The Beginning of it All :O

        Our film, Lucid Elucidations, is part of the horror genre. My partners include Ben Isaacs, Pierce Thomas, and Bianca Raby. Together, we have created an idea for our title sequence, which includes our actor, or protagonist, either 1) dreaming or 2) recalling a past memory. Either way, the protagonist will be in the midst of abnormal, creepy happenings, that make the viewer unsettled. It's an attempt to scare the audience psychologically, and to grasp at the fear of the unknown. At some point, the protagonist will snap out of their dream or recollection of memories, and will be back in "normal" time, where nothing scary is (currently) happening...
The exact details are not sketched in stone, but we do have a general outline of the big picture.

Here are the links to my partners blogs, for more information on the progression of our film:
Pierce Thomas -http://elucidation.home.blog
Ben Isaacs -https://beni102501.blogspot.com
Bianca Raby -http://biancaraby.home.blog

I've done research on horror film codes and conventions to help achieve the most accurate level of "scare". To begin, a major feature found in many horror films is a strong foreshadowing event in the beginning[ hence the dream/memory in our title sequence ;) ]. Typically, a horror film tries to build a theme off of common human fears, such as the supernatural, the dark, nightmares and murder. Settings usually include isolated areas, including but not limited to dark fields and old houses to make the viewer feel alone. Cinematography is a huge factor when evoking fear. Shots such as very high/low angle shots, POV shots, handheld shots, close-ups and using shallow depth of field are all effective ways to portray a sense of abnormality to the audience and convey the fear that the characters are feeling. Sound in itself can be scary, so correct usage in horror films is vital (using ambient, diegetic sounds, such as breathing or footsteps). Mise-en-scene such as dark colored costuming and low key lighting help to increase the feeling of isolation and give off a sense of death or a form of looming darkness.

Here's my link from North Seattle college film conventions: 

http://facweb.northseattle.edu/jclapp/HUM%20110/Handouts%20and%20Lectures/Horror%20Film%20Codes%20and%20Conventions.pptx