Lighting-own pictures

Lighting-own pictures 

I thought that taking pictures of our own would help us to understand how lighting can effect the way a scene will look. The first picture there is no lighting and she seems darker then the other, the first photo is not as clear as the second one which helps my group to see the effects of lighting.

If you compare the two photos you are able to see that the features in one are more visible then the other and one is more effective then the other, it gives the person a whole different status and look which is key to our opening thriller sequence. I understood that the lighting can change a picture completely and even the type of atmosphere we try to create can be changed just by the lighting.
Even the surroundings around h er are brighter and now visible now that lighting has been added to the picture.

Now that I have examples of different lightings I am able to work on my thriller opening sequence better and understand how the different effects lighting has on a shot and how it can take my work to another level.

Tripod

 

Setting up the tripod 

Before we started filming we had to get use to the tripod we are using and understand how to work the tripod and understand the benefits of using a tripod, this period saved us a lot of trouble in the future and decreased the amount of problems which will occur.

I took photos of my group setting up the tripod and learning how to use it with the camera, we also learnt how to use a tripod properly and for what type of shots we would use it for. I understood that it helps for you to shoot a steady shot and features like the handle allows us to move the tripod side to side with no shaking involved.

The missing analysis

 

The Missing

The Missing is a TV drama which is about a child which goes missing in France at a swimming pool, some scenes are set in present day and some when the incident occurred. There are elements of thriller within the drama which I thought will help me with my media coursework and help my group to see what techniques are used in the drama.

The Title sequence of the Missing was very good because it was relevant to the TV drama and they used shots which was later seen in the program as it progresses, the background music was very effective as it built up tension and it told a story about a mother which waits for there missing child top come home which is relevant to the drama. Also I like the way the music changed from positive at the beginning into a dull kind of negative sounds which linked with the shots as it became darker and shots of a dark forest. The lighting which was used, was very good as red and orange symbolises danger they used it at the swimming pool to show that danger was there and that was the same place the child became missing. At the end of the Title sequence it becomes white which shows there is still hope of finding the child

A lot of the shots they use in the Title sequence foreshadows events which are to occur but the audience doesn't know that, it is very effective as during the program progresses you realise certain parts from the title sequence being revealed.

Camera

Setting up a camera 

Before filming we had to understand how to work a camera and the different effects it could do, also how both cameras function and how to place them on a tripod properly and t keep it sturdy.

In these photos we are learning about the cameras and performing what we learnt our self's, we are understanding how to change certain light effects and filters to me our filming better quality. We made sure that we all knew how to do it as it will allow everyone a turn to film and make it a team effort.

We also learnt the effects of not following instructions properly and how it will be harder to film, but now we have knowledge about cameras we will be able to do different settings for our opening sequence.    

Seven opening sequence

Seven opening sequence 

The seven opening sequence was very creative and generated tension and suspense very quickly, the writing of the cast is blury which confuses the audience and helps for them film producers to leave a very unusual beginning. Most of the shots were dark which presents the film as a negative one or a fearful film to certain people. 

The high angle shots of the hands which unusual created questions amongst the audience which can not be revealed yet until the program is finished. The transitions between shots were quit fast which kept the audience engaged in the opening sequence and the editing is at a fast paste which is useful for my group as we may use fast editing for our piece, the fast editing meant that we only had a glance of certain  images. Extreme close ups which creates mystery for the audience of the image which is extreme close ups.

An unknown person or shadow was seen in the opening sequence to increase the tension levels higher and red is known for blood that gives us an insight that violence may occur for some reason.

Proposal

 

Proposal

Our proposal is very important as it will help organise and lay out what our idea is and how it is going to be done, it shows that we have thought about what we are doing in detail and it will allow for our teacher to help us make some improvements to our opening scene. The proposal will consist of the idea, the setting, props and costume, ideas for music and editing. This will allow us to make a picture of our own of how it would look, it is important that we follow the proposal as it will keep us on track for our piece and prevents us from going into other genres.

We used PowerPoint to create our proposal because we thought that would be the best program to use for it, I was able to show a slideshow to my class speaking about our ideas and thoughts behind our proposal and why we chose the storyline. This proposal isn't our final idea and will probably be changed or developed on during the course of the creation of the opening scene.

Thriller opening proposal new from beassrr

Shot list

Shot list 

Before my group did any filming we had to think of the type of shots we wanted to incorporate within the piece and the type of effect we want to generate from these different shots. We had to look at the type of theme within the thriller we wanted to create and how the editing and the shots will link to achieve this theme. The over the head shot will be useful to put the audience in the characters position and it will help to make the audience have an idea  of the emotions of the character.

Before deciding on what shots to do we had to think about the effect it will have and how it will help to show the storyline we have we used match on action through out the piece so it was clear where the character was going and makes the process of the short film quicker.

The shots of the knifes and boxing gloves should be extreme close ups as it will make that shot be more dramatic and build up tension and it makes those items important, it allowed us to give a little insight to how our character may be like and the type of environment that character lives in, also the count down and the fan built up tension for the beginning of the film so I think it was a good shot to have in my piece.

All of these shots were very important in the process of the film and how to build a lot of tension for the beginning of the film and they all linked towards the short films name as the character was paranoid from the beginning.

Story board

 

Story Board

The story board that my group created helps us to fully understand what we want to do in our opening sequence, this will allow us to study how our filming will occur. We have eight boxes which will explain and show through drawings what we want to do. This gave us the first step to visualize what our opening sequence would be and see the main parts we want to focus on.
The first box shows a count down so we are able to build up tension from the beginning, then the second box will show a sign which says danger and has a picture of a lighting bolt, That will be one of the images which are a flashback which connotes that he may of had a bad past and that something is haunting him still. The next picture shows the main character staring at the the fan which seems to irritate him and the next one is of knifes which are one of the main props we want in the opening sequence as it shows slit characteristics which are negative.
The fifth box shows the main character walking down the stairs to leave his house, we thought that maybe we could use match on action to shorten the length of the walking journey slightly. This could connote that he is rushing somewhere but the audience doesn't know why he is rushing or who he is running away from. The next main shot we want is of the door being opened and someone is watching him come out of his house, this will give a good effect as it will allow the audience to interpreter the shot and it will develop questions about who it is and why they are watching them. The next scene will be a dark figure watching the victim as he walks from his house this will connote that someone is after him and that he is unaware of its presence. This is a convention of the thriller genre which is someone watching someone and the dark figure will have a stereotypical appearance of an attacker with dark clothing on. The last box of the story board will have the dark figure reaching his hand towards the the victim which will be the most intense part of the opening sequence and the climax of it all, with it ending on the name of the film.

Location analysis

Location analysis

The Location for the thriller scene is very important as it sets the scene and helps to being certain atmospheres for the shots. Thrillers are mainly set within the city and police stations as thriller sometimes consist of criminal activity's, but after I did my research of thriller films and locations were I watcher thriller films at the cinema, searched up different thrillers from 2000 and searched the internet and areas around me for thriller locations I realised streets and flats are very common. So my group decided to film locally round our area as it will be ideal for a thriller film.

The locations we decided are quit simple but effective because we believe it will add suspense in certain times and help to give little insights to what could happen next in the opening scene, so dark allyways will give negative signs to the audience and present a certain type of atmosphere for the character and the audience. We also picked the main characters room as it is an normal living space which has been altered to the type of character he is.

Barthes code analysis

Barthes code analysis

In the barthes code there five major codes within a story that makes it meaningful, but I will only focus on two main ones. Hermeneutic code and the Proairetic code.

In the Hermeneutic code there are normally questions which are wanted to be answered, loads of untold parts of the story and lots of little questions which keeps the audience thinking and also surprises them. In the Hermeneutic code it is broken into four sections, the snare is avoidance of the truth so is teases the audience because the truth is so near but is not said. It is a good way draw in the audience and keep the audience watching because they will want to know the truth. The Parlial answer reveals some of the final truth but doesn't completely increasing suspense, a good way to tease the audiences urge to know the ending and builds up to the climax.  Equivocation mixes the truth with false confusing the audience and allows the audience to keep guessing what will occur at the end of the film. The Jamming technique suggests that the problem which is occurring in the film may be completely unsolvable in this situation so the audience will have no idea what the outcome will be and if there is any hope for the character also, it draws them closer to the characters as they may start to feel petty for them as there is no hope of the problem being solved.

The Proairetic code is made up of completely action scenes, so different shots which help to build up suspense for a climax. This code is mainly for action films which increases its quality and helps to explore the different parts within the action genre using the Proairetic code.

Thriller Conventions

Thriller Conventions 

Conventions is what will help define the genre, certain items which are scene is associated with a type of genre for example love hearts are normally thought to be seen in a romance. For a thriller items like knifes, guns, magnifying glass and police tape are conventions of a thriller film.

Conventions are very important when trying to put across certain ideas for the type of film and may make a film or destroy it, like if u saw fairy's in a battle film it wouldn't make sense so conventions add to signify the genre which the film is. First impressions count a lot in films because that can make the audience see the character in a certain way, the items which a character has or is associated with as to match what you want the audience to think about the character  

Timeline and planning

 

Timeline and planning

Before we started filming we had to plan and make a timeline of when the filming will be occurring, we had to think about the availability of the main character and when we will be able to film and if the camera will be available in those times. 

We had many difficulties with our main character being available as he is working on his own short film so we had to work around the times of him, but we made sure that the time we did have we used efficiently and when he wasn't able to him we used that time to shoot fill in shots and props which were essential to our short opening sequence.

Organisation is the key for our success in the opening sequence and we had to decide when to do tasks together like the proposal and the filming had to be organised for us to stay on task.
We made sure that we filmed twice a week to we had time to work on shots we didn't like and improve them, planning when to edit and create the music so because it was planned it was done quickly.

To finalise I understood the value of planning and making a timeline for the progression of my group and my personal work, it made a big difference when filming as we knew what we had to do on that day and it allowed us to be more organised.  

Mood Board

Mood board from beassrr

This moodboard shows the thriller genre and has different pictures to show what is within the thriller genre. Most of the photos I used are in a dark setting which helps to show to the audience the type of atmosphere the thriller genre wants to portray, the thriller genre is meant to build up tension and suspense which is sometimes hard to do but by having a dark setting it helps to set that type of atmosphere.

I used weapons like guns and knifes as they are conventions of a thriller and the dark alleyway sets the scene for a dark thriller scene. Thrillers are normally set in the city so I decided to put shots of the city at night time as thrillers normally have crime within the genre so photos of the detective and police officer would help to present the thriller genre to the audience. This genre is also meant to generate fear amongst the audience so blurry figures let the audience use there own mind to imagine a scary scene, all these photos put together   

Typography

Typography

Typography is the title sequence of a clip before a film begins. It is very effective in giving the audience  first impressions and a easy way to draw them in from the beginning with making the typography interesting and engaging fr the audience.

Zombieland is a good example for a quality way for typography to be presented, slow motion effect was the heart of each scene, this effect gave a thrilling atmosphere for the audience. The typography moves slowly within the scene so we are able to really in brace who was part of the film, it gave a great effect allowing the director to give the audience a slight insight about the film, also it placed the audience in the scene. The design of the font was bold and not too fancy, the size was quit big but didn't overpower the whole scene.The colour matched the type of genre it is with the writing being red signifying danger and blood and as it is a zombie film it linked very will the the film. This all helped for the typography to be effective and get the audience attention from the beginning, this sets the tempo of the whole film so it is important.

The typography is meant to work with the current scene which the audience can see and zombieland did very well by linking the typography and scene together like making blood splat on the typography and making the typography seem to be there at the moment like making it hit a zombie in the scene so it linked them together. It also helped to show the audience how the film will be like and making a lot of blood in the typography helps this. There are many different ways typography is used some more effective then others but different methods make the typography creative like a shattering effect surprises the audience and it marks the moment in the typography. Effects like that makes the difference in quality between different methods of typography.

Thriller Music analysis

Thriller music analysis

The choice of music is very important throughout the whole of the film, it needs to link with each scene helping to complement it. The music can change everything about a scene and the whole film, it is vital that the choice of music does not overpower everything else but helps to build tension and atmosphere.

I have an example of a good thriller underneath, I think this piece is effective in bring the audience in the scene and setting an intense atmosphere for the audience. Its like the beat is building up to a climax where something dramatic and unexpected happens, the pause is very effective as it seems like we are waiting for something to happen in that moment. In some ways it gives a mystery feeling when listening to the music putting us in a thriller type situation.

The second piece I have chosen starts off simple and slow tempo other instruments start to drift in getting louder, it soon starts to build a lot of tension quickly. It gives the audience something to think about and feel, even though their are elements of maybe action within the piece it is a good way to build up tension in a thriller film and have aspects like a mystery feeling and then switching up to faster helped to build suspense, then ending as how the it began but it fades away. I think it was brilliant and I would conceder that for my thriller opening.

Dexter analysis

Dexter Opening Sequence

Dexter is a serial killer which loves and enjoys the sight of peoples pain, he is very smart when covering up his tracks and is very sneaky in what he does. Even though the opening scene is short and simple, it has hidden messages behind it to present to the audience his true identity. 

Throughout Dexter's morning routine there are many times it the audience gets the impression that he is committing numerous murders, it shows to the audience his mentality is of a murderer and that it is part of his character. The scene when he is cutting himself when shaving shows that he may be a crazy character also, he had no reaction to the cuts which means he may be use to pain. Another

example is the way he cut the meat, it was in a way someone would slice someone.

The Title Dexter at the beginning is in red which symbolises blood, death and danger which links with the type of character he is also, the way the editor makes his name appear is like blood which gives an insight to the audience how Dexter will be like. This is a very effective way to foreshadow

the event that may happen with Deter and how many murders he could do.

When Dexter was doing his shoe laces it seems to the audience that he is strangling someone which is very effective in giving the audience a first impression of him. The extreme close ups put emphasis in what he is doing, makes it more intense as it seems his actions are harming people but there not.

Action of Dexter cutting on his T-shirt  was done in such a murderistic way which allows the audience to have a view on Dexter before it starts. These signs help us to see the character but the signs are hidden which indicates he is sly, it plays in the audiences minds giving us mixed

Horror and thriller films

The difference between horror and thriller films

There are many differences between horror and thriller films however, the differences are not huge. Many people would not be able to realise the differences between the two genre's but there are differences.

Two good examples which would help show the differences between horror and thriller is Conjuring (the horror) and Sin City (the thriller). The settings for horror are mainly set in abandoned homes, haunted houses and a cabin in the woods, they are places where not many people re around so it gives a frightening atmosphere and normally its dark. The Conjuring is set in a typical location in a haunted house. With the thriller genre the best setting would be the city, police stations is normally the setting and Sin City is based in a city.

Thrillers have more action and mystery themes to them, a lot of answers not told and hermeneutic code is also within the thriller genre complex situations occur and solving mystery's normally happen . This really makes the audience have mixed emotions playing with the audiences mind and builds up tension for a revealing moment. Horrors are completely different they are meant to put fear in the audience and they have effective ways to do by using peoples own minds, the unknown is used against the audience to build fear. Their own imagination is used to create the scariest situation possible which is different from the thriller genre.

Police officers is a normal character for the thriller genre and a crime scene is involved as well, horror is more scarier characters like serial killers and monsters. Thrillers have mostly realistic elements to it while horrors are mostly fictional; both of these genre's have different types of characters, horrors are either monsters, ghosts or crazy killers and are normally over exaggerated but thrillers have twists within the characters and are normally more realistic and smarter then horror characters so it will be easier for them to build up tension for the audience.      

Opening post

Opening Post

Hello, my name is Daniel and for the course of this academic year I will be making posts about my progress of media studies and how I have developed throughout this course.

I will me making many posts about my experiences of this course and what I learnt while doing it.
They will be many new skills I will have to develop while making the opening sequence like being able to shoot a film at a high quality, make my own music and edit the work we did which I believe will be quite challenging but fun.

There will be many challenges throughout the process of the filming and blog work that will have to be overcome but I will make sure that my work will be at the highest level possible for my capabilities.

Our theme for our short film is an opening sequence for a thriller film, so we will be filming the first two minutes of the film before it begins and introduce the film to the audience. So this area will be interesting to be exploring as thriller is hard to identify as it is mostly linked with another genre like action and horror