DVC10 Daniel Kohl "Somewhere under the Rainbow"
 

I only really like Horror films that have a humor factor. (Not really a good start for working on the theme "Scare us"). Some of my favorite films that fit into this genre are: almost all of Peter Jackson films, films like "Return of the Living dead" which is just plain hilarious, "The Evil Dead" and "Army of Darkness" etc. I'm not really into the "real" scary stuff. Gives me a headache to watch.

I enjoyed working on the challenge of making a film "scary"; to evoke fear. Not an easy thing to do. I can't really think of a film that I have seen which scared me (maybe because I avoid those films), maybe "The Exorcist", or "The Omen", "Rosemary's Baby" ... and the like, but I think that they were scary because they were based on "reality" ... they seemed real ... or at least somehow possible. I thought about all the things that have caused me to feel fear in real life. I realized that trying to depict them as they would, or as they had occurred in real life would not succeed in evoking a feeling of fear. I don't think just showing someone being afraid will evoke fear. And showing what they are afraid of won't really do it either.

With all the thinking I have done this week, about fear, I have come to the conclusion that fear is generated by a not knowing, or being able to explain why something is happening, or what is going to happen next, combined with some threat. That was the basis for all the ideas I generated. The idea to blend "the Wizard of Oz" into the plot, was actually an after thought, but it fit in perfectly with my analyses of fear. It was interesting to recollect how scary that film was for me as a kid. And it was interesting to see how the makers of that film struggled to keep it from being too scary.

I know that my approach to this DVC was way too brainy, and I spent most of the time thinking about what fear is, and how one might go about evoking it. If my wife hadn't said "lets shoot some video!", I would be hanging on the Wall o' Shame for sure.

As it is, I don't know if my entry is really that scary (it was pretty creepy editing it alone at night, though), but I got it done, and learned (once again) a whole bunch in the process.

Any input or impressions are most welcome.

i guess i'll never watch "The Wizard of Oz" in quite the same way again...interesting iteration of it in the horror context.

why do girls insist on opening those doors?? i think i would bolt the door on that scary basement forever!

one suggestion might be to have the sequence where she is watching the show end faster and have a slower descent into the creepy basement, using the soundtrack from the movie during the descent, to put the movie into a different context entirely--push that whole contrast between a new set of images and the line about how the scarecrow's arms and legs were everywhere into the basement sequence. just a thought. that way, you would be using more imagery from your own movie and less from the "Wizard."

Daniel:

I think the opening sequence ran to long, and the closeup eye shots in that initial sequence didn't do a lot for me.

But after that, with the search through the house, the scariness started to pick up, to the point that I think it was the most suspenseful of any of the films on this challenge to date. Got me to be saying, "what are you going down there for, lady??" I agree with Meryem that more emphasis on the trip down the stairs may have been the way to go.

Film had a very cinematic feel... great job.

Hi Daniel!
 

I actually liked how you slowly faded sounds from the TV to the creepy sounds she seemed to be picking up in her ear. I realize with 3 minutes 20 seconds, a long transition like that can cut into your time, but still enjoyed it.

If I opened that door and heard that kind of noise, I'd at least grab the 12 guage and a package of ding dongs.

Kathrin R did a wonderful job in her performance. Her subtle yet convincing facial expressions were terrific! Can she work in Wyoming?

No film of my own, but I had to jump in for a moment with this movie; I'm with the others who think less of the TV watching would be a good thing, and I also think a glimpse of the thing would be nice (just a tiny bit, maybe a silhouette, a pair of eyes, an outline, something), but the soundtrack was enough to make me slink down in my chair so my entire back was 'protected' from anything sneaking up behind me.

But copper compression fittings? Now that's real horror.

Thanks for the compliment, I'll pass it on. As far as working in Wyoming - we'll pack our bags ... is it alright if I come too? I'm starting to give up on finding the type of humor you are producing, here in Germany. And I think there are some issues in my cellar that I don't want to deal with.

Thanks for all the comments so far. They are well taken. I realize that the things happening behind, under, and around the "victim" are missing. The film needs more of the stuff like the light under the door. I even imagined some shadows following her. More things that the viewer sees which she doesn't. I had to settle for the first layer of suspense, because of the usual issues - no time, being the biggest. I was actually contemplating an ending where something (a two headed zombie) starts to attack her in the basement just before the lights go out.

But I figure as it is now, that weird sound was just some copper compression fittings going bad (it's lucky that she went to investigate otherwise the whole house would have exploded (that's the main gas line!)). She only screamed after the lights went out because she saw a mouse.

Robert, is there something I should know about copper compression fittings? I'm actually living above that cellar.

I think that this is a very interesting issue. I spent a lot of time thinking about this before I started shooting, and consequently had almost no time to make the film.

As a basis I was trying show a situation that was believable as a real situation. I thought, that by altering small things in that reality, it would irritate the viewer, create tension. I wanted to recreate that feeling of when you THINK you hear something but you don't know what it is or where it is coming from. Those are the moments when I feel scared. I wanted to shift the focus away from the visual, toward the acoustic since that was the source of the tension. I figured I could do that best by reducing the visuals. I know that film and video are visual mediums, but I think that they can function like a book, or radio (its hard to do) but if it works, the things that the viewer imagines are a thousand times more vivid than what any special effect can render.

It is interesting how the audio of the scarecrow scene changes when placed in a different context. I think that that bit of text stays with the viewer for the rest of the film. At least that is what I was aiming for. I'll actually follow your suggestion and see what happens when I put the scarecrow text over the descent into the cellar, I'm curious as to what effect that would have.

Since I realized that I wasn't going to get the two headed zombie together for this film, I decided to try subtle and penetrating. The screaming coming out of the basement after she opens the door is way to extreme, It would have been more believable for her to go down there if the sound had been less drastic and maybe more mysterious. Maybe the sound of Dorothy crying or something ... damn reedit!

No, no, nothing wrong with them from a homeowner's standpoint. I speak from a plumber's point of view. "Real men solder their joints", that kind of thing. Speak with someone like my father and you'd hear that things along the lines of PVC, PEX, and now compression copper are "taking the trade out of the trade". There's a certain 'touch' required when soldering that isn't there with the newer technologies. They work just fine, certainly--though I've no firsthand experience with them--but a trained monkey could install the stuff; there's far less skill involved. And, as with so many other things, when a material or technology's primary advantage is lower cost, lighter weight, and ease of installation, the people attracted to it are mainly those interested in those things over any concerns of craft, trade, or quality. It's cheaper, it's faster, it's easier to use, and that's all anyone seems to care about now.

Rest assured, however, my comment was made in jest, I didn't mean anything serious by it. It's nothing you need to worry about, just some ranting from a tradesperson.

As for gas explosions, don't believe anything you see on TV and in movies, it's all blown way out of proportion for story purposes, no pun intended. The kind of concentration you need for a genuine explosion is absolutely ridiculous, and you'd get light-headed (and know to shut off the main supply) long before then. The place you could see it is if the main burst and was left to fill a tightly sealed up home for a while, but if the local building code at your location allows compression fittings, well...I wouldn't like it, for the reasons above, but I wouldn't worry myself all that much.

Thanks Robert for the clarification ...

Wyoming here I come! ... I bet they solder in Wyoming.

lol Daniel! Of course you two can come here. Or, maybe I can come to Germany and stay in that cellar!?

Just to prove your point the plumbers who installed our gas and heating system were idiots. The hot water tank burst after about two months because they forgot to equip it with a pressure equalizer (Dreuchausgleichbehaelter - I don't know exactly what its called in english - I've been away too long).

... I have got to get out to Wyoming. I don't even know how to translate Dreuchausgleichbehaelter into english anymore!

I believe you're referring to what's technically called a "temperature and pressure relief valve". Most of us just call it a relief valve for simplicity's sake.

Wonderful concept. The noise got creepy as hell at the end, i thought that was a nice build up. Great schtufff there!

The first time I watched this I had to keep the sound lower, so it didn’t really have the impact you intended. Well, tonight I got to turn the thing up…

Even though everyone knows exactly what’s going to happen we don’t care—we watch anyway. (I’m with Mereym—why do those women nearly always insist upon investigating???) I’m assuming we (viewers) are the only ones who saw the shadow moving under the door. If that was me in the house and I saw that the next scene would be a hole in the front door shaped like my fleeing body. ;)

You did a good job of building suspense with that weird noise, and when it got louder I thought that if I’d been there how disorienting it would have been.

Notice I’m putting myself in her shoes? That’s the mark of a good horror movie. Nice job, Daniel.

Daniel,

Nice concept, psycho girl investigating possible terror, I like it! I haven't seen all the entries but I can't believe ours will be the only two to use it.

I love a lot of your closeups. On the door as she enters the basement, on her eyes as she watches wizard of Oz. Good audio too. Really builds the suspense.

As with my short, I kind of wanted to see a lot of blood splattering all over, but because I'm just that kind of guy...

Hey, how did your short get linked to "Two coeds shake sexy asses?"

I'm jealous.

It must have something to do with your youtube profile. I get "Granny's One Eyed Cupid Shuffle".

Go figure.

HAHAHH The feedback on this one is a riot! I got to learn a thing or two about plumbing. Technically, I loved your shots and lighting and I did not think your lead up to to the climax took too long at all. Great job.

Hmm... a few things bothered me.

The closeups of the eyes seemed a bit much.

Using The Wizard of Oz felt like you were relying on that a bit, so I'm not sure you can really get the credit for using that, if you know what I mean. But... it was used well. (Why not pick a scarier movie? Copyright?)

The buildup was the best of all the entires, I think, and I was held in suspense as she went down the stairs.

I found the end disappointing, though I'm not sure what could have been found to make it better.

Regardless, though, there were some good parts here, enough to move it, I think, to [at least near] the top of my list.

Again, in terms of simply being scary, this buildup was the strongest.