman and when he is alone

Camera Shots

• point of view shot form opposite the woman and man - medium close up shot - makes the audience feel part of the film
• close up of woman when she is looking out the window - showing the focus of the man's thoughts on her - camera then pans across to look out of the window as well
• point of view shot from man's perspective looking into mirror in bathroom
• camera focuses on the lipstick mark left on the window by the woman - this leaves the audience with an enigma of what would've happened if the man had spoken to the woman
  

Narrative

• man sitting train with pretty woman next to him
• he wants to make a move and speak to her but is too scared
• he goes to bathroom and when he comes back she is gone and is now standing on platform outside waving to him
• then realises the lipstick mark left on the window by the woman showing mutual attraction - leaving the audience with the question of what would've happened between them?

Short Film: Room 8

Room 8
Mise-en-scene

• Set in a prison with few props and a very bare cell - bed and desk is all that can be seen
• Dull costume - dark coloured uniform - emphasises the setting of a prison type of place
• Men seem unclean/dirty and bruised - shows nature of place it is set - dangerous

Sound

• Foreign language spoken at beginning - changes to English between two men in cell
• Eerie diegetic sounds throughout - creaking floorboard and wind - sets a creepy and mysterious tone making the audience on edge
• Non-diegetic music comes in - builds as the characters emotions build - adds eerie tone showing the mystery of what will happen
• Music continues getting louder until prisoner is caught after trying to escape  - suddenly slows down dramatically and gets quieter
• Goes back to foreign language at end as the man tells guards to send the next man in

Lighting

• Lighter outside cell but darker inside, this can be seen from window - shows the idea of being trapped in there
• Low key lighting - dark and dull
• shadowing is used to create suspense with audience and they mystery of what the man is doing with the match boxes

Camera Shots

• Medium/medium close up shots used when the men are in conversation
• Zoom in on man's face when dramatic point occurs emphasising his shocked expression
• Bird's eye view shot of drawer the man is putting the match box in as the audience are shown many other match boxes highlighting that this happens a lot and this adds more mystery because the audience don't know why he does this adding enigma at the end

Narrative

• Story shows a prison that captures people run by a man in the cell
• Confusing concept of space as they appear to be life size but then one man becomes tiny as he climbs out of the box/room
• Man in cell then captures the tiny man in a match box and puts him in a draw along with many other match boxes

Short Film: The Ride

The Ride
Mise-en-scene

• Typical shops with car park outside, white/old car
• Bare landscape, not very busy
• Setting of a small town
• Costume - normal, day to day clothing - trousers and denim jacket/cardigan and top - man changes, wears balaclava at end

Sound

• At beginning there is no dialogue - just diegetic sound can be heard, road/traffic/radio
• Dialogue begins with woman and man - Australian accents - conversations indicates there is history between them
• Woman starts screaming when men in balaclavas get into car - dramatic change from the conversation previously with the man on his own

Lighting

• Washed out colour with bright day light from bleak sky
• Lighting doesn't indicate any drama so it is unexpected when the drama unfolds at the end
• This also shows a contrast between the lighting and plot of the film

Camera Shots

• Long shots near beginning enable audience to familiarise themselves with setting
• Medium close up shots in the car when a character is talking
• Frequent use of reverse shots in the conversation with the man and woman
• Extreme long shot used at end as car is driving away - shows the drama was compacted into the car only and outside of the car everything appears normal

Narrative

• Story of a couple, who have broken up, meeting again while the man is waiting for his friends
• They get talking and the man offers the woman a lift home
• Then his friends get into the cra wearing balaclavas and holding bags from what looks to be a robbery and the man drives off