Laura Walton

2010-02-19T01:34:00.001-08:00

Laura Walton

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Thriller Evaluation

2010-02-12T09:35:00.000-08:00

2010-02-12T05:18:00.001-08:00

Hi Laura,

Please get in contact to let me know what is happening with your Thriller Evaluation. If you are having trouble converting and uploading to the blog please send me the Powerpoint file via email to hknott@brit.croydon.sch.uk. This will at least let me know that you have done the work.

Thanks,

Hannah

Storyboard

2010-02-12T04:18:00.001-08:00

Our finished Thriller opening

2010-01-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

No Escape from BDC on Vimeo.

Filming

2010-01-11T08:19:00.000-08:00

Filming wasn't as difficult as we'd expected. We thought that it'd be extremely long winded and challenging, but we only encountered a few problems. The main issue we had was continuity. Between takes we would go into different rooms to move equipment or plug in extension leads for lights, and we kept leaving doors open and wires in shots. We didn't realise this until we'd done our first night of filming and watched the footage back, which gave us more to do the following filming session.

We also experienced difficulty with lighting. Originally we were going to film the girl getting ready in her bedroom. However, when we set up the camera the lighting was really dark and you couldn't see very clearly at all. We moved the scene to the bathroom, which was a lot brighter lit, and the picture improved a bit, but was still dark. We tried holding lamps up and changing camera settings but it was still dark. In the end I flipped a switch on the inside of camera, and the lighting suddenly went extremely bright and clearer. We had to re-film a few sections with the new lighting properties but after that we were a lot happier with the picture.

Even though we experienced problems, we also thought filming went more successfully than we expected. The second day of filming was easier than we expected, mainly down to our actor Ollie who was very professional and easy to direct. This meant we made or good time and could re-do any shots we weren't completely happy with. We also found using the camera and framing up a shot easier than expected. I think the prelim task was a definite help for this, because we both felt quite confident using the camera and tripod.

Our thriller location

2009-12-10T03:34:00.001-08:00

By Joseph Cocklin

This is the image of the doorway to our location. This is a very important part of our thriller opening as this is the place where we first see our stalker, we needed to know what this part of the location looked like for camera set-up reasons.

Doorway width: 2ft 6.

Doorway Height: 6ft 4.

This is the hall way space where both characters in the opening interact.

width: 4ft 9.

Lenght: 10ft 6.

This is shot of our locations kitchen. This is important as it is where we first start to establish the character of the stalker. The lighting is really good in this as it is really bright, and also has outer lighting when in pitch black from the garden.

Lenght: 15ft 6.

Width: 4ft 4.

This is the staircase, This will be shown twice in our film for entrances and exits.

Width: 2ft 4.

This is the bedroom of thriller opening, this is where we will film the majority of our opening, where both characters will intertwine. However there is bad lighting in this room so some shots may have to be compramised because of lighting.

Width: 9ft 6.

Lenght: 10ft 4.

This is the bathroom of our location will show the young girl getting ready for her night out and will also have the last shot of the opening. This room is very bright so will be easy for close ups and other shots on the young girl.

Width: 6ft 7.

Lenght: 7ft 2.

Our Thriller Target Audience

2009-12-03T04:39:00.001-08:00

By Joseph Cocklin

Our thriller opening is a psychological thriller, this type of movie would attract a certain type of audience. From researching other psychological thrillers such as:

Seven

This thriller portrays the exploits of a deranged serial-killer. His twisted agenda involves choosing seven victims who represent egregious examples of transgressions of each of the Seven Deadly Sins. He then views himself as akin to the Sword of God, handing out horrific punishment to these sinners. Two cops, an experienced veteran of the streets who is about to retire and the ambitious young homicide detective hired to replace him, team up to capture the perpetrator of these gruesome killings. Unfortunately, they too become ensnared in his diabolical plan.

Memento

Memento chronicles two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator who can no longer build new memories, as he attempts to find the murderer of his wife, which is the last thing he remembers. One story line movies forward in time while the other tells the story backwards revealing more each time.

Silence of the lambs

Clarice Starling, a young intelligent FBI trainee, has been sent to the Batlimore state hospital for the Criminally insane to interview an inmate Dr. Hannibal – the cannibal – Lecter. A brilliant and renowned psychiatrist turned serial killer. She must match wits with Lecter to gain clues in the search for “Buffalo Bill” – an unknown psychopathic serial killer.

All of these following three films have certificates of fifteen to eighteen. Seeing as our thriller movie has content of a young girl being stalked by a older man, and content which is not suitable for young children, I would say our certificate would be round about the same as the other movies fifteen to eighteen. I would see adults watching this type of movie as it has mature themes and will be testing the audience's intelligence with the plot and they will have to have a open mind watching the movie.

Props List

2009-12-03T04:37:00.000-08:00

Written by Holly

Below is a list of the props that we need to film our opening sequence-

GIRL'S BEDROOM
-radio
-hair dryer
-makeup bag (lipstick, mascara, eyeliner etc)
-wine glass
-photo frame
-hairbrush
-purse

KITCHEN
-clock~ preferably an analogue clock
-white latex gloves
-large kitchen knife
-grapefruit (several, to allow for practice and retakes)

Production Schedule

2009-12-03T04:19:00.000-08:00

Production Schedule: Written by Laura

Filming: We will be filming on Wednesday the 2nd of December from 6-10 pm, and on Sunday 6th December from 5 - 11. We've chosen to film then because we need it to be dark and the people acting in our opening are only available on those days.

Actors: We will be using Joe's sister Lauren for the girl in our piece, and our friend Ollie to play the stalker.

Transport: We will be going from Selhurst station to East Croydon, to London Bridge, then to Welling.

Location: 44 Kenmere Road (Joe's House)

Phone Numbers: Holly - 07751822111

Joe - 07859103083

Laura - 07847552897

Character Profiles

2009-11-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

Character Profiles:
Written by Laura.

The Stalker: We wanted the stalker to be really creepy. Someone which would raise the hairs on the back of your neck. We also didn't want him to be stereotypically creepy though, we decided that he'd have a job, dress well and always be neat. But perhaps, a little too neat. We knew straight away that we wanted him to be very OCD. This would become obvious within our thriller opening as you see him straighten and clean things. We wanted him to always be calm and collected. When you hear the girl re-enter her home, his face stays the same. He doesn't panic, or rush, or run. He always has a plan in his head and can think extremely quickly. This would add to the creepy feeling that he was always one step ahead of you. We wanted him to be tall and in his thirties.

The Girl: We wanted her to be/look about twenty. We imagined her to be pretty, slim and completely normal. This is so that the beginning of our opening with just her would put the audience at ease, and create more tension when we introduced the stalker. We wanted her to be quite the opposite of him; messy, bubbly and cheerful. We definitely wanted her to seem sweet and nice so that the audience would like her character, and therefore feel threatened and worried for her safety when she came back into the house and nearly found the stalker.

Shot list

2009-11-29T09:48:00.001-08:00

SHOT LIST- THRILLER FILM OPENING SEQUENCE

We worked on this altogether as a group.

1. CU radio (hear static noise at first, fades to music playing)

2. MS young woman drying her hair

3. MS of the dressing table, pan to show her putting on lipstick

4. Multiple on-screen shot-
*left half of screen~ woman standing in front of her wardrobe, opens it
*top right of screen~ CU of glass of wine
*bottom right of screen~ MS of her makeup scattered on the table

5. Bird's eye shot- woman getting her shoes on

6. Worm's eye shot- of her feet, leaving the room from the gap in her door (she goes out of shot, light turns off, door slams)

7. CU of clock ticking

8. ECU of scattered makeup

9. LS of kitchen, hear the tap dripping, see the flash of car lights going past window

10. Low angle shot from the banister at bottom of stairs (hear scratching, the door opens, shadow of man is seen)

11. ECU light switch, light comes on

12. MS (from doorway, looking at the man's back) man walks to kitchen

13. LS establishing the kitchen

14. MCU him putting gloves on

15. CU of him dragging his finger along the worktop

16. POV checking his fingers for dirt

17. MS (side on) opens fridge, slowly reaches in

18. (cut to) Over the shoulder shot, him reaching into the drawer for knife

19. MS (side on) him lifting up the knife- it shines slightly in the light

20. Bird's eye shot of the knife cutting grapefruit, he puts his fingers in the juice, lifts hand to mouth

21. ECU (slow motion) wiping the juice from his mouth

22. MS he throws the gloves into the bin

23. Low angle MLS- his legs are seen as he goes up the stairs

24. MS from the gap in her bedroom door, stillness and silence, his face suddenly appears in the gap

25. Worm's eye shot- door slowly opening and he comes into the room (see his feet)

26. LS from behind photo frame. He is out of focus. His head turns, he comes into focus. He rushes towards the photo

27. POV, he lifts up the photo

28. ECU of his eyes, he stares intensely

29. Over the shoulder shot (but slightly further away than the shoulder) he puts the picture down gently. Sudden turn of his head, half of his face is seen

30. Low angle MS slowly reaches for the hairbrush on the table, holds it still and pulls a hair from it. begins to wrap it around his little finger lovingly. Hear her come in, see his reaction. Stillness as he waits for her, we hear her coming up the stairs on the phone, getting nearer. He looks up at the door

31. LS of door from the bed where her purse is, door swings open, she enters the room. Moment of stillness, grabs the purse, turns to go and notices ensuite light is on. She goes to the door

32. CU of her hand on the door handle

33. Two Shot- the door splits the screen, he is stood hidden behind the door and she is on the other side, she reaches for the light switch

34. black screen END SCENE

Our thriller idea

2009-11-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

Originally, Holly, Joe and I wanted to start with a man running through London, possibly Chinatown. We really liked the idea of just him being in colour, and everything else around him being black and white. We began working a story line around this idea, and thought of having a girl murdered in her flat. We thought it would be interesting if the sequence switched from past to present throughout, going back to when the girl is alive then forward to the murderer running away.

This later on evolved into the idea of having the girls clips running backwards to create a more psychologically messed up effect. When we thought about this in more detail we realised that this wouldn't really make sense at all, and that we needed her clips to end with her opening the door to the murderer. We couldn't do this if she was going backwards. We then decided that the idea was relatively basic and wouldn't create enough tension for the sort of thriller we wanted.

We re-looked at our ideas, and decided to make it about a stalker. We got a lot of inspiration from the film 'One Hour Photograph', particularly Robin Williams' character. We thought of having the stalker looking at photographs of the girl. This would look normal at first, but then you'd realise that it wasn't him in the photos with her, it was another man. We decided this would be a bit boring and not tense enough.

Instead of having the girl and the stalker in two separate time lines, we decided to make one continuous piece of footage. We thought of the idea of the girl getting ready to go out, loud music blaring, creating a really energetic and good atmosphere. Then as she'd leave she'd switch the music and lights off, so that when the stalker entered her home, it would be completely silent and dark. We wanted to have him sniffing her clothes, and pulling hair out of her hairbrush, doing genuinely creepy things that would make the audience shudder. When we presented the idea, the class seemed to like it which boosted our confidence.

2nd Prelim task: Editing

2009-11-14T05:02:00.001-08:00

Editing our piece was reasonably simple, with the exception that we realised we'd made several big mistakes when filming. The room we'd chosen to film in turned out to have really dodgy lighting, as we'd filmed facing a window. This took all of the brightness out of the shots and made them dark and hard to make out. To solve this, we experimented with colours, changing the footage into black and white so that we could then add a glow effect and lighten the shots. This worked quite well, and also suited the genre of a our piece and made the overall sequence more effective.

We had a problem with continuity at one point (which was my fault). When filming, I'd put my hand down on the table when I said the line 'You got the stuff?' However, the over the shoulder shot of Percy nodding showed me putting my hand down as well. We hadn't realised this when we were filming, but agreed that it was a good learning experience for our thriller openings. Other than that, our continuity editing was quite good - The footage of me pushing down the door handle and then the clip of me walking through the door was smooth and believable.

Before we started, once again me and Paige had some basic skills when editing with Final Cut Pro due to GCSE. This task definitely enhanced our skills as a group and got us comfortable with loading footage and experimenting with colours and music. We decided not to add music because it took away from what was going on in the clip. The overall prelim project was really useful, giving us a taste of who we wanted to work with and how to use the cameras and editing equipment. Here is the finished product:

2nd prelim task: Filming

2009-11-14T04:05:00.000-08:00

There were several difficulties using the cameras. We began filming without the correct equipment, because the tripod we'd chosen had a piece missing which meant the camera would not click onto it. However, instead of fixing this we decided to do it hand held as we'd already spent a lot of time looking for a location and were behind schedule.

The location we'd chosen was a quiet music room, which was ideal for the gangster feel of our video. However, we found that the piano got in the way a lot and that the smallness of the room was a definite disadvantage. Paige decided to film whilst Percy and me acted in the piece. There were a lot of takes taken because the door kept sticking, or we'd sit on the piano and it'd make a loud noise. However lots of takes meant we had a lot of footage to choose from when editing, which was a positive.

We also discovered that our microphone wasn't plugged in properly, and that only one channel was working. This meant the sound would only come through one earphone when editing. However, we discovered this once we had nearly finished filming and decided to continue using the camera anyway. Before the task, me and Paige were already quite good at using the cameras from previous media GCSE experience. This was definitely a bonus and sped the process of filming up, as well as Paige's extremely accurate eye for a shot and reasonably steady hands.

The shots used were almost exactly as we had planned, with a few embellishments here and there as we came up with fresh ideas on the spot. We chose the shots we did because we thought they were appropriate to the genre of a our piece, and meant that we would achieve the 180 degree rule, match on match action and a shot reverse shot conversation. We kept it quite simple because it was our second experience of filming and we didn't want to bite off more than we could chew. We also agreed that sometimes less is more.

Overall, filming was a reasonably positive experience which taught us a lot for our thriller openings. If we could film it again, we'd make sure both audio channels were working, bother to go get the missing piece to our tripod, and perhaps choose a bigger room for the location of our piece.

2nd prelim task: Planning

2009-11-14T03:50:00.000-08:00

Note for the examiner, I've previously done this post and it was either deleted by someone in the class, or by a fault on the website. Therefore if this post is a bit rubbish it's because I can't really remember what we did during the prelim task, as it was weeks ago.

For our second prelim task, we had to film a two people meeting, sitting down and having a conversation. I worked with Paige and Percelle, and we decided to film an exchange of chocolate between two characters. We were told to remember the 180 degree rule, and include match on match action. Match on match action should be ensured in relation to filming because otherwise the audience can become confused. For example, if an actress has red lipstick on in one shot, and in then next shot she has pink lipstick on, it shows a lack of continuity which does not make for a professional piece of footage.

We drew up a shot list to help us film successfully:

- Medium long shot of Laura walking down a corridor.
- Medium shot of Laura entering the room and sitting down.
- Eye level medium shot of Percy across the table.
- Over the shoulder medium shot of Laura across the table, "You got the stuff?"
- Over the shoulder medium shot of Percy nodding.
- Over the shoulder medium shot of Laura "Let me see it then."
- POV mid shot of Percy getting an envelope.
- Worms eye view of the table, the envelope is passed.
- POV shot of Laura opening the envelope, revealing the chocolate.
- Over the shoulder shot of Laura sniffing the chocolate.
- Mid shot of Laura leaving the room.
- High angle medium shot of Percy crossing his arms and nodding.

Costume and props

2009-11-08T10:28:00.001-08:00

Costumes

Costumes can range from normal clothes to much more complex outfits. They can also be reliant on to set the scene of a film, such an Changeling and Sin City. They can also completely transform a character, such as Batman or The Joker. Without their costumes, their characters would be a lot less effective. Costumes can also be used for useful purposes. Sweeney Todd is a horror, but is a good example of this. The directer attached tubes to Sweeney Todd's blade, and ran the tubes inside Johnny Depp's costume so that they were hidden.

Props

Props such as the famous kitchen knife from Psycho can often make a film even more memorable combined with everything else. Props are always needed, especially if the film is naturalistic. They can be used to keep a storyline going, for example if someone drops a gun in a river, and the police find the gun, it leaves the film open to go into a full investigation.

Production companies

2009-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Film production companies are very important in the creation and developing of films. Some famous production companies are:

Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is one of the many branches of The Walt Disney Company. It enables Disney to release more mature films than those typically shown under the Disney company name. It was established in 1984, and has produced many successful films, such as:

- Dark Water
- Step Up
- Signs
- Coyote Ugly
- Armageddon

Warner Bros Pictures

A fully integrated, broad-based entertainment company – is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of creative content and their related businesses, across all current and emerging media and platforms. The company stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, TV and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.
Famous films include:

- The Harry Potter films
- Batman Forever
- The Dark Knight
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Sweeney Todd
- Oceans Twelve

Universal Pictures

The second oldest movie production company, founded in 1912.
Successful films:
- Bruno
- The Strangers
- Meet the Fockers
- The 40 year old virgin
- Hulk
- Notting Hill
- The Mummy

Music

2009-11-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

The music chosen to be featured in a thriller film is very important because it can add to the tension of a scene, and tell the audience that either something scary is about to happen. It can also become a trademark of a film, such as the music from Jaws or Psycho. A range of music is used within thriller films, from classical to rock, and all of these portray the type of sub genre the film is and have a different impact on the audience. Examples of music being used effectively in thriller films include:

Psycho

The music within 'Psycho' is classic, using strings to create tension during the film. The most memorable scene with music being the shower scene, in which the shrieking strings motif effectively raise the hairs on the back of the neck of the audience. The use of music and the screams of Janet Leigh combined creates the feeling of chaos and fear. The sharp shrieks of the string instruments used imitates the stabbing motion of the knife, and makes the listener feel uneasy like someone scratching their nails down a chalkboard. It is said that Hitchcock originally wanted to do the scene without music, and later admitted that '33 per cent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music'.

The Da Vinci Code

The music from 'The Da Vinci Code' is also classical, but in a different sense. It is choral/opera music which sounds religious, giving us an insight into the subject matter of the film. The music sounds tragic and sad, creating a melancholy feeling which adds to the tension of the film. The tense and dramatic feeling the music creates also gives us an insight into what sort of sub genre it is. The beautiful music draws us in as we listen to it, and is sung in a different language, giving us a taste culture and making us feel intelligent and inspired by listening to it.

Sin City

The soundtrack to 'Sin City' suits the film amazingly well. The movie is a mix of action, crime and thriller, and you can really hear this in the music. The different paces can suggest changes in plot, as well as many different styles of music being mixed into the track to appeal to the listener. The most common sound within the track is a jazzy sort of sound, bringing us into the time period and location of the film. There are three main changes within the soundtrack, which represents the film as there are three main different characters within the plot, whose story we follow. The beginning of the song starts with the jazzy, distorted saxophone in the background, and then transitions into a tension building orchestral sound. The song then changes into a heavy and chaotic ending with quiet remnants of saxophone playing again, and climaxes into a loud and sudden ending.

Locations and set design

2009-11-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

Locations for a Thriller

A location for a thriller film can be pretty much anything. Traditionally, things such as haunted houses, caves, old hospitals and castles are used. However, because thrillers can often have twists and turns, locations could be things such as Islands, schools or other places which aren't as stereotypically associated. One present theme among the many thriller films I've watched is for the setting to be the city. For example, The Dark Knight, Dark Water, Sin City, Changeling.

Set Design

Set design within a film can add more scary and tense elements. For example, Dark Water takes place mostly within a block of flats. The flat we see in particular is very dark, dingy and damp. This makes us feel on edge and expectant that something bad is going to take place. Films like The Sixth Sense are also set within a flat which is quite poor and rundown, which sets the scene and mood of the film.

Independent Thriller Research: Changeling

2009-11-03T09:00:00.001-08:00

Changeling was directed by Clint Eastwood. In Changeling, Christine played by Angelina Jolie, has her son kidnapped when she goes to work one morning. Months later the police claim to have found her son, but she is convinced that the boy isn't him.

I think Changeling is a thriller film because it is filled with intelligent twists and turns, and is based on a true story. For a while you're not sure as the audience if Christine is purely mad and the boy is her son, until it turns out she was right all along. The period thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat as you follow her journey and later on her sons. You see him escape from his kidnappers but never find out if he made it out alive or not. The film ends with the conclusion that Christine never found her son again, and this leaves you wondering what happened to him and caught up in the film.

The opening scene:

The film begins with slow jazz music, which sets the scene as the movie is set in 1928. The credits are plain, white writing on a black background which fades on slowly to the music. The music and pace makes the audience feel quite melancholy, and the fact that 'A true story' appears after the title of the movie sets you up for the rest of the film. This also introduces a thriller aspect straight away, as thrillers tend to have more naturalistic subject matters in them than horror films do.

Piano music begins as a black and white picture fades onto the screen of Los Angeles. The black and white reminds us of the time period and also continues with the grainy, dark and melancholy feeling the film has so far created. You can hear birds singing and see an old fashioned milk truck drive past, once again reinforcing the historical matter. This also suggests that it is morning time, and the next image on Christine asleep in bed confirms this. The music is less melancholy, the piano now sounds relaxing and classy. Christine has her hair in a traditional 1920's haircut and is sleeping alone, suggesting she is a single. Her alarm goes off and she goes into the next room and wakes up a young boy, calling him 'Honey' affectionately which suggests the relationship of mother and son between them immediately. It also suggests that Christine is a single mother in the 1920s, which is unusual.

Actors

2009-11-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Actors are also a key element to the success of a thriller film. Their acting has to be convincing, because the trick to a thriller is to make the audience feel the actors fear and tension. If the believability isn't there, the audience won't find the film half as effective.

Jennifer Connelly

Examples of Thriller films: Dark Water, Reservation Road, Waking the dead, Dark city, Blood Diamond.

I chose Jennifer Connelly for her part in the film 'Dark Water'. Even though 'Dark Water' is sometimes classed as a horror, it isn't particularly gory and is filled with many nail biting, edge of seat moments, which is why I would personally class it as a thriller with a horror sub-genre. Jennifer Connelly plays the character very well in this film, and is a particular favourite actress of mine. She has great timing and facial expressions, particularly in one of the final scenes when she is attempting to save her daughter from being drowned.

Jack Nicholson

Examples of Thriller films : The Departed, The Pledge, Blood and Wine, A Few Good Men, Batman, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Shining.

Jack Nicholson has the skills and flexibility to pull of most roles. Whether playing the Joker, or the axe wielding caretaker in The Shining, his charismatic presence on screen steals every scene. Despite The Shining being more classed as a horror, Nicholson creates atmosphere and tension as the audience follow him on the journey to insanity.

Janet Leigh

Some Thriller films include: Psycho, Touch of Evil, The Manchurian Candidate, Act of Violence

Most famous for her role in Psycho, Janet Leigh played a range of roles during her movie career, from musicals to westerns. She went for risky roles which paid off and showed off her skills in acting, establishing her as a well known actress. She played small, yet effective roles in a several thriller films. Some of these roles include Marion Crane in 'Psycho', Eugenie Rose Chaney in the period thriller 'The Manchurian Candidate' and Susan Vargas in 'Touch of Evil'.

Directors

2009-11-03T06:46:00.000-08:00

The choice of director can make or break and thriller film. Some are well known for having particular styles, others famous for one particular movie.

Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock has been referred too as the 'Master of suspense', with famous films such as:
Pyscho
The Birds
Vertigo
North by Northwest

And many more. Hitchcock was one of the first thriller directors to define the genre, and has become a household name. His films contain many iconic scenes, such as the stabbing in the shower scene in 'Pyscho', which has since been on the recieving end of many spoofs and remakes. Hitchcock was a very intelligent director who knew exactly what the audience wanted and knew how to give it to them. He knew how to keep an audience on their edge of their seat, 'There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.' He defined thriller films, making them more about the physocological effects of suspense and fear than the physical blood and gore that had been so present in films before. He had a very british, dry sense of humour, and wanted his films to be naturalistic instead of hollywood glamour, 'In films murders are always very clean. I show how difficult it is and what a messy thing it is to kill a man.' He was able to acknowledge the audience's worst fears and make them come to life on the screen.

Ridley Scott
Hannibal
Body of lies
Matchstick Men
Blade runner
Alien

Ridley Scott is best known for Alien, the thriller film with a horror hybrid. His innovative and original direction had led to films which have gone down in history, and have taken visual imagery to a new level. His ability to bring out the best in his actors, e.g. Harrison Ford in Blade Runner and Sigourney Weaber in Alien, has marked him as one of the all-time best directors ever.

Ron Howard
Angels and Demons
The Da Vinci Code
The Missing
Ransom
Back draft

A former actor, Ron Howard switched to directing. In total he's directed 28 films of all different genres, including most recently the Thriller/crime films The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons based on the best selling books by Dan Brown. These are thrillers because the audience goes on a journey of discovery with the lead character, played by Tom Hanks, and slowly unravels the mystery which keeps us on the edge of our seats.

Target audience

2009-10-15T04:36:00.000-07:00

The target audience of a thriller varies depending on the film, and also if the film in hand has a specific sub-genre. Traditionally the target audience is said to be males, as stereotypically the tension and plot lines thrillers have are more appealing to that gender. Usually the age would start at 16 and end at perhaps late fifties. I think this because children under the age of 16 probably wouldn't enjoy a thriller, they might find it too scary, and the certificate may be out of their age range. Older people tend to enjoy more mellow genres, but quite a few middle aged people enjoy Thriller films (For example..My dad).

The film Phone Booth is a good example of how the target audience can change depending on the film. Phone Booth doesn't contain hardly any gore, and is more suspense building than scary. This means it may appeal to a younger audience, but also an older audience because the plot lines are clever and twisting. This illustrates that thriller films can capture any audience depending on the subject.

A completely different example would be the film The Dark Knight, which is often classified as an action thriller movie. However, because it is based on Batman, and has many famous actors which a younger generation are more likely to know, it therefore appeals to a younger audience as well as an older audience who would probably have seen the original Batman movies and would have been curious to see the new take on the story. This shows how film remakes can also contribute to a different target audience.

My final example is the film Memento. The opening scene of this already has blood and gore included, which following a stereotypical view of genders might mean that female and younger viewers would be immediately put off of the film and switch it off. The film also has a lot of clever twists and turns to it, which is why I think it would be more likely to appeal to an older male audience.

Sub genres

2009-10-15T04:26:00.000-07:00

Sub-genres are similar to hybrids. Often, a film genre has traits of other genres mixed in with them. For example, a rom com, a mixture of romance and comedy. Thrillers are often hybrids with other genres. Examples of these are:
- Action thrillers
- Crime thrillers
- Western thrillers
- Horror thrillers
- Film-noir thrillers

An example of a film in the horror-thriller sub genre is the film 'Memento'. This is because the beginning of the film opens with blood and is quite gory. Thrillers often don't have blood and gore, they are known for suspense which tends to be more subtle than horrors.

Shot reverse shot and the 180 degree rule

2009-10-14T05:39:00.001-07:00

A shot reverse shot usually shows a conversation between two actors. It usually is filmed as an over the shoulder shot, and has too have a least three switches between the two actors.

The 180 degree rule is shown in the diagram below. It means that if the camera films a conversation between two people on the left side of the room, the camera can't then switch to the right side of the room and continue filming because then the people on screen would be backwards as to how they were in the previous take. This rule is put in place to save confusion among the audience.

First prelim task: 23rd September

2009-10-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

Today we got into groups of three and filmed a short journey using as many different camera shots as possible. My group decided to film the journey of Joe going too the toilet. This allowed us to use many different shots such as a wide panning shot, and a worm’s eye view shot.

We began the lesson by looking at the equipment we would be using, the cameras and tripods. We had to learn how to load a tape, switch the camera to VCR or Camera mode, film footage and zoom. We also had to learn how to adjust the legs and many different parts of the tripod.

As Paige and I had used the cameras before in our GCSE media lessons, we were quite comfortable with it. We used the tripod for the wide panning shots and used a hand held technique for worms eye and close up shots. We didn’t find it particularly difficult to think of different shots to use, but learned in the process how useful tripods are. Many of the hand held shots had to be re-filmed several times because the shot was shaky or slightly out of focus.

We also faced the problem of continuity. One shot was filmed with the bags put on the grass in a certain way. We moved the bags before we realised we needed to re-do the shot. This meant we had to re-watch the footage and try and line the bags up exactly as they had been before.

We enjoyed using the cameras and coming up with different interesting shots, for example, when Joe was coming down the stairs Paige sat at the bottom step and managed to get a low angle of his feet. We also managed to get a birds eye view of Joe walking through the foyer by standing on the balcony which was above the foyer.

Overall it was quite a successful project, as it reacquainted me and Paige with the cameras and tripod, and allowed Joe to use them for the first time. Once we corrected the problems we had we managed to get the prelim finished to a level which we were satisfied with.

An introduction to shot types, angles and movements

2009-10-01T04:19:00.000-07:00

There are many different types of shot types, including:-
Close up (CU)
Big close up (BCU)
Extreme close up (ECU)
Medium close up (MCU)
Extreme long shot (ELS)
Medium long shot (MLS)
Medium shot (MS)
Long shot (LS)

Different types of angles include:-
Low angle
High angle
Worm’s eye
Bird’s eye
Canted
Eye level
Two shot
Over the shoulder shot
POV

Movements include:-
Panning: The horizontal scanning of a scene.
Tracking: A shot in which a camera is mounted on a cart, which travels along tracks.
Crabbing: The camera moving sideways, but the shot staying the same. The camera doesn’t follow the action.
Zooming: Altering the focal length of the lens to give the illusion of moving closer to or further away from the action.
Tilt: Tilting the camera up and down.
PED: The camera moving up and down, but remaining at eye level.
Hand held: attempting to imitate a steady cam but by detaching it from the tripod and carrying it.
Steady cam: attaching a camera to you, needs a license for it.

Looking at the opening sequence to 'Seven'

2009-09-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

Film: Seven (1995)

Lead actor(s): Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Director: David Fincher

Titles: The titles look extremely creepy and eerie, combined with the sounds of screaming and the flickering of images. The font of the titles looks scratched and hand written. Seems as if it’s through the eyes of the murderer, obsessive collection of clippings and drawn over pictures of children. Presents a psychotic and disturbing feeling after such a normal and naturalistic beginning. The titles look really constructed in contrast to the slow and still first scene.

Shots: Fade into medium shot of the main character in his kitchen. Shows him getting ready from work, he’s wearing a suit. It switches to the dead body/crime scene after such a normal start. There are lots of two shots so you can see the characters reactions. It’s quite claustrophobic, lots of close ups. Gives a feeling of intensity. As they walk down the road, the camera follows the two characters. Makes you feel as if you are walking with them, part of the scene.

Movement: There aren’t any dramatic camera movements, it’s quite still and slow. There is quite a lot of slow zooming onto characters.

Generic themes: The rain reflects the mood of the film, and of the theme of the film – murder. Rain – constantly trying to clean out the city, like the police officers. As the two characters walk down the street, Morgan Freeman has a hat, walks dominantly. Brad Pitt is out of his comfort zone; he gets knocked by someone walking and is trying to shelter himself from the rain. When Morgan Freeman asks about the children involved in the murder, the other officer gets angry and accuses him of always asking those questions. This suggests Morgan Freeman is compassionate towards the feelings of the people involved, rather than just getting on with his job. In the opening sequence, Morgan Freeman appears to be very neat and independent. He has the sounds of the world around him, but within his own space his world is very different. This gives us an insight into the kind of character he is playing.

Sound: You immediately hear sirens in the distance before you see a picture. Gives us an idea of location and a feeling of mystery. The opening scene is quiet, empty and hollow, there is no music playing.

Mise-en-scene: The shots are quite dark and normal. Wearing a suit, and the way he dresses shows he takes care in his appearance. Prophetic fallacy, it is raining as the come out of the crime scene. The rain creates an ominous feeling about the city. The rain gives us an idea of the urban city location. A linear sequence, they don’t play with the narrative. Very naturalistic and gritty look.

Looking at the opening sequence to 'Memento'

2009-09-29T05:40:00.000-07:00

Film: Memento (2002)

Lead actor: Guy Pearce

Director: Christopher Nolan

Titles: The titles are in a light blue font, all in capitals. They fade from one too the next slowly, fitting with the music in the background. The blue font helps to emit a cold feeling. The darkening of the font as it fades makes us sense a dark storyline. Colour connotations.

Shots: Close-up of the Polaroid, allows us too get a clear view of the picture. The shot makes us wonder who is holding the photo, builds suspense as the clip lasts a long time. Quick editing of the bullet and change in colour makes us realise the beginning is a flashback.There are lots of close ups to replicate the feeling of intensity, disorientating as you can’t see the full room. The high angle shot allows us to feel that we are watching/spying on him. Makes the audience feel powerful, as we have the ability to watch a murderer. The high angle makes him appear vulnerable, as does the black and white…the colour has gone from his life and so on.

Movement: The camera stays still for the first shot of the Polaroid, but is at a canted angle so we feel disorientated. It moves smoothly, zooms slowly and follows the character.

Generic themes: The film plays with narrative order, the end at the beginning. The first scene goes backwards inside of forwards. Introduces a sub genre of action with the gunshot, introduces a sub genre of horror as you see the blood. You only see the corpse partly, presenting a feeling of mystery. The beginning offers a range of narratives for the film, it could be a dream, a flashback, what happens in the future. The lead male doesn’t seem panicked as he waits for the Polaroid to develop, despite the fact he just killed somebody. Makes you wonder what his job is. You know the beginning scene is the end of the film because the man he kills is alive in the next scene.

Sound: Diegetic sounds such as the Polaroid being shaken, the gunshot, the bullet hitting the ground. Non-diegetic sounds such as the music in the background. Tense and sad music, rises to a climax as the first clip of the Polaroid is shown. Realistic in terms of sounds and small details, traffic outside, Polaroid being shaken. This introduces the main male character, as you see what he sees and hear what he hears. Creates a set up of the story.

Mise-en-scene:The beginning scene is gritty and grey. The costumes are… He appears in a grotty hotel room, appears anonymous and quite poor. Props such as guns and cameras present us with a feeling of mystery.

An introduction to thriller films (Codes and Conventions)

2009-09-29T05:20:00.000-07:00

We discussed as a class what we thought a thriller was, and what codes and conventions should be included in the so called thriller genre. We also discussed the fine line between thriller, and horror films. We decided that a thriller film should/could/would include:
- Supernatural themes
- A plot twist
- Tense atmosphere
- Suspense
- Dark lighting
- Jumpy/suspenseful music
- Heroes
- Villains
- Unusual angle shots to add to the tension
- P.O.V of the villain
- Flashbacks
- Fast paced sequences
- Mystery (slow revealing plot)
- Puzzles
- Cliff hangers
- Climaxes
- More naturalistic themes than horrors
- In realistic situations, based on a true story
- Sub genres – psychological, action, drama
- Hybrid
- Quests

To back up this judgement we watched last years thriller film openings, and discussed which we liked and why we liked them. A favourite among most people seemed to be 'Passion Productions' because it used lots of different shot types and had a provoking storyline.
We were also shown 'End of the Line' as a class and analysed it together. It used many codes and conventions, and many points of view such as a low angle looking up at the london eye, and a birds eye view of the characters walking through london. The group also used speed effectively, slowing down and speeding up the London Eye.

An introduction to me

2009-09-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

First things first, my name's Laura. Though you probably already knew that. I'm reasonably experienced with media because I did it for GCSE and got an A. I liked the course, especially because a large percentage of it was practical, which is the part that I enjoy and therefore find the easiest. I edit films on the video software Sony Vegas 7.0 at home in my spare time, so media appealed to me because I like seeing the backstage side to my strand which is theatre. I also thought it accompanied alongside theatre nicely, and gave me another string to add to my bow in terms of experience.