During this session we were uploading & capturing the footage that we had filmed in previous lessons, we uploaded all the footage that we had taken at Candy's house onto the hard drive that had been allocated to our group.
As we uploaded the footage from the tape we could then see just how much we had actually filmed and decide the bits we want to fit together or get rid of. We narrowed the footage down in to shorter clips so it would be easier later on when we start editing the footage to choose specific scenes from the list and place them into our sequence. After we uploaded all the footage and split it up into individual sequences, we then named each clip and viewed the footage bit by bit to see what scenes we would need next time we filmed.
Everything I had now seen from what we had uploaded looked fantastic, we had so much footage that could be used for our final piece and the shots looked amazing, I am very proud with the groups work and look forward to filming more and getting some even better shots.
Wednesday 28 January 2009
Filming the thriller
We have now had our first filming session of the making of the thriller, my group and I decided to use Candy's house as the main location to shoot the thriller as it was practical for everyone to be able to go to a location where we would not be disturbed and could shoot the necessary shots for our film. During this shoot we shot many scenes at Candy's house such as the establishing shot of the house where the intruder would be lurking around, the shot of the bath scene where Candy is running a bath and the shots of Candy looking at the illicit content.
This first shoot was very successful and the group managed to obtain a lot of footage that could be used in our final thriller, we spent about 3 hours filming at Candy's house until we had to return the camera and equipment back to the college. Candy’s house was a very good team decision that the group had made because when we were filming her throughout the scenes she looked very comfortable within her environment and this was portrayed in the footage which made it look real and not exaggerated.
As we had so much time to film we managed to get great shots of characters and props using the cameras tripod in many different ways that enabled us to shoot high-angle shots, low-angle-shots, medium and long shots. These shots would then be edited down into fewer shots and would look immense on screen. Next lesson we will return to Candy’s house to conduct more filming as we do not have enough footage so far too edit at the moment.
This first shoot was very successful and the group managed to obtain a lot of footage that could be used in our final thriller, we spent about 3 hours filming at Candy's house until we had to return the camera and equipment back to the college. Candy’s house was a very good team decision that the group had made because when we were filming her throughout the scenes she looked very comfortable within her environment and this was portrayed in the footage which made it look real and not exaggerated.
As we had so much time to film we managed to get great shots of characters and props using the cameras tripod in many different ways that enabled us to shoot high-angle shots, low-angle-shots, medium and long shots. These shots would then be edited down into fewer shots and would look immense on screen. Next lesson we will return to Candy’s house to conduct more filming as we do not have enough footage so far too edit at the moment.
Using credits
During this session we had hoped to conduct more filming at Candy's house but were unable to her not being around due to personal problems. So instead the group learned how to use credits and have a look at the fonts available, and how they can be manipulated to meet our requirements. Here we was able to come up with a few ideas of which fonts we would like to use later on in our thriller
Match Cutting Excercise
Unfortunately during the match cutting excercise i was unable to participte due to examinations, but my group made their best effort with out me to create an outstanding short film using the techniques they had learnt during that lesson.
Fortunately my group was able to help me catch up with the work I had missed, so that I was up-to-date with all the knowledge/skills the rest of them had learnt.
Fortunately my group was able to help me catch up with the work I had missed, so that I was up-to-date with all the knowledge/skills the rest of them had learnt.
Tuesday 27 January 2009
The pitch for our thriller! 27/January 2009
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beginning of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emitting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vulnerable girl, getting ready to go out in the afternoon jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In particular, the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen, as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective, as we do not usually associate our homes with danger and mystery. In addition, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly is not the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We have not made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we will create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will significant occurs. We will have the music synchronized in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therefore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. This means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters, which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film; it will make our film more realistic and therefore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events, which most people go through e.g. getting ready to go to a party. Furthermore, the opening is set in an intimate setting (home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
For the lighting, we decided we would use natural light and standard everyday lighting. This is because we wanted to make our film look realistic and ideal for an intimate homely setting. One of our ideas is to shoot the film opening in the night and this is because darkness and night conotate mystery, crime, evil, and we felt that shooting the film in the dark would be conventional to a thriller film. We may also use white fairy lights in the bedroom scene and this is to help the audience get a wider understanding with the character thus making them develop a relationship with the character.
in terms of camera work we decided that we would use a range of camera shots the most dominant being close ups and extreme close ups. This is because close ups create a sense of drama and tension. It also reveals crucial information such as a characters emotions and feelings. An example of a close up that we will be using is of the door handle as it opens. This will create tension as the audience are left wondering what and who is behind the door and why they are there. We also have the idea to start our film with an establishing shot of a house party/ gathering/drink up, followed by an establishing shot of the main characters house. The establishing shot of the house will be filmed as a long shot and this is to help reveal the setting and the theme of the film. We may then use a medium shot or a close up of the main character getting ready and this will inform the audience whom the main character is. We will also have a range of different shots of imagery that has connotations of youth, femininity and vulnerability. We will also use high angles to shot character subordination, powerlessness, and fear. We are going to use a point of view shot to suggests that their is somebody else inside the house which we feel would be effective in creating suspense which will leave the audience guessing and wanting more.
Our narrative is based on a vulnerable girl, getting ready to go out in the afternoon jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In particular, the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen, as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective, as we do not usually associate our homes with danger and mystery. In addition, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly is not the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We have not made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we will create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will significant occurs. We will have the music synchronized in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therefore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. This means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters, which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film; it will make our film more realistic and therefore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events, which most people go through e.g. getting ready to go to a party. Furthermore, the opening is set in an intimate setting (home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
For the lighting, we decided we would use natural light and standard everyday lighting. This is because we wanted to make our film look realistic and ideal for an intimate homely setting. One of our ideas is to shoot the film opening in the night and this is because darkness and night conotate mystery, crime, evil, and we felt that shooting the film in the dark would be conventional to a thriller film. We may also use white fairy lights in the bedroom scene and this is to help the audience get a wider understanding with the character thus making them develop a relationship with the character.
in terms of camera work we decided that we would use a range of camera shots the most dominant being close ups and extreme close ups. This is because close ups create a sense of drama and tension. It also reveals crucial information such as a characters emotions and feelings. An example of a close up that we will be using is of the door handle as it opens. This will create tension as the audience are left wondering what and who is behind the door and why they are there. We also have the idea to start our film with an establishing shot of a house party/ gathering/drink up, followed by an establishing shot of the main characters house. The establishing shot of the house will be filmed as a long shot and this is to help reveal the setting and the theme of the film. We may then use a medium shot or a close up of the main character getting ready and this will inform the audience whom the main character is. We will also have a range of different shots of imagery that has connotations of youth, femininity and vulnerability. We will also use high angles to shot character subordination, powerlessness, and fear. We are going to use a point of view shot to suggests that their is somebody else inside the house which we feel would be effective in creating suspense which will leave the audience guessing and wanting more.
Pitch
Pitch for Our Thriller
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beginning of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emitting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vulnerable girl, getting ready to go out in the afternoon jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In particular, the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen, as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective, as we do not usually associate our homes with danger and mystery. In addition, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly is not the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We have not made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we will create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will significant occurs. We will have the music synchronized in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therefore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. This means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters, which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film; it will make our film more realistic and therefore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events, which most people go through e.g. getting ready to go to a party. Furthermore, the opening is set in an intimate setting (home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
For the lighting, we decided we would use natural light and standard everyday lighting. This is because we wanted to make our film look realistic and ideal for an intimate homely setting. One of our ideas is to shoot the film opening in the night and this is because darkness and night conotate mystery, crime, evil, and we felt that shooting the film in the dark would be conventional to a thriller film. We may also use white fairy lights in the bedroom scene and this is to help the audience get a wider understanding with the character thus making them develop a relationship with the character.
in terms of camera work we decided that we would use a range of camera shots the most dominant being close ups and extreme close ups. This is because close ups create a sense of drama and tension. It also reveals crucial information such as a characters emotions and feelings. An example of a close up that we will be using is of the door handle as it opens. This will create tension as the audience are left wondering what and who is behind the door and why they are there. We also have the idea to start our film with an establishing shot of a house party/ gathering/drink up, followed by an establishing shot of the main characters house. The establishing shot of the house will be filmed as a long shot and this is to help reveal the setting and the theme of the film. We may then use a medium shot or a close up of the main character getting ready and this will inform the audience whom the main character is. We will also have a range of different shots of imagery that has connotations of youth, femininity and vulnerability. We will also use high angles to shot character subordination, powerlessness, and fear. We are going to use a point of view shot to suggests that their is somebody else inside the house which we feel would be effective in creating suspense which will leave the audience guessing and wanting more.
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beginning of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emitting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vulnerable girl, getting ready to go out in the afternoon jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In particular, the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen, as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective, as we do not usually associate our homes with danger and mystery. In addition, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly is not the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We have not made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we will create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will significant occurs. We will have the music synchronized in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therefore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. This means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters, which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film; it will make our film more realistic and therefore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events, which most people go through e.g. getting ready to go to a party. Furthermore, the opening is set in an intimate setting (home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
For the lighting, we decided we would use natural light and standard everyday lighting. This is because we wanted to make our film look realistic and ideal for an intimate homely setting. One of our ideas is to shoot the film opening in the night and this is because darkness and night conotate mystery, crime, evil, and we felt that shooting the film in the dark would be conventional to a thriller film. We may also use white fairy lights in the bedroom scene and this is to help the audience get a wider understanding with the character thus making them develop a relationship with the character.
in terms of camera work we decided that we would use a range of camera shots the most dominant being close ups and extreme close ups. This is because close ups create a sense of drama and tension. It also reveals crucial information such as a characters emotions and feelings. An example of a close up that we will be using is of the door handle as it opens. This will create tension as the audience are left wondering what and who is behind the door and why they are there. We also have the idea to start our film with an establishing shot of a house party/ gathering/drink up, followed by an establishing shot of the main characters house. The establishing shot of the house will be filmed as a long shot and this is to help reveal the setting and the theme of the film. We may then use a medium shot or a close up of the main character getting ready and this will inform the audience whom the main character is. We will also have a range of different shots of imagery that has connotations of youth, femininity and vulnerability. We will also use high angles to shot character subordination, powerlessness, and fear. We are going to use a point of view shot to suggests that their is somebody else inside the house which we feel would be effective in creating suspense which will leave the audience guessing and wanting more.
Wednesday 21 January 2009
Camera practice excercise 1
Mickey’s camera tutorial
In Andrew’s lesson we were given a tutorial by Mickey on how to use the use the video cameras and the tripods. We were shown a range of different effects that we can create using different camera angles and shots. E.g. we saw that high angled shots made the subject look weak and inferior. In our groups we can use these types of high angle shots to show the fear and weakness of a character(s). We were also shown the symbol for when the battery was low and we learnt how to put in and how to take out the battery. we also learnt how to put the cameras safely on the tripod without breaking the camera or causing danger to ourselves. We also learnt how to basic stuff such as recording, turning the camera on/off and on standby, how to adjust the focus and so on. I found this fiddly but I’m sure as time goes on I will get used to it and become more confident with the camera.A thrilling game of cardIn order to get used to the camera.
Practice excercise
In our groups we participated a practical filming and editing exercise where we were briefed to film part of a card game. We had to create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery through choice of shot distance, choice of camera angle and movement of the camera. We had to include an extreme close up, a tracking shot and an over the shoulder shot.My group decided to shoot the clip in the lunch canteen at the tables. We used the camera and the tripod safely whilst filming and we had lots of creative and interesting ideas. One of the main problems we had was that we were far too adventurous with our ideas and this meant that we spent a lot of time trying to create effects which were unnecessary and inappropriate to the task, I learnt from this that sometimes less in more. Also a lot of our shots were not still and shaky this was because we often forgot to step back from the tripod and leave the film to run by itself. Also as a group we kept changing who was doing the filming and who was being filmed which made us fall behind and unable to capture enough effective and usable shots. I think we should have done a lot more planning and recorded our ideas on paper to prevent us sidetracking.
Editing
Because of our delayed filming process this also meant that our editing time was limited which means that our editing was incomplete and I personally think that we were not able to create tension effectively. The software we used was called 'Final Cut Pro'; which is a professional editing piece of software. Our editing wasn’t very straightforward as there were a lot of unusable and incorrect shots and the shots weren’t very smooth. We didn’t have any sound effects due to lack of time but we did have some diagetic sound through the use of dialogue.
Conclusion
Although are filming and editing attempts were unsuccessful, on a more positive note I feel that our group has learnt from our mistakes and I think we realize that we need to be a lot more organised and we should work to deadlines. We could have had longer shots for each scene as long shots can often help build to a very effective climax and create tension as I have analysed, this would have also made our editing easier. furthermore, we could have used more camera angles and camera movement. In addition, we need to work on our camera handling and filming strategies to make shots steadier, I leant from my media teacher that we can do this by simply stepping away from the tripod when filming. The experience will be very useful in the future for larger filming tasks in which we can apply the skills which have learnt and we can also learnt from our mistakes.
In Andrew’s lesson we were given a tutorial by Mickey on how to use the use the video cameras and the tripods. We were shown a range of different effects that we can create using different camera angles and shots. E.g. we saw that high angled shots made the subject look weak and inferior. In our groups we can use these types of high angle shots to show the fear and weakness of a character(s). We were also shown the symbol for when the battery was low and we learnt how to put in and how to take out the battery. we also learnt how to put the cameras safely on the tripod without breaking the camera or causing danger to ourselves. We also learnt how to basic stuff such as recording, turning the camera on/off and on standby, how to adjust the focus and so on. I found this fiddly but I’m sure as time goes on I will get used to it and become more confident with the camera.A thrilling game of cardIn order to get used to the camera.
Practice excercise
In our groups we participated a practical filming and editing exercise where we were briefed to film part of a card game. We had to create an atmosphere of suspense and mystery through choice of shot distance, choice of camera angle and movement of the camera. We had to include an extreme close up, a tracking shot and an over the shoulder shot.My group decided to shoot the clip in the lunch canteen at the tables. We used the camera and the tripod safely whilst filming and we had lots of creative and interesting ideas. One of the main problems we had was that we were far too adventurous with our ideas and this meant that we spent a lot of time trying to create effects which were unnecessary and inappropriate to the task, I learnt from this that sometimes less in more. Also a lot of our shots were not still and shaky this was because we often forgot to step back from the tripod and leave the film to run by itself. Also as a group we kept changing who was doing the filming and who was being filmed which made us fall behind and unable to capture enough effective and usable shots. I think we should have done a lot more planning and recorded our ideas on paper to prevent us sidetracking.
Editing
Because of our delayed filming process this also meant that our editing time was limited which means that our editing was incomplete and I personally think that we were not able to create tension effectively. The software we used was called 'Final Cut Pro'; which is a professional editing piece of software. Our editing wasn’t very straightforward as there were a lot of unusable and incorrect shots and the shots weren’t very smooth. We didn’t have any sound effects due to lack of time but we did have some diagetic sound through the use of dialogue.
Conclusion
Although are filming and editing attempts were unsuccessful, on a more positive note I feel that our group has learnt from our mistakes and I think we realize that we need to be a lot more organised and we should work to deadlines. We could have had longer shots for each scene as long shots can often help build to a very effective climax and create tension as I have analysed, this would have also made our editing easier. furthermore, we could have used more camera angles and camera movement. In addition, we need to work on our camera handling and filming strategies to make shots steadier, I leant from my media teacher that we can do this by simply stepping away from the tripod when filming. The experience will be very useful in the future for larger filming tasks in which we can apply the skills which have learnt and we can also learnt from our mistakes.
'The Shinning' analysis
Anaylsis of the film ‘ The Shinning’We watched the thriller film ‘‘The Shining’ in our media lesson and I found that it was very successful and making me feel tense and on edge. The film uses camerawork, sound, editing and mise-en-scene in a conventional way of a thriller film and a lot of the time I was left feeling shocked and surprised. Throughout the movie the main technique used to create suspense and tension is sound which was mostly non-dietetic. Silence was also used very effectively and it helped to build up the tension and suspense.Whilst watching this film we were ask to look for at examples of suspenseful moments in which we gave feedback at the end of the lesson.In the opening sequence there is non-dietetic sound playing while we have a Ariel shot of mountains. The camera follows a car as it undergoes this long and isolated journey up the mountains and this creates an underlying tension as it shows audience how isolated and trapped the characters are going to be. The volume and pitch also increase to create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. The diagetic sound doesn’t sound very jolly or happy and so it makes the audience think that something bad may happen. The speed of the camera movement increases as the volume of the music increases also and so the idea of isolation and seclusion is made even more apparent.we are given a hint about the events that will happen throughout the movie because the storyline is given during the interview with the hotel owner ( dramatic irony). From this, the audience start to think this is what is going to happen to this family which is suspenseful because we know something bad can happen anytime. it also makes us feel weak as we are left feeling helpless and vulnerable to shock and fright. This is a well-known technique of Alfred Hitchcock Another example of this can be seen in the movie is when the head chef arrives near the end of the movie. we know as an audience that the father is going mad and has a axe, this gets the audience on the edge of their seats because there waiting for the action to take place. When the character is killed we feel sympathy and empathy towards him as he is seen as a hero/ good spirit.There are also scenes in which the audience are left feeling as suspenseful as the characters. e.g. when we are following Danny through the corridors of the hotel on his bike, we feel like we are behind him so we don’t know what is around the corner either. The sound of the bike on the range of surfaces makes us feel tense because it sounds very loud and it is regularly silenced when Danny rides along surfaces such as the carpet.The maze chase scene was very suspenseful as we don’t know what’s around each corner and we don’t know if Danny is going to get caught or not. The Tracking shot heightens suspense and the use of high angled shots help us to see how weak and vulnerable Danny is. One scene that I found particularly effective was the scene when Danny sees the two girls (ghosts). This is because there were faced paced/ quick shot of dead bodies this made me jump of my seat and again the quick crescendo from a subtle sound to a loud sound contributes to the effect. It’s clear that sounds can really make a difference and create a range of effects especially through the use if a particular sound. E.g. the Jaws soundtrack automatically makes audiences feel tense and alert to the potential danger which lurks.Dominant devices which are helpful in building tension are close ups, long and slow edits, high angle and low angle shots, the soundtrack and the contrasting shots put together making which often gives us a false sense of security.
Tuesday 20 January 2009
15th January 2009..Initial research analysis and camera practice
In that lesson from what I recall we spent time identifying exactly what a thriller was and what conventions make a thriller what it is. I learnt that the intended aim of a thriller is to create feelings of anxiety and a sense of uncertainty amongst the audience. How do thrillers do this though? Well, the main character (potential victim of some psychological turmoil) is often unaware of the danger he/she may be in. Only we as the audience know what is happening or what will inevitably happen and this makes thrillers that much more effective, being we know something that the character doesn't. Tension created in thrillers will reach a heightened climax as the character may find themselfves on what seems an impossible mission to safety or an escape from a villian in some instances.
Film Openings - Thomas Sutcliffe
This media lesson we were learning about thriller openings, and what sort of features/edits make them effective. During the lesson we watched a DVD of film openings by Thomas Sutcliffe which explained what type of features that are needed to be incorporated into a thriller opening sequence in order for it to be as effective as possible. the DVD shows all the techniques needed to make the opening be true to its genre, some of these features were things such as creating suspense through leaving things to the viewers imagination so that their agony of waiting to see what comes next is prolonged as much as possible, this is so they are prepared to sit their throughout the duration of the film.
The other effects that I found very effective to use when creating the opening to a thriller is to try and leave as much detail as possible to the viewers imagination, so that they are sitting their thinking of what comes next, a way of doing for example could be to show a knife sitting on a table and then show another shot of somebody who mite have reason to use the knife. this will get the audience thinking of teh possible outcomes from the scenario.
Another useful effect is to try and avoid showing the faces of vital characters that play a key part in the thriller, this will help to create suspense and have the viewers adrenailine rushing as they are frustratated by the suspense of finding out who played the victim/criminal part etc.
Some effects that are not as attractive when creating a thriller is 'Instant Arousel', which is when the film immediately shows its best attribute of teh thriller instantly at the beginning of the film. this technique is something that should be avoided because often when this is used the film is then left with no sense of direction and the audience becomes pre-occupied doing other things instead of having their eyes fixsated on the film. this may lead to the film being unsuccessful.
The other effects that I found very effective to use when creating the opening to a thriller is to try and leave as much detail as possible to the viewers imagination, so that they are sitting their thinking of what comes next, a way of doing for example could be to show a knife sitting on a table and then show another shot of somebody who mite have reason to use the knife. this will get the audience thinking of teh possible outcomes from the scenario.
Another useful effect is to try and avoid showing the faces of vital characters that play a key part in the thriller, this will help to create suspense and have the viewers adrenailine rushing as they are frustratated by the suspense of finding out who played the victim/criminal part etc.
Some effects that are not as attractive when creating a thriller is 'Instant Arousel', which is when the film immediately shows its best attribute of teh thriller instantly at the beginning of the film. this technique is something that should be avoided because often when this is used the film is then left with no sense of direction and the audience becomes pre-occupied doing other things instead of having their eyes fixsated on the film. this may lead to the film being unsuccessful.
6th Janauary 2009..candy
On the 6th, we watched a dcoumentary on film openings and their effectiveness in capturing a audiences attention. Presented by Thomas Sutcliffe, the documentary gave great insight into succesful conventions that film dire
ctors may use when filming an opening sequence. According to Jean Jacques Benieix a good film opening should leave the audience woundering what will happen next. An example of a succesful film opening, is when the film starts with the end of the film breifly, then back to the begining to show the audience how it all started. We saw this particular type of opening in a film with Robert De niro in which after walking to his car- he became a human fireball! Then the film started offically showing us how the stort progressed to that stage. I learnt that a succesfull opening should arouse many questions that the film will then have to answer. It should also give hints in the begining certainly fore-shadowing future events that may occur.
According to Stanley Kauffmann there are many different ways a director could use an opening sequence to arouse question. He uses the classic opening of an establishing shot- useally filmed by a long shot or low angle. These kind of openings show the audience where the sequence will take place. It is generally accepted that openings sequences will have first and fore-most and exterior shot (showing location on a bigger scale) followed by an interior shot (whether it's within an intimate location or elsewhere).
ctors may use when filming an opening sequence. According to Jean Jacques Benieix a good film opening should leave the audience woundering what will happen next. An example of a succesful film opening, is when the film starts with the end of the film breifly, then back to the begining to show the audience how it all started. We saw this particular type of opening in a film with Robert De niro in which after walking to his car- he became a human fireball! Then the film started offically showing us how the stort progressed to that stage. I learnt that a succesfull opening should arouse many questions that the film will then have to answer. It should also give hints in the begining certainly fore-shadowing future events that may occur.
According to Stanley Kauffmann there are many different ways a director could use an opening sequence to arouse question. He uses the classic opening of an establishing shot- useally filmed by a long shot or low angle. These kind of openings show the audience where the sequence will take place. It is generally accepted that openings sequences will have first and fore-most and exterior shot (showing location on a bigger scale) followed by an interior shot (whether it's within an intimate location or elsewhere).
making a pitch 20/1/09
aimed audience
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therfore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. this means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film, it will make our film more realstic and therfore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events which most people go through e.g getting ready to go to a party. And futhermore the opening is set in an intimate setting ( home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
The Pitch - Corinne Gayle Osborne
Pitch for Our Thriller
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beginning of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emitting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vulnerable girl, getting ready to go out in the afternoon jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In particular, the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen, as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective, as we do not usually associate our homes with danger and mystery. In addition, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly is not the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We have not made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we will create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will significant occurs. We will have the music synchronized in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therefore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. This means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters, which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film; it will make our film more realistic and therefore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events, which most people go through e.g. getting ready to go to a party. Furthermore, the opening is set in an intimate setting (home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
For the lighting, we decided we would use natural light and standard everyday lighting. This is because we wanted to make our film look realistic and ideal for an intimate homely setting. One of our ideas is to shoot the film opening in the night and this is because darkness and night conotate mystery, crime, evil, and we felt that shooting the film in the dark would be conventional to a thriller film. We may also use white fairy lights in the bedroom scene and this is to help the audience get a wider understanding with the character thus making them develop a relationship with the character.
in terms of camera work we decided that we would use a range of camera shots the most dominant being close ups and extreme close ups. This is because close ups create a sense of drama and tension. It also reveals crucial information such as a characters emotions and feelings. An example of a close up that we will be using is of the door handle as it opens. This will create tension as the audience are left wondering what and who is behind the door and why they are there. We also have the idea to start our film with an establishing shot of a house party/ gathering/drink up, followed by an establishing shot of the main characters house. The establishing shot of the house will be filmed as a long shot and this is to help reveal the setting and the theme of the film. We may then use a medium shot or a close up of the main character getting ready and this will inform the audience whom the main character is. We will also have a range of different shots of imagery that has connotations of youth, femininity and vulnerability. We will also use high angles to shot character subordination, powerlessness, and fear. We are going to use a point of view shot to suggests that their is somebody else inside the house which we feel would be effective in creating suspense which will leave the audience guessing and wanting more.
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beginning of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emitting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vulnerable girl, getting ready to go out in the afternoon jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In particular, the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen, as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective, as we do not usually associate our homes with danger and mystery. In addition, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly is not the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We have not made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we will create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will significant occurs. We will have the music synchronized in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Our aim is to create a good film that will attract and engage many viewers. The target audience is young adults such as teenagers and we decided this because as teenagers we are aware of the things in which teenagers can relate to and therefore we will be able to use key features such as props in which teenagers are aware of and have an understanding of. This means teenagers will be able to recognise the key features, plots, themes and characters, which will help them to gain a better understanding of the film; it will make our film more realistic and therefore more thrilling and tense. In addition, we feel that our film will appeal to a much wider audience because it is based on everyday life events, which most people go through e.g. getting ready to go to a party. Furthermore, the opening is set in an intimate setting (home). Our thriller is aimed to scare our audience and leave them breathless and on edge.
For the lighting, we decided we would use natural light and standard everyday lighting. This is because we wanted to make our film look realistic and ideal for an intimate homely setting. One of our ideas is to shoot the film opening in the night and this is because darkness and night conotate mystery, crime, evil, and we felt that shooting the film in the dark would be conventional to a thriller film. We may also use white fairy lights in the bedroom scene and this is to help the audience get a wider understanding with the character thus making them develop a relationship with the character.
in terms of camera work we decided that we would use a range of camera shots the most dominant being close ups and extreme close ups. This is because close ups create a sense of drama and tension. It also reveals crucial information such as a characters emotions and feelings. An example of a close up that we will be using is of the door handle as it opens. This will create tension as the audience are left wondering what and who is behind the door and why they are there. We also have the idea to start our film with an establishing shot of a house party/ gathering/drink up, followed by an establishing shot of the main characters house. The establishing shot of the house will be filmed as a long shot and this is to help reveal the setting and the theme of the film. We may then use a medium shot or a close up of the main character getting ready and this will inform the audience whom the main character is. We will also have a range of different shots of imagery that has connotations of youth, femininity and vulnerability. We will also use high angles to shot character subordination, powerlessness, and fear. We are going to use a point of view shot to suggests that their is somebody else inside the house which we feel would be effective in creating suspense which will leave the audience guessing and wanting more.
20th January 2009
? Key Images and Icons..Settings and Locations..music ?
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beggining of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emmiting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vunerable girl, gettin ready to go out in the afternoon-jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In perticular the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective as we don't useally associate our homes with danger and mystery. Also, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly isn't in the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We havn't made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we'll create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will signifiant occurs. We will have the music syncronised in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Having had a brief discussion the lesson earlier on what the beggining of our thriller opening would contain, today our task was to pitch our idea for the opening sequence. We are required to write a script emmiting our developed ideas.
Our narrative is based on a vunerable girl, gettin ready to go out in the afternoon-jumping in the bath. Our key images and icons that will be used are feminine based- modelling pictures and bright fairy lights. We will use these to emphasis the girlish, vain teenage girl.
Our opening is set within an intimate location, in this instance my house. In perticular the upper level of the house- the bedroom and the bathroom. The home is seen as a "safe haven" so setting it here will be effective as we don't useally associate our homes with danger and mystery. Also, we will be filming outside the house (providing an establishing shot) as our intruder lurks- waiting for the right moment. Another location we will be filming in is Tesco's- to show the audience that the Mother clearly isn't in the one venturing toward the house.
Music is another crucial aspect of our thriller opening. We havn't made a final decision on whether we will use the college's own copyright free music or whether we'll create our own as I have a keyboard at home, but that decision will be made in due course. It is imperative that out soundtrack matches with the opening in terms of the atmosphere it creates and how different sounds signify when something will signifiant occurs. We will have the music syncronised in time with the action. We aim to create lots of tension and mystery with the music we include- we want to scare our audience and leave them on the edge of there seats.
Match Cutting Preperartion
In lesson we learnt about a technique called match cutting. This is when an action or a sequence is filmed over a sequence of shots.
We then watched the media departments exemplar thriller opening and it included a range of match cuts and other interesting camera work. The edits were very smooth and the ideas were very simple and un-complex. This shows that simple ideas can be very effective. We were then given a breif which was to film a sequence using at least one match cut, an example of shot reverse shot and we had to show our understanding the 180 degree rule ( by not breaking it). We had to show a character opening a door , walking into a room, and stting down opposite another chacter. We storyboarded our ideas and we filled in a sheet in which we planned how each shot would be. e.g We planned for shot number 1 to be a close up of the characters feet as they enter the room and the camera action would be tracking. We thought by not showing the feet we would be able to build the tension and create suspense by leavning the audience guessing. Next lesson we will be filming and editing our film ideas using the a piece of software called 'Final Cut Pro'..
We then watched the media departments exemplar thriller opening and it included a range of match cuts and other interesting camera work. The edits were very smooth and the ideas were very simple and un-complex. This shows that simple ideas can be very effective. We were then given a breif which was to film a sequence using at least one match cut, an example of shot reverse shot and we had to show our understanding the 180 degree rule ( by not breaking it). We had to show a character opening a door , walking into a room, and stting down opposite another chacter. We storyboarded our ideas and we filled in a sheet in which we planned how each shot would be. e.g We planned for shot number 1 to be a close up of the characters feet as they enter the room and the camera action would be tracking. We thought by not showing the feet we would be able to build the tension and create suspense by leavning the audience guessing. Next lesson we will be filming and editing our film ideas using the a piece of software called 'Final Cut Pro'..
The Brief - Media Coursework
For my media coursework I have been set the task to create a two minute thriller opeining to a movie, when creating this mini movie i will be using all of the knowledge I have gathered from my practice sessions of making short films. During this excercise I will be working as part of a team where we will meet up a couple of times a week and discuss new ideas for our thriller and start filming in the chosen locations. Throughout the making of the thriller I will be required to play many different roles to ensure that the final film gives the desired effect, the roles in which I will play during the making of the film is an actor, camera man and editor, all of these roles I have been able to enhance from the practice films we conducted earlier on in the year which have benfited me to form a wider range of skills and ideas to bring to the table so that me and my group are able to meet the briefs requirements.
In order to start the task, my group and I started to create ideas using a brain-storm of what are thriller was going to be based on and the location for the film. We was able to generate some vague ideas of what our thriller will contain and the possible locations.
In order to start the task, my group and I started to create ideas using a brain-storm of what are thriller was going to be based on and the location for the film. We was able to generate some vague ideas of what our thriller will contain and the possible locations.
Monday 19 January 2009
Film openings BBC documentry
Film Openings
In today’s lesson (6th January 2009) we watched a BBC documentary presented by Thomas Sutcliffe which talked about different film openings and how effective and ineffective they were and the reasons why were successful or unsuccessful. I learnt that a good beginning will arouse some questions that the film must then answer. The audience should e left in suspense of what will happen next. It should give hints of what will be taking place letter in the film (foreshadow). Finally, the beginning of a film should engage the audience whilst introducing the main characters and their personalities. According to Thomas Sutcliffe, “films need to seduce their audience into a long term commitment whilst there are many types of seduction; the temptation to go for instant arousal is almost irresistible. however according to Jean Jacques Beineix instant arousal can have major risks and these are that often the film is left with nowhere to go and the rest of the film does not live up to the expectations making it unsuccessful. " A good beginning must make the audience feel that it doesn’t know nearly enough yet, and at the same time make sure that it doesn’t know to little", This quote means that the audience should be left guessing what will come next and they should be left questioning the events and future events.
There are many different ways of opening a thriller. According the critic Stanley Kauffmann the classic opening is an establishing shot. This is often filmed as a long shot and at a low angle. These classic opening inform the audience of the where-abouts of the film and it provides them with vital information. These types of shots often start in an exterior setting with followed by an interior shot. The film seven does not follow this classic film opening however, it is very effective and this is for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is quick, fast paced which wakes the audience up, with each shot something is revealed to the audience, and so it foreshadows the events to come leaving the audience feeling tense and suspenseful. The film tunes the audience into the film and introduces the main character. Another type of film opening is something that is referred to as “a favourite trick of Film Noir" this is simply when the beginning of the film starts at the ending meaning the rest to the film is a flashback or recollection.
There are many different ways to open a film and although the plot of the film is majorly important, what makes a film opening effective is the use of the camera, the Mis en scene ,the soundtrack and the lighting. E.g. in the film ' The Shinning’ the camera moves with the car and it shows that the car is travelling a far distance into an area where perhaps it should not be.The camera pans the car at an angle that shows it is like a preditor hunting the car from far away. Additionally the soundtrack evokes negative feelings of tension and suspense leaving the audience wanting more.
Next lesson we are goin to be watching be watching the opening of thrillers from previous students and looking at their choice of location, camerawork, editing, lighting, and their use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
Corinne
In today’s lesson (6th January 2009) we watched a BBC documentary presented by Thomas Sutcliffe which talked about different film openings and how effective and ineffective they were and the reasons why were successful or unsuccessful. I learnt that a good beginning will arouse some questions that the film must then answer. The audience should e left in suspense of what will happen next. It should give hints of what will be taking place letter in the film (foreshadow). Finally, the beginning of a film should engage the audience whilst introducing the main characters and their personalities. According to Thomas Sutcliffe, “films need to seduce their audience into a long term commitment whilst there are many types of seduction; the temptation to go for instant arousal is almost irresistible. however according to Jean Jacques Beineix instant arousal can have major risks and these are that often the film is left with nowhere to go and the rest of the film does not live up to the expectations making it unsuccessful. " A good beginning must make the audience feel that it doesn’t know nearly enough yet, and at the same time make sure that it doesn’t know to little", This quote means that the audience should be left guessing what will come next and they should be left questioning the events and future events.
There are many different ways of opening a thriller. According the critic Stanley Kauffmann the classic opening is an establishing shot. This is often filmed as a long shot and at a low angle. These classic opening inform the audience of the where-abouts of the film and it provides them with vital information. These types of shots often start in an exterior setting with followed by an interior shot. The film seven does not follow this classic film opening however, it is very effective and this is for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is quick, fast paced which wakes the audience up, with each shot something is revealed to the audience, and so it foreshadows the events to come leaving the audience feeling tense and suspenseful. The film tunes the audience into the film and introduces the main character. Another type of film opening is something that is referred to as “a favourite trick of Film Noir" this is simply when the beginning of the film starts at the ending meaning the rest to the film is a flashback or recollection.
There are many different ways to open a film and although the plot of the film is majorly important, what makes a film opening effective is the use of the camera, the Mis en scene ,the soundtrack and the lighting. E.g. in the film ' The Shinning’ the camera moves with the car and it shows that the car is travelling a far distance into an area where perhaps it should not be.The camera pans the car at an angle that shows it is like a preditor hunting the car from far away. Additionally the soundtrack evokes negative feelings of tension and suspense leaving the audience wanting more.
Next lesson we are goin to be watching be watching the opening of thrillers from previous students and looking at their choice of location, camerawork, editing, lighting, and their use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound.
Corinne
Thursday 15 January 2009
Initial research
The brief
For my media coursework, I have been briefed to film and edit in a group the opening titles of a thriller film in which demonstrates a range of media filming techniques and displays a range of thriller conventions.
In lesson, the first thing that we started to do was to identify what exactly a thriller was and what the different genres of thrillers that existed. I learnt that thrillers are known to promote, suspense anticipation, heightened expectation, anxiety, uncertainty, intense excitement and tension. Thrillers films display similar characteristics and they follow similar conventions. The principal character is usually unaware or unknowing to the dangerous or potentially deadly situation that they may face which makes us as an audience feel tense and on edge by dramatic irony. The plots of thrillers typically involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy. The tension often reaches its climax when the main character(s) is placed in a challenging/difficult situation/mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission. Thrillers are often are fast paced, they include frequent action, resourceful heroes and they include villains. Devices such as suspense, cliffhangers are used to create suspenseful and tense atmospheres and this effectively keeps the audience glued to the screen.
I did some secondary research and used the internet to find out what were the kinds of character types that thrillers often include and below I have made a list of some of these characters
Convicts
Criminals
Stalkers
Assassins
down-on-their-luck losers
innocent victims which are often on the run or in hiding
prison inmates
menaced women
characters with dark pasts
psychotic individuals
terrorists
cops and escaped cons
Fugitives
private eye drifters
duplicitous
individuals/ people involved in twisted relationships
world-weary men and women
psycho-fiends
Popular themes terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder and these are often set in every day location and they seem realistic and possible unlike the horror genre that includes magical and horrific c creations that cannot formally exist. They also typically involve sudden plot twists and lots of red herrings, for example, keeping people unsure about what is going to happen, they are usually set in erotic settings.
The plots of thrillers can vary widely depending on the genre of thriller. Within the thriller genre alone, there are many sub-genres (often these genres interlink) and these genres include;
Action thrillers- which often features a race against the clock, violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. Examples of action thrillers include James Bond films and ‘The Transporter’
Conspiracy thrillers - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. Examples include The Chancellor Manuscript and Three Days of the Condor’ and ‘JFK’.
Crime thrillers - often the focus is on the criminal(s) rather than a police officer. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, and shootouts. Some examples include the films ‘Seven’, ‘The Godfather’, ‘Inside Man’, and ‘The Asphalt Jungle’.
Disaster thrillers - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster e.g. floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc. Examples include ‘Stormy Weather’ and the film’ Earthquake’.
Drama thrillers - In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. They are usually slow paced and involve a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include ‘The Interpreter’ and ‘The Prestige’.
Erotic thrillers - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. The genre includes such films as ‘Basic Instinct’, ‘Fatal Attraction’ and 'In the Cut’
Horror thrillers - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. There is a main element of fear throughout the story the main character(s) are often up against a superior force and they eventually become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Recent examples of this include the ‘Saw series’ of films and ‘28 Days Later’, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.
Legal thrillers - In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but also their lives. E.g. ‘The Innocent Man’
Medical thrillers - the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnel’s working to solve an expanding medical problem. Films such as’ Awake’, and ‘the hot zone’ are examples of medical thrillers.
Political thrillers - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. Examples include ‘Seven Days in May’ ,‘The Day of the Jackal’ ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and the film ‘ Agency’
Psychological thrillers - In which (the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The audience are often left confused and unaware and they are often forced to examine the motivations and back stories of the characters to figure out the plot. examples include ‘Suspicion’, ‘Shadow of a Doubt’, and ‘Strangers on a Train’ and ‘The Sixth Sense’
Spy thrillers- In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or terrorists. Examples include ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘24’
Supernatural thrillers - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror ingredients such as ghosts, demons and psychic phenomenon. Supernatural thrillers are also are very good at sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability/ often in these films you will find the protagonists either battling a paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by something beyond explanation and beyond reality. Examples include the films ‘Carrie’, ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Torchwood’.
Techno-thrillers - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology is described in detail and made essential to the viewer's understanding of the plot. An example of a techno- thriller is the film ‘The Hunt for Red October’.
For my media coursework, I have been briefed to film and edit in a group the opening titles of a thriller film in which demonstrates a range of media filming techniques and displays a range of thriller conventions.
In lesson, the first thing that we started to do was to identify what exactly a thriller was and what the different genres of thrillers that existed. I learnt that thrillers are known to promote, suspense anticipation, heightened expectation, anxiety, uncertainty, intense excitement and tension. Thrillers films display similar characteristics and they follow similar conventions. The principal character is usually unaware or unknowing to the dangerous or potentially deadly situation that they may face which makes us as an audience feel tense and on edge by dramatic irony. The plots of thrillers typically involve characters which come into conflict with each other or with outside forces - the menace is sometimes abstract or shadowy. The tension often reaches its climax when the main character(s) is placed in a challenging/difficult situation/mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission. Thrillers are often are fast paced, they include frequent action, resourceful heroes and they include villains. Devices such as suspense, cliffhangers are used to create suspenseful and tense atmospheres and this effectively keeps the audience glued to the screen.
I did some secondary research and used the internet to find out what were the kinds of character types that thrillers often include and below I have made a list of some of these characters
Convicts
Criminals
Stalkers
Assassins
down-on-their-luck losers
innocent victims which are often on the run or in hiding
prison inmates
menaced women
characters with dark pasts
psychotic individuals
terrorists
cops and escaped cons
Fugitives
private eye drifters
duplicitous
individuals/ people involved in twisted relationships
world-weary men and women
psycho-fiends
Popular themes terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder and these are often set in every day location and they seem realistic and possible unlike the horror genre that includes magical and horrific c creations that cannot formally exist. They also typically involve sudden plot twists and lots of red herrings, for example, keeping people unsure about what is going to happen, they are usually set in erotic settings.
The plots of thrillers can vary widely depending on the genre of thriller. Within the thriller genre alone, there are many sub-genres (often these genres interlink) and these genres include;
Action thrillers- which often features a race against the clock, violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. Examples of action thrillers include James Bond films and ‘The Transporter’
Conspiracy thrillers - In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. Examples include The Chancellor Manuscript and Three Days of the Condor’ and ‘JFK’.
Crime thrillers - often the focus is on the criminal(s) rather than a police officer. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, and shootouts. Some examples include the films ‘Seven’, ‘The Godfather’, ‘Inside Man’, and ‘The Asphalt Jungle’.
Disaster thrillers - In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster e.g. floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc. Examples include ‘Stormy Weather’ and the film’ Earthquake’.
Drama thrillers - In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. They are usually slow paced and involve a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include ‘The Interpreter’ and ‘The Prestige’.
Erotic thrillers - In which it consists of erotica and thriller. The genre includes such films as ‘Basic Instinct’, ‘Fatal Attraction’ and 'In the Cut’
Horror thrillers - In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. There is a main element of fear throughout the story the main character(s) are often up against a superior force and they eventually become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Recent examples of this include the ‘Saw series’ of films and ‘28 Days Later’, ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.
Legal thrillers - In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but also their lives. E.g. ‘The Innocent Man’
Medical thrillers - the hero/heroine are doctors or medical personnel’s working to solve an expanding medical problem. Films such as’ Awake’, and ‘the hot zone’ are examples of medical thrillers.
Political thrillers - In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. Examples include ‘Seven Days in May’ ,‘The Day of the Jackal’ ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and the film ‘ Agency’
Psychological thrillers - In which (the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The audience are often left confused and unaware and they are often forced to examine the motivations and back stories of the characters to figure out the plot. examples include ‘Suspicion’, ‘Shadow of a Doubt’, and ‘Strangers on a Train’ and ‘The Sixth Sense’
Spy thrillers- In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or terrorists. Examples include ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘24’
Supernatural thrillers - In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror ingredients such as ghosts, demons and psychic phenomenon. Supernatural thrillers are also are very good at sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability/ often in these films you will find the protagonists either battling a paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by something beyond explanation and beyond reality. Examples include the films ‘Carrie’, ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Torchwood’.
Techno-thrillers - A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology is described in detail and made essential to the viewer's understanding of the plot. An example of a techno- thriller is the film ‘The Hunt for Red October’.
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Blogging Task
The task the I had been given for my practice filming session was to film a card game in which i would incorporate all of my editing skills and knowledge into the editing & filming of the clip, this task was intended as a practice run for the real thing that I would be filming as part of my Media coursework.
I was relatively happy with the camera work, although people in my group were not up to scratch and not co-operating as i would of liked them to. Although there were a few misunderstanding, overall the outcome of the film was a success, the shot that were most successful were the still camera work of over the shoulder shots of Candy & Abdul. Some of the shots that did not work were the ones when I was using then tripod to film my scene and then started using the zoom feature whilst recording the clip, this meant that the camera movement was very shaky and the end result was not very professional looking.
Editing of the short film went quite good considering me and all the members of my team are novices when it comes to editing video footage using an Apple Mac pc, my continuity editing was quite successful, although some of the edited scenes did not link together as I had imagined. Overall my short film made sense and the end result portrayed the task that was set.
Mise en scene
I learnt a few new bitys from Mise en scene, I learnt that the location and surroundingg area of a film is very crucial in order to attract the audiences attention and to seduce them into the film as soon as they lay their eyes on it.
I don't think that I was successful in trying to create an element of suspense, this was because the members of my team were not taking the task set serious enough in order to achieve this goal
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