Foundation Portfolio

Chris Forrest 'The List' Thriller Opening Evaluation

2010-04-30T17:49:00.001+01:00

A thriller is a type of film that typically creates tension and suspense in the audience, holding interest through certain techniques that I am going to discuss in this evaluation.
Enigma is probably the most common and effective technique used in any thriller product. Enigma is the word given to anything that raises questions amongst the audience about the narrative, an example of this would be if we are shown a character, but are not told or shown anything about them; Enigma would be raised as we begin to question their identity. Another example of enigma, in the film ‘Seven’ during the title sequence, we see a character writing and cutting the skin off of his finger tips, we never see his face, which makes us question his identity and whether he is a Protagonist or Antagonist. In our final product we have created enigma in various ways –
· Haven’t shown any faces, raising questions about his identity.
· Clashing soundtrack, raising questions about the genre and mood.
· No establishing shots are used, so questions are raised about where the characters are in relation to each other.
· Opening shot of a man on the ground raises questions like – who is he? Is he alright? What’s happened to him? Etc...

Another technique used in thriller products is Restricted and Unrestricted narrative. Restricted narrative is an effective way of creating enigma, as we are limited as to what we see in the frame, we don’t have a full understanding of what is going on. This creates tension and suspense as the audience doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. For example in the short film ‘Joyride’ – a character was locked in the boot and the camera stayed in the boot with him, the narrative outside was restricted, so the viewer wouldn’t know what’s going on outside creating tension and an urge to keep watching. We have incorporated restricted narrative into our final product when the Antagonist is on screen, we used close ups so the audience doesn’t know where he is or what his surroundings are like. Another use of restricted narrative is where we have kept the antagonists identity relatively hidden by not showing their face.

In our product, we have covered various aspects of mise en scene.
· Costume - The antagonist is wearing black which typically represents evil; this was our way of expressing that he is a bad person without giving too much away.
· Setting – Typical house showing that the protagonist is just an average person during his daily routine
· Props – The knife in the foreground of the medium long shot where the protagonist is buttering some bread is used to reflect the antagonist, as the knife is the only object that is in focus in the frame showing that the killer is in killer even though he isn’t in the house with the protagonist.
· Lighting and colour – in our group, I raised the idea that we should use low key lighting when the Antagonist is on screen so that the flicking between the two characters was clear, my fellow group members didn’t agree with this so we kept the lighting the same throughout, not showing a clear separation between the two characters, which may raise enigma in the audience, as this way it is unclear who is the protagonist and who is the antagonist in the frame.

We used various camera techniques and angles in our product. We used a high angle showing the protagonist leaving the house, the camera was placed so that you could see the character through the banisters, giving the idea that he is being watched by someone. We also change the depth of field in this shot, as we go from focusing in on the banisters to focusing in on the character, showing that someone is focusing on him and is watching him for some reason, which again creates enigma.

We did discuss the three stages of narrative as a group, but we came to the conclusion that if we involved all 3 stages, this thriller opening would appear as more of a short film, so we based the opening around ‘the set up’, showing both the antagonist and protagonist going about their routine before the inevitable ‘confrontation’ that would take place later on in the film.

It is clear that the protagonist in the picture is a student of some sort suggesting he is in his late teens, we understand this because he is shown picking up his rucksack, which is a typical prop used to express a younger age. The use of a younger character can suggest vulnerability due to immaturity, size and experience. In most films where people are victimised, the victims are usually teenagers, for example in films like ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’, ‘Friday the 13th’ and ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. Teenagers are used as the victims because the films are aimed at a teenage audience, if the victims in the picture are of the same social group as the viewers, more tension will be raised as the audience will begin to think whether such a thing could happen to them in real life. It was hard to show a specific social group in our product as we didn’t really show much of the characters, the whole sequence was based around extreme close ups of objects such as light switches, a kettle, a knife, and a cup being filled with water, through the use of this, the narrative was restricted leaving any form of social group relatively hidden.

As a group, we discussed and researched which company/institution we would approach to distribute our film; we discovered that Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Vertigo’ was distributed by Paramount Pictures, due to the success and popularity of that film we decided that this would be the institution for us. Paramount Pictures is well known for distributing huge blockbuster films all over the globe, for example ‘Shrek’. We could also look into internet broadcasting and have the film streamed over the internet, meaning it is easily accessible for the viewer, which may draw more interest. Another way of making the film easily accessible at home is getting in contact with companies such as Sky and Virgin, and give them the rights to have the film played over their channels on the television so the viewer wouldn’t have to leave their home to watch it.

The target audience would be teenagers, as the victim in our film is a teenager. The audience would be able to relate to the victim as they are the same age, which would create more tension. An example of another thriller film that this target audience would enjoy is ‘Donkey Punch’ due to the late teens/early twenties cast making it easy to create a bond between the viewer and character.

I have learnt a lot constructing this product. I learnt how the basics to using a camera, for example even something as simple as setting the white balance, before we started this project I had no idea how important this was. I also learnt how to change the depth of field whilst filming which proved helpful as it added a nice effect to one of the shots in our final product. I learnt how to use iMovie and Final Cut. I learnt how to incorporate titles into a moving frame, and I learnt how to use fade in and fade outs effectively, compared to our work on our preliminary, our work on the hardware side of things was much more advanced.

If we compare our final product to our preliminary task, I believe we have advanced immensely, we have used much more camera techniques, such as use of depth of field and hard focus, and we were also tighter with the white balance issue, so that all the shots were the same colour tone. I believe editing ran a lot smoother this time as we managed our time appropriately to the task in hand. I believe the narrative in our new thriller was much better than the preliminary, as our first effort didn’t really create suspense in the way we wanted it to. When all of this is taken into account, I believe we have created an effective opening sequence that raises enigma appropriately and keeps the audience intrigued as to what happens later on in the film.

Se7en title sequence analysis - David Duffy

2010-04-29T18:43:00.003+01:00

- We see extreme close ups, this provokes enigma due to the fact that this is possibly the killer and we cannot see everything that he is doing. This will frustrate the audience and will create closed narration.

- The various things that the antagonist does on screen are disturbing eg cutting his skin off, and this will raise the question to the audience as to why he is doing this

- The non-diegetic sound of the music has a very uneven and uncertain tone. This keeps the audience on edge as they will not know what is coming next

- The text used o the titles are interchanging and are constantly moving to represent the uncertainty of the situation and the killer. The colour of the text is grey, connoting misery and death

- The text is related to the narrative of the film but does not interfere with the actual actions on screen

- We are given a frustratingly short time to view the antagonist’s setting, the codes that could hold many answers to the later part of the narrative, this frustrates the audience and is use of closed narration

- The setting seems, dark, dank and the colours of the props around the character are all of blacks, greys ect, all of these could be seen as connoting death

- Also precision of tool usage is important in representing the character traits of the antagonist, shows how calm and calculated he his. but at the same time the pictures we are shown on his table and the music that is played shows how perhaps he is ready to snap

Blog Problems - David Duffy

2010-04-29T18:28:00.002+01:00

- Some of the title sequence analysis's that were done months ago have not published, and it looks like i will have to redo them as i cant copy and paste the text either. Although only a few peices of work appear to be missing.

David Duffy Evaluation

2010-04-20T19:59:00.069+01:00

How does our product either meets up to or challenges these conventions?

Right from the start of our planning we agreed that we would be basing the story of our film ‘The List’ around two characters. A protagonist and a villain, partly as we were only allowed to use two minutes of footage but also as we wanted to keep it simple and not confuse the audience in the beginning.

We first tried to disturb the viewer by having the first shot of a man unconscious on the ground, this was intended to create early enigma, for example, who is he? What is he doing on the floor? Is he dead?

After this point we disrupt the linear order of events using a flashback transicion to go back in time. The idea would be that if we were to finish a whole film then we would come back to this point.

The idea behind the light switch shot is that the character is metaphorically ‘turning on’ the story.

We did try to follow the traditional three act structure briefly by establishing a set up, this shows the protagonist in his everyday life, before the incident in the first scene. We show him doing mundane tasks with extreme close ups. Also in the set up we see that the antagonist (bottom right) is preparing as well, this could be seen as a mini-disruption to the plot

Although it was hard for us to focus on anything beyond the set up as we did not want to turn this opening into a short film. At some during the rest of film, pretty soon after the start in fact, we would have a confrontation between both the protagonist and the antagonist. But as it turned out we did not have enough time to feature the disruption in the plot, we had to create tension and suspense in other ways.

One of the best ension films (in my opinion) is Vertigo by Afred Hitchcock, heres a link to its IMBD page http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052357/ Also one should look up 'The Birds' also by Hitchcock.

Vertigo, starring James Stewart, is a work of genius as Hitchcock has the audience in the palm of his hand throughout due to the facinating nature of the story and plot. If we had been able to film the rest of our thriller then we would have certainly drawn a lot of inspiration from Hitchcock's work.

(Alfred Hitchcock)

We tried to create lots of enigma in a variety of ways, one of which was through using restricted narration to frustrate the viewer. We used this throughout the film such as when both characters are preparing for different things, you hardly see the protagonist’s (left) face and you never see the antagonist’s (right) face.

We also restrict the audiences view of things by having certain shots with different depth of field, we used shallow depth of field in a few of our shots, but we used full focus shots for the most part of our film. We also used depth of field to draw the viewer’s attention from one part of the frame to the other. This was especially useful when we were making our titles.

In this Particular long shot (above), the camera is placed behind some wooden bars. This gives the immpression that someone is watching him and is peering through these bars.

Taxi driver provided us with a good example of how shallow depth of field can be used, this is the title sequence of the film so it was doubly appropriate. Although the effect was difficult to duplicate as we had to use a camera with manual focus, this meant that was much harder to shoot a static shot when you are having to use on of your hands to turn the focus on/off.

Character

As we only had two minutes, it was important for us to try and establish the key characters and their traits straight away. The protagonist after first being shown on the floor has a flashback to earlier that day. We show some of his morning ritual to show to the audience that he is intended to be a ‘normal’ guy. Through the use of gentle, everyday, props such as butter ect and through the use of setting. The setting is my house and does not bear any disturbing qualities.

A similair setting was used in Se7en, where Morgan Freeman's character is preparing for his day, but in a fashion that does not provoke anything sinister.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-u3fQOOZ34

The setting and props used for the antagonist on the other hand are supposed to unnerve the viewer as he is living in a ‘grimy’ location. There is an obvious use of iconography within the scene at the antagonist’s home; the large kitchen knife stained with blood is meant to present this character as dangerous. One may notice that this particular medium close up shot is almost opposite to another shot earlier in the sequence.

The butter knife belonging to the protagonist on the left is supposed to suggest that he is calm and harmless, where as the large, sharp kitchen blade on the right is supposed to make it obvious to the viewer that he is dangerous and disturbed. The blood also helps to create this sense.

Even the colours of their clothes can help to put a picture of the character’s personality together, the antagonist wears dark black clothes eg gloves for the most part of the sequence. The protagonist wears normal, not to bright, but clothing that wouldn’t suggest anything sinister about this person

Lighting

It was difficult for us to use lighting to our advantage, we found that once college had finished we were rushed to get filing done before it went dark, however this wasn’t a problem when we filmed at weekends.

We used mostly high key lighting, especially for the shots within the protagonist’s house to signify his sense of transparency and innocence. Although low key lighting was used in one medium shot in which the character switches off the light and walks out the kitchen door.

Lighting is probably something that we should have made more use of, if we had made more use of the red head lights we may have had more option of shooting slightly later in the evening, it also would have added more quality to our product.

Camera Movement and shots

We were very particular of our camera movement. Throughout the sequence we used many close ups and extreme close ups.

This helped us to create more closed narration as we are restricting the audience’s view, and to in turn also create enigma. It was also useful for making our titles as we found that we could blend the titles into the narrative (although without disturbing the plot). We actually made it so the titles moved with the characters at certian points.

One of my favourite shots within our film was the use of a canted camera mid-way through the film, it gave us space for some titles and it worked well in our sequence. A canted camera angle was subtle.

For most of our shots the camera was static, but for some of the extreme close ups we used freehand camera. This made a slightly jolty movement which we think creates a sense of urgency about this man’s movements.

At the beginning of the sequence we had a montage of close ups one after the other. This quickly builds up some tension and also creates a sense of urgency within the film. This was inspired from the film 'Shaun of the dead', even though this is not a thriller and is indeed a horror/comedy it was still useful for this short part of our film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj7F7ITFSd4 This is not the actual film but it creates a very similair effect.

This idea was inspired by the montage of close ups during the title sequence of the film se7en. The use of extreme close ups shows the disturbing nature of the character, it also creates closed narration through restricting the audiences view of the killer and therefore creating enigma.

You can see the full title sequence for se7en at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yALjuJcfg90

The final shot in our sequence is after the main title appears. After the wors 'The List' fade away a fast moving train appears at the end, this was intended to shock the audience and to simply keep them on edge.

Sound

We wanted to make use of an ambiant soundtrack or some music that would run throughout the most part of our film. We eventually decided that using this light-hearted jazzy type music would be appropriate. We thought that having the tones from the music contradict the ones from the images would provoke curiosity from the audience. The music seems to fit at the beginning of the extract as the protagonist isn’t doing anything sinister or out of the ordinary, it makes it seem as if the protagonist is oblivious to any possible danger.

A similar technique was used at the beginning of the film ‘Misery’ in which the protagonist is listening to Moetown music whilst driving perilously on the side of a mountain.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgqu2w3Ore4

We also faded out the music once the setting had changed so that it was only very faint in the background, we used this to help establish a different place in the film.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In truth it is hard to establish any kind of social group at first glance at our product as we see so little of the character’s faces. The main focus is on the actions in the thriller opening.
But that does not say, however that this film would not have gone onto to represent particular social groups, in particular a slightly younger group of people, (possibly aged around early twenties, late teens) this group is represented through the items of the protagonist. He holds a rucksack; this is an obvious symbol of a student or a young person off to work.

We used this social group because we knew that it would relate better to our class audience. It is also highlighting the possible vulnerability that people sometimes associate with young people wondering on their own. So this film is not just aimed at young people but also an older audience as well as this will relate to parents who have children who live alone. Obviously we are not suggesting that parents should not let their children leave the house but it would hopefully unsettle any adults watching the entire film to create the tension required to make it a climactic thriller.

Programs like ‘Skins’ have been building up stereotypes and different characters of young people in the UK, we would hopefully play off this generation for our film. If we were to complete the whole film, the representation of woman would be modern. This is because that the traditional representation is now inaccurate and doesn’t really apply to society today. Also modern woman in TV or films are more complex characters to show and are therefore more interesting. A modern woman may be seen as strong, independent and self-reliant. Whereas the traditional representation would be the exact opposite of all of those features. Although it is hard to back this speculation with evidence because we have only featured two characters in the opening to our thriller.

Although with the music we have used, it is hard to relate this to a young adult audience. The slightly jazzy piano music would perhaps attract a more matured veiwer, but this film is full of contrasts. The music may even link directly to either of the two characters; it could reflect the protagonist’s personality of being calm, couls suggest to the veiwer that he is too careless.

The protagonist’s clothes are not supposed to provoke anything in particular as he is wearing normal clothing (see above), this would hopefully make the audience accept him as a normal person. This makes the situation all the more sinister as one would have to ask what does this man have to do with a dangerous and psychotic person in the other setting of the thriller. But despite attempting to present this man as young, we also wanted to create some form of suspicion as we used so many extreme close up shots to try and make the audience feel untrustworthy of this person.

At the same time the protagonist character would challenge the normal common ideas of the young British male stereotype. Also, we planned to use women characters in a way that would not show them as victims, but counterparts to the main protagonist. It has become common for female characters to play just victims where their binary opposite is masculine.

So overall we are trying not to conform to the common thriller conventions. We see this usage of the stereotypical women victim character in many of Hitchcock’s works such as Vertigo where Kim Novak’s character is vulnerable and requires the male character played by James Stewart to protect her. Hitchcock constantly used women, particularly blonde, to play similar roles. But this is not to say however that his characters were so traditionally based.

(James Stewart and Kim Novak in Vertigo)

For the antagonist, it is hard to relate this man to a particular social group; the film focuses more on the social groups that he targets for victims.

What kind of Media Institution might distribute your Media product and why?

We would hope that our film would fit into the category of a blockbuster film. By this we mean that we want to distribute the film via the usage of major companies for instance New Line Cinema.

The company that we would most like to go through would be Paramount Pictures. We would chose this company because they have an excellent history of producing many excellent films and in particular thriller ones. Perhaps the most famous director of all time, Alfred Hitchcock, had his film ‘Vertigo’ was first distributed through Paramount. They are one of the world’s leading distributers in film and their recent profits have been on the rise. They also have a great online film community which could be used to tell people of our film through the use of forums ect.

http://www.paramount.com/

We would of course give Paramount licensing rights in order to help distribute the film as much people as possible. But there are certain measure that we could take ourselves for instance we could use Facebook, Twitter and Myspace fairly cheaply

http://www.facebook.com/

http://www.twitter.com/

Another film which Paramount distribute is ‘Shutter Island’ which is a recent thriller starring Leonardo de Caprio, the themes and tones created in this film reflect the aims of ours.
But most importantly is that they have links and influence across the entire film industry, having business links with the likes of DreamWorks ect, so they would be able to get our film the most publicity and also get it across the entire industry.

We would want to take full advantage of the newest innovations in distribution, such as the usage of digital distribution; Paramount even has their own Digital Distribution section of their website.

However we may also look to do a deal with a major video games distributer such as Microsoft and Sony. We would not preferably to a deal with Nintendo because they have a too younger audience. We would hopefully be able to post small clips and trailers of our film onto the main pages of people’s games consoles. I know this to be effective as we can see this with the ‘Lynx Twist’ short films on the Xbox 360.

Obviously we would want to put our prints into as many big cinemas across the UK, so that this would be a high concept film, if we were to get the help of Paramount Pictures then we could easily.

We hopefully use the obvious routes of advertising to remind every person of our film. These would include TV trailers, Internet ads (on the side of certain websites), also posters and billboards in dense cities where there is a big film community. And also we would hope to exploit the ‘Videos on Demand’, such as Sky movies once the film is out. But of course these costs would have to be met by Paramount Pictures.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

There would be no particular gender target audience for our film, despite the main characters being men. Our film would also be rated a 15 as it will contain content that is intended to disturb the veiwer but there isn’t a big use of graphical content and gore. We aim to be more subtle about our film.

Even though the age certificate would be 15, the target audience would be anything from 15 + as when it comes to thrillers; they have a much broader market appeal then say a period drama like Pride and Prejudice. However we would expect that a slightly younger audience may be more drawn to it because of the young age of the characters on screen.

I personally asked many people who watched our film, and enjoyed it, as to what was their favourite thriller at the moment. 70% of those people said ‘Shutter Island’.
When i asked the same people when given a choice of: Vertigo, Memento, Se7en or The Birds – 60% of them said that they preferred either Se7en or Memento.
These people are students from my college and it is clear that they prefer the more modern films such as ‘Memento’ rather than the old classics such as ‘Vertigo’. This is good because these are the kind of films that we are trying to emulate.

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

HDV 1080i r mini DV

Camera tripod
Red-Head Light

Light tripod

Also Mac computers with:
Final cut pro
Imovie HD
Garage Band

We learnt vast amounts as a group about the various equipment that we used. We were very lucky to be able to use the HD cameras available; this allowed us to tamper with the depth of field far easier because of the option of a manual zoom. The quality of the camera was also outstanding, especially when compared with the smaller cameras. Also the sound that was picked up was of much higher quality because of the very sensitive mike on the camera.
We made the first usage of the red head lights for filming our sequence and it certainly helped to duplicate the light of day during the evening. This was especially useful as we filmed in the winter, where it got dark very quickly after college so we had limited time to film; the light meant that we could film for longer without the darkness having an effect.

In terms of safety, we had to be far more aware of the potential hazards as we had more equipment (and more expensive equipment for that matter) to use. We put sandbags over the tripod of the light so it would not tip, covered wires in duck tape and used gloves for when handling the light as it got hot after sustained usage.

Also, we have learnt about blogging through this media task. None of us within the group had ever used or made a blog before and it was an enjoyable new way to do coursework. It meant that we could get more creative. Although overall I do not believe that the blog has made this work any easier, in fact it has made it more complicated and strenuous. This is because the writing tool for the blog is useless as it is very annoying just to move a picture around. Not only that but the whole structure and spacing of an essay can randomly fall apart once you log off.

We all learnt bags of stuff about the usage of new software, especially Final Cut Pro and Garage Band. We used this for the most part of our editing and it was especially useful for creating our titles throughout the film. Final cut is more complicated and detailed then imovie, so this allowed us to use more complex methods to create an overall better film.

How did you attract your audience?

I believe that to make a modern successful thriller it has to be pact with enigma provoking shots. We see this in such films as Se7en, especially in the title sequence.

The veiwer has to ask questions at the very beginning of the film as to why there is a random man on the floor. We think that by using many extreme close ups we have limited the view of the audience and have created closed rather that open narration. We can see this in our thriller by watching the montage of close ups whilst the protagonist is in the kitchen, preparing for his day.

We tried not to use violence in the opening sequence because otherwise the veiwer would have thought that this violence would re-occur throughout the whole film. Btu we did, however, try to connote the previous and future usages of violence through the use of iconography. By placing knives in the camera shot stained with blood, the connotations to the veiwer are obvious. By not actually showing the knife being used, it will almost tease the veiwer.

In terms of story there is little to give away from the opening 2 minutes. However, the very first shot is very provocative as there is a random man on the ground. By using a flashback here we frustrate the veiwer by going back in time and not explaining why he is there straight away. I think that twists like these will attract a younger audience, interested in seeing something different.

We also attracted people by using depth of field. This proved to be a great way of creating closed narration by blurring and therefore restricting the audience’s view through. We continually used shallow depth of field.

The music for our film is curious for the audience, after seeing the disturbing opening scene and then the flashback, the audience will be worried when they see that the protagonist is playing jazzy, causal music and this suggests that he is unaware of his impending danger.

Assessing our effort and work

I believe that I put enough effort into our film to be recognised as a major contributor. I turned up to every filming and editing session and was also a contributor into the storyboard and the original ideas behind the film. However I could defiantly have been more organised throughout the process, despite always turning up I could of perhaps made more effort to organise filming and editing sessions. I also made mistakes when filming eg, forgetting the tape (although we borrowed some else’s) and actually forgetting to pick up the camera at the end of the day. However I am not a total idiot and these mistakes were not made more than once.

The main fault behind my organisational skills was that I didn’t recognise early enough when something went wrong with our blog. For example we were given the tasks of analysing 5 title sequences from other random thrillers, I completed the task but for some reason the blog failed to publish the posts. I only realised this until a day before the final deadline for the whole blog so it was frustrating knowing that this problem could have been avoided had I done a more thorough check on the blog posts earlier.

Jamie gave great input the whole way through the process, whether it be editing or filming. He was also especially good for the storyboard designing process. It was always going to be difficult to meet up outside of college because he lives in a different village, as does Chris. But this was rarely an evident problem as a know Jamie very well and can easily contact him at any time.
The same can be said for Chris as he too lives in a different village but still made the effort to meet up and stay in contact. Chris also made very creative inputs for the narrative of the film which helped to improve the quality. He also helped us to drop certain parts of the film that weren’t needed which helped us keep to our 2 minute time limit. At certain points during the whole process, Chris sometimes missed sessions due to illness, but he did make up for the absences by keeping track of what me and Jamie had done. These absences were also rare.

Peer Evaluations:

Good:
- Looks like a thriller
- Lighting is very good, separated each character well
- Confuses veiwer (in a good way)
- Knife in the sink especially effective shot
- Good use of iconography
- Music contrasts well with the images on screen
- Good titles and effects
- Good use of depth of field
- Enigma as to who the characters are
- identities not revealed – good enigma
- Good Mise en Scene for second character
- Music volume changes to show different settings

Bad:
- Music did not work well
- Shot of protagonist leaving, lighting was too bright
- Music made it seem like a Rom Com
- could be more effective with non-diegetic sound

What do you feel you have learned in the progression from the preliminary to the final product?
I think that we have made substantial progress in terms of quality from our old preliminary task to this one. I think that one of the main factors in this has been that we have been using better equipment and technology, as for the first attempt we only used Imovie. This meant that there was very basic use of continuity editing, however we did what we were asked to do in the preliminary tasks and our knowledge of final cut pro was next to nothing. Also we had a better quality camera for this thriller and we also actually made use of the red head lights.

Small details such as mistakes with the sound eg, we had some people talking in the background in one of them, made our preliminary task look shabby and rough around the edges. We have made a much better use of continuity editing in ‘The List’ as we have led the audience through far smoother than before. With the use of transitions such as fades the film seems to just to flow much better. However if it had not been for our preliminary task we probably would not have used such things like a parallel editing which we made a lot of use of in ‘The List’.

I think that we have also exploited the possibility of using depth of field in this thriller. And our overall use of shots to match the characters and to close off narration has been better. As it is an opening sequence we tried to use shots that would simply draw people, so we used very little medium shots so as to not seem mundane and we used many extreme close ups to restrict the veiwer and just to give a more dynamic approach the film.

We have also been more subtle about how we try to create character through props and mise enscene. For starts we avoided using hooded tops as that is a cliche and a cheap way to try and create a sinister antagonist. We kept facial shots on our opening to a minimum and included no dialogue, this isn't anything new as we never wanted to expose our poor acting capabilities.

I think that due to the better continuity editing we have led the audience smoothely though our film, especially with the use of parallel editing between the two characters. Even though it would have been good to show our knowledge of the 180 degrees rule, but that would mean using dialogue which we chose not to use.

I think that overall we have become more complex in the way that we think about creating thrillers, we used films such as 'Memento' to help give us ideas about how to construct a complicated narrative. With the help of better equipment and software we have made an overall better film in terms of camera work, mise en scene and narrative to make an effective thriller opening.

Jamie Hunnisett - Evaluation

2010-04-19T23:43:00.014+01:00

A thriller needs to be able to obtain and keep hold of the audiences attention by using a fast paced story which creates suspense and tension throughout, so the audience are always on their toes. The genre is one in which producers can really explore and use all the techniques which are available to produce amazing films which are a mix of excitement and scares, a combination of feelings which make most people fascinated and enticed by what they see.

When creating a thriller producers need to think of all the ways in which they can make sure they turn out a thriller which does just that.

To do this the producers need to create a sense of enigma, enigma code is when the film reveals part of the story, but leaves it unclear, so the audience are made to think about what may happen next, and are always asked constant questions. Enigma is a key technique used in thrillers because it is a great way of grabbing the attention of the viewers and creating tension. For example in our title sequence you cannot see any of the characters face's, so the viewer is wondering what they look like, who they are and what they are doing. It creates a sense of mystery, the viewer is never sure of the full identity of the characters.

The narrative of the story is very important, the narrative is a chain of events in a cause and effect relationship, occurring in time and space, and is not a random string of events. Producers include restricted narration and unrestricted narration to again make sure the viewer always has something to think about. When narration is restricted it means that the audience only have partial access to what is going on, this links to enigma, and in a thriller it makes it that much more exciting when you as a viewer do not quite understand something yourself, because you need to work something out, and feel involved. Unrestricted narration is obviously when you are told and shown everything that is happening, a mixture of the two maybe used, for example if there is a double plot to the film, the producers may want the viewers to understand one plot, and think they are fully aware of whats happening, but then later find that there is another part of the story. But this could just be included in restricted narration. We use this in our opening because we have two characters, so the audience see two different peoples daily routines. In other words, parallel editing. The narration is restricted because we haven't told the viewers exactly what they are doing.

Mise en scene is an important part of any genre and has many sub-categories which can be tailored specifically towards a typical thriller film. For example most films include an antagonist and a protagonist. An antagonist is a villain, an evil character who the audience will see as a threat to someone else, and the producers would try and make most of the feelings towards this character full of hate. In our clip we have tried to get across two different characters personalities early on. The antagonist is the character who we see in a darkened room cleaning a knife which is covered in blood. Obviously people will see this character as someone who has done something wrong, meaning subconsciously they have labeled him as the evil character already. Naturally if there is an antagonist then there will be a protagonist, which is the opposite. Someone who will be seen as the hero of the story, and most likely be the main character, in which the creators will try and make the viewers feel very attached to this character. The term 'Binary opposition' is used to describe when there is a rivalry between two characters.

Iconography is another part of mise en scene which is the use of say objects which are particularly related to the thriller genre. Iconography is used to make it clear what the genre is, or whether a character is good or bad. For example in a typical thriller we are likely to see guns and knives, and obviously if someone was holding either a gun or a knife, straight away we assume that character is going to do something bad or wrong. This links back to what i was just explaining. To make sure the viewers differentiate between the antagonist and protagonist, we used a classic thriller prop, the knife. This is a great example of using iconography to get across a characters personality.

The use of the camera and the type of shots in a film help a lot to determine a thriller film. The camera is a powerful tool and when used correctly it can help a lot when making a situation more scary and exciting. In thrillers we are most likely to see close up shots in quick succession to create a more high paced scene, or we see shots which are long and out of focus, to build more tension. Camera shots together with sound are crucial to building up tension. If fast paced high tone music is used then it disturbs the viewer and keeps them on edge. Also sound can help give the audience an idea to whether something key to the story is about to happen, by building up volume and intensity. However in our opening we have used a rather upbeat jazz melody. This is deliberate because it contradicts the typical eery thriller music, and creates a sense of irony.

Common thriller themes and topics may include things like chase scenes, where a protagonist is trying to flee from an antagonist hunting them down. Or where the protagonist works to try and resolve problems which they are confronted with in the narrative.

In our media product we have two main characters, and the way in which these two characters are represented is very important. The protagonist in our sequence is a young male teenager, so we needed to make sure he came across innocent and careless. This also helps with him being the protagonist and the victim, because he is oblivious to what is going to happen. The clothes he is wearing suggests he is young and doesn't have a job, he isn't in a suit or anything because this would make people think he was working class. Although, we see him alone in a house, preparing his own food and getting ready to go out, suggesting he does have some independence, and is old enough to get himself in to some risky situations. Obviously in the sequence we do not see his face, and facial expression is a key part in representation, because we can read whether the character is very serious and masculine, or young and inquisitive.

The rooms in which the protagonist is featured in are all very well lit, which again suggests innocence, as darkened rooms usually connote something evil or sad. The activities that the character is partaking in are very 'everyday' for example getting a drink, putting on his shoes and bag etc. this again helps define whether the character is the protagonist or not because he isn't seen doing anything which could be related to a typical thriller topic. Unlike the other character who is cleaning up from what looks like his last attack. We have tried to make the protagonist represent young people in a positive way because we have found that in most media wether it be newspapers, magazines or the TV news channels young people are represented in a negative way. We have made sure the character does not fit the stereotypical teenage figure we have been lead to believe today, a young person is now seen to be lazy, rude and are up to no good, this is down to the media. By creating a positive image of young people it helps us target the younger audience, and i believe that thrillers are mostly viewed by people from the age of 16 to 22.

The other character in our media product very much contradicts the other. We have a man who is around 20 years old, so a bit more mature than the other. However this man is made to look very suspicious. He is wearing all black, whereas the other character was wearing brighter clothing, this suggests evil and creates the sense of mystery. We see less of this character, infact we only really see his black gloves, this helps to reinforce the fact that he is up to no good, making sure his hands are covered, meaning less evidence is left behind? Also the reason we do not see him as much as the protagonist is because this shows he has maybe even more to hide, and we don't get a clear picture as to where he is situated, meaning he could literally be hiding somewhere. This character is always seen in darkened rooms, and again is on his own like the other character, only this character doesn't seem so vulnerable. Mostly due to the fact a knife is almost always in shot. Also the character may come across as a perfectionist, because we see him cleaning, placing objects down and slowly but calmly putting on gloves, this makes the character slot into a psychopathic stereotype, someone who has to have everything perfect, and when its not their personality can flip at any moment.

Whenever a different character appears on screen the music changes volume, one of the main reasons for this is to show the change between characters, but also it is to show a side of the characters personality and situation. For example the music is loud when the protagonist is in the picture, but as soon as we see the protagonist the volume lowers, this helps to show that he is up to no good. Also because the music is so joyful, the fact that the volume decreases connotes that this character is not the type to be so happy.

Together we have thought about what company we would approach if we were to distribute the film across the globe. We looked into many different distribution companies and used this website to seek advice as to how we would go about distributing a film: http://www.launchingfilms.com/index.php

We discovered that the film 'Vertigo' which is an Alfred Hitchcock production, used Paramount Pictures, and as vertigo is a very popular thriller movie, we would use the same company if we were to produce and distribute our sequence. Paramount Pictures have been involved with huge blockbuster films, which is what our film would be, and we would have plans to get the film out to all countries across the world. Titles such as the recent thriller 'Shutter Island' have been involved with Paramount which has been very successful, as well as the 'Shrek' trilogy.

Obviously we would want our film to be in all major cinemas, so we would have to do a deal with companies such as 'Vue' and 'Odeon' Another way in which we could distribute our film would be via the internet. We could have internet screenings online which would be relatively easy and cheap, it would also mean it would be easily accessible to the whole world. Also we could use a company like 'Sky' and give them exclusive rights to the film to be shown on their TV channels, and use their videos on demand service, which is already very well established. Also at the moment we are seeing adverts for Sony internet television, this could be a new innovative way of showing our film. The technology is relatively new so Sony would most likely want to let people know about their new internet TV service, so exclusivity deals could be available. Also Sony have a very strong foot in the video gaming industry, which is now becoming more of a homehub, and including on demand video and film services, so this could be an easy way of getting our film into peoples homes. Also a good example of advertising on a games console would be Lynx, promoting their new deodorant range called Lynx Twist. They made a deal with Microsoft's Xbox to expose their product to teenagers and young adults all over the world using Xbox Live. Here is an example of how movies are now available to watch on demand on video games consoles: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/netflix/

Our target audience for our film sequence would be anyone from the age of 15 to around 25 years old, as our survey produced results showing that most people within this age range would rather watch a thriller than a rom com or chick flick. Due to the fact that rom coms and chick flicks are aimed towards a more female audience, we have found that more males would be interested in a thriller, therefore we have aimed it at 15-25 year old males. This links back to how we would advertise our film using the gaming industry. Predominantly games have been designed around and aimed at young males and statistics show that more males own games consoles that females. However this is changing and more females are starting to enjoy gaming, meaning more games are being designed around them. So, by using game consoles considering our target audience i think it would be a very successful way of advertising.

We also looked into what kind of thrillers our target audience enjoyed. We did this by taking out a survey with students at our college. We asked them what was their favourite thriller at this moment, around 70% of them said 'Shutter Island' (distributed by Paramount Pictures) which you may say would be obvious because it is the biggest thriller on screens at the moment. However, we then gave them a choice of either 'Vertigo', 'Memento', 'Se7en' or 'The Birds' and 60% answered saying they preferred either 'Se7en' or 'Memento' this proves that a majority prefer more modern day thrillers. 'Se7en' has many similarities to our film sequence, because it involves a 'chase' storyline, where detectives are following a sequence of murders, and the murderer is hunting down their next victim. So the fact that the majority like this film, shows our film has potential.

At first the viewer is confronted with someone laying on the ground, and they look unconscious, so the viewer would then be intrigued to find out what had happened. To grab the attention of our viewers we then used quite an intense sequence of camera shots. We decided to use many close ups in quick succession to make sure the viewer was awake. I think the viewers would enjoy this because the film is asking them to think straight away. We think with have achieved an opening sequence which will make the viewer want to watch on, which is very important obviously if you want to produce a successful film. The storyline to the film has been used before in many thrillers, its a classic chase scene story where one person is the victim trying to get away from the antagonist. This would appeal to the avid thriller fan who enjoys their old basic great thrillers, but it also has more of a modern twist, which then appeals to the young people of today. We have used a wide range of camera shots to capture the viewers attention, for example we have a shot which starts off with a very shallow depth of field, which then focusses in on the subject exiting the building. Interesting camera shots like these help to attract the audience.

As we have mentioned before i think the protagonist character would appeal to the younger audience and would be someone they could relate to, this would help attract especially the younger generation to watch the film and follow the story to see what happens to him.

Throughout production of this short film clip we have learnt a lot about the new technologies involved in media and the wide variety of equipment used to aid the process. For example we used many different camera techniques to make sure we produced a good quality image. We had to always make sure the white balance of the camera was correct, and we can now see how bad the moving images look and how different the colours are when using the wrong white balance. Also I have learnt how to control the focus on a camera to create a shallow depth of field, this is very useful as it helps to create some very effective shots. Other equipment we used included a tri-pod, which i never realised how important tri-pods were until i had to create a semi professional film. Without them the camera shake makes for a rather cheap looking film. To help out with the lighting we had to use a red head. A red head is a very powerful light, we used it to help differentiate the characters in their good and bad roles. Before we could use any of this equipment we had to learn about the health and safety issues and methods in which to use it safely. When using a red head we would have to go through a procedure before turning it on, this involved shouting 'Lights On!' and 'Lights Off!' loud and clear because the lights could almost instantly blind someone in direct contact with it.

The editing software we used was very interesting, I have now learnt and realised how important editing is in the film industry and without someone who knows what they are doing or the right programs a film can look below standard. The editing software included many fades and interesting ways of grabbing the viewers attention. At the beginning of our film we have a flashback, and to make sure the viewers knew this we used a fade to white.

I think we were rather successful with our editing, I don't think we went over the top which can be easy to do. But we should have left ourselves more time as we did not realise how important the editing part of the production was. As an individual I managed to show great use of continuity editing by cutting down shots and moving parts around. As a group i think we all managed to produce a fairly good end product although we could have done a lot more differently. For example just allowing ourselves more time for editing and shooting. Also i think our idea was to original, and we could have thought more outside the box.

Our peer evaluation overall says the music was good and worked well because it was very contradicting. Also the use of close up camera shots apparently worked well, which i agree with, i think this was a key part in making the opening feel like a thriller. We recieved criticisms for using some shots which made the film feel like a rom com, especially when paired with the more upbeat music. I do agree to a point, but personally I don't think they have seen the point in us using the rather ironic soundtrack. Overall I am pleased with what we have come up with especially in the time we had and the fact that we had to try and organise meeting up to film, which we found quite hard. Our effort was of a high standard, especially David, he put in a lot of time especially at the editing stage because he was the only one available so close to the deadline. Chris worked well when filming, although unfortunately because Chris lives further away from the filming location than myself and David he often had to miss out on some filming.

I have learnt a lot since we did the preliminary task, and I am happy with the progress I have made from there. I know have a wider knowledge on how to use a HD camera to its full potential. I now also have a better eye for finding unique and interesting shots to capture the attention of the viewers. We also learnt in our preliminary to keep track of what we are filming over on the tapes because we made the mistake of filming over previous footage, so this time we took extra care. We have now moved on from iMovie to Final Cut Pro which is a much more advance editing software to what we were using for the preliminary, so every aspect of the creation process has vastly improved since we started our preliminary project. I think the preliminary is very advantageous and is a very good way of honing your skills before taking on a larger project.

Overall I think we did a very good job and I am pleased with the final product. We now know what we would change next time and have taken some constructive criticism.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbDAvY41f7Q

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Opening Titles Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-04-18T23:48:00.006+01:00

This title sequence incorperates a large variety of colours -
red, green, black, blue, brown.
Red being the most common suggesting violence as the colour red is typically associated with blood.

The music and sound effects make it obvious that it is a western film, the soundtrack used is a very famous wild western linked tune. The gunshot we hear represents a shootout that would typically take place in a western film, the gunshot may also suggest violence and death.

Parts of the narrative are shown behind the text in this sequence giving the audience a general idea of what is going to take place and what the characters look like.

A saloon based font is used, which is another sign that tells us that this is going to be a western/cowboy film.

All of these points added together create an effective title sequence which gives the audience a basic understanding of the location, characters, and general idea of the film.

The Number 23 Opening Titles Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-04-18T18:03:00.005+01:00

We are introduced to a slightly off coloured white background which appears to be a sheet of paper

typical jet black typewriter font is used, various typography techniques are used, for example -
- different line lengths
- random red words
- line spacing
- typeface
This suggests confusion and insanity, which raises enigma as we question the narrative.

Blood randomly splatters across the frame suggesting violence and death, adding to the narrative but still keeping it restricted which raises more enigma.

From what we can read in the text on screen, we gather that the film is obviously going to be about an obssession of the number 23, as it has many different dates of disasters, i.e titanic, and the day war was declared which all add up to 23.

No characters or locations are shown in this title sequence, yet it still manages to draw interest through text and imagery which works effectively. I would've very much liked to have incorperated something like this into our group film.

The Forgotten Opening Titles Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-04-18T16:46:00.002+01:00

We are immediately greeted with a birds eye view of the sea which then pans across to the city, giving us an idea of the location of where the film takes place.

Titles fade in and out in a white neutral font adding nothing to the narrative as there is nothing distinctive about the lettering.

Restricted narrative is used throughout this title sequence, examples of this are:

- we are not shown exactly where the shots are taking place
- no information is given away about the characters on screen

When the woman looks at the picture of the boy, we assume that it's her son, but she may also be seen as the antagonist and the boy might be the victim, the soundtrack suggests this in a way as it creates an uneasy, dark atmosphere.

By keeping such things hidden, Enigma is raised very early on keeping the viewer interested which is something we would like to incorperate into our final film.

Film Finished

2010-04-04T16:01:00.003+01:00

- our thriller opening is filmed, and the editing of both footage and sound is done, further details about the content of our films will be enclosed within each of our evaluations, the group will meet during Easter to discuss different aspects of the production

Changes to our locations

2010-03-31T19:28:00.004+01:00

- We decided as a group that the pre-planned locations were not quite suitable for what we wanted. The biggest change of all being the use of the train station. Due to the fact that we were unable to gain permission to film there, we decided that it wasn't worth the hassle and we were stretched for time. We used other locations such as the plumpton tennis court clubhouse which provided a good place to film a dark and damp setting.

- The current location shots will be changed to fit the actual footage but until then the current ones are inaccurate

Title editing - David Duffy

2010-03-31T19:17:00.003+01:00

- We have completed our title sequencing, we have chosen to keep them simple to allow us to incoperate them into our film easily

- We chose a plain but non-boring font that isn't cliche, the text themselves do appear into our sequence but do not actually give any infomation about the narrative of the film - the white text does not provoke the viewer in any way and it is not designed to

- We have used fades to introduce each of the titles, this hopefully will mean that the text will not ;draw too much of the veiwers intentions as the titles bear no other significancxe other thatn to show who was behind the making of the film. Although having said that the title that actually presents the name of the film 'The List' is supposed to grab all of the veiwers intentions as it is in a shot of its own

- Although we were considering using the methods of Sual Bass, which would involve having a title sequence tottaly seperate from the narrative but still related, we decided that this would be very difficult given our lack of expertise of the advanced parts of final cut pro. This would have also eaten into our restricting two minute time limit

More Editing - David Duffy

2010-03-31T19:08:00.002+01:00

- Over the last few days we have completed the all of the required filming (only a few extra shots were required to be filmed on Monday and we have put our sequence together in a way that satisfies us

- We have used final cut pro for the majority of our editing process, we originally used imovie but the effects and transitions on that program were not sufficient for our needs

- We have put together an opening which we believe makes good use of close ups to disturb the veiwer, we are also relatively pleased with our depth of field as we have used shallow depth of field where we saw fit, although we would have preferred to make more use of long to extreme long shots to introduce a bigger variety but with a two minute limit we were restricted. And bearing in mind that this is only the opening of the film and we should make it seem that way, so it is good that we didn't make the mistake of creating simply a catalogue of shots in two minutes

- We think that our opening does carry enigma and raises questions to the veiwer that would be answered in the rest of the film

Shaun of the Dead Inspiration - Chris Forrest

2010-03-24T13:32:00.003Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8C6fMyRQM8 - 4:20.

There are several sequences in Shaun of the Dead that show a number of shots being played simultaneously at a fast pace, giving a sense of rythym. It is effectively used as it shows the daily routine taking place (brushing teeth, toilet etc..) so the audience get an understanding of what the character is doing, in the space of a couple of seconds. We are aiming to incorporate something like this in our thriller opening, so the routine taking place doesn't become tedious but the narrative is still clear. The fast paced cuts between shots may also create tension and enigma as we don't see much of the character and their actions.

Title Sequence Analysis - Taxi Driver - David Duffy

2010-03-24T10:39:00.009Z

- Opening shot is taxi driving through the smoke - provides early enigma eg, who is in the taxi and why is the car significant in the film.

- The use of smoke also suggests that the driver has something to hide

- The colours of the titles are yellow - relates directly to the actual taxi, film maker has used low key lighting for much of the sequnece to help create the dark and sinister atmosphere - also the use of red lighting when we see extreme close ups on drivers face suggests that the driver is a dangerous or angry man

- Enigma is created through the use of restricted narration as there are many extreme close ups of the drivers eyes which stop the veiwer from seeing the rest of the scene

- Also extreme close ups are usually designed to unerve the veiwer, being so close to someones eyes may seem disturbing to some people

- There is also a use of depth of field to create enigma as the veiw out of the car window is not useful for the veiwer as everything outside is blured and out of focus - this perhapes shows the drivers isolation from the rest of the world. This is useful for our sequence as we have planned to use different depths of field in our opening to create suspense. Also the question of where the setting actually is comes to mind when watching this sequence

Todays Editing

2010-03-22T14:51:00.002Z

- We have managed to get over half of our thriller opening edited, although this does not include title editing and also music. However we have already established ideas about our title sequences

- We think that we have done well with our use of extreme close ups and depth of feild, further filming may be required

Train Station update

2010-03-21T19:50:00.003Z

- We have decided to exclude the train station scene from the main of our sequence, however it is still possible that we may use some brief footage from there. We have made this decision becuase of the difficulty in getting permission to film there

Filming troubles...

2010-03-19T15:53:00.002Z

Annoyingly we may have to go filming for a third time because we used another groups tape and it had a fault. For some reason the footage we recorded was pixelated and not up to a high standard of quality. Although we only needed a few extra shots we still need to arrange to film record them again, as they are key to enigma in our opening.

David Duffy - Title sequence analysIS

2010-03-15T21:21:00.001Z

Filming update

2010-03-15T10:30:00.003Z

We have not been able to add to the filming we did on Saturday substantially. Although this is largely due to the fact that we are not yet able to film on Plumpton Train Station.

Certain shots have worked well for us so far such as a repeated use of the extreme close up; we also think that we have used depth of field to our advantage in the sequence.

Saul Bass

2010-03-14T19:02:00.006Z

Saul Bass was an American graphic designer (May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, the things that made him most famous, however, was his animated title sequences. He worked with such directors as Alfred Hitchcock and Stanley Kubrick. He worked on legendary thrillers such as 'Vertigo' and 'Psycho', and added to the tension created by Hitchcock.

Bass was an expert at designing things that stood out, as well as title sequences he also created logos for many huge companies, such as the Continental Airlines' 1968 "jetstream" logo which became the most recognized airline industry logo of the 1970s.

His work is very relevant to what our group is doing now as his title sequences, although very clever, are simple to do to an extent. Obviously this varies from sequence to sequence but as we can see in such films as 'The Human Factor' not all of it is impossible to duplicate and draw inspiration from.

Title Sequence Analysis - David Duffy - The Human Factor Saul Bass

2010-03-14T18:12:00.006Z

- Straight away the viewer is confronted with a thick, red background. This may shock the viewer as it connotes blood and death

- There is little to no detail about the actors in the film and the director, it restricts the viewer’s early understanding of what is in the film and by doing so it creates enigma

- The view of the screen pans along the wire of the phone; this is further restricting the viewer’s understanding of the film as the viewer is frustrated by the extreme close up of the wire which shows nothing else in the sequence

- The phone hanging on an almost broken sting carries a lot of symbolism, otherwise it would be pointless. The viewer is meant to become more understanding of what that phone represents as the film progresses.

- The slow movement of the camera slowly builds up tension, the audience will then naturally expect something to end the climax, but when it doesn't really come it leaves the viewer curious and questioning the themes of the film

- The sequence certainly has a lot of enigma, ie what is the significance of the phone and how does it relate to the film, a very easy way to create enigma, can be used for our sequence or at least something similar.

- Like much of Saul Bass's work, this title sequence does not interfere with the actual film, would be easier for our group to do a Bass style title then one which interferes with the movie. If we were to chose a title sequence such as this then we would run the risk of making the film opening seem tacky and unprofessional

- The non-diegetic music is useful to us as we could record something similar to this ourselves, the sequence only has the use of a guitar, it is provocative because of the slight changes in pace and note.

- The music also relates itself to a Spanish background, as does the colour red – it is perhaps possible that these are deliberate methods of Bass to introduce the mood for the rest of the film and to drop hints about the content

- The black colour of the film gives away little to the viewer, it is more bold and is more memorable in total black. As always the colour black carries with it slight connotations of death – this use of colour is useful to our group as they are simple ideas but effective.

Panic Room - Title sequence analysis

- The lettering is simple. Stationary and bold it makes it seem as if the text is part of the city

- The colour of the text (Grey) also reflects the urban setting on which the title sequence is based

- The titles seem immovable as if they are part of the environment

- The typography is linked to the narrative on screen but do not interfere, despite the fact that they have similar aspects to the buildings in the frame. The solidness of the typography suggests being locked into something – could relate to the ‘Panic Room’ in the film

- The slow pans around the text create tension as the viewer is slowly revealed more in the shot

- On especially effective pan is the high angle coming down at 1:27

- Useful for our title sequence as we would probably be using stationary lettering, however we would not use them in the same style as in this sequence the typography is the focus of the intro. In our opening the text would merely be on the side – as to not draw viewer away from on screen actions

- There is non-diegetic and diegetic sounds, the music carries a sinister tone – use of orchestral music. Music turns deeper when main title ‘Panic Room’ appears, also plays at a faster pace to create urgency. Diegetic sounds include certain noises from the city e.g. police sirens, gives sense of crime or urgency

Title Sequence analysis - Psycho 1969 - David Duffy

2010-03-14T16:15:00.005Z

-The colours are black and grey, not only do they connote darkness and shadow but they also set a hopeless theme for the rest of the film – the use of colours also connote death

- The film's titles are not interfering with the narrative, they are separate but the title sequence does relate slightly to the themes and content of the rest of the movie

-The way in which each of the words cut apart when they are entering and leaving pthe screen connotes a stabbing action. Also, the way that many of the words slice apart also relates back to knives

- The music is non-diegetic - it is extremely unnerving and carries with it an inconsistent rhythm and note which doesn't let the viewer settle down

- Occasionally there is a lapse in the intensity of the music, this could be used to represent time in-between each of the murders.

- The urgency of the orchestral music is designed to unnerve the viewer, this in turn creates enigma as the viewer perhaps doesn't fully understand why. Also, the tone of the music runs parallel with the themes and tones set by the images of stage; they are both frightening to the viewer
- Some of the editing in this sequence shows the words being ‘mangled’ instead of slicing of the screen; this could suggest something more sinister to the viewer –

- Saul Bass - famous for title sequences and did many co-operations with the director of Psycho Alfred Hitchcock

Blog reshuffle

2010-03-13T18:08:00.002Z

We were asked to make certain changes to the blog layout. We have changed the 'gadgets' to 'blog posts'.

Email regarding train station filming - Chris Forrest

2010-03-13T18:06:00.004Z

We received this email from the press office of southern rail yesterday morning.

Dear David

Thanks very much for your enquiry regarding filming at Plumpton station.

I’ve had a word with Mick Newman who works there and he is happy to accommodate you.

All I need from you is a brief description of the scene to be filmed and a copy of your College’s public liability insurance certificate (a pdf version will do).

Please let me know exactly when you want to do this. Once we are in agreement, you will need to report to the ticket office on arrival to sign in and receive a safety briefing from Mick.

Regards

Chris

The filming deadline had already passed when we recieved this email, meaning we would be behind when it came to the editing process. We were unable to aquire the College's public liability insurance, and as a result of this we may be forced to drop the shots we were going to do at the train station. These shots were crucial to the narrative, which means we may have to change the narrative completely.

Filming

2010-03-13T18:03:00.002Z

we have started filming today, and have filmed a significant part of our sequence. ALthough we have not yet completed the filming process, we will continue with work tomorrow.

Vertigo Opening Titles Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-12T15:51:00.005Z

The film starts with extreme close ups of a woman's facial features, which instantly creates enigma as we question her identity and purpose.

The names of people that made the film are shown, with a neutral font, adding nothing to the narrative.

A red tint is then added to the image on screen, which tells us that the woman is a villain/antagonist of some sort.

The dramatic music also suggests that she is an antagonist.

The title of the film is then shown.

After this we see swirly shapes and effects, which relates to the narrative and the title 'Vertigo' suggesting dizziness but doesn't interfere with the story in hand.

From this we understand that the narrative will contain mystery and something that will cause dizziness or confusion.

More Title and Credits - Jamie

2010-03-12T15:46:00.014Z

Catch Me If You Can -

The credits for 'Catch Me If You Can' are incorporated into the title sequence, which is an animated title sequence, so they have cleverly moulded the sequence around the credits.

This makes it very interesting and there is almost a preview of the movie ahead.

The font is very clear, and the words are part of the animation, for example road markings. I think this is a very different and effective way of starting a movie off. And its good to see a film making the title sequence actually good to watch.

The sequence has a man running away from someone or something, we are not sure yet (creating enigma) but the man uses many different methods of getting away, and passes through many places.

The actual title and credits are almost part of the scenery of the animation, keeping to the theme of hiding/running away.

I have found that with the opening of this film, it doesnt create as much enigma as others, but i dont think it needs to, as the sequence is so interesting and different, it keeps the viewers attention, which leads to them watching the start of the film, which is where they include the enigma.

Panic Room -

Again the credits are included in the setting for the film, and plays a part in setting the scene. The credits are on buildings and pavements, as the camera guides us through the city scape.

Because the sequence is set in the city we presume the whole film is set there, and that something is going to happen either to the city, or to someone in the city. It creates a lot of enigma as the viewer can only really be thinking about what could happen in the city.

The titles run parallel and along the buildings sides and corners, taking the shape of the buildings, and with the title 'Panic Room' this may help to suggest someone being boxed in, or trapped.

The camera pans slowly across skyscrapers and other buildings revealing the credits, this connotes something is maybe watching someone or watching over the city itself. It creates an eery effect, because the camera pans across in most shots, apart from the start, where there is about 3 shots which cut between each other.

The music at first is at a low pace, seems like its trying to maybe build up to something. After a few credits are shown, the main title of the film 'Panic Room' is revealed, the same way as all other credits. The camera pans across just like the others, only this time, the music suddenly changes. There is now more of a fast paced chant, with a ticking sound like a clock. The scenes are the same, but now it seems a lot more worrying, the viewer may now be thinking that something is going to happen soon, although it doesnt.

The ticking sound automatically makes you think of a clock, so this asks questions to whether somebody is running out of time, and has a task to complete. Or something is going to happen to the city, and doom will be upon them.
The music also builds up tension before the film even begins. Also, there is a fast clicking sound towards the end, suggesting time is running out for someone? title is 'Panic Room' so somebody may be put into a situation where they have a certain time to complete something.

Spider Man -

The title sequence to Spider Man is very graphic, and the credits are in a font which people relate to a comic book, because obviously this film is from a Marvel comic.

The sequences displays many webs intertwining together in which the titles appear and disappear. Its very fast moving keeping the viewer alert and looking out for whats happening. The sequence shows brief clips of spiderman and the enemy he will be facing. This creates enigma because the viewers have already seen the enemy, therefore thinking about whats going to happen in the story and the relationship between the two.

There is a blue and dark theme to the opening sequence, which is almost very mysterious. And with the occasional reds you see which connote blood and death, it immediately suggests fighting and action.

In the scene there is a clenched fist, this again is directly linked to fighting, and would help to get the viewer exciting and ready for the start of the film.

The clips of spiderman which are shown to the viewer make him look very powerful and heroic, so already the viewers are made to become attached to spiderman, and may feel in ore of him.

The title sequence seems very jumbled, as in the credits are scrambled up as they enter the screen, and then adjust for us to be able to read the credits. This suggests confusion and helps to reinforce the sci-fi genre of the film.

We see towards the end spiderman scaling many large skyscrapers and buildings, showing just how high up in peoples opinions he is, how important he is, and how powerful he is.

The non diagetic music is continuos throughout the sequence and is typically epic, the music is very triumphant and heroic, it matches perfectly with the images we see of spiderman climbing buildings.

War of the Worlds (2005) -

The opening shots are of an animated sequence, in which straight away we are confronted with some credits, but they are overlaid onto what at first is very unclear. We see the colour blue first, which normally suggests the cold or dark, and of course water, which in this case is what it represented.

The camera slowly zooms outwards and we begin to see particles floating about, squiggly parts of dna structure and molecules. So the viewer begins to wonder what object the camera is focused on.

The music at this point is very eery, its used to disturb the viewer, and links well with the images on show as it makes the viewer begin to question the object they are looking at, is it dangerous? maybe a virus? these are questions which are already being asked by the viewer in the first few opening seconds of the film.

The camera continues to zoom slowly outwards, but now more and more larger particles come into view, the zooming action speeds up, and the colour begins to change from blue to green, this is now suggesting a more deadly object we are looking at, as green has links with poisonous and toxic items. It becomes more clear that it is a liquid, which strengthens the thought that it could be a deadly liquid.

The camera, still zooming out, begins to pan slightly to the left, and reveal a round innocent water droplet on a leaf. Note they have now made you think about innocence, which then leads onto the droplet cleverly changing into the earth. This suggests someone is watching the earth, which is made to look defenceless, weak and very small, meaning it is being watched from outer space?

A voice over is now used to help narrate the title sequence, it is a very formal sounding narrator, very serious and telling a very serious story.

We next see an establishing shot of New York city, making it obvious that the main character lives in or is from New York. We get an overhead shot of the cityscape, again creating a concept of overlooking everything.

There is then a sequence of long shots showing the busy roads and streets or New York, as the narrator talks about 'telescopes' we see a shot of loads of people crossing a busy crossroads, and they look like ants, so they are cleverly enforcing the fact that these humans are very small and insignificant.

Now we see more locational shots of places around the world, letting the viewer know this is a world wide problem, not just New York's.

And finally we have a shot from outer space, looking down on the Earth, and then the title 'War of the Worlds' appears as the music gets louder. Throughout the whole title sequence the shots have been getting further and further away from the Earth, which i think is very clever.

Title and Credits - Jamie

2010-03-12T15:44:00.002Z

Vertigo

Vertigos opening credits are incorporated into the opening sequence adding to the narrative.

Hitchcock uses the opening sequence to help the audience relate to the title, because he uses many spinning objects, and there is a chase scene which is high up on roof tops.

The credits are layed over the top of the pictures, and the credits expand out towards the viewer. The font is clear and is white to stand out from the background.

At the very beginning there is a close up of a woman's lips, the camera then pans up to show her eyes, this suggests she is watching something. The camera then moves across to her right eye, where the lighting turns a deep red, and her eye opens widely, this suggests to the viewer she has witness something, and because a deep red has been used, it tells us she could have seen a murder take place.

The spiralling shapes show confusion, and creates a big of enigma because the viewer is left wondering why they are there.

The reason why there are many spinning objects, and high rooftop chases in the opening of the film, is because its meant to give the viewer and understanding into why the film is called Vertigo, and what it may include.

The viewer is obviously meant to be able to work out alot from the opening sequence of this film, because even the titles are in a bold white font expanding outwards.

But the chase scene creates a sense of enigma, because we do not know why the chase is happening, who is involved, and where the chase is happening.

The Orphanage

The opening of this film makes it quite obvious that it is classed in the horror genre, because its very eery and the soundtrack is almost disturbing as you are watching children play.

The credits are incorporated into the opening sequence and help to define the genre.

Little childrens hands tear away wall paper to reveal the credits, the hands are very pale, and there are many, suggesting maybe a supernatural presence.

Thriller opening analysis - Pulp Fiction - David Duffy

2010-03-12T15:39:00.002Z

Camera work:

- Limited variation of camera work as most of the scene is a conversation between two people - the audiece is curious to know who they are is the beginning of the sequence cuts stright into the middle of their conversation - this creates an enigma code - who are they and what are thay talking about

- Series of close ups to show emotion on characters faces

- Slow tracking shot into man at the table

Closed/open narration

- Closed narration - we only see what first two characters are doing for most of the scene with little interuption - creates enigma for the audience as to what is going on outside of their section in the restaurant

- Open - we see both characters but we are closed off from the rest of the building, only see one other charcater briefly half way through

- could help with keeping to ur 180 degree rule for conversations

Character Types

- Both characters appear 'normal' at the start of the sequence, audience can't tell whether either of them (if any) are protagonists or antagonists

- At the end of the scene, the man reveals a gun and slams it onto the table, this wouls shock an audience - as they had been talking about robbery but you could never tell whether they would actually do it - the guns make the characters seem more dangerous

-Woman calm and cheerful whilst man is eccentric

- useful to us in terms of developing characters

Iconography

- Gun - classic use of iconography - connotes violence

- Cigarette - associated with the 'cool' or 'bad' guy - could be an early suggestion of an antagonist

Lighting

- High key lighting throughout sequence as it is a 'normal' setting within a cafe

- Both characters have shade on one side of their faces

Sound:
- not much use of sound that we can learn from - as there is no use of soundtrack or obvious effects

Other:
- This sequence is useful in establishing characters - it will help us when we come to film our thriller in developing the antagonist(s)

Thriller opening analysis - Vertigo title sequence - David Duffy

2010-03-12T15:37:00.003Z

Sound:
- Use of parallel sound - the orchestral music very much reflects the tone set by the images on the screen
- Orchestra - rises and falls in volume and tone to create a sense of uncertainty about the situation
- No sound created from events on screen as it is just a title sequence - so not useful in this sense

Camera work:
- highly effective use of extreme close ups - classic Hitchcock device, extreme close up of the eye as you can see emotion of the person purely through looking at there eyes
- Slow pans across the face of the woman - revealing her bit by bit - creates enigma codes, the viewer will want to know who this woman is

Effects:
- Immensely useful to us for our title sequence as we could do something similar with our title sequence
- Highly sinister and abnormal – makes the audience fell very disturbed

- Sequence not useful for establishing characters types – purely useful inspiration for an opening title scene
Open/Closed narration:
- Closed narration pretty much all the way through the sequence due to the fact that the whole of the sequence is an extreme close up of one woman – not useful for inspiration on using open narration
- No linear/ chronological sequence or binary opposition as we do not get enough from a title sequence to establish characters

2010-03-12T15:31:00.002Z

Thriller opening analysis - The Godfather - David Duffy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_RcT9qCCFo

Charcter Types:

- Man in first shot, statrs off confident and slowly becomes more vunerable. use of toplighting to highlight him and make it seem as if he is under interrigation.

- low key lighting around the room does not reveal the other characters within the scene, creates enigma codes as to who these people actually are

- More dominent male character (Marlon Brando) is slowly revealed - we only see a silhouette of him - this creates more mystery

-Other characters only reveled later in the scene - creates mystery

- No obvious protaganist vs antaganist - not useful for developing character types but still useful for creating a sense of mystery that surround the two characters - so no binary oppostition

- All characters are male and are wearing smart, black clothes. Connotes a sinister aura from each character

Open/closed narration:

- use of closed narration whilst there is a dolly moving backward in the first shot. we only see a silhoutte of him whilst he is talking

- More open narration at the end of the scene where there seems to be more light

Camera Shots:

- First shot a slow dolly backwards from a close up of a man talkingl

- several close ups of both characters

Sound:
- No sound outside of dialogue - no other soundtrack or music after title sequence
- Good use of sinister music during brief title sequence - useful for us as it would be easy to do something similair with our film
- with no music - the mood is set purely by the lighting and the acting

Setting:
- Dark Room - constant low key lighting throughout the sequence - helps to create a sinister tone

Other:
- As this is only the opening to a thriller, we cannot fully analyse this because there is no clear chronological sequence to look at

- All though there is a set up at the beginning of the scene but we have no resolution to look at

Thriller Opening Analysis, Seven - David Duffy

2010-03-12T11:17:00.003Z

Character types:

- stereotypical experienced detective paired with inexperienced young detective

- Older Morgan Freeman character teaching Brad Pitt character, older one in charge

- Morgan Freeman dresses smarter than Brad Pitt, also more organised

- Older protagonist has more of an obsessive nature, younger one perhaps more naive

- Older protagonist sets off ticking noise whilst he is sleeping, cuts off noise from the outside - perhaps trying to protect himself

Camera Work:

- a lot of camera work restricts the view of the viewer to provoke curiosity

- Slow pans and tracking shots to give the impression that somebody is creeping up on the characters

- In title sequence there is a lot of extreme close ups, mysterious and disturbing

- Long panning shot through the fence looking at both of the protagonists, gives the sense that someone is creeping up on them - useful for us as there are many fences of a similar kind in our area which we can use

Restricted/unrestricted narration:

- When they are in the dark room with the first murder, we only see what their torches reveal, so our view is restricted

- Due to the use of extreme close ups, it is difficult to establish any story in the title sequnce, there are many enigma codes in this title sequence - who is this man? what is he doing? ect the audience does not know

Setting:

- Dark city - always raining - connotes a miserable tone and quite sinister as there is always a noise in the background - useful as we can add in storm effects in garage band

- dark room - only visible through lights from characters torches - creates suspense and shows how both of the protagonists are venerable

Binary opposition:

- Sequence not so useful for this aspect as it is only the beginning of a thriller and it would be difficult for a director to establish a confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist, although we do see glimpses of the antagonist and we know as a viewer that he is the one who the protagonists will be facing
Sound:
- Good use of diegetic and non-diegetic – sounds from rain being diegetic and use of dialogue
- Non-diegetic sound is useful as it is parallel with the mood set by the images on the screen, especially during the title sequence – the music matches the mysterious and disturbing images on the screen. Good for us to take tips from on matching music that is parallel with images – although need further understanding on how to use contrapuntal sound.

Thriller opening analysis - David Duffy - Criminal Justice

2010-03-12T11:11:00.002Z

- use of medium shots to clearly show any conversation

- The director uses a two shot so that the viewer can compare the two characters

- Use of layered camera shots, e.g. girl walking behind woman, sense that someone is creeping behind her - also in this shot the woman is surrounded by two characters, perhaps she is being judged

- Mostly medium to medium close up shots, so that we can see emotion on characters faces

- Close ups and extreme close ups of man (protagonist?) in a car - perhaps suggests that he is being trapped, could be used in our thriller opening

- man walks into the light whilst other two characters are in the dark - shows how he represents justice and innocence

- Shallow depth of field whist man is in the car to connote that he is removed from the outside world

Character Types:

- Man wearing darker clothing - carries more authority
- Both women wearing brighter clothes to connote innocence and purity - m could be useful for us to use costume to develop characters for audience

Setting:

- white house - everything is innocent, except for outside - high key lighting to show how things are exposed

Narration:

- Closed narration - when man is in car and there is an extreme close up of him, also use of shallow depth of field to show how things are cut off from the outside of the car

- We can't see what he is writing whilst he is in the car this connotes mystery as as an audience we are curious to see what he is doing - useful for us as it is possible to use with no budget - Open narration - we see everything in medium shot of the kitchen

Binary opposition:

- Not useful in terms of binary opposition, although there is friction between two of the characters there doesn't seem to be any clear opposition

- Also this thriller opening does not use the usual set up, confrontation and resolution so it is not useful to us as there is no clear plot to analyse and there is no linear sequence of events

Sound:
- Mostly just diegetic sound i.e., sound which is created from the actions on screen and not from any music - this sequence not particularly useful in giving us tips for sound

Flightplan Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-12T11:06:00.002Z

- The sequence begins with diegetic sound of a train driving past at a fast pace. Hard lighting is used on the train as we see it shoot past, making it seem dark and sinister which sets the mood for the opening.

- We are then introduced to a long shot of a train stationary at a station, we also see a woman on one of the chairs, because of the framing of the shot, the woman is presented as lonely due to the large gap in the fram beside her. Eerie non diegetic music is heard whilst we hear the train doors open, although this appears to be diegetic sound, it is most likely a sound foley, which means it was added in afterwards. Using this in our film may work to our advantage as we would avoid any unwanted background noise whilst filming.

- Next, we see a close up of the female character. The mood set by the non diegetic sounds is parrarel to her facial expression, we understand that she is feeling pain. Again, the framing of the shot suggests that she is lonely and is suffering from a loss due to the gap beside her in the frame. This is an enigma code as it makes the audience wonder what has happened to her, it is also an example of restricted narrative as we don't know what she is feeling and we have no recollection of what has happened. These aspects build tension in the sequence.

- Blues and Blacks predominate in the overall colour tone, this creates a cold and lifeless feel in the sequence. This then relates to the next shot where we realise that there has been a death. The use of colour to reflect the narrative is very effective, i have been inspired to add something like this into our film.

- Later on in the sequence, there is a long shot showing the female character and a coffin. Eerie non diegetic sound is heard to create suspence and build tension. It then cuts to a low angle close up of the characters umbrella where rain is seen dripping off of it, the diegetic sound of dripping adds to the tension as it shows how silent the room is, which builds even more tension and raises another enigma code - what is going to happen next?

The Usual Suspects Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-10T10:19:00.001Z

The sequence begins with unpredictable orchestral music playing, which creates an uneasy, mysterious atmosphere. Restricted narrative is used, which limits us as to what we can see, all that is in the frame is water with reflections of light. Low key lighting is used whilst the setting aspects of Mise en Scene remain hidden. It then fades to black, and tells us that it is set in San Pedro.

In this whole sequence, the characters and objects fill up the majority of the frame, this makes it hard for the audience to get any grasp of where the characters are, it also reflects the fact that there is no way of escaping. This is not only restricted narrative, it could also be seen as an enigma code because it raises the question - where are they? applying something like this in our group film would create a nice effect and keep interest and suspense in the audience.

In the next shot we see a man set a line of gasoline on fire. Match on action is used to follow the fire's line across the floor, whilst this happens, dead bodies are shown on the ground. This is an enigma code, which raises various questions such as - why and how were they killed? what were they doing there? etc... We then see the camera pan down to show the fire being put out bya liquid dripping from above. The camera then pans up to a figure urinating on the flame. Hard lighting is used to create a sillhoutte, when this character is in the frame, scary music begins to play. These aspects tell us that this character is the Antagonist in the picture. It then cuts back to a close up of the other character who- judging by his facial expression - looks dissapointing and desperate, we assume that this man is the Protagonist. The antagonist is then shown walking down the stairs towards the Protagonist. We see the dead bodies as he approaches the Protagonist, which gives us the feeling that he was involved in their deaths. The antagonists face isn't shown at all, the sequence is made up of close ups of his feet, legs, hands and body, this creates suspense and makes the audience question his identity.

Shallow depth of field is used in the binary opposition dialogue sequence, the small part of the Antagonists body on show in the frame is out of focus whilst the Protagonist is in focus, which tells us that he is going to be the main subject in what happens next.

Shallow depth of field is used again when the Antagonist is holding the gun at the Protagonist. There is a close up of the gun which is in focus, and in the background of the frame you can see the Antagonists body which is slightly out of focus.

Restricted narrative is used when the gunshot is heard. The camera is placed outside while the action is happening inside. There are several shots of the exterior of what appears to be a boat whilst the shooting takes place inside.

It then cuts back to the Antagonist for a final time, There is a close up of his hand dropping the cigerrete. Match on action and slow motion is used as the camera follows the cigerretes journey down to the ground. Dramatic music begins to play as the cigerrete sets the gasoline on fire, to reflect how drastic the act was. A long shot is used to show the Antagonist escaping before the fire progresses any further. A low angle shot is used as the boat explodes into a giant fire ball, to show that it's overpowering and unstoppable

Seven Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T13:52:00.004Z

The sequence begins in Morgan Freeman's character's house. Because of the low key lighting used, it suggests that it is early morning and he is undergoing his morning routine. We understand that he is an organised and civilised person by the way he moves and acts, another sign of this would be how his clothes and possesions are layed out in a neat, orderly manner.

In the next shot, the interior of a different house is shown where an investigation of a murder seems to be taking place. This is where enigma codes begin to crop up. for example - why was the man murdered? how was he murdered? why did morgan's character care whether the kids saw the crime? and which city are they in? the answers to these questions aren't revealed in these first few sequences so that the audience begin to feel involved as they try to work out the answers for themselves.

We then meet Brad Pitt's character. He is quite the opposite to Morgan Freeman's character. He is clearly unexperienced and naive. These signs are given off due to various different things:
- Chewing gum, gives a sense of youth
- The way he walks
- The way he talks - short answers, spoken in an arrogant manner
- He bumps into someone in the street, showing that he is a person with little respect.

Another enigma code is brought onto the scene when we meet this character - why did he move to this city? Despite the fact that we are unaware of the location of the film, the setting really sets the mood, due to rain and a grey, misty atmosphere.

The use of enigma codes in this opening sequence are very effective, as it makes the viewer want to continue watching to find the answers. I believe - as a group - we need to involve something like this in our thriller to hold interest and to keep the audience guessing.

The whole aim of this opening is to introduce us to the Protagonists, and to give us an idea of what they're like as people. This is very different to the other thrillers i have commented on as the identities of the characters tend to remain hidden throughout the first few sequences.

Restricted narrative is used, in the sense that we don't know how or why the character was murdered. This creates a bond between the audience and the Protagonists as they learn about the murder together later on in the film, this builds suspense and holds interest in the audience.

Seven Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest
The sequence begins in Morgan Freeman's character's house. Because of the low key lighting used, it suggests that it is early morning and he is undergoing his morning routine. We understand that he is an organised and civilised person by the way he moves and acts, another sign of this would be how his clothes and possesions are layed out in a neat, orderly manner.

In the next shot, the interior of a different house is shown where an investigation of a murder seems to be taking place. This is where enigma codes begin to crop up. for example - why was the man murdered? how was he murdered? why did morgan's character care whether the kids saw the crime? and which city are they in? the answers to these questions aren't revealed in these first few sequences so that the audience begin to feel involved as they try to work out the answers for themselves.

We then meet Brad Pitt's character. He is quite the opposite to Morgan Freeman's character. He is clearly unexperienced and naive. These signs are given off due to various different things:
- Chewing gum, gives a sense of youth
- The way he walks
- The way he talks - short answers, spoken in an arrogant manner
- He bumps into someone in the street, showing that he is a person with little respect.

Another enigma code is brought onto the scene when we meet this character - why did he move to this city? Despite the fact that we are unaware of the location of the film, the setting really sets the mood, due to rain and a grey, misty atmosphere.

The use of enigma codes in this opening sequence are very effective, as it makes the viewer want to continue watching to find the answers. I believe - as a group - we need to involve something like this in our thriller to hold interest and to keep the audience guessing.

The whole aim of this opening is to introduce us to the Protagonists, and to give us an idea of what they're like as people. This is very different to the other thrillers i have commented on as the identities of the characters tend to remain hidden throughout the first few sequences.

Restricted narrative is used, in the sense that we don't know how or why the character was murdered. This creates a bond between the audience and the Protagonists as they learn about the murder together later on in the film, this builds suspense and holds interest in the audience.

Seven Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T11:23:00.002Z

Collateral Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T11:18:00.003Z

The sequence begins with the sound of an airplane, which tells us that the first few shots are set in an airport. The first thing we see is a cross cutting sequence of two men walking, we are not aware that they are linked in any way untill we see them bump into each other and drop their breifcases on the floor. A close up of the briefcases draws our attention to them, and we see the characters purposely pick up a different breifcase to what they were carrying before. This is the first enigma code raised - what's in the briefcases? and why did they swap? It also makes the audience question the identity of both characters seen in this shot.

After the briefcases were swapped, the cutting between shots became quicker. Tense eerie music also began to play in the background. This fast pace action creates tension and raises another enigma code - what is going on?

Not alot is given away about the characters identities or personalities, but due to their body language and facial expressions, we can be sure that they're determined figures on a mission of some sort.

Close ups are used alot in these opening shots, so that the location remains relatively unknown, which creates suspence. Because of how effective this technique is, i have been inspired to involve it in our group film, due to how it makes the audience question what's going on.

Red Eye Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T11:16:00.003Z

Setting - A typical home, a Hotel, and an outdoor area where mysterious activity is taking place.

Props - Photos of a girl, which tells the audience that she may be of some importance in the story. There's a wallet, that appears to have been stolen by an unknown figure. A metal container is also shown in the opening sequence, which tells the audience that it's important and the contents of it will be shown later on in the film.

Lighting - Low key lighting is used outside, to show that the activity taking place is not of a good nature. Soft lighting is indoors to show that nothing is wrong.

Costume - The young receptionist is dressed relatively informally, telling the audience that she is unexperienced and vunurable in a way. The woman in the car is dressed in a formal manor which makes the audience believe she is smart and experienced.

Music/sound - A short, sharp punchy sound is heard when we see the wallet taken away, this tells us that it's been taken for a negative purpose. Tense orchestral music plays when the outdoor activity is taking place which makes the audience believe that what they're doing is going to cause trouble in the future.

Camera Work - A lot of close ups are used in the house, and outside (which is where all the myseterious/negative activity is taking place) which restricts what the viewer can see. This creates suspense as we are not entirely sure what is going on. Camera movement is frequently used, giving a sense of POV, making us feel as if we are at the location with the characters. The camera movement might also be used to give the impression that the characters are being watched by someone else without them noticing, which creates tension.

Joyride Textual Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T11:13:00.002Z

Set up -

- We are immediately introduced to a man on his telephone, he is portrayed as an electrician looking at a telegraph pole. He is the Protagonist in this short film.

- He gets in his car and drives off

Confrontation -

- The electrician sees a man lying in the middle of the road, so he stops his car to investigate.

- The music suggests that something is wrong as the man on the ground appears to be unharmed.

- Another man appears in the background and attacks the electrician with an axe

- The Antagonists put the electrician in the boot and drive off.

- The antagonists murder two police officers after they get pulled over because of a broken light on the car.

- There is then a car chase in which the Antagonists are being chased by another police car.

- The Protagonist spills petrol over himself in the car boot.

- The Protagonist manages to disabled the cars headlights causing it to crash into a tree.

- The Protagonist then attempts to escape

Resolution -

- The car alarm went off which alerted nearby police

- The Protagonist manages to knock out the Antagonist that had a knife held to his throat.

- The police take the Protagonist back to the telegraph pole (where the film started)

- The Protagonist then dies after the petrol is set alight.

Examples of restricted and unrestricted narrative -

- There is a clear use of restricted narrative when the Protagonist is locked in the boot, showing that he is trapped, and that there isn't much room for him to move in.

- Unrestricted narrative is used when the police arrive, showing that it is a secluded area, which tells us that they are far away from any sign of help/rescue.

- Restricted narrative is being used when the police are being murdered by the Antagonists. We only see what the Protagonist see's in the boot he's locked in, this builds tension and gives us a fine understanding of how he is feeling at the time, because - like him - we are not entirely sure what is going on outside the car.

- Unrestriced narrative is used in the car chase scene. We get a full understanding of what is going on and where they are. At this point, we see more than the characters see.

Binary Opposition -

The Antagonists and Protagonist don't see much of each other in this short film. They meet at the beginning of the sequence when one of the Antagonists is lying on the floor, the Protagonist stops his car and investigates, and this is where we see the other Antagonist that hits the Protagonist with an axe.

One of the Antagonists meets the Protagonist again towards the end of the film, this is where we see the Protagonist manage to escape.

Research on thriller trailers and the conventions of thrillers - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T11:09:00.001Z

Sound -

- Music (non digetic), usually orchestral, which can suggest unpredictability.

- There is a clear use of parallel sound which reflects the mood of the footage.

- Sound effects - a drone is used to create a sinister mood, also used as sound bridges.

Mise en Scene -
- Action is used in some cases, usually in isolated areas.

- Low key lighting is predominately used, to create a gloomy effect.

- Iconography - Guns and knives are used, these are prime examples of iconography in a thriller, for example - the knives in films like 'Halloween' and 'Pyscho' which play a key part in the overall feel of the film. Clues and red herrings are also types of iconography, various clues are given away in thrillers to help the audience solve the matters in hand. Dead bodies are also used as a form of iconography, reflecting the idea of death and mystery, which is what the thriller genre is generally based on. An example of this would be the film 'Seven'.

Costume - the costumes used usually reflect the characters personality, for example - in the film 'Panic Room' the villains are seen wearing black. Black is usually used to create fear or to suggest evil.

Setting - Thrillers are usually set in secluded areas, an example would be the physchological thriller 'Signs'. This is usually to show how vunerable the victims are and it also shows how far away they are from rescue.

Class Notes of thriller trailers - Jamie

2010-03-09T11:07:00.001Z

Character Types:

-Characters are motivated in action esp. investigators (cops, ordinary people responding to crime)
-Victims- seek revenge or trapped victim behavior
-Antagonist/villain - human (motivated by past)

Mood:

-Mysterious, enigmatic
-Intense
-Intriguing
-Exciting
-Suspenseful
-Dark (literal+metaphorical

Textual Analysis of Joyride - David Duffy

2010-03-09T11:05:00.002Z

Set up:

The protagonist is talking on the phone, he is looking up at a power box on the side of a telegraph poll

He gets in his car and drives off

Confrontation:

The same man meets antagonist characters

They trick him and one of them hits the man with an axe

The two evil men capture him and put him into the boot of their car

There is a confrontation between the two evil characters and two other police officers

The police officers are killed

There is a chase scene in which a police car chases the two evil men with the first character still in the boot

The man then tries to escape after the car crashes

He spills petrol over himself whilst in the boot

Resolution:

The man gets out of crashed car and alerts nearby police officers

The man also knocks out the surviving evil character

He finds himself in the same spot as he was in at the beginning

He dies after the spilled petrol catches a light

Examples of restricted and unrestricted narrative:

We see usage of restricted narrative whilst the protagonist is in the boot of the car, the close ups of him show that he is trapped and we can’t see the activity that goes on outside the car

There is also usage of unrestricted narrative, for example during the chase scene when we see all of the activity that is occurring

When we hear fighting occurring outside of the car, we are just as restricted as the protagonist is in these parts

Uses of Binary opposition:

The protagonist and the antagonists only oppose3 each other on a few occasions, but they do at the beginning of the sequence when they first meet – this is an example of binary opposition

Towards the end of the film the protagonist and one of the antagonists oppose each other, during this they have a short fight

Textual Analysis research from David Duffy

2010-03-09T10:59:00.002Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkzPpaHqM9s

Character Types
- Male character, shown to be venerable and in obvious distress, always lying down below the woman to show inferiority
- Female character, shown holding weapons, obviously menacing and dangerous female character also shown to be obsessive
Mood/Themes
- Incredibly sinister throughout the trailer, although climax is built right up to the last moment
- The director has made the sequence become more frightening towards the end of the trailer - Themes of death and fear
Iconography

- Sledge hammer, usually associated with violence
- Knife, classic example of iconography - used in such films as Psycho, always associated with death and blood

Camera Shots

- Low angle point of view shots used to show superiority of woman over man in bed
- Close ups to capture emotions of characters, especially at tense moments
- Long shots to show the isolation of the house in the area
Point of view from the perspective of the man to make audience feel as if they are the ones being interrogated by the woman

Lighting
- Bright, high key lighting at the beginning of the sequence to show how the film starts in a non-sinister way, Dark, low key lighting towards end of the sequence to show how the situation of the man turns for the worse and the woman becomes more sinister and dangerous
Continuity Editing

- Early links between shots are slow fades, to show how the film starts off in a calm way. Towards the end of the sequence there is a series of sharp cuts, to build climax and create sense of tension

The Orphanage Opening Titles Analysis - Chris Forrest

2010-03-09T10:58:00.004Z

In this opening, the credits are incorporated into the sequence, adding to the narrative and help define the genre through the way the credits are presented.

It begins with children playing in a garden in the sun, no apparent threat is shown, which creates enigma and suspense as we know something bad will happen but at this point, we don't know what.

As it cuts to the credits, the mood completely changes, showing children's hands tearing down the wall paper.

The hands are a pale bluey colour, suggesting they are dead, Which creates enigma and also suggests the children are the problem and may well be supernatural in some way.

The soundtrack adds to the tension, which gives an eerie, uneasy atmosphere.

David Duffy - Preliminary Task

2010-03-09T10:48:00.001Z

David Duffy
Positives:

- Good use of fades in the dark room scene

- Match on action was well used

- Did not brake the 180 degree rule

- Use of dolly

- Good use of the pan shot

- Use of tilted camera

- Good presence

Negatives:

- Need to film more to explain narrative

- Better continuity editing

- Could lengthen the dialogue scene

- Make sure that white balance is set up correctly for every shot

- Use rule of thirds

- Put more soundtrack over film to hide sounds from environment

- Dolly was loud

Evaluation of Preliminary task from David Duffy
Narrative
We set about planning for our video positively as the three of us decided on our group quickly so we could get onto the more important stages. We started by discussing themes and narratives for our video, although we are not graded on narrative and themes in this task we thought that it would be best to present clear goals from the film. Also, it gives a better satisfaction to the viewer as the shots should make more sense. We decided to make a thriller based film as it would give us an excuse to make use of exciting shots that would hopefully provoke an uncomfortable response from the viewer. It would also mean that we would not need to use much dialogue which would expose our poor acting abilities.
We did gather some inspiration from a chase sequence from the horror film, Halloween; this clip is available to watch on our blog. We were inspired by this clip because of the use of parallel editing between the two characters and of the dark rooms. Also, the whole idea behind our film can be related to Halloween as it too features one supposed killer perusing a victim
Planning/Storyboard
Our planning stages went smoothly up until we were unfortunate with some group absences; this rushed us slightly as we probably should have scouted out our location shots early on as there is limited opportunity around the college to create something original. This forced us to make some compromises later on in the filming process.
Our storyboard, I believe, was one of our strong points as we came up with something decisive so we had a clear guide for the future filming. Luckily we were all present for the full creation of our storyboard so we were all aware of our

Filming/ Editing
This process proved to be much more complicated then we had previously anticipated. Certain aspects of our planning were neglected so when it actually came to the day we uncertain and perhaps we let ourselves be distracted.
We were constantly consulting the storyboard which we had made, which was good as it provided a clear plan of what we needed to do, but we relied too heavily on this. This resulted in us turning up to locations around the college that were unavailable due to lessons, or were not suitable for our film. One shot in particular that troubled us was the second shot of the sequence which was an over the head shot of a man standing in a room looking out of a window watching a man walking below. It was extremely difficult to film this as we chose the front entranced of the college to film this, where people are constantly moving in and out of the college. So this shot took a number takes before we were forced to settle with one.
This kind of problem with location seemed to crop up in many of our shots; probably the most difficult shot to film was the one inside the dark room. We used this room for obvious reasons; it’s dark, quiet and rarely used compared to other classrooms.
In terms of our ideas and the general quality of our shots I think that we were quite successful. The story of one man running from another for his life let us dabble slightly with parallel editing as some of our shots of each character were running side by side, however I do not think that we truly perfected this art and we could have made the attempt of parallel editing more obvious to the viewer.
The biggest mistake that we made in the making of our film was when we accidently filmed over a substantial part of our film as we had previously rewound our tape to watch over some previous footage and forgot to fast forward later. As a result of this we were rushed to get the missing shots filmed and to get the footage into the editing room. Another issue which was raised by this mistake was that it was just before the Christmas break and we had to make sure that two weeks later we looked the same in each shot, e.g. same hair style. But due to the lack of time we were unable to fully concentrate on different aspects of Mise en scene, we would have liked to do a more thorough job of correcting any details of our props and costumes.
We did not think that it was essential for this task but if we had more time we would have liked to decide on more convincing costumes to make it obvious to the viewer what kind of characters we were trying to create.
We did try to include all of the necessary material like the 180 degree rule. We all think that we could have been more successful in our usage of the 180 degree rule as we only had a brief scene including some dialogue at the end of the film, and one person doesn’t even say anything. Although despite this we still made sure that we stuck to the 180 degree rule.
One thing that I think that we did complete successfully was the use of match on action. We used the technique three times in our film, once it was of a man dropping some keys; the other two times was of the same man walking through doorways. We were impressed with how authentic it looked from such little time editing, but next time we will make sure that we spend longer looking at the sound that doors made.
We did include a variety of shots in our film, including:
-Extreme long shots
-Close ups
-High angles
-Two shots
-Medium shots
-Extreme close ups
-Pan shots
-Over the shoulder shots
-Tracking shot
I think that we used the height of the college building well to create one of our earlier shots. Although, as I have mentioned before, this was extremely difficult to do and we had to settle with a shot quickly.
Our tracking shot was a good idea, and although it was slightly shaky I felt that it worked well in our film. We had other good usage of shots as well as we did make sure to take time when we were filming to make sure that angles were correct.
Although lighting was not a huge focus in our film as we had little time, we did manage to use a silhouette briefly in one of our shots. It is a shot of the victim closing the dark room door behind him. This added to the sinister atmosphere we were trying to create
We used little edited sound in our video as we didn’t want to distract people from the footage. We used some parallel sounds through garage band for the closing titles; this matches the tone that is created by the title ‘67.03 seconds to live’.
Conclusion
Overall I would consider our task as a success as we created something that we can be proud of. However the project is still rough around the edges in the sense that the shots have not been perfected and our organisational skills let us down at times. If we had anticipated problems better then the whole process would have been much smoother and easier. Our editing process went well; even though we were new to the programmes used I think that we definitely created a watchable sequence, although it is obvious that we can improve on our continuity editing.

Chris Forrest - Preliminary Task

2010-03-09T10:46:00.001Z

Preliminary Task Evaluation from Chris Forrest
We began our task by discussing different genres and themes, we were aware that this wouldn’t affect our overall grade, but we thought this would give us a clearer idea of what we wanted to achieve with our film, for example - shot types and dialogue. After a short period of time discussing what appealed to each member of the group, we agreed on a thriller. We came to this decision based upon the interesting shot types we could use, it also gave us an excuse to use less dialogue, which none of the members of the group were keen on doing. Another reason for choosing to do a thriller was to get some practise in for the thriller task we will be assessed on after the preliminary task.

Our whole film was inspired by a scene in John Carpenters’ 1978 film Halloween, where the main character played by Jamie Lee Curtis is being chased around a house by Michael Myers. The scene contains parallel editing between the two characters throughout, which proved to be a big inspiration in our overall product. The Halloween clip is available to watch on our blog.

After we had a vague idea of what was going to happen in our film, we began the storyboard. Jamie and I would sketch out what was going to happen in each shot, and then Dave would write down our ideas, shot types and how long the shot would last. This part of the task seemed to run rather smoothly, we had no idea clashes; we all seemed to be on the same wavelength concerning what was going to happen in the film.

During the filming process, we encountered several problems. At the time, I was suffering from a mild form of food poisoning, meaning I was absent for some of our filming time. Another set back was when we taped over half of our shots, resulting in us having to redo them, putting us behind schedule. Due to these set backs, we didn’t have enough time remaining to make the last sequence in the film turn out like how we wanted it to. In the storyboard, it shows the victim flicking his lighter to illuminate the room, showing the killer standing directly infront of him. We were all excited about filming this shot, but because of the lack of time, we had to make do with the torch on the camera, which didn’t fulfil our original expectations, but as a result of this, we now know that managing our time appropriately is very important, and we won’t make the same mistakes in the task we’re being assessed on after the preliminary.

One thing we were particularly pleased with was the use of match on action in certain shots; it was used when the victim dropped his keys, and then it was used two more times with door openings. Surprisingly in editing, it didn’t take very long at all to get these match on action shots up to a high standard, which was fortunate as we had lost a lot of time with the problems I have mentioned above. Another thing we were pleased with was the amount of different shot types we used effectively, such as – Extreme long shots, Close ups, high angles, medium shots, extreme close ups, pan shots, over the shoulder shot and a tracking shot. The tracking shot turned out better than I had first thought, and it proved to be a nice touch to the finished product.

At the time, we weren’t sure how to use ‘Garage band’ so our film lacks edited sound/music, although it does contain a few sinister notes played by string instruments at the end when the title of the film fades onto the screen.

Although our film wasn’t a complete failure, I believe - as a group - we are capable of much more. We were unfortunate with absences and having to redo several shots, which left us with very little time to make a product of high standard. In a way, I’m glad this happened, as it has shown us that we have to be careful and make good use of the time we have been given to complete the task.

Jamie Hunnisett - Preliminary Task

2010-03-09T10:45:00.002Z

Peer Evaluation - Jamie Hunnisett
In our class we watched everyones videos and gathered valuable infomation and views from others who peer assesst our short film. They said the following:

-We tilted our establishing shot, which was good.
-The fading shots were good in the dark room.
-We could have included a sound track, and maybe used spound effects to add realism
-The story started off seriously, but ended up a bit like a Benny Hill sketch

What we would do differently:

We would focus more on the dialogue scene, and concetrate on soundtracks

Preliminary Evaluation from Jamie Hunnisett
During this project I have used a wide amount of filming equipment including video cameras, tripods and dollys. The modern technology we have available makes it easy to create a semi professional film in which we have learnt many camera techniques; also we have been able to experiment with camera angles and shots to create a gripping and interesting sequence.
During the project I realised just how dangerous working on a film can be, as we were taught the methods to make filming safer. This includes lighting, where huge burns could occur if no knowledge of how to use the lights is present. Another danger of using lights is a tripping hazard, as many cables have to be used to connect the lights with electricity. We learnt that warnings are vital for the safety of everyone involved, shouting ‘Lights on!’ and ‘Lights off’ whenever necessary reduces the chances of anybody wandering in front of a light source which is about to be turned on, and could lead to being blinded.
One thing we forgot to do a lot during filming was writing each shot number and take on a whiteboard and placing it in front of the camera before filming each shot. We were told to do this because when editing it can be hard to find the shots you want. We started out using this technique but as time was of the essence we began to forget. It was only later during editing in which we realised how important this was. So next time we will defiantly make sure we try and do that for every shot.
My roles in the production of our short film were spread across the whole process of production. During research I helped develop the ideas we had and make sure the idea would be possible to create. When we moved onto planning our short film I drew out the scenes on a storyboard with help from Chris, and then Dave annotated and described the events in the film. In production of the film I had the main acting role which personally I think was a mistake, and in the future I think we should find a drama student, although the acting wasn’t the main purpose of the film, it was to promote our skills in camera work and mise en scene, so I think we get away with it.
In our film we had to include three continuity strategies, for example match on action. To do a match on action the camera has to be setup specifically to make sure the movement from one room to another using two shots looks realistic. Obviously if a character is going through a door, the door has to be the same in both shots, so the camera is normally located in the next room looking at the same door. The reason for this again is realism, otherwise the experience the audience receives may not be believable which would ruin the build up of the film.
We used a program called iMovie which is for Macintosh computers to edit our film. I thought it was a relatively easy and beginner friendly way to edit the clip. It includes many tools in which help to enhance your film. A match on action sequence can only work if the shots our edited together correctly, the timing has to be perfect to make sure of a smooth scene. Continuity strategies would not work without a skilled editor in the production process of the film.
To conclude I think the preliminary task has helped me to understand the importance of camera techniques, mise en scene and continuity editing strategies to make a professional looking film clip. Our group shall take onboard what we have learnt and make sure we have practiced enough for our main piece. I think to improve our dialogue sequences need to be majorly improved, we stuck to the 180° rule but I think the way the scene was set out didn’t help to make a captivating viewing. Also of course the poor acting did not help, more expression would be needed in a thriller.
I now know what we need to produce a great main task, and look forward to including these new found skills in the final piece.

Jamie Hunnisett - Preliminary Task

2010-03-09T10:44:00.001Z

2010-03-08T14:24:00.003Z

2010-03-08T10:32:00.002Z

David Duffy - Title sequence analysis - Shanghai Noon

2010-03-07T17:08:00.004Z

The background of the title sequence reflects the Chinese themes and characters of the film, gives early hints to the audience about the content of the film

Fairly simple title sequence, it relates to the story of the film but does not interfere or reveal any of the film narrative

It sets the mood for the upcoming film, it carries a mysterious atmosphere with it which provokes enigma ie what do the letters say?

The opening credits also carry on into the film, but they still do not interfere with the narrative

The music of the film also adds to the atmosphere, it is dramatic music that connotes danger

The slow fades of the words in the title sequence creates a sense of danger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBuLTld-T9I

2010-03-01T14:46:00.001Z

Opening Analysis - Leon - Jamie Hunnisett

2010-02-07T23:43:00.003Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI0AkD6U42s

Camera Shots - Opening shots, long open panning shots establishing the set, camera flows over the trees into the city.

-Next is a series of close ups/extreme close ups of two suspicious characters, done so we cannot see much of the characters and therefore cannot judge who they are, makes it more mysterious, and also makes the situation seem more serious.

-Many medium to Long shots make up the next parts to capture all the action

-Dolly shots used to show how scared and how alone the 'fat' character is at the end of the opening sequence

Character types - Big fat guy, seems to think he knows what hes doing, thinks he has everything in control. Very big headed, could possibly mean hes rich as he has body guards, or just someone of high power. He realises he is under threat and his real personality comes out, he is just scared and weak.

-An assassin, an experienced mastermind, focused and out to complete a task, possibly working for someone, to the viewer he could be evil, he knows how to get what he wants.

Binary Opposition - It doesn't seem anybody is playing the 'good guy' role to the viewer at first, but obviously the fat guy is a target for the assassin, so probably enemies.

Opening Analysis - The Departed - Jamie Hunnisett

2010-02-07T23:05:00.004Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ia8yjBrG1Y

Camera Shots- Opening shot, hand held video camera, shaky and nervous looking shots of fights, medium shots of on lookers including police. This is most likely used to show maybe a point of view account of violence and turmoil, streets seem dangerous and uncontrollable.

-Establishing shot of the city scape, quality is bad, but on purpose, again maybe to show first hand experiences.

-Many dolly shots are used during the opening sequence, a continuous use of point of view, we see more and more of the city and the lives of the two characters. Mostly medium/close up shots used.

Character Types - Older wise man, seems like he knows what hes doing and what he wants. Looks like he has respect or a reputation, maybe a bad one? possibly feared by the others as they seemed scared in his presence. He might have done something in the past, could possibly be a criminal.

- Young boy who doesn't know what he wants, looking for someone to show him the way, maybe had a hard upbringing. Looks like the old man is using him for something, but this boy wants adventure.

-We then see the boy as he has grown up, obviously he has matured, but still controlled, and has desire to do something.

Setting- Set in a busy city (Chicago)

-Everyday shops, garages, and as we see the boy in his older state he is training on a US military ground. Shows he has gone from a very ordinary rundown place, to a very uniformed structured living.

2010-02-07T22:18:00.002Z

Opening Analysis - Double Indemnity - Jamie Hunnisett

2010-02-07T21:58:00.008Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI73zPyYq1o

Camera Shots - All camera shots are shot in black and white, obviously because of the time the film was created.

-The opening shots are medium to long shots of a car tearing around the streets of what looks like New York.

-Most of the shots following are medium shots of the subject, they have used low and hugh angles, to raise suspicion maybe? The viewer is never on the same level as the detective, signifying that the viewer may not know what the detective does.

-There is an interesting shot of a man, showing alot of space, this could be to show vulnerability

Character Types

-A man who looks like he could be a detective, from what we see is is dressed very smart, meaning he is most likely very professional and takes care in his job. He is quite sweaty, so maybe he is nervous.

-Woman dressed in white, obviously because it is filmed in black and white the white of her dress stands out in the boring dull setting, this has probably been done deliberately to show innocence.

Setting

-At first we see the streets of what i believe is New York, it is set at night, so everything is made just that bit more mysterious

- We then see what seems like a hotel, we can see that the floor is marble, and the hotel looks very posh and expensive.

-The rest of the opening is situated in a hotel room. The hotel room is very formal, with desks and chairs, almost like a business room. Again suggesting the man is some sort of detective.

Binary Opposition - We dont see any sort of oppostion int he opening sequence. Just a phone call, which could be linked.

Opening Analysis - Prime Suspect - The Lost Child - Jamie Hunnisett

2010-02-07T20:47:00.002Z

Camera Shots - Opening shot is a pan, overlooking child's toys, suggests maybe another presence, maybe the kidnapper is in the child's room. Also, people are thinking of the title 'lost child' so could be lead to believe its in the point of view of a lost child wandering around.

- The next shots are a series of medium and close up shots to establish a few characters. They help express the worry on the mans face. Maybe he has something to hide? Again a pan is used, keeping the viewer thinking about an on looker.

Character Types - At first we see what looks like a normal loving couple and everything seems positive. Apart from we see a look of worry on the mans face. So he maybe cautious, nervous.

-We next see a mother of one, she seems to not have any troubles, although so far we are not able to gather much information about the characters, this is most likely done to keep us thinking throughout, as there is a kidnapping, we are reminded everyone is a suspect.

Setting - It is set in ordinary city suburbs with normal small sized houses. There is also a Hospital. Alot of shots are in busy roads and streets.

Binary Oppostion - Obviously we know from the start there is a kidnapper somewhere in the scene, but there does not seem to be a definite divide between two characters. Although this may be made clear further into the story

Se7en Opening analysis - Jamie Hunnisett

2010-02-02T11:20:00.005Z

Enigma Code - The opening sequence asks many questions, for example, why has the man been killed? Why does inspector Somerset live along? Why does he carry a knife? Also, we are left wondering why inspector Mills was tranferred and why he wanted to work with Somerset.

Restricted Naration - We don't know much about the characters backgrounds yet, and obviously we don't know who the murderer is.

-And of course there could be a whole other story to why Mills has been transferred, maybe a story which appears later on?

Character construction - We see that Somerset is a very precise and accurate man when it comes to his job, and everyday life, we pick this up at the start because of how neat his pen and knife and watch are set out, also how clean his suit jacket is. He obviously takes pride in his work and isn't a man to be messed around with, as he knows his stuff.

-Mills however seems a lot more scrappy, he's a new boy that seems cocky and arrogant. We see a clash of personalities, Mills and Somerset seem like opposites, cleverly done to cause friction maybe later on, because at first they seem to get along.

Methods for filming Thrillers

2010-02-01T11:09:00.003Z

This website is useful for explaining the basics behind making a good thriller film, specifically the methods used by Alfred Hitchcock.

http://www.borgus.com/think/hitch.htm

Chris Forrest Peer Evaluation

2010-01-19T11:25:00.000Z

Peer Evaluation

Today, we watched each other preliminary films. The comments we gathered from the class about our product are listed below.

- Good use of colour

- Nice framing

- Match on action used well and effectively.

- Gets a bit Scooby Doo/Benny Hill like towards the end

- Good use of fades in the last sequence

- Good use of a canted shot.

How to Improve:

- Use Sound effects, and a soundtrack

- Could’ve had better continuity editing

- Make sure the white balance is correct.

- Make sure there isn’t any unnecessary background noise.

2010-01-17T19:09:00.002Z

2010-01-17T19:04:00.002Z

Our help with the 180 degree rule

2010-01-13T09:41:00.003Z

We watched this videio befor ein class and it gave us a clear understanding of how and when to use the 180 degree rule. We did include a scene with dialouge at the end of the film where we tried to show our understanding of the rule.

Help with our match on action

2010-01-13T09:23:00.004Z

We didn't use the specific examples shown in this video but we reminded ourselves of the concept of match on action. Our match on action mostly contained opening/closing of doors, this was a simple and easy way of demonstrationg our understanding of the match on action.

Inspirations for our film

2010-01-12T11:10:00.003Z

Film uploaded onto mac and editing finished

2010-01-12T11:00:00.002Z

We have finished editing our film and have uploaded it onto the completed film folder

2010-01-05T11:54:00.000Z

Tuesdasy 6th of January

Our Location Shots have been uploaded

Storyboard Still Shots

2009-12-17T13:27:00.000Z

Our Storyboard still shots our now finished and uploaded onto the blog, you can veiw these by scrolling below

Filming problems

2009-12-17T13:07:00.001Z

Wednesday 16th of December
We finished all of our rushes but at the same time filmed over some previous work by mistake - although we know that shots that need to be filled in

Storyboard + animation completed on Wednesday 9th December

2009-12-10T09:40:00.000Z

Our group is now ready to film our sequence