initial ideas

In a group, we began with our brainstorm of ideas, pulling various plots ad characters out, and writing them down. This quickly developed into a full scale discussion, with opposing points and growing ideas, our ideas started with the scenario of a horror thriller, then escalated further into a child kidnapping idea, promoted with a group agreement, with both decided this would generate alot of tension and could be a good baseline for a thriller genre, prompted with the idea of a sereal view, and a slight fight scene, thus what we see from the opening fight scene in he film Watchmen, i felt would be a great piece of cinematography and could work great. Decided on the Watchmen fight idea, we extended our idea further to use the type of cinematography and sound within the kidnapping of the child. Although this of course would not fill the 5 minutes worth of film, so defiant on our initial part, we ended up with our ending, this would focus heavily on Mise-en-scene.

Throwing ideas around, we had ideas such as the showing the child captured in a chair, the moving to him surrounded in oil, with a black and white scene, then a cigarette slowly flicking onto the oil and lighting up the young child, of course this would not be a practical idea and would give a horrific meaning especially with a child, undecided with this idea, we began to think of more ideas, one that really worked was to show the end of the fight scene, at the end of the opening. This would be the child initially listening to a ipod, what would introduce a light hearted type of music, with a dark theme, giving it a abstract and Eire feel like the Watchmen fight film did. So with the Ipod added to the introduction, we drafted the idea, of the ipod slowly falling, and collapsing on the floor, and slowly die out the music. We then conjured rain drops to slowly fall on the ipod, then decided to give it a cracked screen, to show the broken life this event has created, and broken can also suggest death and harm, suggesting that the child has been harmed or even killed. And with broken ipod shown, instead of the kid being hauled away, we really could suggest mystery within the scene.

With the ending and beginning established we had to work on ideas for the middle, we were all decided on working on a before and after scenario to sum up everything, a little like the opening scene to watchmen, so with this in mind we really wanted to show our audience the effect the kidnapping was showing in the future. This would only require say three or four scenes, this would give us allowance to make up time, and sort of explain the story more. So we needed to come up with scenes to put in the middle. alot Initially we thought of the police hype around the situation, and this immediately made us think of Madeline mccane and Sharon Matthew's, with all the hype and parents pleading for her children, we decided on a dim lit police interrogation room, with a mother figure in the light of a roof light, saying something along the lines of "i just want my kid back" This would give a sense of tension and grief very big factors in the thriller genre. The darkness could also establish the dark theme further. Other ideas we had were. Police searching for remains of the kids clothing with flash lights. Kid at school wondering were the boy was. The family at dinner in complete silence with a empty plate, and the father figure bursting out into anger, unable to deal with the in-balance in the family, creating allot of tension pulling back to the thriller genre. Others ideas included.. Posters with a missing child plead. Locations of found clothing, like warehouses, fields and the likes.

Now we got our ideas together, we had to work on finalizing them and creating a storyboard.

Thriller Opening Ideas

In our group we discussed a variety of ideas for the thriller opening, here are some strong ideas we noted down. We also particularly liked these ideas

Continuity Task

As the first project for our coursework, we were tasked with the project of filming a sequence that was roughly a one minute conversion between two people. This list below is the shots we were required to follow.
Person A walks up to a door

Handle is opened / pulled
Shot of person A walking through the door
Shot of person B sat down
Shot of person A sitting down next to them.
Shot of person A asking person B if they are ok?
Reverse shot (CU) of person B replying?
Two shot of person A and B – person B asks person A a question
Shot of person A’s reaction and answer
Shot of person B’s response.
This may be reapeated and varied as conversation develops – think
carefully about this part. The scripting is important here!
Shot of person A getting up.
Shot of person A walking away.
Shot of Person B. Person A exits through same door as entrance.

Through script editing, we made the conversation between the two people have a element of comedy, and I acted in it with a friend from another group, while Shawnee Rogers filmed the extract. The piece was filmed in the library (LRC) in our school.

Below is the copy of the Storyboard.




Addition to Continuity task.

We went out to film our continuity task, Me and my partner Shawnee were missing our third partner Lewis, so we were forced to rescript and improvise, using our brainstorm, we mocked up our location what ended up being the LRC (library) this location worked great with our filming, due to a art being shown at the time, borders blocked of certain parts, and the place was near desolate helping us dramatically with blocking exhibition g out external public sound. The place also had a great set of props, to use. With a missing member, we needed an additional actor, so we used a friend. Trying to use a extensive use of panning, and effective shots such as looking down, we filmed our piece with great ease. Shawnee on the camera, and me coordinating shots and acting, and our friend acting as well. Through this, i really understood the roles and positions within filming, and really gave me alot of experience to all together help with our final piece.

Addition to Continuity task.

After the filming process, we proceeded with editing our piece, with all our raw footage, we put into the Adobe Premiere program and dragged them into the right positions and cut clips down to size, and edited them in right positions to give a good continuity within our extract, the editing process did not take as long as i expected, and really taught me further into our the program works, allowing me to considerably help with the editing process with our final piece.

Addition to Continuity task.

The whole classes work was submitted, and we watched through each one twice, with this we were asked to examine their work, and present down points and up points about each person task, to really give each group the understanding of peer scrutiny, and with a little bit of competitively within our class, people were alot more tough on your work. Our teacher, took our comments into order, and placed a few of his own, and graded each persons work.

Our work is as follows.

Positives
We included a variety of different shots, camera angles and movements in our continuity film which were each very effective.
Long shots
Close ups
Mid shots
low angle
Tracking
Tilting
An over the shoulder view

Our teacher claimed that the sound was good, apart from times when the background noise of people got a little too much, and that framing was good, except a shot when a person walked into the room.

Negatives

Broke 180 ° rule
Different errors that need to be looked out for, the ending when you hear a loud voice in the background that should of been edited out.
Editing choice/ position of shots - needed to be more carefully thought- (TI)

Our marks ended up being a level 2, and we were graded 24 out of ** This ended up being the highest graded piece of work in the class.

I was very pleased with our piece, and learnt a significant amount from the criticism and the experience, Although we broke the 180* rule, i believe this mishap will spur us on to not to break it next time. With sound being a issue, I believe i will not only see when filming but also hear, what seemed to be a issue during the continuity task when we were filming. Mise-en-Scene will be a large factor wen filming, understanding that props are important and really create a film now, especially with things such as color, the very things that we examine when watching other films. And finally i will take into mind light and how it affects a piece of cinematography, when filming next. I am also very pleased with being the highest graded group, and this only spurs me onwards to create a great piece of work, rather than making me complacent.

Mise-en-scene: The audience is presented with a black cat, sauntering through what looks like construction yard, the black cat represents mystery, and its confident strut keeps the audience guessing its motive and use. The cat wanders through a concrete tube, where it is partially hidden, making the cat seem more important that needing to be constantly on the camera, it then continues to weave through fences showing the audience that it can pass through any barrier, and is not bound by them what-so-ever giving it a rebellious streak, and creating more mystery. Thus in turn creating a element of suspense. Then cat is eventually met by a white cat, and this ends up in a clash, the opposing colors create a sense of binary opposition, and a basic struggle against good and evil iconic in the thriller genre.

Titles: The titles appear in standard serif font, and also capitalized. The black titles clashing against the white background, shows binary opposition.

Editing: The camera tracks the cat majority of the scene, and the pace of the sequence is slow paced. But this pace eventually speeds up when the fight sequence starts. And the panning stops, and transforms into close up shots of the cat's in fight.

Sound: A smooth non diegetic soundtrack is heard throughout the whole of the extract, the interchanging types of music interact with the scene as a whole, but gives it a light but slick theme. The music does intensify into fast passed tension building styles, when the fight scene commences.

Camera: The cat is majority of the time, in constant close up shots throughout the tracking, the camera is slightly tilted in some shots, giving the cat a stronger presence, and authority. And empowerment. The cat is shown in a birds eye view, and extreme close ups are evident when the fight scene is in progress, to give it more messiness and confusion.

Initial ideas

This is our brainstorm that we did for the initial ideas on the thriller genre in our group, all these ideas convey what the opening to a thriller opening could include, and what themes may appear in the storyline.

Questionnaire


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=N5bLon_2fMZqB0uAy_2feQV51w_3d_3d

Camera Practise
We were given a tri-pod and video camera, and tasked to complete a variety of different shots to give us a greater understanding of how the video camera works and how to set ourselves up for our continuity task, and eventually our final task. The shots we were asked to complete were..

Camera Angles: High Angle, low angle
Movements: Panning, Tilting, Zoom in, Zoom out
Shots: long shot, mid shot, close up, extreme close up, worms eye view, birds eye view.

This activity greatly improved my understanding of the camera's capability and uses and has greatly increased my confidence with using it, especially as my continuity task is not long away from filming.

The BBFC

The British Board Of Film Classification

The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-governmental body, which has classified cinema films since it was set up in 1912, and videos since the passing of the Video Recordings Act in 1984. (www.bbfc.co.uk)

The BBFC sets the age limit of diffrent films such as 18 (Seen on Hostel) 15 (Seen on I am Legend) 12 (Seen on Bourne Identity) PG (Seen Monsters inc) U (Seen on Cinderella)

15:

15 rated certificate tend to allow moderate violence, gore and sexual activity. However not in explicit circumstances and it must be of relevance. Drug taking is not banned however it cannot be promoted to be seen in a positive way.

18:

18 rated certificates permit a wide range of gore, violence, sexual activity and drug taking (not to be promoted.) The difference between the two certificates lies not in context of themes; mainly in explicity.

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/downloads/pub/Guidelines/BBFC%20Classification%20Guidelines%202009.pdf

(The BBFC guideline PDF document)

Premier Pro.

We were given the task of editing a piece of film, from a previous years work. From their raw video we were tasked to use the program to replicate or improve their finished work. From owning a macbook, and heavy use of it in my digital art course the last two years, I was quite literate with the computer. When i initially used the program it was closely similar to the mac's Imovie, but further use showed me that although basic functions it may be closely related. But Premier has a wide more variety of functions and capabilities.

We begun by importing the raw clips from the A-level file we were given, once we had all our pieces of film, we watched the finished version of their film and moved the different clips into their variable order. During this we edited each clip of film, cutting it down to a smaller and neater piece. Once we had done that we placed all the clips in the order. After we had our movie in correct order and edited right, we begun to place sound into the extract, the background music, and the mobile phone bleep.

The program can also be used to create transitions between different clips, such as wipes, dissolves and many others to give it more atmosphere and mood to what you are trying to imply, the program also allows you to place titles into the extract, for such things as credits.

Thriller Overview

From analysis of different films, and careful watching i have deducted that the thriller genre follows a variety of different factors, one of the main factors is to create tension and suspense, to thrill the audience you need them on the edge of their seat, this is the main priority a thriller strives to create.

Another factor the thriller genre links with is the mystery sense, although it is not as strong as murdered mysteries, the mystery portrait in a character to give them the unknown or the view of they are hiding something is prominently evident throughout films.

Another key concept through Thrillers is low key violence, whether it be a organized hit or a accidental murder, the violence theme in thrillers is less than heavy such as you would get in a action film. The thriller genre tries to portrait violence not as a key and over all concept, but as a basic root for the story line.

But the basic Thriller genre it seems has died down significantly, due to the audiences thirst for more violence, and suspense and thrills, unlike what a original thriller and churn out, causing this genre to be mixed with different genres such as action and horror. Although this may sound like a fallacy to the original genre and what it stands for. I believe it heightens the viewing experience and sets this great genre for more than just what the guidelines set, making amazingly enjoyable movies such as I am legend.

The Village Directed by M. Night Shymalan.

The opening of the extract instantly shows us close up of a tree, as the camera randomly wanders through the branches, giving the sense of lost, and bewilderedness, also positions the audience in a state of walking through the forest, the unclean and messy movement through these trees could suggest being lost, adding to a mystery sense enforcing the thriller genre, the disoriented camera confuses the audience and puts them out of place, creating a uncomfortable feeling. Added with the dark atmosphere and the white dead branches, creates a very cold and uncomfortable theme, the deadness of the tree is also iconic of witches and cultism, adding to a theme of horror, with a close relation to other films such as the Blair Witch Project. The Juxtaposition of the black and white of the trees is iconic in thriller films, between struggles between good and evil, but the unclear sides creates the mystery, what appears alot in thrillers.

The music is high pitched and very creepy, giving a aerie feeling, and defiantly reinforces the horror film, from what we have already seen the genre is perhaps a horror thriller hybrid genre. During the music, although the string noises remain constant creating a creepy theme to what were seeing on screen, there is also a steady drum beat, that increases. As the drum beat increases so does the speed of the tracking, and with this the tension defiantly increases, reinforcing the horror and also the thriller genre, iconic to both those genres.

Sin City. Directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez

The extract begins with a high angle long shot of a women sauntering to the edge of a ornatly built balcony, the gothic look of this balcony adds to the thriller genre, added with the low key lighting made by the night, added with the rain gives the opening a very dark moody theme. But the genre is tossed into a hybrid, by the noir type editing, the black and white. But the iconic red dress and dark red makeup she wears, initially points her out as a iconic character, the red symbolizes, potential danger, that the women is in danger, also the backless dress and her extremely frail appearance tells the audience that she is vulnerable and in danger. The way that the women regularly hides, and shading of her face, suggests she is hiding something, denoting a mystery aspect to the genre.

A mid shot of the back of the women pans upwards to reveal a panoramic view of the built city, with huge sky scrapers bright lights, fog and the mysterious mist caused by the heavy rain. The urban city reinforces the thriller genre. A man approaches the women from behind, he is dressed in dark sinister clothing, suggesting mystery. He offers her a cigarette and a lighter, this suggests less elegance gritty and real life reinforcing the thriller genre. The black and white editing throughout the film, symbolizes mystery, and a sinister mood, adding to the Thriller genre. Eventually the mysterious man, after small conversing shoots the women, the smooth actions of the murdered, and the continued slow pace of transitioning scenes, tells the audience that this mysterious man is indeed a killer, and does not care for the deed he has just committed.

In the beginning of the extract, we over hear the diegetic ambience of the city, giving it a realistic and gritty sense, reinforcing the thriller genre. With non diegetic Jazz music also playing, the smooth music giving the film a mysterious theme, reinforcing the thriller/mystery genre that the film has. Also the Diegetic noise of the gun shot, suggest violence and gritty nature. The silenced shot tells the audience of a clean murder, perhaps cloak and dagger, adding to the thriller genre.

Analysis on the opening of the birds.

The Birds. Directed by Alfred Hithcock. 1963

The extract begins with a heavy sense of Binary opposition, the silhouetted birds, tearing vigorously across the screen. Instantly creates a uncomfortable feeling building tension at the start. Th binary oppositions shows the birds in darkness, and creates their mood as a evil and mysterious essence. The Background is a simple cold blue, but gives additional uncomfortable feeling, due to the coldness personified by the cold and uncomfortable look of the background. Simple text sans serif appears in the title sequence commonly used in Thirllers.

Digectic squawking of the crows is heard during the sequence. The high pitched and numerous screams of the birds, create a colossal amount of tension, and continue to build the uncomfortable feeling, along with the frantic flapping of the birds, a sense of panic is given to the title sequence.

A commonly linked Thriller editing process, a fade. Moves the sequence unto a establishing shot of a women. The way she is established tells that she may be a main character, due to her being panned and centralized by the camera, creating audience Familiarization and connection. A P.O.V shot of her looking up at the large gathering of birds, creates tension and shows something is brewing, further on the camera shot showing her against insignificantly against a large city building, shows her as a weak character against the landscape of the city, and just a regular citizen.

What is a Thriller?

The Genre Thriller, is a broad genre throughout the genre classifications, it umbrellas out into a vast array of different genres. Such as Action, Horror, Drama's. But of course, their are many codes and conventions that separates a thriller from other large genre classifications. A popular director who has created a large amount of thriller movies, is Alfred Hitchcock. With movies such as "The Birds" and "Vertigo" his movies, were one of the founding and most influential types in this Thriller genre, and opened alot of directors into more. ]

The initial affect a Thriller tries to generate, is suspense and tension. These are iconcicly the main features of a genuine thriller film, with the attempted affect to keep the audience, tense with anxiety and enthralled in a prediction driven nature. The Cliff hanging motive, is what drives the thriller genre forward. Along with tension. Most of the time affective with such themes as mysteries or menacing situations. Most of the time enveloping near death scenarios. And quoted from [www.Filmsite.org] "a dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible" The protagonists in a Thriller film, are usually thrown into conflicts with other people, or susceptible evil. and Maniacal attitudes, perhaps hidden or unknown. Shadowy. Or shaded.

As previously mentioned Thrillers, majority of the type generally Hybrid Genre's. You have many different types. Encompassing a wide variety. Horror Such as "28 Day's Later" Action films such as "The Bourne Trilogy" Film-noir, like "Sin City" These are all Hybrid genre's. All these genre's encompass some kind of suspense motive in them, but also throw forth the traditional codes to their genre. Such as Explosions, guns, comedy. Creating, a film with great potential and a vast array of different codes to be used.

Sin City Poster. A type of Film-noir/Action Thirller.