the Psychology of Scary Movies P.2

1. What makes horror films so attractive to audiences?
2. What are some of the theories around the popularity of horror films?
3. How to horror films relate to nightmares?

Though it is difficult to clearly identify the reason for attraction to horror, there are some theories that philosophers have brought up that can give us clues. For example, Aristotle believed that scary stories were attractive because they are able to purge their negative emotions through a process known as Catharsis. Some theories claim that curiosity and fascination with the unknown may play a part in why people enjoy horror films. There is also the Disposition Alignment Theory that claims the satisfaction when a malicious character is given the proper punishment for their actions. Films are inclusive sensory entertainment that can be described as a middle ground between being awake and being in a dream state. In that sense, horror films can possibly be identified as a nightmare.

The Psychology of Scary Movies

1. What are horror films?
2. How to Tension, Relevance and Unrealism play into the the popularity of horror films?

Horror Films are films cerated with the intent to trigger fear within people. There are some fundamental sources of fear that can used to create fear within a film. Such horror films trigger attention from the audience through tension, relevance, and unrealism. Tension can build suspense in a scene, relevance allows the audience to feel the emotions in the character's feet, and unrealism triggers the fear of the unknown. Some of the subgroups of relevance includes universal, cultural, subgroup, and personal. All of these can manipulate the audience's emotional connection to the film.

What Makes a Movie Scarier?

1. Explain the importance of buildup and payoff in a horror film.
2. What aspects of the example made it scarier?

The length of the buildup increases the suspense by the second. Rather than multiple mediocre scares, it is more effective to use time to build up to one horrifying scare. Additionally,  buildup can increase effectiveness by setting the location as somewhere a person is comfortable at (ex. a bedroom). When a comfortable place is violated, the audience is more likely to experience unease. The examples were scary because they effectively used time and location in their favor to create suspenseful horror scene.

Spielberg on Horror

How does Spielberg craft such effective horror scenes in his blockbuster films? What are three techniques that you've learned in this unit that Spielberg uses? How does he use them?

Spielberg focuses on the character's reaction more than the source of fear itself. The facial expression is more important in displaying emotion and communicating that emotion to the audience. Spielberg also intensifies fear by building up fear before the actual danger appears. The mystery surrounding what the source of danger is increases the suspense in the scene (fear of the unknown.) Instead of glorifying the scene like some other block buster movies, Spielberg specifically gears the scene so that it terrifies the audience.

Kwaidan

How did this movie make you feel as a viewer watching it? What mood does it create? How is this different from a western horror film?

As an audience, the movie made me feel an inescapable unease for most of the scenes. The pop of red within dark, earthly tone increased the discomfort. For example, the characters would often have a red outlining in their eyes in scenes where they are being haunted by a spirit. Red flags in the war and in the water as blood also appear. The use of color in addition to the theatrical lighting creates a ominous mood. In comparison to western horror films where sudden scares are prevalent, this film scared the audience by intensifying unease. 

Duvetyne Cloth

What is duvetyne cloth used for? What is so special about it? Explain three different uses for it on set and what you should bring in addition to use it. 

Duvetyne cloth can be used to black out a window so that the lighting doesn't change according to the time of day. It can also be used to skirt lights in order to prevent unwanted light leaks. This kind of cloth is heavy enough to be unaffected by slight wind and does not cause much noise for the audio department. They are also the right thickness to efficiently block out the light without doubling them up like bed sheets. The fact that the cloth is flame retardant is key to keeping the set safe at all times. 

How to ND a window

What is ND gel used for? Why would you want to use it on a window? What are two key important factors in setting it up?

ND gels are used to cut the amount of light without altering the camera settings. These gels are useful for windows because the outside tends to be blown out when the subject is in the shadows. It is important to keep in mind light leaks when adding an ND filter to the windows so that it doesn't look artificial. Though gaff tape is preferred, in times of need, double sided tape works just as well. When working on a high-budget production, windex should be used to stick the filter onto the window. 

Lighting Stands P.2

What is the difference between a low boy and a combo stand? What about a mombo combo stand? What are each of these stands used for according to the presenter?

Low boys are small combo stands and tends to weigh significantly more than premie stand. Some have a socket to install a baby pin or has a baby pin already installed in it. Lowboys also come with rocky mountain legs. A combo stands are much larger than low boys. Besides the size, it is entirely the same as low boys. The mombo combo stands are significantly bigger than low boys or combo stands. Mombo combo stands are caoable of withstanding much heavier equipment.

Lighting Stands P.1

What is the difference between a premie and a baby stand? In what situation would you use each of them?

A premie stand tends to be shorter and stronger than traditional stands. Additionally, they are constructed using aluminum, making them less susceptible to damage. These can be used to create a slider shot by placing the ends of the slider onto two stands. The baby stands can rise up to 12 feet and has a "rocky mountain" ability that allows the stand to be placed on uneven surfaces. Both of these stands are extremely lightweight, which can be a great help when carrying a significant amount of equipment. 

CTO and CTB gels

What are CTO and CTB gels? What are they used for? What are two practical or artistic uses for these in your films?

CTO is considered Tungsten and is often associated with an orange undertone. CTB is known as daylight and is associated with a blue undertone. Gels can change the color temperature of a certain light. For example, if two lights unintentionally have different color temperatures, these gels can be clipped in front of the light to match the color. These two different color temperature gels can be used to intentionally create a mismatching color temperatures. For example, a CTO gel can be placed in front of the subject while a CTB gel is used to create a colder background.

Baby Plate and Scissor Clips

What are scissor clips used for? What are baby plates used for? How could these be used your productions?

Scissor clips can be used to mount a light on the ceiling using the baby pin. However, one downside is that only light-weight lights can be used when mounting on a normal ceiling. A baby plate can be screwed onto a wall or a piece of wood using screws. This also has a baby pin attached so that lights can be attached wherever there is a wall. These two can be useful in mounting lights when in an inconvenient or small location.

Clamps P.2

What are bounce boards and duck clamps used for? Whats the difference between a square and circular bounce? How could you begin using them with your productions asap?

Bounce boards are used to reflect light from a stronger source of light. They are normally used to fill in harsh shadows to create a softer look. Duck lamps are often used to holds these bounce boards in place. This can easily be done by attaching the clamp onto a C-stand and then clamping the board in place. A square bounce and a circular bounce can have different reflections in the eye. A circular bounce looks more natural in comparison to a square bounce when reflected in the eye. These bounce boards can be used to fill in shadows on set for the next project.

Paper Amps

In a detailed paragraph answer the following:

What is the concept of paper amps? Why is it so important to keep in mind when you are lighting on set?

You are lighting a scene and using the following lights:

1000w tungsten fresnel
750w open faced tungsten light
650w tungsten fresnel
2 - 300w tungsten fresnel's

How many amps would this setup draw? If you had to use this inside a house, how would you go about safely setting this up?

Paper amps refers to the total wattage divided by 100. When amps are not kept in mind, the breaker can pop resulting in a power outage. If the circuit is able to withstand the wattage, then it will safely conduct electricity. The wattage of the light is usually listed on the side of the light when calculating whether or not there is sufficient space for the electricity. Keep in mind that paper amps are usually higher than the actual amp measurement. In the end, the best of thumb is one light per wall. In the given example, the lights will draw a total of 30 paper amps. Regarding how most houses have a capacity of 15 to 20 amps. Therefore, it will be the safest to plug in one light per wall if possible, or two low-energy lights per wall.

Using Solids on Set

What does a toper and a bottomer do? What are cutters used for? Whats a lenser? What is a courtesy?

A toper cuts light from the top, while a bottomer cuts the light from the bottom. Cutters are 2 inches by 6 inch floppies that can be flopped down into a 4 by 6 inch. This can be used to cut the light spill often shown in the background. A lenser is used to shade the light and can be done by many different kinds of flags. The courtesy is a type of flag that is used to help the filmmaker see the screen in a bright scenario. If it is windy outside, it is effective to clip the ends of the flag or to pull a heavy piece of metal through the bottom.

Cookies, Nets, and Solids

What are the differences between a cookie, a net and a solid? What are 2 different uses for them on set? If you had to ask someone to go grab a net or a flag out of the cart, how would you describe the difference to them?

Cookies are cut out in a way that creates patterns of with lights and shadows. A net, on the other hand, cuts the amount of light through wired frames. A solid, also known as a flag, completely cuts out light to specifically caste a shadow on certain parts of the scene. Cookies can add interesting patterns to a bland background. A net can create a much softer shadow in comparison to a solid flag. The main difference between these is the patterns it creates and the harshness of the shadows.