FM3 Reflective Analysis

Aims and Context:

For my FM3 Creative Project, I am going to produce a short film.

My genres are psychological horror and found footage, and I hope to use the codes and conventions of these genres successfully in the stylistics of my short film.

This film will be aimed at people between 15 and 19 years old (it will hold a "15" certificate), mixed gender and working/middle class. This is because I believe that this audience is the audience most reflected by the characters in the short film.

My aim will be to show the development of my knowledge of cinematography and editing, which will be derived from my study of FM1, to explore the codes and conventions of psychological horror and found footage, to create a feelings of sympathy, shock and suspense.

In order to assist with this project, I have been studying films of similar genres, such as:

• Chronicle (Dir. Josh Trank, 2012, US)
• The Blair Witch Project (Dirs. Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez, 1999, US)
• Paranormal Activity (Dir. Oren Peli, 2007, US)

I intend to direct the piece, along with being the editor, main camera operator, writer, protagonist and antagonist.

Reflective Analysis:

My aims and context for my FM3 creative project were the first of many important steps in the creation of my short film. They created a layout on what goals I needed, and created a path which could help me to achieve those, eventually leading to my short film, “The Project”.

My aims and context described the genre of the film, its target age group and its influences, and this has been addressed by my audience feedback, who can thoroughly understand the narrative and textual genres, as well as recognise the inspiration I have taken from existing contemporary films. Some members of the audiences have enjoyed the film because of its romantic sub-plot, and others because of the themes of mystery and intrigue, meaning that my film can attract a varied audience.

In my aims and context, I noted three films that had influenced, before filming even took place. 'Chronicle' (Dir. Josh Trank, 2012, US), 'The Blair Witch Project' (Dirs. Daniel Myrick & Eduardo Sánchez, 1999, US) and 'Paranormal Activity' (Dir. Oren Peli, 2007, US) have all been viewed and analysed critically to influence my genres of psychological thriller and found footage: 'Chronicle' inspired the teenage protagonists/antagonist, 'Paranormal Activity' inspired the twist ending, whilst 'The Blair Witch Project' inspired the title, and the mystery/documentary storyline of “The Project”.

Cinematography is used within my film to provide the origin of both the discovery of the videos (the murders are seen on the camera used to film the entire film), as well as hosting the documentary style narrative, as well as the found footage appearance of the entire film, both murder scenes and narrative scenes. The style includes POV shots, and a 'documentary' look as the protagonists talk to each other, holding the camera, effectively recording an interview.

Editing as a micro feature has been used within my film in many different ways. Firstly, to place the murder scenes in between the narrative scenes. This has been done to simulate and draw parallels between the protagonists' discoveries of the tapes and the progression of the narrative, as well as provide times for the narrative to develop 'off-screen' when the murders take place. Secondly, the opening titles have been styled similar to other films of a similar genre (i.e. Paranormal Activity), with titles such as “none of the following footage has been altered”. This text sets the narrative, as well as reinforcing the realism aspect of the film, as many found footage films attempt to portray. Thirdly editing has been used to insert effects throughout the film to stylise the footage as videotape. Television static between scenes mimics a videotape fastfowarding, or just the appearance of blank spaces on a videotape, and during the titles simulates the crude, low budget realism of the film's style. And finally, multiple types of graphics are overlay the footage throughout the film. A 'viewfinder' effect is visible on every shot, to reinforce the crude, simplistic found footage. Also, graphics of blood spurts during the murder scenes are added to increase the effect of the horror sub-genre found in both the psychological thriller and found footage genre.

In conclusion, I believe that I have managed to successfully address my aims and context successfully, creating a film designed for a teenage audience of working class 15-19 year olds, whilst also reinforcing conventions found in the genres of found footage and psychological thriller. Through my use of the micro features of cinematography and editing, I hope to have successfully accomplished my aims and context, and I also believe I have successfully utilised my research into similar genres to help reinforce the codes and conventions of my film, as well as inspire the narrative of the film.