Sounds bring the scares

When it comes to the world of horror, sounds are a help what set that spooky tone, and helps to build upon the mounting tension in the air. These sounds come in many forms, and will differ based on factors like surroundings, proximity, and the type of killer involved. Each film uses these principles to their advantage to bring on their famous scares.

(Are you ready for a ton of examples? I hope you are...)

Sounds indicating surroundings are super important, as these sounds immerse the viewer into the world of the film, which can cleverly be used in the scare. Let's use Friday the 13th's Crystal Lake for example. During the introduction of your characters to this environment, the ambient noises of the woods around the lake are exactly what most expect, and can make the viewer feel temporarily safe while the sun is up. After the sun goes down however, and the killings begin, the same sounds can unnerve the viewer now that they know what waits silently in the same woods they found earlier comfort in. Another example is Haddenfield in the Halloween films, having a slightly different feel from a normal town due to the Halloween season being in full swing, as well as seeing a few residence, mostly our protagonists, getting nervous for the night to come.

Proximity is an important element in horror to emphasis the danger of the situation a character is in, and heightening the tension the scene. These type of sounds differ from movie to movie, and can range from footsteps from a silent killer, to actual dialog from a vocal killer. The former is more common, as most killers are silent and never have dialog for reasons sometimes explained, and even footsteps aren't always used to heighten the tension of the situation. The sounds that are present however, the scraping of a weapon or spoken dialog most commonly, are some of the sounds you hear for proximity.

Speaking of sounds, sounds are the biggest identifier for the type of killer, besides showing actual visuals that is. The non vocal vs. vocal still applies of course, if a killer is in the vocal category, it's easier to tell their intent through mostly dialog alone. As most writers make exposition through a supporting character's dialog, sometimes even through the killer themselves if they have the ability to, it becomes easier to figure out motives and even back stories if you're luck. Said examples would be the fact that Jason Voorhees's story is told at the front of almost every Friday the 13th film, or Freddy telling the viewer his back story at the beginning of Freddy vs. Jason, each gives us the killer's intent and starts to weave together with the visuals we are given of the killer. Some are more mysterious and unknown, keeping a viewer in the dark, adding to the scare factor. The original Halloween is like this, only dropping a few dialog hints in the way of true intent. Halloween 2 then proceeds to, with exposition being as obvious as a bullet train hitting a brick wall, outright ruins the mystery while setting up the future films conflicts.

Really, all of these elements are what build a proper horror film, and have created a format that all types of horror follow. The sound effects in these movies help to add to the experience, cleverly constructing the sounds that will unnerve and build up the fear of the viewers. Paired with the right visuals, sound is truly the scariest element in horror.

Wow, I rambled a whole lot in this response, but I couldn't help myself! Anytime I get to spill out some of my weird knowledge is an opportunity I can't pass up, so it came out as an information dump really. The video was really a great way of explaining how important sounds are, and how they can set the tone of a scene. The best part about this video is the fact that this doesn't just apply to horror,  all types of films use these elements for effective scenes.      

It begins again... (Weekly comments #2)

That moment when your friends convince you to play a mobile dating sim and you end up liking it.

1. What I learned this week:
Editing audio in Audacity and Garageband
The basics of Premiere

2. What I want to learn:
Effects in Premiere
Audio to video syncing

3. Something that frustrated me this week:
My computer crashing constantly was such a pain in the butt, especially with the sound project, thankfully that issue is fixed though!

4. Something that made me happy:
I've been able to stay ahead of the work load, a pleasant change from last year, and that makes me very happy.

 5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcmZ4UhJjmA
So I did a more video oriented pick this week, with the Nostalgia Critic's review of Sharknado featuring the Cinema Snob (Both channels I highly recommend)

Geometric shapes in cinematography

When it comes to shapes in cinematography, the shapes used can make a big difference in both scenes and characters. Shapes, just like color, can convay a certain mood or idea based on how they are used. Cinematographers use these shapes to their advantage when telling their stories to their audience.
The first commonly used shape is the circle. A circle is mostly used as a more gentle feature, sometimes convaying youthfulness or life. Many protagonist, especially children protagonists, are made primarily through circles due to their more innocent nature. For example, many Disney heros can be created with circles primarily. The circle and also convay longevity, after all the infinity sign is made with two circles, and circles are well know for representing something never ending.
The second shape is a square. Squares are most commonly used to represent a space that is cramped or uncomfortable, sometimes even cage like with the proper use of vertical or horizontal lines, and can create a feeling of discomfort or loneliness for the viewer. Squares are also used to combat the feeling of nature with something more industrial. Let's say for example that we have a moving overhead shot of a forest as we move through it, then suddenly the camera pans ahead of the forest and we see a city made up of you guessed it, squares and rectangles. The contrast of these shapes really is stark, which is why it is such a good and often used comparison.
Finally, we have the most known shape, the triangle. Triangles are commonly used for their sharp and menacing look to construct a villain design or to add menace to a scene or area. While certainly a triangle doesn't have to be menacing, like when it is used to create mountains, the sharpness  of the shape has given this shape the reputation of bringing unease to a viewing audience. For example, when you see characters walking through a dark cave with tons of pointy stalagmites and stalactites, you feel as though something dangerous might be just around the corner.
Now do all instances with these shapes in use always play by the rules? Certainly not, and that is what's fascinating about these shapes. Not all main protagonists have to be made with strictly circles, and not all villains have to have the sharp look the triangle provides, after all things would get stale and boring if this were true. Like with every technique, once you have a firm grasp on the concept, you can bend the rules how you see fit. Plus, you know, plot twists are fun trick to pull using these shape element principles.                

I've come to terms (Weekly comments #1)

I'm way to easily obsessed with things, recent obsession, Pocket Mortys.

1. What I learned this week:
We started to implement the things we've learned about Phototshop into multiple projects. 

2. What I want to learn:
How to better implement effects.

3. Something that frustrated me this week:
I'm going to be honest, I'm stumped on the self portrait montage, I have no ideas that really satisfy what I want to do.

4. Something that made me happy:
My animal morphs turned out really good!

5. Video of the week!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObH-f6iRzAI
I was watching more from the channel with the theme video, and found it rather enjoyable, I even subscribed. So here is a Story structure analysis of Mulan.

Theme response

Ah theme, really it is one of the essential parts of storytelling. A theme is basically a driving point in a story, as well as teaching a lesson at the end, so the story feels complete. Many beginning filmmakers fall into the trap of boring or underwhelming themes, and this video goes in depth about such.
First off, you can have either a simple of complex theme, depending on the vision. While a complex theme can lead to a deep and fulfilling experience, a simple theme can also lead to this reaction. A complex theme for example can be layered, full of multiple themes of varying types. A simple theme is mostly one concrete theme the film strives to follow.
Secondly, theme is a tough thing to master, because theme is very subjective. One person can watch a film and think that it represents one theme, while another person argues for a different theme. Because of this, a filmmaker's vision may not transfer the same way to their audience. Some filmmakers even leave a film with an open ending so fans can fill in their own interpretation.
Lastly, themes should naturally come to a filmmaker as they build their story, and not the other way around. Trying to shoehorn a theme into a film that doesn't need it, or pushing the theme onto the audience, normally will bore an audience and turn them off from the film entirely. The opposite also holds true, hiding the theme can make a film that confuses the audience on what they just watched, and very rarely in a good way.
Really, this video brings up brilliant points for people who are new to themes and how to implement them into their work. It doesn't just tell you what you shouldn't do, but also explains how to fix these common mistakes. This will be something I will keep in mind going forward.                 

Color Harmonies Example Blog

Monochromatic (With Yellow)

Analogous (With Blue and Green)

Complementary (With Yellow and Purple)

Split Complements (With Green, Red Orange, and Red Violet)

Triad (With Red, Yellow, and Blue)

Test post

Woo!