Prelim: Remake Of "Halloween" (1978)

Below is our remake of "Halloween" (1978) in which we attempted to portray scenes from the opening scene. In the editing process, we decided to use Premier because we felt like we were more familiar with it as we were short on time. I think the biggest success was actually getting the clip complete in two days and this was mainly because of the planning we did beforehand. 

Strengths:

We decided to change some bits in the opening scene for example by adding in text at the start. I think that it is effective as it says "Be careful who you let in.." in the colour red. This alerts the audience that something bad may occur in the clip due to red connoting danger or even death. This is then seen later on in the scene where Michael (who is masked) goes up the stairs with a knife to attempt to kill his sister.

Moreover, I also thought that our narrative was pretty clear and evident due to the scenes that featured the couple talking in the house. The sense of voyeurism also comes across due to the point of view shot  where Michael is supposedly looking through the window at the couple talking. This is effective as it may make the audience feel more uncomfortable as the couple are unaware of Michael's presence. 

I also thought we did a good job with the sound itself for example we had the 'Halloween' soundtrack along with heavy breathing which yet again symbolises that the murderer is about to strike. This may also make the audience feel uncomfortable as they know what the murderer is about to do and the sister is clueless about his presence in the house.

By featuring a mask in the clip, this made scene seem more scarier as it would make the audience feel tense as the murderer could be anyone as the identity is hidden. Additionally, this also follows conventions of horror as masks act like symbols and are known to be in famous horror movies like 'Scream.' 

Weaknesses:

However whilst filming the scenes, there were some weaknesses for example the shot where it focuses on the location (the house) is shaky and not angled as right. In the progress of creating our real trailer, we would ensure that we have enough footage that would work in our trailer. We would also ask for different opinions from people to make sure that shots are smooth and perfect.

During the editing process, we also thought that our shots that focused on the couple talking were too long and this wasn't as effective in a horror clip. When making our real trailer, we would make sure that    the scenes are short which would allow the audience to be more interested and intrigued by trailer.

I also thought that the mise-en-scene in the house was not as effective for example when the masked killer picks up the knife from the draw, it can hardly be seen due to other objects in the draw. This was because of time shortage and in the future we would ensure that everything can be seen properly by planning and preparing ahead.  

In the future, I would have to think about improving my skills for example I would have to get more used to editing on Premier in order to make an effective trailer. Moreover by creating this prelim, I have been able to see my weaknesses and how I need to improve. For filming as a group, we would have to take turns in practicing using the tripod to get rid of shakiness and we would have to continuously film a scene several times to make sure that the clip turns out right.