Thursday 17 March 2011

Peer Feedback on final opening sequence

1. Describe the type of camerawork which has been used. Do you think it's effective, and why?

-Good longshot, POV and close-up
-POV shot related the the genre
-good closeup on phone
-phone shot was too long
-good variety

2. What type of sound has been used? Does it work with the visuals? How?

-The soundtrack was tension building
-soundtrack wasn't clear
-music fitted with genre
-non diegetic and diegetic sounds worked together
-the diegetic sounds made story clear

3. How has the mise-en-scene been constructed? does it have an impact on the thriller genre?

-could have used better lighting. The narrative shows it is a thriller but the mise-en-scene isn't clear
-could have had better poles (props)
-good casual costume

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Final product evaluation.

Our final thriller opening sequence is slightly different to how we first planned.
in our plan we did not have the running scene and the protagonist shouting at the antagonist. we added this so the excitement in our opening sequence was higher.

16th March

Today is our last editing lesson in which to finish tweaking any footage, and to add our logo in and the 15 certificate. We finished added transitions to the credits so they fade in and out, and also made sure the soundtrack was in sync with the footage.

At the end of the lesson we uploaded the video onto youtube and then put the URL into a new blog, which we named "The Watched. Final thriller production".

Production Logo

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This is our production logo, we feel it relates to a thriller as the image is of blood. we wanted something quite simple but very effective. We came up with the name after we had seen others for inspiration and gained ideas from viewing others. Examples we looked at are 'New Line Cinema' which is a still image which is quite simple as well. The logo we used and looked at for help were all still images, a lot of production logos now include a short clip which contains movement. To keep things simple and down to basics we opted for the still image as it works well with our piece.
The most famous production image is 'Dreamworks'. The logo of dream works only used two different colours and has thriller conventions about it, for example the darkness. Although this is a still image of dream works, they now have a moving image and the logo changes depending on what type of film they are producing. We tried to combine the best features of both of these images to create ours.
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The Watched. Final Thriller Production.

Credits.

The credits in our opening sequence are over the top of the video. They fade in and out, we used this transition as we thought that it fits with the thriller genre. The credits include, 'starring', 'edited by', 'music by', 'director', 'producer', 'filmed by' and 'actors'.
Our credits are in red as this relates to the gory, bloody side of our thriller.

Monday 14 March 2011

BBFC

Guidelines
Ratings are based on how much bad language, discrimination, violence, sex and drugs in films. The more, the higher rating the film will receive. the guidelines are updated every four years.


The classifications are either a 'U', 'PG', '12/12a', '15', '18', 'R18'.


For thriller films, its highly unlikely a film will be rated under a 15 due to the footage in it. 


15
A thriller film rated 15 will contain a certain amount of criteria which the BBFC will allow children under the age of 15 to watch it. No one younger than 15 may see a '15' in the cinema. Also, they cannot rent a '15' rated film.


18
If a film is rated an 18, no one under 18 can view the film within a cinema or rent/buy an '18' rated video.  most thriller films are rated 18 because of the amount of violence and bad language used within the film. 


Within our thriller film, we feel the rating for our film should be a 15. this is because it contains certain features such as violence. The violence in or clip is limited and there is only one scene which contains this. although this restricts the amount of thriller conventions we can apply to our film, we feel as if by classifying our film as '15' it will appeal to a greater audience. 


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Thursday 10 March 2011

Software Used

During producing our thriller we used software on computers sch as Final cut express, photo shop and garage band. Each of these was used for a different purpose.
Final cut was used to put all the different footage together and dd the sound to it.
Photo shop was used to make the company logo.
Garage band was used to make the soundtrack which will last the duration of the piece.

Equipment used during filming

We used many differant types of equipment, some you see within the film but others are used to help create the film.

Production
The cameras used to film were HD Sony digital camera which after some practice filming become a lot easier to use. these cameras give the video a much clearer image and allows the audience to see small details a lot better. Also, to go with the camera a trip-pod was used. this was to ensure when filming the camera had a smooth turn and kept still when needed. without this the camera would be shaky and would make the video look very poor. However, when filming POV or handheld we decided the shot would be more effective without the tri-pod.

Post-production
 When we had finished each filming session, we uploaded our footage to the computer and used different types of software to bring it all together. we used final cut in order to bring our footage together and edit any clips we didnt needor was not quite right. not only this but to add credits we also used final cut. in order to create a soundtrack for our thriller, we used garage band. this enables you to create the kind of music you want. when we had created our peice for our thriller we then edited it into our thriller using final cut. finally photoshop was used to create our production logo. we then transferred our logo into our video.

Questions and Answers

Q) What classification is your film going to be and why?
Our film will be an 18. This is because of the high level of violence and the nature of a thriller. Anybody under this age may be unable to deal with what is happening whilst watching this film.

Q) Who did you use for your actors?
In our thriller project, a total of four actors were used and each person in our group was involved with filming. Shona Addison played the innocent victim whilst Jake Cotton played the protagonist. Jake Cowie played the antagonist and for one scene Alex Breeze played a friend on the antagonist in helping him attack the victim.

Q) What time of day did you film this and why?
All of our footage was filmed during daylight. Times varied from 9:00-15:25. we done this because all of our footage was outside, we felt we needed the natural light to aid our filming.

Q) Why did you choose your location?
 We had a few different locations but we tried to find quiet locations which were easy to film around. one scene where the victim is attacked is filmed outside the sports hall around the back, because its quiet and we knew no one would interfere. another one of our locations was in the music/dance block also at Long Road, this was because it had the specifications we needed (large window on a door).

Q) What do you feel you have improved on from the last project?
I feel team work has improved massively, everyone is putting forward ideas on ways to improve our video. Not only this, but our filming technique is now at a much higher quality. this is because we have experience problems in the past and now we know to film for that little bit longer so when it comes to editing everything flows and comes together to create the final thriller film.
 

Existing Thriller Advertisement


These all all example of thriller films. each of these examples are dark or shows blood which indicates violence and fear. From just looking at the front of these films, we know exactly what we are going to get and by having an image that appeals to the audience will attract them to watch the film. the audience are looking for a thrill and in each of these films you can tell exactly what the film will contain and whether it is something you will enjoy watching


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Wednesday 9 March 2011

Credits.

For the credits there are many area's we have to show.
The director
The music producer
The Producer
Actors
Props manager
Editing Manager
and Sponsered by.

These will be throughout the beginning of our piece.

Things to do from 9th March- 16th March

-transfer production logo into our thriller video
-put credits into our thriller video: Director, editor, producer, music producer, actors etc
-finish transitions
-do any final editing (tweaking)
-upload final version
-peer feedback
-blog peer feedback/mini evaluation

Monday 7 March 2011

Digital Moodboard

A moodboard is a variety of different images/clips which when put together create a picture. the digital moodboard below is a collection of images which relate to our thriller project.
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Picture 3
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Picture 4
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Thursday 3 March 2011

Micro-elements.

Camera work:
We used 6 different camera shots in our thriller opening sequence. These included a long shot, this was used so the audience can see more of the set and surrounding area. we used a POV shot when the antagonists were running away from the victim to portray intensity and fear. We then used a close-up shot when the antagonist was dialing a number on his phone, we used this shot so that the audience can see the phone being dialed. The next shot was also a close up of the receivers phone when an unknown number appeared. We used this to create continuity between the two calls.
We also used a mid-shot when the antagonist walked up to the window. we used this shot


Mise-en-scene:
We used a casual costume for our thriller as we wanted to portray a 'normal' setting. we used natural lighting outside, we chose not to use the standard dark thriller lighting in our opening sequence as it is set at a college during the day. we used very few props in our opening sequence as we did not want to be to detailed and only give away a little bit of what is going on throughout. we used the poles to beat the victim and two mobile phones for communication between the antagonist and the protagonist. 


Sound:
In our opening sequence we have both diagetic and non diagetic sound. The diagetic sound we used was the victims scream first and then the conversation between the antagonist and the protagonist. we kept the scream in as we thought it related to the thriller genre of out opening sequence very well. The conversation is a key part in the opening as we find out a section of the story.
The non-diagetic sound in our opening sequence is very low toned and ominous, with bursts of high pitch synths. We used this mix of high and low sounds to create tension and intrigue. 


Editing:
The editing in our opening sequence consists of jump cuts, fades and dissolve transitions. we used jump cuts as they are fast paced and precise this relates to the non-diagetic sound track in our opening. we used  fade transitions as they portray  a slow and eerie mood. we used dissolve transitions because they keep the continuity flowing throughout the opening sequence.

Antagonist and protagonist

An antagonist is a group of characters or a particular character who oppose the main character, or the main characters. In the narrative where the action consists of a hero fighting a villain, the two can be regarded as protagonist and antagonist. The antagonist may also represent a major threat or obstacle to the main character by their very existence, without necessarily actively targeting him or her.
in our thriller production we have used an antagonist and protagonist. the antagonist is the killer and the protagonist is the witness. the audience know this because they see the antagonist attack someone and the conversations between characters shows to the audience clearly the protagonist as well.
without either the antagonist or protagonist then there will be little/no conflicts which will mean the story will be harder to create. sometimes the identities of the antagonist and protagonist will be kept hidden in order to create an atmosphere for the audience. occasionally you will only find out the characters true identity at the end of the film. in our thriller we decided it would be clearer if we showed the identities of our characters and this helps the audience understand the moral behind the story.

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Target Audience

Our target audience in our thriller film is both male and female aged 18 and above. this is becuase of the high level of violence and innapropriate behaviour for children under the age of 18. 18-30 year olds will have differant interests than for instance ages 30-45. The late teens/young adults will still be enjoying their social life and will like going out to the cinema and having fun with their mates. whereas, older adults will more involved with jobs and family. although the two groups are very differant, we feel as our film will appeal to these groups becuase of the high suspense within the film. we based our film on 'Obsessed' as that was very popular with the age group of 18-45. we hope our psychological thriller is as good as other psychological films and to ensure the audience enjoy it.

Wednesday 2 March 2011

Peer Feedback on Rough Cut

When another group looked at our work,  and they gave us feedback on a rough cut of our opening sequence. they said :


Shots: POV, close-up and handheld.
Mise-en-scene: Lighting: low and natural.

                         Props: poles, phone.

                         Costume: casual, student.
                         Location: field.


Editing transitions: jump cut. Sound is all diagetic.


Improvements:
- Sound effects.
- More thriller conventions.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Colour scheme for Title Sequence

For our title sequence, the colour scheme plays a big part because it gives the over-all atmosphere of the opening, and can hint to which genre the film is.

Each colour is associated with different emotions. Red is linked to anger, love, and lust. Black is linked to death and emptiness. White is linked to purity. Blue is linked to calmness. Green is linked to jealousy.

Our Thriller has anger, guilt, death, and innocence in it. The best colours that link to this are black, red and white. These will be the colours we use for either background, or alongside a style of font that represents fear, or anxiety. Our logo is mostly red, to show blood, so red will be used sparingly, as not to distract from the logo, or overwhelm with a certain colour.

Titles

When coming up with a title we looked at other thriller films such as; Obsessed, Inception, The hunted. These film titles are all linked to the narrative either by being a state of mind the protagonist is in, or the antagonist. Also, film titles can be linked to the main element or location in the film, such as "The phone booth". When choosing our title we thought about what our film was about and what were the important features. Our short list consisted of:

Framed
The Black-mailer
Wanted
The Watched
Never Alone
Faked
Blame Game

After going through each of these "The Watched" stuck out to us and was the one we all remembered. It relates to our film because our narrative is about a man being watched so that he is forced to take the blame for a crime.

Thriller Music

During thriller opening sequences, the same piece of music tends to be played throughout, and it just fades in and out, and has different sections to it to correspond to the visual action.

Thriller music is distinctive because it often in written in a minor key, using chords, on the main instrument and ornamentation surrounds that chord using other instruments.

Thrillers often have a strong bass and beat which create a build up in suspense or tension. The use of wind instruments can create an eerie feel, like the wind, and can be mysterious, whereas brass sounds are loud and harsh, and can make you feel intimidated.

Thrillers nearly always end on a imperfect cadence so that the music is left hanging much like the narrative, instead of having a pleasing sounding end that sounds final, and gives closure.

Monday 28 February 2011

Filming day 3

On our final day of filming we put on the same cotumes, and did the same scene as the day before except from a different angle, a POV shot, so that during the eiting process we could decide which worked best, or link both with transitions.

We filmed some extra footage and the seperately filmed the dialogue incase there was any background noise interferance with the audio.

Filming day 2

During the second day of filming the weather was dry so we took advantage of this and went to a block of flats next to Addenbrookes to film the carpark scene.
When we got there we only got one take before we were asked to leave the premissise because the flats are property of Addenbrookes, and we cannot film footage there.
After this set back we searched for another location nearby that had the same visual aspects; talls building and pathway. We found this behind a sports hall, and set up there instead.
We filmed the antagonist walking and beating up the victim, and then being seen by the protagonist.
The lighting worked well because of the dull over-cast sky giving the atmosphere a feel of danger.

Filming day 1

On our first day of filming the weather was miserable, and wet. We couldn't take the cameras outside as they would have been destroyed, so instead of filming the first scene we decided to film the indoor phone scene.

We filmed inside one of the music office's at long road college.
First we tried the scene without filming so the actors knew what they were doing at what to say.
After this Jake went outside to call the other jake who was inside the office. The first problem we came across was that jake couldn't get signal inside the building, so he had to stand inside another building where he could recieve signal. After this we did another take but realised that we could only hear one side of the convosation, and so had to put the phone on loudspeaker so the video camera could pick up the sound.

We used the tripod to film on so that the movements were smooth, and not jerky, to give the effect of a business man being very calm before the phone call.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Wednesday 9 February 2011

Why thrillers thrive

Thrillers are a art form. They take situations that could be completely ordinary, and turn them into something unexpected and extraordinary.
When an audience go to the cinema to see a thriller they experience danger in a safe environment. Their subconscious knows they are safe, but as they watch the hero taking great risks they feel as if they are there because that is what all their senses are screaming at them.

A thriller is like being involved in something dangerous without all the complications and consequences. That is why thrillers are a great form of adrenaline instead of going, and doing something that could be a risk to you in reality. Audiences like to know that they are safe and that they can get a thrill in a safe environment.

This has been proven because a few years ago an exhibition was opened where audiences were admitted a few at a time into a room to face a curtain with two columns either side. The natural instinct the audience had was that the curtain would be drawn, revealing a screen. Instead what actually happened was that one of the pillars began to topple over onto the audience with deafening cracking sounds.
The exibit closed shortly afterward from the amount of complaints. This was because the audience didnt have the safety that watching a thriller promises.

Thrillers will continue to thrive in today's society, where everyone is looking for thrills. the horror genre will soon be just a sub genre to thrillers, and the audience will continue to be satisfied after receiving their dose of thrills.

Mise-en-scene blog

Props
The props we are going to use are:
A mobile phone.

Costume
The costumes that the first male wears is casual everday wear, so that he does not stand out.
The costume that the second male wears is also casual, neutral colours.
The costume the dead female wears is casual wear for the outdoor cold weather. ie: a coat.

Lighting
The lighting used at the flat location is morning natural light, dull, and slightly misty to give the effect of a typical winters day with a twist.
The lighting for the scene in a room is dark and mysterious to give a contrast to the outdoors.

Location
The first location is at a block of flats and the surrounding grass and car park area. The second location is set in a dark room that could be a study in someones house. This shows the normality of a day with situations that happen which are out of the ordinary.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Digital storyboard.

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Location Recce

The location we will be using most is the block of flats. It has a car park next to it, which we will also be using, for as long as we are allowed to be there.
We want to film during daylight so the times of day we can shoot during is not restricted. The main times we will be able to film will be from; 9am-2.30pm.
To get to the location is just a short walk from the college gates, and although it is across a road, we will take care in crossing it.

Shooting Schedule

7th Feb-     Start the filming of the establishing shot and wide shot (shot 1+2)
1:55-3.25

9th Feb-     low angle shots on flats. shots of location and a POV walking shot (shot 3)
9:00-10:30

10th Feb-   do phone shots, close ups. throwing phone scene. (shot 4+5+6)
1:05-2:35

14th Feb-   re do audio or any other small things that could be improved
1:55-3:25

16th Feb-   tweak any shooting that isnt at a high enough quality. re shoot if we need to
9:00-10:30

17th Feb-   re shoot anything we need to, to ensure our video has the best quality filming we can get
1:05-2:35

Storyboard.

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Risk assesment.

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Shot list.

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Script.

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Initial ideas mindmap.

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Thursday 27 January 2011

Feedback on our pitch

"Clear up the narrative"- As a group we are going the clear the narrative so that everybody can understand the plot from the opening sequence.

"Clear up location"- We need to decide on a final location for our thriller opening sequence, we thought about shooting around addenbrookes hospital. but this would be difficult as they may have filming restrictions. If we do not film at addenbrookes then we are going to film elsewhere in a tall building to portray the intimidation and stalking that is a key part of our opening sequence.

"How will the dead body be presented?"- The way in which we will show the dead body is going to be a close up shot of the body and then a long shot from a different angle in silence to show loneliness.

"How will you get to the top of a building?"- We are going to film from the top of a building to portray intimidation and fear. we will film from the roof of a car park as it would be easily accessible.

Monday 24 January 2011

Planning For Pitch

Planning for our pitch to the class.

Narrative Description:
Unknown man (Stalker) is controlling the victim. Theres a dead body, and either the stalker or victim killed him, and the victim is being blackmailed by the stalker.

Sub-genre Conventions:
Centres around a crime.
The protagonist has a weakness which is exploited by the Antagonist.
Micro elements construct to build up suspence.
Themese of seeing, mirroring and reflecting.
The Title reflects the Protagonists state of mind.

Characters:
Jake Cowie- Stalker Guy
Jake Cotton- Victim

Locations: 
Around addenbrookes, with the high buildings, visually dynamic.
In a car park, somewhere totally random, so its obvious the Victim is being followed
In a house, so its personal to the Victim.


Wednesday 19 January 2011

Analysis of sound in thriller opening sequences.

Catch me if you can:
The sound track used in the opening sequence of this film had a large variety of high and low tones. There was a low xylophone which added a feel of mystery and darkness to the scene. Whereas the higher strings added a certain quirkiness and liveliness the the opening scene. The regular and rapid change of pace in this opening sequence keeps the viewer interested.


Surface:
The sound track that is used in Surface has a background layer of low and monotone sounds. these sounds make the viewer feel a sense of darkness and gloominess. The soundtrack is very contrasting in the sense that there are intervals of sharp, high sounds.


Se7en:
The soundtrack in this opening sequence is very quirky with a lot of low and high sounds. there is not a clear instrument that stands out as the main sound in this opening sequence. The sounds that are used are a mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The screams that occur every now and then are diegetic sounds, The other sounds are non-diegetic.

Wednesday 12 January 2011

Comparing two thriller opening sequences: 'Catch me if you can' & 'Dexter'.

'Catch me if you can' and 'Dexter'.

The opening sequence to "Catch me if you can" is a very unique one. The credits run throughtout the beginning but the filming is completely different, as reality isn't used and instead graphics show us the first part of the unravelling Thriller.
The typical thriller conventions such as the core of the narrative being a crime; which in this case is fraud. Also, during the opening sequence we are taken down a few possible routes to do with the fraud, and establishes enigmas which the audience expect to be resolved.
The sound used through the opening sequence is one track of music that sets the tone and atmosphere. The soundtrack is in a Minor key which automatically leaves the audience feeling that something isn't right, towards the end of the opening sequence, the music becomes darker, louder and more intense, getting the viewer on the edge of their seats ready for the next scene. The trills played within the music mimic the charaters state of mind, as he is thinking irationally, and the music portays this.

Another thriller opening sequence to the film "Dexter" is completely different the previous. The opening is composed of a range of close-up shots, which give us an insight into the mind of the main character, and establishing him. It seems perfectly normal, as it shows him doing day to day activities, and nothing out of the ordinary. This fits with the thriller convention; extraordinary things are going to happen in such ordinary circumstances.
The only shots which may give the audience an indication that all isn't as it seems are the shots where the main character squashes a spider on his own skin, showing he isn't phased by blood, and doesn't mind killing something that is more insignificant than himself. Also the shot where he shaves and his face bleeds, and we see droplets in the sink shows he isn't afraid to put himself in a little danger, which could be foreshadowing events.
The soundtrack to this opening is misleading because it doesnt sound mysterious or threaterning, which will leave the audience feeling unsettled because of the lack of explanation. The music is non-diegetic, but there are sounds such as frying and shaving that are diegetic.

The first opening sequence is more direct in its approach with its genre, whereas the second opening "dexter" is trying to conseal it, and only giving hints. Both have a soundtrack in which the credits run through and both establish a main character. The main differences are that one is reality filming, and the only is computer generated graphics. These both give different effects and appeal to different audiences, but in the end they both get the same point across, and are good opening to set the scene for the rest of the triller film.

Shona Addison

Thursday 6 January 2011

Evaluation for preliminary

During the filming of our thriller preliminary task we learnt which camera shots looked effective for this genre, which shots add tension and which ones looked less effective which we could improve on. We learnt what looks good onscreen, and how to portray the character in a conventional thriller.

We tried different locations to find the most appropriate place to portray anxiety and the fear of the unknown amongst the audience. Also, we learnt how lighting can play an important part in mise-en-scene because it sets the atmosphere. As well as lighting, props are useful when conveying realism in a thriller opening sequence.

The sound plays an significant role in mise-en-scene but unfortunately we were unable to put a soundtrack in as we were short of time.

The difficulties we faced during the filming process consisted of shooting the quality required during the given time period. Another difficulty we came across was the lighting around the college. In most areas the lighting is very light, so finding the right location was difficult. as wanted a dark location to portray the evil of our opening scene.

Preliminary task. Thriller

preliminary story board

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