Assessment of previous students work - Joshua-David Livingston

The video above shows a horror film from last year’s AS Media Studies class. This film is identifiable as a horror mainly due to the sound, rather than the camerawork.The shot types vary from Long Shots and Over-The-Shoulder Shots to Mid Shots and Close Ups
The Long Shots in this piece are used to give the audience an idea of the characters surroundings, and to establish a setting. These are not usually affective in horror pieces , unless the character moves from that setting. It is notable that when the audience is aware of the surroundings, they know too much already, and reduces the potential of suspense
Mid Shots are the most frequently used shots in this piece. They are generally the more natural of the shots used, and can be used to give a sense of normality, but also to give indications toward the character, such as costume and body language
Mid Close Ups are similar to Close Ups, but simply offer a bit more information to the audience such as clothing, and are more detailed than Mid Shots, giving us a greater idea of facial expression etc. These are rarely used in this piece and do not apply much affect when they are used. Close Ups are used occasionally to draw attention to particular features of the character or significant objects such as the pendant.

The most frequently evident camera angle used in this clip is the canted angle, which is strong in hinting at abnormality, and confusion. This angle is used in such a way that the character feels equally as confused as the character, which I feel is a success in terms of its use. High angle shots are rarely if ever used in this piece, possibly due to the difficulty in getting above the character. However, low angle shots are manipulated in a way that they do not put the character in a position of power, but more of panic. This angle seems to give the character space to fall, rather than displaying them as authoritative

This sequence is well framed, and does not falter in terms of framing. The rule of thirds has been used effectively, to draw particular attention to key points of the sequence, and to ensure the characters attention is correctly directed – in order for the clip to flow. The shots also give the character necessary head room and left room..

The location of the sequence is brilliant; a very dreary and depressing environment, that appears secluded with only the character evidently present. In addition to this, the actors costume suited the scene very well, black being a colour commonly associated which negative experiences. The actor must also be credited on their consistent facial expressions during the piece, which added affect to the piece.

The editing work is great in this piece, however, there are concerns raised regarding the length of some scenes. One in particular almost skips after a split second which is disappointing, bearing in mind the quality of the rest of the piece. Beside the this minor error on the editing side of the sequence, the editing was effective in creating fear. The order of scenes particularly were although unnoticed, put the audience in a great position for fear to build up

The non-diegetic soundtrack is the most effective part of the piece in my opinion. The steady rise of both tempo and dynamics had the greatest impact of the effect, creating a sense of adrenaline and suspense from the off. The underscore is very passive and blends very well behind the action. The monologue of the main character provides the audience with the context that otherwise would have been withheld from them, so in that sense it was necessary. The lack of diegetic sounds was quite effective in developing an atmosphere to the piece. It ensured the audience would focus on the underscore, as it was the only background noise present in the entire sequence

Overall, I believe this piece was effective in creating fear, but like many things, had room for improvement. None the less, good composition and good editing; a job well done