Setting for My Film

     One of the most important aspects and most basic element necessary for a story, the setting is where the scenes take place. It describes the "where" and "what" of the plot, giving the audience context as to what they are seeing. In horror movies, the setting can vary widely, from a dark secluded room that the character is trapped in, to an entire woodland forest where an evil entity chases them at night. When it comes to the setting, there are many factors that need to be considered in order to effectively create the perfect horror environment.

Alternate History

    This is when the setting uses a historical event but diverges it from what actually happened. For example, I could talk about a top secret experiment that goes wrong during WWII, causing fallen soldiers to rise from the dead and attack their comrades. However, due to my budget and current circumstances, I'm staying away from this type of setting. Still, it would have been cool to do something like this.

Time Period

    The time period in horror can also have an impact in the setting. Most horrors take place in the present, but others have made it occur in different times that are not our own. Depending on what you are trying to go for, the time period will help create a sense of realism within that film. For example, in the 2015 horror The Witch takes place in 17th century New England. In that time period, settlers were terrified of witches, believing that they would abduct their children to eat. Because the villain in the story is a witch, the time period helps the audience settle into the story better and provides some context about the situation.

The Witch (2015)

Location

    This is the physical location of the setting- a forest, house, etc. People can connect the setting with a certain emotion. A house in the woods makes them think about paranormal activities. The desert makes reminds them of heat and dehydration. In my case, the woods/forest reminds the audience of isolation. 

The Forest (2016)

Day Or Night?

    Horror films are mostly known for taking place at night, as the dark background makes it easier to create fear and a sense of something evil lurking within the dark or unknown. However, this is over-used, so it has lost some of its charm over the years. Having it during the day can make the story slightly more original, as now the audience can not connect the daylight to safety and security, which would add to the overall horror effect.

Final Thoughts

    In my case, I need to consider what is convenient for me and what would work best with what I have. After a lot of thinking, I have a general idea of what my setting for the film opening will look like (with 99% certainty). Set during the day, the characters will find themselves hopelessly lost in some sort of abandoned part of town close to a heavily forested area. Due to a practically non-existent budget, it will be set in a normal timeline (no alternate history) and take place during this time period. Personally, I would love to go for an old timey-vibe where the characters are wearing clothes from the 90s because the audience would get that classic horror feeling. Unfortunately, I do not have the clothes that fit well with that time period, so I'm going to have to stick with today's fashion. As for the location specifically, I think I have found the perfect place. All I did was search up abandoned areas in my suburb online and found a few good locations. Over the course of 1 week (maybe more due to a heavy load of daily assignments), I will be visiting each of these locations to see if they are what I envision as the opening for my film. Worse comes to worse, I will go to Markham Park, which is close by and can offer really good shots.