update filming

We have just shot some of our ideas to see what they would look like we have decided to change a few ideas and a couple of camera shots as they didn't work to good.

The opening is now going to be slightly different as we have decided to have the hunter at the beginning instead of jumping straight to the house shot.

Music

currently we are looking for music for our thriller we have an idea of starting the opening with credits and a dramatic song then as the opening starts the music will stop and it will be quite and all you can hear is the car and the surroundings of the area.

The first task was to create a small continuaty sequence, which in my opinion worked very well. As a group we then analysed and studied a variety of classic thriller openings which gave us ideas on what different effects, camera angles etc to use in our opening sequence.

The narrative for our final project; 

A psychopathic killer is  stalking young teenagers to inherit their grandparents fortune. 

For our video we are going to use ideas off some of the videos we have watched we like the idea of not showing the face and leaving that secret to keep the audience guessing.

We also like the idea of using lines to make the audience feel trapped and this will add to the effect of thriller.

We are going to use the idea of a black background and the credits being white as them two colours work really well together. The use of string instruments is very interesting to us and we may be considering it as it will build up alot of tension to make our thriller a success.

Defence Of The Realm

This is film which i thought really gave a good effect as alot of background music was used and the use of the radio at the beginning and not alot of films do that.

• Black background with white writing which really stands out
• Title is written in the colour red with represents blood, death, fighting
• Digetic sound mixed with a non digetic soundtrack
• News reporter talking at the beginning on a radio with a scenery in the background
• The location and date appear on the screen
• the black background turns into a early morning with the clouds low and it is very misty which helps make the mood
• low shot/ birds eye view shots are used at the beginning
• it then cuts to 2 people in a car driving slow and then speed up as they are being chased by the police.
• low music plays in the background to help to the effect
• photographs are shown
• sound of footsteps

Classic Thriller Openings.

To help us with our final thriller film sequence, we have been looking at, and analysing, existing thriller opening sequences. This gives us ideas of what types of camera shots to use, as well as what music to use etc.

We began by looking at what makes a film a thriller.

• Enigma
• Suspense
• Mystery
• Action
  
• Usually murder, deaths etc.

Then we started analysing the different thriller openings;
'North By Northwest'

• This film is directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
  
• It beginsn with a great deal of lines on the screen, which are typical conventions of thriller films.
  
• The lines connote prisons, or being locked up.
• They also make the viewer feel claustrophobic, again representing being locked up or trapped.
  
• The film name is typically shown at the beginning of thrillers, this can sometimes give the narrative away, though never in great detail.
• This particular thriller is known a comedy thriller, however there are only few comedic elements within the film.
  
• The title sequence then dissolves into the establishing shot of a building, revealing where the opening scene is set, and perhaps where most of the film is set.
• The transitions that dissolve often indicate that it is still in the same location, whereas harsh cuts could mean that it has changed location.
• The high angle shot makes the people or characters seem less significant.
  

'Vertigo'

• The word 'Vertigo' means the fear of heights.
  
• This title sequence begins with an extreme close up of a womens nose and mouth, which instantly sets up the enigma. Who is it? etc.
• The mystery of who she is, is reinforced by the soundtrack.
  
• The camera then explores her face (Still an ECU), which still unables us to identify her.
  
• The camera then approaches her eye, and zooms in. The screen is then transformed by a red tint; connoting danger, evil or death.
  
• The pupil of the eye is then centralised in the the screen. Which could indicate that her eyes are the most important part of her face.
• The title of the film, 'Vertigo', then comes out of her eye, as if from the brain, which could suggest that vertigo (fear of heights) comes from the brain.
• A spiral then appears in the centre of the eye on a black background, which could represent dizzyness or being hypnotised. It could also reflect the fear of height - falling, black hole etc.
• The spiral then gradually evolved into a more complex pattern, becoming very like hypnotism , which could represent being controlled.
  
• The large spiral pattern moves around in slow motion, and is accompanied by suspense-like music.
  

'Touch of Evil'

• The sound track to this opening is very unique, it slightly resembles the ticking of a clock.
  
• It shows the timer/or bomb, being placed in the car.
  
• The lighting is dim, lots of shadows.
• The tension is built up as the camera follows certain people.
  
• There is cheerful diegetic sound.
• People cross over and in and out of camera shots - very naturalistic.
• The car eventually blows up, but the camera lingers on several different people before it happens which throws the viewer of course slightly.
• This is the longest opening to follow the narrative of the bomb in the car - meeting several characters along the way, before it eventually blows up.

'Kiss Me Deadly'

• Begins with a women running, there is very tense, loud, non-diegetic music.
  
• She seems very panicked, running away from something? running after someone?
  
• She has no shoes and is running down the highway at night time, as it is dark. Lots of questions are thrown at the viewer, mysteries etc. Who is she? Why is she running? Where are her shoes?
  
• Along with the non-diegetic music, there is her loud diegetic panting. Which suggests shes been running for a while.
• Drum beats, create tension.
  
• She stops a car as it drives towards her.
• The soundtrack then becomes diegetic as we hear romantic music on the radio in the car.
• The driver then lets her in.
• The titles come up whilse the camera follows the car from behind. The titles scroll up backwards, meaning they have to be read backwards. They also obscure the view and are very distracting - increasing the mystery of the narrative.
• Scene then cuts to the front of the car, (titles now gone), and the driver starts asking the women questions. The same questions that the viewer wants answers to.
  
• They end up being stopped by the police; who inform them that they are looking for a women (her). They get passed the police though, as the man pretends she is his wife.
• They then arrive at a place, and she asks someone to post a letter for her. She pulls out a letter and hands it over. Bigger mystery - Whats in the letter? Why couldnt she post it herself? etc.

'Blade Runner'

• Begins with black background.
• Titles then come up, music is quite calm, accompanies by loud drumming.
• Echoey eerie music, creates mystery and suspense.
• Drums create tension/suspense
• Nothing is seen, except for the black background - revealing the titles.
• Narrative is then introduced through caption. (still no images or film - black background) A tense boom sound as the writing comes up.
• Then war sounds can be heard, sirens etc. Non - music soundtrack.

'Marnie' - Alfred Hitchcock - Universal Pictures.

• Annxious string sounds as production company is revealed.
  
• Begins with shot of bright yellow bag - significant.
• Camera only focuses on bag. (Mystery) Whos holding it? Whats in it? Where is it?
  
• Gradually zooms out to reveal the back of a women, still carrying the bag. The bag is very significant - stands out.
• The camera follows her, from behind.
  
• She can not be identified yet.
  
• Slight establishing shot as she moves further away. Location is revealed.
  
• Camera focuses on bag - suggests its important, doesnt show womens face. Though she has extremely black hair.
  
• Cuts to scene of men talking, her name is clearly mentioned.
• Cuts back to women carrying bag as she approaches room.
• Big romantic strings in background.
  
• She approaches bed and changes her identity from the name we heard earlier to a new one.
• She is seen opening the bag, which has lots of money in it.
• She is then seen moving clothes from one suitcase to another - implying she is changing her identity.
• Five minutes into the film, and her face still hasnt been revealed.
• She walks over to sink and rinses her hair, black die comes out in water.
• BIG climax when her face is revealed as she waves her hair around, which is now blond. (new identity) - Big music.

'Defence Of the Relme'

• The atmosphere is set up with black background, eerie music - suspense.
• The titles show up.
• Narrative is being set up by the soundtrack - no images or clips. Just titles.
• Location and date is revealed on a blue background - still no images. 'Eastern England - August 9th' - Tells you where and when you are.
• Film is revealed.
  
• Abnormal shadows.
• Alienated - odd slanted camera angles to disorientate.
• Echo - dark
• The mise-en-scene is very effective in this.
  

There is lots of use of mirrors in thrillers, which give the sense of a distorted reflection of the world, or that the characters reflection represents the character is twofaced.

Research

To research our thriller opening, we have been watching the titles of lots of other thrillers.

One was Alfred Hitchcocks Marnie which was made in 1964.

It starts with dramatic string music which makes the viewer feel uneasy.

The opening credits are like a book, as if the film tells a story. The movie originally comes from a book of the same name by Winston Graham.

Only simple colours are used, which means when the film starts with a close up of a yellow bag, the yellow bag stands out more, and it is obvious to the viewers that it's important.

The woman carrying the bag walks away from the camera, and we see more of her, but only her back. This creates an enigma, as lots of questions about the woman remain unanswered, for example:

• Who is the woman?
• What does she look like?
• What's she done?

We like the idea of not showing the face, and might use this in our own opening credits.

As she walks along, she walks between lines which creates the feeling of entrapment.

We find out more about the woman as it cuts across to the office. A man, clearly a business man because of his suit, shouts 'robbed' and a close up of an empty safe is shown. The viewer now knows the woman is a thief.

Media Studies.

Over the last few weeks we have been learning about different camera shots and angles, and then using them in practice films. This gives us a better idea as to what we will use in our final piece We begin each smaller project by sketching a simple story board, this shows us the mise-en-scene, and angles of each shot. 

We have just finished our practice film, which is posted below. 

this is us.

By Tom Thompson :)

Overall, I am happy with our test video. If we were to complete it again, I would make sure that the camera shots lasted longer (in duration), and that there were no jump cuts. The camera shots, in places, are not very steady, and so I would make sure that the tripod was secure and still. 

We did attempt to correct the jump cuts, by adding pictures and trimming as much of the shot as we could. This meant that the video was more fluent, (rather than jumpy)

We decided to add pictures, that we had taken in the previous lesson. They work well, as they add to the narrative of the story. 

We then added suspense (BOOM) sounds from iMovie, which add to the suspense of the film. 

HOW THE VIDEO COULD BE IMPROVED

Looking at the video it looks really good but it could be improved so much more we have done alot of changes on it over the past week and been watching it over and over again, first of all we had to cut shots as alot didn't fit in the video . There was a part in the video when tom first spoke to Andy but in the video there was jump cuts and it came across to unprofessional , so what we done was cut a part of Andy acting later on in the video and duplicated it and put it in the part before tom spoke,it looked  more professional and we deleted a shot that jumped so it flowed.

We added music to the video so we could set the scene and so the audience could tell what type of genre the video was.

We also placed 3 pictures in the video and added different music on each picture.

Things we changed to improve the video.

• Colour
• Effects
• Sound
• Transitions
• Trimmed shots
• Added music

Andy's opinion of the video

I really liked our video. The music does a great job of building the tension, and the photos being shown quickly add to this. The greyscale adds an element of darkness to the video. We used the storyboard well, so we knew exactly what we were doing when it came to filming.

To improve it we should use a wider variety of shots, such as two shot. I also think the actors (i.e. me) should talk louder as they cannot be heard all the time. Perhaps we could adjust the levels in I-movie.

The Office

This is our first attempt to make a small video 

• We used a variety of shots 
  
• Different techniques on Imovie
• Different effects to create suspense 

Storyboard- continuity sequence

We did a storyboard for our continuity sequence, which we filmed to practice using different shots and get used to using the equipment.

The next step is to edit it.