CAMERA

IDEAS Lighting ideas

Throughout the beginning of the trailer, a variety of camera techniques will be used in order to generate

the desired atmosphere needed to elongate the

tension. Establishing shots will be used, so audiences can get a scope of the utter isolation and

individuality of the Cumberwell house, and how

alone the couple are. The duration of shots will, on average, be approximately 4 seconds – not long

enough to force audiences to lose attention, and not short enough to lose the focus of each individual

shot. Slow zooms will be continuously used

throughout the first 30 seconds, in order to plant the idea that Kerrie and Joel are being watched, and

there are external forces pressing in on them. The

180 degree rule will be used in order to show the interaction between the characters, as well as giving

a basic insight into the personalities of each .Furthermore, the camera will often move between

doorframes and around corners, adding to the

aforementioned idea that they are being watched.

For this trailer, a Nikon D90 DSLR camera will be

used. This camera shoots in high resolution and is

able to extend up to ISO 6400, allowing for a multitude of shots that vary in colour, brightness

and style. The camera is not especially heavy either, allowing for easier handheld movement without

shaking, and is relatively easy to use.

In terms of lighting during the first half of the trailer, ambient lighting will mainly be utilised in

showing shots of the house and the couple, as this

introductory basis for the trailer will take place in the daytime. However, after Joel finds the basement,

the rest of the film will take place at night, meaning

that lighting will need to be manipulated to create a desired effect. One such example of how I intend to

manipulate the lighting is by standing outside a shot, taking pictures with the flash on, in order to

give the impression of lighting – a common

convention of supernatural horror films.

In order to guarantee stability and the fluidity of camera movement, the D90 will be mounted on a tripod,

which will subsequently be placed on a modified skateboard and manned by two people. Evidently, this is

inspired by Kubrick’s iconic use of a Steadicam in The Shining, and will hopefully emphasise the imagery of each particular shot and allow shots to have a longer duration without unsteadiness or jerking movements. This

method of filming will be used predominantly for the first half of the trailer, as it will allow for swift movement

through rooms and long shots of various scares in the distance. It may also be used for the final ‘jumpscare’ of the trailer, where Joel will be standing facing the mirror (behind the camera) and the camera will pan to the side

to show a ghost of a little girl standing outside the door. Joel will then switch the light on, and the demon will

be seen in the corner of the bathroom.

As the second half of the trailer takes place at night, many of the lamps, candles, and lighting devices will be moved around on set in order to generate enough light to film by. Key and profile

lighting will be used to great effect, as this will allow for the entities haunting the house to only be

glimpsed – not giving away too much of the appeal of the film, while giving the audience enough to entice them to actively pursue the film. Furthermore, the main source of light will be the natural

lighting of the moon and the candles available to hand. Although battery powered lamps will be

used to create shadows and tricks of the light, candles will be the primary focus of light, as I am trying to emphasise the old-fashioned grandeur of the house and remind audiences of the

supernatural horrors of the past. This, combined with the decor of the house, will also serve to link the film in with the gothic subgenre, adding an element of individuality to The Basement that may

not be found elsewhere.

As the trailer begins to escalate in pace with the

reveal of the horror, the camera will be utilised

accordingly. For the third quarter of the trailer, shots will vary in length, though will on average

be shorter than those of the first half of the trailer. This infrequent pacing will allow the

camera to focus on prolonging tension for

emphasised jumpscares, while also allowing for quick shots of half-hidden horrors and panicked

dialogue, generating the necessary amount of

emphasis for the last quarter of the trailer. Moreover, these shots will intersect with one-

three straps, put into place in order to give the audience an insight into what is actually

happening without focusing heavily on the plot.

Repetition of certain words and emphasis on horror-related words will be shown in each of

these straps, to signify the subgenre and create

symbiosis with the tagline seen on other elements of the promotional package like the

poster. The font used in each of these straps will be reminiscent of fonts used in Hammer horrors

– big, bold, red – with little need for subtlety.

For this third quarter of the trailer, the camera will be taken off the tripod and be used

handheld for the majority of the shots. This

will allow the camera to get close ups of the actors, allowing the audience to share in their

fear. It also allows for a wider variety of unusual angles and personal shots to be used

– particularly low/high angle shots, of which

plenty will be used during this part of the trailer in order to show the transition of

power from the couple to the entities haunting

them. Also, the D90 can be placed amongst objects on tabletops and allow for closer over-

the-shoulder shots, fully enforcing the idea that the evil is closing in on them – an idea

alluded to in the techniques used in the first

half of the trailer. Furthermore, for this part of the trailer, shallow focus will be used in order

to shift attention to the entities that will

mainly be in the background of the shot. This technique will be displayed once or twice, as it

is often hugely effective in giving the viewer a tantalising glimpse of the horror, but only if it

is not overused.

When the last quarter of the trailer begins, a series of montage clips will be used. Construction of

memorable imagery is essential here, as these images

flashing up on screen in 1-2 second bursts are likely to be one of the main aspects of the film that the

audience will remember. Therefore, each shot will

have a flicker effect, in and out of what I will consider to be the more effective scares of the movie. It will

primarily consist of close ups and medium shots, as well as more use of shallow focus but with the horror

being much closer to the foreground than shown

before. Black, reds and yellows will be the main colours on screen – black for darkness, red for blood,

and yellow for candlelight.

Lighting will be flickering and minimal throughout these montage clips. Only vivid profile lighting will be used t o draw

full attention to the horrors being witnessed, and the self-made lightning will be often provide the only illumination for

the action on screen, throwing the characters into screaming silhouettes and distorting everything happening within the shot. The lighting will remain this way until the title is shown in white, bold, huge letters, silhouetted against a

black screen, which will then be followed by the jumpscare mentioned on one of the previous pages. For this final scene, the lighting will return to ‘normal’, with ambient lighting being manipulated in order to show the outside of the

room in darkness, with the bathroom being dimly lit, in order to accentuate the demon within.

There will be particular emphasis on the final shot within the montage. On this instance, each time the shot flickers into the next, it will be a continuation of the previous shot. For this succession of interlinked shots only, a slightly

shaky camera will be used, to differentiate it from the rest and allow it to embed itself into the viewer’s psyche. The

cameraman will be descending into the basement, and a new kind of demon will be shown, silhouetted against the light of the candle, at the back of the shot. This particular demon will be the primary antagonist of the film, and the

primary reason the house is exposed to such entities and horrors. For this reason, very little will be revealed of its

actual features, but the outline of its shape will be enough to imprint upon the viewers consciousness – horned, clawed, and freakishly tall, raising its claws up within the succession of shots. Excluding the flickering light of the

candle, the entire basement will be in relative darkness, ensuring that only a glimpse is available of this demon. This

will hopefully be enough to envoke a sense of lingering fear within audiences, prompting them to watch the film.

INFLUENTIAL SHOTS

The Woman in Black (2012)

I loved the first half of this film for

its minimal use of sound, emphasis

on atmosphere, and old-school

scares. This particular shot-reverse-

shot provides an unexpected scare,

as viewers see Daniel Radcliffe’s

character surveying the grounds,

seeing nothing, and then it cuts back

to this.

Insidious (2010)

This particular shot of the silhouetted

demon embedded itself into my

consciousness for a long time, and

eventually allowed me to form the

idea for the devil in the basement. The

movement, pose, and height of this

demon is perfectly attuned to what I

envision for my own creation,

although mine will look different.

The Shining (1980)

The way this shot flickers onto the

screen for half a second demonstrates

the power of Kubrick’s direction –

imprinting a single shot onto the

viewers’ senses without even needing

to linger on it. The symmetrical

portrayal of the brilliantly vivid

imagery will be the source of

inspiration behind some of the

imagery I hope to create within my

trailer, with emphasis on bold colours

and symmetry.

Let the Right One In (2008)

This extended long shot endures for

almost 40 seconds as Oskar holds his

breath underwater, waiting to drown

– and he is not the only one holding

his breath as the audience are forced

to stare at the image of a young boy

dying. Until the hand holding him

down detached from its arm. The

patience and execution of this shot

taught me that not all scenes to be fast

paced and action-heavy to be scary.