Individual ResearchBy Harry Gunner

Five teenagers head off for a weekend at a secluded cabin in the woods. They arrive to find they are quite isolated with no means of communicating with the outside world. When the cellar door flings itself open, they of course go down to investigate. They find an odd assortment of curios, but when one of the women, Dana, reads from a book, she awakens a family of deadly zombie killers. However, there's far more going on than meets the eye, as the five campers are all under observation.

After watching this film, I had picked out a wide range of key points and ideas that I could use for my film. The idea of having an isolated house already brings suspense towards the viewers / audience. This can help me when it comes to deciding what mise-en-scene to use. The clothing and make-up the actors use to look like zombies is very affective. I will look up tutorials on YouTube that can help me create affective and real looking blood and gore to help bring realism to the film.

The Cabin in the woods

Secondly, the idea of using zombies is another generic convention i could use for my OTS.

In 1971, Carolyn and Roger Perron move their family into a farm house and soon strange things start happening around it with escalating nightmarish terror. In desperation, Carolyn contacts the noted paranormal investigators, Ed and Lorraine Warren, to examine the house. What the Warrens discover is a whole area steeped in a satanic haunting that is now targeting the Perron family wherever they go.

The conjuring has given me a variety of different ideas that I can use for the OTS. The sub-genre Paranormal is a great idea that I could use. Using ‘Nightmarish terror’ would really work with my OTS. Also using a Farm House for mise-en-scene will build suspense, just like ‘The Cabin In The Woods’ as it’s an isolated area.

The conjuring

A girl is mysteriously killed after recording herself playing with an ancient Ouija Board, which leads to a close group of friends to investigate this board.

After watching this film, I realised that there are loads of mise-en-scene I could use that would help me create and affective OTS. To start, using an Ouija Board as a prop already creates an affective storyline as it’s used to communicate to the dead. Also, just like ‘The Cabin In The Woods’ and ‘The Conjuring’ the location is in an isolated house, where theres no communication to the outside world. The lighting used throughout the film is very affective too as it’s low key lighting giving a dark mood in the atmosphere.

Ouija

It also brings fear to the viewers / audience.

When a gang of masked, ax-wielding murderers descend upon the Davison family reunion, the hapless victims seem trapped. Until an unlikely guest of the family proves to be the most talented killer of all.

‘You’re Next’ is the film I would like to do my OTS around as it has no supernatural conventions and it’s a simple home invasion. The idea of having people with masks and axes is really threatening and scaring for the audience. If I did base my film around ‘You’re Next’ I would mostly have to think about the mise-en-scene I would use i.e. Clothing, Lighting, Action, Make-up, Props and setting.

You’re Next

While video chatting one night, six high school friends receive a Skype message from a classmate who killed herself exactly one year ago. At first they think it's a prank, but when the girl starts revealing the friends' darkest secrets, they realise they are dealing with something out of this world, something that wants them dead. Told entirely from a young girl's computer desktop.

‘Unfriended’ would most likely suit us as its about students at school talking over social network which we are all part of. After watching the trailer, I have gained a variety of ideas i.e low key lighting and recored during the night to give more of a dark atmosphere.

Unfriended