Straight 8 Halloween Horror!
Film 301 - Straight 8 Challenge and Elements of Horror
Straight 8 Challenge
Following official guidelines and rules, create a max 3 minute film shot on a super 8 camera. You cannot edit the film roll and can only use one roll of colour super 8 film.
You must make an original soundtrack to play alongside your film reel. In order to plan and prepare, it is best to do digital takes of your film prior to using your film stock.
Use a stopwatch as a means of delegating time to certain events in your film. Keep a steady eye on planning so that your sound may match up on final viewing.
Elements of Horror
The 5 Elements of Horror according to C.M. Humphries - http://www.cmhumphries.com/blog/5-elements-of-a-good-horror-story
1. Fear - an obvious assumption is that horror films must use the fear of something against its viewer. Even if you don’t typically fear the certain something portrayed in the film, a good horror will make you feel endangered by the something. Especially if it utilises the fear of death.
2. Surprise - the notion of surprise can quite quickly tire for a film, especially in the form of jumpscares. It is always best to have a good understanding of tension and pacing with your film.
3. Suspense - leading on from tension, suspense takes the form of a suspended sense of dread or anxiety. In order for your viewer to feel these emotions, it’s likely that a period or two of building tension will be necessary, via imaginative means.
4. Mystery - considering the many horror films that have been produced, there must always be new ways of creating mystery and unknowing of the next thing to come. A lot of the time this may take shape in a creature or monster that is originally unknown to it’s audience. Keeping that mystery alive is important to keep the viewers at the edge of their seat, in fear of their own imaginative events.
5. Spoilers - to some viewers, the pleasure of watching a horror film is knowing that something exciting is going to happen, and therefore they enjoy the lead up to the events that bring them to a climax. Others may experience films without spoilers and it could be argued this is the better way to spectate. However upon noting the great influence of Ari Aster’s ‘Hereditary’ (2018) it’s hard to not recognize that the ever talked about decapitation scene is a brilliant reason as to why so many viewers actually went to watch the film, even if it was spoiled for the viewer, the events leading up to (and after) the death are still just as shocking.
