Tv drama's that inspired me

I am not the biggest fan of horror movies so thought I would draw some elements of mystery and fear from TV dramas before exposing myself to horror movies. I was inspired and spurred on after watching an episode of the TV series 'Hunted' as well as spotting this advert for 'Secret State'.

 

 

 

 

 

I saw this advert and the background caught my attention- the background consists of buildings burning. The contrast between the dark sky and the calm expression the character holds, emphasises how dramatic the building on fire is.

Also another TV drama that has inspired me is 'Hunted', the main character is a spy and in the first and second episode, the focus is on the main characters 'break-down' and the way she builds up her physical and emotional stamina.

Here is a clip of the scene I am referring to- which starts at about fourteen minutes: 
   http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/p00vndpn/?t=13m56s

The main character sufferers an injury after being shot- she was pregnant and lost her child in the gun attack. There are many establishing shots of the country side and a close up of thistle- which is representative of the main character being strong or of her character being perceived as stubborn or hurtful towards others.

 

 

The establishing shots of the countryside and the sea side are very isolated so therefore also perceived as peaceful and calm. Cuts are used as they are fast and do not over complicate the editing, keeping it simple so the audience can be calm and focus on what is going to happen next.

 

 A close up of a window is employed and then an extreme close up shows a spider's web in the corner of the window frame with water droplets on the outside. This could be representative of the character feeling trapped by the spider web but also comforted as she knows no one can get to her. The drops of water are probably from the rain or mist/fog- which is a technique often used in horror movies. This then cuts to a close up of two taps on top of a sink, with the camera in shallow focus, this highlights that the tap is leaking as water is slowly dripping out of it. This could be symbolic of the main character crying or slowly allowing her tears and heartbreak to be on display to anyone who's watching. A shot further away from the taps reveals that it is not a sink but it’s a bath, the silence is broken as suddenly the main character sits up in the bath gasping for air while water splashes out of the bath. This action could be linked back to the symbolic meaning of the leaking tap, the outburst of water could be the character allowing the pain and sadness to leave her. Steam can be seen rising from the top of her head and shoulders as if she is a spirit- rather than warmer than the air around her which is the logical explanation. She looks over at an hourglass which is in shallow focus but the focus transits back to deep focus to focus on her reaction, splashing water out of the bath in frustration that should could not hold her breath any longer.

 

This splash of water is almost a graphic match, as when the water falls down we see the main character has just stepped into a puddle. It is later revealed that the word ‘Mort’ is where the character stepped, which if translated means death. We then see her running over mountains and tough terrain, to build her stamina back up we presume. Later on she is running through a forest and all of the trees blur when she runs past, everything is a lot darker and scarier than before. Thus reflecting the characters mood and providing the audience with some excitement as they wait in anticipation and wonder what will happen next.

 

I want my character in my horror trailer to be able to have a similar effect of shock, wonder and confusion on the audience. My character is likely to have some past experiences that will haunt her as well as the audience. I want the audience of my trailer to feel afraid for the character and of the same object/being that the character is afraid of. Watching this first inspired my idea to include the couple in the forest with the dog. Involving flashbacks  similarly throughout this episode that the main character has is what I am striving to do. The flashbacks she has are either in dull or exaggerated colours which seemed to have a lasting effect and I will aim replicate this.