Questionnaires On Films
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Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Storyboard
This is a more detailed storyboard for the forest scene of our film. As we had many close up shots and quick running shots, we found it hard to properly map out all of our shots. Though during editing the story board helped us to recognise the kind of close up shots we needed and appropriately cut the shots.
Rough Storyboard
This is a rough storyboard for our film. It was done when we first had our idea and the ideas in it have since changed.
It doesnt have any written descriptions on it, it was just to help us get all the ideas for scenes we had down on paper.
It doesnt have any written descriptions on it, it was just to help us get all the ideas for scenes we had down on paper.
Preliminary Storyboard
This is a rough storyboard made for the preliminary work.
It follows the basic outline of the exercise, someone walking down a corridor, walking into a room, sitting down and conversing with someone else.
It follows the basic outline of the exercise, someone walking down a corridor, walking into a room, sitting down and conversing with someone else.
Preliminary Script
This is the script for my previous groups preliminary excercise.
All the rules os scirpts in the professional film making buisness were followed.
All the rules os scirpts in the professional film making buisness were followed.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Ideas for Sound
For the forest scene sound we decided to have dark and ominous tones, to create a gloomy atmosphere.
We found a very effective soundtrack for the forest scene that was called 'Running Up That Hill' by Placebo.
This would have been a perfect song as it has a heartbeat sound and a deep bassline that would create a good atmosphere for a woman running the in the forest in distress.
Though we soon realised that we couldn't use it due to copy right issues. So we have decided to make our own soundtrack to add our own unique and original talents to the scene.
We will use the program 'garage band' on the mac to create the tones.
We found a very effective soundtrack for the forest scene that was called 'Running Up That Hill' by Placebo.
This would have been a perfect song as it has a heartbeat sound and a deep bassline that would create a good atmosphere for a woman running the in the forest in distress.
Though we soon realised that we couldn't use it due to copy right issues. So we have decided to make our own soundtrack to add our own unique and original talents to the scene.
We will use the program 'garage band' on the mac to create the tones.
Opening sequence to my thriller film (Draft)
The character: a woman who is mentally ill, she hallucinates and looks very crazy and has a hysterical laugh. She is wearing old fashioned cloths and has dark cloths and make up.
The focus at the beginning of the film is on the women she is dancing around and exaggerates her movements. She has photos of a man all over the walls and blood all over the place and she’s laughing and moving around looking at the pictures and making her hand into a gun and pointing at him and smiles then whispers bang.
The mise en scene is a woman having flash backs of her normal life and then we also see the state she is in now.
The editing is to get the film looking weird, dark and gloomy. Also to cut scenes from her dramatic horrific state that in at the present to the past where she is calm peaceful and loving.
The props are a broken mirror and blood everywhere, also a lot of photos of a couple together but also photos taken without the other person knowing sign of stalking.
The bang bang song as the soundtrack. Her laughing like a mad person and making weird noises as the diegetic sound.
Opening Sequence Notes:
Sub genre: Psychological thriller /Horror thriller
Narrative: no narrating.
Character: an independent woman in her early 20’s, very strong and successful.
Atmosphere establishes: it takes place on a misty morning, very gloomy and cloudy.
The forest is filled with tree’s and the area is empty due to the time of day and also because it’s on the outskirts of a small town. The atmosphere should be like a dream or hallucination but the audience soon realise it very real.
Setting: A forest full of tree’s which makes it hard to find a way out, and it all looks the same which causes the character to run in circles.
Lighting: using the daylight as lighting as its outside, looks quite bright but very dull.
Props: Ripped tights, a cocktail dress, one set of earring, one pair of shoes, necklace and rings.
Sound: diegetic sound of a women breathing heavily throughout the film, also heart beating at crucial moments. The soundtrack should be mellow but heart pounding.
Use of camera: mostly extreme close up’s and close up’s but including a few long shots to establish the area.
Editing: at the start of the film there is a split second scenes which cut into credits, At first the scenes are very short and sudden but they gradually get longer and slower (as in slow motion).
Narrative: no narrating.
Character: an independent woman in her early 20’s, very strong and successful.
Atmosphere establishes: it takes place on a misty morning, very gloomy and cloudy.
The forest is filled with tree’s and the area is empty due to the time of day and also because it’s on the outskirts of a small town. The atmosphere should be like a dream or hallucination but the audience soon realise it very real.
Setting: A forest full of tree’s which makes it hard to find a way out, and it all looks the same which causes the character to run in circles.
Lighting: using the daylight as lighting as its outside, looks quite bright but very dull.
Props: Ripped tights, a cocktail dress, one set of earring, one pair of shoes, necklace and rings.
Sound: diegetic sound of a women breathing heavily throughout the film, also heart beating at crucial moments. The soundtrack should be mellow but heart pounding.
Use of camera: mostly extreme close up’s and close up’s but including a few long shots to establish the area.
Editing: at the start of the film there is a split second scenes which cut into credits, At first the scenes are very short and sudden but they gradually get longer and slower (as in slow motion).
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Costume Choices
For the first bit of the opening of our thriller a woman is running through the forest wearing a nice, smart dress which is supposed to contrast with her surroundings. As the dress is a vital tool in the scene to create enigma and an effect, we needed the right dress.
These are our choices for the characters costume. There was a choice out of 3 possible dresses,
The grey dress was finally decided on, partly because of practical issues but also because it looks like the right kind of dress that the character we have created would wear. It's also smart enough to contrast with the forest to create enigma within the scene.
These are our choices for the characters costume. There was a choice out of 3 possible dresses,
The grey dress was finally decided on, partly because of practical issues but also because it looks like the right kind of dress that the character we have created would wear. It's also smart enough to contrast with the forest to create enigma within the scene.
Filming
These are a mixture of location shots and images from our first day of filming.
We only got done the second half of the scene as we didn't anticipate the weather and how cold it would be so we finished before we planned. Though we plan to go back and hopefully get more done when we are more prepared for the weather conditions.
The filming was done in the GrimsDyke Hotel grounds.
We only got done the second half of the scene as we didn't anticipate the weather and how cold it would be so we finished before we planned. Though we plan to go back and hopefully get more done when we are more prepared for the weather conditions.
The filming was done in the GrimsDyke Hotel grounds.
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Friday, 5 February 2010
Idea for Opening Scene and Synopsis
This is my own synopsis for my idea for a thriller film and a walkthrough of the opening scene. I did this as part of my research and development of idea for the real thing.
Synopsis
It’s 1976 and a 24 year old black working class woman, Sarah Meredith, is working two jobs to keep herself fed and housed. She works as a cleaner for a white business-buff high up in the social rank of London. After stumbling upon a classified document in his house about one of the most famous unsolved murder cases of the 50’s she ends up being sucked in to a world of violence, hatred, corruption and greed. Though as the story begins to unfold, she finds herself being erased from society, the government begin to do all they can to make sure no one knows who she is or cares what happens to her.
By a chance encounter she begins to rendezvous with her boss’s 28 year old son, James Cabot, who has been aware of something suspicious and threatening going on with his father for a couple of years, decides to help Sarah uncover the truth. She realises as her life begins to crash down around her that there’s no point running, so her and James set out to uncover the truth about the murder. As the pair become more and more involved in the story, they begin to fall for each other. The story ends with a solved mystery and a dead lover…
Opening Scene
The opening scene to this that I thought would be effective is starting it with a scene from the end. The first few seconds is a black screen and there is off-screen diegetic sound of a woman lightly sobbing. Then we see the two characters, (Sarah and James) standing holding each other. Sarah is crying and James is staring at someone holding a gun. The shot cuts to this person, he’s slightly hidden in shadow. There’s a deathly silence until the man holding the gun says ‘you should never have gotten involved. It’s… It’s for the best.’ As he begins to step forward the shot cuts to the couple, James kisses Sarah’s head and whispers, ‘till the end’. There’s a gunshot, and the screen goes black. This scene lasts for about a minute, the black screen turns into the woman from before opening curtains to a bleak morning. The rest of the minute of the opening consists of her bustling around her flat getting ready for work like any other day. There are credits as she does this on the screen in a bold Verdana font and the music playing in the background is either the first minute of ‘No Love Lost’ by Joy Division, or ‘Gimme Shelter’ by the Rolling Stones.
Synopsis
It’s 1976 and a 24 year old black working class woman, Sarah Meredith, is working two jobs to keep herself fed and housed. She works as a cleaner for a white business-buff high up in the social rank of London. After stumbling upon a classified document in his house about one of the most famous unsolved murder cases of the 50’s she ends up being sucked in to a world of violence, hatred, corruption and greed. Though as the story begins to unfold, she finds herself being erased from society, the government begin to do all they can to make sure no one knows who she is or cares what happens to her.
By a chance encounter she begins to rendezvous with her boss’s 28 year old son, James Cabot, who has been aware of something suspicious and threatening going on with his father for a couple of years, decides to help Sarah uncover the truth. She realises as her life begins to crash down around her that there’s no point running, so her and James set out to uncover the truth about the murder. As the pair become more and more involved in the story, they begin to fall for each other. The story ends with a solved mystery and a dead lover…
Opening Scene
The opening scene to this that I thought would be effective is starting it with a scene from the end. The first few seconds is a black screen and there is off-screen diegetic sound of a woman lightly sobbing. Then we see the two characters, (Sarah and James) standing holding each other. Sarah is crying and James is staring at someone holding a gun. The shot cuts to this person, he’s slightly hidden in shadow. There’s a deathly silence until the man holding the gun says ‘you should never have gotten involved. It’s… It’s for the best.’ As he begins to step forward the shot cuts to the couple, James kisses Sarah’s head and whispers, ‘till the end’. There’s a gunshot, and the screen goes black. This scene lasts for about a minute, the black screen turns into the woman from before opening curtains to a bleak morning. The rest of the minute of the opening consists of her bustling around her flat getting ready for work like any other day. There are credits as she does this on the screen in a bold Verdana font and the music playing in the background is either the first minute of ‘No Love Lost’ by Joy Division, or ‘Gimme Shelter’ by the Rolling Stones.
Character Plan
Name: Lara Boon
• Woman in her 20’s
• White, British
• She is a middle class business woman, working for a high status corporation
• Lives alone, can’t hold together a relationship
• She is attractive, though not too barbie doll, doesn’t look like a bimbo but smart, independent looking.
• In forest scene, character is wearing ripped tights, a grey dress, her hair is out and messy, her skin is dirty and her makeup is smudged. In the second scene outside the hotel, she is wearing a business pencil skirt, sophisticated heels, her makeup is subtle, and her hair is straight and tidy.
• Her personality is mean, independent, strong minded, and assertive. She rarely gets pushed around and never sees her friends or family as she is a work-a-holic.
• She is not religious, and believes strongly in the importance of liberal democrats.
• She doesn’t have any phobias apart from being locked in a cage, she cant stand confinement and being trapped. She can’t stand to feel helpless.
• She exceeds stereotypes as she is blonde but not stupid, she is attractive but not obsessed with her looks, and she is a woman but not dependant on men or helpless around men.
• Woman in her 20’s
• White, British
• She is a middle class business woman, working for a high status corporation
• Lives alone, can’t hold together a relationship
• She is attractive, though not too barbie doll, doesn’t look like a bimbo but smart, independent looking.
• In forest scene, character is wearing ripped tights, a grey dress, her hair is out and messy, her skin is dirty and her makeup is smudged. In the second scene outside the hotel, she is wearing a business pencil skirt, sophisticated heels, her makeup is subtle, and her hair is straight and tidy.
• Her personality is mean, independent, strong minded, and assertive. She rarely gets pushed around and never sees her friends or family as she is a work-a-holic.
• She is not religious, and believes strongly in the importance of liberal democrats.
• She doesn’t have any phobias apart from being locked in a cage, she cant stand confinement and being trapped. She can’t stand to feel helpless.
• She exceeds stereotypes as she is blonde but not stupid, she is attractive but not obsessed with her looks, and she is a woman but not dependant on men or helpless around men.
My synopsis of a thriller film
As a child Sammy was the only member of her family to survive from the house burning down. In result she lived in a different homecare every week, her therapist Lucas discovered that she is seeing her dead parents. As the years progress she requests to see her old house where the tragic event had taken place. Sammy who is now eighteen relives the event when she finds a place of her own. However after seeing her old home she doesn’t escape the tragedy but finds the course with help from her therapist whom she falls for. Lucas is a tall handsome man age twenty-four who had worked with Sammy from the age of eleven but later develops feelings towards her as he helps discover her mystery. (target audiences from age 12)
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Analysis of the thriller film Sherlock Holmes. (opening sequence)
Camera shot, movement and composition:
The opening scene is started with a continuous shot which is zoomed on to the Warner Brothers symbol and then moved across, hand held as its not coordinated and is moving free as if help by hand this creates a interesting start to the film as normally films are set to do one thing and they are normally the same at the beginning however in this film the use of camera helps create a different technique which catches the audience’s attention due to its originality. The camera angle is looking straight down onto the ground which creates a mysterious start because the audience haven’t entirely established any fact details about the film and are forced to guess. However as the film starts the first shot is the camera moving upwards as a crane shot from the ground towards the street in which horses and buggies pass enter the shot and pass the camera this establishes the time and the era which is the 19th century. This shot allows the audience to establish the time and setting of the film. As the horses pass the camera there is a pause and then the camera pans towards the buggies and slowly catches up with them focusing on the back of the buggy.
In this scene the first two characters are established through a close up two shot and then an instant close up of their guns being triggered this creates a thrilling start to the film as the audience are not in the know and are constantly forced to guess the plot of the film right from the beginning. There are 4 important close ups which are put in ordered for emphasis, there is a close up of a big gun being triggered and then a close up of the first character which allows the audience to create an idea about the character, then a close up of the second gun and a close up on the second character which again gives the audience an idea about the characters personality and style.
Use of Soundtrack and Diegetic sounds:
The sound track is started with a very slow and quite old music which establishing time but also it doesn’t create thrilling mood however does raise suspicions. The music is then phased out and the sound of horses running, whinnying and screaming catches the audience’s attention and causes a havoc. The sound is continued by the loud noise of the footsteps the horses make when they run, this allows the audience to be dragged into film and hear everything as if they are there.
The soundtrack starts again and this time it’s very upbeat and mysterious as if counting down to something, the music gets louder and there are more beats added for emphasis. Suddenly the instant sound of a gun being loaded and then a mellow soundtrack, then again the rattling of the second gun followed by a smooth soundtrack, this creates excitement and is used to make the film a thriller.
Mise-en-scene:
The opening sequence is introducing the Warner Brothers symbol and 2 others but the mise en scene is linked with the film as they are carved into a cobbled street which suggest the film is set in late nineteenth century. This allows the audience to get an idea about the setting and time of the film, the use of colours and scenery also suggests it very rainy and it’s dark which creates a gloomy setting. These are all light effects to create a gloomy lighting The mise en scene is also darkened on the edges which focuses on the centre of the camera and also adds to the dark and thriller mood.
The film is then started and the setting is finally established through the use of horses and buggies entering right at the beginning of the film in a harsh and ruthless manner. This suggests the story has already begun and the audience are missing some bits of the plot which creates the film thriller because audiences want to watch on to see what happens.
The two characters are established and seem very different; one is holding a long big gun and is dressed very smart in dark colours and a hat which relates to the time of the film. The second character is wearing a long coat and has a smaller gun and seems to have more authority as the first character looks to him for confirmation, this establishes their relationship as friends and also important characters in the film.
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The film establishes the two characters at the start of the film however the opening doesn’t establish the whole story as its unravelled step by step and doesn’t reveal anything right till the end which engages the audience in the film and forced them to watch and find out what happens which shows the film is thrilling.
The enigma of the film is revealed when the two guns are loaded and there is a mysterious look exchanged between the two characters, which suggest that they are about to carry out an important business.
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Questionnaire into audience expectations of thrillers
This is the questionnaire I made to give to various people to find out audience expectations of thrillers.
Questionnaire on Conventions of Thrillers
1) What gender are you?
Female [ ] Male [ ]
2) How old are you?
15 – 20 [ ] 21 – 35 [ ] 35 – 50 [ ] Other [ ]
3) What is your favourite sub-genre of thriller?
Action Thriller [ ] Conspiracy Thriller [ ] Horror Thriller [ ]
Psychological Thriller [ ] Spy Thriller [ ] Political Thriller [ ]
4) Do you prefer to see a male or female lead role in a thriller?
Male [ ] Female [ ] Don’t mind [ ]
5) Do you think explosions, guns and violence is essential in a thriller?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
6) Would you prefer to see a thriller that has a complex and mind boggling plot?
Yes [ ] No [ ] Don’t mind [ ]
7) Do you have a favourite thriller film?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
8) If so, please name it below;
_________________________________________________
9) Would you like to see a strong, independent female protagonist as the main character in a thriller?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
10) Do you think it is important to have special effects and lots of soundtrack and ominous sounds, in a thriller to make it good?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Questionnaire on Conventions of Thrillers
1) What gender are you?
Female [ ] Male [ ]
2) How old are you?
15 – 20 [ ] 21 – 35 [ ] 35 – 50 [ ] Other [ ]
3) What is your favourite sub-genre of thriller?
Action Thriller [ ] Conspiracy Thriller [ ] Horror Thriller [ ]
Psychological Thriller [ ] Spy Thriller [ ] Political Thriller [ ]
4) Do you prefer to see a male or female lead role in a thriller?
Male [ ] Female [ ] Don’t mind [ ]
5) Do you think explosions, guns and violence is essential in a thriller?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
6) Would you prefer to see a thriller that has a complex and mind boggling plot?
Yes [ ] No [ ] Don’t mind [ ]
7) Do you have a favourite thriller film?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
8) If so, please name it below;
_________________________________________________
9) Would you like to see a strong, independent female protagonist as the main character in a thriller?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
10) Do you think it is important to have special effects and lots of soundtrack and ominous sounds, in a thriller to make it good?
Yes [ ] No [ ]
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Evaluation of "Se7en"
(This evaluation is only of the first 3 minutes of this extract from the opening scene of "Se7en")
In this essay I will be evaluating the opening scene of ‘Se7en’ Directed by David Fincher in 1995. In the very first shot we are shown a medium shot of a character (played by Morgan Freeman) from behind washing a cup up. We get a sense that we are simply observers in this particular scene because of the way the camera is positioned behind objects like door frames etc, so it helps us focus on the bigger picture and makes the shot feel even more isolated. Perhaps reflecting the characters life. All through the beginning minute of the scene when the character is in his room, there is diegetic off-screen sound of people talking and TV’s blasting out. This suggests that his apartment has thin walls which could be implying he is of the working class, living in a shabby flat. In addition, there are occasional faint sound of cars and sirens which indicates straight away that he lives in the city. We then cut to a shot of the character putting on his tie, solemnly as if he’s dressing for a funeral, though it’s just a usual day. Then we get an eye line match as the character looks down and the camera cuts to a close up shot of objects lined up perfectly in a row.
This is very important in portraying the character because they’ve shown us that he is extremely organised, that he clearly lives on a everyday routine, it also implies that he could be a loner if he has the time to be so precise. We also know straight away that he is a policeman because one of the objects he picks up is a police badge. The next shot again, implies all of these things as he picks a spec of dust of his cleanly ironed blazer, clearly he has the time to make everything perfect. We then cut to a different scene of a body lying on the floor in a pool of blood. This is elliptical editing as we have essentially gone from the characters home to work, just missed out the journey in between. As the diegetic off-screen sound of a man talking about the crime scene, we cut to a medium long shot of Morgan Freemans character walking down the hall. As the other policeman says “yeah well this is a done deal, I’ll do the paperwork”, Freemans character seems to be still looking closely at things for clues, which implies he is a heavy thinker and perhaps gets himself involved in the cases more than his co-workers. In addition we discover that he isn’t liked very much amongst his colleagues, as the other policeman says “you know we’re all gonna be real glad when we get rid of you somerset.” Though he doesn’t seem phased which could mean he’s above all the mindless insults.
This is when Detective Mills enters the story. He walks up the stairs with a wrinkly un-ironed shirt on and a leather jacket, insinuating his rebelliousness and care free, young persona. Then we cut to a low angle shot of him and Detective Somerset coming out a building. Det. Mills instantly does something to show his character, he checks out a woman walking past while talking to Detective Somerset. This represents him being not completely focused on what he’s doing. He’s distracted by anything and everything and by checking out a woman shows his immaturity to constantly be thinking about women. The as they start walking and the camera tracks them to the left, a man walks in between the two characters and lightly nudges Det. Mills.
He instinctively turns around to look at the man and has an annoyed facial expression for a couple of seconds. This shows his short temper, his inability to stay controlled and perhaps not think reasonably. He also seems fidgety and very confident. He seems to be exactly the opposite of Det. Somersets character.The whole tone of the film is set by the dim colours, and dreary feeling of the atmosphere. You instantly know it’s not going to be a happy funny film because there’s nothing vibrant about any of it, or distinctively fantasy about it. You know it’s going to be a down to earth thriller. In addition, There is no non diegetic sound in any of the beginning 4 minutes which is unusual for the opening of a film. Though this might be because the director is making it seem as real as possible by only including real sounds. He wants you to feel like it’s real life, and we don’t have soundtracks in real life.
Evaluation of "Vertigo" opening
This is the opening rooftop chase scene of "Vertigo" directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
This is my evalutaion..
Straight away Hitchcock manages to grasp our attention by the menacing non-diegetic soundtrack music that evokes fast paced movement. Then the first shot of a close up of just the ladder, when two hands appear grabbing it from below.
Already enigma is established and we are asking ourselves questions even in the first 10 seconds of the film. As the camera then zooms out of this shot, we see that in the background there is a city, immediately establishing the character must be on some kind of roof. This person is immediately followed by a man in a policeman uniform; this then answers some of our questions but not all of them and so keeps us interested. Another man appears after the officer wearing a suit, looking well kept and a little awkward as he jumps over the step making us think he’s perhaps not that comfortable to be where he is which could give us a clue as to what will happen.
The next shot is a great tracking establishing shot of the three characters running across the roof tops. Now we can clearly see that it’s dark which sets a moody and quite ominous tone to the scene. There is no diegetic sound apart from when the police man fires the gun at the man he is chasing which begs the question what could this man have done that so bad that he deserves to be shot at instead of just chased down and put in jail? It also leads you to believe something bad will happen and builds up the tension to the inevitable breaking point where something unwanted happens. Tension is also built up in the next shot when it cuts to a very long shot of each man individually trying to jump a gap in the roof onto an unsteady, slanted rooftop. The first man makes it alright, then the officer just about makes it, each time the music growing more dramatic to increase tension and giving you another clue that something is about to happen.
Suddenly, the last man jumps and fails to make it. He slips, falls and there is a four shot sequence of him falling to we completely focus on it, each time gets closer and more involved in what’s going on. The first is the same very long shot of him the jumping the other two characters had except we see him start to slip, the second is a long shot of him struggling for his life trying to get back to grips with the roof, the third is a medium shot of him clinging on to a drainpipe on the edge of the building, and the fourth is a medium close up of his face while holding on for his life.
We see the sweat dripping off his face, accentuating his fear and making it all the more real for us. The music also becomes more threatening and dramatic as this happens. This cuts to a medium shot of the police officer running after the first character, he abandons the pursuit and goes back to help his colleague. In doing so he creates an image for himself of being a nice man, and this makes the end part all the more terrible. Suddenly the subject of the chase has changed and now it’s a rescue mission. Having more than one thing happen in the beginning scene is ingenious of Hitchcock to rope the audience in and get them hooked as things are always changing.
We then cut to a close up shot of the third characters face and the look of sheer terror on it. An eyeline match allows us to see what he’s seeing and an establishing shot of the ground below clearly shows this. As the officer tries to help the man, he falls to his death with a shrill, haunting scream. Again we are surprised as initial thoughts could have been the third character was going to fall.
Hitchcock was named the ‘master if suspense’ in his day for his elusive techniques and long effective shots. He will definitely be influencing me in my own work.
This is my evalutaion..
Straight away Hitchcock manages to grasp our attention by the menacing non-diegetic soundtrack music that evokes fast paced movement. Then the first shot of a close up of just the ladder, when two hands appear grabbing it from below.
Already enigma is established and we are asking ourselves questions even in the first 10 seconds of the film. As the camera then zooms out of this shot, we see that in the background there is a city, immediately establishing the character must be on some kind of roof. This person is immediately followed by a man in a policeman uniform; this then answers some of our questions but not all of them and so keeps us interested. Another man appears after the officer wearing a suit, looking well kept and a little awkward as he jumps over the step making us think he’s perhaps not that comfortable to be where he is which could give us a clue as to what will happen.
The next shot is a great tracking establishing shot of the three characters running across the roof tops. Now we can clearly see that it’s dark which sets a moody and quite ominous tone to the scene. There is no diegetic sound apart from when the police man fires the gun at the man he is chasing which begs the question what could this man have done that so bad that he deserves to be shot at instead of just chased down and put in jail? It also leads you to believe something bad will happen and builds up the tension to the inevitable breaking point where something unwanted happens. Tension is also built up in the next shot when it cuts to a very long shot of each man individually trying to jump a gap in the roof onto an unsteady, slanted rooftop. The first man makes it alright, then the officer just about makes it, each time the music growing more dramatic to increase tension and giving you another clue that something is about to happen.
Suddenly, the last man jumps and fails to make it. He slips, falls and there is a four shot sequence of him falling to we completely focus on it, each time gets closer and more involved in what’s going on. The first is the same very long shot of him the jumping the other two characters had except we see him start to slip, the second is a long shot of him struggling for his life trying to get back to grips with the roof, the third is a medium shot of him clinging on to a drainpipe on the edge of the building, and the fourth is a medium close up of his face while holding on for his life.
We see the sweat dripping off his face, accentuating his fear and making it all the more real for us. The music also becomes more threatening and dramatic as this happens. This cuts to a medium shot of the police officer running after the first character, he abandons the pursuit and goes back to help his colleague. In doing so he creates an image for himself of being a nice man, and this makes the end part all the more terrible. Suddenly the subject of the chase has changed and now it’s a rescue mission. Having more than one thing happen in the beginning scene is ingenious of Hitchcock to rope the audience in and get them hooked as things are always changing. We then cut to a close up shot of the third characters face and the look of sheer terror on it. An eyeline match allows us to see what he’s seeing and an establishing shot of the ground below clearly shows this. As the officer tries to help the man, he falls to his death with a shrill, haunting scream. Again we are surprised as initial thoughts could have been the third character was going to fall.
Hitchcock was named the ‘master if suspense’ in his day for his elusive techniques and long effective shots. He will definitely be influencing me in my own work.
Monday, 1 February 2010
Film synopsis
Evil Genius designs a device which can make strange noises by phone which take over people's minds so that they can be totally controlled – wants to take over the World starting with Top Media Company – controls Boss of Empire, Inc., Murdock Gates hero finds out, by accident tries to stop Genius, goes to police – the police do not believe him – think him mad – then when the hero proves it – the police are “taken over” he is a fugitive, all the world is against him – control by a mad – man. Switch off your mobiles while you still can I dare you!!!
'Seven' Media Analysis
First of all the mis on scene is Morgan Freeman is getting ready for work, he organizes everything in a particular order. This means he has a routine to cope with his job as he is a police officer. The clothes he wears are very smart and in order just like Morgan Freeman.
The diagetic sound of the city noises e.g. police car, horning. This tells the audience of the location of the set. The different camera shots were like close up of Morgan Freeman emphasing that he is a main character.
The single bed in his apartment suggest that he is a lonely man, and could get depressed of being alone, this may be that’s why he has a routine to keep him in order.
The editing goes straight to work suggesting that his work has just started. The first we see in the mis scene a dead body in a pool of blood, seeing this would make anyone depress, especially on your own.
Morgan Freeman has to have a routine to keep him in order. One of the colleagues using dialogue says that it would be better if you left which made him feel not wanted.
Brad Pitt enters the scene by having a close up camera shot emphysing that he is a main character. There is a steady camera shot used to get the most feeling as if you are walking on the unsteady board in the set.
Brad Pitt has clothes which are not smart suggesting he is a young person who is not in order. It contrasts Morgan Freeman, and gets the audience thinking of how these two main characters are linked with each other. Any director that creates suspense and forces the audience to finish the movie.
Brad Pitt is eager, arrogant and wants to look at the outside picture; he does not look at the deeper picture. I think he more action but less intelligent then Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman is laid back, focused, does not show off. I think the older police officer takes more time when he is finding the clues and he is more of a detective than the younger police officer.
The mis on scene has a lot of questions which the audiences are asking for? A good opening Thriller Scene has to do this so the audience watches the movie till the end. If they get all the answers to the questions the audience will be bored, but if you leave some questions not answered it can be a cliff hanger for the audience.
The editing takes us straight to the serial killers house. The blurred up non diagetic sound is messed up just like the serial killer mind, also the editing and credits were the same. The text is scribble and insane just like the serial killer. The serial killer also has religious books suggesting he could be linked to the religion of some sort. Also most criminals would use gloves but this serial killer is so insane that he still cuts his finger tips with a razor Sharpe blade; he probably might wear the gloves on his hands.
All of these affects adds to the thrilling atmosphere, the main four categories are the mis on scene, camera shots, editing and sounds. All of these are for the audience!!!
Conventions of a good thriller
A good Thriller above all must Thrill Plato said “man is more frightened of Shadows”. Shadows can be Metaphorical or real so Mystery is important. Lights creates Shadows so lightening is important, e.g. In ‘Seven’ the head of the actress who played the cops wife (Brad Pitt) is not shown, only the reaction of the cop. This creates questions such as why? Fear of Shadows?
Chases generally Violence, Thrills, (case to be Thrilling if they are continuous they become boring- repetitive and above all we have to care as an audience about the protagonist, we heed to identify with the hero and heroine the main Characters, so that when the Hero is threaded or suffers we “suffer” feel danger with him. It may be good therefore if the Hero is a believable “human being” so flaw or Character traits are important.
The “Villain” has to create fear, seem powerful, arrogant, hatred, you must be etherified sinister – The Dark side. The “bad” can be interesting but evil, have good qualities, or you can even feel sympathy.
To set the mood, - e.g. sinister-dark-frightening, confusing, etc. Taking “seven’ as an example how was the mood, stage set.
The street was dark due to lighting and dingy, it was winter – the weather was almost a character incessant rain.
Architecture- sets, locations dark- run down, the mean streets, slums- graffiti, dirt, filth, dark corridors leading to sounds, Strong use of diabetic sounds, stet noise, wind, rain pouring sounds.
The none diabetic music – set moods – psychological metaphor for the killer mind. Build tension – and – releases tension in anti-climax.
Chases generally Violence, Thrills, (case to be Thrilling if they are continuous they become boring- repetitive and above all we have to care as an audience about the protagonist, we heed to identify with the hero and heroine the main Characters, so that when the Hero is threaded or suffers we “suffer” feel danger with him. It may be good therefore if the Hero is a believable “human being” so flaw or Character traits are important.
The “Villain” has to create fear, seem powerful, arrogant, hatred, you must be etherified sinister – The Dark side. The “bad” can be interesting but evil, have good qualities, or you can even feel sympathy.
To set the mood, - e.g. sinister-dark-frightening, confusing, etc. Taking “seven’ as an example how was the mood, stage set.
The street was dark due to lighting and dingy, it was winter – the weather was almost a character incessant rain.
Architecture- sets, locations dark- run down, the mean streets, slums- graffiti, dirt, filth, dark corridors leading to sounds, Strong use of diabetic sounds, stet noise, wind, rain pouring sounds.
The none diabetic music – set moods – psychological metaphor for the killer mind. Build tension – and – releases tension in anti-climax.
First of all the mis on scene is Morgan Freeman is getting ready for work, he organizes everything in a particular order. This means he has a routine to cope with his job as he is a police officer. The clothes he wears are very smart and in order just like Morgan Freeman.
The diagetic sound of the city noises e.g. police car, horning. This tells the audience of the location of the set. The different camera shots were like close up of Morgan Freeman emphasing that he is a main character.
The single bed in his apartment suggest that he is a lonely man, and could get depressed of being alone, this may be that’s why he has a routine to keep him in order.
The editing goes straight to work suggesting that his work has just started. The first we see in the mis scene a dead body in a pool of blood, seeing this would make anyone depress, especially on your own.
Morgan Freeman has to have a routine to keep him in order. One of the colleagues using dialogue says that it would be better if you left which made him feel not wanted.
Brad Pitt enters the scene by having a close up camera shot emphysing that he is a main character. There is a steady camera shot used to get the most feeling as if you are walking on the unsteady board in the set.
Brad Pitt has clothes which are not smart suggesting he is a young person who is not in order. It contrasts Morgan Freeman, and gets the audience thinking of how these two main characters are linked with each other. Any director that creates suspense and forces the audience to finish the movie.
Brad Pitt is eager, arrogant and wants to look at the outside picture; he does not look at the deeper picture. I think he more action but less intelligent then Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman is laid back, focused, does not show off. I think the older police officer takes more time when he is finding the clues and he is more of a detective than the younger police officer.
The mis on scene has a lot of questions which the audiences are asking for? A good opening Thriller Scene has to do this so the audience watches the movie till the end. If they get all the answers to the questions the audience will be bored, but if you leave some questions not answered it can be a cliff hanger for the audience.
The editing takes us straight to the serial killers house. The blurred up non diagetic sound is messed up just like the serial killer mind, also the editing and credits were the same. The text is scribble and insane just like the serial killer. The serial killer also has religious books suggesting he could be linked to the religion of some sort. Also most criminals would use gloves but this serial killer is so insane that he still cuts his finger tips with a razor Sharpe blade; he probably might wear the gloves on his hands.
All of these affects adds to the thrilling atmosphere, the main four categories are the mis on scene, camera shots, editing and sounds. All of these are for the audience!!!
The diagetic sound of the city noises e.g. police car, horning. This tells the audience of the location of the set. The different camera shots were like close up of Morgan Freeman emphasing that he is a main character.
The single bed in his apartment suggest that he is a lonely man, and could get depressed of being alone, this may be that’s why he has a routine to keep him in order.
The editing goes straight to work suggesting that his work has just started. The first we see in the mis scene a dead body in a pool of blood, seeing this would make anyone depress, especially on your own.
Morgan Freeman has to have a routine to keep him in order. One of the colleagues using dialogue says that it would be better if you left which made him feel not wanted.
Brad Pitt enters the scene by having a close up camera shot emphysing that he is a main character. There is a steady camera shot used to get the most feeling as if you are walking on the unsteady board in the set.
Brad Pitt has clothes which are not smart suggesting he is a young person who is not in order. It contrasts Morgan Freeman, and gets the audience thinking of how these two main characters are linked with each other. Any director that creates suspense and forces the audience to finish the movie.
Brad Pitt is eager, arrogant and wants to look at the outside picture; he does not look at the deeper picture. I think he more action but less intelligent then Morgan Freeman.
Morgan Freeman is laid back, focused, does not show off. I think the older police officer takes more time when he is finding the clues and he is more of a detective than the younger police officer.
The mis on scene has a lot of questions which the audiences are asking for? A good opening Thriller Scene has to do this so the audience watches the movie till the end. If they get all the answers to the questions the audience will be bored, but if you leave some questions not answered it can be a cliff hanger for the audience.
The editing takes us straight to the serial killers house. The blurred up non diagetic sound is messed up just like the serial killer mind, also the editing and credits were the same. The text is scribble and insane just like the serial killer. The serial killer also has religious books suggesting he could be linked to the religion of some sort. Also most criminals would use gloves but this serial killer is so insane that he still cuts his finger tips with a razor Sharpe blade; he probably might wear the gloves on his hands.
All of these affects adds to the thrilling atmosphere, the main four categories are the mis on scene, camera shots, editing and sounds. All of these are for the audience!!!
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