After we presented our pitch to the class, we asked for some feedback from our fellow peers and teacher. We were asked a mixed variety of questions relevant to the film, however we did not receive many suggestions on how to improve our project. Here are some of the questions we were asked:
Q) Will we be acting in the film?
A) Unfortunately as we are a small group of three where the third Carl has some attendance issues, we would be looking to find someone to aid us in our filming, a friend possibly.
Q) What kind of music will be used?
A) We will pace the music with the speed of the visuals, so if it fast then the music will be fast and vice versa. Furthermore to keep it related to the thriller genre the music will be dark and eery.
Q) How long will the duration of your shooting be?
A) We are looking to film for about 15 minutes, unedited, then plan to edit it to make it fit and match correctly to our criteria of two minutes. Most of the camerawork will take place outside of college but the editing will be used in college lesson time as the resources we have at our hands is far greater than our personal resources.
Q) What costume will we use?
A) With the narrative of our thriller involving the main protagonist exiting from a night out we will dress him in smart-casual attire and the antagonist in the obvious choice of balaclava and dark clothing.
Q) What credit style do we want to produce? Font, colour etc?
A) Our first idea was to blend in the credits with the actual visuals of the thriller introduction, but this required a lot of advanced editing, so we want to use a visual then credit style, with our action than the credits rolling, the idea we want to use is to have the protagonist waking up from a dream/nightmare and than a flashback leading to the credits however this will depend on the time we have and the resources available. The font is still undecided but we will evaluate our camerawork and the lighting to help select the appropriate font/colour. Furthermore we need to analyse the speed of our visuals to match to the speed of our credits.
Thursday 28 January 2010
Tuesday 26 January 2010
Film Pitch
Narrative Ideas
- Protagonist is walking down the street after a night out, he turns around because of an eery presence; he feels as if he's being followed, (boom) he gets mugged by the mystery protagonist. Cliffhanger. Credits.
- Protagonist wakes up from a dream/nightmare, the morning after; his dream/nightmare is replayed but it's not a dream it's reality, the screen flashes. Credits (Flashbacks of places, signs etc).
- Combination of the two narrative ideas where the protagonist is mugged and immediately wakes up in his room, the next day he visits the places which give him flashbacks.
Character/Actor Ideas
- Protagonist > Male > Common > No information on personal life.
- Antagonist > Mystery > Evil or Good.
Location Chosen & Why
- Urban Street > Location where protagonist is walking along after his night out.
- Alley Way > Location of quick shot of the mugging.
- Bedroom > Location where he wakes up.
What Certificate Would You Be And Why?
- 15 because the opening sequence may follow a story line that will involve
Style Of Your Titles
We had an initial idea of using flashbacks in our title credits as it relates to our narrative ideas of memory flashbacks and remembrance.
Music/Shot Information
- Dark and eery music
- Reaction shot of the protagonist when he is woke
- Shot reverse shot when the man is picking up pace showing the reaction of the man and a shot over the mans shoulder showing what is behind him that giving the man the eery feeling.
- Protagonist is walking down the street after a night out, he turns around because of an eery presence; he feels as if he's being followed, (boom) he gets mugged by the mystery protagonist. Cliffhanger. Credits.
- Protagonist wakes up from a dream/nightmare, the morning after; his dream/nightmare is replayed but it's not a dream it's reality, the screen flashes. Credits (Flashbacks of places, signs etc).
- Combination of the two narrative ideas where the protagonist is mugged and immediately wakes up in his room, the next day he visits the places which give him flashbacks.
Character/Actor Ideas
- Protagonist > Male > Common > No information on personal life.
- Antagonist > Mystery > Evil or Good.
Location Chosen & Why
- Urban Street > Location where protagonist is walking along after his night out.
- Alley Way > Location of quick shot of the mugging.
- Bedroom > Location where he wakes up.
What Certificate Would You Be And Why?
- 15 because the opening sequence may follow a story line that will involve
Style Of Your Titles
We had an initial idea of using flashbacks in our title credits as it relates to our narrative ideas of memory flashbacks and remembrance.
Music/Shot Information
- Dark and eery music
- Reaction shot of the protagonist when he is woke
- Shot reverse shot when the man is picking up pace showing the reaction of the man and a shot over the mans shoulder showing what is behind him that giving the man the eery feeling.
Thursday 21 January 2010
Sound and Garageband
Sound Terms:
Diegetic - We see the source of the sound.
Dialogue - Tone/Accent/Phrases
Background Noises - eg. TV and Radio
Ambient Sound - Natural Sound.
Non-Diegetic - Sound that is added in sound effects
Soundtrack - Character Motives
Asynchronus Sound - Contradicts the image
Sound Bridge - Smooths the gap between scenes
The picture above is the soundtrack that we have made for the Identity Clip.
Diegetic - We see the source of the sound.
Dialogue - Tone/Accent/Phrases
Background Noises - eg. TV and Radio
Ambient Sound - Natural Sound.
Non-Diegetic - Sound that is added in sound effects
Soundtrack - Character Motives
Asynchronus Sound - Contradicts the image
Sound Bridge - Smooths the gap between scenes
The picture above is the soundtrack that we have made for the Identity Clip.
Tuesday 19 January 2010
Analysing Past Student Project
The Last breath:
This clip is very good and i enjoyed watching it, it consist of continous use of different shots and well blended camera effects, along with the great camera movement and the shot reverse shot increases tension and creates suspense. The use of the shots being switched from different angles shows that it is very professional. The shots are really steady and includes the appropriate elements. Mise-en-scene is used in camera work, which is greatly used. I think the story is expressed very well with the effective editing, the blend of sound and filming is very good especially showing the radio and shower with the intruder.
Analysing Past Student Project
Kidnapped:
The clip shown above meets most of the criteria for a Level 4 video. It has a steady shots with minimum shaking, it also frames many appropriate elements like the keys under the mat and the locking of the door. There are also a mixture of camera shots and angles, such as long shots, zoomed in shots and shot reverse shots. There is constant music in the background and minimum sound effects from other diegetic sounds. The video has appropriate aspects for a thriller as well as aspects of mise-en-scene specific to a thriller, like the lighting is dark and sinister creating an atmosphere of suspense and eeriness.
Marking Criteria for Video
Top Level - Level 4 - 48/60 marks
Set location/settings, music to set genre, themes and narrative structure should be clear !
- Demonstrate an excellence in the following:
- Holding a shot steady
- Framing a shot - excluding/including elements as appropriate
- Using a variety of shot distances
- Shooting material appropriate to the task set
- Selecting mis-en-scene
- Editing so meaning is apparent to viewer
- Using varied shot transitions/effects
- Using sound with images
- Using titles appropriately
Set location/settings, music to set genre, themes and narrative structure should be clear !
Thursday 14 January 2010
Vantage Point: Analysis Political Sub-Genre
Vantage Point is a movie that is based on 8 people who have been put in the place where they can see a lot of things that other people didn't and this is an advantage for the government as they need to know some things that only these people know. This helps the film create a mysterious and dramatic atmosphere, the clip shows a lot of suspense for both the viewer and the characters within the film too.
The conventions are things such as:
- The terrorist type of thing going on with the powerful people being the government trying to get information from the vantage pointers.
- The shift of power from the presidents and government is low and shifts to the people with information.
- This power is prevented by terrorists and is mixed in with the conventions
- Theres the terrorists which are ranked below the vantage pointers.
Memento: Analysis Psychological Sub-Genre
Memento is set around a man who has a rare mental condition where he cannot create "new memories" , this helps the film create its mysterious and dramatic atmosphere.
At first the danger is solely placed on the protagonist (Leonard Shelby) mentally due to the fact he has no recollection of short term memory creates a disadvantage in finding his wife's killer.
In Memento Leonards own mental condition and the character of Teddy who is actually John Edward Gemmell.
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Classic Thriller: Vertigo
Conventions in "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock (1958):
- Music: The music used in the background of the film is up tempo at first mainly because there is a chase in progress, gradually it changes its speed and slows down to show the suspense when the jump is in progress however when the character is hanging for his life it changes again to music with a feeling of peril and possible disaster.
- Characters: The three characters involved in the clip are all individuals, firstly a criminal - mainly from the fact a policeman is in the progress of chasing him. Then a policeman and a smartly dressed character - possibly a detective.
- Location: The location of the clip is on a rooftop, the background scenery is dark and at height - connection to the name of the film.
Friday 8 January 2010
Thursday 7 January 2010
What would be expected from a thriller ? - Maz
If I personally wanted to be thrilled, then I would like to see part of the story then slowly be led into thinking one thing would happen, when unexpected i would be thrilled by something very intense.
So there should be many factors to a thriller such as the following:
The set would be very dark or some kind of scary or thrilling type of lighting and/or the scene being very quick. The location must be relative to the thrilling, for example the continuous dark atmosphere in "The number 23" with Jim Carrey, and the small things like the wall that had all writing over it.
These random little scene are thrilling, as the audience is thinking "what is going on" !
The characters also have to be thrilling like Jim Carrey having all writing all over his face was freaky to the audience.
The dialogue of the thrillers characters has to be different, but dependent on the movies genre and settings, in the number 23, he says everything as if he is being thrilled by it, and is slowly going crazy, for example he looks at the clock and if it says 23, his expression changed completely and he is very paranoid.
There are other ways to thrill the audience too, with simple props such as a knife or a very old book, with suspenseful music whilst it being shown, like in the movie, number 23, both of these props are used, to have a thrilling influence to the viewer.
So there should be many factors to a thriller such as the following:
The set would be very dark or some kind of scary or thrilling type of lighting and/or the scene being very quick. The location must be relative to the thrilling, for example the continuous dark atmosphere in "The number 23" with Jim Carrey, and the small things like the wall that had all writing over it.
These random little scene are thrilling, as the audience is thinking "what is going on" !
The characters also have to be thrilling like Jim Carrey having all writing all over his face was freaky to the audience.
The dialogue of the thrillers characters has to be different, but dependent on the movies genre and settings, in the number 23, he says everything as if he is being thrilled by it, and is slowly going crazy, for example he looks at the clock and if it says 23, his expression changed completely and he is very paranoid.
There are other ways to thrill the audience too, with simple props such as a knife or a very old book, with suspenseful music whilst it being shown, like in the movie, number 23, both of these props are used, to have a thrilling influence to the viewer.
Thriller scene in Taken
Maz's Analysis of Thriller:
In this scene starting when Liam Neeson is on the phone with his daughter, trying to find out what is going on with his daughter, it is very suspensefull and the sound effects are very tense for the viewer as they are getting ready to expect the unexpected. When Liam Neeson's daughter says, "They're taking Amanda" her reaction is as if she is very scared and has almost lost hope, the music beats and she starts breathing deeply.
The editing of the shot reverse and reaction shots are perfectly timed and relevant to the situation they are both in. The shot reverse shot is constant between herself her father and the kidnappers, it switches very quick continuously to show the way she's thinking what's going on, her heart starts beating faster and quick music kicks in.
When Liam Neeson tells her what to do then eventually tells her: "There going to take you" and just before the rest of the instructions she does a deep breath and cries. This particular part of the scene contains many shot reverse and reaction shots ! It is suspenseful for the viewer when she feels relieved they have gone, then she is suddenly thrilled and so are the audience when she is captured under the bed and she screams really loud, the sound is probably edited and increased in volume to show the tenseness of the scene and how suspenseful it is about to get. There is minimum diegetic lighting and the lights are all mainly off, which shows that something bad is going to happen.
All these factors represent that this is a thrilling scene and show that this film is only going to get into the story of the kidnapping more and more, which encourages the viewer to continue watching it. Especially in this scene there is a lot of parallel editing, which personally caught my attention and interest.
In this scene starting when Liam Neeson is on the phone with his daughter, trying to find out what is going on with his daughter, it is very suspensefull and the sound effects are very tense for the viewer as they are getting ready to expect the unexpected. When Liam Neeson's daughter says, "They're taking Amanda" her reaction is as if she is very scared and has almost lost hope, the music beats and she starts breathing deeply.
The editing of the shot reverse and reaction shots are perfectly timed and relevant to the situation they are both in. The shot reverse shot is constant between herself her father and the kidnappers, it switches very quick continuously to show the way she's thinking what's going on, her heart starts beating faster and quick music kicks in.
When Liam Neeson tells her what to do then eventually tells her: "There going to take you" and just before the rest of the instructions she does a deep breath and cries. This particular part of the scene contains many shot reverse and reaction shots ! It is suspenseful for the viewer when she feels relieved they have gone, then she is suddenly thrilled and so are the audience when she is captured under the bed and she screams really loud, the sound is probably edited and increased in volume to show the tenseness of the scene and how suspenseful it is about to get. There is minimum diegetic lighting and the lights are all mainly off, which shows that something bad is going to happen.
All these factors represent that this is a thrilling scene and show that this film is only going to get into the story of the kidnapping more and more, which encourages the viewer to continue watching it. Especially in this scene there is a lot of parallel editing, which personally caught my attention and interest.
Tuesday 5 January 2010
Preliminary Task: Youtube Film Shots.
Establishing Shot:
An Establishing Shot sets up a scene's location and/or its characters. Normally it is at the start (but sometimes used at the end) of a scene indicating where the rest of the duration of the scene takes place.
As you can see from the clip above, an establishing shot is used to set the location, which in this case is outer space, then it enters the planets atmosphere and slowly lands on the surface of the planet.
Close-Up Shot:
A Close-Up Shot is used to show a character or prop with the utmost detail and does not include the broader scene, they use this to show that what they have zoomed into, emphasizes importance,
00:24 seconds into the clip above is a perfect example of a close up shot, as you can see Tom Cruises face is very closely zoomed into showing that he is of importance, specifically it is used to show the tense atmosphere building up in the scene.
Match On Action Shot:
A Match On Action Shot is when you cut during an action to another camera angle but showing the action from the same point in time that you left it from the previous shot. This is important to continue the flow of the scene.
01:14 seconds into the clip above you can see that the two brothers (Brennan and Dale) pick up their father in the bedroom and the action cuts to them taking him onto the landing.
Reaction Shot:
A Reaction Shot is a shot which cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character.
01:02 seconds into the clip above you can see a simple example of a reaction shot, Jackie Chan is singing War by Edwin Starr next to Chris Tucker on the car then the clip cuts to Chris Tucker's face showing the disgust towards the appalling singing.
Long Shot:
A Long Shot shows characters in the same location, this informs the audience of the characters positions relative both to one another and to their surroundings.
As you can see from the opening from the clip above a long shot is used in the Band of Brothers trailer showing the sergeant in relation to his troops, a long shot can be used to show who has the power status between two or more characters.
Preliminary Task Story Board:
An Establishing Shot sets up a scene's location and/or its characters. Normally it is at the start (but sometimes used at the end) of a scene indicating where the rest of the duration of the scene takes place.
As you can see from the clip above, an establishing shot is used to set the location, which in this case is outer space, then it enters the planets atmosphere and slowly lands on the surface of the planet.
Close-Up Shot:
A Close-Up Shot is used to show a character or prop with the utmost detail and does not include the broader scene, they use this to show that what they have zoomed into, emphasizes importance,
00:24 seconds into the clip above is a perfect example of a close up shot, as you can see Tom Cruises face is very closely zoomed into showing that he is of importance, specifically it is used to show the tense atmosphere building up in the scene.
Match On Action Shot:
A Match On Action Shot is when you cut during an action to another camera angle but showing the action from the same point in time that you left it from the previous shot. This is important to continue the flow of the scene.
01:14 seconds into the clip above you can see that the two brothers (Brennan and Dale) pick up their father in the bedroom and the action cuts to them taking him onto the landing.
Reaction Shot:
A Reaction Shot is a shot which cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character.
01:02 seconds into the clip above you can see a simple example of a reaction shot, Jackie Chan is singing War by Edwin Starr next to Chris Tucker on the car then the clip cuts to Chris Tucker's face showing the disgust towards the appalling singing.
Long Shot:
A Long Shot shows characters in the same location, this informs the audience of the characters positions relative both to one another and to their surroundings.
As you can see from the opening from the clip above a long shot is used in the Band of Brothers trailer showing the sergeant in relation to his troops, a long shot can be used to show who has the power status between two or more characters.
Preliminary Task Story Board:
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