Damsel In Distress

This shot shows a victim up against a wall screaming in terror as a dark shadow looms over them. This shot can be seen to be representing horror as it follows many of the generic conventions of the genre. We see a dark room lacking in colour which brings an element of mystery into the picture. The victim is in terror as you can see from the body language and facial expression which shows that something bad is happening or in other words gives a sense of impending doom. The shadow of the hand is very large so gives the effect of a huge creature and as the victim is looking upwards we feel as if it is very large in comparison. The shadow is quite distorted as well to look unnatural. The lighting is also low key which makes it very strange as it is only really coming from underneath so we can just make out the victims face but most of the shot is cast in shadow. There is a feeling of tension as we have no idea what will happen next but are lead to believe that the victim will probably face their end! The shot itself is at a canted angle which also makes the shot feel unnatural.

To achieve this shot we found a wall and some steps and got the victim (myself) to lie on the steps looking in fear. We then shone one light from underneath onto the victim's face and one from far off where someone else created the shadow of the hand at an odd angle to make it seem distorted and big. We then took the picture at a canted angle.

Our shot is successful in the fact that it gives a feeling of horror and terror. The layout is good and because of the general set up it feels very claustrophobic, which makes us feel there is no way out. The lighting is well thought out and so is the angle as both are big contributing factors to the horror feel of the shot.

In hindsight I would have gotten some more powerful lights to make the whole picture a lot clearer and less fuzzy. I would have also tried to get an even more distorted angle as this would add to oddness of the shot. Had we had the time and resources I would have liked to use some make up to make the character look bloody and bruised and also to have ripped clothes so when somebody looks at the shot they can picture their own scenario in what led up to this moment, and even predict what will happen next. I would have also liked to have decorated the set a bit more to make it look more sinister and mysterious, maybe in a cellar or have strange markings on the wall.