Brainstorming- The foundations of my ideas

So I have decided to brainstorm my ideas as this technique helps me to plan and decide what my next steps are. I have already typed up my synopsis so I know my current storyline. I have knocked off all ideas about a Romance vampire film as it's so familiar and I find it predictable and dull. I want my idea to leave the audience guessing what will happen next and to achieve this I will need to create a storyline that can make people feel out of their comfort zone.

Down below I have annotated my brainstorm. I will explain the decisions I have made and why.

Characters- I will have only one Protagonist that will be a Doctor and also a vampire. I want to break the representations of all vampires being selfless "blood sucking" monsters. I also want to create a conflict between this good vampire and the other vampires which are antagonists. This will most defiantly create suspense.

I have chosen to represent all the patients at the 'Mental Institution of Louisana' as victims. This way they are seen as weak and unable to protect themselves. People who have been sent to a Asylum tend to be a harm to society or themselves. But in this case, within the the walls of this institution they are the victims.

Setting-  I have chosen to set my film in the Winter as vampires are commonly known as being cold blooded and in the Winter it gets dark very early and this would suit a vampire's needs as attacking outside wouldn't be so risky whereas in the Summer it would, as people are likely to be out later enjoying the weather. I have chosen to have the story filmed in the past and present as I will have many flashbacks of some of the patients personal stories based on how they ended up in a mental institution. I like the thought of flashbacks as it feels like an intrusion of someone's private thoughts and memories. This way we can understand the characters and their emotions. It's going to be set in America, Louisiana. Louisiana is known to have a multicultural and multilingual heritage which is strongly influenced by the French, Spanish, Native American and African cultures.  I did want to set it in Pennsylvania which is the state beneath New York but I was looking at the Southern states. Also I didn't want to set it in Europe either as I find the films set in Europe are quite dull and slowly paced. 

Filming: How sound can enhance a scenes meaning

Synopsis of My Vampire Horror Movie 'Asylum Of Louisiana'

Set in Louisana, America in the late 80s is an untold story of the going on's in the Mental Institution of Louisiana. We follow the stories of the patients and their encounters with the strange doctors and staff that control the institution. 

Samantha Wollington who arrives in the opening sequence as a patient has been stitched up for murder she believes she did not commit but this is not proven until she proves her innocence. All we see is a flashback of Samantha and her mother having a argument where they are both screaming at each other while she is driven to the Mental Institution of Louisiana. Once she arrives the staff seem to take a keen interest in her, which begins to make Samantha more uncomfortable than being in a mental institution with a handful of insane patients. The days go by slowly and she starts to think she is turning insane the longer she's kept hostage so she embarks on a mission to get herself out and prove her innocence. One Doctor in particular, Doctor Sanchez is assigned to work with her and he realises she did not commit the murder and plans to get her out. But this begins to be a bigger challenge than he thought as his fellow colleagues start to notice they are spending a lot of time in that office of his. Every evening at 8pm patients are sent into their locked rooms but Samantha never sleeps because of the patients screaming and talking repeatedly to themselves. She hears the guard’s keys before he opens the gate, and another member of staff is accompanying him. She believes they will stop outside her door but is clearly wrong when they stop suddenly outside the Spanish patients door. They hesitate and the guard laughs quietly and mumbles something under his breathe which she struggles to hear. The door opens slowly and they both say nothing until the door shuts which wakes the Spanish patient and she says "vampiro" and the two men growl in an unnatural way.

The day of the escape comes, but Doctor Sanchez is no where to be found. Has he been found out about their plan. Will she go it alone or stay and await her planned death in this hell house?

Representation of Women in Horror Films

Traditionally women are represented in horror films as the damsel in distress and are often being attacked by the killer because they have committed as a sinful act.

Being a victim is the most popular role of a female as they were and still to this day are seen as the weaker sex. Not being able to voice their own opinions is how females we’re treated before they had any equal rights to men and this obviously reflected into such media as film. They often show familiarities such as being naive, dumb, weak and gullible which tends to lead them into falling into traps and dying before the film has even entered the climax. The most common stereotype is that the females, specifically blondes die first as they are represented as dumb, weak and unable to protect themselves without a man. This has slightly changed in modern filmmaking and Director’s are starting to bend the rules and change the way the audience see all women in horrors, including the blondes.

Women are the victims and only the heroin or killer if they show masculine attributes, which are associated with men. This is supported in “Scream” the US horror film where the main character Gail Weathers, a strong female whom when is not a damsel in distress is out fighting to bring down the killer knowing she could end up in danger. Being strong is not a characteristic that belongs to women as they are labelled as weak.

In the horror Scream, Gale rescues Sidney. She is wearing a masculine looking leather trench coat and is positioned in a stance which would be described as dominant. This is a clear example of a woman in a man’s role.

When a female character is the hero and survives the killer and sets off on a mission to either kill or capture the killer herself. This demonstrates the characteristics of a strong and powerful woman that is presented as superior to the killer, which states the modern woman have empowerment over men; which is a feminist ideology. To add to this point, Director’s are breaking the general stereotype of women in horror films.

However, now with the influence of feminism and modern beliefs, women in reality are much more successful and independent therefore the representation has slightly changed in horror films where they have become intelligent and strong. I believe feminism movement changed culture to think of women in dominant roles to illustrate how women and men that are both capable of different things are actually equal.

Jennifer’s Body focuses on the power females hold against males in horror films. Women are still commonly seen as victims but tend to surprise us by being strong minded and smart heroes and even killers because women are proven to have more power in society in reality, which is the fear of traditional anti-feminists. Jennifer’s Body demonstrates how modern culture has changed the genre from men being the one to save the day or murdering victims to women adopting their dominant roles. Breaking the stereotype of women in horrors is exciting and new as we are so used to men in their dominant roles.

In the film ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ the only two females characters are defined only by their sexuality- nothing else such as personality traits is relevant whereas then three males are put into the archetypes; fool, scholar and athlete based on their character traits. The whore always dies first so the virgin must die last. Their personalities are altered so they fit into their chosen archetypes to be sacrificed to save the ancient gods.

There is Dana, the “so-called virgin” even though she slept with one of her professors, which is mentioned in her first scene of the film. In my perspective Dana’s past and choices would probably be seen “whorish”. Simply because of the way they are physically presented on the screen. Jules is still seen to fit the whore archetype and Dana the virgin, as she is quiet and humble. American society thinks of virgins as sweet hearted and the word whore sends signals that the female is loud and likes to have fun.

To conclude, horror films have changed since women gained equal rights to men. This gave them the voice to stand up for themselves, rather than being told what to do and how to do it. Women have adopted masculine attributes in horror films, which gives them more dominance compared to men or as equal to them which is breaking the original representation of women in horror films as the modern woman is seen as independent and strong minded.

Director Research

          Quentin Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tarantino was a devoted film fan. His career began in the late 1980s, when he wrote and directed My Best Friend's Birthday.

His movies are mostly characterised by stylistic influences from grindhouse, kung fu and spaghetti western films.
Tarantino also commonly collaborates with his filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.

He has received many industry awards, including a Oscars, Golden Globe, BAFTA Award, Empire Awards, Hollywood Film Award, NSFC Award and has been nominated for an Grammy and Emmy.


Movies Directed:

• Kill Bill: Volume 1 & 2
• Sin City
• My Best Friend's Birthday
• Four Rooms
• Inglourious Basterds
• Grindhouse
• Reservoir Dogs
• Pulp Fiction
• Death Proof
• Django Unchained

 Steven Spielberg

Steven Allan Spielberg is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer and studio entrepreneur. 

In he career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres ranging from sci-fi to historical drama's.

Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as archetypes of modern Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking. In later years, his films began addressing issues such as the Holocaust,the Transatlantic slave trade, terrorism and war. He is considered one of he most popular and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. 

He is also one of the co-founders of DreamWorks movie studio.

* Uses low height camera shot very frequently

He received many awards such as; Blue Ribbon Award, BAFTA Award, Academy Award, Daytime Emmy Award, Golden Globe, Empire Award, Emmy Award and London Critics Circle Film Awards with so many more.

Movies Directed:

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• E.T the Extra Terrestrial
• Jaws
• Jurassic Park
• Munich
• Transformers
• War of the Worlds
• The Adventures of Tintin
• Saving Private Ryan
• Raiders of the Lost Ark
• Schindler's List
• War Horse

 James Cameron

James Cameron is a Canadian film director, film producer, deep-sea explorer, screen writer, visual artist and editor.

In the huge gap between making Titanic and Avatar, Cameron spent several years creating many documentary films, specifically underwater documentaries. He also co-developed the digital 3D Fusion Camera System. He was described by a biographer as a part-scientist and part-artist.

*Cameron has also contributed to creating underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies.

Achievements include him reaching the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. He was the first person to do this in a solo falling, and only the third to do so ever.

He has been nominated for six Academy Awards overall and won three for Titanic. 

Recurring themes include the conflicts between humanity and technology, the dangers of corporate greed, strong female characters and a strong romance subplot. 

In almost all of his films, characters tend to get into dramatic crisis situations with powerful threats to their own life. 

Movies Directed:

• The Terminator 
• Rambo: First Blood Part II 
• Aliens(1986)
• The Abyss
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day(1991)
• True Lies
• Titanic(1997)
• Spider Man and the Dark Angel
• Sanctum (2011)
• Various Documentaries(2002-12)

Many inspirational directors see James Cameron as a idol, teacher and leader of film.

Mise en Scene: Use Of Light

PREMLINARY EDIT