Typography Deconstruction

A Nightmare on Elm Street

• The text is a red colour on a black background, has hints of white/yellow poking through, like fire, which fits with the narrative (Freddy Krueger was burned alive)
• The text moves like in the 2nd picture, it has 'slashes' through it, like Freddy's knife fingers, again relating to the narrative.
• The letters also fade slightly on the title, as if they are in a dream-like state.
• The font is quite traditional, it is all in capitals, it is a serif font, with the gothic detailing, which seems quite typical of slasher style horrors.
• Smoke also billows in the background, again relating to the fire that is in the film.
• The most important words are capitalised in the title, whereas 'a' and 'on' are lower case, 

You're Next

• Similar font style to A Nightmare on Elm street, serif, traditional, gothic style
• However, white/blue text is used over a transitioning background mainly
• Quite 'spooky' looking, seems quite unconventional for a slasher, but still works
• The actual title is a different, more modern looking font, with white/grey writing and blood splatters, and cracks like the window around it
• This implies that it is a slasher, however, the modern font is quite unconventional and fits with the 'new slasher' genre that it is presenting.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

• The first font used is the same that is used in the original film
• It is a typewriter style font, used to reflect the 'police report' style introduction that the film has
• The words are in lower case, which is quite unconventional it appears
• The text is white on a black background, which makes it seem quite official and report like,
• The actual title of the film is in a glowing almost yellowy-white, upper case, traditional style (gothic, serif) font.
• 'The Beginning' is slightly smaller and red, as it is a sequel 
• This is probably a more traditional style font and is what we should aim for.

What should we do?

• I think we should do an upper-case style font, perhaps taking a leaf out of 'You're Next's book and make the colour of the font a little bit more modern, to fit with the film
• It should also be a traditional, gothic, serif style font
• Also, we should play around with the effects on final cut as we may be able to find a cool effect like the Nightmare On Elm Street one.

Wes Craven, John Carpenter and Hitchcock

Wes Craven-

Wes Craven is an American film director known best for his horror films. He is also a producer, writer and actor born in 1939 (till present.) During his career he has won nine cinematic awards and received three nominations.

The last house on the left- subverts slasher horror genre as parents of girl killed kill villains, more than one killer, one killer is a girl, not a group of teens, no final girl, exploitation-horror genre

The hills have eyes 1,- no final girl- girl that survives not virginal, no teenagers, more than one killer, not unknown, in desert land- rocky, there is a sequel, subverts slasher horror genre

A nightmare on elm street- one disfigured killer, group of teens, family suburb, final girl, unhelpful officer, final girl virginal, friends engage in sexual activity, supernatural slasher horror film

Scream 1,- group of teens, motive (girls fault- e.g maureen having affair with bialys father), final girl kills killers- not a virgin, high school and suburb, unknown killer, attend party- drinking, there are three more sequels, slasher film- subverted by non virginal final girl

The people under the stairs- final girl (helped by man)- very good and followed rules leading her to survive, two villains with identities revealed, suburb- family home, not a group of teens- children, subverts slasher horror conventions

John Carpenter-

John Carpenter is a filmmaker and screenwriter born in1948 (until present.) His film Halloween (1978) made his name within the horror genre.

Halloween 1- girl has sex with boyfriend and is killed, family home- victorian house, killer doesnt die, no final girl, identity of the killer is knows, wears a mask, bloody deaths, no group of teens, three more sequels plus curse of michael myers, 20 years later 

Christine- no final girl, killer is ultimately a car, 'killer' is got rid of, no group of teens or specific setting e.g suburb, forest etc, no useless detectives

The fog- no final girl, paranormal not slasher- ghosts and idea of 'the fog', gruesome deaths, mystery- fits paranormal horror genre

Hitchcock-

Alfred Hitchcock was a director, producer and screen writer born 1899 (till 1900.) He was nicknamed 'master of suspense', as he used psychological suspense in films creating a unique viewer experience.

Psycho- paved the way for the horror genre, unhelpful police officer, unknown killer- one killer, 'womans fault- mother found a lover and made him jealous), no final girl, killer is arrested not killed, no group of teens, violent shower scene

Mask Deconstruction

Poughkeepsie Tapes

-The mask is in style of an old doctors mask from the 1800's
-It has links to character e.g performing 'surgical' acts on victim (mutilations)
-The nose of mask could possibly be used as the weapon
-It is extremely sinister looking, and has connotations of illness and death
-It has a very old and medieval feel, with the mask not being at all common anymore
-It covers the whole face, leaving the killers identity concealed
-The mask has a bird-like beak, meaning it is not at all similar to human features which makes it more disturbing
-Even the eyes are concealed, making him seem less human (dehumanised)



Nightmare on Elm Street

-Disfigurements due to something that has happened to them during their childhood, usually the reason they go on to become killers
-An example is Freddy Kruger (Nightmare on Elm Street) who was burnt in an aggressive attack by the parents of children that it was thought Kruger murdered
-Still human features however disfigurement is unsightly and therefore distressing to the audience
-Still gives the character a mysterious feel, as face is deformed
-Masks sometimes used to cover the disfigurement
-Disfigurement can give clues to the background of the killer e.g. burns
-Deformities are usually to the face however can be to any part of the body (this could subvert conventions)








Hannibal Lecter

-The mask links to well to the character as the bars over the mouth is in connection to the fact that the character is a cannibal, which is extremely disturbing to the audience
-A lot of the character's face can still be seen, however the mask makes it distorted which is distressing for the audience
-The mask is more simple and not so characterised as other masks e.g scream mask
-This mask has a purpose, which it to stop him eating people rather than just for concealing his identity e.g Michael Myers in Halloween



Own Ideas

Animal

-From idea of the pig mask used in the Saw movies
-Head of pig is used and then distorted with things like blood and hair
-The use of hair almost tries to humanise it, which is more disturbing for the audience (the use of the pipe in the picture to the left is also an example of this)
-Pig have connotations of being dirty animals and are often viewed as quite negative
-They are also seen as a sign of the devil as in biblical times it was said that Jesus had cast the spirit of demons out of a girl and into pigs, who then ran into the water and drowned
-Pigs were also symbolic of gluttony in medieval times






Woman

-From the idea of poughkeepsie tapes, in which the woman wears a scarily realistic yet distorted woman's mask
-The mask is fairly doll like, which gives connotations of children and so is more disturbing to the audience
-The woman/doll mask is also classically creepy, with dolls being a well known convention of horror movies
-The only problem with using this mask in our film trailer is that we are conforming to conventions and making the killer a man
-Doll's are much more a girls toy and so may seem out of place on a male killer
-Much like the Halloween idea of 'a face over a face', it is still realistic (recognisable features) yet obviously very distorted which makes it disturbing
-This way it will also keep the audience view that the killer is very much human, but shielding his identity almost with another identity (e.g the face of someone else as a mask

Location- Houses

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-32263935.html

-Large, old fashioned house

-Fairly rural, lots of land

-Outbuildings 

-Not too privately enclosed

-Old fashioned building

-Fairly on its own

-Outbuildings

-Not too private e.g set back

-Different houses in Hook Green Lane, Dartford

-All apart from each other, rural feel

-Look realistic and some quite old fashioned

-Not too set back

-However no visible out buildings 

Sidcup place

-Not private

-Old fashioned, grand

-Lots of land, rural setting

-No outbuildings 

The cottage/Aunts cottage-

Ideas Of Masks

In our slasher trailer, we will be using a masked killer. After my research on masked killers, I was particularly intrigued by the 'sac mask' worn by 'The Scarecrow'  in The Batman films and 'The Scream' mask.

As this particular 'sack mask' has already been used, I searched for similar scarecrow masks online. Here's what I found:

 



 



• This is similar to the one used in 'The Batman', but has an extra feature of the rope.
• The rope can visually signify the masked killer being unbeatable, as the rope itself can make the killer almost look as though he is being strangled.
•  The stitching patterns also connote this idea of the killer being tough and invulnerable to pain.
• This mask therefore would help our killer to appear incredibly dominant and could provide the supernatural element of killer in slasher film.

I was also interested by 'The Scream' mask. The mask is incredibly effective in drawing an audiences' attention towards the mask's expressions with its large mouth signifying a scream and large black eyes, which further draw an audience.

As I was searching for 'sack masks', I managed to find a scream mask with the features of the features of a scarecrow. Here's what I found:

• This mask is unique, unusual and has not appeared in a slasher film yet.
• Therefore, by using this mask, my group and I would have a new idea which an audience can be excited by, which would enable us to meet audience pleasures.
• This mask covers the whole face and also one's hair. This would raise enigmas within the audience, as the audience will not be able to identify the killer's gender.

Outside Location Deconstruction

Halloween

• The location in Halloween is primarily set in the Myers household as well as another baby sitters household. 
• Both are large, suburban homes, with porches/balconies. 
• Very family like, decorated with Halloween decorations
• Trees and leaves flood the area too, as it is autumn
• Detached, large American style family homes.

The Strangers

• Bungalow style house, detached
• Still very large
• Dimly lit, river near by
• In a fairly remote setting, plays into the narrative.
• We need a house which appears to be quite remote so that the victims cannot just go next door and ask for help
• Looks like a holiday home / villa for a getaway.

You're Next

• Huge, detached house
• Wooded area surrounding
• Old style, beamed, clearly very expensive
• Large driveway
• Remote also, so no neighbours can disturb/help the victims.
• Leaves flood the floor as well, like Halloween.
• Ideally, we'd have a location like this, but very unrealistic.
• In first image, at quite a high-angle doesn't look scary or intimadating, however at a more eye-level angle with low-key lighting and ambient lighting, a lot more frightening.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

• Huge, faded white/grey, detached house
• Iconic beams in the front, quite sinister looking
• At a low angle shot (below), looks very big and daunting
• In a field, nothing surrounding it, remote, no neighbours to disturb.
• Contrasts with the dark sky, to make it appear more sinister looking

For our film

• We will need a large, detached home
• Surrounded by green would be good, ideally
• However, if we cannot find a property like that, then one that looks quite rural and out of the way, so nobody can come to help the victims.
• Preferably not as creepy looking as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre house, as our killer doesn't live in the house, one of the characters does / owns it.

Location post

An inside location idea:

This is the hallway from the point of view of the front door, clearly very wide and spacious, and leads directly to the kitchen and the living room.

From the view of halfway up the stairs

From the basement stairs. The room is actually quite large from other angles, allowing for some kind of basement scene in our storyboard, e.g. one boot hits the step, loud boom.

The kitchen is modernised, with a large family dining table, work surfaces, island and sofa area. This is the view from the doorway, clearly a large space. The back wall is a long row of windows/doors that lead to the garden. The island would be a good place for one part of our sequence where the teenagers are sitting around, drinking 

A more traditional living area, very large room, huge windows, a fireplace and quite homely furniture.