Culture: Movie: Genre
Wide-Angle Horror   (+15, -8)  [vote for, against]
For all us scaredy-cats

Many horror movies have amazing plots and are fantastic movies. Yet, many people (like me) don't end up watching them because they're too scary.

If horror movies were shot a wide angle that included the set, cameras, directors and such, then movies like these would be a lot less frightening. You'd be able to see the director give that monster the signal to attack, and see fake blood thrown in from the sidelines.

Before watching the DVD, you would have the option of turning off scary music, or having the bloopers randomly thrown into the movie. ~Elk
-- Elk, Jun 10 2007

But then it's just a documentary...Besides, I expect many films would be centred around the guy sitting at a computer creating visual effects rather than a director telling a 50ft dinosaur where to stomp.
-- fridge duck, Jun 10 2007


Unless of course it's a movie within a movie and cameramen and grips start disappearing ...
-- nuclear hobo, Jun 10 2007


[fridge duck] I think you might be misunderstanding. The movie would continue as normal, without special cut-ins (unless selected). The only difference would be that you could see the crew and the surroundings of the set, making the movie seem less real.
-- Elk, Jun 11 2007


Isn't this what they did with the most recent incarnation of King Kong?

Actually most horror movies have plots that are drek. A complex plotline is not conducive to keeping the audience's sphincters on the verge of giving way.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Jun 11 2007


This would be a highly entertaining DVD feature. Seems to me that it would likely end up with the director's commentary over it at all times.

I also don't think it would be exactly possible, but I would get a huge kick out of it, so +
-- ye_river_xiv, Jun 11 2007


I could see this turn horribly bad, as the monster, being told to take-5, gets mad and starts to mawl the director, ripping his arms off and... well, you get the picure.. movie.. whatever.
-- twitch, Jun 12 2007


//The only difference would be that you could see the crew and the surroundings of the set, making the movie seem less real.//

I do understand, the point I was trying to make was - how would this work with a film which is entirely animation based? Would the film-makers then have to decide that they need to create 3d models of a film set and crew as well as the actual film itself?
-- fridge duck, Jun 12 2007


wonderful on all kinds of levels

eek!

+1
-- po, Jun 12 2007


[shivers]

[hides under [po]'s legs

[shivers]
-- The Kat, Jun 12 2007


get orf me, fecking cat. I swear you have fleas...
-- po, Jun 12 2007


Take it easy on the poor moggie [po]. It's only just recovering from the last Guy Fawke's night.
-- methinksnot, Jun 12 2007


So, as a producer/director, I now have to use two sets of cameras, of grips, of lighting technicians, lights, etc? What about scenes that are shot out of doors and not on a soundstage? Doesn't this start to get horribly complex after a while? I don't think I can bone this, because it might be interesting to watch as a documentary, but I can't imagine actually shooting many movies this way. So, neutral.
-- Noexit, Jun 13 2007


//Would the film-makers then have to decide that they need to create 3d models of a film set and crew as well as the actual film itself?//

This is those fake bloopers at the end of Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, taken to their absurd extreme....
-- IronyChef, Jun 14 2007


This is a wonderful idea. I'd include the ability to turn the crew-view on and off (perhaps with one of those mysterious "Angle" buttons on the remote). You let yourself get scared until you can't stand it; then at the push of a button, all these middle-aged technical people spring into view around the periphery, wearing T-shirts and baseball caps from former productions, looking at their watches and wondering if they'll get a break soon.

And sure, you could set up the disc so you could also jump to outtakes of the current scene. Suddenly the chainsaw sputters and dies before it reaches its victim. Or there's no saw at all---it was added later, on a PC---and the murderous maniac is suddenly a mime, his victim good-naturedly screaming along.

Who knows? Eventually we may be able to make life like this. At especially stressful moment, you push a button on your keychain-remote and get to see how and why the eddies of cosmic energy decided to evolve into the current situation. (A glimpse of the Crew might be too much to ask for---but I suppose anything's possible, considering our exponential technological progress.)
-- Ander, Jun 14 2007


Everyone knows that any horror film set has more than just the film crew. There's always someone who is learning to play the violin. Being able to see who it is would be very useful, as then you could avoid them in real life.
-- Ling, Jun 15 2007


hee hee.
-- po, Jun 15 2007


If you look carefully, you can see that [The Kat] was so scared it dropped this']' just behind [po]'s legs. I found it while tidying.
-- pertinax, Jun 20 2009



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