WORK LOG- MASK MAKING

MASK MAKING

A substantial part of our coursework is of course the use of mise en scene, which includes costume and makeup. For our final character profiling we have decided to adhere to the codes and conventions of slasher horror villains and are giving our silent killer a mask which will hide their identity.
We have decided that our mask will be designed in a way which resembles patches of skin taken from different victims, sewn together to make the mask's base. However, instead of having a mask which will cover the entirety of the killers' faces, we have decided to make it so that it only covers approximately half of the face, as it will be the killer's work in progress- they are still 'harvesting' skin from victims, thus it will not yet be complete. This is also good for mise en scene as we are able to show parts of the killers' emotions- they will of course be pleased when they catch the victim in the film opening, therefore we will leave the mouth free of any form of cover so that a smirk etc is visible.

When thinking of how to make the mask, I brainstormed ways in which I could make it realistic looking. I came across several online tutorials regarding special effects skin making, however they all involved use of expensive equipment and products which was not ideal for us as we didn't want to have to limit ourselves to a budget.
I then did further research into young film making companies made up of mostly university students whom had little to no funds when making their films- by doing this, I found out that simple household items could be used to make faux skin...



The items I used to make the mask are as follows:

• A pre-made plain paper mache mask
• plain flour
• vaseline
• skin foundation
• flexible wire
• watercolour paints

Firstly, I mixed together the flour and vaseline to make a scar-wax like consistency- after experimenting with different amounts, I discovered that using one-part vaseline to two-parts flour gave the ideal consistency for the mask.

After this, I added some simple foundation makeup to give the mixture a skin tone- as it was very pigmented, I only needed to add about 1/4 of a teaspoon to give the wax the correct colour. As the mask is supposed to be made up of multiple victims' skin, each new batch of faux skin would be mixed with a different foundation colour, or another household item such as coffee, so the entire mask wasn't made up of the same skin tone.

Once all of the fake skin was made, I began to flatten it out into random shapes with untidy edges, seeing as they would be brutally removed by the killers. Then, I dampened the pre-made paper mache mask, and pressed the faux skin into the mask so it stuck to the surface. I gradually built the side of the face and nose up to make the shape of mask which we wanted for the killers, and once it was done I used watercolour paints on top to create a dirty, bloodied surface on the skin, as before, it looked too clean.

Once the main skin base of the mask was complete, I used flexible wire to make stitches between each patch of skin, so that it would resemble separate sewn patches, by cutting it into small pieces, bending it slightly, and pressing it into the edges of each skin section.

Finally, we cut around where the 'skin' was glued onto the mask, so it created the illusion of only covering a selected part of the face.

UPDATE: This is how our mask appeared on camera. It looked even better when filmed in the dark, as it was not completely clear thus creating a sense of the fear of the unknowing, yet the focus group we asked to watch our piece said still easy enough to tell that the mask was made out of victims' skin.

PROS AND CONS OF THE SLASHER SUB-GENRE

PROS AND CONS OF USING THE SLASHER SUB-GENRE

For our final coursework piece, we have decided to choose the Slasher sub genre as our main basis (with included elements of thriller horror). We picked this sub-genre to focus on as we felt that we are able to express lots of our knowledge of cinematography in general, and experiment with new techniques both in and post-production parts of making the film opening.

Of course, there are both advantages and disadvantages to this choice of sub-genre, and it is important to understand what they are before filming in order to be aware of what we need to put more focus on when filming and editing the opening.


Location

• The codes and conventions of slasher horror feature an extensive range of location; from an everyday well known location such as a school, to a darker and more eerie one such as a forest. For our final film opening, we have decided to use a basic home setting, a dimly lit street, and an urban-style overpass, which are very easy for us to use as it is close to home and it will not cost anything extra to either travel to or use, as they are public settings all within walking distance.
• The only problem we may face with location is mostly to do with the weather. We would ideally like to film in the evening, when everything is dark. It would be ideal for there to be quite miserable, post-rain weather, as this could count as pathetic fallacy- a common convention of the slasher genre. Of course, the weather is out of our control so we cannot decide what it will be like at the time of filming, therefore we can't guarantee a particular type of weather.

Mise en scene

• Mise en scene is a prevalent feature within the slasher sub-genre, as it can make the audience aware of both events which could happen in the future, as well as things like character traits and what type of situation they could end up in according to the codes and conventions of the genre. Luckily, our chosen characters will be very simple to present through mise en scene; alcohol bottles, pill packets and use of simple makeup and costume are simple things which can be included using objects from around the house.
• A problem we may face with props in mise en scene is use of weaponry when filming. The killers will have visible weaponry (handheld such as knives) which if not planned responsibly could result in members of the public wrongly assuming how we are using such items. Another problem which we could possible face is the realism of the makeup used in the film opening. If it doesn't look extremely realistic, the final piece will not look as professional as it should. To overcome this, we are going to ensure that a good amount of time is spent on planning and applying any makeup and special effects so that it looks as realistic as possible.

FINAL CHARACTER PROFILES

Victim

For our AS media film opening we decided to have our initial victim as a female, as in horror films a female is seen as generally more vulnerable which is the feel we wanted for her character. However she isn't a "Mary sue", she is not at all a conservative character, as in the opening she is on her way to pick up some drugs. This will be further emphasised through use of mise en scene, where in her flat there will be various explicit and non conservative items such as lighters, cigarettes and alcohol.

She'll be wearing dark, grungy colours to show that she isn't a pure person, and she will have make up on, for example: smokey black eyeliner and dark lipstick to showcase her non-conservative, somewhat unruly nature. Going by horror film codes and conventions she has done things that would get her killed, and that's what we are aiming to portray through this character; We don't want a final girl in our film opening, but someone that, in a cynical way, deserves death.
An example of this is in the opening of "Scream". Casey (Drew Barrymore) gets a call from an anonymous caller and despite having a boyfriend she gets flirtatious with the person on the other end, even lying and saying she doesn't have a boyfriend. This gives justification for her to be killed off, according to codes and conventions, and does eventually get killed by Ghostface in the opening. 

However, this doesn't mean to say that our character is an 'ice maiden'. When she does get captured, she is genuinely terrified and really wants to stay alive. While she may appear like she hates everything and is a complete sadist who would want to rebell, not caring about the consequences she may face through her non-conservative attitude on the outside, she isn't on the inside. She just wants to get on with her life and do what she likes (which involves traits and characteristics that by horror convention must mean she will die) but by no means does she want her life to end.
In addition to the main first victim, we will also use another victim who has already met their demise because of the actions of the killers- this will be the same girl as seen in the missing poster during the flashback scene of the film opening. We will be displaying their corpse on screen as a way of showing the audience what dangerous situation the (alive) victim is now in.

Killers

To subvert from the traditional slasher use of one killer, we have decided to use two almost identical killers in our film opening. To follow the codes and conventions of slasher horror, both killers will be masked to some extent- we will have masks which we have made to look like patches of victims' skin sewn together which covers part of the face (as it will be the killers' work-in-progress), and they will both be wearing identical black clothing which includes a hoodie which will also work to mask the face. When we put framing focus onto the killers' faces, it will be clear that they are somewhat scarred in a certain way, which could link to their back stories and motives.

Alike certain slasher genre killers such as Halloween's Michael Myers, our antagonists will both be silent as we feel like it will add to the overall eeriness of the situation. This will also make the audience more curious as to what the identities of the killers are.
In addition, they will have simple handheld weapons; a knife and possibly a small axe will be used by them when they are killing their victims, making the situation more frightening as these are objects familiar to most of us.



EDIT: Once filming was complete, it wasn't completely clear that our opening involved two killers, so instead we have decided to recreate the storyboard so that the film opening only involved one killer, which still looks professionally filmed whilst editing, however it doesn't subvert much from the traditions of the slasher genre.

LOCATION SCOUTING

As a substantial part of our coursework research, we have gone location scouting in order to find the ideal settings for our film opening.

Firstly, we decided to use my (Imogen's) house as a starting point, with the idea that we would be able to create a powerful starting setting using mise en scene, which we could accomplish through decoration and props when we film. Our main character in the film opening will be the first victim, and so will match codes and conventions of a non-conservative victim the slasher genre by being a drug user. To make the audience aware of this, we will decorate the living room in order to make it look like some sort of drug user's 'den'. As one of the small rooms in the house is in the process of being decorated, the wallpaper is partially torn, the curtains have been removed, and the room is mostly taken up by a simple bed and mattress, we think that this will act as a good setting well suited to this character, as the room looks rather neglected and mistreated. 

Next, we went outside and took photos of a nearby road; it was dimly lit by street lamps, which would be ideal for us, as we would be filming in the evening when it is dark, as this is a common convention of slasher and thriller horror. This long road is curved, which will provide the audience with the fear of the unknown, and is surrounded by the woods, giving it a hidden appearance which will be seen as eerie to the audience.

As the road was surrounded by the woods, we decided to take photos of parts of the woods seeing as it is a dark and secluded area, which is what we ideally would like to base our film opening around. The only disadvantage of using the woods would be both lighting, as we will be filming at night so it may look too artificial, as well as the fact that we would have liked a more urban setting; something less 'cliche' than the woodland.

Once we had left the woods, we found a nearby pedestrian overpass which crossed over a road. This gave us an ideal setting point as it is both secluded and of an urban 'style', and for us was the most ideal place for the victim to be stalked and eventually captured, as there are many columns which can be used as 'hiding places' for the killers, and the two staircases can present the vulnerability of the victim as she becomes trapped between the two killers who have used both entrances.

Additionally, we wanted a location for the killer to reside in and plan his murders, etc. For this we wanted a location which we could easily make appear eerie and mysterious as well as being an interior location which is nearby and easily accessible. For this, we have decided to use the photography dark room in school, as this is easily accessible and we already have permission to use it as we are both art students. We liked the dark room in particular as it has red lighting which created an eerie, dark effect.

Luckily, all of these settings are in close proximity to one another and are also within walking distance of my house- this is a big advantage to us as we do not have to spend any money to travel to and and also to use these settings as they are all public zones, free of charge to enter.

FINAL IDEAS- Film opening

We have decided to have our film opening fall into the horror category, more specifically the sub genre of slasher/thriller genre of film. We have drawn inspiration from horror films and thrillers alike.

Narrative/plot
It begins with our female character waking up bound and gagged in a dirty ditch, she realises where she is she begins to try and recall The opening is about a girl who's on her way to meet her friends to do drugs and other illicit activities . As she is about to leave her house she hears on the radio/television that people have been going missing. She walks down the dimly lit road and as she walks takes no notice of the missing posters with peoples faces on them. The audience get a view of her walking down the street from behind the bushes/ trees(from one of the killer's point of view). The audience follows her journey as she walks under a bridge and as she's walking an out of focus figure emerges from behind a column. She walks up the stairs and onto the bridge. The girl sees a masked figure at the other end of the bridge, we see the look of caution in a close up of her face. The masked figure starts to walk towards her, she turns around in an attempt to flee however she is greeted with another masked figure. They both begin to walk towards her she screams in a series of fast paced case up quick cuts. The screen fades to black.

Bonus footage(optional). She finally remembers how she got there, however footsteps can be heard and as she looks up she see boots coming down the steps and the last shot is of her weeping crying face as she screams.


Characters
We looked at various iconic slasher villains and came up with killers that we feel are a combination of multiple; We're having two killers as we see this as a bigger threat and makes the victim more hopeless as there is no way she can escape her fate, films such as 'Scream' have two killers and towards the end of the film he see Sydney feeling more scared and hopeless when she realised that the murderers are Billy and Stu. In terms of the physicality of our killers, we're having them tall but not necessarily big built or muscly- as we wanted a more human and real character not a supernatural monster of a man like Jason Vorhees or Michael Myers. However where we did take inspiration from these characters is their masks, we wanted masked killers because we believe it creates a scarier effect, when you can't see the face/eyes of the person drawing the knife on you or approaching you in the dark. Another idea we have for the mask is based off of Leather face from "Texas chainsaw massacre" which is made of his victims skin, an idea so sickening that we believe it will be terrifying. In addition to the fact the killers remain voiceless, just like Jason and Michael. The killers are also partly based off of the design of the killers from the film 'The purge-anarchy', in that apart from the masks they're wearing everyday clothing like hoodies and jeans. Our protagonist is a young girl who is on her way to do drugs with her friends and other debauchery. Of course being at the start of the horror film and doing these activities, by horror conventions, means something bad must happen to her. In fact in the movie 'Scream', Randy states that one of the rules to surviving a horror film is that you can drink or do drugs. We're not making her the final girl, more like Drew Barrymore's character, Casey, in the same film, she flirts with the killer on the phone despite having a boyfriend is killed off in the films opening.

Setting
We looked at a variety of settings from different films e.g. the woods, cabin in the woods, abandoned warehouse, domestic settings like the house etc. We came to decision to set it in multiple locations. Firstly in the domestic setting of a house, but to create the appropriate atmosphere in which our female character would live, we are going to have white dirty sheets up all over the room with not many items; a few cigarettes, a needle and some alcohol and a few other times that would generally be seen in a house such as lamps and a tv to show she isn't so far removed from social conventions.

The next setting is the dark street, the street is dimly lit and at night giving an eerie and ominous atmosphere, the sides of the street are trees and bushes which removes the local familiar setting of a road filled with houses. This leads onto the bridge/overpass which only has one exit and entrance which isolates our female character. 

The last location is a dirty ditch in which our female character will be tied up and gagged. This will give the sense of entrapment.

FILM OPENING ANALYSIS- SAW I (2004)

2004 saw James Wan's popular body horror SAW appear in cinemas all over the world. Two strangers wake up in a room with no recollection of how they got there or why, and soon discover that they are part of a deadly ‘game’ plotted and carried out by a notorious serial killer.

The opening scene introduces the film to the audience, initiating the plot line and setting the scene through use of cinematography.

As the film opening begins, the audience is shown the close up of a face, introducing him as a potential main character. The minimal lighting only allows the audience to see certain parts of his face. The light which travels across the man’s face makes clear of the dark, pitch black surrounding he is in, which is unnerving for the viewer, as it makes them unaware of what’s going on, putting them in the same position of the character. This creates a sense of uncertainty amongst the audience, as we are unable to see facial expression and if any damage has been caused. The diegetic sound of water gives off the impression that the character is drowning or has already died underwater.

The editing soon becomes very fast paced, flashing between the person in the bathtub and the plug hole. This gives the audience an idea of what the character is going through; the scene is chaotic and has high levels of action which is reflected through quick camera transitions. There is straight cutting to an object (a key) floating in the water and eventually going down the plug hole. The focus on this particular event makes the audience aware of the fact that it could play some sort of significance later on in the film.

There is a sudden shift from a close up camera shot into a long shot of the character waking up and escaping from the bath tub, allowing the audience to see him struggling. The fast cuts add to this, emphasising the danger and confusion the character is facing.§ As the camera transitions over, revealing more of the scenery the audience becomes more aware of the setting; he is in a dark, dirty room. The fact that he was in a bathtub makes clear that he is in some sort of abandoned bathroom. This choice of scenery as well as mise en scene puts the viewer on edge as, although it (a bathroom type setting) is a setting which we would normally be used to, its current state is off-putting and eerie as it is filthy and run-down.

The fast transition between the frame of the key travelling down the plug hole and the character escaping from the bath makes the audience aware that both focuses have some sort of significance and importance whether it is in the current moment or later on in the film, thus becoming memorable for the viewers.

A long shot frame shows the character fully exiting the bathtub. We see the man fall over, as he is unaware of the fact that he has a chain locked around his lower leg- something that the audience could see whilst he first woke up. This shows that the character is just as confused and unaware of what situation he is in as the audience is. The very dark lighting allows us to see the character begin to fumble around, as he has been blinded by the lack of light around him. 

Once a small sound is made, the character suddenly becomes aware that he may not be alone after he questions his existence, before being told "You're not dead." He calls out, asking "who's that?" twice, before being spoken to again. The fact that we are unable to see the other character who is speaking causes a sense of mystery and somewhat fear as the audience are unsure whether this character is in fact good or evil. The heavy breathing and intensity of the man's vigilance make us aware of his growing concern and confusion regarding his ambiguous situation.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF THE HORROR/THRILLER GENRE

As with all genres of film, the thriller genre contains many codes and conventions that will feature throughout. Thriller movies often revolves around a fast paced plot, with anticipation and suspense featured heavily to keep the audience on the edge of their seat, with tension usually being at the forefront of it all. Many of the conventions overlap with that of the horror genre. 

Lighting

The lighting in a horror/thriller is very important as it creates atmosphere. low-key lighting is usually used due to the different shadows and dim hue are suitable for the dark mood. It sets the tone, mood and is associated with the dangerous mystery often associated with horror thrillers. The lights are often used at eye level or from the floor. 

Editing 

Quick cuts are a technique used in editing when the shots are of a short duration and rapidly move from one to the other. It can be used to give a lot on information quickly or to create a sense of chaos. For example the saw movies use this technique a lot when the characters are stuck in their traps and the technique represents their struggle to escape. Hip hop montage: This technique uses very fast cutting to portray action through a rapid series of simple actions accompanied by sound effects.

Sound
The sound in a thriller is very important feature in order to make the audience feel on the edge of their seat. A common technique is using the music to build tension during scenes of an ominous and suspicious nature. The non digetic music can start of quiet and low pitched and as the tension in the scene builds the background music gets louder and high pitched, it is also very common for the music to increase in pace towards the climax of the scene. Digits sounds such as the creaking of floorboards and opening of a door can also be used in conjunction with silence as it can create a jump scare for the audience and place them in the character(s) on screens shoes.

AGE CERTIFICATES

Before a film can be released to the public it must be approved by the bbfc and given an age certificate. They range from U(universal) to 18. The the number certificate means an audience member must be at least this age to view the film.

Universal

A U certificate means that the film should be suitable for every one ages 4 and upwards. Most U films are aimed at younger audiences but also cater to the parents as well. Which means that there are often hidden meanings or ideas throughout the movie that older audiences will understand. Generally these films are animations to appeal  to younger audiences   .

Language

Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of. Infrequent use only of very mild bad language.
 

Drugs

References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be infrequent and innocuous, or have a clear educational purpose or anti-drug message suitable for young children.
 

Imitable behaviour

Potentially dangerous or anti-social behaviour which young children may copy must be clearly disapproved of. There is no emphasis on realistic or easily accessible weapons.

Nudity

Occasional nudity, with no sexual context.
 

Sex

Only very mild sexual behaviour (for example, kissing) and references to such behaviour.
 

Threat

Scary or potentially unsettling sequences should be mild, brief and unlikely to cause undue anxiety to young children. The outcome should be reassuring.
 

Violence

Violence will generally be very mild. Mild violence may be acceptable if it is justified by context (for example, comedic, animated, wholly unrealistic).
                                               

Parental guidance

A parental guidance certificate is for general viewing but certain scenes may be unsuitable for younger audiences(8 and under). Children of any age may be unaccompanied whilst viewing but parents may need to consider whether certain content may upset or scare the children. 

Discrimination

Discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly disapproved of, or in an educational or historical context, or in a particularly dated work with no likely appeal to children. Discrimination by a character with whom children can readily identify is unlikely to be acceptable.
 

Drugs

References to illegal drugs or drug misuse must be innocuous or carry a suitable anti-drug message.
 

Imitable behaviour

No detail of potentially dangerous behaviour which young children are likely to copy, if that behaviour is presented as safe or fun. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons such as knives. No focus on anti-social behaviour which young children are likely to copy.
 

Language

Mild bad language only. Aggressive or very frequent use of mild bad language may result in a work being passed at a higher category.

Nudity

There may be nudity with no sexual context. Sex Sexual activity may be implied, but should be discreet and infrequent. Mild sex references and innuendo only.
 

Threat

Frightening sequences or situations where characters are in danger should not be prolonged or intense. Fantasy settings may be a mitigating factor.
 

Violence

Violence will usually be mild. However there may be moderate violence, without detail, if justified by its context (for example, history, comedy or fantasy).

12 and 12A

A 12 or 12A certificate is given to a film that contains material generally considered unsuitable for children under the age of 12.  No one under the age of 12 may purchase a film with this certificate.

                                           Discrimination

Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.

Drugs

Misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.

Imitable behaviour

No promotion of potentially dangerous behaviour which children are likely to copy. No glamorisation of realistic or easily accessible weapons such as knives. No endorsement of anti-social behaviour.
 

Language

There may be moderate language. Strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.
 

Nudity

There may be nudity, but in a sexual context it must be brief and discreet.
 

Sex

Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Moderate sex references are permitted, but frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.

Threat

There may be moderate physical and psychological threat and horror sequences. Although some scenes may be disturbing, the overall tone should not be. Horror sequences should not be frequent or sustained.
 

Violence

There may be moderate violence but it should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and its depiction must be justified by context.

Certificate 15

A film with certificate 15 is considered o contain material unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. No one under the age of 15 may purchase a film with this age certificate. 

                           Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour, although there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory themes and language.
 

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse (for example, through instructional detail). The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Whether the depiction of easily accessible weapons is acceptable will depend on factors such as realism, context and setting.
 

Language

There may be strong language. Very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner in which it is used, who is using the language, its frequency within the work as a whole and any special contextual justification.

Nudity

There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. There may be nudity in a sexual context but usually without strong detail.
 

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed, but usually without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Threat

There may be strong threat and horror. A sustained focus on sadistic or sexual threat is unlikely to be acceptable.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but the depiction of sexual violence must be discreet and justified by context.

18 Certificate

A film with an 18 certificate has material which is considered only suitable for those for are aged 18 and above. No one under the age of 18 may view a film in the cinema with this certificate or purchase a film with it. Adults are free to view what ever they choose and any material in these views may be viewable to them.