Analysing film stills



1. Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be described as representing your genre

The Mid-shot above represents my chosen genre, horror, in a number of ways. Firstly the low key lighting casts atmospheric shadows which help to make the shot more scary. Secondly the red light with which the shot is lit connotes the horror genre, as things such as blood are associated with the colour red. Lastly the fact that the figure is blurred suggests movement within the shot, and their threatening stance, facing toward the camera implies direct threat to the viewer, again making the shot more scary. Most obviously however, the figure is dressed all black and is wearing a mask so we are unable to see  their face or any features that tell us they are human, which creates a fear of the unknown for the viewer. 

2.  What did you actually do to achieve this effect?

For this shot, our group decided to shoot in the darkroom, hence the red light. We then decided it would be a good idea for the model to move and threaten the camera to create the effect of directly threatening the viewer. The movement would blur the bat creating a still shot that imitated movement, at the same time as scaring the viewer, sticking with the horror/thriller genre we had in mind. The picture was taken from eye level, as we believed this would allow the viewer to relate to the shot a lot more, as if they were experiencing it. 

3. Identify what is successful about your shot

I think the way we managed to blur the figure in such a way that the viewer is still able to make out the shape of the figure, and also that the figure is moving fast towards the camera was quite successful. Otherwise the shot would look too static and would not have the desired effect. I also believe that the lighting we managed to get hold was impressive, as i tied in nicely with the horror genre we were trying to recreate.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?

In hindsight, i think that maybe clearing out the background of the shot of its clutter and replacing it with items that were more relevant to the shot would have been better. I also think that using a more padded jumper/jacket on the figure or even a more stocky model would create a more intimidating feel, because at the moment the figure looks a bit small in comparison to his surroundings. Either this or placing the shot at a slightly lower angle to create the same effect.