- 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
Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Title editing - David Duffy
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Shaun of the Dead Inspiration - Chris Forrest
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.
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
- 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
Monday, 22 March 2010
Todays Editing
- 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
- We think that we have done well with our use of extreme close ups and depth of feild, further filming may be required
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Train Station update
- 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
Friday, 19 March 2010
Filming troubles...
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.
Monday, 15 March 2010
Filming update
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.
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.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
Saul Bass
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
- 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
-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
Saturday, 13 March 2010
Blog reshuffle
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
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.
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
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.
Friday, 12 March 2010
Vertigo Opening Titles Analysis - Chris Forrest
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
- 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
- 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?
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
The Usual Suspects Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest
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
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
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
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
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.
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.
Collateral Opening Analysis - Chris Forrest
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
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.
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
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.
- 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
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.
- 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
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
-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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Monday, 8 March 2010
Sunday, 7 March 2010
David Duffy - Title sequence analysis - Shanghai Noon
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
Monday, 1 March 2010
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