Portfolio Post 1 (Week 1): Initial Ideas

     Day One: Research/Ideas

    Considering my initial thoughts of what exactly I want our project to look like I have been referencing examples of subtle horror. The first thing I need to focus on is that the project is an opening- not a short film. There shouldn't be rising actions, climax, or a resolution all in our two minutes of compiled clips. My instinct is that our plan must fulfill the entirety of a plot chart, but that is untrue to the expectation of what we are making. While consuming other media throughout the duration of my knowing of this project I have been sure to pay attention to other film's openings. Often times nothing truly happens in the first few minutes other than initially introducing the setting and characters. Opening credits are also commonly found in the beginning. When brainstorming my mind continues to replicate a montage similar to Patrick Bateman's morning routine in American Psycho. I imagine a scene of a female character getting ready for bed at night. While the audience follows her steps subtle instances of danger and foreshadowing of an intruder in the home is conveyed to the viewers. Using dramatic irony (the audience knows something the character doesn't) to show horror, we can achieve something much scarier than scares that are right in the audience's face. 

    For example, Netflix's original show The Haunting of Hill House made headlines when fans realized there are a multitude of ghosts hidden in the background. Another Netflix Original, Hush. is a slow burn house invasion film that builds suspense by constantly allowing for the antagonist to lurk behind the main character. Due to only the audience knowing of what danger lingers in the shadows they are left feeling stressed because of an urge to let the character in on the intruder. It is significant in that films like this one prey on an audience member's own fears because this could realistically happen to them rather than relying on supernatural or horror from the 'beyond'.

The Haunting of Hill House

Hush