Charli Casey AS Media coursework blog

Evaluation

2009-05-05T11:37:00.041+01:00

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Our thriller incorporates generic conventions of the thriller genre – this can especially be seen in the flashback scenes, when the female character is running away in the woods from a male character. The setting of this scene, the woods, link in with common conventions of this genre as does the victim being female. What’s more, we tried to develop these conventions – for example, in the scenes within the wood, we chose to create them as flash back scenes and used techniques, such as darkening the shots and using a variety of P.O.V shots. Moreover, not many of the conventions we used indicated our thriller sub-genre; the music could be viewed as a horror sub-genre as could the close-up seen of the female characters eye. Nevertheless, the music is quite ambiguous, in that it is similar to that of a horror sub-genre, but also a psychological sub-genre. In addition to this, our opening contains no dialogue, which was done to ensure that the audience stay engaged with the narrative and protagonist, and makes the background music and sound of the tap running pivotal in creating tension. This is similar to the psychological thriller, which was released in 2001 and directed by Richard Kelly, Donnie Darko ; the opening of this film uses little dialogue, and as a result the audience stay focused on the main character and engage with the character through his expression and surroundings. Also, the way in which the titles have been designed in the opening - white font over a plain black background - is very common in the thriller genre, and can been seen in the thriller, The Village (M. Night Shyamalan and released in 2004).

This is an image of the woods used in The Blair Witch Project - like our thriller, many of the events take place in a wooded area.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Our media product represents particular social groups through gender, age, class and in some ways, race. In our piece, we have a male and female as the main focus in our opening – with the male character playing the protagonist role. The fact that the male is the protagonist creates a stereotypical portrayal of the characters; the man plays the dominant, powerful and aggressive role, while the woman plays the victim – the weaker role. What’s more, the age of the two characters is key in our opening; not only do they help show the target audience, but they show the characteristics and nature of the younger generation. Additionally, the fact that the male protagonist is white gives a stereotypical view of the ‘male stalker’; in most thriller films, the male playing the ‘stalker’ is white. Therefore, in our piece, we have represented gender in a stereotypical role and have used race, age, class and gender to underline our characters. As a result of our stereotypical depiction, the audience can relate to the characters, and in many ways the verisimilitude is kept high – through the use of stereotypes. For example, the film Fatal Attraction holds a similar to narrative to our opening; however instead of a male character taking the stalker role, a female takes the role – thus showing that our film possesses qualities similar to that of similar films, but in a different depiction. Furthermore, the stalker based films: Taxi Driver, Cape Fear and Sleeping with the Enemy all use white male characters to play the stalker role. Similarly, Sleeping with the Enemy accentuates the obsessive, abusive and mentality that love can create – similar to the characteristics of the male character in our opening.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

It is highly unlikely that our piece would be produced by a major Hollywood studio; it doesn’t hold the level of quality to be produced by a studio of that standard, and this wouldn’t appeal to a major Hollywood studio and our piece wouldn’t fit in with the quality. Additionally, while the narrative of our opening does follow the codes and conventions of the thriller genre and would appeal to certain audiences, it is quite cliché and holds a similar plot to many films already released. Thus, it wouldn’t seem appropriate or beneficial to be released in cinema. Nevertheless, it could be released as a TV movie or an internet only release; it would be easier for people to watch and could be used to fortify events going on in the ‘real’ world. For instance, how men are portrayed as the dominant gender and women are portrayed as the weaker gender – so our film could be used as an example. The corporation, Channel 4 would be an effective corporation to release our film; Channel 4 releases many documentaries and short films focusing upon real and current events – e.g. the documentary, Killer in a Small Town. This can be related to the shots of the female character running in the woods, and the P.O.V shots; these shots underline a fearful tone. Therefore, our opening could be used in reference to documentaries, like Killer in a Small Town; the narrative of our opening underlines a calm atmosphere when the protagonist is in his own environment but contrasting the setting and atmosphere of the woods.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

From watching our piece and from research with the BBFC, our thriller is aimed at a 15+ audience. Our narrative centres upon teenage characters, of 16/ 17 years old and we chose not to focus on lots of gore and explicitness, instead making it a psychological thriller - with a 15 certificate. Moreover, as the protagonist is male and the female is the victim, our opening may be more appealing to a male audience. This is reinforced by the style and narrative, which is quite sinister and emotional. Other films that are similar to our thriller opening are Signs and The Blair Witch Project. Both of these films have an age certificate of 15 and have similar reasons for doing so with our thriller. While The Blair Witch Project - directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez and released in 1999 - is intent on frightening the audience, the explicit contents within it aren’t very graphic; this is reinforced through the lack of gore. Thus, while The Blair Witch Project does evoke a fearful response from the audience, it does so in a psychological manner – focusing on the emotions of the characters and the setting, rather than through violence and aggression.

How did you attract/address your audience?

Before we began our opening, it was quintessential that we addressed our audience to establish ways in which could attract the target audience. This was done so by creating a questionnaire, the questionnaire enables us to recognise what the audience wanted to see in a thriller film and how we could produce an effective opening. Also, when the final animatic was created, this was used to help us see what the audience wanted and how we could improve this.

When the opening was finished, feedback was essential in allowing us to determine how effective our finished piece was — thus, a Facebook group was made to address the audience. (Facebook group)

As our opening uses teenage characters as the main focus, the audience is mainly a teenage audience. The female character seen in the flashbacks as the victim would appeal to a male audience; it symbolises men as the stronger gender and connotes women as being weak. In addition to this, the male character has more time on screen and is the character in which the audience engage with — through the camera tracking him in his environment, thus this would again mainly appeal to a male audience. The female character has little time on screen; she has quick shots to signify her fear and link in with the narrative, while the protagonist has a variety of shots, such as mid shots, tilt shots and close ups.

The tilt shot was especially effective in allowing the audience to engage with the audience, which can be seen at 59 seconds in the final opening. This shot allows the audience to get a full image of the male character. Similar to this, the mid shot of Jonny at 1.11 of the opening, is used to show the back of him and also his face in the mirror. Furthermore, the audience don’t actually witness the event of which is being implied, however it can be established what has occurred and what the protagonist has done. Thus, the audience see what the protagonist is doing after he has committed his crime, and allow the audience to determine the persona of the male character. This has a significant impact on the audience, as they witness the actions of the protagonist rather than the victim — so there is a sense of guilt and anxiety when watching the male character. What’s more, we used codes and conventions of the thriller genre to attract and address our audience. For instance, our use of setting and location was quite typical of the thriller genre — such as, the woods juxtaposing the setting within the house. This would appeal to thriller fans, as the codes and conventions would fit in with what they want to see in a film.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Before creating the opening of our thriller, we had to make an animatic based upon our shot list. This was done so effectively - using Adobe Premier Pro to generate the final animatic. We also used a a variety of sound effects to give more of an impact and create tension to the audience. Such as, the footsteps, the sound of the tap running and the non-diegetic background music. In contrast to our final piece, more diegetic sound was used in the animatic and this was felt to make the piece too loud and draw the audience away from the narrative. What's more, the animatic could have been improved, as we chose to draw the images rather than taking photographs. As people said the narrative became confusing in the animatic, using photographs could have helped the audience establish what was going on and we would have been able to visualize our ideas better. Furthermore, using Adobe Premier Pro for the animatic was good; it allowed us to get to grips with using the software for our final piece.

For our opening, we used a HD camera – this was effective and it didn’t take long to work out how to use the camera. However, while the camera was simple to use, it did manage to hinder the quality of our shots as the camera kept going in and out of focus to create the high definition quality. Also, a HD camera was not used in our continuity task, so there was a lack of experience and we weren’t used to the quality of the camera. This made some of our shots look as if the camera wasn’t being held steady. We didn’t face many problems with the equipment during the filming process, but to produce the best quality of sound for our diegetic sound, instead of using the camera to, we chose to use a sound recorder. This was better, as the sound couldn’t be heard as well and didn’t create the best effect when recorded by the camera. Thus, other than a few minor issues, we didn’t face many problems with the equipment. Moreover, editing software was used to produce our opening – Adobe Premier Pro and Adobe After Effects. At first, it was quite difficult getting to understand how to use the software, but as the software was being used much more, it became easier to use. After Effects was especially effective in the flashback scenes, in which we used this software to generate a ‘shaky’ feel and we also used it to adjust the colour levels and contrast – increasing the colour of red in the setting. This was mainly down to issues we faced with the lighting outside – some parts lighting was too dark, others too light. But, the red colour signified danger and to the audience and linked in to the blood of the victim - accentuating the violent aspects of the narrative.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

I have learnt many things in the progression to the full product. This is down to the planning stage: research into the genre and finally, creating the animatic. As a group, we chose to focus upon the psychological sub-genre; therefore we researched on the thriller genre and the psychological sub-genre. This enabled us to see the common codes and conventions of these genres and helped us establish the type of shots, mise-en-scene we should use in our opening. Furthermore, creating the animatic enabled us and others to see how our opening would look based upon our initial ideas within the storyboard and whether we needed to improve certain things. Examples of improvements are, particularly of shot types – the close up of the eye of the female character has improved a lot from our animatic, along with the variety of shots of the male character in the bathroom washing his hands. The point of view shots of the flashbacks have also improved a great deal. Additionally, my confidence with the equipment has increased significantly from the preliminary task; I feel a lot more confident with using the camera equipment and the Adobe software. I feel that our end product is quite successful at fulfilling the task; the varieties of shots used were very effective and I especially think our use of sound – non-diegetic and diegetic – created a good impact on the audience. However, by comparing our opening to real thriller openings, such as Signs – directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released in 2002 – it is quite evident that our opening does lack in quality and doesn’t create as much tension. For example, the opening of Signs has little footage – instead focusing on one character in particular and allowing the audience to engage with the character and establish his surroundings. Whereas, our opening has quite a lot of footage, which gives quite a lot away to the audience, such as the overall narrative. Additionally, the non-diegetic sound over the titles in Signs is very effective, as it creates a lot of suspense and tension, before any footage is even seen.

Target audience: feedback and comments

2009-04-20T21:31:00.003+01:00

As part of our evaluation, feedback was needed from members of our target audience. It was decided that Facebook was the most effective place to get the responses we needed.

Our group can be found on this link: AS Media Coursework - 'Reflections'

Here is some other feedback received from members of the target audience:

'The first main point that stuck out to me was at the 38th second, where you seen the eye after the shot of the door. The blood effects of the boy washing his hands and how he is dressed and with his hood up etc, are also very effective. I also like the part where the camera is in the fridge, and when you see he gets a glass out and it finishes there, it leaves you on a bit of a cliff hanger.'

'It's very good. The editing is effective and the music works well with all the camera work.'

‘I think overall it was excellent! The music was great, really made the atmosphere, it built up the tension. The running bit with Abbie was great, the second time you see her with the double smear effect was very good, really added to the atmosphere. The bit with Jonny in the bathroom could maybe have been tenser.’

‘As the scene opens I find that the water running is a very effective way to engage the audience, it immediately makes the audience want to watch more. When the camera flashes onto a close up of the eye, it gives you a sense of fright; this lets you know that the opening will be alarming and shocking. As the scene progresses and you get flash backs from the bathroom to a girl running in a forest, it immediately tells you that the two are connected. The dark lighting and music also symbolizes the eeriness of the film.’

From the feedback received from members of the target audience, it can be established that our opening was effective in creating a good impact and engaging the audience, but it is clear that there are some areas we could have improved. Such as, creating more tension and paying more attention to the mise-en-scene; it has been said that clothing of the characters could have been put into more consideration. For example, the protagonist is wearing white when he removes his hoodie, and white symbolises purity and innocence, which contrasts greatly to the character himself. Nevertheless, the majority of the feedback received has been positive towards our opening, and even though there are improvements that could be made, I believe the finished piece had an effective impact and was engaging.

Final

2009-04-04T16:48:00.005+01:00

This is the final copy of our opening.

Many changes have been made, thus being:

- The titles have all been moved to the beginning of the opening, giving us more time for more footage.
- The style of the titles have been changed; adding a 'flickering' effect and, also adding a 'watery' effect.
- We increased the shots of Jonny. We showed more of his environment, which allows the audience to engage with the character.
- Jonny is seen again looking into a mirror, so there is more of a link to the title. Also, a photograph of Abbie is seen to show that there is a past between the two characters. There is a low angle shot of Jonny walking down the stairs and a long shot of him walking into the kitchen. Then finished with a close up from inside the fridge of Jonny.

By adding these shots, this allowed the audience to engage with the protagonist more. In our rough cut, the number of shots on both characters were similar, which meant that there was a lack of engagement between the protagonist and the audience. Therefore, this has had a good effect on the audience; it is now clear who the main character is.

The title's being moved to the beginning are quite effective in our opening, as they enabled us to have more shots of Jonny. Furthermore, the effects used on the titles linked in well with the title.

One of the main changes of our opening was the change in music. In comparison to our rough cut and with feedback, the change in music fitted in much better with the narrative and created a suspense/ tense tone.

Feedback from the class:

- Running water v.effective at the start
- Music builds up well, mystery and intriguing
- You can clearly see where title came from - reflections used
- Having no dialogue worked well with the psychological thriller
- Jonny's costume could connote his characters role more
- Camera work is good and steady where required
- Music is good
- Good variety of shots/ music matches action well e.g. looking in mirror
- Excellent titles. Effective without drawing focus away from narrative
- Jonny's costume, in particular wearing white at the end connotes purity/ innocence.
- Great camera angles
- Confusing narrative - going to the fridge
- Great juxtaposition of shots.

Feedback from teacher

Provisional grade from teacher - Grade A

- Demonstrates excellence across all technical aspects
- Dual narrative structure is very effective with controlled choice of shots.
- Match on action is particularly effective with well exectued soundtrack that adds polish to the piece.

- Costume could have been better considered - not entirely convincing for this style of thriller
- Some shots could have been re-shot/held for longer

Filming session

2009-04-01T15:41:00.003+01:00

29th April

We completed our final shots for our final piece. What we filmed were new shots for our opening - putting more focus on the antagonist, which was suggested to us by our feedback from our teacher. We decided to focus on the title of our thriller, Reflections, by adding a shot of Jonny looking into the mirror, with an image of Abbie lying against the mirror.

Other shots:

- Low angle of Jonny walking down the stairs
- Jonny walking into the kitchen and panning as he goes to the fridge
- The camera inside the fridge, giving a close up as Jonny looks for something

We chose these shots because they add normality, and juxtapose the narrative and the character himself. He has murdered someone, but is acting as if nothing has happened, which allows the audience to connect with the character and evoke an emotional response.

We worked and communicated well with the filming and we each agree that our new shots are very effective for our opening.

The Sixth Sense, The Village and Lady in the Water

2009-03-23T14:47:00.002Z

As a class, we analysed the thrillers - The Sixth Sense, The Village and Lady in the Water - all directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

We did this because it would give us an idea of what we need and don't need to include for our final opening. As our deadline is approaching, by analysing these, it could be established the changes that need to be made to the first draft.

From watching the three thrillers, I have been able to understand what needs to be changed and that there are many things in the opening that aren't even needed or haven't been included.

The Sixth Sense, The Village and Lady in the Water are all very different films, but hold the same level of audience engagement and create tension in similar ways.

- Music and sound is before action - building the suspense up, thus giving a gradual impact.
- There are also not that many shots used. This contrasts to our opening, in which we have used quite a lot of shots.
- The pace of music is very effective. For example, the pace of music increases in The Village after the main title.
- There is a focus on one particular character - having the longest amount of time on screen.

Therefore, from analysing these three openings, it's clear that our opening lacks in engaging the audience and doesn't hold an effective amount of suspense. We need to remove certain shots and change our music and its pace.

Evaluation Notes

2009-03-23T14:00:00.004Z

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

- The narrative is similar to media representation - our portrayal of men; the more dominate + aggressive sex, shown in negative light, through rape and killing
- Portrayal of female character; the weaker sex and the victim.
- Stereotypical depiction of men and women
- Lighting and sound used to create suspense and tension

2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?

- Male youth - jealousy and obsession
- Female youth - fear and confusion
- Highlights the emotions and actions of younger people

3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

- Internet or TV documentary
- Doesn't hold the level of quality to go into the cinema
- Could be used in a TV documentary to underline the behaviour of the younger generation

4. Who would be the audience for your media product?

- People of the same age as the characters in our thriller
- 15+ audience; they would understand the storyline and maybe relate to the emotions involved. They would also relate to the process of making the opening - experience
- Male and female audience

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

- Looked closely at the themes linked to our chosen genre - psychological thriller
- Watched and analysed other, professional openings of the same genre
- Questionnaire - asked our target audience what they would like to see

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

- The software used was very useful and very effective
- Differences in quality of cameras - high definition

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

- To be quite blunt - simply get rid of things that aren't necessary
- Changing shots completely or just adjusting them can be very effective
- Use of different shot angles

These are notes to help with the final write up of the evaluation.

Comparison with another blog

2009-03-22T21:41:00.004Z

It's instantly recognisable that my blog lacks in detail and contents.

Comparing my blog to another student's blog, I am aware of what's needed for a top grade blog. There are many things that I haven't blogged and there is also a lack of anaylsis.

It's evident that what's included in the other students blog is no different to what is included mine. However, there is a lot more analysis; for example, they have explained why they have chosen particular shots. Whereas, I tend to simply list shots, etc. They also use images and videos to present their ideas clearly. This is particularly evident in their chosen props - in which photographs are used and the title font choice. Furthermore, it's quite clear that this blog is updated on a regular basis, thus showing a detailed progress throughout and including a lot of detail.

Therefore, from analysing another blog, I can see the contrast of quality to mine. I need to ensure that my blog is updated regularly and remember to include, not only more detail, but more progress. For example, our choice of font for the title etc.

Sound choice

2009-03-22T21:40:00.009Z

Our group used the website: freeplaymusic to find our piece of music.

Originally we used Personal Demons as our background music, which was included in our animatic and our first draft. However, our feedback from our final draft has highlighted that the piece of music we are using doesn't fit well with the opening. It's considered to be too fast and doesn't fit well with the mood. Thus, we will need to find another piece of music - as a group we think that a more ambient piece of music would flow better.

Furthermore, at the beginning of our opening, we have the gradual sound of tap running; this fits in with what the antagonist in our thriller is doing and leaves the audience in suspense. But, with feeback from our first draft, like our background music, we have to change the sound of the tap running. We are to make it much more gradual - to fit with the slow zoom of the door and create more suspense.

What's more, another sound we used is the creshendo music. This is felt to be very effective; it is timed well with the flashbacks and generates a 'jumpy' reaction.

Reflections

2009-03-17T20:01:00.009Z

This is our first draft for our thriller opening - titled 'Reflections'.
We were unsure of what to name our thriller; we decided to changed it from our initial title, Portraits of Obsession. Nevertheless, Reflections was suggested to us by our teacher and it linked well with one of our shots - when the male character looks in the mirror, and looks directly into the camera. This shot is said to have an effective impact on the audience and thus would show a clear connection to the title.

This is the feedback and marks received from the teacher regarding the first draft of our opening:

Mark: 38
Level 3
Grade: C/D

Feedback:

- Camera work is controlled and steady throughout most of the extract
- Framing of shots is mostly well conceived with elements included / excluded as appropriate
- Shot distances are varied throughout the extract
- The material is appropriate to the task set, however it becomes quite repetitive. This results in the later half of the extract losing focus.
- Mise-en-scene has been clearly thought out with effective use of location choice, colour and lighting throughout the extract.
- Editing is competent - there is considerable scope for improvement here which will also improve pace and continuity. Particularly, in the development of the duel narrative.
- Shot transitions are effective but need to be better timed towards the later stages of the extract.
- Both diegetic and non-diegetic sound have been used effectively throughout the extract. However, as the editing falters towards the end of the extract, the match-on-action loses focus making the mood of the extract inconsistent.
- Titles are well made and feel appropriate to the genre, however they could be more evenly paced across the extract.

Targets for improvement:

- You need to include Production Company etc. at the beginning and hold a single frame of black for longer.
- I also recommend introducing the running water sound earlier and even more gradual - raising the volume very slowly - this will develop the mood of your opening more effectively.
- Later you have lost your way - some poor choices of shots have been included.
- Also, some shots need to be held for longer.
- Your titles need to be more evenly spread across the piece.
- Finally, you need to add more focus on to the antagonist as that is whom you are trying to establish.

Improvements we discussed as a group:

- Production Company with a very quiet sound of running water in the background
- Move titles to the beginning
- Remove music - maybe introduce it at the character
- Increase the length of the shot of the eye or move the shot
- Titles after Jonny washes his hands?
- Replace music with an ambiguous music
- Creshendo music at the end
- More focus on Jonny and his environment. More shots - less of Abbie.
- Music is overpowering - make it more subtle
- Slower zoom to the door
- Move the tilt of Jonny before he washes his hands
- Hold the shot of Jonny looking in the mirror (1-2 seconds longer)
- Running shots are ineffective - remove.
- Use different angle of shots for Jonny
- Jonny - show where he's going as he leaves the bathroom. Follow him into a room
- Include a mirror in the room - reflection of Abbie seen - links in with the title
- Shorter flash backs

Darkening Effects

2009-03-16T16:08:00.005Z

For the final of our thriller opening, we chose to change certain shots by darkening them - giving a darker, red colour. It's felt that by doing this it fits well with the codes and conventions of the thriller genre. What's more, it creates a tense setting; the red reinforces blood, which links to danger and thus creates an impact on the audience. We feel it links well with the setting and the narrative of our opening.

This was used in our final opening and the colour fits very well with the other shots. For example, when the male character is washing the blood off his hands.

Progress

2009-02-27T21:43:00.002Z

As I did Media Studies at GCSE Level and got an A in my results, I felt confident, at the beginning, with my knowledge and felt that I could contribute well to the group - as 2 of my group members hadn't taken Media at a GCSE level. From previous knowledge, I feel I understand the codes and conventions of the films well and know the effective ways in which to engage the audience. What's more, I felt I had some good ideas to contribute to the group and found my group easy to communicate with. However, what I didn't feel confident with was the practical side of the task and I also didn't really know the people in my group well, thus I lacked in confidence. Nevertheless, having done the animatic tasks, my confidence began to rise with using the software and I now feel I can help with the practical side a lot more. As a result of this, I enjoy working with my group and helping out with the practical side - as well as the written side of the task. I am not as confident as other members of the group with the software, but I do feel I can help out effectively with it.

On the other hand, I do feel that there are certain individuals in the group who don't pull their weight - and others take too much responsibility. For example, I would like to be involved and given more opportunity in the practical side of the task, as this is one of the main processes in this piece of coursework. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed working with my group and I think that we communicate well, which makes it easy for me to be confident enough to contribute ideas etc. to the group.

Additionally, my progress with the blog has gone well. I do feel that I should update my blog on a regular basis more often and be more detailed and analytical in what I blog, but I am happy with the amount of effort I've put into keeping the blog up to date. I have found it difficult to remember to blog, as it's quite easy to forget to do so, but I am now starting to do this regularly.

Rough Cut

2009-02-26T15:34:00.002Z

Our teacher discussed ways in which we could improve our rough cut, these included:

- Put some titles over the shot, to enable more time for footage
- Editing to be adjusted on shot 2
- Alter the shot of the female to an over the shoulder shot
- Include more footage of the male character. For example, where is he going? Where does he end up? Change rooms and show his environment
- Classic shot of character falling over
- Put the last three titles over black
- Male character to clear up after himself

Our teacher said our footage was good, with effective shots. We had previously changed a few of our shots and this improved our rough cut effectively. What's more, it was our titles that really let us down on our footage; it was felt that they were unorganised and took up too much time - thus meaning that we had less footage, so the effect of our opening wasn't felt as it should be. We had arranged our titles to be at the start and end. Our teacher gave us some ideas on how we could alter our titles and create a more effective opening. Therefore, we changed our designs, and decided that putting titles over footage would create a better effect to the audience, while enabling us to give more footage to the audience. Having the titles over the footage means that the audience have less to focus on - rather than spending time looking at titles, they can get a sense of the atmosphere and keep with the narrative - keeping the suspense. Overall, our comments on the rought cut have highlighted what we need to change and how we can improve our opening. The most significant being the titles, we as a group feel that having the titles over the footage will have a much better impact on the audience.

Shooting

2009-01-27T13:45:00.001Z

Our group planned to do a shooting on the 17th January, however we had to cancel - last minute - as one of our group members wasn't available and our planned location to shoot was unavailable. This resulted in us being behind on our filming. Nevertheless, we rescheduled for Wednesday 21st January and Saturday 24th January.

Furthermore, we had originally chosen James Hall and Georgia Bowers as our actor and actresse in our film. However, neither were available for when we needed to film, thus we had to change and use Jonny Furze and Abbie Jones, instead.

So far to date, we have completed most of the outside shots and have re-done our inside shots.

Wednesday 21st January

For our first filming session, it went well and effective shots were produced. The shots were steady and a variety and combination of different types of shots were used. Communication and team work was effective. Nevertheless, there are some changes that need to be made:

Feedback:

We began with a slow zoom of the door, but while this was an effective choice of shot, the way in which we created it was not. The quality of the camera was not very good, which was quite evident on the zoom, so we decided to change this. Instead of using a video camera to record the zoom, we used a still camera - taking a photo of the door and using the software to create a slow zoom. This was not seen as effective by our teacher; it was quite recognisable that it was a still picture, so did not have the correct impact.

The tilt we used was not very effective; it needed to be held for longer and we did not reveal the male character's face. Instead we cut off before his face was revealed, we originally thought this was best, however it didn't give off much of a reaction to the audience. We wanted the audience to feel anxious and tense and as his face was not seen, there was little for the audience to engage with.

We also did not direct the male character well. As the character had just murdered someone, they should be a certain level of fear and anxiety evident and this should have been shown when he was washing his hands. However, he showed very little fear and the way in which he was washing his hands wasn't realistic.

The way in which the camera was positioned when he is washing his hands wasn't completed well. We chose to do a close-up of his hands being washed to engage with the audience and highlight the aggression he is washing his hands, while allowing the audience to see the blood. However, this was not presented in a clear and realistic light.

Therefore, there are quite a few significant changes that we need to make and so far our verisimilitude isn't very high.

Saturday 24th January

Andy, Georgia and I worked well as a group on our filming; we communicated effectively and were able to establish what we needed to change and what worked well. For example, we decided that our outside shots should be re-done, as they were done in dark conditions and we feel it would be more effective if the shots were completed with brighter lighting conditions

Prop List

2009-01-15T13:39:00.002Z

Actor: James Hall
Actress: Georgia Bowers

Costume:
Man - jeans and plain top (hoodie, with his hood up?)
Woman - red clothing to symbolise death, love, passion and danger - linking in with the theme of the narrative
Red coat, heels and dress etc - middle class

Props:
Knife?
Blood for face and hands
White hand towel in the bathroom - so the blood can be seen
Chair
Notice board
Pictures of the actress
Desk
Corridor
Keyhole?
Mirror
Sink and tap

Shooting Schedule

2009-01-08T14:58:00.001Z

Questionnaire

2008-12-18T14:36:00.001Z

Thriller Questionnaire

1. What age category do you fit into?

16-18, 19-24, 25-30, 10-35, 36-40, 41- 45, 46+,

2. Are you male or female? _______________________________

3.What thriller sub genres do you prefer? (Please circle as many as apply)

Action
Spy
Romantic
Psychological
Crime
Supernatural
Drama
Political
Medical
Other

4. What do you look for in terms of story with a thriller? – E.g. Twists,

5. How much gore do you expect to see in a thriller?

6. What do you like about the thriller genre? (Please circle as many as apply)

Confusion
Suspense
Hero vs. Villain
Twist
Cliff Hangers
Mystery
Danger

7. How do you think a good thriller should open? (Please tick one)
Death
Chase
Everyday Life
Flashback
Other

We created this questionnaire, as a way of enabling us to see what the target audience look for and want to see in the thriller genre. Thus, the answers we received allowed us to create an effective beginning - with a good impact on the audience. For example, many people wanted to see a flashback in the opening, which was a big part of our final opening - so the questionnaire helped us establish what would be best for our audience.

The Shot List

2008-12-10T15:17:00.006Z

This is our finished shot list. We will storyboard it and then create an animatic.

This is our final animatic.

Creating the animatic has contributed a lot in distinguishing what we need to improve, need to change or need to remove. Especially focusing on camera, editing, mise-en-scene and sound - the animatic enabled us to visualise these ideas and envisage how they would look in the final piece. From looking at the animatic, the areas in which we have used codes and conventions of the thriller genre can be seen; such shots as, the slow zoom towards the door and through the keyhole can be related to the thriller genre. What's more, the non-diegetic sound used also contributes to the codes and conventions; the background music creates a tense tone, and the music used with the flashback generates more suspense. Additionally, the editing used with the flashbacks — the jump cuts — make the sound of the flashback stand out even more, which also gives a 'jumpy' impact to the audience. Furthermore, one of the most significant thing that the animatic outlined was the changes needed to make to the sound we used; we were able to recognise how the music and sound needed to be layered. Also, the sound of the footsteps doesn't fit well with the music or the slow zoom, as the pace is quite fast when compared to the speed of the zoom into the door.

I believe our animatic is good, and really accentuated the changes we could make to improve our opening and underlined the positive and negative aspects of our narrative. Our narrative does work well, however it did get quite confusing for the audience towards the end, thus some shots will need to be changed to keep the audience engaged and understanding the narrative. It can also be said that the pace could be altered to be a little slower; this would be better for our narrative and would contribute well to the codes and conventions.

Overall, working together to create the animatic was very effective; we each had our own roles and responsibilities in the creation of the animatic. We each had different ideas towards the narrative, camera, editing, sound and mise-en-scene and this meant that we had many ideas to work with.

Non-diegetic sound: Crescendo Music

As seen in the shot list, we came up with the idea of using a type of crescendo music for the flashbacks. This will give a 'jumpy' feel to the flashbacks and highlight that they are flashbacks. Additionally, I remembered the film Resident Evil and how a similar sound was used in the film. It can be seen at 1.09 of the youtube clip, as a character quickly moves her hand. It gives the same impact to the audience that we wish to create.

Initial Ideas

2008-12-10T15:13:00.000Z

We chose to go for the crime thriller genre. We made quite a few changes to our initial idea of the crime thriller and these will be shown in the animatic and shot list.

First practice filming

2008-11-26T15:39:00.000Z

As a result of a fault with the camera, it's not possible to upload a copy of the filming.

However, I think our filming went very well - considering it was our first attempt as a group and we all learned a lot, such as using the premiere software and learning about the cameras and how to do certain techniques effectively, e.g. panning.

We didn't break the 180 degree rule and while our panning could have been a bit smoother, it enabled us to see the effect of it. Also, our editing could have been smoother, primarily our knowledge of the software was very limited, so we began quite slow but each of us soon developed more of an understanding and how to use the software effectively and quickly. Additionally, we worked very well as a group; we organised and communicated well, and quickly decided who would be doing what, which saved a lot of time. This will definitely be important when it comes to filming our thriller opening.

What we learned is that using members of the group is not the best thing, firstly because they are not drama students so acting isn't natural them, and secondly we couldn't work as well as a team when it came to filming. Thus, with our final piece using people outside of our group for the acting will enable us to work more effectively as a team.

Continuity Task

2008-11-26T09:53:00.000Z

Our group was awarded a level 2 from the class and teacher, and we were given feedback in ways of which we could improve.

One of the main issues found with our piece is that it was incomplete; there was no physical evidence of the character exiting the room. Another problem is that the music was seen as needless - that it didn't really flow with the piece and it could have been faded out. Furthermore, facial expressions were quite unclear as a result of the framing of shots, which didn't engage the audience well, as it was unknown what the reactions were and took attention away from the action.

To improve on future tasks, it would be best to allow the audience to know, more clearly, what's going on, so improving on facial expressions and the framing of shots. Overall, our task was completed well, in terms of effective camera work and working as a group. We worked well as a group because we each knew what area we would be working on and organised our time well. However, we will need to take more notice in camera positioning and who to use for our acting.

Additionally, the sound wasn't very good quality as the clicking of the camera could be heard, thus causing a distraction to the audience and reducing quality. Along with this, clips could have been shortened and editing could have been completed more effectively. By using shorter clips, we could have engaged the audience much more because more tension would have been built. Other improvements would be to organise more efficiently before hand; the location and actors of which we had planned were not available, so we had to improvise. Resulting in an unideal location and using actors that were not drama students. In future, we will use drama students to engage the audience and make the piece more believable, and also make sure that we prepare and organise well before shooting.

Differents between a certificate 15 and certificate 18 film.

2008-11-25T19:05:00.004Z

According to the BBFC:

A 15 film always has a theme, but must be appropriate to the audience. Language is also infrequent, with a few references to strong language, and the strongest language is only acceptable if it is in context. Furthermore, nudity is seen in sexual content, but no strong detail is shown. Linking with nudity, sexual content is also seen but with no strong detail, however strong verbal references to sexual behaviour may be shown. Violence is usually strong, but with no focus or dwell on the pain that has been inflicted, and sexual violence is usually very brief. There is also no dwelling on dangerous techniques, such as hanging, and weapons that are easily accessible aren't focused upon too much. Very little gore is shown within horror, but threat and menace are allowed. Drugs are also shown, but are in no way encouraged or promoted.

Certificate 18's cannot risk harm to individuals or to society, or involve sexual violence that could support sexual assault. Also, explicit sexual content is only shown if the context can justify it.

DIFFERENCES:
The main contrasts between an 18 certificate film and a 15 certificate is the detail and the explicitness. In a an 18, sexual content is much more explicit and violence is in much more detail. Strong gore and violence is usually apparent in an 18, along with strong language. Nevertheless, in both a 15 and 18 the contents must be justified by the context.

The certificate we have decided to use for our film is a 15. We have chosen this because our open wouldn't really fit with the detail and explicitness of an 18. Also, the characters appearing in our opening are younger than 18 and it would therefore be best to go for the 15 certificate. Furthermore, our narrative is more of psychological thriller, and thus isn't explicite in its content.

Additional information: BBFC

Animatic

2008-11-25T18:25:00.000Z

Due to technical difficulties, I have been unable to upload my animatic.

I think that the first attempt that our group made to an animatic was very successful. We worked well as group, each contributing to different areas, such as story boarding and sound. The most successful area of our animatic was the diegetic sound; it fitted well with the narrative and the genre. Additionally, the camera techniques we used: the panning and use of zoom within the text engaged the audience and created tension. Overall, our animatic worked well because we used the common codes and conventions known in the thriller genre.

Nevertheless, there are a few areas of improvement that could be made. For example, parallel non-diegetic sound could have built more tension and engaged the audience much more - such as background music to flow with the piece. Also, a few of the pictures were quite ambiguous, which left the audience confused as to the narrative. To improve this, we will try to draw neater and clearer pictures, along with developing skills on certain aspects of story boarding, such as using directional arrows effectively and drawing from certain views, for example birds eye view - as our birds eye view was very unclear.

Conclusion of the thriller films analysed

2008-11-04T18:47:00.001Z

From the 5 opening of thriller films analysed, it's evident that there are many common codes and conventions of the openings of thrillers. For example, a character is established, which suggests they are the main character and there also little dialogue used. Furthermore, the pace of editing differs- some of the thriller films have a fast pace of editing while others have a slow pace, which either juxtaposes the scene or links in with the scene. In addition to this, mise-en-scene is used to add to the character, mainly through facial expressions, which is reinforced through the variety of mid-shots and close-ups on the character used. Also, in all of the films analysed, the titles are similar; they are all white font, centred over a clip or black background, thus giving the audience no distractions and simplicity to read. Most significantly, in most of the films, very little dialogue is used, the character is shown through shots and the emotions are established through facial expressions, along with the non-diegetic background music that also adds tension. Straight cuts are also used a lot to juxtapose surroundings. Therefore, from the 5 thriller films analysed, it's clear to see that the codes and conventions are used to add anxiety and engage the audience subconsciously and instantly. Additionally, very little narrative is shown, but the establishment of the character and their emotion means that the audience already has an insight into the tone of the film, the narrative and the character.

Thriller Opening 5- The Bourne Ultimatum

2008-11-04T17:42:00.000Z

Film Title: The Bourne Ultimatum
Director: Paul Greengrass

Technique Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Low angle shot of feet moving- screen shaky. Long shot of character walking and at what he is looking at. Long shot as he walks down the stairs. Camera tracks as he looks around the train then attempts to get off. Follows police cars. POV shot at a pharmacy sign- needs medical help. Mid shot of character- appears to be hurt; blood on his neck and hands. Close up of a bloody door handle. Close up of characters face. Mid shot of him holding a gun to the police officer. Camera zooms into him holding the gun- can see his hand shaking.

The low angle shot of the feet moving and the screen shaking, creates a slight confusion to the audience but leaves unclear messages. Then the main character is introduced, from the previous ‘Bourne’ films the audience will be aware of the ending to the previous film in the sequel, thus this is the beginning of the end. The long shots enable the audience to see what is surrounding him and why he is behaving and moving in the way that he is. The POV shot shows the audience what he is looking at, and as it is a pharmacy sign, also shows that he is in pain, which connects him emotionally with the audience. The mid shot of the character gives a full view of his injuries and the extent of what he has been through. The close up shows us his expression and links in with what he is thinking about- the straight cuts to a vivid memory. The mid shot of him holding a gun to a police officer creates a different side to his character and personality, but the zoom in shows his hand shaking and then him walking away, this shows his refusal to kill the innocent.

Editing – speed, style…
Police are fast paced, character slow paced- through his physicality. Pace quickens as character sees the police. Fast paced. Straight cuts from the police to character. Pace of editing fast as he tries to find the correct medicine. Shot changes very quickly to something unknown. Fast pace as he attacks police officer. Black screen after he doesn’t kill the police officer.

The pace of editing, at the beginning, contrasts between the speed of the character and of the police. This emphasises his injury and highlights that he has done something bad. However, when the police see him, his pace quickens, showing his desperation to get away. The pace is also fast with the straight cuts to the memory and the attack on the police officer.

Sound – effects, musical score…
Non-diegetic theme tune appears- fast paced. Technology sound of title being typed. Diegetic sound of feet on the snow and heavy breathing. Diegetic sound of police sirens. Police speaking in a different accent- establishes that he is not somewhere known yet. Music keeps the audience tense. Music changes but still tense. Sound of police sirens and dialogue from the police.

The non diegetic music is fast paced, which links in with the panic in the scene. There is also a lot of diegetic sound, such as feet on the snow and heavy breathing, this shows the characters pain and anxiety. The diegetic sound of the police sirens reinforce why he is trying to get away quickly. The police also speak in a different language, which highlights that he is in another country and is somewhere he wouldn’t usually be, and possibly doesn’t know anyone or where to go.

Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Snow and quite dark. Character introduced limping and wearing dark clothing- long, black coat. Appears panicked and looks over- possibly trying to escape. Character jumps off the train and is seen by the police- anxious facial expression. Facial expression- in severe pain- reinforced through his speech and breathing. Calms down. Again panicked expression- linked in with the shot just seen- possibly remembering something. Unknown characters and places seen. Police appear anxious when approaching other character. Police officer scared and begs not to be killed. Main character contemplates what to do.

The lighting is natural, along with street lamps. Overall, the lighting is quite dark, comparing with what is going on in the scene. Facial expression stays the same throughout- anxious, panic, and in pain. These all connect him with the audience and reinforce his need to escape. Furthermore, when the police officers approach him, they appear scared, which shows his power and force upon others.

Special Effects – CGI, animation…

Universal.

No special effects used.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
White font centred on plain black background. White/ blue font centred on a black background of ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’. Title then fades out.

The way in which the titles are presented leave the audience with no distractions and highlights what is on the screen.

Thriller Opening 4- The Invasion

2008-11-04T17:39:00.000Z

Film Title: The Invasion
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel

Technique Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Camera switches to close up of a light flickering, then pans along the lights. Close-up of a characters eye between varieties of shots. Long shot of medicines and the character goes to get some pills. Close ups of variety of medicines. POV of the character- things wobble and shake. Close up of a door and the lock moving. Camera tracks as the rocket explodes into pieces. Birds eye view above Earth and the pieces of rocket falling. View from a camera. Mid shots of characters speaking about the rocket, via the news. Shots of the authority- long and mid shots. Camera tracks a character to the scene. POV shot through the magnifying glass of the organism. Close up of the characters finger as he gets cut by a piece of the explosion- contamination- music changes. Close up of a map. Camera watches as he walks into his home.

The shots of the light flickering tell the audience that there has been some disturbance and the unknown. The close up of a characters eye also shows that someone has been effected and links in with the pace. The character is then introduced and the long shot of medicines show that she has been physically affected, but the isolation of where she is shows that she only has herself and what is around her to help. The POV reinforces why she needs the medicine. The close up of the door and its lock show that people are inside the room, but as they are locked in leaves the audience guessing as to why they are in there and why the character fears what is behind the door. Then, out of the supermarket, the camera follows a rocket exploding, this is strange to the audience but may be a justification of why she was behaving the way she was and the reasons for what was just seen. The birds eye view of the pieces of rocket exploding over Earth connect with the audience and show the damage that could be done. The news then plays a role, the rocket exploding has caused a lot of controversy, and the shots of civilians speaking about show their expression and fear towards what has happened. Furthermore, as they are civilians of all ages it shows that everyone has been affected by the accident. The POV through the magnifying glass emphasises the organism and extent of damage that could be caused if used irresponsibly. Then a close up of a characters finger as he is cut shows the fear towards the effect.

Editing – speed, style…
Pace very fast- links in with the panic tone of a character that can be heard- not seen. Pace becomes even quicker. Very quick shot of an unknown character- looks inhumane.

The pace throughout is very fast and this links in with the tone of panic and chaos. Also, the character (at the beginning) cannot be seen but can be heard, this creates more tension and questions as to what is happening. As more panic occurs, the pace quickens and there are a variety of cuts to other shots, such as a close up of an unknown character, which looks quite inhumane. This creates more tension and leaves the audience still unaware of why things are occurring.

Sound – effects, musical score…
Non- diegetic technology sound. Diegetic sound of the lights and someone speaking (quite dream like). Diegetic sound (dialogue) “I can’t stay awake”- reason why she gets the pills. Dialogue however is not spoken out loud- it is in the character’s thoughts. Thoughts are spoken very quickly- reinforcing panic and desperation. Dialogue from inside a room. “Please stay awake. Yes you can, you can”- character reassuring herself and panic is becoming more evident. News reporter speaking. Diegetic sound of the rocket. One reporter says “make sure nobody touches it or runs off with it”- suggests danger. “Contaminated”. Music quite tense. When the character gets cut the music changes to reinforce danger.

There is a variety of non diegetic and diegetic sound. There is quite a lot of dialogue, which all reinforce the panic and chaos of the characters. The woman shown has her thoughts spoken, which allows the audience to know what is going on inside her head and her emotions. Desperation is also created through her thoughts. The non diegetic music is tense and reinforces danger and links in with the pace.

Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Character introduced very quickly. Facial expression difficult to read- out of breath and shocked when she discovers where she is (supermarket). Supermarket destroyed- products lying around everywhere (chaos). Facial expression changes as she looks at the door; looks scared and resistant towards what is behind the door. ‘NASA’ clothing- special suits- again suggests danger and safety. Worried facial expression when cut. Dog reacts differently when he returns home.

The character is introduced very quickly to keep the audience engaged; the pace is very quickly. Her facial expression is difficult to read at the beginning, but she appears out of breath and shocked when she discovers where she is. She is in a supermarket, which has been destroyed, this connects the audience as a supermarket is something used by everyone. As it becomes apparent that there are other characters in the supermarket, her expression changes- she looks scared and resistant towards the characters screaming and this creates confusion and panic within the room. When the rocket explodes, it is clear that what has been left is contaminated, the ‘NASA’ clothing represents danger and safety precautions and the facial expressions through show the severity of the effects this could have.

Special Effects – CGI, animation…
Warner Bros. Pictures. Screen flickers as if it is about to break or turn off- suggests narrative. Technology appears to breaking. Everything wobbles on screen. Rocket flies through and a clip of the Earth. Rocket then explodes whilst going onto Earth. Real news programmes featured.

The most significant special effects are the rocket. The rocket explodes in space and this creates realism to the audience.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
Dark colouring. ‘The Invasion’ appears in white, spaced out font, centred over a clip of the lighting and the over the sky- stars.

The dark colouring links in with the tone and as the title is centred over dark clips there are little distractions, and an insight into the narrative.

Thriller Opening 3- Flightplan

2008-11-04T17:16:00.000Z

Film Title: Flightplan
Director: Robert Schwentke

Technique Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Mid shot of moving train. Long shot of the back of a character sitting down, in front of a stationary train. Camera zooms into character- face not yet seen. Camera switches quickly from behind to in front. Camera zooms into her face- highlighting her fear. Long shot of the room is seen and a coffin is centred with the main character in front. Mid shot of character walking out. Low angle of a man- camera moves up. Shot reverse shot of the man and woman. Long shot of the couple at the train station- the same train station she was seen sitting alone at. Long shot as they enter the train. Long shot of character walking towards the coffin. Close up of water dripping off her umbrella. Low angle of character looking at the coffin. Camera pans and zooms in slightly. Panning and zooming out from the train, into a long shot of the couple walking up the stairs. Long shot as they walk down the street- panning. Shot reverse shot as she talks to the man inside. Camera stays as door shuts- the couple walk outside. Close up of door shutting and slight zooming in. Long shot of the couple outside. Camera follows the birds fly up, then into a black screen. Camera goes round to see the character inside the coffin, and it is the same man seen at the train station and who she has been with (mid shot). Camera zooms out from a mid shot into a long shot to show her outside. Footprints are seen but only one pair of footprints.

A lot of shots are used within the scene. The long shot establish that she is alone at the train station and the close ups enable a full view of her facial expressions. The long shot at the beginning not only shows that she is alone, but her character isn’t introduced emotionally straight away, which leaves a surprise for the audience when she is seen. Likewise, the long shot of the coffin leaves the audience wondering who is in there. The shot reverse shot highlights both characters expressions and juxtaposes her expression before hand. The long shot of the moving train again juxtaposes the speed. The shots used all highlight the isolation of the characters and the fear of the woman. The long shot of the couple outside shows that they are still alone. The camera goes round to see the character in the coffin, which adds to the shock and anxiety of the audience and as it is the same man seen at the train station, it adds to the narrative. At the end of the opening, the long shot shows the couple outside and the birds fly up and into a black screen, which leaves surprise when the next shot arrives. After the black screen, a long shot of outside appears but this time she is alone and only one pair of footsteps can be seen, which leaves the audience wondering whether the man was really there.

Editing – speed, style…
Fast paced; shot of something unknown- possibly a train, then into titles. Continuous straight cuts from train to titles. Pace slows down. Slow editing that contrasts to the music. Straight cut into character entering a room, two other characters are also present. Train moves- camera watches as it moves off. Straight cut into character slowly walking towards the coffin. Straight cut back to the moving train. Fading out from when the couple were walking on the street- atmosphere changes.
Straight cut from inside to outside. Straight cut back to the room with the coffin.

A mixture of slow and fast pace editing is shown throughout, along with straight cuts. The straight cuts and pace contrast the shots, which connect with the character. Straight cuts are also quite fast, which contrasts with the pace of character. Furthermore, the pace of character compared with the moving train also juxtaposes each other.

Sound – effects, musical score…
Diegetic sound of train. Non diegetic music appears- quiet and tense- as the camera zooms in. Diegetic sound of the character breathing. Dialogue appears in a non-English language and she replies in English. The tone her voice also represents pain and fear. A man’s voice appears. Non diegetic music tense and juxtaposes the pace of editing. Diegetic sound of the water dripping- emphasises the silence within the room. Increased in sound volume- creates tension and reinforces the change in shot. Diegetic sound of the train, no music. Dialogue- mans’ name introduced as David. Diegetic sound of birds- she is startled. It is established through the dialogue that the person inside the coffin is her husband.

A lot of diegetic sound is used in this scene. Such as, the character breathing and dialogue. These emphasise the character’s unknown fear and pain, this connects the audience emotionally, and also leaves the audience wondering why she is behaving in the way she is. The scene is quite silent; when in the room with the coffin, the sound of water dripping from the umbrella can be heard, and this highlights the silence within the room and creates a tension as she looks at the coffin. Nevertheless, quiet non diegetic music is used, which adds to the tension and atmosphere. The effect of the quietness within the opening is to connect the character with the audience, it enables the audience to establish the emotions and feel for the narrative.

Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Dark clothing, contrasts to bright yellow train. Character hasn’t moved. When the characters face is shown, she appears very scared and thoughtful. There are also tears in her eyes. Other characters in the room change their expression quickly and separate. Character looking at something (coffin) and thinking. Facial expression changes as she sees the man- happiness, relief but also shock- emphasised through her breathing. She quickly opens the door and her expression changes- she appears surprised at seeing somebody and upset at what the character asked. Slight frustration.

The lighting is quite bright inside from the electric lighting but when outside it is very dark. This adds to the atmosphere. Moreover, throughout the train juxtaposes the character. When the camera shows the characters face, tears can be seen in her eye, which establishes the emotion but leaves the audience wondering what has happened. Overall, the facial expressions are quite dark and show a lot of emotion. The train plays a key role; it is the only thing that moves rapidly within the opening.

Special Effects – CGI, animation…
Shadows of planes are seen over the snow- shot fades out.

No significant special effects are used.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
Simple, white font over black.

The titles are used in this way so there are no distractions and easy to read.

Thriller Opening 2- Donnie Darko

2008-11-04T17:05:00.001Z

Film Title: Donnie Darko
Director: Richard Kelly

Technique Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Camera panning (after titles) of the view. Panning onto the road. Camera slowly zooms/ moves forward to show the unknown object in the road- becomes clear that it is a human. Camera turns to see the characters face. Mid-shot of characters’ back as he stands up and then turns around (confused still). Camera tracks as character rides his bike. POV shot when on the bike. Close up of a Halloween poster. Pans over to character.Mid shot of board reading ‘where is Donnie?’- name introduced.

The panning and variety of the shots show the surroundings, and also keep the audience guessing as to where the setting is. The zooming in to the character establishes who it is, as it is unknown at the beginning, and shows the strangeness of the situation. Furthermore, the variety of shots, also show the characters facial expression, which connects him with the audience, and reinforces the audiences confusion. The camera following the bike and the POV when he’s on the bike, allow the audience to connect with the character even more and show the extent of where he is, how he got there and show us something about him.

Editing – speed, style…
Slow pace, which links in with the music. Cuts
from characters expression to view, to emphasis confusion. After title is introduced, screen fades out through light. Followed by a bright, plain white screen. Pace quickens as character rides bike, also reinforced through the non-diegetic music.

The slow pace keeps the audience guessing and also allows the audience to take in the views. Overall, the pace is slow and this links in with the character that is introduced. He appears sleepy and confused and the pace allows the audience to establish this and connect with him. Also, the quickening of pace not only links in with the speed on the bike, but also the change in expression.

Sound – effects, musical score…
Non-diegetic sound of lightning and surroundings- whilst titles play. Diegetic sound of surroundings and atmosphere, after titles- links. As the camera pans to the road, there is non-diegetic music, this connotes a change in atmosphere. Background music becomes louder as the character is seen. Diegetic sound as he laughs slightly. Music quickens when on bike. Sound of bike.

The non diegetic music used through the opening scene links in with the pace; to keep the audience at ease. This also shows that there is no tension yet. Moreover, the diegetic sound of the surroundings when the titles play, give the audience an impression of the atmosphere and where it is set. There is no dialogue, but the character does express humour as he looks around, which connects him with the audience and shows a side to his personality- suggesting it is something he is familiar with. When on the bike, the music changes which links in with the pace again, and also connotes a change in atmosphere.

Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Morning lighting/ setting- quite dark. Confused facial expression from the character and appears to be sleepy. Dressed in pyjamas. Bike seen in the background- suggests how he got there. Expression changes- character smiles and smirks as he looks around at his surroundings. Sleepy expression when riding his bike. Other characters are introduced. Cars etc. now seen- ‘back to reality’.

The lighting is natural throughout; the setting is outside and the shots and the character establish that it is the morning. When the character first awakes the expression is clearly confusion but changes as he looks around. He is dressed in pyjamas, which contrasts to where he is and there is no justification as to why he is there. Other characters are introduced, but not to the extent as the boy seen on the road. Also, when on the bike, cars and characters are introduced, which shows a juxtaposition to where he was and almost as if he has gone ‘back to reality’.

Special Effects – CGI, animation…
Bright light appears after the title.

The bright light that appears links in with the atmosphere and surrounding; the morning, and the sun brightening.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
White, artistic font- over a plain black background, thus standing out more. ‘Donnie Darko’ appears in white font, centred in the screen over clip (view).

The titles used are very simple and this highlights what is being shown. There are no distractions and when the title ‘Donnie Darko’ appears with the view in the background, it suggests that this is an occurrence in the film.

What is a thriller?

2008-11-04T16:55:00.001Z

Filmsite website
Thriller and Suspense Films are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.

A genuine thriller only has one goal - to provide thrills and leave the audience feeling the suspense and cliff-hanging throughout - until the climax. The typical narrative of a thriller film creates the tension and connects the audience with the main character. The main character usually endures a danger/ escape situation, additionally to the audience the escape can seem impossible, which provides more shock and tension. Life itself plays a key role within thrillers; it is threatened because of the situations put under. Furthermore, the narrative and plot have characters which experience conflict with forces unknown and carry mysterious and dark tone.

Thriller sub-genres:
- Action-Adventure thriller (e.g. The Transporter films)
- Disaster thriller (e.g. The Day After Tomorrow)
- Historical thriller (e.g. JFK)
- Medical thriller (e.g. Awake)
- Religious thriller
- Serial Killer thriller
- Techno thriller
- Conspiracy thriller (e.g. the Bourne films)
- Drama thriller (e.g. The Interpreter)
- Horror thriller (e.g. 28 Days Later)
- Legal thriller
- Political thriller (e.g. The Manchurian Candidate)
- Psychological thriller (e.g. The Sixth Sense)
- Spy thriller (e.g. Mission: Impossible)
- Supernatural thriller (e.g. Torchwood)
- Techno- thriller (e.g. The Hunt for Red October)
- Science fiction thriller (e.g. I Am Legend)
- Crime thriller (e.g. Se7en)

Additionally, while men have typically been seen as the leading character, women are now playing more of a role. For example, the recent Resident Evil films have a main female character that shows more strength and power than the male characters within the film.

Thrillers are also distinguished through their plot. The crimes involved are harmful to all, which connects the audience even more. There is also always a hero and a villain. In the end the hero will not only save their own life, but the lives of others.

Thriller Opening 1- Casino Royale

2008-11-04T09:55:00.000Z

Film Title: Casino Royale
Director: Martin Campbell

Technique
Effect (Analysis)
Camera – distance, angle, movement…
Long shot/ low angle shot of a large building (still in black and white). Camera still and a car appears. Low angle of a man getting out of the car. Low angle is still used of the man going up the lift. Close up of what the man was looking at- the floor numbers. Long shot as man walks. Low angle shot as man enters the room. Camera tracks over to behind a chair then switches to a close up of the mans’ face. Mid shot of James Bond sitting down. Close up of man opening his drawer and seeing a gun. Long shot of them both sitting down- distance between the two of them is evident. Mid shot of man drawing a gun to Bond. Close up of man holding the gun. Variety of shots within the fight scene- links in with the pace of the fight. Close up of both characters in the fight scene, as Bond kills him. Shot reverse shot whilst they speak in the room. Long shot of man shot and falling off his chair.

Not a lot of different camera shots were used in the scene; there was a lot of dialogue and shots were mainly used to show the facial expressions. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the scene low angle shots were used. They introduced him and showed his lack of power, and suggest that something is hidden. The close up of the gun shows the violence involved and the danger, which juxtaposes Bond’s facial expression. The shots used don’t contrast with each character, but show their expressions and contrast in attitude. In the fight scene the shots are very different, the pace is different thus the shots are different, there are a variety of long shots, mid shots and close ups which all emphasise the pain.

Editing – speed, style…
Fast paced from long shot into the man getting out of the car. Straight cut into the lift. Juxtaposition of pace of editing as Bond is seen fighting with another man. Straight cut back to room. Straight cut back to fight scene. Pace quickens when man in the room is shot.

The pace is slow and juxtaposes with the pace in the fight scene. This shows the speed of the fighting and the chaos within the room. However, when Bond and the other man speak, the atmosphere is dark but the speed is slow. As the character walks up to the room, the pace is slow and this creates a calm expression within that character. It also creates more impact on the audience when the fight scene- creates a juxtaposition and surprise to the audience.

Sound – effects, musical score…
Diegetic sound from the car. Diegetic sound from man walking and also quite non diegetic music. First piece of dialogue from James Bond. Continuous dialogue from that point. Diegetic sound from the gun. Bond speaks to himself- finishes what would have been said.

There isn’t a lot of non diegetic music used in the scene; most is diegetic, through dialogue and surroundings. The sound is very quiet until the dialogue, which leaves the audience wondering but at the same time, creates tension. The quietness throughout the scene allows the audience to indulge the dialogue and take in what is happening.

Mise-en-scene – props, costume, setting, lighting, colour…
Black car appears. Suspicious facial expression from the man; he looks around then quickly moves. Facial expression difficult to read. Expression changes when he walks into the room- he is suspicious as he looks at something. James Bond then appears. Bond appears calm and in control through his tone. Bond’s expression doesn’t changed when a gun is pointed towards him- shows his power. Man holding the gun smiles but his expression changes very quickly when he finds that the gun is empty- power has been lost. Contrast in facial expressions. Bond is composed while he shoots the man. Bond’s expression doesn’t change but looks satisfied when other man is killed.

The lighting is very dark and the colour is black and white, which both create tension. Facial expressions are significant in this scene; Bond’s contrasts the other characters, which reinforces power and control. It also allows the audience to connect with the characters. When Bond isn’t present, the unknown man has a suspicious expression, which suggests to the audience that something is ‘wrong’. The setting is in a different country, which shows that something is going on and there is a reason Bond is there and the building is very big, which suggests authority and power.

Special Effects – CGI, animation…
Columbia, colour is black and white.

The black and white colour creates a dark tone and dark atmosphere, which links in with the scene.

Titles – font, colour, placement, over black / over clip…
Titles in the bottom left corner- white font over clip.

The titles are simple and easy to read.