Preparation for our thriller

We had many different stoyboard versions for our thriller. My group and I found it difficult to decide what order we would want our shots to follow in. Here is our final storyboard for our thriller.

Below is a word document explaining in detail our intentions for various shots. 

Thriller Ideas

I was placed in a group where by we collaborated and shared ideas for our thriller opening sequence shoot. I had now researched a sufficient amount on thriller and horror and watched many other opening sequences which helped to give me ideas of my own.

Idea one

My first idea was possibly to show the kidnap of a young, vulnerable teenage girl. The sequence develops later as she tries to escape from the small room she is kept captive.

Idea two

I had also really liked the idea of using a psychological thriller opening sequence. For example, when I saw the opening sequence to Karl Cooper's 'Se7en' I really appealed to the dark nature that came across. So I thought that perhaps it would be interesting to have the main character portrayed as having a psychological disorder, like the one in 'Se7en'.

I considered the main character possibly suffering from the disorder anorexia nervosa, and the opening sequence showing the girl wanting to kill herself. But we came to the conclusion that this would be difficult to show as we would need special effects to make the actor look slimmer than they really were.

Idea three

We additionally had another idea for a psychological thriller. Using a similar scheme to that of 'Se7en', we would concentrate of having the leading character as the one with a mental disorder. The shots would show someone cutting out various newspaper articles with pictures of victimized teenage girls and then blu-tacking them up onto a wall. Furthermore the mysterious character would then begin to put on a cross over the pictures of the victims. Viewers would understand that the person doing this is clearly the murderer, only later to find out the murderer is in fact a female and not stereotypically male.

Classic horror films

To get a basic understanding of the horror genre, I watched a documentary on how horror and thriller had developed over the years to what it is today. It additionally lay a foundation of how these two genres first began, and spoke about when film was first brought to screen in the early 1900s.

The documentary spoke about several different classics that have been shown over the years. For example, the programme commented on Carl Laemmle's 1925 film 'Phantom of the Opera'. It starred the famous Lon Chaney who made his name playing the masked and facially deformed Phantom.

 

Here is a famous clip from Laemmle's 'Phantom of the Opera'.

The documentary also commented on James Wales' 'Frankenstein' featuring Boris Karloff as the leading star role. The film was made and released in 1931 and went on to have two other sequels. 'Bride of Frankenstein' which was released in 1935, and 'Son of Frankenstein' in 1939. 

Follow this clip to see Boris Karloff come alive as Frankenstein (3:27-4:05)



Researching Thriller Opening Sequences

Before building on ideas for my thriller opening sequence, it was vital that I thoroughly researched into the background of the horror and thriller genre. I watched several different thriller opening sequences to get an idea of how a typical opening should be structured. Some thriller openings I watched included;

Se7en
Directed by Kyle Cooper

This was an expensive Hollywood budget film which had a very dark opening title sequence. Its opening sequence helped to set the mood and gave the viewers an insight into the theme of the film. The opening credits gave this impression through the use of dark, moody colors and confusing, blurred close-up shots.

We also saw some disturbing mise en scene images of someone grazing  the skin off their fingers and then bandaging them up. Additionally there was obsessive note taking and constant flicking through books. This first sequence immediately tells us that there is clearly a psychological problem with this character we are being introduced to. It also helps to enhance the dark natured theme of the film.

Please refer to video link below to watch the opening sequence to 'Se7en'.

Dead Man's Shoes
Directed by Shane Meadows

This was a cheap budget production film, simple, yet very effective. It's opening sequence was subtle and clever, and I was impressed with how the basic still shots created such meaning. I felt I could recreate this opening sequence easily using the facilities at my college.

After analysing some thriller sequences, I was then asked to give a presentation to my class on a chosen opening sequence. I decided to present to the class the 'I Am Legend' opening title scene. 

Please watch the video below.

The vocal at the beginning sets an immediate idea of the storyline - and the black, empty screen helps us to concentrate on the meaning of what the character is saying. It is obviously of some significance. 

In addition the quote given is an important message to the viewers. The fact that the quote has been stated by 'a survivor' also hints to us that a possible catastrophe has taken place, and that someone has fought to survive.

I spoke about how I found the still images of the empty, abandoned New York effective as it sets the scene and we develop understanding that something bad has happened to cause these images. The backing music is also evocative and helps create a mood and feeling to the audience. I found this particularly a strong element in the opening as the music drew me in and I felt involved with the storyline.

However the credits and titles were very difficult to see. The font used was not particularly clear and the color that was chosen blended in with the rest of the still images. Additionally the positioning of titles and credits was not presented well. I found that I had to replay the scene over and over to actually search for some of the actors names - a lesson learnt!

Make sure any titles and credits are clear, well-presented and positioned well.



Mood Board - Researching what scares me

I created a mood board which helped me to come up with ideas on what things particularly scare me. I might use some of the above ideas to help me create my thriller sequence next year.

Editing our shoot

Today we learnt how to use 'Final Pro Cut' software. It enabled us to edit and re-arrange the shots we had filmed when creating our scene.

All the clips we shot were placed in what is called the 'Rush Bin'. Here we could access all the original takes we first shot.

As a group we watched all the clips and then selected the best shots. We would use these later when putting together our scene. We placed the wanted shots into what is called the 'Log Bin'.

We experimented with the camera shots and angles, and how they could represent our actors in the scene. For example, we felt that we wanted the audience to empathise with our female actor and have our male actor portrayed as menacing.

We conveyed this message subconsciously to our audience by having;

• Longer close-ups on the girl to encourage an intimacy between her and the audience.
• By using a high angle shot looking down onto the girl to suggest she has lower status than him - showing her weaker side.

We had not just used longer camera shots on the girl to signify her importance, but we had also thought about the use of lighting and how it could represent the characters in the scene.

To display the boy's threatening attitude, we allowed lots of contrast of both shadow and light on his face to create a mysterious and foreboding atmosphere. Both a mixture of low key lighting and high key lighting was used on his face.

However, to demonstrate the girl's innocence, we used some strong high key lighting which helped enhance her vulnerability. This also portrayed a 'god-like' nature.We become subconsciously aware that the girl must be the protagonist.


Here are some examples of both low key lighting and high key lighting.



Low key lighting





High key lighting

Storyboarding

Storyboarding is an essential part of film making. It provides the film makers with basic shot ideas and gives the cameraman an idea of what the producers and directors want. 

A storyboard additionally gives information as to how long each shot lasts, and this will be very important for the editor to know considering he/she will want to create editing through meaning.

Shooting a preliminary task

Now that I understood how to use and set-up the video cameras, I could take on a practical task of shooting a basic scene. I was given a storyboard and had to film the same shots that the board portrayed.

The scene involved two actors.

• Person A walks into the room.
• We are then introduced to person B who has been waiting in the room for A.
• There is some dialogue between the two.
• Person A then exits and leaves person B in room.

How did we shoot the scene?

My group and I shot the scene in a studio and thought about the use of lighting, props and positioning of camera angles.

We set-up the studio with a desk, which person B sits behind. Person A later leans over the table and speaks dialogue to B - then exits. We also had some realistic props such as a standing lamp in the background and some filing cabinets to demonstrate an office-like room.

My group and I also made sure that we didn't break the 180 degree rule. We made this mistake before when performing a practice run and this made it confusing to watch. I concluded that breaking the 180 degree rule would work better for possibly a thriller or horror scene.
My group and I began with one wide screen shoot all the way through.

We then;

• Shot over the shoulder of person A.
• Shot over the shoulder of person B.
• Shot person A all the way through.
• Shot person B all the way through.

We couldn't find anyone willing to take part in our preliminary task at first, so instead two of us from the group got involved by both acting and directing. We filmed each of the following above at least more than three times to create our desired shots. Additionally we found that the lighting needed to be fixed as the image looked too dark.

After this we added a few of our own touches such as a big close-up (BCU) on our actors' faces and close-ups (CU's) on significant props which were used in the scene. For example, we did a close-up on a mobile phone. We also used some point-of-view (POV) shots in one character's perspective.

By taking part in this exercise, we learnt that it is best to plan what we are going to do more efficiently before filming as we wasted a lot of time deciding where to place the camera to get some good shots. This task provided good experiance for us all and helped my knowledge develop during the session.

Here is the video of our prelim task.

Analysing a scene from Cloverfield

Today I analysed a scene from Cloverfield and discussed the elements in that scene which would place it under the genre of a thriller/horror. However, I think that Cloverfield comes more under the genre of a science fiction thriller due to the fact that there is evidence of an alien species throughout the film.




Here is the scene which I analysed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-GKHzRcbAM

Please refer to the video clip before reading the information below.


How do we know the film is set to modern day?

• The costumes are contemporary and special effects are used to create the image of an alien species. The scene is also set in an underground tube station - another hint into present day. Also we notice the fact that the shot is being filmed by a camcorder in the first place which is new, modern technology.

How is the scene made to look realistic and believable?

• A cameracorder is used which helps to encourage the audience to believe that the scene is real.
• The cameracorder sways and shakes as though an actual person is filming it which makes it realistic.
• The cameracorder has been given certain 'functions' on it such as 'night vision' etc.

What techniques are used to create a thrilling atmosphere?

• Majority of the clip is filmed in dark surroundings.
• The camera sways and shakes - creates a realistic vision and helps enhance the panic when the characters run from the alien species.
• Lots of shadow is used.
• Camera breaks the 180 degree rule so that we feel un-easy and un-settled. 
• Camera goes in and out of focus at points so that we can't see much.
• We view some of the action from the ground upwards to enhance the fact that the humans here have very little power. It also makes the audience feel as though they are in the same position.
• The scene is filmed in one long shot. There are no breaks to cut the tension.

How to use the video cameras

Today I learnt how to use all the different features and effects on a video camera. I was also taught how to set up and use a tripod.

There are three main features on a typical video camera.

• Zoom
• Focus
• Exposure

Zoom - Enables us to magnify a certain image through 'zooming'.

Focus - Helps us to see the image more clearly once we have zoomed in. It prevents a blurred shot.

Exposure - Allows us to control the quantity of light reaching the film.


On the screen of the video camera, you will be given information such as battery life and the exposure setting. The higher the exposure setting, the less light you are letting through. You are also told how many minutes are left on your memory stick and given a time code.


How to read a timecode

The timecode is found on the top right of the screen. It may read something similar to this

01:03:52:24



01: One hour

03: three minutes

52: fifty-two seconds

24: Twenty-four framed shots per second

Through the timecode, we can establish the fact that we have recorded for one hour, three minutes, fifty-two seconds and we are currently on our twenty-fourth frame.

The video camera will take at least twenty-five shots per second. It is important that we know how many shots per second we are dealing with so as to be precise when editing our film.



White balance (Wht Bal)

This is the process of removing unrealistic color casts, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. The video camera has to take into account the "color temperature" of a light source, which refers to the warmth or coolness of white light. 

Here are, for example, two pictures which portray different 'temperatures' and demonstrate the importance of white balance.

Incorrect White Balance - Cool  

Correct White Balance - Warm

To fix the white balance we need to aim the video camera at a blank white wall so that it will then be able to pick up all the colors from the spectrum.

Signs and Symbols

STBY - Standby

REC - Record

Wht Bal - White Balance

F2.2 - An exposure of 2.2 (F5 - an exposure of five)

Dialogue before action

Before recording a piece of action it is important that we have set up the equipment correctly and that the director and crew are prepared. The actors also need to feel that they are in good hands and working with a professional crew.

Typical dialogue before recording could be

Director  'Standby'  

Crew 'Standing by'

Director 'Roll the camera'

Crew 'Rolling'

Director 'Action'

Creating and editing posters

Hey there,

In today's lesson our task was to create a film poster. We were given a camera and told to take pictures on campus. We had to think a lot about Mise En Scene and how to create the desired effect we wanted on our audience.  

My partner and I decided to make a poster for the 'horror' genre of film. We tested different locations to see what was suitable for this theme and experimented a lot with camera angles. We also thought a lot about body language and what impression this might give the audience.

Considering we wanted a horror/thriller approach for our poster, we thought that it would be best to have a tilted camera shot to create an un-easy feeling. However we couldn't find a good angle to work with, so instead took a picture on a hill that was slanted - which still gave an unsettled perception. Also notice that my head and hair are the centre pull of focus. This is where we used the idea of 'The Rule of Thirds'.

Here you can see the original image and the edited version of the picture we took. We edited the second picture using Photoshop software. I covered my hair over my face to create a mysterious and uncanny look. I also thought a lot about my physicality and

                                            what kind of posture I should adopt.

I decided to use lots of shadow whilst editing our poster. To create this shadow illusion I used the 'burn tool' on photoshop to add in shaded areas. I felt that this really helped to enhance the dark nature we were trying to portray. I also used the 'sponge tool' to give the impression of some natural light coming through. I thought that the light streaks I added would create a more naturalistic approach.



Sounds and Signs

Learnt a lot of new vocabularly today which I must share!
There are specific names for different media signs.

Sign: This is an image, object or action that carries meaning or significance.

Denotation: Discussing the image we are observing. What do we see at first?

Connotation: This involves analysing the image in more detail. What do the elements signify that we see? For example, does a character wearing a red t-shirt symbolise an angry nature?

Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols.

Please refer to the attached picture of the dog.

• The signifier is the dog.
• The signified (implied) is the cute expression on the dog's face.
• The overall sign is that it is a cute dog.

Today i've also learnt a bit about sound techniques.

Diegetic Sounds - They are realistc sounds heard in the scene (eg; a telephone ringing)

Non-diegetic Sounds - This is background music that actors cannot hear, only the audience. It's purpose is to enhance the atmosphere of the particular moment in a scene for the viewers.

Panning Sounds - This is when we hear a sound that travels through the left speaker to the right, or right to the left. It can make viewers feel uncomfortable and works particularly well in horror movies.

Watch this Jaws clip off youtube which uses both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcjjB0OOu9Y&feature=related

At first we hear a typical beach ambience and the sounds of the waves, and also later a radio. These are all diegetic sounds.

Then at 3:07 we hear a non-diegetic sound of strings building up to create tension and fear.

First lesson on Media!

Today i've been learning how to use Photoshop software. We learnt a lot about the basic tools on it and how to use them within pictures and posters to create effect. For example, we experimented a lot with the 'Lasoo Tool' and the 'Burn Tool'.

I also discovered how to edit and switch characters' heads from the posters. Some of the results were very funny and I was glad to be learning in a fun, productive way. I, in addition, came across a colour enhancing feature which was very effective for some of the posters I edited. In one I enhanced the colour of a character's blue eyes, and it really added to the eerie image the poster was already portraying.

I was later taught the term 'Mise En Scene'. This phrase literally means 'setting a scene' and is the French for 'everything in frame'. A photograph will portray an image to an audience member, and instinctively they will receive information about the style, genre and location of the scene.

'The Rule of Thirds' is a particularly important feature of Mise En Scene. It consists of two, invisible horizontal and vertical lines crossing one another across the image. This is very similar to that of a noughts and crosses game board. It is common that the main focus should be placed at the very centre of the image, however, to create different effects the image can be moved to either side of the frame. Furthermore, I experimented with this too.

Introduction to myself

Hey there!

Just a quick introduction to me! My name is Sophia and I attend Hurtwood House sixth form college. I like socialising, singing and laughing at random things. I also enjoy watching thriller/suspense films - and a little comedy to lighten my day.

I found that Hurtwood taught Media Studies in an interesting, informal way and, due to the fact i'd always wanted to learn more about the media in today's society, I chose to take Media as an A Level subject. I thought it would be a good option considering I showed some enthusiasim and interest into this area before starting the course.

So considering i've only just begun the whole process, i'm beginning to learn new things! My next blog will include the first few techniques i've learnt within the Media industry.

Till then!