Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Thoughts On Change
My original plan was to have the movie opening end with my character discovering it was only her dog following her but in the end I realised that it might be better to cut it before that happened and give it more of an ambigous feeling. When I first came up with the idea for my film, I wasnt sure what to do and this was made harder by the fact I was working alone and would have to be mostly self reliant. I was very unsure of things and this lead me to having to experiment and try things out for myself and I felt my confidence grow but in the end I'm still not sure my film was particularly good but I felt I did the best I could.
Inception - Movie Opening Study 3
Inception
Beginning with an ominous music, like metal or an orchestra but it inspires something evil and dark, slowly growing loud like it’s growing closer. Then we cut to waves crashing on a beach, the peaceful sound contradicting the previous music and the backdrop very bright to the black that accompanied the previous music.
Leonardo’s character is seen washing up on shore, a close-up of his face as he slowly blinks his eyes open. We then hear children, rapidly cutting to them and in slow motion watching as they play in the sand, the camera cuts between the two seamlessly before we have a low angle shot of a Japanese soldiers face.
We cut to an oriental Japanese room, with low lighting and an old man seen with his back to us. He wear a suit, indicating power and command while Leonardo’s character is dragged to a seat opposite and given food. At this moment in time we rarely see their faces, only the hands of the old man (Saitou) and Leonard’s bent head.
They begin to talk in low, whispering voices as if something from a dream or blurry memory. Then Leonardo looks up slowly and the tension peaks and before he can say anything we have a sharp cut to a new scene.
Beginning with an ominous music, like metal or an orchestra but it inspires something evil and dark, slowly growing loud like it’s growing closer. Then we cut to waves crashing on a beach, the peaceful sound contradicting the previous music and the backdrop very bright to the black that accompanied the previous music.
Leonardo’s character is seen washing up on shore, a close-up of his face as he slowly blinks his eyes open. We then hear children, rapidly cutting to them and in slow motion watching as they play in the sand, the camera cuts between the two seamlessly before we have a low angle shot of a Japanese soldiers face.
We cut to an oriental Japanese room, with low lighting and an old man seen with his back to us. He wear a suit, indicating power and command while Leonardo’s character is dragged to a seat opposite and given food. At this moment in time we rarely see their faces, only the hands of the old man (Saitou) and Leonard’s bent head.
They begin to talk in low, whispering voices as if something from a dream or blurry memory. Then Leonardo looks up slowly and the tension peaks and before he can say anything we have a sharp cut to a new scene.
Rear Window - Movie Opening Study 2
Rear Window
The movie begins with opening shot through a window, zooming in quickly. This is instantly an ominous set-up as it reflects the movie title. A fast upbeat music begins and everything seems normal. The setting seen is a row of apartment buildings, run down against a murky grey sky backdrop. Then we cut to the scene of a man head, sweating before another cut to a man shaving in his apartment with a piano behind him, again through the view of a window.
We begin to track round to the left, seeing a 180’ view of a man sleeping on his balcony and waking up to the sharp ring of am alarm clock. Somewhat humorously, a women sleeping the opposite direction sits up moments after him. Then a women getting dressed. This implies an invasion of privacy which is backed by upbeat dramatic music which then turns sinister at times very quickly.
The camera then swings back to the man from the beginning, this time with a low tilt shot of him in a chair with a cast on his leg. The camera then pans left and we zoom in on a smashed old fashioned camera and various pictures of war and destruction. This could be foreshadowing for upcoming events in the film.
He then gets a phone call from his boss, talking about the day his cast comes off. Their tones are seemingly casual but as the boss begins talking about how sad it was when he had a good assignment for him. The tones change, intriguing the watcher. What is the job and how does it relate to the invasive previews of his neighbours lives?
Rear Window’s opening is full of suspense and a very good example of a thriller opening.
The movie begins with opening shot through a window, zooming in quickly. This is instantly an ominous set-up as it reflects the movie title. A fast upbeat music begins and everything seems normal. The setting seen is a row of apartment buildings, run down against a murky grey sky backdrop. Then we cut to the scene of a man head, sweating before another cut to a man shaving in his apartment with a piano behind him, again through the view of a window.
We begin to track round to the left, seeing a 180’ view of a man sleeping on his balcony and waking up to the sharp ring of am alarm clock. Somewhat humorously, a women sleeping the opposite direction sits up moments after him. Then a women getting dressed. This implies an invasion of privacy which is backed by upbeat dramatic music which then turns sinister at times very quickly.
The camera then swings back to the man from the beginning, this time with a low tilt shot of him in a chair with a cast on his leg. The camera then pans left and we zoom in on a smashed old fashioned camera and various pictures of war and destruction. This could be foreshadowing for upcoming events in the film.
He then gets a phone call from his boss, talking about the day his cast comes off. Their tones are seemingly casual but as the boss begins talking about how sad it was when he had a good assignment for him. The tones change, intriguing the watcher. What is the job and how does it relate to the invasive previews of his neighbours lives?
Rear Window’s opening is full of suspense and a very good example of a thriller opening.
Pulp Fiction - movie opening study
Pulp Fiction
Pulp fiction opens in café, a normal non-threatening situation from a 180’ degree shot. This is a common trick of the thriller trade, open in a supposedly normal, safe place and then make it non threatening. Two people, a man and a women are sitting at a table and talking about supposedly normal things. A couple on a date we suspect in the beginning, but from the way the man is lounging with his leg put up and a cigarette in his mouth, it’s obvious that this man is disrespectful and a bit of a rough, tough guy while the woman has an innocent, country girl feel.
The man order coffee, using a word for another language as if he’s smart before the waitress informs him that it means man nor female. They begin talking about matters not appropriate for discussion. Murder and robbing a bank with only a phone. This sudden change in pace is common in thrillers.
They then talk about robbing the café, using lots of exaggerated gestures and the man slams the gun on the table which is then zoomed in on, emphasising the gun. We get a bit of tension building now, suspense. How is it going to turn out?
The man then jumps up on the sofa like chair and yells that he’s robbing the café. This was anti-climatic and seemed somewhat cliché for modern day, as it was published in 1994.
The film then cuts to the credits moments after the initial holdup.
Pulp fiction opens in café, a normal non-threatening situation from a 180’ degree shot. This is a common trick of the thriller trade, open in a supposedly normal, safe place and then make it non threatening. Two people, a man and a women are sitting at a table and talking about supposedly normal things. A couple on a date we suspect in the beginning, but from the way the man is lounging with his leg put up and a cigarette in his mouth, it’s obvious that this man is disrespectful and a bit of a rough, tough guy while the woman has an innocent, country girl feel.
The man order coffee, using a word for another language as if he’s smart before the waitress informs him that it means man nor female. They begin talking about matters not appropriate for discussion. Murder and robbing a bank with only a phone. This sudden change in pace is common in thrillers.
They then talk about robbing the café, using lots of exaggerated gestures and the man slams the gun on the table which is then zoomed in on, emphasising the gun. We get a bit of tension building now, suspense. How is it going to turn out?
The man then jumps up on the sofa like chair and yells that he’s robbing the café. This was anti-climatic and seemed somewhat cliché for modern day, as it was published in 1994.
The film then cuts to the credits moments after the initial holdup.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
Production Schedule
March 4th - script plotting.
March 7th - props and costume.
March 8th - scout out locations, do pleminary shot planning.
March 11th - film scene 3.
March 13th, 9-11 - revise final plan for scene 3 ending.
March 14th, 9-10 - film scene 1/2.
March 17th - upload clips and play around with scene order, point of view, duration, effects.
March 21st - continued editing, progress check upload to blog.
March 24th - start music production, garage band.
March 7th - props and costume.
March 8th - scout out locations, do pleminary shot planning.
March 11th - film scene 3.
March 13th, 9-11 - revise final plan for scene 3 ending.
March 14th, 9-10 - film scene 1/2.
March 17th - upload clips and play around with scene order, point of view, duration, effects.
March 21st - continued editing, progress check upload to blog.
March 24th - start music production, garage band.
Finished Movie
After all the trouble with Final Cut, the movie is filmed, edited and ready to go for the final evaluation. It's a little hard to believe that its finally all done and over with after so much time spent on it, and I'm a little sad that it's over but at the same time relieved. I decided upon the title Silent Steps and I am very pleased with it. The indescisiveness that plagued me has gone as I've worked on this project and I feel more confident in myself.
Editing
My work so far. I have captured all my footage and unloaded it to final cut. I then put it in a general order and ran it through. Due to the fact I was working alone, it was quite hard to know what would work until I tried it. I cut out quite large bits before getting down to the nitty-gritty stuff.
In doing so I realized:
I would need to filter in the alternative view point shots with the main sequence, add in transitions to move from place to place and generally make sure it wasn’t stuttering too much a certain points.
In doing so I realized:
I would need to filter in the alternative view point shots with the main sequence, add in transitions to move from place to place and generally make sure it wasn’t stuttering too much a certain points.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Thursday, 17 March 2011
example of credits
Opening Credits
In Media I played around with the type of credits I wanted to have one my Film. It was an interesting experiance but as always with Media Technology something always seems to go wrong. The font's range was good and I found one that if given the right background would be really creepy.
Filming Report 2
We finished filming scene 1 at the churchyard, the silence there is very creepy I must admit. As we were filming I thought about what kind of music I wanted and whether I wanted something loud or soft. The piece of filming left can be completed this weekend and all that will be left is editing, making the credits.
Filming Report
Just finished filming scene 2 of my film, for the most part it went pretty well though the Camera position was somewhat complicated by the limited amount of space. It's actually quite hard to keep to a script and not make up similar sounding sentences. I suppose it takes massive amounts of commitment and a good ability to memorise.
Now all that's left is scene 1, in which Mia is standing in front of her sisters grave and promises to find out what really happened to her.
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Thriller Questions
What is the purpose of the opening to a film?
To capture the audience’s attention and drawing them into, it is also important that is excites the viewer or interests them so that they continue to watch it until the end. An opening that fails to excite or entice, leads to a boring view of the film.
What techniques can a director use to create suspense in a film?
Suspense is something that leaves the viewers heart pounding, biting their fingernails and sitting on the edge of their seat.
Music is one such technique that can be applied; loud dramatic music can set the heart jumping, low and eerie can lead to the heart freezing.
The director can also use false shocks, to increase viewer paranoia and set up for something big.
Low Key Lighting can be used to create a more intimate cinematography.
Also the use of editing cuts to change faster, or jump cuts, can also be used to increase the sense of danger and the sense of the pressure of time.
How do you think a thriller film is defined?
A thriller is something that entices people to watch it and gives being a sense of suspense and intrigue.
What films can you think of, that would fit into the thriller genre?
Constantine, The Exorcist, Rear View Window, Black Swan, Inception, Pulp Fiction…
The thriller film can be divided in to sub-genres – what different types of thriller films do you think exists?
Mystery Thriller, Supernatural Thriller aka Constantine, Psychological Thriller aka Black Swan, Adventure Thriller, Action Thriller.
What are the characteristics or conventions of a thriller film? (Consider narrative, characters, mise-en-scene, stars?)
The narrative of a thriller usually holds an element of mystery and having some sort of shock or twist in the narrative which captures the audiences attention. Characters of a thriller usually range but has certain character archetypes but it also depends on the subgenre of the thrillers:
· The lead character being put in a situation without knowing anything and stumbles through the narrative blindly.
· Usually a character that isn’t exactly normal or the conventions of normal, like Nikola Tesla from Prestige, who plays an eccentric inventor.
· The lead male having a dark and shady past, Leonardo DiCaprio has a history of playing roles like these. Shutter Island, Inception are two examples of this type.
· An innocent female being put in scary situations, such as in Scream’s opening which features a female who is unaware of the danger with the stranger she is talking to until it’s too late and ends up with he throat slit.
On that note, star appeal can reflect how good a film will be. If a film has actors or actresses that aren’t well known ore respected it can reflect how good the film will be. Big stars usually means a bigger budget and implies a greater quality of film but also will draw fans to watch even if thrillers aren’t normally something they indulge in.
What do you think is the audience pleasure of a thriller?
Earlier I identified that a thriller is something that gives people an thriller and a sense of intrigue. However the pleasures of watching a thriller can vary on the type of thriller and how well the film is shot.
If an viewer is watching a thriller they want to be excited. If they like mystery thrillers the intrigue and puzzling out of the plot may give them enjoyment, or maybe it’s the race against time to catch the killer before he strikes again or perhaps it’s the more physiological side of things that intrigues them, getting inside of the mind of the killer.
Psychological thrillers deal with lots of different concepts like multiple personalities disorders or theories like time travel (The Butterfly Effect) or Obsession (View From A Rear Window).
The audience could be pleasured by the sheer abnormality or deviation from the normal and wandering, however psychological films can incorporate elements of violence or darker themes like sexual abuse such as Black Swan in which Natalie Portman’s characters ends up committing a form of suicide by stabbing herself repeatedly and has themes of sexual abuse and mental instability.
Action Thrillers can be very popular, such as the Bourne Trilogy or the Bond Films. This normal has very stark ‘Good and Bad’ characters and has more common stereotypes. These types can be the types that makes peoples heart pound and there mind race. The thoughts of are the characters going to make it? Will they die?
Thriller pleasure however is changing as we move into the twenty-first century and the traditional techniques such Detectives in long coats and top hats are left behind as new thriller narratives are explored.
Using the internet research the ‘top 50 thriller films’. Look at the top twenty – which ones have you watched? If not many, why do you think that is?
The Twently Top Thrillers:
· Pulp Fiction
· Inception
· The Dark Knight
· Goodfellas
· Fight Club
· Rear Window
· Psycho
· The Usual Suspects
· The Silence of the Lambs
· Se7en
· Memento
· Leon
· North by Northwest
· Double Indemnity
· M
· Taxi Driver
· Vertigo
· Terminator 2: Judgment Day
· Elite Squad 2
· Alien
Out of these twenty I have watched Inception, Terminator 2, Goodfellas and Alien. I don’t think I’ve watched many thrillers because I’m not one of those people that like scary things or psychological thrillers. I prefer more action films like James Bond or fantasy films like Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief or Harry Potter. I watched a lot of Disney films growing up and I still love films like Bambi and the Lion King.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
CAST:
MIA ROSENBERG
KRISTIN ROSENBERG
TIMO, THE DOG
SCENE 1:
Mia Rosenberg stands in front of a grave, her sister’s. Lays flowers at the grave.
MIA: I’ll find out what really happened, I promise.
END SCENE
SCENE 2:
MIA: why couldn’t you have just told what was wrong, Rea? Why did you have to…?”
Kristin Rosenberg comes in.
KRISTIN: Why can’t you leave the past be? Why? Your sister, my daughter is dead! She isn’t coming back!
Mia stands up. Slams hands on table.
MIA: It is because she is my sister I can’t just leave it be! She wouldn’t have killed herself! I know her!
Mia shakes her head.
MIA: I’m going for a walk; I need to clear my head.
Mia picks up coat, walks down hallway, walks up to the steps and exits the garden with a wave to her dog, Timo.
MIA: Not today, boy.
END SCENE
SCENE 3:
Mia is walking, when she here a twig snap behind her. She looks around. No one there. Continues walking. Hears footsteps, looks around again. No one there.
MIA: Hello? Is – Is someone there?
Silence.
Continues walking, faster than before. Footsteps again and cracking of twigs. Mia whirls around.
MIA: Come out! Whoever you are! I know you’re there!
Jumps, makes low scream. Whirls around. Her dog sits next to her.
MIA: Timo! God, you gave me a scare! How on earth did you get out?
Kneels down, scratches dog’s head.
MIA: I’m getting as paranoid as Rea must have been, huh boy? I wonder if this is what she felt…
END SCENE
MIA ROSENBERG
KRISTIN ROSENBERG
TIMO, THE DOG
SCENE 1:
Mia Rosenberg stands in front of a grave, her sister’s. Lays flowers at the grave.
MIA: I’ll find out what really happened, I promise.
END SCENE
SCENE 2:
MIA: why couldn’t you have just told what was wrong, Rea? Why did you have to…?”
Kristin Rosenberg comes in.
KRISTIN: Why can’t you leave the past be? Why? Your sister, my daughter is dead! She isn’t coming back!
Mia stands up. Slams hands on table.
MIA: It is because she is my sister I can’t just leave it be! She wouldn’t have killed herself! I know her!
Mia shakes her head.
MIA: I’m going for a walk; I need to clear my head.
Mia picks up coat, walks down hallway, walks up to the steps and exits the garden with a wave to her dog, Timo.
MIA: Not today, boy.
END SCENE
SCENE 3:
Mia is walking, when she here a twig snap behind her. She looks around. No one there. Continues walking. Hears footsteps, looks around again. No one there.
MIA: Hello? Is – Is someone there?
Silence.
Continues walking, faster than before. Footsteps again and cracking of twigs. Mia whirls around.
MIA: Come out! Whoever you are! I know you’re there!
Jumps, makes low scream. Whirls around. Her dog sits next to her.
MIA: Timo! God, you gave me a scare! How on earth did you get out?
Kneels down, scratches dog’s head.
MIA: I’m getting as paranoid as Rea must have been, huh boy? I wonder if this is what she felt…
END SCENE
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Audience Pleasure
I did a survey around my local neighbourhood on what they liked about thrillers and even if they liked thrillers. I used an open ended questionaire asked them a few questions:
How old are you?
Did you ever use to like thrillers? How old were you if you did?
What kind of movies do you like now, any examples?
This has led me to conclude my target audience would be teenagers to young adults.
Thoughts On A Genre
The thriller genre I believe has a diverse audience. In terms of age I tend to lean towards an elder audience, usually from late teens to adults. Children would interpret modern day thrillers as very scary, such as The Exorcist and would then go against the age certificate laws. I think elderly people wouldn’t enjoy thrillers as much as say a young adult, so it leads me to think thrillers target a mature audience. I also think it would have to be an audience that enjoyed suspense and having their hearts pound. In terms of gender, it would be hard to say. Gender also depends on the kind of thriller. Horror Thrillers I would think more boys, but mystery thrillers I would say both. I myself don’t particularly enjoy thrillers with the exception of one or two but my friend loves them. We’re both girls, so I would argue gender doesn’t matter so much a preference and I think this shows in the movie industries advertisement. Black Swan features Natalie Portman, while Inception features Leonardo DiCaprio. They both have star appeal to both genders.
Monday, 28 February 2011
Costumes and Prop List
Clothing:
- For the girl: Boots for walking, jeans, top, and jacket.
- For mother: Laidback clothing, that signifies the cold, unemotional state she is in since her daughters death.
- The invisible man: Trousers and shoes.
Props: I will need:
- Letters from the dead sister, to signify her mental state.
- Newspaper clippings to signify that the girl doesn't want to believe her sister committed suicide and has become obssessed with the case.
- Pictures of the dead sister, to invoke smypathy in the audience and maybe represent what the girl is working so hard at.
Making the letters and hand written could take between 1 to 2 hours.
The newpaper cuttings and the amount needs could be gathered both from a real newpaper and made up, which would cut down on time needed. A few on the computer which is about the case is going to be need for realism. so 1 to 3 hours.
Certificate
After looking at what certificate I should have if I was shooting the whole film I concluded it would have to be either a 15 or 18. There following are guidlines for a 15 rated film:
Suitable only for 15 years and over
No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.
Discrimination
The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.Imitable behaviour
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.Violence
Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.However, in the two minute opening I will be shooting, there isn't any violence but there is talk and hints of disturbing images and themes such as suicide and stalking, so I wouldn't lower the rating below a 15.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)