This document provides information for students on an introductory media production unit, including pre-production tasks for a "Board Blast" horror film assignment. Students will work in groups to storyboard, film and edit a short horror sequence using different shot types, including long shots, medium shots and close-ups. They will also need to find and edit appropriate sound effects to accompany their edited video sequence. Guidance is given on common film editing techniques like cuts, dissolves and fades.
6. Board Blast: Horror Films Example Monsters Haunted House Knives Howling wind Creaking Doors Screaming
7. Shows entire body and some of the surroundings. Often used at the start of a program or scene. Lets the audience know where the action is set. Sometimes called Long Shot (LS) Wide Shot (WS) Composition/Framing
8. Includes the upper half of the body, cutting the person off near the waist. Shows more character emotion, or reaction than wide shot. A typical shot for interviews. Often called Mid-Shot Medium Shot (MS) Composition/Framing
9. “ Head and shoulders” shot. Provides even more emotion or reaction than the Medium shot. When focused on objects, helps audience see details that they might otherwise miss. Also commonly used for interviews. Close Up (CU) Composition/Framing
10. Maximum dramatic effect. Used when speech or reaction is very important or very emotional. Extreme Close-up (ECU) Composition/Framing
11. The Task: Working in groups, you’ll storyboard, film and edit a short sequence in the style of a Horror film. The sequence will use a maximum of six different shots. You can use the same shot more than once if you wish. The story: Someone walks into a cupboard/room to retrieve an item (of your choice). When edited, you must record/find sound effects to suit the Genre and edit them to complete the sequence.
15. Editing: Cut: The most common transition/edit. Generally used to show the same scene/action from a different angle. It is the replacement of one shot with another. Dissolve: After the cut, this is the most common transition used. It is the simultaneous fading out of one shot, and the fading into the next. Usually used to signal a change in time or location. Fade: A ‘dissolve’ to or from Black (or another colour). Sometimes used to signal the passage time.