Tuesday 30 December 2014
Continuity Editing Task - 180 Degree Rule
Planning:
Shot List:
1. Camera by hall window, looking out at parents entering reception
2. Camera inside entrance looking towards reception windows - family looking through window, camera looking at their backs
3. Cut directly to shot 3, pan shot following parents through reception through the double doors
4. Shot of parents walking through/down the corridor - angled camera
5. Still shot of parents walking out of the doors opposite the quad
6. Shot of parents walking into Rubicon
7. Ariel view of parents walking to Media 1
8. Walk through set of doors before Media 1, angled shot by girls toilets, we see them open the door
9. Direct cut - Match on Action to door opening
10. Pan shot of Media 1 as they walk left side of the classroom
11. Hand shake with teacher
12. Zoom in on the hand shake and pan out again
13. Shot reverse shot (over the shoulder) of parents talking to teacher
Shot Lengths:
1. 5 seconds
2. 8 seconds
3. 3 seconds
4. 5/6 seconds
5. 2 seconds
6. 3 seconds
7. 2 seconds
8. 6 seconds
9. 3 seconds
10. 7 seconds
11. 3 seconds
12. 1 second
13. 4 seconds
14. 2 seconds
Shot List:
1. Camera by hall window, looking out at parents entering reception
2. Camera inside entrance looking towards reception windows - family looking through window, camera looking at their backs
3. Cut directly to shot 3, pan shot following parents through reception through the double doors
4. Shot of parents walking through/down the corridor - angled camera
5. Still shot of parents walking out of the doors opposite the quad
6. Shot of parents walking into Rubicon
7. Ariel view of parents walking to Media 1
8. Walk through set of doors before Media 1, angled shot by girls toilets, we see them open the door
9. Direct cut - Match on Action to door opening
10. Pan shot of Media 1 as they walk left side of the classroom
11. Hand shake with teacher
12. Zoom in on the hand shake and pan out again
13. Shot reverse shot (over the shoulder) of parents talking to teacher
Shot Lengths:
1. 5 seconds
2. 8 seconds
3. 3 seconds
4. 5/6 seconds
5. 2 seconds
6. 3 seconds
7. 2 seconds
8. 6 seconds
9. 3 seconds
10. 7 seconds
11. 3 seconds
12. 1 second
13. 4 seconds
14. 2 seconds
Planning: Researching the Crime Thriller Genre
Crime Thriller film is a sub-genre that incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This sub-genre's plot usually centers on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. As opposed to traditional crime films, the story line focuses both around the criminal and the protagonist. Crime Thrillers use both action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense.
Conventions of a Crime Thriller:
- Always a Protagonist and Antagonist
- Sense of Enigma
- Usually and investigation
Thriller and Crime Thriller conventions usually cross over because they are both very similar. For example:
- Low key lighting
- Quick cuts
- Tense music
Cinematography of a Thriller:
- Close ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist ~ this is often used to present their emotions about a situation in the narrative and evoke emotions on the audience.
- Shots of the Antagonist will be cut quickly and will aim to hide their identity away from the Protagonist and the audience ~ keeps a sense of mystery and suspense. e.g. -A low key shot, a shadow or silhouette of the Antagonist.
Conventions of a Crime Thriller:
- Always a Protagonist and Antagonist
- Sense of Enigma
- Usually and investigation
Thriller and Crime Thriller conventions usually cross over because they are both very similar. For example:
- Low key lighting
- Quick cuts
- Tense music
Cinematography of a Thriller:
- Close ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist ~ this is often used to present their emotions about a situation in the narrative and evoke emotions on the audience.
- Shots of the Antagonist will be cut quickly and will aim to hide their identity away from the Protagonist and the audience ~ keeps a sense of mystery and suspense. e.g. -A low key shot, a shadow or silhouette of the Antagonist.
Monday 15 December 2014
How Things Should Relate To The Evaluation Questions
These are the questions which should be addressed and referred to thoughout the process of creating our practice and final two minute introduction to a film. Our practice intro has to use the '180 degree' rule and use professional filming and editing techniques so that the members of our group has some experience before creating our final product and the final film has to be from a film of the 'Thriller' genre and also has to use the same quality techniques. These editing and filming techniques are graded on the mark scheme and can also be looked at while planning and filming, however the listed questions below are insightful and analytical which would be good to look at even before are products are created so that we can include as many good media techniques first time round and improve theses on our final product. For now I will be looking at the questions and talking about how we can use these in our '180 degree rule' intro.
The 180 degree rule product we will be producing should use some typical conventions of pre existing openings from television and film as a base and starting point to our piece of work, however should include our own styles and twists to make the work fully ours. By this I mean we should use some similar camera angles which are pre-existing in the media in similar genre film/television programs as we know these angles can be effective in making the audience see an event in a certain way, however we should include other creative editing and filming techniques which would benefit our storyline and narrative as other techniques could work better than others in portraying our story in the way we want it be. This would then challenge other existing opening as ours would be very different and in our own style.
Our practice opening includes a family entering a school for parents evening who then walk through the school to the teachers room who they then speak too. The family is made up of a mother and father and a teenage boy. The social groups that will be portrayed in our opening would be a father and a mother of a middle class background and a child with influences of teenage trends and some stereotypical teenage attitudes. We have chosen these social groups due to our introduction being mainly based on our technical abilities rather than a combination of technical aspects and storyline. This is because our practice has to be including the 180 degree rule and we need to practice getting our filming and editing on point before a storyline is introduced. That is why our social groups will be basic and slightly stereotypical, however this will not be very noticeable as our product will be focused on technical aspects which will be clearly evident when watching.
A film or television institution would most likely distribute our work once completed. This would be due to it being made for a film introduction so it would be created using specific editing, camera and sound techniques most suited to this style of institution. If it was for another institution such as a music institution or the internet then other ways of producing it would have been taken, e.g. music- sound recorded in a studio and perfected or internet- funky intro to draw in viewers and made personal for people to connect with the maker of the video.
The media product we will be producing will be aimed at adults as the content doesn't have conventions of many genres. This is because it is being made to show and practise our skills so storyline isn't the main concern. It is then aimed at adults as the two minutes we will be making could further progress into a reality style program because of it being about normal life or in our case about parents evening which happens in normal family life. The audience will be addressed due to the activity happening in the intro being relatable and using over the shoulder and close up camera angles to make the footage personal.
Due to this piece of work being about are skills with technology there are certain things we have to aim to get right to make our '180 degree rule' product successful. There should be a range of well filmed camera angles which should be used appropriately throughout the clip and also the 180 degree rule should be evident throughout. Aswell as this the editing should be sharp and precise to make the filmed clips flow well and make the overall piece look professional. To add to the professional look the camera shouldn't shake so that the clips are easy to watch. If these are followed then we will know how to correctly construct a media product and we can use our learnt skills in our final piece or learn from mistake we may make in this practise.
As we are creating our preliminary task now, we hope to learn about the difficulties and easy parts in producing a piece of media in a professional way. If there are parts we don't get right first time round, we can evaluate what has gone wrong and can learnt from the mistakes so that we do not make them again in the final piece to make it as professional looking as possible. We also hope parts obviously go correct first time round as we want some reassurance in the production of the final piece that we have certain skills in the bag so we are not starting it like we have never created anything before.
- In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
-How does your media product represent particular social groups?
- What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
- Who would be the audience for your media product?
- How did you attract/address your audience?
- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
- Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
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Planning- Discussing The Genre
As a group, the first thing we had to decide was what genre we would like to work in and base our opening sequence around. We had a discussion about what genre's we each individually liked and if it would work or not.
The Genre's we spoke about were:
- Psychological Thriller
- Action Thriller
- Crime Thriller
We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of working in each specific genre. Personally, the first genre I did not want to work in at all was Psychological Thriller because it is beyond cliché and it is a very popular genre to choose, it would get very cyclical and boring after a while. I spoke my opinion about working in that genre and our group decided that we would eliminate that off of our list, they agreed that it is a very cliché genre to work in and we want to produce something a little different. As a group we all enjoy watching Action Thriller films, however watching them we know what to expect and it gets a little too repetitive when you watch so many. It would be quite simple to come up with a basic story line for an Action Thriller as they all have pretty much the same codes and conventions. A disadvantage of this genre is we feel that we would not be able to make the opening sequence very original because an audience expects what they see in every other Action Thriller, we would not be able to not follow the codes and conventions of this genre. Lily came up with the idea of looking into the Crime Thriller genre. I instantly liked this idea because I enjoy watching programmes/films that revolve around the Crime genre. I think that working in a genre that you particularly like already definitely makes you more interested and eager to start planning the opening sequence. Our group overall really liked the idea of working in the Crime Thriller genre because as a group we think that we could make it quite unique and brainstorm a lot of ideas that we could possibly use.
In conclusion, as a group we have decided that the Genre we would like to work in is Crime Thriller. We all really like the idea of working in this genre together and we all have a lot of ideas that will contribute to the final idea of our opening sequence.
The Genre's we spoke about were:
- Psychological Thriller
- Action Thriller
- Crime Thriller
We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of working in each specific genre. Personally, the first genre I did not want to work in at all was Psychological Thriller because it is beyond cliché and it is a very popular genre to choose, it would get very cyclical and boring after a while. I spoke my opinion about working in that genre and our group decided that we would eliminate that off of our list, they agreed that it is a very cliché genre to work in and we want to produce something a little different. As a group we all enjoy watching Action Thriller films, however watching them we know what to expect and it gets a little too repetitive when you watch so many. It would be quite simple to come up with a basic story line for an Action Thriller as they all have pretty much the same codes and conventions. A disadvantage of this genre is we feel that we would not be able to make the opening sequence very original because an audience expects what they see in every other Action Thriller, we would not be able to not follow the codes and conventions of this genre. Lily came up with the idea of looking into the Crime Thriller genre. I instantly liked this idea because I enjoy watching programmes/films that revolve around the Crime genre. I think that working in a genre that you particularly like already definitely makes you more interested and eager to start planning the opening sequence. Our group overall really liked the idea of working in the Crime Thriller genre because as a group we think that we could make it quite unique and brainstorm a lot of ideas that we could possibly use.
In conclusion, as a group we have decided that the Genre we would like to work in is Crime Thriller. We all really like the idea of working in this genre together and we all have a lot of ideas that will contribute to the final idea of our opening sequence.
Saturday 13 December 2014
What Is The 180 Degree Rule?
Friday 12 December 2014
Continuity Task
Wednesday 10 December 2014
The Male Gaze
The Male Gaze by Laura Mulvey is “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” in my words the male gaze is where you see through a males perspective. By learning this we had to analyse a clip from Two and a half men and show how the men are different.
Straight away from watching the clip you can see that the men contrast against each other. They have different personalities as they like different things. Charlie Harper is the typical cool man who wears stylish masculine clothes and is confident in front of girls well as Alan Harper, Charlie's brother, is a smart geeky character who wears formal clothes and is portrayed as slightly feminine. From this small information you can connote that they are very opposite to each other.
In the scene non-digetic music is added to the shot. This made the scene flow faster as it was upbeat. The laughing in the background was mocking the men which made the viewers realise that they should laugh is well.
Sound Terminology
There is some sound terminology which is important to my learning. This is because I need to know these terms so I can apply my knowledge to my exam when I analyse sound but also in my coursework so I can use a range of techniques in my work to achieve more marks. Here are the sound terminology definitions which I have learn't.
Monday 1 December 2014
Summary Of Research
From researching over the last few weeks about the openings of thriller films and the genre itself, I have gathered the information needed to be able to move on and start the planning process of the end product. I have researched the genre itself and about its conventions and styles, the openings of a range of thriller films, the art of the title sequence - what it is and whats involved in it and have collected a survey from people about what they like and don't like in thriller films and other important questions related to the genre and openings. I am now going to evaluated all the research my group and I have done to extract the wanted details which we can then use in our planning. This will ensure we have the correct information to make our end product successful.
The Thriller Genre
The thriller genre has many conventions which make it what it is such as near death experiences and problems the protagonist faces, physical and mental plot twists, mystery, quick editing speeds, tense music ect which all together make a film a 'Thriller'. It is important that these things are taken onboard when planning our final piece as it is critical these conventions are followed or are slightly manipulated for an original twist to meet the criteria of creating a thriller opening. There are also many styes of thriller films called thriller 'sub genres' which include Psychological thrillers, Conspiracy thrillers, Crime thrillers ect which we can chose from to make our final piece.
Openings of Thrillers
In our group we have analysed many openings to thriller films which has given us a broader idea of what things we could include. Some started off with a simple scenario such as 'Die Hard' which introduces the protagonist getting off a plane going to a party which does't included any scares or frights but rather uses low key lighting and creepy music to represent foreshadowing events of danger which would be an achievable style. We also saw an opposite in the film 'Skyfall' which has an animated credit scene which is a powerful, creative idea which would be harder but could still be done. A combination could make an original final piece.
Survey
Our survey showed us that the majority of people preferred action and psychological thrillers the most which is a key piece of information for our group. This can show that it might be hard to create something original to fit into these genres however if we can think of something outside of the box it could be a success as people would enjoy our edit a lot.
Art of the Title Sequence
There are many things involved in the making of this, it is how the title is introduced to the audience. Many factors such as the typography, the background, sounds used and editing makes this up and is important these all look good together/ all of the same style to make it worth having in the opening. We could experiment which different styles to make up our own for the final piece.
The Thriller Genre
The thriller genre has many conventions which make it what it is such as near death experiences and problems the protagonist faces, physical and mental plot twists, mystery, quick editing speeds, tense music ect which all together make a film a 'Thriller'. It is important that these things are taken onboard when planning our final piece as it is critical these conventions are followed or are slightly manipulated for an original twist to meet the criteria of creating a thriller opening. There are also many styes of thriller films called thriller 'sub genres' which include Psychological thrillers, Conspiracy thrillers, Crime thrillers ect which we can chose from to make our final piece.
Openings of Thrillers
In our group we have analysed many openings to thriller films which has given us a broader idea of what things we could include. Some started off with a simple scenario such as 'Die Hard' which introduces the protagonist getting off a plane going to a party which does't included any scares or frights but rather uses low key lighting and creepy music to represent foreshadowing events of danger which would be an achievable style. We also saw an opposite in the film 'Skyfall' which has an animated credit scene which is a powerful, creative idea which would be harder but could still be done. A combination could make an original final piece.
Survey
Our survey showed us that the majority of people preferred action and psychological thrillers the most which is a key piece of information for our group. This can show that it might be hard to create something original to fit into these genres however if we can think of something outside of the box it could be a success as people would enjoy our edit a lot.
Art of the Title Sequence
There are many things involved in the making of this, it is how the title is introduced to the audience. Many factors such as the typography, the background, sounds used and editing makes this up and is important these all look good together/ all of the same style to make it worth having in the opening. We could experiment which different styles to make up our own for the final piece.
Sunday 30 November 2014
The Art Of The Title Sequence
Research: The Art of A Title Sequence
A title sequence is the method by which films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound. It usually follows but should not be confused with the opening credits, which are generally nothing more than a series of superimposed text.
The Art of a Title Sequence: the way in which a film is set
The factors that are dependant on it are the typography (font, text, style), the background, the sound used, mise-en-scene, editing and camera angles.
Typography:
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type, type design, and modifying type
glyphs.
The blurred effect could connote the pace and speed to the film, suggesting this film involve action. The blue effect could connote crime or offences and the blurred effect suggests that its crime that should not be seen in this film.
The text has a large font size adding to the boldness of the title. The title is also in red, this colour is associated with anger, danger and blood which connoted that this thriller film involves danger and action. The colour and boldness of the title makes it automatically contrast with the background images.
The Art of a Title Sequence: the way in which a film is set
The factors that are dependant on it are the typography (font, text, style), the background, the sound used, mise-en-scene, editing and camera angles.
Typography:
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type, type design, and modifying type
glyphs.
The blurred effect could connote the pace and speed to the film, suggesting this film involve action. The blue effect could connote crime or offences and the blurred effect suggests that its crime that should not be seen in this film.
The text has a large font size adding to the boldness of the title. The title is also in red, this colour is associated with anger, danger and blood which connoted that this thriller film involves danger and action. The colour and boldness of the title makes it automatically contrast with the background images.
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Survey
This is what Lily has contributed to our groups element of research within our coursework who decided to create a survey usingwww.surveymonkey.com; she began by asking some basic questions such as "are you male or female?" to gain an idea on what type of audience which will be partaking in the completion of my survey, therefore giving me an insight on whether or not the overall results I receive will be biased based on gender.
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When analysing the data received, over half (63.16%) of participants within my survey were female; making the female opinion dominant within the survey as a whole. However, seeing as the range of participants is quite small, this shouldn't massively affect the overall outcome of the survey (only 5 more females than males). This statistic was of great use to my group as we are now aware that the data we received was not solely opinions belonging to one gender, but that of both.
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The second question on the survey is in relation to age; "how old are you?"
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The participants were then asked what they're favourite genre(s) of film were.
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This was beneficial as it gave the group an insight into the popularity of thrillers when in comparison to various other genres; when relating this back to the film industry we decided that having a knowledge of other popular genres within the evolution of film can help film makers identify their competition and possibly use editing and other features of media to create a hybrid/sub-genre to captivate both audiences and increase their own ratings/profit. The results showed that a comedy film was most popular amongst the participants therefore allowing my group to predict that elements of humour within our final piece would result in a positive response as this is what the majority of the participants find entertaining and enjoyable within film.
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This was beneficial as it gave the group an insight into the popularity of thrillers when in comparison to various other genres; when relating this back to the film industry we decided that having a knowledge of other popular genres within the evolution of film can help film makers identify their competition and possibly use editing and other features of media to create a hybrid/sub-genre to captivate both audiences and increase their own ratings/profit. The results showed that a comedy film was most popular amongst the participants therefore allowing my group to predict that elements of humour within our final piece would result in a positive response as this is what the majority of the participants find entertaining and enjoyable within film.
"In a Thriller, what do you consider to be of importance?"
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When creating our own opening of a thriller film my group and I need to consider which generic conventions are of higher importance than others; by asking this question we can gather a range of different expectations which are recognised and appreciated within thrillers therefore helping us to decide/choose what to include within our own. For example, my group and I were unsure as to whether or not including a plot twist was a necessity within film; however 72.22% of participants agreed that plot twist were of high importance within a thriller. Unpredictability was also rated to be of some importance; these results will be considered when my group and I create our own narrative.
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However, the results to this question do not provide my group with the information we need to take into consideration within the opening of our own thriller as we are unaware as to why some films have much higher participant viewings than others; we must take into consideration that 'Before I Go To Sleep' has lower viewings simply because of the recent release date. My group and I decided that we could add in a question such as "How many of these thrillers have you heard about/recognise?" or "How many of these recently released thrillers would you be interested in going to see?" We could then analyse how advertising affects/contributes to the overall viewings of a film within the participants.
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As you can see, the participants value the impression given within trailer as this contributes to their selection of film as well as recommendations and the actors/actresses featured within the film itself.
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When creating our own opening of a thriller film my group and I need to consider which generic conventions are of higher importance than others; by asking this question we can gather a range of different expectations which are recognised and appreciated within thrillers therefore helping us to decide/choose what to include within our own. For example, my group and I were unsure as to whether or not including a plot twist was a necessity within film; however 72.22% of participants agreed that plot twist were of high importance within a thriller. Unpredictability was also rated to be of some importance; these results will be considered when my group and I create our own narrative.
When asked about what thriller films the participants have watched, my group and I selected 13 different thrillers which were deemed as popular on IMDB but all presented different thriller conventions. After analysing the results it appears that the films with the most advertisement/publicity were viewed by the most participants; for example, 17/19 participants (89.47%) had claimed to have seen 'Taken' which is a well known thriller (also familiar to those who have not watched it) compared to 'Before I Go To Sleep' which has recently been released but has not had the same quality of advertising as 'Taken'.
However, the results to this question do not provide my group with the information we need to take into consideration within the opening of our own thriller as we are unaware as to why some films have much higher participant viewings than others; we must take into consideration that 'Before I Go To Sleep' has lower viewings simply because of the recent release date. My group and I decided that we could add in a question such as "How many of these thrillers have you heard about/recognise?" or "How many of these recently released thrillers would you be interested in going to see?" We could then analyse how advertising affects/contributes to the overall viewings of a film within the participants.
When asked what type of thriller was their favourite, the participants responded positively in selecting the sub-genre of thriller they found most enjoyable. This massively helped my group in our understanding of hybrid genres and the effect the classification of film can have on the viewers response/reaction.
The results go on to show that action thrillers are the most popular (26.32%) with crime and psychological thrillers in close second with a percentage of 21.05 each. My group and I decided that we would incorporate elements of both action, crime, and some sort of psychological plot twist within our opening clip to captivate all three different audiences and live up to the expectations of three different categories of possible/potential viewers.
By asking the participants what contributes to their individual/personal watching of a film my group and I can collaborate this into our coursework and our research into the thriller genre to form an understanding of how film makers obtain their audiences and how advertisement affects the number of viewers and therefore the ratings and overall success of the film. In previous questions it was made clear upon analysing the results that some thriller films are obviously more popular than others; this question leads on from this in helping the group decipher what elements of film advertisement are more recognisable to the selected audience.
Overall my group has benefitted from the survey as we can now use the information gathered to create a popular opening sequence to a thriller film, including the most popular elements voted in the survey. This will ensure that what is shown is wanted by our audience and the opening will be successful as it will follow the conventions and will suit the film.
Monday 3 November 2014
Openings of Thriller Films
To gauge and research how a thriller film is opened, a range of thriller openings should be analysed to learn about the different ways in which they are started so that my group and I can use this knowledge to help us in our own task of creating a thriller movie opening sequence and to do so successfully. Film openings of different styles ( like different producers and directors), different films from other countries and different sub genres should be analysed to ensure a range a styles are analysed so that we have lots of knowledge and so we can make our film opening professional.
Film 1- Die Hard 1988
The opening of 'Die Hard' starts out with the opening titles stating who the producers of the film are with some aeroplane backing noise being played behind this. This already implies the opening scene so the audience can expect what is coming next. This then cuts straight into a clip of an aeroplane landing with more titles in bold text in the top right hand corner of the screen. The bold block text then follows some of the storyline and themes as it connotes the idea of being brave and bold ( which the protagonist surely is as he saves the day) and links to the idea of being hard and tough which links to the title of the and the protagonists events within the film.
The next shot which is seen is a close up shot of a hand which is grasping the seats arm rests tightly and then a tilt shot to a close up of the mans face. The effect of this is to present initial emotion such as fear or nervousness which is seen here which is good as the audience can already start collecting an interpretation of the character before they have even said anything.
A shot using the rule of thirds rule is then shown with a close up of the main character Johns face and the view of the rest of the inside of the plane in the background however out of focus. This is a good shot as without anything said the editors want the audience to pay attention to John and the focus on his face increases the importance of his character in the scene which is an initial indication of him being the main character. It is also good as the surrounding can still be seen so the audience is still aware of where he is.
A cutaway shot is then used to focus on the passengers face, then cut to Johns gun and then back to the mans face. I like this shot as it presents the characters initial and final expressions when seeing the gun and is a good editing technique to show peoples reactions within film.
Speech 'Its ok Im a cop' is then good to the opening as the audience can gather more information on his character and can gauge that he is good as opposed to bad which is vital in a thriller film as they often include good and bad people. A play on words of the passenger is used by John as the passenger says 'Ive been doing it for 9 years' and John says ' Its ok I've been doing it for 11' which adds humour to the introduction so that the whole film isn't tense and that the tension can build up as the film progresses.
A scene once John is off the plane is then seen where he is sparking a cigarette in a dark area which quickly cuts to another completely different scene. The effect of this adds initial tension as it is a sudden change which follows the idea of the film being a thriller as a typical convention would be for sudden events or things to happen within thriller films. When John is smoking in the first of the two scenes, the ringing of bells is played in a creepy tone and the actually film title 'Die Hard' appears. This follows the idea of it being christmas time in the film using bells but with a slight twist in its tone to add a sense of something is going to happen that is bad which is literally what happens in the film.
Film 2- Silence of the Lambs
Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres.
The film starts with some shots of a woman running through the woods. The sweat on her face and back tells us that she is a hard and determined worker. You soon understand that it is clear to see that it is an assault course that she is on. The music at this time is very upbeat and fast paced which links to the fact that she is on an assault course. At this point you don't know anything about her but you soon tell that she has some connection with the police as a man wearing an F.B.I hat calls her over and tells her that somebody wants to see her. A tilt shot is used when you see a tree with signs on it. They each say; hurt, agony, pain, love-it. This is an very important iconic sign as it expresses her passion towards her job that she currently has. Each one of the words clarifys what her job involves.
The next shot you see is a big building. As the camera zooms in it tracks onto her running down a corridor. The shot then cuts to her walking down steps and entering a room which is full of guns and agents. By seeing this equipment you gather that her job is very dangerous and requires a lot of skill and courage. The music stays the same which relates to the danger of her job.
Finally she enters an lift that is full of men. This connotes how she is not portraying the stereotypical role of a woman. Her job is supposedly meant for men. This is binary opposition. Her running, job, guns and danger all back up this idea.
Film 3- Taken
After the well known Twentieth Century Fox gold statue opening, the film starts with a black background and the titles 'Twentieth Century Fox Presents' in white capital bold letters sliding inwards to the centre of the screen. The bold font used for this is the same font as on the movie cover which creates the effect of a well made film without there being any shots as the font is constant and doesn't change, making it seem like they belong to the same film. The contrast of the black on the white and the bold font makes the titles stand out which could then link to the protagonist of the film who certainly stands out for his skill and ability of tracking and saving his daughter which then links these two things together.
The first titles then fade out into a fuzzy video recording of a 5 year old girls birthday with eerie piano music in the background. Parts of the recording then flickers to speed up the scene and then one last flicker ends the scene to the male middle aged protagonist waking up from a dream in a chair. The initial effect of the fade gives a sense of mystery to the scene which follows the thriller conventions of a thriller having unsuspected parts and sudden changes which could happen just after the fade in the opening titles. The video recording is then on display but is shown as being a very old recording because of the crackles and fuzzy nature of it which gives the impression to the audience that it is many years old. The music along with this part of the film is eerie piano music which connotes the ideas of purity because of the high pitched piano but this contrasts because of its slight twist which gives the impressions to the audience that something isn't right which then links to the relationship the girl in the video has with her father ( the protagonist ) and how things go further wrong as the film continues. Parts of the video then flickers which speeds up the movement of the woman in the video. The effect of this is sudden which further links to thriller conventions and to sudden events which happen later in the film.
Finally a flicker ends the recording/dream and shows the dad/protagonist waking up with a continuation of the same music. A medium shot is then shown of the whole room and then a zoom in on a photo frame with the same girl in from the recording, and the movie title 'Taken' is shown next to this. The effect of this then shows the protagonist in the film and shows what his priorities are which is his daughter and also a foreshadows that something might happen to her because of the main focus on her in the opening, stressing her importance. The title then is in the same font as the others which further continues the specific font.
A scene is then seen where the protagonist goes to the shop and is greeted by the shop owner by his name and exactly what he wants without saying. This is because of many previous visits to the shop with one thing in mind for his daughter but not being able to buy this product. This then shows him living in the past and links to the dream he had earlier that day and him thinking about old times. This then further stresses importance of the daughter character and the mindset of the protagonist.
Finally a scene where he is wrapping up the present is seen with clown colourful paper covering it which then flicks to another scene of him going to the daughters party which has a mature setting. This then contrasts between the way the father sees the daughter and the way she actually is as he still sees her as his little girl because of the colourful colours on the paper which presents childishness, where in actual fact she is an older girl now and shows him still living in the past and the connection they have as being close.
The scene begins underwater creating a tense atmosphere almost instantaneously. It then continues to fill the screen with intense shades of dark blue, black and blood red. The audience is given their first glance at the main character (in which he can be identified as an actor via facial features) through the use of a target; already the film is introduced as an action thriller whilst also alluding to violence and conflict. The audience is then introduced to a female character although it can be inferred that she is not as important in the hierarchy of characters as the editing uses a jump cut to quickly revert attention from the females face, reinforcing the lack of importance; the camera focuses on her body rather than her face through the use of a tracking shot down the length of her entire body. It is also of great significance that she is present only in silhouette which presents elements of seduction as well as alluding to a mysterious and possibly toxic romance. As the credits are presented within the frame the mise-en-scene is extremely symbolic as the weapons that are falling to the sea bed turn into headstones of graves; this psychological imagery indicates the violence and tragedy that could be present within the film itself as it represents loss, death and consequence. The clip then enters vibrant shades of red which is an indexical sign that represents blood; this reinforces the violence present. There is then an extreme close-up of the main characters eyes which connotes feelings of intensity. It then goes on to present the main character in conflict with his own shadows; it can be interpreted that this allows the audience to presume that there will be elements of betrayal and the question of trust present within the film. The opposing element of fire is then introduced; the most natural contrast of fire vs. water represents the conflict/battle which is obviously a main theme within the film due to the numerous symbolic references. Feelings of betrayal are reinforced through the use of mirrors as the main character shows signs of defense, even against his own reflection; it could be argued that the lifestyle in which is focused on throughout the film could also induce feelings of paranoia.
Film 1- Die Hard 1988
The opening of 'Die Hard' starts out with the opening titles stating who the producers of the film are with some aeroplane backing noise being played behind this. This already implies the opening scene so the audience can expect what is coming next. This then cuts straight into a clip of an aeroplane landing with more titles in bold text in the top right hand corner of the screen. The bold block text then follows some of the storyline and themes as it connotes the idea of being brave and bold ( which the protagonist surely is as he saves the day) and links to the idea of being hard and tough which links to the title of the and the protagonists events within the film.
The next shot which is seen is a close up shot of a hand which is grasping the seats arm rests tightly and then a tilt shot to a close up of the mans face. The effect of this is to present initial emotion such as fear or nervousness which is seen here which is good as the audience can already start collecting an interpretation of the character before they have even said anything.
A shot using the rule of thirds rule is then shown with a close up of the main character Johns face and the view of the rest of the inside of the plane in the background however out of focus. This is a good shot as without anything said the editors want the audience to pay attention to John and the focus on his face increases the importance of his character in the scene which is an initial indication of him being the main character. It is also good as the surrounding can still be seen so the audience is still aware of where he is.
A cutaway shot is then used to focus on the passengers face, then cut to Johns gun and then back to the mans face. I like this shot as it presents the characters initial and final expressions when seeing the gun and is a good editing technique to show peoples reactions within film.
Speech 'Its ok Im a cop' is then good to the opening as the audience can gather more information on his character and can gauge that he is good as opposed to bad which is vital in a thriller film as they often include good and bad people. A play on words of the passenger is used by John as the passenger says 'Ive been doing it for 9 years' and John says ' Its ok I've been doing it for 11' which adds humour to the introduction so that the whole film isn't tense and that the tension can build up as the film progresses.
A scene once John is off the plane is then seen where he is sparking a cigarette in a dark area which quickly cuts to another completely different scene. The effect of this adds initial tension as it is a sudden change which follows the idea of the film being a thriller as a typical convention would be for sudden events or things to happen within thriller films. When John is smoking in the first of the two scenes, the ringing of bells is played in a creepy tone and the actually film title 'Die Hard' appears. This follows the idea of it being christmas time in the film using bells but with a slight twist in its tone to add a sense of something is going to happen that is bad which is literally what happens in the film.
Film 2- Silence of the Lambs
Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 American thriller film that blends elements of the crime and horror genres.
The film starts with some shots of a woman running through the woods. The sweat on her face and back tells us that she is a hard and determined worker. You soon understand that it is clear to see that it is an assault course that she is on. The music at this time is very upbeat and fast paced which links to the fact that she is on an assault course. At this point you don't know anything about her but you soon tell that she has some connection with the police as a man wearing an F.B.I hat calls her over and tells her that somebody wants to see her. A tilt shot is used when you see a tree with signs on it. They each say; hurt, agony, pain, love-it. This is an very important iconic sign as it expresses her passion towards her job that she currently has. Each one of the words clarifys what her job involves.
The next shot you see is a big building. As the camera zooms in it tracks onto her running down a corridor. The shot then cuts to her walking down steps and entering a room which is full of guns and agents. By seeing this equipment you gather that her job is very dangerous and requires a lot of skill and courage. The music stays the same which relates to the danger of her job.
Finally she enters an lift that is full of men. This connotes how she is not portraying the stereotypical role of a woman. Her job is supposedly meant for men. This is binary opposition. Her running, job, guns and danger all back up this idea.
Film 3- Taken
After the well known Twentieth Century Fox gold statue opening, the film starts with a black background and the titles 'Twentieth Century Fox Presents' in white capital bold letters sliding inwards to the centre of the screen. The bold font used for this is the same font as on the movie cover which creates the effect of a well made film without there being any shots as the font is constant and doesn't change, making it seem like they belong to the same film. The contrast of the black on the white and the bold font makes the titles stand out which could then link to the protagonist of the film who certainly stands out for his skill and ability of tracking and saving his daughter which then links these two things together.
The first titles then fade out into a fuzzy video recording of a 5 year old girls birthday with eerie piano music in the background. Parts of the recording then flickers to speed up the scene and then one last flicker ends the scene to the male middle aged protagonist waking up from a dream in a chair. The initial effect of the fade gives a sense of mystery to the scene which follows the thriller conventions of a thriller having unsuspected parts and sudden changes which could happen just after the fade in the opening titles. The video recording is then on display but is shown as being a very old recording because of the crackles and fuzzy nature of it which gives the impression to the audience that it is many years old. The music along with this part of the film is eerie piano music which connotes the ideas of purity because of the high pitched piano but this contrasts because of its slight twist which gives the impressions to the audience that something isn't right which then links to the relationship the girl in the video has with her father ( the protagonist ) and how things go further wrong as the film continues. Parts of the video then flickers which speeds up the movement of the woman in the video. The effect of this is sudden which further links to thriller conventions and to sudden events which happen later in the film.
Finally a flicker ends the recording/dream and shows the dad/protagonist waking up with a continuation of the same music. A medium shot is then shown of the whole room and then a zoom in on a photo frame with the same girl in from the recording, and the movie title 'Taken' is shown next to this. The effect of this then shows the protagonist in the film and shows what his priorities are which is his daughter and also a foreshadows that something might happen to her because of the main focus on her in the opening, stressing her importance. The title then is in the same font as the others which further continues the specific font.
A scene is then seen where the protagonist goes to the shop and is greeted by the shop owner by his name and exactly what he wants without saying. This is because of many previous visits to the shop with one thing in mind for his daughter but not being able to buy this product. This then shows him living in the past and links to the dream he had earlier that day and him thinking about old times. This then further stresses importance of the daughter character and the mindset of the protagonist.
Finally a scene where he is wrapping up the present is seen with clown colourful paper covering it which then flicks to another scene of him going to the daughters party which has a mature setting. This then contrasts between the way the father sees the daughter and the way she actually is as he still sees her as his little girl because of the colourful colours on the paper which presents childishness, where in actual fact she is an older girl now and shows him still living in the past and the connection they have as being close.
Opening Scene- James Bond: Skyfall
Within media, film makers produce a 2-5 minute introductory scene which is presented to the audience at the very beginning of the viewing; this clip is often referred to as the 'opening scene' or the 'title sequence'. Typically, within the first initial moments of the film the audience is introduced to a main character as the opening credits are also presented. Within this time, the characters role/status also becomes prominent towards the audience which allows them to form a fondness or a disliking towards them, depending on their agenda. However, it is also possible to take a more aesthetically pleasing approach by making the title sequence more artistic; by doing to you can captivate the attention of the audience and keep them guessing rather than entering straight into the initial storyline. Most opening sequences also contain a symbol/sign/song which will later be associated with the film itself and should hopefully be recognisable as an icon depending on the success and popularity of the film itself, e.g. The Hunger Games introduces the Mockingjay which later becomes an iconic symbol in association with the film; this symbol is now recognised even by those who have not personally seen the films themselves.
The scene begins underwater creating a tense atmosphere almost instantaneously. It then continues to fill the screen with intense shades of dark blue, black and blood red. The audience is given their first glance at the main character (in which he can be identified as an actor via facial features) through the use of a target; already the film is introduced as an action thriller whilst also alluding to violence and conflict. The audience is then introduced to a female character although it can be inferred that she is not as important in the hierarchy of characters as the editing uses a jump cut to quickly revert attention from the females face, reinforcing the lack of importance; the camera focuses on her body rather than her face through the use of a tracking shot down the length of her entire body. It is also of great significance that she is present only in silhouette which presents elements of seduction as well as alluding to a mysterious and possibly toxic romance. As the credits are presented within the frame the mise-en-scene is extremely symbolic as the weapons that are falling to the sea bed turn into headstones of graves; this psychological imagery indicates the violence and tragedy that could be present within the film itself as it represents loss, death and consequence. The clip then enters vibrant shades of red which is an indexical sign that represents blood; this reinforces the violence present. There is then an extreme close-up of the main characters eyes which connotes feelings of intensity. It then goes on to present the main character in conflict with his own shadows; it can be interpreted that this allows the audience to presume that there will be elements of betrayal and the question of trust present within the film. The opposing element of fire is then introduced; the most natural contrast of fire vs. water represents the conflict/battle which is obviously a main theme within the film due to the numerous symbolic references. Feelings of betrayal are reinforced through the use of mirrors as the main character shows signs of defense, even against his own reflection; it could be argued that the lifestyle in which is focused on throughout the film could also induce feelings of paranoia.
The opening begins as you see a young girl asleep in her bed. Music is playing as this all happens. An aerial shot is used to show how she is laying down in bed. The next shot fades in and her eyes are open. This reassures how the girl is now awake. The camera then tracks down to her hands as they are moving. Straight away you can tell she is moving them as in she is playing the piano. The screen after this blacks out and then comes in again as you can see her playing the piano. This relates back to the music as it was really her playing it. The music is quite wiry and puts you on edge. This connotes how the film is a thriller and you don't know what will happen next.
The next shot shown is a man figuratively cutting up a large sized meat. This backs up the idea of how you don't know what to expect as you wouldn't have thought that this would pop up. The girl continues to play the piano which sets the tone as disturbing as the two different scenarios don't match up.
Later on you see a man arrive at a butchers shop. This adds up as you understand that the man must be a butcher.
The next shot shown is a man figuratively cutting up a large sized meat. This backs up the idea of how you don't know what to expect as you wouldn't have thought that this would pop up. The girl continues to play the piano which sets the tone as disturbing as the two different scenarios don't match up.
Later on you see a man arrive at a butchers shop. This adds up as you understand that the man must be a butcher.
Thriller Genre Research
Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.
Primary Themes in Thrillers: the protagonist faces death, the antagonist is stronger physically or mentally, the protagonist ends up in a dangerous conflict, the protagonist and antagonist may battle, the main storyline is a mystery that has to be solved.
Key Thriller Elements: tense music, flash backs, quick cuts and change of camera angles, surprises and twists, anticipation, revenge, adrenaline rush, cliff hangers, pass of time sequences, paranoia, investigation, stalking, chase scenes.
Thriller sub-genres:
Action Thriller: An Action Thriller uses physical action to create suspense within the film, contains lots of violence and there is always an obvious antagonist. Includes ~ fights, chases, races, battles and physical stunts - Die Hard, The Bourne Identity, Taken, The November Man
Conspiracy Thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. - All the President's Men, Angels and Demons, Arlington Road
Crime Thriller: Incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. Usually centres on a murderer, robbery, serial killer or manhunt. The storyline focuses both around the criminal and the protagonist. Crime Thriller use both action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense - The Usual Suspects, The French Connection, Jagged Edge
Science Fiction Thriller: incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. Includes plots that revolve around alien invasions, dystopian scenarios and super diseases - Alien, Inception, District 9
Disaster Thriller: the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster: volcanoes, hurricanes, earthquakes. - Stormy Weather, Earthquake
Film Noir: Film-Noir is characterized by a black-and-white style with stark lighting effects. Film-Noir relies on a narrative voice and various flashbacks to explain the intricate plot. -Sunset Boulevard, Sweet Smell of Success
Legal Thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their careers but their lives. - And Justice For All, A Few Good Men, A Time To Kill
Political Thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. - The Hunt For Red October, JFK
Psychological Thriller: Incorporates elements of drama and mystery film. The suspense comes from the mind rather than from a physical threat. Many Psychological Thrillers cross over into the Horror Genre - Rear Window, Taxi Driver
Religious Thriller: Incorporates religious themes, including religious questions, ceremonies, and objects. Many Religious Thrillers include supernatural experiences not pertaining to a certain religion.Exorcisms, demon possession, and church cover-ups are typical themes of Religious Thrillers. - The Ninth Gate, The Devil's Advocate, The Da Vinci Code
Overall I have learnt that there are many sub genres within the 'Thriller' genre and that the thriller genre appeals to a wide audience of people. This is because of the sub genres as they all have different themes such as 'religious thriller' or 'crime thriller' which means some sub genres would appeal to some people and other sub genres would appeal to others making 'Thriller' Widely popular because of it diverse nature.
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