Preliminary Task: Bussing Sequence

Bussing Sequence Evaluation

For our preliminary task we shot a bussing sequence in which the victim gets a false shock before the real scare. The victim (Ellie) is alone in a school and goes to play an old piano. She sees the curtain move and the piano lid shuts closed as she begins to walk away. The villain (myself) appears from behind a curtain and goes to attack the victim. We encountered a range of problems due to the circumstances we were filming in, but we managed to overcome them and learn from them.

The main problem that we faced was due to the mise-en-scene and continuity. We had a problem with Ellie’s costume as we had to film over two days, so the clothes are different in the first and second parts of the sequence. Another problem we faced was that we used the piano music as non-diegetic sound as well as diegetic so it was jerky when we edited it. A way in which we could fix this is to record the piano music as a track and then add it in during the editing process so it is smooth. Also, as we weren’t alone in the school, there is some unwanted sound of doors and speech, in the beginning of the sequence thus defeating the notion that it is an isolated setting. Another problem was that we were shooting in the daytime and so we couldn’t really control the lighting, however, we tried to make it darker by pulling the blinds down over the windows and turning lights off.

The continuity editing of a long shot followed by a close up of Ellie peeking around the door was done well however, we needed more close ups in order for the audience to be able to sympathise and identify with the victim. We started our sequence with a long shot of Ellie in the corridor; when we received feedback we learned that it would have been better if we had an establishing shot at the beginning and a shot of Ellie walking up the stairs to establish the setting.

The editing process after we shot our bussing sequence went well because we followed conventions of horror films and added eerie non diegetic sound in the background, to make it scarier. We also cut some clips so that the cuts were quicker and built tension like in most horror films. The diegetic sound of the piano fit in well with the horror genre as the song Ellie played sounds eerie.

However, after receiving feedback, we learnt that less of the diegetic sound would allow for more non diegetic sound to be used, such as ghostly noises. Another suggestion was that Ellie could have played some eerie notes on the piano when she strokes it to create a more sinister atmosphere. Also, the high angle shot from behind me makes people think there s someone behind me thus the effect is not the same. Feedback suggested a shot reverse-shot of Ellie’s reaction my appearance, would have been better. Also, the point of view shot of me walking towards could have been done better and from a higher angle, thus making me look superior and allowing the audience to identify with the victim better. Additionally, in this part of the sequence, after watching it over and with feedback, we realised that there was too much distance between myself and Ellie, so it doesn’t make sense that to be a point of view shot. Also, that Ellie’s fall was not very convincing so we could either eliminate it from our real trailer, or somehow make it more realistic. Feedback also said that the fades in the sequence did not convey time passing properly (when Ellie strokes the piano, then is playing it). Additionally, though the fade at the end of the sequence was too quick, the link to Psycho was good. Another suggestion from feedback was that a false shock would have built up the real scare, thus creating a better effect for the audience.

From this experience I learnt that continuity is extremely important in order for something to make sense and so, in our actual trailer we should be prepared for any problems we could face involving costume and other mise-en-scene. Also, by experimenting with types of shots, I have learnt which shots work best for the horror genre and to create the correct atmosphere for the audience and that with more time, planning and preparation we could improve a lot more.