Friday 6 May 2011
Evaluation Activity 7
Progression from Preliminary to Final Product
Editing and Camerawork
In our preliminary task our group had little experience of camerawork and editing videos. We were told by our teachers that our preliminary task was a chance to introduce ourselves to the camera and also have a go at using the editing software. One of the main things that we needed to include in our prliminary was the use of match on action, the 180 degree rule and a shot-reverse shot.
The match on action showed the same shot but form a different angle or perspective, the 180 degree rule ensures that the audience are clear about where the actors are and the shot-reverse shot involves filming two people back and forth for example, in a conversation. We used all of these three techniques in our preliminary task but after consideration concluded that we made a lot of mistakes that needed to be rectified before the final product. The first mistake we made was the match on action shot of James walking down the stairs which we felt we could have improved considerably to make it more effective to the film. The next mistake we made was that the 180 degree rule was not adhered to and the audience could see the wrong side of the actors which made it seem unrealistic and unprofessional. We also made mistakes during editing for example when we were trying to build tension by using rapid editing we accidently cut out vital shots that were very important to the preliminary task.
After watching our thriller we all immediately decided that the general use of camerawork and editing techniques that had been used had greatly improved since the preliminary task. The first example of this that we noticed was when we reviewed the shot from inside the freezer and agreed that this shot was a great use of camera that gave a good effect on the outcome of the thriller. An example of editing that we had improved on by our final piece was the use of fades and wipes that were inputed inbetween scenes to link shots together without having an unnatural break. Our fades were much sharper and the wipes were used correctly to ensure that they went almost unnoticed with the audience.
Sound and mise-en-scene were also things that we noticed had improved from our preliminary task for example, the props we used such as the knife and the spotlight gave the final product more character whereas in our preliminary there was a lack of props that were important to the scene. Sound was used throughout our final piece but the vital difference between it and that of our preliminary was the times at which it reached a high point and developed the level of tension in the scene. Overall we improved greatly from preliminary to final piece, however, the mistakes that we made at first were recognised and altered for our final piece which contributed to it being of a much higher quality in terms of camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene.
Editing and Camerawork
In our preliminary task our group had little experience of camerawork and editing videos. We were told by our teachers that our preliminary task was a chance to introduce ourselves to the camera and also have a go at using the editing software. One of the main things that we needed to include in our prliminary was the use of match on action, the 180 degree rule and a shot-reverse shot.
The match on action showed the same shot but form a different angle or perspective, the 180 degree rule ensures that the audience are clear about where the actors are and the shot-reverse shot involves filming two people back and forth for example, in a conversation. We used all of these three techniques in our preliminary task but after consideration concluded that we made a lot of mistakes that needed to be rectified before the final product. The first mistake we made was the match on action shot of James walking down the stairs which we felt we could have improved considerably to make it more effective to the film. The next mistake we made was that the 180 degree rule was not adhered to and the audience could see the wrong side of the actors which made it seem unrealistic and unprofessional. We also made mistakes during editing for example when we were trying to build tension by using rapid editing we accidently cut out vital shots that were very important to the preliminary task.
After watching our thriller we all immediately decided that the general use of camerawork and editing techniques that had been used had greatly improved since the preliminary task. The first example of this that we noticed was when we reviewed the shot from inside the freezer and agreed that this shot was a great use of camera that gave a good effect on the outcome of the thriller. An example of editing that we had improved on by our final piece was the use of fades and wipes that were inputed inbetween scenes to link shots together without having an unnatural break. Our fades were much sharper and the wipes were used correctly to ensure that they went almost unnoticed with the audience.
Sound and mise-en-scene were also things that we noticed had improved from our preliminary task for example, the props we used such as the knife and the spotlight gave the final product more character whereas in our preliminary there was a lack of props that were important to the scene. Sound was used throughout our final piece but the vital difference between it and that of our preliminary was the times at which it reached a high point and developed the level of tension in the scene. Overall we improved greatly from preliminary to final piece, however, the mistakes that we made at first were recognised and altered for our final piece which contributed to it being of a much higher quality in terms of camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene.
Thursday 5 May 2011
Monday 2 May 2011
Friday 29 April 2011
Evaluation Activity 4
The primary target audience for our thriller was predominently men aged between 15 and 35. Our thriller had a gangster theme running throughout which may have attracted a slightly older audience who were interested in gangster films. Films like 'Goodfellas' and 'The Godfather' are examples of gangster-thrillers and people who liked these films were a target for our thriller.
When identifying our target audience we looked at what films they watched, where they shopped, their favourite t.v programme and other characteristics that meant they would be a target for our thriller.
Pete Holden was an ideal example for the audience we were targeting as he fitted the characteristics that we believed meant he would enjoy our thriller. His dress sense was very casual but also fashionable and in tone with the theme of gangster that ran throughout our thriller opening as you can see with the hoody he is wearing. This shows he may have a dark side like many of the characters in our thriller opening. His music taste contained a variety of music genres but his particular favourites were drum and bass, grime and rap and examples of some of these are found in our thriller which meant there was potential he would enjoy our clip.
Pete's favourite T.V programme was 'The Sopranos' which is a gangster series set in America. One of the themes of our thriller was gangster and so he immediately seemed to fit in as our target audience. Our thriller was similar to the sopranos series as it involved murder, revenge and torture. The fact that our clip was similar to the programme meant that it was very likey Pete would enjoy our thriller opening.
 |
| Pete Holden |
Pete's favourite T.V programme was 'The Sopranos' which is a gangster series set in America. One of the themes of our thriller was gangster and so he immediately seemed to fit in as our target audience. Our thriller was similar to the sopranos series as it involved murder, revenge and torture. The fact that our clip was similar to the programme meant that it was very likey Pete would enjoy our thriller opening.
Thursday 28 April 2011
Evaluation Activity 2
We have decided to compare our main thriller character (Nathan) to the antagonist from the film 'Scream'. They are both very similar as they are dressed all in black garments, making their identity a secret to the viewer and would make them want to find out who the mysterious figure actually is. Some of the attributes that Nathan has, have been reflected in the character that we have created and used in our film opening. Despite all of these similarities there are also a few differences.
Similarities:
- Both characters are holding a everyday weapon that could be picked up from anywhere.
- They both sneak up on their victims before attacking them.
- The main similarity between the two is that they are both peering around a corner at their victims before they attack them.
- Both antagonists are played by male characters, this is because the male gender are stereotypically very dominant and they viewer would believe it to be a greater thriller if the victim were chased by a very tall man, rather than a smaller female.
- Both antagonist's body languages are very open and tall, in a standing position ready to attack their victim.
Differences:
- Unlike in our thriller, the antagonist in 'Scream' is wearing a mask to cover his identity, whereas Nathan is wearing a balaclava.
- In 'Scream' the antagonist teases the victim by calling them, causing them to be scared that something is going to happen. In our thriller Nathan approaches me without any warnings, therefore making it a silent attack.
- In our thriller Nathan is not wearing any cloves whilst holding the knife, but in 'Scream' the antagonist is wearing gloves to prevent any tracks of DNA being found on the knife.
- The villain in 'Scream' usually uses the knives to kill the victims, unlike ours where Nathan uses ether on a cloth to knock the victim unconscious, then the killing of him is not shown and the clip just shows Nathan walking out.
Sunday 17 April 2011
Evaluation Activity 1
Title of Our Thriller
The title of our thriller uses conventions of a thriller as it is a one-word title 'Retribution'. This supports thriller conventions as it is basic, straight to the point, but also shocking and gives the viewer the image in their mind of revenge. The colours used in the title are black and white which are both colours associated with thriller conventions. The black shows the darkness of the opening for example when Nathan murders Ryan, whereas the white shows the purity and innocence that Ryan has as he is attacked maliciously.
Setting
The first setting used in our thriller was James Mathews' house in Ongar. This setting challenged thriller conventions as the house was not a haunting or scary place and as it was done in the day time there was no tension created by darkness. Our second setting was a shed in James' garden and this setting did support thriller conventions for many reasons. The shed was old and appeared derelict, also almost all light was blocked out of the shed and this therefore, created a lot of tension. We were able to use a spotlight to shine in the victim's face as a result of the darkness and this worked well with the effect that we wanted to achieve in that scene. Settings used for the chase scene also supported thriller conventions as they were quiet country roads that appeared away from the public eye.
Costumes and props
Nathan's costume - Dark, hooded clothes immediately showed the audience that he was the antagonist in the thriller and this strongly supported previous thriller conventions.
Ryan's costume - Casual, everyday clothes gave the audience the impression that Ryan was the protagonist in the film and he was the innocent victim that was attacked maliciously which supported thriller conventions.
James' costume - James' costume at first appears to be innocent but after he disocvers Ryan's death he can then be seen to change as he searches for revenge. His dark jacket and trousers show how he has now become the attacker which is again supporting previous thriller conventions.
Camerawork and Editing
The main editing technique that we used effectively was rapid editing to quicken up our thriller and increase the level of tension that was present during the opening. This is a technique often used in thriller films and so therefore, strongly supports thriller conventions. Another editing technique that we used was title sequences at the beginning and end of our thriller. These included the names of the actors in the thriller and the title at the very end of the clip which came up in bold letters at the climax of the opening. This again supports thriller conventions as there are often title sequences used at the beginning of the film to set the scene of the film and build up tension. Also the title being used at the end shocks the viewers as it comes in at a very important time in the opening which is a technique that has been used in other famous thrillers. We used a lot of close-ups in our clip as it gets across the emotion of the characters and shows reaction shots. This is another technique that is commonly used in thrillers and therfore supports thriller conventions.
Story and Opening
The story of our thriller supports thriller conventions as it has a gangster theme running throughout and invloves a plot where a character is murdered, and then his friend seeks revenge. This is very similar to gangster films such as 'Goodfellas' and 'The Godfather'. The opening of our clip is engaging and immediately shock the viewers as Ryan is attacked in his house and murdered. Also at the very beginning of our thriller, shots of events that will happen throughout the clip are showed for example, the picture above. This supports thriller conventions as this is used in many thrillers to give viewers a sense of what to expect and to put an image in their mind.
Genre and Opening
The genre of our clip is gangster-thriller and this is suggested in the opening by the way that James seeks revenge for the death of his friend by using violence. This supports other films of this genre as it shows how James is following the belief that you must fight violence with violence which is a way that a lot of gangs behave in other similar films. Another way in which the opening suggests it is gangster based, is the costumes that are used, particular Nathan’s, and the final setting in the dark shed. These are all conventions of a gangster-thriller and help suggest that to the viewer clearly.
The title of our thriller uses conventions of a thriller as it is a one-word title 'Retribution'. This supports thriller conventions as it is basic, straight to the point, but also shocking and gives the viewer the image in their mind of revenge. The colours used in the title are black and white which are both colours associated with thriller conventions. The black shows the darkness of the opening for example when Nathan murders Ryan, whereas the white shows the purity and innocence that Ryan has as he is attacked maliciously.
Setting
The first setting used in our thriller was James Mathews' house in Ongar. This setting challenged thriller conventions as the house was not a haunting or scary place and as it was done in the day time there was no tension created by darkness. Our second setting was a shed in James' garden and this setting did support thriller conventions for many reasons. The shed was old and appeared derelict, also almost all light was blocked out of the shed and this therefore, created a lot of tension. We were able to use a spotlight to shine in the victim's face as a result of the darkness and this worked well with the effect that we wanted to achieve in that scene. Settings used for the chase scene also supported thriller conventions as they were quiet country roads that appeared away from the public eye.
Costumes and props
Nathan's costume - Dark, hooded clothes immediately showed the audience that he was the antagonist in the thriller and this strongly supported previous thriller conventions.
Ryan's costume - Casual, everyday clothes gave the audience the impression that Ryan was the protagonist in the film and he was the innocent victim that was attacked maliciously which supported thriller conventions.
James' costume - James' costume at first appears to be innocent but after he disocvers Ryan's death he can then be seen to change as he searches for revenge. His dark jacket and trousers show how he has now become the attacker which is again supporting previous thriller conventions.
Camerawork and Editing
The main editing technique that we used effectively was rapid editing to quicken up our thriller and increase the level of tension that was present during the opening. This is a technique often used in thriller films and so therefore, strongly supports thriller conventions. Another editing technique that we used was title sequences at the beginning and end of our thriller. These included the names of the actors in the thriller and the title at the very end of the clip which came up in bold letters at the climax of the opening. This again supports thriller conventions as there are often title sequences used at the beginning of the film to set the scene of the film and build up tension. Also the title being used at the end shocks the viewers as it comes in at a very important time in the opening which is a technique that has been used in other famous thrillers. We used a lot of close-ups in our clip as it gets across the emotion of the characters and shows reaction shots. This is another technique that is commonly used in thrillers and therfore supports thriller conventions.
Story and Opening
The story of our thriller supports thriller conventions as it has a gangster theme running throughout and invloves a plot where a character is murdered, and then his friend seeks revenge. This is very similar to gangster films such as 'Goodfellas' and 'The Godfather'. The opening of our clip is engaging and immediately shock the viewers as Ryan is attacked in his house and murdered. Also at the very beginning of our thriller, shots of events that will happen throughout the clip are showed for example, the picture above. This supports thriller conventions as this is used in many thrillers to give viewers a sense of what to expect and to put an image in their mind.
Genre and Opening
The genre of our clip is gangster-thriller and this is suggested in the opening by the way that James seeks revenge for the death of his friend by using violence. This supports other films of this genre as it shows how James is following the belief that you must fight violence with violence which is a way that a lot of gangs behave in other similar films. Another way in which the opening suggests it is gangster based, is the costumes that are used, particular Nathan’s, and the final setting in the dark shed. These are all conventions of a gangster-thriller and help suggest that to the viewer clearly.
Character Introductions
Ryan’s introduction shows him walking into his house appearing seemingly innocent and unaware of anything being wrong. This immediately gives the viewers the impression that he is the protagonist and his costume also supports this.
Nathan’s introduction immediately shows him as the antagonist in the film as he is dressed in hooded black clothes and holding a knife. Also the way he appears supports thriller conventions as he slowly comes out from hiding and walks towards Ryan without fear.
James’ introduction is frantic and injects pace into the thriller. The audience start to wonder why he is in such a hurry and this element of surprise and question is again supporting thriller conventions.
Saturday 16 April 2011
Audience Feedback
From watching our thriller, we decided we needed some input from other people. I recorded a few people that had viewed our thriller and asked them their opinions of the thriller, what could improve it etc. Having a audience feedback was vital to our group as we felt that the input of others could help us improve our thriller; making it to the best of it's ability. Out of the five people that i had questioned about our thriller, i randomly chose two of them and have put them on here:
Thursday 14 April 2011
Character profile 'Ryan'
In our thriller Ryan is the protagonist, he is the only character that doesn't have a villain side to him, throughout the whole of the film. We are first introduced to him as he is returning home from a day at school; making a cup of tea. His role starts by him returning home from an average day at school but is unaware that there is someone else in his house. We do not find out a lot about Ryan throughout the thriller as he is killed off by the antagonist; using ether on a cloth and leaving him dead on the floor.Costume
After dicussing the costumes that Ryan could wear, we decided he had to wear both brigh
t clothes to represent the protagonist and slightly casual clothing to look as if he had just returned from school. If Ryan was to wear tracksuit bottoms and had no schoolbag, then he wouldnt fit his role of being at school. He is wearing light blue jeans and a navy jumper, this also proves that he is the antagonist as bright colours represent that he is not the villain. Furthermore, he is wearing sports shoes and his school bag as a prop; showing he had been to school.Tuesday 12 April 2011
Character profile 'Nathan'
Nathans character is the antagonist in our thriller, he is the most violent character as he kills the protagonist in the. Nathan's real identity is not shown throughout the thriller, there's a camera shot showing a suspect but his real identity is covered up by a cliffhanger ending; leaving the thriller a mystery to the viewer.
We are first introduced to Nathan at the protagonists house, when he appears round a corner of the door peering at the protagonist, getting ready to attack him. Instantly he provides action for the thriller by the attack and the viewer can tell he is going to be a key character through the thriller. Nathan is not involved in any communications throughout the thriller, meaning that his personality is disclosed so he could be anybody. However, his actions and body language throughout the thriller express the fact that he is a very aggressive male. Nathan is seen as a bulky character with a substantial height on him, making him very intimidating and so that he fits the role of his antagonist character perfectly.
Towards the end of the clip Nathan is seen running away from a car, showing that he has done something wrong and does not want to be caught; he has a fear of getting caught. The next scene shows Nathan tied to a chair in a mysterious room with his attacker behind him about to reveal his identity, unfortunately it is left leaving the viewer in suspense as they never find out his true identity because it cuts to the title of our thriller; 'Retribution'.
Costume
Once thinking things over, we decided what costumes would make the antagonist as believable and extremely intimidating. The fact that Nathan is the antagonist character in the thriller, he has to fit his role perfectly, wearing dark clothes and being very aggressive towards the protagonist during the attack. For his costume, we decided he has to wear black tracksuit bottoms with a black jumper, this represents the character has a very dark side to him. Furthermore, Nathan is wearing a black balaclava; covering his identity, which is a key fact in the thriller as without the balaclava it would leave our thriller with no mystery behind it.
We are first introduced to Nathan at the protagonists house, when he appears round a corner of the door peering at the protagonist, getting ready to attack him. Instantly he provides action for the thriller by the attack and the viewer can tell he is going to be a key character through the thriller. Nathan is not involved in any communications throughout the thriller, meaning that his personality is disclosed so he could be anybody. However, his actions and body language throughout the thriller express the fact that he is a very aggressive male. Nathan is seen as a bulky character with a substantial height on him, making him very intimidating and so that he fits the role of his antagonist character perfectly.
Towards the end of the clip Nathan is seen running away from a car, showing that he has done something wrong and does not want to be caught; he has a fear of getting caught. The next scene shows Nathan tied to a chair in a mysterious room with his attacker behind him about to reveal his identity, unfortunately it is left leaving the viewer in suspense as they never find out his true identity because it cuts to the title of our thriller; 'Retribution'.
Costume
Once thinking things over, we decided what costumes would make the antagonist as believable and extremely intimidating. The fact that Nathan is the antagonist character in the thriller, he has to fit his role perfectly, wearing dark clothes and being very aggressive towards the protagonist during the attack. For his costume, we decided he has to wear black tracksuit bottoms with a black jumper, this represents the character has a very dark side to him. Furthermore, Nathan is wearing a black balaclava; covering his identity, which is a key fact in the thriller as without the balaclava it would leave our thriller with no mystery behind it.Tuesday 5 April 2011
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Thursday 31 March 2011
Editing diary
Once we gathered all the footage we needed for the thriller, I began to edit them. I started off introducing a sound track to create tension before an image was shown, the music used for the tension is a slow piano and flute piece. As the thriller goes on the music start to get quicker and I change the soundtrack to set the mood of the scene; the tempo increases as the physical elements of the thriller come into play. After the physical scene of the thriller the music then gains a slower tempo again when Nathan is tied up to a chair adding to previous tension created, leaving the viewer in suspense of what is going to happen to Nathan. The opening of our thriller begins what a few taster cuts of what is to come throughout the duration of the thriller. Followed by all of the names involved within the thriller and also our company name 'NJR Productions'. The reason for this being that we felt if the viewer had a little teaser of what is going to happen then it would make them intrigued on what is to come. When editing it we had recorded a part where I find Ryan on the floor murdered and I remember seeing a suspected figure walking from Ryan's house. To make the thriller look realistic I decided to do a clip making it a flash and go into slow motion making it seem like a real flashback, of the walking suspect. Furthermore, it gives the viewer an idea of what James is thinking; building tension of what is going to happen next.
Coming towards then end of the thriller, the last clip is of Nathan tied up in a chair with a balacalver over his face in a dark room with nothing but a garden light shining on him. We recorded a clip of me coming up behind Nathan and taking of his balacalver so his identity was revealed. As the name of our thriller 'Retribution' was not shown on thriller yet, I thought it would be a good idea to leave the audience in suspense. When I remove the balacalver from Nathan to leave the audience in suspense we agreed that if we cut out his identity at the end and replaced it with a flash and then 'Retribution' appearing, leaving it with a cliffhanger ending with the music is still playing with a blank screen leaving a mystery behind the thriller.Tuesday 15 March 2011
Symbol | Name | Definition/Notes |
Universal | All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children. Films under this category should not upset children over 4. Examples: FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Incredibles | |
Parental Guidance | All ages admitted, but certain scenes may be unsuitable for children under 8. Example: The Simpsons Movie, Toy Story, Tron: Legacy | |
12A | Cinema only. Introduced in 2002. Films under this category are considered to be unsuitable for very young people. Those aged under 12 years are only admitted if accompanied by an adult, aged at least 18 years, at all times during the motion picture. However, it is generally not recommended that children under 12 years should watch the film. Films under this category can contain mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, commonly used milder swear words, and moderate violence/sex references. Examples: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pirates of the Caribbean, Yes Man, Fred: The Movie | |
Home media only since 2002. 12A-rated films are usually given a 12 certificate for the VHS/DVD version unless extra material has been added that requires a higher rating. Nobody younger than 12 can rent or buy a 12-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game. Films in this category may include infrequent drugs, infrequent use of strong language, brief nudity, discreet sexual activity, and moderate violence. | ||
Only those over 15 years are admitted. Nobody younger than 15 can rent or buy a 15-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category can contain adult themes, hard drugs, strong words, moderate-strong violence/sex references, and mild non-detailed sex activity. Examples: The Uninvited, Good Luck Chuck, Love and Other Drugs | ||
Only adults are admitted. Nobody younger than 18 can rent or buy an 18-rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game, or watch a film in the cinema with this rating. Films under this category do not have limitation on the bad language that is used. Hard drugs are generally allowed, and strong violence/sex references along with non-detailed sex activity is also allowed. Examples: In Bruges, Saw III, Jackass 3D | ||
Only adults are admitted, and can only be shown at licensed cinemas or sold at sex shops. Films under this category have material the BBFC does not allow for its "18" rating, thus the violence and sex activity will be stronger in R18-rated VHSs, DVDs and films than those rated "18," however, there is still a range of material that is often cut from the R18 rating. More cuts are demanded in this category than any other category. |
Monday 14 March 2011
Saturday 12 March 2011
Wednesday 9 March 2011
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Props and Costumes
Props in a thriller film are often included for a symbolic effect, for example the characters may have props that are personal to them which give a glimpse of how that character may influence the outcome of the film. An example of this would be a man with an expensive car, this could be seen as symbolic of the man's personality showing him as flash, arrogant and egotistic.
Props can also be used in a thriller as a turning point in the film for example in our thriller clip a mobile phone is used as the link between Nathan's murder being discovered by James and so the phone becomes a vital prop which is fundamental to the rest of the clip.
Another prop we used was the knife towards the end of the thriller when James has tied up Ryan. The knife represents how even though at the beginning of the thriller James appear to be the 'good guy', towards the end he has now become a crazed killer, hunting for revenge of Nathan's death.
Costumes are also very important to thriller films as it lets the viewer create an idea of who they think to be the victims and who are the suspects. For example a young girl dressed in a light colour like white or pink would create an image in the readers mind that she is innocent and pure, therefore becoming a victim.
In our thriller Ryan is wearing dark colours and clothes that cover up the majority of his face and body, James will be wearing lighter clothes for example blue or grey at the beginning of the play but after he has captured Ryan and tied him up he will be dressed in darker clothes like black or red.
Props can also be used in a thriller as a turning point in the film for example in our thriller clip a mobile phone is used as the link between Nathan's murder being discovered by James and so the phone becomes a vital prop which is fundamental to the rest of the clip.
Another prop we used was the knife towards the end of the thriller when James has tied up Ryan. The knife represents how even though at the beginning of the thriller James appear to be the 'good guy', towards the end he has now become a crazed killer, hunting for revenge of Nathan's death.
Costumes are also very important to thriller films as it lets the viewer create an idea of who they think to be the victims and who are the suspects. For example a young girl dressed in a light colour like white or pink would create an image in the readers mind that she is innocent and pure, therefore becoming a victim.
In our thriller Ryan is wearing dark colours and clothes that cover up the majority of his face and body, James will be wearing lighter clothes for example blue or grey at the beginning of the play but after he has captured Ryan and tied him up he will be dressed in darker clothes like black or red.
Saturday 5 March 2011
Area Locations
There will be various places we will use for our thriller, here are some of the locations:
Picture of Nathan being run over ------------->
- The first scene will be shot in James' house in Ongar in his kitchen. We are going to use this location because it is big enough to film the struggle scene between Nathan and Ryan and also because on the day of our filming the house was empty. This suited us because it meant we could film without worrying about inconveniencing other people.
- We also used James' house for some opening shots in the credits and the final shots where it jumps back to normal time with Nathan tied up in the shed. We used this location because the shed let almost no natural light in and therefore, the effect of having the more powerful light in Nathan's face was more effective. The shed also had a very old spooky feel to it which fitted in nicely with the tone of the scene and the thriller.
- Other locations that we used were mainly for the shots of Nathan walking and being chased by james in the car. Some of these shots were taken around King Georges Park and in the car park there for example the scene where Nathan gets run over and taken by James. This was a good location because the car park was empty at that time of day and therefore, we could film the chase without worrying about dangers from other cars. Other shots were filmed outside Nathan's house and in York Road in Shenfield of James pulling away to help Ryan and more shots of Nathan walking.
Picture of Nathan being run over ------------->
Friday 4 March 2011
Music
During the editing of our thriller opening we incurred several problems concerning the music that we would include. Firstly, the music that we intended to use had to be edited to fit in with the thriller so that when the tension had been built up in certain scenes the music reflected this by intensifying. Once we had achieved this another problem arose in that we weren't sure if it was copyrighted or not.
We researched the music to identify whether it was copyright free and after finding 'supposed' comments from the creator that it was, we inserted it into our thriller. However, after further research to ensure it definitely was copyright free, we found that it wasn't in fact and the comments that said it was originated from an unknown source. We found out this information with only a few days remaining before the deadline of the completed coursework, so we were then in a rush to find a new piece of music to include in our opening.
After continuously researching pieces of music we eventually found one that was definately copyright free and so we spent a whole night on the day before the deadline to insert it into our thriller. We also ensured that it accentuated the tense scenes and intensified the thriller during the pivotal takes.
We researched the music to identify whether it was copyright free and after finding 'supposed' comments from the creator that it was, we inserted it into our thriller. However, after further research to ensure it definitely was copyright free, we found that it wasn't in fact and the comments that said it was originated from an unknown source. We found out this information with only a few days remaining before the deadline of the completed coursework, so we were then in a rush to find a new piece of music to include in our opening. After continuously researching pieces of music we eventually found one that was definately copyright free and so we spent a whole night on the day before the deadline to insert it into our thriller. We also ensured that it accentuated the tense scenes and intensified the thriller during the pivotal takes.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Final Product/Changes
http://vimeo.com/21321835
This is our thriller clip after it has been filmed and edited, however when we viewed the clip it was clear to us that some things still had to be edited and changed.
Firstly, we realised that the clip was over a minute and thirty seconds too long and therefore, the first change that we had to implement was to cut down a lot of the film to ensure that it was no longer than two minutes and twenty seconds. This proved quited difficult as cutting some parts of the clip takes away some of the tension that we had built up, but after carefully analysing what bits we were able to cut the clip fitted in to the time limit we were allowed.
The second major change that we had to make was to cut out any bits of our clip that ruined the tone of the thriller for example in the final scene of the clip Nathan can be seen smiling and laughing whilst in a serious scene which makes the scene seem unreal and unprofessional. We cut out the shot of him laughing and made the scene considerably shorter with just shots of the hood being pulled off his head and sound of the struggling in the background. Another problem we had with the first murder scene is that James' hand appears on the top of the fridge when he is not supposed to be in the scene. We added a flash at the time when the hand appears in the scene to disguise the mistake and this also fits into the scene as it represents Nathan entering into the shot.
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Post-Production of Preliminary Task
After we had finished filming our preliminary task we went into the editing room and were shown how to use the software by Year 13 students. We were shown how to use the 'Pinnacle' programme which after they had shown us how to use we had a go on it and then once we were familiar with it we could then edit our clip.
The first bit of editing that we had to do on our clip was to cut out any of the takes that were not needed in
the final piece and that were not relevant to the main focus of our clip. For example a lot of the takes were of unimportant speech and so we took this out of our clip to make it more tense and to keep the viewer interested. After we had decided which shots to cut out we then used transitions to make each take fuse together. We did this by using fades and wipes so that after one take had finished a new one immediately began, this also adds tension to the clip.
We added some titles to the film at the beginning and end of the clip for different resons. The title at the beginning of the clip was 'Cherpsing' which is an urban word for talking and was the main theme throughout our clip. The title at the end of our clip was 'Par.', this is also an urban expression for an insult and showed how the character was insulted when the girl did not have james' 'ting'.
The editing was quite straightforward as the takes that were relevant to the clip did not need much editing and only a few shots had to be cut out. Also no music was added to the clip and the sound in our film was of good quality. Other than that the only thing we had to add was titles to the beginning and end of our clip.
The first bit of editing that we had to do on our clip was to cut out any of the takes that were not needed in
the final piece and that were not relevant to the main focus of our clip. For example a lot of the takes were of unimportant speech and so we took this out of our clip to make it more tense and to keep the viewer interested. After we had decided which shots to cut out we then used transitions to make each take fuse together. We did this by using fades and wipes so that after one take had finished a new one immediately began, this also adds tension to the clip.
We added some titles to the film at the beginning and end of the clip for different resons. The title at the beginning of the clip was 'Cherpsing' which is an urban word for talking and was the main theme throughout our clip. The title at the end of our clip was 'Par.', this is also an urban expression for an insult and showed how the character was insulted when the girl did not have james' 'ting'.
The editing was quite straightforward as the takes that were relevant to the clip did not need much editing and only a few shots had to be cut out. Also no music was added to the clip and the sound in our film was of good quality. Other than that the only thing we had to add was titles to the beginning and end of our clip.
Monday 28 February 2011
Production Of Our Preliminary Task
When we filmed our Preliminary Task a few problems occured. These problems were that when we tried to film walking down stairs, people often walked in front of the shot so we had to keep re-shooting the clip. This often got annoying as some people didnt realise that we were shooting and as it came close to end of lessons more people walked across as they would be walking to their next lesson. One other problem that we had with out prelim was that the dialogue often was hard to hear as people walking past were talking relitively loud,. Therefore, their voices would be included into the clip, so we had to restart the shot over and over until it was completely silent.
Our group had learnt quite a lot from trying to film our Preliminary Task. One of these was we realised that dialogue whilst filming doesnt sound very good, so we agreed to prevent this problem that the start of our thriller would not have any dialogue involved, as the quality could be bad and it doesn't sound so good. Also we learnt that to make our thriller as good as it can be we would have to film in a location that not many people go to, or go early in the morning as not many people will be around at early times of the day.
I don't think that filming our prelim took as long as we first thought, as we didn't have to actually shoot quite a lot because after our stairs shot not many people walked past as we went to a place where it was relitively quiet. Also we discussed as a group a plan of what we would be filming so we knew what we were going to be filming about; so we could get on with the shooting straight away. After we had done the filming we re-watched the shooting to see if we could make any more shots to make it look much better. After making the new shots we again watched all of the recorded shots and decided that we no longer needed to shoot anything else, so we went straight onto the editing. One advantage to our shooting was that, our member of the group who filmed our prelim does photography outside of school. Therefore, he knew how to make the lighting and the frame of the shot at a perfect place for it to look good.
In our Preliminary Task i don't think we needed to change much as it was our first time filming a clip so we wasn't able to make it perfect. As we were getting used to the camera we are more confident that the final production of the thriller will be of a much higher standard of quality. The Preliminary Task helped our group work on teamwork and making decisions on where to film and what to film.
Our group had learnt quite a lot from trying to film our Preliminary Task. One of these was we realised that dialogue whilst filming doesnt sound very good, so we agreed to prevent this problem that the start of our thriller would not have any dialogue involved, as the quality could be bad and it doesn't sound so good. Also we learnt that to make our thriller as good as it can be we would have to film in a location that not many people go to, or go early in the morning as not many people will be around at early times of the day.
I don't think that filming our prelim took as long as we first thought, as we didn't have to actually shoot quite a lot because after our stairs shot not many people walked past as we went to a place where it was relitively quiet. Also we discussed as a group a plan of what we would be filming so we knew what we were going to be filming about; so we could get on with the shooting straight away. After we had done the filming we re-watched the shooting to see if we could make any more shots to make it look much better. After making the new shots we again watched all of the recorded shots and decided that we no longer needed to shoot anything else, so we went straight onto the editing. One advantage to our shooting was that, our member of the group who filmed our prelim does photography outside of school. Therefore, he knew how to make the lighting and the frame of the shot at a perfect place for it to look good.
In our Preliminary Task i don't think we needed to change much as it was our first time filming a clip so we wasn't able to make it perfect. As we were getting used to the camera we are more confident that the final production of the thriller will be of a much higher standard of quality. The Preliminary Task helped our group work on teamwork and making decisions on where to film and what to film.
pre production
The pre post production was deciding what our prelimany video was going to consist of and if it was suiteable to do so. We shared our ideas and came up with a satisfactory plan and then created a story board. It started with the first scene of a figure walking down some stairs, a match on action will be done at this point. The second scene is of the figure walking down a corridor, a range of angles will be used in this scene. The third scene wwill be a convosation between two people, shot reverse shots will be used. . The scene had to be well lit so that we could get the best quality out of our filming. The camera angles we decided to use emphasise the mood and reason going on in the video.
Sunday 27 February 2011
Marketing
Another idea we had of marketing our thriller was to put a little trailer of the clip onto an online website such as; 'Youtube'. We would include loud/pleonastic music to represent that something eventful is going to happen. This would make the viewers want to see more of this as the trailer would leave them in suspense of what happens to the character in the end of the thriller.
We have decided to use dark colours as our thriller is going to be quite a mysterious clip; the colours are going to represent the secrecy of the protagonist. Also, the red stain on the clothes of the other character in the seat represents his stuggle in the trial he has to overcome. Furthermore, the dark colours will reflect the ending of our thriller without revealing too much to the audience of what is going to happen.
Saturday 26 February 2011
Influences
The idea we are thinking of using is of a man who wakes up in a chair not knowing where he is; in a dark room with just a light over him. The man has flashbacks of what the last thing he remembers before waking up in this chair. We have been looking at all different types of thrillers to get a good idea to use as our thriller and to make the best of what we can do. One film that has influenced our idea as a thriller is 'Saw', this film is roughly the same idea as ours as people are taken to a secure lair of serial killer named "Jigsaw". They must follow various rules and objectives if they wish to survive
and win the deadly game set for them.
Another thriller we looked at was 'Hostle', however we didn't like the idea of the storyline. One thing we did like about the thriller was the poster; a man wearing a mask which shows him wanting to be a mysterious character. Also, we thought the colours used were a sign of what the film would be like; they represent that the film is going to be a dark thriller. The plot of 'Hostle' also was a similar plot to ours as the protagonist is found tied to a chair about to be totured. One idea we did look deeply into was the idea of other characters in the film who you see either being totured or tied to a chair, the reason being that we liked how the character's well being was left a mystery and you do not find out what has happened to the rest of them.
The final thriller that we had taken a look at was different to the other two films; 'Goodfellas'. From watching the film, we came across the idea of mixing a similar plot of 'Saw' and the 'gangster style' from Goodfellas together. We realised it may be challenging but the if it came out correctly as we planned, then it would make a very good thriller. The reason for this being; there would be a bit of action and the shock of the character's real being would be a key moment. In 'Goodfellas' the small time gangster known as 'Henry Hill' is presented as the protangonist in the film. We had a different idea; instead of having the same plot and giving it a little twist, we realised that Nathan could first of all be the protagonist and then turn out to be the antagonist.
The final thriller that we had taken a look at was different to the other two films; 'Goodfellas'. From watching the film, we came across the idea of mixing a similar plot of 'Saw' and the 'gangster style' from Goodfellas together. We realised it may be challenging but the if it came out correctly as we planned, then it would make a very good thriller. The reason for this being; there would be a bit of action and the shock of the character's real being would be a key moment. In 'Goodfellas' the small time gangster known as 'Henry Hill' is presented as the protangonist in the film. We had a different idea; instead of having the same plot and giving it a little twist, we realised that Nathan could first of all be the protagonist and then turn out to be the antagonist. Thursday 24 February 2011
Risk Assessment
The locations that we have chosen to use to film our thriller pose a low risk to our group and to other people, but there are things that need to be assessed carefully.
Ryan's House
- When I am attacked by Ryan i fall onto a hard floor and this must be done carefully so i do not hit my head or any other part of my body on the hard surface.
- We are filming a struggle scene with me and Ryan and we must be cautious so that neither of us trip and fall or accidentaly hurt each other.
James' Car
- After we have filmed in Ryan's house we are filming a car chases scene where James is chasing Ryan. We must be careful in this scene that James is fully in control at all times whilst driving and that he is aware of all possible dangers around him whilst filming the scene.
- When James appears to run over Ryan, the car must be at a comfortable distance away from him so that he is not put in danger if the brakes don't work or if it takes longer for the car to stop.
James' shed
- The final scene we are going to film is in a dark shed in James' garden. The shed will be full of tools and garden equipment which could potentially be dangerous and so we will move this out of the shed before we begin our filming.
- In this final scene we will be filming James holding a very large knife. This knife could be extremely dangerous if it was dropped or if someone walked into it. Because of this we will be using extreme caution when filming this scene and make sure everyone is at a safe distance to James when he is using it.
Monday 21 February 2011
Pitch/Brief
Our plot of a thriller begins with the opening of a man who is at his home living a regular day, on the phone to his friend organising his day; meeting up with a friend. When all of a sudden a man dressed all in black wearing a balaclava appears behind him holding a huge knife. The anonymous figure kills the other man; hanging up the phone giving the friend on the phone a scare and he rushes over to find out what has happened. After finding out his friend is dead, the man seeks revenge. The protagonist is dressed all in black, therefore hiding his identity from the viewers, giving a sense of mystery. As it is only the introduction to the thriller we don't want to give out too much from the start to build up the tension so it makes our thriller more exciting to view.
The choices of characters came of a joint decision as first we had myself as the protagonist, however we realised that Nathan is by far taller so he would fit the role better. Where we are creating a 'horror thriller' the viewers would expect there to be scenes of violence, emotion and mystery so that they will want to continue watching it. Our thriller involves some of what an emotional manipulation as the audience think Nathan is the victim at the start, when really at the end he turns out to be the villain by killing the man on the phone. With the killing of the person on the phone, viewers see the struggle as the protagonist physically pulls the man from behind, away with a knife pointing towards his chest to show a sense of violence.
The choices of characters came of a joint decision as first we had myself as the protagonist, however we realised that Nathan is by far taller so he would fit the role better. Where we are creating a 'horror thriller' the viewers would expect there to be scenes of violence, emotion and mystery so that they will want to continue watching it. Our thriller involves some of what an emotional manipulation as the audience think Nathan is the victim at the start, when really at the end he turns out to be the villain by killing the man on the phone. With the killing of the person on the phone, viewers see the struggle as the protagonist physically pulls the man from behind, away with a knife pointing towards his chest to show a sense of violence.
Wednesday 16 February 2011
BBFC Rating For Our Thriller
After watching our thriller a few times and evaluating it, Nathan, James and myself believe our thriller should be of rating '15'. Our thriller does not have themes that are too explicit; therefore meaning it should not be seen categorized as a '18'. However, it is a tad too explicit for it to be rated '12A', as it had scenes of violence and strong language. To get our rating of the thriller we watched a few other films; Adulthood (15), Saw 2 (18) and WaterBoy (12). We compared our thriller to scenes of each film considering the rating between '12A' and '15', but we realised that the weapon used was too revealing for it to be a 12A. Also, the language used at the end of the thriller was a bit too explicit for it to be a 12A, but too little for it to be a '18'.
Another reason why we believe it should be categorized as '15' is because of the build up of tension throughout the whole thing. As a group we considered whether such a tension would be comfortable or suitable for a younger crowd having to be on the their minds. Furthermore, the ending; showing a sense of revenge could present a wrong type of message towards a mind of a younger audience.
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