MOMO.

What is the story line about:

What the storyline is about is a couple is lying in bed and the women gets up and goes to the bathroom
as she does daily before she goes to bed and she feel a weird presence in the air and sees the reflection
in the mirror of something behind the shower curtain, she goes to investigate to see what it is and when
she pulls it back the shower curtain and there is nothing there. Then she tries to forget about it until she
hears a humming coming from the kitchen and she went to see what it is, she looked around the corner
and saw a female with a weird looking face with big eyes and once she sees that she runs back to the
bedroom where she tells her boyfriend about what was going on in the kitchen. He goes to investigate
what is going on and gets attacked by the character MOMO and the girlfriend watches through the CCTV
cameras round the house and she sees the character MOMO going towards the bedroom and she runs
out to the car and it ends with her in the car and MOMO outside looking at her.

How does mise-en-scene reflect the genre :

shots
The shots that reflects the genre is when a tracking shot this is when she is going from
the bedroom to the bathroom this could have connotation of the fact that someone or
something is following her as the camera is moving at the same speed as her from
behind . This links with the genre of horror through the way that this shot is normally
used in horror films when something is about to go wrong, the reason why they do this
is to build suspense in the scene to make the audience feel like something is about to
happen and this make them feel uncomfortable because they know something bad is
going to happen to the actors. An example of a film like this is In the film bird box this
has a lot of this as this shows the audience what the creature is looking and this builds
suspense throughout the film.
Another shot they done in this is short film is over the shoulder shot on to her looking in a
mirror this links with iconography as a mirror in a horror film has connotation to something bad
is going to happen or something bad is related to the mirror. As mirrors have connotation to a
portal for spirts in real life. Also, the shoulder shot shows what she is looking at and this is
MOMO behind the shower curtain and this shows the reaction of her when she's sees her
(MOMO) this is done on purpose to show what the female actor is feeling at that moment. This
makes the film a bit more scary as a mirror has a big part in some horror films and in this film
they have put it in just so it makes the film a bit more recognizable to the audience as this film
being a paranormal horror film.

props
 How they use props to reflect the genre is through the shower curtain this is through the fact
that shower curtains in horror movies have a connotation to something bad is happening this is
because you cant see behind a shower curtain so this could mean that someone is there also as
the character is naked it could mean that they are vulnerable the way this links with
iconography is through other films such as scream with the famous shower scene in many other
film like slasher this make the audience feel scared for the character as they do not know that
someone is there . Also, another prop of the wedding dress is used this is also iconography
through wedding dresses have connotation to something positive and meaningful but is
different to the mood so it makes it creepy for the audience. The dress is old fashion eg and is
worn by a black figure which is scary as it is unnatural. Old things are something to do with the
supernatural as most horror films have old thing in them as a catalyst or the haunting of the
location, this is shown in over films such as the film sinister where the actor of the of the girl
that haunts the family wears an old dress and this is seen by the audience as a scary girl
stereotype through the dress is old fashion dress and in horror film the older the scarier.
editing
The way that the producers of the film made the editing to fit the genre is through SHOT
REVERSE SHOT when she sees MOMO this is when she is looking into the mirror to see
where the sprit is, this is to show the audience the panic of the main character
( female with dreads) and this also give a panic to the audience as well they have done
this to fit the genre because horrors are stereotypically dramatic and up beat in some
scenes as shot reverse shots are normally used fast tempo to show the panic of the
character . This is mainly used in a chase scene or a jump scare scene because this is
stereotypical in this genre as this give the film a bit of action and makes the makes the
audience part of it as it looks fast to them as this make them worried for the actor or
actress.
In this certain short film the screen time of the girl that is in this short film makes mot of the
film this is because she has more screen time as the producer of this film does not want
you to know who the villain is as he is a mystery to the audience as this builds the
tension of the audience this is done because the producer wants to make the audience
feel uncomfortable for the audience and makes them feel like they are in the same
situation that the main actors in. the way that this film shares the conventions with the
genre of a horror film is that in most horror film the monster or spirts are a mystery to
the audience and this is what they done with this film as the monster/sprit did not have
that much screen time as the main actor that was being attacked.
sound
The way that the producers have use sound to fit the genre is through the diegetic sound of
the character MOMO humming this makes the audience feel uneasy this will make it a
horror film to the audience because humming has connotation to spirts and scary
scenes in a stereotypical horror film. Sounds from the villain are often used in horror
films like in the ring when the villain makes a uncomfortable cracking noise this is done
to make the audience feel uncomfortable as the sound are not natural
The music in this short film made the film a bit more dramatic for the viewers and this was
done in this film through the non-diegetic sound of music this music give the audience
some uncomfortable felling then played and alert them that there is something about
to happen and this is through the dramatic music. This is conventional to this genre as
this brings a fast tempo to the scene of a rush also this makes them feel like the
audience is in the same position of the main actress and this is in most horror films.
location
Another way that the producer has followed the genres conventions is through the use of the
location and this is because with this film this is based in a house and in this genre most
supernatural horror film are based in houses and this is iconography for this genre. The
reason why this is an iconography for this genre is that this makes it more
entertainment for the audience as they cant really escape and they are stuck with this
sprit and they live their so they cant really move straight away. An example of this is in
paranormal activity as this is strictly film just in the house and this is one of the most
successful supernatural horror films also another reason why horror films are mostly
based I houses is that most supernatural horror films don’t really have that much
budget and this is another reason why they are mostly in houses because it don’t cost
that much to produce, this is what they have done In this short film.
The storyline of this short film fit very well with Todorov's theory as it starts with a peaceful
equilibrium with the female looking in the mirror before going to bed and then they
skip to 3 hours later when she goes into the bathroom for the second time and sees a
figure behind the shower curtain this is the disruption, this is put in to the short film to
show the character MOMO and to build tension throughout the film until the
conclusion. The next scene is when the main character seeing the figure behind the
shower curtain in person and this is the recognition of the description and this carries
on to when the main characters boyfriend gets killed. After this the attempt to a
conclusion is happening this is through her running away through her bedroom window
and get to her car this is the return to equilibrium but there is a switch with this story
line as MOMO is seen in the final shot behind her so it ends on a cliff hanger, this
makes it a mystery for the audience and makes them interested in what happened.
Overall these different micro aspects of mise-en-scene make the film link very well with
 the genre as they are all mostly iconography to the genre and this is what made the
film successful because of it was a clear representation of the genre. This film uses
most conventions of a paranormal horror film as this is traditional to the paranormal
films and this is will mean that the audience will understand it more.
Overall I think this film fits with the conventions of the genre of horror, this is through the many
ways that I have explained above and this is good as this will show the audience that
this is a traditional way to represent the genre that is horror this was shown from the
points that I wrote above and this justifies my point that this film is a good
representation of conventions of the genre because it has conventions of many
different mise-en-scenes and features that follow the conventions of a horror film.

No caller ID
What this short film is about is a female that is the that wakes up from her dog barking outside at
something and she gets a call from a no caller, this then goes to her talking on the phone to someone
claiming to be her alarm system supplier and it's kind of creepy sounding, After this she checks her alarm
and it's not on. Then an intruder come in with a manchette and a mask and she's hiding in the closet
under the stairs then called the police and the man with the manchette scares her while in the closet
and then it cuts

How does mise-en-scene reflect the genre :

shots

The way that they have used shot types in this short film is through shots such as the close up shot of
the manchette this shows the manchette. close up shots are often used in horror film and are normally
pointing at a weapon or a prop or of the persons face to scare the audience. The audience an indication
that the short film is a horror through the use of blood, this is through that manchettes with blood are
stereotypical to the genre of horror and this also links with the iconography theory this is through in this
genre there is a lot of blood an example of this is Texas chainsaw massacre this film has a lot of gore and
blood scenes in it. The reason why this is conventional to the genre is that I horror films they normally
have some sort of weapon to overpower their victim and this is iconography in this genre and this is
done because they want the creature or murder to be feared by the audience.

Another way that the producers have made the shot that they have chosen effective is through the way
that they have made a shot of her in P.O.V this shows where she is hiding and gives the audience feeling
of the scene and this also shows off the location of the intruder. The way this shot reflects the genre is
that it gives a weird and sinister vibe to the second part of the film and sinister has connotation to
horror films. Also where she is hiding is very stereotypical to the genre as a closet is a very normal place
to hind in horror films and this makes it seem more like a horror film as this is a stereotypical place to
hide in this genre. point of view shots have been used in films such as hush when she is hiding
underneath the house which makes the audience feared for what was going to happen, this is normally
used in horror films as this makes it more dramatic for the audience.
Another way that the producer has used the camera is to reflect the genre is through another this this is
a low angle shot looking up to the intruder this is done by the producers of the short film to show that
the intruder has the power in this instance because the camera is looking up to the intruder / murder
they often have the power as they are threating the character so the character is scared of them . This
link in the iconography because the fact that in most films of this genre the person who is scaring or
harming anyone is put in a power position , such as the film saw the person in power position it ‘Billy the
puppet’ and this low angle shot is shown through the contestants looking up at the screen at him and
this mean he is in power as he is in most of the film.

Another way that the producers have reflected the genre through mise-en-scene is the shot of when she
is on the phone this is a close up shot the reason why they have done this is that is to show her facial
expression and this is scared expression because she is looking at the man who is trying to kill her. The
way this reflect the genre is through her facial expression of being scared and this is stereotypical to the
main actor being scared in horror films.

costume

Another way that the producers have made this short film reflect the genre is the costume of the mask
which makes this film scary identify the person under the mask, this links with the genre as it is a sub-
genre of horror and mystery this is because the prop of the mask gives a mystery to the audience. An
example of this is scream as he uses a mask to hide his identity and this is kind of the same as this short
film.

The way that costumes was put into this film was the way that the two characters have on is the
women who is being attacked is wearing pajamas and the guy attacking is wearing black cargo trousers
and a black hoodie and a red devil mask this shows power to the attacker as he is wearing a lot of
clothes and the female getting attack is wearing short shorts and a vest top so this makes him look like
he has power through he’s wearing more clothes and makes the female look like she is a victim. Also the
female is wearing pastel coloured clothes and the attacker is wearing all black and this also looks like he
is in power to this is because the colour black has connotation to power and pastel colours has
connotation to vulnerable and innocent.

editing

Another way that they use conventions in this film through editing is when she sees the intruder the cut
in the scenes get shorter and the reason for this is that this makes the tempo faster and this makes the
audience feel more anxious for the women as faster tempo shots have connotation of action or danger
this is good for the genre because this as a horror has a lot of these scenes as in these films there is a lot
of chase scenes and scenes that want to get the audiences hearts pumping. An example of a horror film
that has a fast pace is hush when the man breaks into her house

Another way that they have edited this short film, this is through the screen time for the main actress
and she is the one with the most screen time in this short film as this shows how scared she is also the
murder has a lot of screen time but this is shown through the main actress in a P.O.V shot and this is
good as this don’t always show the villain trying to find her this was put in the film to make the tension
of the audience and making them feel uncomfortable this is seen in films such as the purge and this is in
the scene where she is hiding behind the sofa wile looking at the burglar.

sound

in this film the way that they used sound to create a effect this through the dramatic music when the
main actor sees the intruder and this is non-diegetic sound of fast tempo hand a high pitch to make the
audience fell uncomfortable and this was added in for effect to join the conventions of the horror film
and this makes it more connected to the genre as this makes it more like a traditional horror film. This is
conventional to film and an example

another sound that is in this short film is the main characters scream this is through diegetic sound as
this makes it more realistic to the audience this was done by the directors as this gives an affect that this
is real and this is doe to make the audience feel like they are in her circumstance also in this you can
hear her heavy breathing too this also adds to the realism of the scenes. Heavy Breathing and screams
are iconography in this genre as this is to make it a more realistic experience for the viewers when
watching

The way that Todorov's theory links with this short film is in the first scene everything is alright, and this
is the equilibrium. after this the distraction happens this is the dog barking, and this makes her wake up
and check what is going on after this her recognizes the distraction and this is when she is when she is
facing the intruder through the window the last thing that happens is she attempts to repair the damage
through calling the police but the intruder jumps out and it cut their so it kind of follows the Todorov's
theory but doesn’t really due to the fact that it does not end going back into the equilibrium. Overall,
this film fits with the genre that they were going for fully this is through the was they have use mise-en-
scene to follow the genres conventions.  if it does or doesn’t fit is it conventional  

Overall, in this film the mise en scene and the other features makes this film follow the conventions and
this makes the audience think that this is a horror film and this is good as this makes them feel like they
are in the experiencing the traditional horror film and this is a good one to experience as this has the
conventions of a horror such as the things I have spoken about and this is features I the film like blood,
weapons and scary masks.

A night at home
What this short film is about is a man that is home alone and wondering through his house and hears
that the TV is on playing music that he didn’t put on and then hears another noise also after this he tries
to get out of the door and its looked and he's keys are in the kitchen flouting he tries to grab them but
he can't because of a unknown force letting him not get his keys , then he gets detracted by something
else and is murdered by a black figure.
editing

The way that the producers of this short film have made this link with the genre is through the mise-en-
scene and this is through the editing of the film. The way that they have done this is through them
editing the whole thing in a dusty filter this links in with the genre because dark scenes are iconic in the
genre of horror as that dark colours have connotation to creepy and sinister vibe. This is normal in this
genre as it mostly has dark scenes and sets a scary tone in the films in this genre. An real film example of
this is the film cabin in the woods and this has a lot of dark scenes and dusty effect and this might be
here.

Another way that they edited this film is through the screen time of the characters and this is through
the main actor being the character most screen in this film this is because of the reasoning that the sprit
cant be seen for most part of the film but the way they do it is through questions on the walls like in
sinister where there blood writing on the walls but all throughout the film the main male actor is shown
this is to show his fear for the sprit or what is going on in his kitchen, also having little to no screen time
makes it more scary for the audience because they do not know what is going to happen in the scene as
they don’t know where he his and this builds tension with the viewers.

shots

The way that this film has conventions of the genre is through the shots they use, one of the shots they
used In this short film is a close up shot this was to show his facial expressions of him being scared and
this is ironic to the genre as when the actor sees what is going on the producer shows the facial
expression of the actors face this is to show the audience hat the actor is in fear this is good because
then the audience knows that they are I danger and this also make the audience more engaged into the
storyline of the film. Close up are used in films such as Blair witch when they are under ground

Another way that the producers have made this clearly link to the genre is through the shots this is close
ups of thing written on the walls such as ‘where's your keys’ the reason why they have done this is
because writing on the wall is conventional as it is unnatural. This is used in film such as sinister then the
girl writes on the wall of what the demon tells her what to write. This short film doesn’t have diegetic
sound of the main actor speaking but has diegetic sound of footsteps and other this is done to make the
foot steps seem louder and if they are getting closer to the audience that is meant to scare them . This
links into the theory of iconography of the genre horror due to it is to build tension to the audience.

sound

Another way that the producer has made this short film clearly link with the genre is through the non-
diegetic sound this Is of a piano. The reason why they have used a piano for this is that a piano
soundtrack normally has connotation to the olden times and the olden times are iconic in horror films
due to the fact that’s where most of the spirts are from in these types of films, this is also that the olden
time are more sinister due to the fact that you could get away with crimes more easily without getting
court and there was more bad people the producer of this film obviously wanted to put this in because
pianos are a very traditional instrument that goes back a long time and this will make a spooky vibe to
the audience.
Another way that they used sound in this is through the grand piano going off in the background this is
put in through non-diegetic sound and this makes the audience feel a uncomfortable vibe to the scene
of the film scary this is through the fact that grand pianos are very iconic in the horror film ass they have
been In horror film for ages and traditional horror films, also grand pianos have connotation to sprits as
they are old fashion and that was the most played instruments in the olden times. So overall having the
sound of the piano in the background makes it scarier for the audience as they know that they are
connotated to sprits in horror films. A film that has this in is the woman in back this signifies the main
character that something is happening to them and this was through the sound of the grand piano.

costume

Another way that they have this film link to the genre is through the way that the way that they have
used costume this is of the character that kill the main character. The way this links in with the genre is
the killer costume is all black and this is iconic in horror film because of the reason that the colour black
has connotation to dark and sinister and this is good for the horror genre because they want to do this
to make the audience feel scared or uneasy. Black costume are used in film such as scream which is
done to show the villain is evil.

In the film they used the costumes of the main character being in lounge wear this has connotation to
relaxing and comfortable and this is disrupted by the noise from down the stairs that he heard and
investigated. The producer done this is because in the conventions of this genre they normally are
attacked in the night and with this one they are attacked in the night and this is why they the main actor
in lounge wear so it looks like he is about to go to sleep and also not in the right place when he is in the
kitchen. Another film that uses this is paranormal activity where they are attacked during the night and
this is when they have lounge wear or pajamas on.

This short film kind of follows the Todorov's theory through the fact that it starts with an equilibrium
with him relaxing watching TV, but this is only for a moment as he hears a piano noise down the stairs
this is the distraction of the equilibrium after this he recognizes the disruption this is through he lost his
keys and goes to the kitchen to see that they are floating on the counter and tries to grab them and he
can't due to the that he can't because there is a force field round it. After this it changes to him getting
frustrated and turn his back and it ends in him getting murdered to it kind of follows the theory of
Todorov's because it skips the last two stages

In general, this film mostly covers all the conventions as this film has all types of props costumes and
shots that make it more interesting to the viewers and make it more conversational so the audience
think it is that genre clearly also this makes them know what a traditional horror film and this is what
this horror film has In it and this was done so the audience knows what is about to happen as this is in
other films that the audiences have watched before.
Over all thoughts what I have learnt from theses 3 short films

Overall, I think that Todorov's theory doesn't relate to every film in this genre this is through the way
that, through the content I have watched it doesn’t always go back the equilibrium and sometimes ends
in a cliffhanger for example all of the 3 short films I have watched all have ended with a cliff hanger that
is normally someone seeing the spirt or be killed by the killer so this theory is not at all true in these film
that I have studied. But these films mostly have thing in common with iconography through-out the film,
as most of the time the mise-en-scene is linked with the genre like in all 3 of the film they have very fast
action in the recognition of the distraction and this is iconic in horror movies scenes nowadays.

Over all throughout these 3 films they have really followed the conventions of the genre and this was
with all the way that they used mise en scene in these different films and this is good as this will make
the audience feel like it is a horror this is through the way that they use the conventions within the film
that make it a horror iconic to the genre and this will make the audience know what the genre is as the 3
film was very close to the conventions of the genre of horror. Knowing this future audiences will enjoy
these films because they know what they are going to see and this will increase the audiences as they
know what they are going to see but with some changes that will make it unique to other films but with
traditional conventions, this will also attract the people who are into the genre of horror.