The document discusses the opening title sequence (OTS) for a horror film called "The Basement". It describes how the OTS uses conventions of the horror genre, such as taking place at night in an isolated setting (an empty school). It builds tension through minor ominous music, dark lighting, and not showing the villain's face under his hoodie. The OTS was edited to enhance fear using color balance, chiaroscuro effects, and close-ups when tension is highest. Scary fonts were used to maintain fear and mystery for viewers. The story involves the last student being attacked by a school worker and dragged to the basement where something terrible is hidden.

1. In what ways does your media product
use, develop or challenge forms and
conventions of real media products?
Jan Sychrava

2. Genre
When talking about horror as a genre, we have to include several things
which are typical for these sorts of films:
Typical horror film:
• Blood
• Death
• Killing
• Villains, violence
• Chase scenes
• Isolated settings
• Screams
• Darkness, shadows
• Evil
• Music usually builds tension
My OTS:
When I was planning my opening title sequence I tried to use and
take in to consideration as many as possible, but also take into
account the possibilities and options in terms of equipment.
I set the OTS in the school which is not exactly typical setting, but
it gives us a perfect space in terms of isolation and also attracts
the audience as it is a usual place where teenagers spent most of
the time.
Minor, tension building music was another convention which
helped to increase the „scariness“ of the upcoming film.

3. The Setting
I set the story of my film in the school, as it is a place very familiar to the
audience between 15 to 18 years old. Also the fact that our school offers
a perfect spaces for filming helped me with my decision where to shoot.
Empty classrooms were an obvious choices for me from the beginning. I had to wait
till the evening to get all the shadows and lighting suitable for a horror OTS and
together with a presence of nobody around, it perfectly suits to my story.

4. This door was a big deal. The problems was with lights inside, they are
automatic which means that when you open the door they go on
immediately. When shooting a gate to a dark basement you need a place
with dark indoors so to prevent this shot I removed the title board and
placed it to a similar door in different part of the school, where the lights
have a longer lag time before they go on.

5. Costumes
Costumes for this film
weren‘t a big problem.
The main character
Mitchel is wearing a
smart clothes as any other student would and the school
employee (villain) has a basic working clothes – transparent
vest, hoodie and gloves. The hoodie is a major part of this OTS
as it covers his face for whole time, so we can‘t see who he is.
This act also increases the mystery and fear from this character.

6. Camera work
Close up like this one was used when the
tension was at its strongest to again in this case
to increase the fear from the unknown
character. The shot of the shoes doesn‘t show
anything more then his feet which supposed to
make the audience anxious about what‘s
coming.
This shot is one of my favourites. Purpose of the
foreground in focus and background out of
focus is to again don‘t show the villain‘s face and
also make the audience almost doesn‘t want to
see the truth, because it‘s scary, dark and evil.

7. Editing
In terms of editing I just add some tension building music and some
special effects such as colour balance and chiaroscuro to increase the
fear in the audience. For editing I used my editing software Sony Vegas
(viz. http://jansychravaasmedia.jimdo.com/evaluation/question-6/).
Colour balance:
BEFORE AFTER

8. Font and style
Font of the titles is also an important thing, which has to be taken in to
consideration. For my OTS I used 2 fonts with similar characteristics,
such as scary styles and black and white motives.
Both supposed to maintain fear and mystery in the spectators.
DarkWorld YouMurderer BB

9. Story and The Title
Last student in the school is knocked down by a school overnight
worker and dragged down to the basement where something terrible
is hidden – this suppose to be a main plot of the narrative.
I don‘t know why, but to be honest the first thing which I was thinking
of, was the name of the film. With the title „The Basement“ I then
developed the story to be suitable for the name.
Just the name „The Basement“ creates a scary, maybe even frightening
thoughts between the audience. Together then with the uprising
tension during the watching the OTS, it gives the spectator as a young
adult a clear and mysterious image about the film.