18.12.10

Audience Research Results





Do you like the 'end' of a film at the beginning of the film?


The results from this question show that half of the people surveyed do not mind if the opening is at the beginning which suggests that as long as their interest is maintained during the opening which is essential for the enjoyment of any film.




What time of day do you like the thriller opening to be set?


Most of the people surveyed said that they want the opening to be set during the night time as it is a very eerie atmosphere which is essential for the start of the thriller to get the atmosphere correct for the rest of the film.





Do you prefer 'fast' or 'slow' paced music in the opening?


Our results from the survey show that people prefer slow paced music. This could be because slow paced music aids in the setting of an atmosphere which is needed throughout the film as it helps to entice the audience in the world in which we are creating for them.

17.12.10




Questionnaire





Thriller, Hot or Not?



In this questionnaire we will be researching information about the opening of our thriller.


We are gathering the information about our thriller opening so that we can establish a unique and interesting idea that will appeal to our target audience.




Instructions:






  • circle appropriate answer.




  • Answer questions truthfully with your own opinion.


Question 1



Do you like the end of the film to be shown at the start?



Yes Sometimes No



Question 2



'I like a cliffhanger ending.'



Strongly Agree Agree Don't know Disagree Strongly Disagree



Question 3



Describe you ideal thriller location.



......................................................................................................................................



..............................................................................................................................



Question 4



Do you prefer fast paced or slow paced music at the beggining of a film?



Fast paced Slow paced



Question 5



List 3 features you expect from the following characters:



Killer:



...............................................................................................................................



.......................................................................................................................................



Victim:



.......................................................................................................................................



................................................................................................................................



Question



Do you like lots of titles at the start of the film?



Yes No



Question 7



What time of day do you expect a Thriller opening to be set?



Day time (Early Morning) Mid Day Nighttime



Question 8



Do you think the opening is an important part of the film?



Yes No



Why?



.......................................................................................................................................



................................................................................................................................



Are you male or female?



Male Female



What is your age?



.........

14.12.10

My Thriller Images

I think hat this is a good image because the fire looks very menacing and ominous, also you can not see what is being burnt. I think this would be a good shot in a thriller as it is a well composed shot and it is very mysterious which is good for the opening of a thriller when you are trying to create suspense.



I feel that this is a good shot as it follows the rule of thirds and it looks as though the trees/bushes on either side of the path are trying to cover the path. The shot is also good for the opening of a thriller because it is hard to tell what is at the end of the path and also, i feel that a thriller film is journey just like walking down this path.

I feel that this is a good shot because in the foreground you can see trees which makes it feel as though the camera is 'snooping' around just like in the opening to the sixth sense. In the background you can also see a building which raises questions such as 'What is in the building?' and 'Why is it hidden in the woods?'. This is a good thing because a thriller opening often leaves the audience asking questions which get answered later on in the film.


This shot also shows the rule of thirds with the trees on either side of the building and again rises questions to the audience. I think this is a good shot as it shows the building has been vandalised and in a slow opening to a thriller this shot would be used to set the scene to the audience.

I feel that this shot would be good for a thriller as the foreground is blurred which suggests movement to the prospective audience whilst the twigs and branches of the tree appear to be 'hiding' something which would raise questions to the audience engaging them deeper into the film.

12.12.10

Opening Sequence Analysis

'Analysing Kill Your Friends' and 'Two Eyes Staring' from http://www.watchthetitles.com/

Kill your friends uses a pan shot to show the opening titles. This is effective as it shows the audience aspects of the night before slowly, but it also has the names of the people who worked on the film hidden in the shots. This gives the viewer something to look for in every frame of the opening titles. A focus pull is used to draw the viewers attention onto the NME magazine which is showing the actors who are in the sequence. We can tell this is an opening sequence because it establishes the setting during the pan shot and is slow paced due to the editing.
The editing in kill your friends consists of mainly cuts bet there are a few transitions such as white flash which shows the audience that it has gone back in time and explained the previous shot by a flash back. This happens several times in the opening sequence but it also correlates with the party the night before, because as we begin we see the alcohol everywhere but as the pan shot continues we see drugs showing the audience how the night progressed.
In this opening sequence there was a lot of props, a few of which i have already mentioned but there a few clever techniques involved in prop selection. The credit card for example, has the name of the executive producer but the credit card is also there because of the drugs. All the props used fit in with the setting and the story that we have been shown through the flashbacks. the mise en scene of this piece relates to a student party or a high class sophisticated party because of the champagne. This tells the audience that the characters that haven't been introduced yet, are successful and maybe upper class as they are all in suits.
The sound in this piece is mostly non-diegetic as it is mood music to set the mood for the rest of the film.This shows that the morning after the previous night is very chilled out as nothing is moving but it also shows that only a fraction of the night before is remembered such as the flashbacks.
This is a very effective opening sequence as it doesn't give away the plot but it only provides the audience with snapshots of the night before which gives them the freedom to make up the rest of the night and also to let their imagination run wild with the possibilities of what could happen next.




Two Eyes Staring is a very different style of opening sequence to Kill Your Friends. The starting frames use an effect that looks as thought they are symmetrical and it also gives organic properties to the shots, such as one looks as though it is being filmed from the waters reflection on the surface. This property adds an eeriness to the shots making the audience feel on edge before the film has properly started. The opening images remind me of pictures that would be shown to psychopaths in older films to see what their interpretation of the images is, this could communicate to the viewer that what you see is not always correct creating an air of mystery.
In this opening sequence the only sound is non-diegetic where as in Kill Your Friends there was also diegetic sound. This aids in creating an eerie feeling as the music is very slow and mystical bridging between the shots. This opening would grab the audiences attention and prepare them for the film which is essential for a successful opening sequence.

This sequence is very low key and dull which also helps to calm the audience down before they start the film and to communicate to the viewer that what follows the sequence is very dark and ominous, it gives nothing away just like a good opening sequence should but it it would be hard for the audience to understand the reasoning for this selection of edits, shots and music until the film has begun or ended.

10.12.10

Double Indemnity Analysis



Cinematography:

The opening to Double Indemnity uses an establishing shot to show the erratic driving of the boss of the insurance firm. This makes the audience wonder what has happened or what is he speeding towards? When the car finally stops and the man exits the car the camera uses a tracking shot to follow the action as he enters the building. When he then enters the lift a two shot is used which is very effective as we still haven't seen the main characters face yet and he is resilient to carry on the conversation which also raises questions within the audience creating an air of mystery surrounding the character. As the main character enters his office we see him sit down (mid-shot) and as he has taken his jacket off it is revealed that he has been shot which is very mysterious for the audience as they do not know what has occurred previously. The next shot is a close up as he records the 'confession' which allows the audience to see the emotion in his face which is very effective.


Mise-en-Scene:

The main character is very mysterious. This is created for the audience through the costume as he is wearing a long trench coat so we can not see underneath it and a hat which covers his face for most of the opening. This character is also made more suspicious for the audience as when we see him drive it is very edgy which unnerves the audience as they do not know what is going on or going to happen. When the character sits down during the opening sequence he lights a cigarette which is very typical of the time as they didn't know the true harmful effects of smoking which helps to show the time the film was made (late 1930s). As it is a black and white film (film noir as it is classified today) the dull lighting and darkness aids in the prevention of revealing the main character as he is in the shadows. When it is revealed that the character has been shot, we see that he is wearing a suit which is very typical for the time the film was made/set as it is also seen in 'Kiss Me Deadly'.


Sound:

As soon as the credits start to roll we hear a very fast paced and edgy piece of music which creates a tense atmosphere for the film which is reinforced through the following shots as nothing is revealed to the audience creating an air of mystery. There is dialogue in the opening which is not usual for the thrillers we see today, the dialogue helps to tell the time period and the status of the characters as one is the boss and the other character operates the lift.


Editing:

Considering the time period in which the film was made there is no specialised effects within the film apart from the titles which are very particular. The size of the text that contained your name depends on the importance of the role played which is a very good idea as it easily communicates to the audience who is important. Also after the titles are shown they fade away to reveal a creepy background of a man with a limp walking towards the screen which is very mysteriouse.

Wallander Analysis



Cinematography:
The series Wallander uses a varying list of shot types for each opening of a new episode. The opening contained an establishing shot of two girls walking away from a car which is very effective as it doesn't give the audience too much information about the plot but it does inform them of the setting for the start of the episode. then, to reveal more to the audience the next shot is a two shot of two characters walking whom we assume to be the girls we saw in the previous shot again with this shot not revealing to much but making the audience ponder about their predicament. As the opening progresses more information is revealed through a series of close ups from inside the car which give the audience an idea as to what has happened but no idea as to the reasons. The close ups are very effective as they can reveal a lot to the audience but also make them ask questions about the stabbing. The audience may believe that there was a death at the start but then, as the extreme close ups are viewed, we realise that the victim is still alive as his eye twitches and we see his finger move. It is also later confirmed that the driver/victim is not dead through dialogue.




Mise-en-Scene:


This episode is set in a desolate and remote location where there is not a lot of people to witness the stabbing of the victim in the car. There are a few props used in the opening such as the car where the victim was stabbed, his car keys inform the audience he has a son as there is a picture of them together and it also shows the audience what he looks like as we only see close ups of him, a knife is used to show that there was a violent crime committed and we also see the taxi drivers license plate which shows the audience more about him. The two girls in the opening are dressed very casually which suggests to the audience that they were not expecting to stab someone making the audience wonder how and why they stabbed the taxi driver. The colour all throughout the opening is very low key and dull which adds to the atmospehere as it creates a depressing and sad feel to the episode which is very effective.




Sound:
At the very start of the episode there is a very loud and ominous tone which sets up the mood of the episode as it is a detective programme. As the sound builds up, more diegetic noises are heard such as wind , bird song, the footsteps of the characters walking away and panting from one of the female characters. Also the radio is on in the car which suggests to the audience that it was an unprovoked attack. As the titles roll across the screen an emotional, sad song is played which accompanies the titles well as it aids the setting of the atmosphere for the next part of the episode.




Editing:
The episode starts on a plauin black screen which the fades into the establishing shot which is very effective as the audience are unsure of what to expect. The main trasnsition used in the episode is straight cuts, this is an effective idea as if you addd in transistions they can make your film look like a trailer. The titles use visual effects which is very captivating as they are not plain and also a sound bridge is used to ensure that the opening runs smoothly and to add the atmosphere created by the music.

Kiss Me Deadly Analysis








The Title of the Film


The title of the film (8) comes up on the screen after the film has begun and the lady has been rescued by the man in the car. The title also appears with the rest of the titles unlike 'Brick' where it is the main title only. By appearing during the opening sequence of the film, the title has managed to attract the audiences attention as they have become engaged in the plot. Another interesting thing about the titles is that it appears by scrolling from the top of the screen ton the bottom like 'Star Wars'. I feel that having the title of the film in the middle of the opening is very effective as it raises questions to the audience about it and why the film is named 'Kiss Me Deadly'.

The Revealing of the Location

The location is revealed through the use of an establishing shot which allows the audience to see the surroundings that the character is involved with such as in this film (2) where it shows her on a dark stretch of road with no cars in sight. This also raises questions as we do not know how she got there or why she is running or who from. This is a very good technique to show the scene as it provides the audience with a lot of information although they do not realise it.

Costumes and Props

The female character is wearing a long trench coat which makes her suspicious as we do not know what she is hiding underneath but as the opening progresses the male character informs us that she isn't wearing anything underneath which makes the audience consider her to be a 'victim' and to have low status. This allows the audience to ponder on what happened to her and why she is only wearing a trench coat. The male character is shown to be driving a white car which shows his purity and that he is the 'hero' of the film. He is also shown to be wearing a suit which makes the audience think that he is in a job with high authority although when the film is put into context it makes sense.

Camera Work

In this opening the director has decided to use an omniscient approach to filming the opening. He used a close up of the lady's legs (1) to show the panic she is feeling and a close up of her face to show her emotion which is also reinforced through her panting. The camera seems to be tracking the women as she runs towards the cars trying to hitchhike, this would be very effective in my film as it will give more information about the main character. Another interesting shot used is a low-angle shot (3) which shows the female character as having a low status which also reinforces the fact that she is a victim. The mid-shot (5) shows the female character to be in the same position as 'Jesus on the cross' which could suggest to the audience that she is a 'good' character rather than an evil lady who has just escaped from a hospital for the mentally ill. Another interesting technique used in this opening is the face that it is in black and white which makes the scenes later in the film more chilling to the audience as there is now emotion shown through colours just lighting.

Genre

We can clearly see that this is Thriller as the opening uses a sountrack that would get the audience in the cinema to be quite as they are trying to entice the audience into the plot. Another key point is that the film uses slow edits to calm the audience down just before the film begins and so that they can gain key information about the charcters and what roles they are to play in the rest of the film.

8.12.10

'Brick'



The Title of the Film

The title of the film is very interesting as there are many different interpretations of what it could mean but as we watch the film the main character says "I did what you said with that brick" to an unknown character on the other end of the phone. This leaves the audience guessing what he did with the brick and who he is talking to just as a car speeds past him which the character seems to recognise creating suspense.

The Revealing of the Location

The setting is revealed very slowly, first by showing the characters feet after panning over the wall. It them reveals part of his 'girlfriend' who is lying face down in a storm drain which is also revealed piece by piece. The time of day is made clear to the audience through the use of natural light as there is daylight which is clearly visible to the audience after the setting is revealed. Like most good thrillers, this film has also started at the end to make the audience become intrigued and wish to know what has happened. After the first location is revealed, a sound bridge is used to change location to a school. We can tell it is a school because of the bell and the way the setting has lockers lined up.

Costumes and Props

The main character is wearing jeans and a polo shirt which shows his age to the audience where as the girl contrasts with that as she is wearing high heels, a blue bracelet and a jumper, she looks as if she is about to go out but when she is first shown to the audience she is covered in mud which suggests that she was not expecting the events to unfold in the way they did. As the scene changes the blue bracelet is used as a bridge which also shows that the characters were wearing the same costume for the whole event over the two days.

Camera work

The camera is first used to show extreme close ups of the characters as the setting is revealed which helps to show to the audience that the male character is upset and that there is something not right with the female character. The rule of thirds is also used in every shot which is very interesting as it makes each shot interesting and aids in drawing in the audience. Another technique used is eye line match and continuity editing which help to make the story believable and show what the character sees as though we are looking through his eyes which helps to raise questions about the film so the audience become more intertwined with the story.

Title and Font Style

the title of the film, 'Brick', is in capital letters, written in plain white on a black background to make it stand out. The title is placed after the setting is revealed to the audience so we can still hear the diegetic sound and again, like most thrillers, the title is in solid, traditional font which doesn't reveal anything to the audience.

Story

The story of the film is that the main character is investigating the disappearance of his girlfriend at his High School. Although it is a very basic idea the camera work and twist that are revealed to the audience make an interesting film.

Genre

We can tell that this is a thriller film because at the beginning of the film there is an eerie non diegetic sound of bells which helps to settle the audience but also to create an atmosphere of uneasiness and suspense which is maintained throughout the film. It also has a slow paced opening which is typical of a thriller as it settles the audience so they are ready to watch the film.

7.12.10

Sixth Sense Opening Sequence Analysis

Youtube Sixth Sense Opening.


The Title of the film


The sixth sense title refers to the sense the boy has that enables him to see 'dead people'. if you had not seen this film before you would be intrigued by the title as you would want to know the sense that it refers to which would entice potential audiences.


Setting/location

The film opens in the basement of the families home, we appear to be spying on the lady as she picks out a bottle of wine to celebrate her husbands achievement. the house the film opens in is a very posh American house (8). we can tell that it is American because of their accents and we also know it is a posh household as we can tell from the size and their costumes (4).


Costumes

The costumes seen are very typical of posh people as they are very smart but we can tell the characters are not comfortable in their dining clothes as they change into a sweater and the female covers up. The costume of the previous patient is very clever as he is only in his briefs, this makes the audience feel uncomfortable and we can tell it makes the characters uncomfortable, it also helps to show the character is disturbed.






Camera work/editing

In this opening sequence there are a lot of closeups of the characters (1)(2)(12) which helps to show their emotion and show the audience that something is up (12)but some mid shots are also used to show how the characters feel about each other (4). I think it is very effective where the shadow of the character in the bathroom passes over the other two characters and they then both react and we see their facial expressions (9). There are no unusual editing techniques in this opening like 'Momento' but i think that the normal cutting of shots is very effective for this style of opening sequence.

Title font/style

The titles role onto the screen in a light blue on a black background like 'Momento' apart from the title of the film 'gleans' to catch the attendance of the audience. Again, the titles are all in capitals which make them stand out but are in a very simplistic, old font. The font is not important in this film as it is just there to announce who was involved in the film and has no major significance.

Story - how it sets up film

The rest of the film, like the sequence, leaves the audience confused and intrigued in the plot of the story. the opening sets up the film very well as the audience would never expect the ending, but the opening sequence does lead to it. Although the opening sequence is very good, i feel that the rest of the film lets it down as it is not as gripping as the opening.






Genre - show how opening suggests it
We can tell that the film is a thriller as the opening throws you straight into the action and then progresses with the story. Also, it involves some of the key thriller opening elements such as the first scene (2) where the audience appear to be spying on the lady as she gets a bottle of wine. The music at the beginning also suggests it is a thriller as it is very mysterious and chilling which settles the audience before they are sucked into the world created by the film.


How characters are introduced.

The characters are introduced to the audience in the sirst shot. But, typically of a thriller no information is revealed about them until the next scene when the dialogue begins (3)(4). Slowly as the characters are revealed we, the audience, begin to gain a view of there past such as when the character (11) appears in the bathroom we discover that although the main character recieved an award for helping children he isnt able to help all his patients but he does remember them.


Special shots/effects
In this opening i think that shot (1) was very effective as it is a very artistic shot but it also gets the audience questioning what is going on on. I feel this is very effective as it is a nice shiot and it works in creating a spooky atmosphere along with the next shot (2) which suggests the audience are watching her from the shadows again creating a spooky feeling.

6.12.10

Memento - Opening Sequence







The Opening Sequence of 'Memento'


The opening sequence for Memento is very interesting as it begins at the end of the film. Before we see any on-screen action the titles are played on a plain black background written in a navy blue, bold font which helps to settle the audience and prepare them for the rest of the film. Throughout the opening sequence there is a slow non diegetic piece of music playing in the background which also helps to get the audience settled but it is also a sad piece of music which aids the opening sequence as it starts at the end of the film with a gruesome death. The Title of the film, 'Memento', first appears over a plain black background but as it fades to a lighter shade of blue as the first shot of the film appears. It is a close up of the main characters hand holding a photo, or memento, of a man who has been shot previously. This opening sequence is very effective as it is played in reverse which is very effective because we, the audience, dont know why a man has been shot or who the characters are which sets up the plot of the film and helps the audience to become 'involved' in the film.


Setting:


the first scene of 'Memento' does not give the audience an insight into the rest of the setting as it is a series of closeups shot in a dark and secluded place which is fitting as a man has just been murdered. The setting is however slowly shown throughput the film to reveal itself as being a small town.


Mise-en-scene:


There are a few key props in the beginning of this opening sequence which are shown throughout the film, such as the camera (2), which is used so the main character can remember familiar faces, places and his car. Another key prop is the gun (6) which represents the violence of the film and helps to show the audience that the film is going to contain death. as the first scene involves the shooting of a man unknown to the audience there is a close up of the bullet casing (3) which is a very powerful shot as it shows that it was a cold blooded murder as there is only one bullet casing. The characters in this film all wear typical costume to represent normal people living in the town showing that they are all unimportant until the story progresses and the plot thickens. The lighting in the first scene is very dull as it is incorporated with death apart from when we see the camera flash and when we see the main character as there is a doorway allowing 'natural' light in.


Sound:


At the beginning of the sequence there is a slow piece of non diegetic music playing in the background which helps to settle the audience for the film and create a tense atmosphere for the audience as they don't know what is about to appear on the screen. During the first sequence of shots the diegetic sound is enhanced to have more of an impact on the audience such as the camera flash and all the sounds leading up to the shooting. there is no dialogue in this opening sequence which is very effective as ti creates an air of mystery about the film as the audience do not understand why a man was killed at this point of the film.


Camera angles/shot types and editing:


A main chunk of the opening sequence is shot as close ups as you can see from the screenshots. This is very effective as it helps to increase the impact of each shot and it helps to show the emotion in the characters faces. As you can see from screenshot (4) the film also uses different angles in the opening sequence as it has a very moving effect on the audience as it show blood pooling around the dead character. Also, another interesting thing about this title sequence which makes it completely different from any other title sequence is the fact the whole oping is played in reverse. This is a very clever technique as it shows the audience key bits of information but in the wrong order. this is very much like the film as the film slowly progresses giving the audience as little information as possible at a time.

27.11.10

The Sixth Sense - Trailer

This sixth sense trailer grabs the audiences attention as it is straight in on the action from the film but only gives away the least about the film it can to the audience to allow the film to retain as much of the surprises of the film as possible. This trailer has a voice over from Bruce Willis which tells the audience that he is in the film but also helps them to understand the trailer and a basic outline of the plot. This trailer is edited to create short clips which creates a fast pace montage which creates an air of mystery surroundinmg the film which helps to persuade the veiwer to go and watch the film.

25.11.10

Unbreakable Trailer

This is a trailer for the thriller,Unbreakable. We can tell this is a thriller trailer because it gives the audience a hint as to what has happened and gets them thinking about what is going to happen as the plot thickens. This short clip also shows the action scenes from the film at a fast pace using montage editing, a voice over is also used to help to explain the brief story but also to leave the audience questioning as to why he was untouched by the train wreck and how it changed his life. This trailer is very effective as it helps to persuade the audience to go and watch the film so their questions can be answered.

Unbreakable Opening Sequence

This openig sequence is very effective as it grabs the audiences attention straight away but it reveals nothing about the plot but keeps the veiwer in suspense by using long, slow paced shots with little editing. We can tell this is a opening sequence because it shows the title sequence and provides the setting for the audience so they can familiarise with it and the characters. Also, this scene helps to establish the mood for the story and create an atmoshphere and we, the audience can tell that it is going to lead into a narrative.

23.11.10

Se7en Opening Sequence

Although this is an opening sequence it also has aspects of the trailer, such as the montage editing which creates a shroud of mystery . This is helped by the sound track which accompanies the shots which helps to grab the attention of the viewer to hook them on the plot. this opening sequence is fast paced as it is a montage of the titles before the film but if the clip was longer it would show that when the film storyline begins the speed of the editing slows down.

Se7en Trailer



This trailer for seven is very effective as it is ta fast pace and shows a lot of the action from the film without giving away key information, just an overview of the plot. This trailer also shows the actors who are in the film which may also help persuade people to see this film. The voice over gives the audience added information which helps them to understand the trailer but also adds an air of mystery.

26.10.10

What Titles

The tiles in a film are used to show the different people who have contributed to the film and their roles in the film such as:


  • Director - the person who directs the film.
  • Lighting Director - tells the people where the light should be and the levels of light.
  • Actors
  • The film Title
  • Producers
  • Executive Producers
  • Casting Director - chooses the actors to play certain roles.
  • Costume Designer - who designed the clothing for the film to fit a mood or an era.
  • Music - who directed the music or decided what type of music was to be played.
  • Director of Photography - the person in charge of the shot types and the camera position.
  • Written by ... - the person who adapted the idea for viewing in the cinema/on television.
Or it shows which companies have paid for the film to be produced such as:
  • 20th Century Fox
  • Metro Goldwyn Mayor (MGM)
  • Hollywood Pictures
  • Spyglass Entertainment

25.10.10

What Does A Title Sequence Look Like?

A title sequence helps to show the audience who produced, edited and acted in the film. The last section of the opening sequence titles is the film title. This is normally presented in a unique way such as 'Momento' where it appears as the background fades from black into the first shot of the film. The mood a title sequence creates depends on the genre of the film, a thriller films title has non diegetic sound accompanying it which helps to set the mood for the rest of the film, calm the audience down and helps to present the film.

24.10.10

Thrillers - Opening Sequences Vs Trailers

Opening sequences and media trailers are different.
A trailer gives an overview of the story or the plot of the film and shows the 'good bits' of the film with a voice over telling the audience the details of the film. A trailer also tells the audience who is acting in the film which creates hype about the film especially if there are a lot of famous actors. It doesn't give away the key information in the film otherwise there would be no reason to see the film. A trailer uses lots of shots edited at a fast pace to create a montage about the film to promote it. The point of a trailer is to persuade audiences to go and see the film where as an opening sequence is used to calm down the audience in preparation for the film.
An opening sequence also establishes the setting for the film and helps the audience to familiarise with the setting and introduces them to the main characters through the titles and by using slow paced shots of them which also helps to establish the mood of the film and creates an atmosphere. This atmosphere also helps the viewers to feel engaged within the story hooking them and grabbing their attention. The point of an opening sequence is o settle down the audience and to get them engaged in the story so that it can have more of an impact on them.

23.10.10

The Brief

My brief is to create a title and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

Conventions of a Thriller

A thriller uses suspense, tension and excitement to draw in the audience and commonly hide key information from the audience to create the tension between characters and also to create suspense within the audience. The opening to a Thriller is generally slow to calm to get the audience settled and entice them into the film. Another aspect of a thriller is that hints are given towards the outcome of the film throughout, this allows the audience to geuss what will happen during the film creating an air of mystery and suspense within the film.

22.10.10

Preliminary Film

Peer Feedback - Preliminary Task

The feedback I received from my peers was that at the beginning the walk didn't flow as our match on action was not very accurate. It was commented that our CCTV style shot was very innovative and an original idea. We had very good continuity editing according to the group, such as our 180 degree rule and our eye line match was very good but could of been used more frequently. It was also suggested that we added in a master shot to show the audience where the characters are positioned. The general consensus was that our film was very fluent and our continuity editing helped us to make a very innovative piece of film.

How will this feedback be used?
In my next piece of film, I shall try to add in a master before dialogue to ensure that the audience know where the characters are. I will also try to ensure that the film flows and we have used as much continuity editing to keep the audience entertained and believing in the situation I want to create.

21.10.10

Preliminary Task


In our last lesson, we had to film a sequence of a character walking down a hallway, opening a door to a room and then starting dialogue with another character. We planned out our sequence in a story board which we made as accurate as possible to ensure we knew what we were doing as we were filming our shots. We used a lot of continuity editing to ensure that our film ran smoothly but also used specialised editing techniques to make our storyline interesting. As a group we decided to ensure that we used a varied range of camera shot types and other media techniques.
we used the 180 degree rule which is where, as you are filming dialogue, you keep the characters to their side of the frame to ensure that the sequence ensures continuity. the only time you can change this is if you actively show the camera changing sides of the character during the dialogue. My group used a lot of match on action shots to ensure that we kept continuity to keep the audience captivated and believing in our interesting yet short storyline.

WWW - Due to the fact that we kept to our 180 degree rule and matched on action our film was able to flow smoothly as we used and stuck to the continuity editing techniques. Also, our editing made the film very interesting as we edited shots to make it look as though we had filmed through CCTV.
EBI - Firstly, our film could be even better if we had more of a storyline as we didn't have much time to complete our storyboard and then add in a very detailed plot. Secondly, in our dialogue section we had to use the same shot during the first section of the dialogue as our main character was in a different position to the previous over-the-shoulder shot.

18.10.10

Induction - EBI

The task that i thought was not very effective was the 'Donnie Darko' scene we had to recreate. I think this was due to our continuity editing which was very hard to do as you had to think of many things at once as you are filming. There are several rules you have to think of whilst filming a continuous linear narrative such as the Master Shot, 180 degree rule, eye-line match and shot reverse shot to name a few. You also have to make sure the actors are in the same positions that they were in in the last frame to keep continuity. Putting all this together is very hard as you can always tell when you went wrong as shots do not match or objects/settings are different. I can see that this is going to take a lot of work and thought to get it right in the future.

Induction - WWW

The induction task I enjoyed the most was the 'Push A Little Button' task. I enjoyed creating a montage and learning a new range of media skills that I didn't know before, for example, I learnt a range of shot types and how to position a camera to get a nice looking shot by conforming to the rule of thirds, golden mean and actually thinking about what was put in the frame. I also learnt how to edit my montage on iMovie with transitions to make it more interesting and how to use effects to make my groups work stand out. Our work was very effective as it recreated the original advert accurately and we also had the soundtrack and what sounded like a professional voice over by asking a media teacher (who is an ex-announcer on the radio) to do it for us so we had some variation to other groups.

17.10.10

Media blog practice


Firstly click the 'add image' button then select 'browse'. Select the image you want to add and press 'open' then 'upload' to add the image to your blog.