Friday 29 November 2013

Production Roles - Miss Miller

Within all films the film creators will be allocated numerous specific jobs which will contribute towards making the final film. To create a thriller film certain individuals are allocated specific jobs which they are most suited to these jobs can either effect the on-screen image or can contribute towards the editing of the film. The main roles within creating a film are producers, directors, actors, cameraman (director of photography), music producers, screenplay writer, MES Coordinators, editors. Each of these roles are assigned to a specific person who is skilled in that role and can do the best possible individual job in order to create a successful film.

As a group we discussed which individual will be best suited for each specific role and we concluded that each of our group members will have a significant impact on the production of our opening thriller sequence. A few of the roles will be distributed to numerous members of the group such as screenplay writer and editors, we decided that the group would complete these tasks together as it allows for numerous different opinions which will result in a better film.

Earlier in our research process we decided that our actors would be Ellie Holt, as the victim, and Jack Noakes as the antagonist. We decided that Ellie would make a successful victim as she is a young, attractive and blonde. These traits mean our target audience can easily relate to her and form a relationship with her. Her being blonde is also significant as stereotypically within thriller films the blonde victim represents vulnerability to the audience which presents her in danger and entices the audience as the had previously formed a relationship with the character. We decided to use Jack as the antagonist as he is quite tall and therefore stereotypically more intimidating due to his superior stature. This was the main factor in allocating our antagonist as he would be wearing a mask and dressed in a specific manner therefore his appearance was not as significant as his overall size. Within these roles both Ellie and Jack acted out the actions in specific ways we asked to create a full narrative with a appropriate atmosphere.

We decided that the director and cameraman would both be Benjamin Yarwood. We thought that he was best suited for these roles as he had previously used video camera's and therefore had experience in film. This meant that he was able to successfully link each shot making a flowing film which follows the narrative. He was also able to successfully choose appropriate shots which created the desired effect for each frame. This role involved Benjamin filming everything acted out by the acts as well as numerous other shots which set the scene and created a specific event. Benjamin had to choose a appropriate angle and shot to film each shot and had to consider numerous things such as lighting. The fact that he had previously used the camera made the production process easier as her could quickly set it up and edit many settings to make it suit that particular scene.

I was assigned the roles of producer and screenplay writer. Within my group i was influential in creating a narrative which was conventional to the thriller genre and successfully evoke emotions within the audience. I was also producer, i was suitable for this role as i was able to ensure that we had the appropriate facilities to make our opening sequence. I also arranged the location which it would be filmed in, the location i chose i believe was successful as it created a mysterious eery atmosphere and immediately created suspense.

The majority of the editing roles such as the main editing and music producers was done by Michelle Wood and Wai-Lam, they was also mise-en-scene coordinators. They was both very good at editing and adding appropriate music because they had both previously used the software and therefore knew how to cut each frame to make a flowing scene which also adds to the intended atmosphere. They also successfully dictated the speed of each scene which influenced the narrative. This  role involved them using 'Final Cut Pro X' to edit each scene together to create a flowing narrative. It also involved them adding numerous effects to enhance this narrative. Similarly they had to add sound effects and music which would enhance what is being seen on screen and evoke further emotions. They also had to add conventional credits and a title within our opening sequence which would give recognition to all those involved in its production.

To conclude i believe that allocating each of our group members a specific role within the filming sequence will result in a better opening sequence as that group member will is the most talented in that particular field and therefore can produce the best possible outcome in comparison with other group members. It will also make the production process easier and more efficient as they will know exactly how to achieve what we have planned and they can achieve this to a superior standard and in a shorter space of time in comparison to other group members.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Inspirations - Miss Miller

Inspiration is defined as a stimulation to do creative work and within this project i took inspiration from numrous other films from the thriller genre to give myself a idea of what will create a successful opening sequence. During this project i have reasearched numerous different thriller films and how they use each individual micro-element to create a full scene and create the intended atmosphere, and i have taken inspiration from each of these elements to help create my opening scene.

Within my cinematography research i studied the thriller 'The Strangers' this film used numerous different camera shots to create various effects and within my thriller i aim to use cinematography to achieve a similar outcome. My research into the film 'The Strangers' revealed that a consistant use of long shots successfully establishes as well as making the protagonist appear vulnerable and small. The consistant use of long shots also emphasises the extreme close up of things which are significant to the narrative.

To futher my knowledge of mise-en-scene i studied The Omen. This research showed that the five mise-en-scene elements of setting and iconography, costume hair and make-up, facial expressions and body language and lighting have a significant effect on the narrative and the atmosphere of the scene. The Omen uses a happy setting of a fair ground with bright lighting this contrasts the actions within the scene whoch highlights the horror of the occurances. The costumes portray the focal characters as extremely wealthy this makes them appear to be living a happy life but in reality they are living a troubled life.

I also studied Saw 5 to further my knowledge of the conventional editing effects used within the thriller genre. This film was a good film to gain inspiration for editing as it frequently changes pace and the editing they use makes this contrast in pace less obvious. Within this Saw 5 clip the montage effect is frequently used when the victims head violently shakes to represent his distress and panic. Thrillers frequently use this effect as it successfully creates excitement and allows for the audience to empaphise with the charcters panic.

Planning Opening Credits - Miss Georgiou

 
Credits play a important role within all genres as they give the audience a idea of who made the film, this could possibly give the audience a very slight idea of what will feature within the film if they are aware of the film-makers previous work. Credits also give them film-makers recognition for their contribution in creating the film. The listing of the actors which will feature entices the audience as they be a fan of that specific actor and able to relate to their appearance, this means that the audience will hope that this character doesn't get into any danger and stays safe.

The credits within the thriller film Se7en are written in a white font with a contrasting black background. This contrast between light and dark could also possibly represent the contrast between good and evil. This is often used within thrillers as it immediately gives the audience a slight idea of the narrative as it suggests that  there will be competition between a protagonist and antagonist. These credits also are shaking about violently and handwritten this immediately creates a eery feel of uncertainty as the names don't stay still. The scruffy handwritten font also creates a mysterious feel as the audience wonder who wrote it. As these credits are being played there are numerous different images in the background such as a man reading the bible, this particular image is peculiar as it is random but it does connote that the narrative will be linked with religion which suggests that the characters are helpless and vulnerable.

As we group we discussed what credits we plan to feature and we came to the conclusion that our credits will give recognition to all members of the group. This means that our credits will be shorter than stereotypical thriller credits as we will include less names because we have less people to give regonistion to in comparison to a large film production crew. Our credits will list the names of: Beau Abery, Benjamin Yarwood, Michelle Wood, Wailam Pang, Ellie Holt and Jack Noakes. These names will indivually listed in our first scene when the car is seen driving down a dark scary road, this is a suitbale scene for the opening scenes as there is slow paced which means the audience will be more focused on the credits.

The fonts and styles which feature within thriller films vary depending on the sub-genre of the thriller, the font and style of he title will also be similar to the fonts and styles this is because they are trying to build a certain atmosphere. For example this poster uses the same scruffy hand written font which appears to have been carved into something. The font used within this poster is also used within the opening credits this means there is a consistant eery atmosphere created. The title is red which rpresents danger and blood, it also contrasts the background which helps it stand out. The white font used for their names is white which also contrasts the black background which draws the audiences eyes to actors which could appeal to their target audience. The white font could also represtent innocence and purity of the characters they play, this use of colours could represent the contrast betwen good and evil.
 

Thursday 21 November 2013

Planning Sound - Miss Miller

Sound plays a vitol role within the thriller genre, even-more-so than any other genre, as thriller films revolve around suspense, shock and exciting scenes and sound is involved heavily in creating these specific emotions. Thrillers usually heavily feature non-diegetic sound such as sound effects and music rather than diegetic sound which are more significant within the majority of other genres as they rely more on dialogue to influence the narrative. This huge impact on the film means that the sound within a film has to be planned and this planning process plays a vital role within the planning process as it gives the film maker a clear idea of what sound they will use for each frame and its affect on the audience and narrative.

Within my opening thriller i will initially use a lot of diegetic sound to set the scene, this lack of music and other sound effects also adds suspense as it makes the scene extremely quiet. For example as the car drives down the road at the start of our sequence the audience will only be able to hear the car engine and the car radio. This creates a normal atmosphere and lures the audience into a false sense of security before the following chaotic occurances. It also is very relatable for the audience as they have often been in these situations which helps create a relationship between the characters and audience. This sound effect is often used within the thriller genre as it creates a sense of normality as they can decipher where the origin of the sound is and therefore are not left confused by it and can focus on more significant elements.

Following this initial diegetic sound a significant use of a car alarm will be used. This is another example of on-screen diegetic sound as the sound is caused by something which can be seen within the frame and is not added within the editing process. Hopefully this use of a car alarm will shock the audience as we will had previously used numerous other elements to create suspense, this means they will be on the edge of their seat and enticed into the calmness the scene has created, this calmness contradicts the car alarm whcih will be loud and hopefully shock the audience.

As the narrative progresses the pace of the scene increases. Sound will play a crucial part in increasing this pace and creating excitement within the audience, to do this we will use fast paced music which is a example of non-diegetic sound. This music will reflect the action on screen and will therefore get the audience heart racing as the music will be loud and fast and in context with the visual. This technique is often used within numerous film genres as well as thrillers as it successfully creates excitement and can be adapted to suit numerous different scene's. Fast paced music is conventional to the thriller genre as it enhances the excitement within the audience dramatically and can therefore successfully get the audience's heart racing when necessary.

During this fast paced scene we will include a sudden decline in pace before using the same fast paced music again. During this brief slow section we will include parallel sound as we will include the non-diegetic sound effect of a heartbeat. This sound will reflect the noise from footsteps as well as the protagonists heavy breathing. This will make the audience empaphise with the charcter as these particular sounds of  a fast heartbeat and heavy breathing suggest that she is in distress and scared. Within the thriller genre parrllel sound is not particularly common and raely features but when it does it is also used in similar situations with similar sounds.

To conclude we plan to use numerous different sounds effects to create scenes which create suspense and contrasting scenes which create excitement. This will make our thriller more conventional as films within the thriller genre often use similar sound effects and music to evoke the emotions of suspense and excitement. The sound we plan to use will emphasise the effects we created on-screen this means that it will engross the audience in the narrative.







Tuesday 19 November 2013

Group Storyboard - Miss Miller

Within the planning process of my opening thriller sequence me and my group each made a individual storyboard which recorded how we will shoot each scene. As a group we compared our individual storyboards to create a group storyboard. This group storyboard stated camera shot, location, iconography, lighting, actors, sound, editing and narrative description as well as a rough picture. Each of these elements gives us a clear idea of exactly how we are going to create each scene. We used elements from each individual storyboard to create a completed final group storyboard.

Monday 18 November 2013

Planning Characters - Miss Miller

Characters are the main focal point within any film and play a key role in engrossing the audience. Characters keep the audience engaged as they form a relationship with specific characters. This means they are more interested in the narrative as they are concerned about what will happen to this character. Characters also play a crucial role within the narrative as stereotypical thrillers will follow a protagonist being terrorised by either ghosts or the antagonists therefore the narrative will closely follow this journey usually focussing on the victims, such as the Purge, or in rare occasions the narrative follows the antagonist like in Human Centipede 2.

My opening thriller sequence will only consist of two main focal characters. We plan to use a blonde female victim and a masked male villain. These two types are stereotypically used within the thriller genre as the blonde female victim is often appears vulnerable which adds to the fear factor within the audience as they are aware of the antagonists superior stature over the victim. Her 'normal' appearance also allows the audience to easily relate to this character and therefore can empathise with there emotion.

 The antagonist is also stereotypical to a thriller film as he will be masked and quite tall, this will make him appear powerful and intimidating due to his superior stature. The mask will hide his identity making appear mysterious and create suspense as well as making him appear scary. This type of killer is very common within the thriller genre used in many films such as Scream and The Strangers this is because a simple contrast between the sizes of the two characters easily makes the victim appear mor vulnerable and in more danger. Masks are usually worn by villains as it hides the identity and see fore creates suspense as it could be anybody within the film and therefore the audience don't know how or why he is acting in such a brutal manner.

Our victim will be played by Ellie Holt, she will be blonde female who's about 17 years old this is a stereotypical victim to the thriller genre which means the audience will immediately recognise her as vulnerable. This character will reflect a large number of our audience therefore characters of similar age and gender will be able to relate to her and instantly form a relationship. This bond they form and the 'vulnerable' stereotype means that the audience will be extremely interested in the film as they don't want her to be in any danger yet they know she most probably will be.

The other focal character will be a tall 25 year old man who will be significantly wearing a mask. He will be wearing a mask throughout the opening sequence which is stereotypical to a thriller as it is often used to create suspense due to the unknown identity of the antagonist. The villain is the main method used within thrillers to create fear within the audience as they have formed a bond with the protagonist and therefore his position of power is emphasised by the vulnerable victim.

To conclude character play a vital role within the narrative as they are stereotypically the focal point within thriller story lines, they also help intice the audience as the audience will for, bonds with the characters they can relate to therefore they are conscious of that characters journey and its outcome. The characters I plan to use are stereotypical to the genre as the young blonde victim is relateble to my target audience and the tall intimidating villain immediately evokes fear within the audience.

Sunday 17 November 2013

Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller

Cinematography is defined as the art of movie photography, this includes both the shooting and development of film but is usually used to refer to the use of camera angles and shots within a scene. Cinematography plays a crucial role within thriller films as it uses specific camera shots to evoke certain emotions within the audience and help form a bond between the characters and audience. After releasing this significance me and my group decided to plan what cinematography we plan to use and what effect it will have. Following this planning we concluded that we will use cinematography to specifically emphasise the suspense scene at the beginning of the scene and the fast-paced, exciting chase scene.

The first use of cinematography within our clip will be a establishing/panning shot. This shot is often used within thriller films to set the scene and also give the audience a slight understanding of what might take place within the film as they can possibly recognise the setting and relate to it. Our establishing/panning shot will follow a car (driven by the antagonist) down a dark scary road with a grand mysterious tower in the background. As well as setting the scene we hope this camera shot creates suspense as it is showing a mysterious setting and successfully capturing the eery elements such as the tower and nights sky.

We will follow this shot with another significant shot to the narrative. This shot will be a long shot as well as a shallow focus shot and partially a POV shot. This shot will film the car mirror and in the reflection of the mirror will be standing in the distance in a mask. This shot has a huge impact on the narrative because it is the first appearance of the antagonist and will therefore create suspense as the audience are scared due to his hidden identity and use of iconography. A shot similar to this is often used within thtiller films as the antagonist is usually spotted in the distance but partially hidden.

Within my opening scene i also plan to successfully use a point-of-view shot to create excitement within the audience and empathise with the characters. I will use a POV shot during my chase scene and will be the view of the victim who's running for her life, this is a stereotypical use of a POV shot as it helps the audience empathise with the emotions felt by the characters and therefore excites them as the character is in danger.

This POV shot is similar to a hand-held shot which we will also use is quick succession with this POV shot, this shot creates a scene of panic and chaos within the audience as the camera is usually violently shaking. This makes the audience scared as they had previously made a relationship with this character and now this shot portrays them in a chaotic situation. Both shots (POV and handheld) feature within the majority of thriller films during the exciting fast paced scene's to also create excitement. A handheld shot is used to document the vast majority of the scenes within the famous thriller series Paranormal Activity, within these films they document the scary occurances through a camera used by one of the focal characters. This helps create a relationship between the characters and audience as they can relate to their use of a camera.


To conclude cinematography plays a key role in evoking specific emotions and within our thriller we plan to use numerous conventional camera shots to create a certain affect and atmosphere and evoke emotions which will entice the audience and enhance the narrative.

Planning Editing Styles - Miss Georgiou

Why is editing important in a thriller film?
What editing styles will you include within your sequence, why and what effect would this create?
How are your editing styles conventional to a thriller?
How will the editing appeal to the audience?

Why is editing important in a thriller film?

 Editing plays a crucial role within any thriller film as this is what joins each individual shot to create a continual scene. Editing also plays a pivotal role in evoking emotions and adding to the atmosphere being created. For example if the editing is fast it creates excitement within the audience and if the editing is slow it creates a sense of enigma.

What editing styles will you include within your sequence, why and what effect would this create?

Within my thriller opening sequence I plan to use a variety of different editing effects. In the start of my clip i plan to use slow editing, this is where clips are juxtaposed together at a slower pace this creates suspense and is suitable of the slow start to my scene. For the chase scene within my opening thriller clip i aim to use a variety of fast paced editing effects such as the montage effect and straight cuts. All these effects add to the excitement as it is a adrenaline rush for the audience.

How are your editing styles conventional to a thriller?

The editing techniques i plan to use are typically used within majority of thriller films as they consistantly create the three main emotions felt by the audience during a thriller; suspense, shock and suprise. The method im using to create the suspense element is often used within thrillers. To create suspense i am to use slow editing with minimal shot changes and cuts, this adds a sense of realism to the scene and helps thee audience empaphise with the sitiuation. To shock/suprise the audience following the slow editing used to create the suspense i am to use a fast cut to catch the audience by suprise. Editing will be most significant in adding to the excitment felt by the audience during the fast chase scene. To create this excitement during the chase scene i will use numerous fast cuts and the montage effect, this gets the audience excited as

How will the editing appeal to the audience?

I hope to make my editing appealing to my audience by evoking emotions which reflect the one felt by the characters on screen. I believe the most appealing use of editing within my opening sequence will be the use of fast editing and the montage effect. These techniques will reflect the fast paced action on screen and will excite the audience as it gets their heart racing.



















































Thursday 7 November 2013

Planning Mise-En-Scene - Miss Georgiou

Why is mise-en-scene important?

Mise-en-scene plays a huge part within all films, in specific thriller films. Mise-en-scene is definied as everything the audience can see within the frame and it consists of 5 main elements; setting & iconography, costume hair and make-up, facial expressions & body language, positioning and lighting. Each of these individual elements plays a unique role in creating the intended atmosphere desired by the film makers. Mise-en-scene is important because it sets the scene and dictates what effect is created within this scene.

What is the mise-en-scene of our thriller clip include images and elements?

For our opening thriller sequence we aim to use various settings such as a car park and a forest. The iconography we plan to feature is a knife, car and a mask. The characters in our clothing will both be wearing casual, every-day clothes apart from the mask worn by the antagonist. The facial expressions of the villain will not be seen due to the mask but his body language will be very relaxed and calm. This contrast the body language of the victim who will be very panicked and rushed, this will also be reflected by her facial expressions. The lighting will be contrasting and basic, for the forest scene we will only be using the natural dark light and for the car park scene the light will be bright with dark corners.

How is the mise-en-scene conventional to a thriller film?

Within thriller films mise-en-scene plays a pivatol role in creating the threee main emotions of; suspense, shock and suprise. Mise-en-scene is typically used within thriller films as each of the 5 mise-en-scene elements commonly feature within a thriller film, for example the setting usually pplays a huge role in creating a intended atmosphere. Iconography mainly features within crime thrillers as the weapons use are a focal point. Costumes and make-up are not particularly significant for the protagonists as they typically wear normal everyday clothes with common make-up. This differs from the significance of the costume and make-up worn as these play a big role for the antagonist as they can possibly make them appear much more scary with the use of things like masks. Facial expressions and body language play a huge role in evoking emotions within the audience as they often empaphise with the emotions portrayed by the characters. Positioning plays a more pivatol role within thriller films than typically in other films as the villains are often cleverly positioned in particular positions which give them empowerment other the protagonists making the victims look vulnerable. The lighting is often very similar within all thriller films as low-key lighting is very heavly used within thrillers to make the villoains appear mysterious and hides them from the protagonist, this also makes the victim appear more vulnerable.

How can your thriller build a relationship with your target audience?

I plan to use the majority of the 5 mise-en-scene elements to help create a relationship between the characters and audience, within my opening thriller sequence. I believe the setting i'm using will appeal to my target audience of 16-25 year olds as it set in a common urban location which is reltable for my audience as they will have been in the location on many occasions and therefore can partially realte to the characters situation. Costumes similarly plays a huge role in creating a relationships between the audience characters because if the audience are wearing clothes which the audience would typically wear than they can again relate to the characters as they can picture themselves in that situation. Body language and facial expressions have the most significant role in causing the audience to empaphise with the characters so within my thrilller clip i am to exaggerate the emotions to evoke reflecting emotions within the audience. Lighting and positioning have a less important role in creating relationships as they are more focussed towards creating a sense of enigma within thriller films.


Monday 4 November 2013

Individual Storyboard - Miss Miller

Within the planning process for my thriller opening thriller sequence i created a storyboard. This storyboard consisted of a recording of the camera shot, location, lighting, sound, editing and narrative description. Each of these elements would make up a complete scene, this gives me a clear understand on what i wish to create for each individual scene. Storyboards allow the film makers to understand what shot they will use to film each specific frame this makes the production process much easier as they know exactly what shot to use for each scene. I created my individual storyboard to help contribute and give ideas towards our final group storyboard as well as giving us a clear idea of what shots to use for each frame.

For my first frame i aim to use a tracking shot which follows a car along a dark nights road with low key lighting. I aim to use slow music and enigma sounds to create mystery. The editing for this scene would be a straight cut as it doesn't link with other frames. I plan for the scene to last roughly 10 seconds as the audience need a clear idea of where the film is set.

I will follow this frame with a second scene which will document the protagonist walking away from her car, in a dark neglected car park, and as she does so the car alarm goes off and she has a climps of a masked man with a knife in the reflection of the car mirror. To film this specific frame i aim to use a long shot as it can capture the villain as well as the victim in one shot which makes her look vulnerable. The lighting will be contrastingly bright to the dark outside but with dark parts for the villain to remain hidden and anonymous and create more mystery. The only sound which will feature will be the car alarm, the silence either side of this alarm will emphasise its effect which is to initially shock the audience then to create tension. This scene will require a long duration of 20 seconds as it is the introduction of characters therefore the audience will need time to make relationships with the characters so they can empathise with their emotions and situation.

For my third frame the narrative has progressed and the protagonist is evidently scared of the mysterious man and has run out of the car park and in to a nearby forest, the villain calmly follows her in a tormenting manor. The camera shot used will be point-of-view this, as well as the montage editing, will create a sense of panic within the audience. This sense of panic and chaos will also be reflected by sound which will be footsteps and heavy breathing. The dark, low-key lighting and forest setting also create panic because of the mysterious effect it creates. I took inspiration for this forest chase scene from the thriller 'The Strangers' which follows a similar protagonist as she is chased through a forest by a masked villain, although the context of the two chases is different i believe that the chase scene within 'The Strangers' created a lot of excitement within the audience and i wish to re-create this.


Saturday 2 November 2013

Preliminary Task - Miss Georgiou

This task consisted of me and my group creating a short clip which would feature two characters having a conversation. For this task me and my group filmed a character entering a room and participating in a basic conversation with another character, them leaving the room. To create this scene we had to use a variety of camera angles and successfully edited them together to make a complete scene.

Within our clip we used numerous different camera angles. For example we used a establishing/panning shot to follow the character as she entered the room this gave the audience a idea of the scene. We then used a common over-the-shoulder shot to document the couple of lines of dialogue, this angle is frequently used within thriller films during conversations as it shows the characters expressions as they converse. Then we was required to edited each shot together to create a smooth full scene. This part was difficult as when filming we hadn't taken many precautions to reduce outside noise and influences this resulted in many unsuitable noises and un-wanted characters in the clip. This meant we had to edit more than others to make the clip successful

I believe this task has given the group a clear idea of what it requires to create a good opening thriller clip. It also increased our knowledge of how to use the camera and editing software