My horror still image

Me and my media partner Daniel both contributed to this photo. We wanted to image of a demented/psycho surgeon, who loses his mind and tortures people. We covered Daniel's kitchen table with silver foil, and laid out a series of his most gruesome cutlery (knives, pliers, butchers tools, etc...) .  We then got a bottle of fake blood from a fancy dress shop and dabbed patches of the blood on the metal instruments and spreaded it unevenly for dramatic effect.

After doing this, we emptied out a window cleaning spray bottle, and filled a quarter with it of fake blood, and diluted it with some tap water so it was thinner and didn't clog up the tube. I then sprayed it a couple times over the side of the silver foiled table, and several times over Daniel's hands so they were smothered in blood.

There were 6 different tools, and i took roughly 8-10 pictures for each tool, changing the angle and zoom each time. After the pictures were uploaded i sifted through them to find the most gory and scary shot. After finding a picture i was happy with i edited it on Photoshop, and i changed the lighting so it was a lot darker, and so that the blood looked a lot darker and succulent.

This is a rough sketch I made on paper to plan out what kind of photo I wanted to take for my horror still. I wanted to convey a tormented surgeon, and the use of splattered blood on a range of murderous tools helped me portray that character perfectly.

Shot type analysis #8 - Low angle shot

The use of a low angle shot is very effective when it comes to portraying status in the media industry. From the low camera angle at 0:10 to 0:14 and 0:17 to 0:19 we can see that because of the point of view from someone looking up at someone else, the higher person instantly looks more powerful and shows the higher status. This is very effective when it comes to arguments, fights, or portraying the law.

Shot type analysis #7 - Worms eye view shot

In this extract we see a very powerful and effective shot. The worms eye view shot represents status between the ferior and inferior aniamls. The shot is very low and looks up to such animals like hens and chicks. This shot is effective because we can see how creatures such as beetles and worms see the world. What looks small to a human, is huge in contrast to a worm, and this shot helps humans experience that.

Shot type analysis #6 - Crane shot used in TV advert.

In this advert we see a crane shot being used several times. The use of the crane shot helps to portray a scene from any given angle and height. The use of zoom is crucial to help show what is important in the scene, because without zoom the audience would have too much to look at and could miss a crucial key point to the film.

Shot type analysis #5 - Crash zoom shot

From 1:00 to 1:03 we see an example of a crash zoom shot. This shot can be very effective when wanting to focus on something on someone to add dramatic effect, in this case, the diamond with the title of the movie 'Snatch' edited in-front of it. It helps the audience to concentrate on what is most important in the shot.


We can also see another example of a crash zoom shot in the same film. At 2:01 we see the camera zoom into one of the thugs' gun and quickly cut pans across each letter of the word 'replica'. These two extracts are a very brilliant example of the crash zoom, and they come from a brilliant film packed full of inventive and creative camera shots, angles, and scenes.

Shot type analysis #4 - Goodfellas Reverse tracking shot.

In this scene the reverse tracking shot effect is used to help the viewer focus on whats important. The camera shot is used in such a way in where the background is moving away yet the 2 people at the table are not moving anywhere. This shows the audience that things around them are moving fine yet their life has come to a complete standstill, which could possibly mean they're in trouble.
The reverse tracking also has several alternative names, here is a list of some:

• Dolly zoom
• Trombone effect
• Hitchcock effect
• Vertigo effect
• Push/pull effect

Shot type analysis #3 - Cloverfield whip pan shot

In this scene the camera is dragged around and kept uneven at certain parts, it is also very shaky. The way the camera is used creates tension and leaves the viewer on the edge of their seat as we see a short glimpse of an attack near the distant buildings. It also gives the viewer the impression that they have the same view as the character in the film so they share the understanding and makes the viewer feel as if they're actually there in the film.

Shot type analysis #2 - Tracking shot in Kill Bill

In this scene of the film we see a very long, skilled, and beautifully executed tracking shot. To achieve such a brilliant and long shot the camera man would of had to have used a crane in which he would of had to mount himself and dismount himself on to various times. The use of this camera shot helps the viewer to see the actors every move, and it also helps keep the viewer focused on what is important in the shot.

Shot type analysis #1 - Panning shot of city from mountain top.

In this clip we see the view of a city from a mountain top in Qianling park. The use of the panning shot emphasizes the true beauty of the city and helps the viewer discover what this city looks like from such a rare, high angle. The way the camera is panned so slowly shows that there is a lot of beauty that needs to be captured, and doing so the viewer really has the chance to focus on it instead of it being rushed and panned quickly.

Sherlock Holmes film review

Sherlock Holmes, released in 2009, is a mixed genre film, which include such genres as crime, action, and mystery. It was directed by Guy Ritchie, who also directed several other successful films such as Snatch and Lock stock and two smoking barrels. The film is set in London during the 1920’s, and is about a dark, and mysterious character (Blackwood, played by Mark Strong) who has mastered black magic and uses it for evil while Sherlock Holmes and partner Watson (played by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law) set out to stop his dextrous charade of murder and rebellious plots.

Before watching this film I was quite sceptical about it because I am a huge Guy Ritchie fan, and he usually directs British gangster films, which I absolutely loved, so him directing a sudden change of genre meant in my eyes he had a lot to live up to.

However, I feel he pulled off the film fantastically and gave his own personal twist to it, which I personally enjoyed. We can see the work of Guy Ritchie in some of the witty remarks that Sherlock Holmes comes out with, and it reminded me directly of some of the witty marks the main characters say in Snatch and Lock stock, which inclined me to watch the rest of the film.

The story line itself I thought was very clever and creative. The way the audience was mislead for roughly 5/6’s of the film I thought was genius, and the twist at the end was impressive. Lord Blackwood, the antagonist of the film, convinced the audience and the citizens in the movie that he could control black magic, and that he was a sorcerer of the dark arts. However, the twist at the end was that Sherlock Holmes discovered that they were all illusions, and merely a light display fooling the audience.

There is a very effective technique called ratiocination used throughout the film. It’s where the detective remains smarter than the audience giving the unfair advantage of seeing clues that us an audience cannot see, however, minuscule hints are dropped throughout, giving the audience a chance to solve the mystery. The use of this technique creates enigmas, tension, and suspense throughout the film right until the end, as the use of our unfair advantages keep us as an audience guessing right to the end of the film.

The end scene of this film is gripping in the way it is set on top of London Bridge, and at one point, there is a literal cliff hanger where Blackwood is hanging from a wooden structure.

There is a big opening at the end of this film for a sequel, which I feel would be fantastic and definitely something I’d pay to see as I enjoyed this film a lot. The way Sherlock says to Watson in one the last scenes “Case reopened!” means that there will surely be a sequel. The question is; will it match this film in its 

brilliance? Or will it be a disaster? That is one thing I am eager to find out.

I rate this film an 8.5 out of a possible 10.

Introduction about myself

My name is Luke Smith and this is my AS Level Media blog.

Here is a picture of me:

I will be updating it regularly with posts which include coursework, filming events, picture and film extract annotations, and a range of posts all to do with the AS Level Media studies course.

This blog has been created for the AS Level examiners, but all other viewers are welcome to look and comment.
Here is one last picture of me, doing what I love most, skateboarding:

Thank you, and enjoy.