HW 1b - Reflections on my film still (BLK)

1. We tried to make our film still signify horror by having a conventional innocent female victim and unclear villain lurking in the background of the still. The villain has a clawed hand to represent an unnatural aspect adding to the unusual and creepy characteristic. Additionally his face cannot be seen which adds a sense of mystery and also fear. 

2. The shot was directed to have the female character in the foreground as she is the focus of the shot and to have the villain in the background which creates an unsettling feeling as he creeps in the shadows. By using an extreme long shot there is a large amount of background in the still which helps to emphasise the fact that the victim vulnerable and alone. We also positioned the character in the corner to show she is hiding and has nowhere left to run. We left the villain's face out of the frame to create fear as you cannot see who it is or what he looks like. Additionally, we turned off the lights in the corridor to have low key lighting creating a sense of fear and mystery. This also helped to create the shadows on the floor. 

3.We intended for the audience to feel helpless and disconnected by having them as a bystander in the shot as well as having no eye contact with either character. This creates a sense of fear for the female character as there is nothing the audience can do for her. We also wanted the audience to be scared of the villain as his face cannot be seen and so they don't know who he is. Also the fact that he is hidden should hopefully make the audience feel nervous about what's going to happen next. 

4. I think that the positioning is successful in our shot. The victim is positioned in the corner with her arms around her legs, showing her to be scared and panicked. This portrays her as small and powerless. She is also looking as though she is waiting for the villain to appear. This anticipation helps to create suspense. In addition to this the villain is in the background but looks as though he is moving towards her, adding to the suspense. 

5. In hindsight I would make the framing tighter to remove the extra space between the character and the wall on the left to emphasise the fact that she has been cornered. By making the framing tighter I would also be able to cut out the furniture on the right hand side. I would also move the camera further back so that her feet aren't cut off. I would also experiment with having the whole of the villain in it but using props such as a hat to keep the face masked and therefore the sense of mystery. Alternatively I could have experimented with having the camera at the victim's eye level in order for the audience to see from a similar perspective as her. This would mean only having the villain's feet in the frame but that would still provide the sense of mystery I want.