My Script On Wordle.Net

Here's My Script on Wordle.Net

Wordle.net takes all the most commonly used words from a block of texted and puts them into a cool arrangement it loads of different colours. 

The Animatic

Here is the animatic to our thriller:

To make tha animatic I put all the photos of our storyboard onto iMovie and added in fades and cuts to give the audience a sense of the editing pace of the title sequence and what kind of thriller they were in for. When it was created we didn't have a soundtrack or the final dialogue. Therefore, we only got a small but sharp idea of what the thriller would be like...

Art of The Title

The title of the sequence the Political Thriller opening two minutes that I am shooting and editing with my group is important for establishing what kind of film the audience should expect to see. 

A website, http://www.artofthetitle.com/?s=in+time shows the importance of title sequences for the films that they're about. 

Here is a screenshot of the site: 

There are a few different types of title sequences. 

Some go straight into the action of the film, an example of this is, The Shining. This engages the audience straight away and makes the film suspenseful straight from the word go. 

Other films have title sequences that are known as discreet title sequences: 

Old School:

Film; The Mothman Prophecies 

Animated:

Film; Casino Royale 

Key Themes of My Thriller

I have taken a lot of inspiration from famous political thriller films from the past such as, The Ghost Writer, Year of the Gun and The Wire (TV Series).

The most obvious themes are tension and suspense, however I need to let the audience know what is happening in the thriller within the first two minutes otherwise they'll lose interest and the film therefore has very little quality. 

Deciding on casting, props, lighting and location. 

In our group, we were thinking of using the teachers as our actors instead of the students in order to make the sequence more believable, because seeing a 17 year old President wouldn't be as believable as seeing a 40 to 50 year old! 

Here is an example of a Political Thriller sequence from, The Wire: 

The titles of our sequence are also important because they can help to establish to the audience what type of film they have come to see, and what they should be expecting. This is an example of a Political Thriller Title Sequence: 

The title sequence font, music and images are essential for making the sequence more believable. 

My Prelim

Here is my finished Prelim, embedded on YouTube! I think that it was a success in terms of camerawork, and editing, but the change in sound between different clips needs to be same. Some are higher pitched than the others. The Mis-En-Scene didn't matter in the case of the Prelim. 

Enjoy!

Mise-en-Scene In My Thriller

It is extremely important to get the mise-en-scene of my thriller completely right otherwise the audience will not believe what they see is 100% believable and will therefore lose interest. 


For example, famously from the film 'Gladiator' there is a member of the crew in one of the shots wearing a pair of blue jeans, as shown here: 




The name given to mise-en-scene when it reflects real life in an almost completely believable way is, 'verisimilitude'. This is a key component for the audience to be captivated by suspended disbelief. 


It is therefore important to research into costumes, props, lighting (of characters and sets), sets and/or locations.

Reaction To Pitch

The majority of the class preferred Will's idea to mine, Chuffy's and Sarah's, therefore it emerged as our number one. Will's idea was about how terrorists shut down all communication between the Western Nations of the World and plot an attack, sparking the beginning of World War III.


I believe that my idea got some good feedback and the kind of response that I predicted, which was mixed but I think overall supportive. 

Preparing My Pitch

To prepare for my pitch I created a powerpoint of the final idea I decided to go with, which was the freak snowstorm that hit the East Coast of the United States. I presented my powerpoint to the class with Will, Chuffy and Sarah, the other three members of my group.

This picture shows Sarah, me, and Chuffy (from left to right) as we displayed our ideas to the class.

Here is a screenshot of the powerpoint that I made to display to the class: 

Within the powerpoint, I included the Title of the thriller, the plot, and what I would make of the opening two minutes. 

To turn the Snow Storm idea into a thriller film I decided to research into past thrillers such as 'The Perfect Storm', '2012' and 'The Day After Tomorrow'. I looked at how environmental changes can be dramatized into becoming something greatly suspenseful and exciting. 

Using The News As Inspiration

BBC News, CNN, Fox News, all news can be used as an inspiration for a thriller film.

A couple of news stories that I lookedat were:

A freak snow storm that hit the East Coast of The USA. I thought that this could potentially develop into a couple of interesting stories.

Snow Storm Story: 

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/freak-snowstorm-11-dead-as-bad-weather-hits-us-20111101-1msww.html

Why Is Genre Important For Audiences & Institutions?

Genre is important from audiences because it allows them to know what kind of film they're about to see. It allows them to know what to expect when they walk into a movie theatre. If someone has bought a ticket for a comedy film, they exppect to walk in, sit down and laugh their heads off for the next hour and a half. They don't expect to walk in and be horrified by a dead man lying on the floor... In the film that is.

The producers and institutions have to know what kind of film genre they're going to produce right from the word go, so they know to get the right actors, props, set, dialogue etc.

When promoting the film advertisement also tells the audience a lot about the film. For example, the SuperBad Trailer tells us about the comedy of the film. Immediately, because the distributors and film producers knew what they wanted to get across to the audience, the audience can tell what kind of film they'd see if they went to see Superbad at the  movie theatre.

Final Thriller Idea - 'Snow Storm'

For this idea to come alive I had to do some research into what I thought could make a great thriller. I would put this idea under the subgenre heading of an ‘environmental thriller’.  I was reading the BBC News Website when I came across a story about a freak snowstorm that hit the East Coast of the USA and this is where I got my idea from.

My idea was to tell the story of one man and how he survived the initial storm. For my opening sequence I would have white text on a black background to show the film company, actors etc. Then the diegetic sound of a tuning radio would come on shortly followed by the sound of a tape running and plates being washed in a sink. The shot would then cut to the main character looking out the window as he listens to the radio talk about an expected freak snow storm. From different shot we then learn about the character’s reaction to the news over the radio. I believe that the group has decided to go forward with this idea and that it should work well and that we can come up with enough dialogue and shots to make up for the opening two and a half minutes of the film! 

Another Thriller Idea - '17 and Gone'

This idea is about a youth in London who is heavily involved in gangs, drugs and violence. 

The overall plot is about how he is the key to his own downfall. The film will show him and his life over a few days and how he gets into 'beef' with someone else, who in the end kills him. The main character doesn't have any close family.

In the opening two minutes I would have shots taken from high and low angles of the main character walking around the estates in the night. There would be non-diegetic music playing over the top of the sequence with the titles rolling over it. For continuity editing I would make sure I follow simple rules with the camera like the white balance, the 180 degree rule etc. 

My Two Thriller Ideas

Idea One - Mirror

This thriller film is about a man who has done something terrible in his past and he has never been able to live with it. So now, whenever he looks in the mirror all he can see is a 'demonised' version of his own face and a representation of the bad thing that he has done in the past. The story ends with the man dieing the same way that the subject that he destoryed in the past died after he has been tormented till the end by his own mentality.

Idea Two - Haunting in Hammersmith

The plot for this film revolves around the 'possesion' of a young girl aftrer her and her mother have moved into a new home. The film is about how this innocent youn g girl is tormented by a spirit from beyond the grave everynight whilst she tries to sleep. Eventually towards the end of the film the mother believes the girl after a shocking encounter of her own. The hero of this film is the crazy neighbourgh, who in the end saves the mother and daughter. The reason why there is no father is because he had died to desease the same year the girl was born.

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock is still one of the best ever directors of thriller films and is the master of suspense.



He says that the difference between mystery and suspense is that the answer is never given to the audience with suspense, leaving them angry and frustrated because of all the tension that is built up, whilst with mystery the audience finds out. Despite there being suspense in a mystery the answer is provided, making it less exciting.

Genres & Subgenres

These Are Some Thriller Subgenres



There are three sub-genres of thriller; ‘political thriller’, ‘supernatural thriller’ and ‘crime thriller’. I will now explain to you what you’d typically expect to find in each genre of thriller.

Political/Conspiracy Thriller:

Characters – Government/Federal Characters (possibly as the main protagonists).

-       The ‘victim’ of the conspiracy.

-       The ‘good guys’, who are trying to stop the plan in the film taking place.

Settings – Government Buildings, ‘secret locations’ (caves, van etc), the place where all the action takes place (old house, big old warehouse, etc.)

This type of thriller would contain more action and adventure than the other two sub-genres of thriller.

Examples are ‘Flight 93’ and ‘Flight plan’.

Ending from ‘Flight 93’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3X_KyqGf3w

Supernatural Thriller:

            Characters – Ghosts

-       Zombies

-       Aliens

-       Demons/Devils

-       Vampires

-       Witches

-       Goblins and Trolls

Settings – Shopping mall (large public area), old ‘haunted’ house, New York City, fields/woods, dark cold isolated places where no one can help you.   

Great examples of this type of thriller are ‘I am Legend’ starring Will Smith and ‘Dawn of the Dead’.

I am Legend Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewpYq9rgg3w

Crime Thriller:

Characters – Police

-       Criminals

-       Victims

Settings – Estate homes, prison, ‘grime’ life of London and other major urban cities. Examples, ‘Kidulthood’, ‘Adulthood’, ‘Shank’.

Kidulthood Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdoKD4gTQ2c

What is a 'Thriller'?

A thriller is a book or film that is designed to keep the reader or audience on the edge of their seats. Thrillers involve common themes, main ones are tension and suspense. Thrillers are made to create suspense in the audience. In the past many brilliant thriller films have been made in the past. Two of my favourite examples are; ‘The Exorcist’, and ‘The Blair Witch Project.’ In these two films the common characteristics of thriller films are present. The two main ones are shown throughout the whole of both films.

Here is a great example of a 'Thriller':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOnqjkJTMaA&ob=av2n

Analysing A 'Thriller'

THRILLERS

I find a great example of a thriller is, 'The Blair Witch Project'. But within this there is one scene that I believe is the most thrilling. I have found a link on YouTube of the end scene from the film. There are a number of factors that make this ending to a film so chilling.

The Blair Witch Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z66RpatHajQ

The camerawork in this sequence isn't what you'd expect to find in a normal film. This part of the film seems as though it has been filmed on a hand held camera. This makes the scene more 'thrilling' because it gives the audience the impression that they're there in the same situation as the protagonist. Making the audience feel involved with this technique can create a much more chilling atmosphere instead of using a more familar technique such as a 'well edited' shot.

In this sequence there is no music, and there are no non-diegetic sounds. This makes the atmosphere a lot more realistic for the audience because in real life, you don't walk around with an orchestra playing a dramatic song behind you! The only sounds avaliable to the audience are the diegetic sounds to the actor.The diegetic sounds are ones of 'wimpering' and 'crying'. These reflect a dark, negative and scary atmosphere to the audience.

There is very little mise-en-scene or editing required for this scene. The characters props, make-up and the background are very limited. The editing is hardly noticeable. I believe the light may have been tweaked the slightest bit possibly and the quality of the film may have been upgraded, but overall very little in comparison to other thriller films to improve it. I believe the realness of this sequence is what makes it the most terrifying.  

The Wave - German Thriller

There are two types of sound in this sequence; diegetic and non-diegetic. A good example of a non-diegetic sound that builds tension in this clip is the heartbeat sound effect. This sound signifies life and how at any point it can stop. The music is also a very low toned, dark and suspenseful creating a more chilling sequence. The diegetic sounds which the actors can hear do less to make the sequence thrilling however they're all quite 'alarming' and 'distressing' sounds.

The editing of this sequence is in time to the sounds so the storyline seems like it is flowing smoother. The titles that are put into this sequence also change in time with the music, making the moment seem more suspenseful and dramatic.

The mise-en-scene of the film seems very stereotypical of a modern day classroom at first, however the scenery and the lighting becomes darker the this makes the storyline seem more suspenseful. The props that the actors have at times would stereotypically be viewed as 'dangerous' or threatening.

The camerawork. In this sequence it is a mix of wide angled shots and close ups. It is what I would expect to find in a high budget well thought out film. There are also point of view shots where the camera moves or is 'running' with the characters which may be done in order to make the character feel as though they're moving with and part of the film.

Editing My Prelim

Editing My Prelim

When editing the prelim for Media Studies last week, I knew what I was doing for most of the short simple tasks because I had lots of previous experience with Final Cut. I also found however that more could have been done with it than first expect.

Instead of just putting the clips together I also edited the colours of the shots, the sounds and the clarity of the image. I did this to make the film seem a lot more realistic and entertaining to the audience whilst becoming more flowing too!!

Learning to Use Final Cut Pro

I found learning to use Final Cut Pro really easy! I've had previous experience with other kinds of Final Cut so I really knew what I was doing. I love doing the editing not only because we are taught by the master himself Phil, but also because I inspire to be aFilm Director/Editor when I'm older.

I found that some of the techniques I used to editing the short film we were doing could be improved in various different way, especially with the sound. I found that I could do other sound effects to keep it flowing instead of just cross fading it. :)

In my first year of Hurtwood Media Studies I have to learn how to use www.blogger.com. I was new to this site and so the learning process was slow, but after a while the more simple it seemed. I now have a fully completed blog as the picture below shows. I had to create my own account under my e-amil, choose the design that I preferred and finally learn how to create my first blog. 

This is a screenshot of my blogger account. The picture shows that I have successfully completed my blog and am ready to post. 

Recently in Media I was put into a team that consisted of my classmates Chuffy Clarke and Will Barlow. We were given the task of shooting a short sequence that allowed us to use a camera and tripod of one character walking into a room, exchanging words with another and leaving. 


The 180 Degree Rule is where all the shots in the sequence must be taken on one side of an imaginary line that runs between the characters. This rule is used frequently to stop the audience getting a confused perspective on where the characters are standing, or the location of a scene. 


This rule was applied to our sequence for precisely that reason. 

Moving swiftly on with my Media Studies course learning how to use a camera and a tripod became essential.


The Camera


The camera has many different functions that need to be looked at carefully before you can start shooting a project.
Key elements include
- White Balance
- The Focus
- Aperture 
- How you frame your shot

This is the type of camera we use in Hurtwood House Media Studies.

The Tripod


The tripod is a lot simpler to set up than the camera. Some main elements for the tripod are: 
- How to balance the tripod. You do this by - 'bubbling it.' Making sure the bubble is in the centre of the circle. 
- How to put the camera onto the tripod without it dropping or being damaged. 
- How to loosen and tighten the movement of the tripod. 
- How to handle it correctly. 
- Fold it away and put it up.

This is an example of the kind of tripod that we are using to shoot with at school. 

The Stepfather 2009 Analysis

The image on the right is one of the first shots used in 'The Stepfather'. In it, we can see a well 'covered up' character. The use of mise-en-scene here might show us that the character is 'mysterious' or 'dangerous' from the way that the costumes and make up cover up his body and hide his face away.
The music (non-diegetic) during this shot and throughout the sequence is dark, eery and chilling. These non-diegetic sounds add to the overall atmosphere of the scene which is dark and suspenseful.  

(Introduction of one of the main characters.)

Along with the non-diegteic sounds and mise-en-scene used in the opening sequence, the camerawork also adds to the atmopshere, and changes the way that the audience regards one of the characters. This shot is taken from a 'low angle' perspective. When this technique is used, it creates the image that the character is larger, and of a higher status. This prevoked feeling may make the audience fear him or at leats feel inferior to him. The characters face could also esily change because he could shave and take his glasses off. This adds to his mysterious side.

(Introduction to another character.)

Along with the three other main elements of film, the editing adds a considereable amount of tension and meaning to the sequence, A technique that has been used is 'elipsis'. This technique cuts out all the 'boring' parts of the film and puts the interesting shots together to keep the audience more involved and interested in the film.

Contrapuntal editing is used in the beginning of the 'The Stepfather.' It is used in the shot on the right hand side. The contrast in this shot is between the image, which is stereotypically happy and family-like at Christmas, and the non-diegteic music, which is dark and eery. This technique can be used to confuse the audience and make the anticipation of the scene build a lot more because of the added tension.

Learning to use blogger

This is my first ever post woo hoo. I am really looking forwad to experimenting with different multimedia platforms to exhibit my work. This is where I am going to record my development and the research and planning of my media work over the next 2 years. Enjoy...