We have been tasked with creating the opening sequence to a thriller/horror movie. We each aim to have fairly loose roles within the group to each be equally involved in the production of the sequence.
Analysis of Media Products
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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The trailer builds anticipation by using slow zoom shots and medium shots of the main character, directing attention onto the character and his actions. The camera also shows zoomed in - and close up - shots of the main character and his briefcase, again directing the focus onto the main protagonist's possessions and helping to create links as to what the teaser trailer is about.
Non-diegetic sound is used throughout the trailer, building anticipation and creating tension towards the end of the trailer. There are also multiple shots of the main protagonists, in which the camera is looking up to view them. This shows the characters superiority and also hints as to the main characters of the movie and who will be most important. |
Thriller Analysis - The Silence of The Lambs
The sequence fades in from black to reveal a dark, wooded area, on an overcast day (pathetic fallacy - perhaps foreshadowing future dark events). The soundtrack is stringed instruments playing a minor key, which adds unease for the audience. The camera then pans down to reveal a dark sloped pathway - the darkness creates tension for the audience as we cannot see through it (it also increases the audience's interest in the piece so far). As this happens, the music deepens and dissonance is used to build suspense. The music then begins a main motif phrase - as this plays, we see a figure emerging from the darkness of the slope, pulling themselves up with a rope. This implies that this character is strong and in control. The scene only cuts when the first character is introduced in their entirety. The use of the first continuous shot helps to build suspense and immerse the audience, as it gives the feeling of actually being involved/looking through your own eyes.
The typography is bold and positioned centre screen. This directs the audience's focus onto the credits as they fade in and out. They are also outlined in white - which helps the audience to differentiate between the typography and the background. Despite all this, the typography is quite minimal - which I believe helps adds suspension and adds juxtaposition (as although our focus is directed onto the typography, you're more interested in the events happening in the actual sequence). Thriller Analysis - Rear Window |
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The sequence begins with a zoom, looking out of an apartment window - giving the illusion that the audience is looking out of the window with their own eyes. The soundtrack quickly changes between major and minor chords, creating a juxtaposition and sinister feeling. It makes the audience feel uncomfortable due to this effect. The camera establishes the environment of a small enclosed neighborhood by following the journey of a cat and then continuing to pan up to reveal tall buildings of more flats and apartments. The location is enclosed and small - creating the feeling of being trapped or stuck. The soundtrack continues to change between swung, fast-paced music and slow sinister/minor key music - continuing to make the audience feel out-of-place and uncomfortable. The camera continues to pan around the neighborhood, eventually landing on a close up shot of a man, sleeping and covered in sweat. This implies that the character is anxious or injured and in pain - adding to the suspense the audience has been subject to thus far.
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Thriller Analysis - The Sixth SenseThe opening sequence begins with a fade from black and a soundtrack of barely audible, what seems to be, wind or moaning voices. This immediately grips the audience and draws them in. The soundtrack comes in with the sound of violins as the typography begins. The typography is quite minimal (again, a feature of thriller genre productions). The contrast of white against black could signify the difference between good and evil, or innocence/purity and death. The small lettering of the credits could also imply that the innocence is out numbered by the darkness/evil as it surrounds the lettering - almost engulfing it. As the credits fade, a light-bulb fades in from the blackness towards the left of the screen. The shot cuts to a view of basement stairs, as a woman walk down them. The mise-en-scene is dark and foreboding. The female character searches through a shelf that contains wine and the camera watches her from the other side, following her (panning down and up) as she looks through the selections of wines. This makes the audience feel as if they're actually there, watching her and creates the feeling of a presence that the audience can't see. The camera then zooms in on the character's puzzled facial expression - indicating that there is something not right about the situation that she is in, and further creating tension for the audience. Shot/reverse shot is then used as the character turns abruptly, holding the wine close, creating the impression that she is cowering. The camera cuts back to a long shot as she quickly escapes up the basement stairs. The opening sequence is really effective at creating tension during the first 3 minutes of the production - even though the majority of this sequence is the main titles.
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The Godfather
In this scene, the use of sound helps to build and release tension and raise anticipation for the audience. The Godfather's son, Michael, is about to shoot the other two characters within this scene - Sollozzo and McCluskey. Michael excuses himself from the table to visit the toilet, in which he is aware a gun is hidden. When he enters the toilets, we can hear the faint hum of a train travelling along the tracks. At first, this may seem to be inappropriate for the scene, as there is no train track or train nearby. However, the use of a train sound provides connotations of speed and an unstoppable force. It also invokes the idea of something big coming and helps to provide anticipation and tension for the audience. |
In the opening scene, the motif (repeated theme) for The Godfather plays. A lonely trumpet solo rings out into the blackness of the screen, eerie and cold. The trumpet solo stops, before allowing the initial character to tell their woeful tale. The camera begins on a close up shot - slowly zooming further and further away to eventually a medium shot and finally an over the shoulder shot. We begin to see The Godfather from behind his shoulder, listening intently to the pleaders every word. When we finally see The Godfather, we immediately know that we are within his home as he is comfortably sitting at a study desk, establishing dominance. We can also tell that he is at ease; casually discussing the act of murder whilst petting a soft grey cat!
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Todorov's Model of Narrative
The simplest way of explaining a narrative structure is in terms of philosopher Tzvetan Todorov's model.
The 5 key steps of narrative:
1. A state of equilibrium
2. A disruption of that equilibrium by some action
3. Recognition that there has been a disruption
4. Attempts to restore the equilibrium
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium
The 5 key steps of narrative:
1. A state of equilibrium
2. A disruption of that equilibrium by some action
3. Recognition that there has been a disruption
4. Attempts to restore the equilibrium
5. A reinstatement of the equilibrium
An example of this 'in action' would be the first Alien production (1979) - a thriller.
The first scene shows the Nostromo re-activating and running as usual. This is the state of equilibrium. No major issues are present as of yet within the production's story-line and the ambiance is calm. The second scene I've taken from the movie shows the Nostromo landing on the alien planet. This is a crucial moment in the plot, as the characters stray away from their original destination in order to help the source of a distress signal (that they picked up on their way back to earth). This is the disruption of the equilibrium as the characters have altered their course- which will deeply affect them in the future. The third scene demonstrates the recognition of the disrupted equilibrium. This scene is used to catch the audience off guard, after the equilibrium is seemingly reinstated with the return of the character Kane, John Hurt, after the traumatic 'facehugger' scene. During meal time, on the Nostromo, one of the most memorable moments in the Alien movie takes place as the infant alien bursts out of the characters chest. The fourth and fifth clips show two attempts to restore the equilibrium. In the first clip, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) triggers the Nostromo's self-destruct system in an attempt to kill the xenomorph alien. In the fifth scene, we discover that the attempt to execute the alien have been unsuccessful. When Ripley is in the escape pod, she quickly realises that the alien has stowed away with her and is travelling back to earth. In order to kill the alien, she dons an astronaut suit and opens the escape pod air lock, which sucks the alien out into space and destroys it. The fifth scene also demonstrates the reinstatement of the equilibrium. After the alien has been successfully eliminated, Ripley returns to a state of suspended animation, just as before in the Nostromo. She continues to drift, unconsciously through space. |
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180 Degree Rule
In film production, there is an 'unspoken' rule known as the 180 Degree Rule. It states that two characters (or objects) within a scene should always have the same left/right relationship with one another.
Imagine a line (the axis) between each character connecting the two subjects - the camera must always stay the same side of the line when viewing the subjects. This ensures that the audience are orientated and that the shots of the subjects interacting make sense. As the picture demonstrates, the two characters (Mr Pink and Mr Blue) are interacting, and the camera must constantly stay on the green side of the axis. The centre shot (number 1) shows the 'Master Shot' of the characters followed by the other two shots (number 2 and 3) that could demonstrate either an Over the Shoulder shot or a Point of View shot. |
Production Skills
There are three important stages to production:
1. Planning 2. Production (shooting) 3. Post-production (editing) Planning In order to create an effective plan, you could create a moodboard, mindmap or brainstorm. Planning is a very important stage in production. It can be especially effective for high budget hollywood productions as it can lower the expenses of a production team if you pre-plan how long it should take to film and exactly what you're going to film. When planning, you'll also need to create a script for your production. This will need to include dialogue, action, direction and settings. A final important aspect of planning would be the creation of a storyboard. Storyboards are really important as they can allow you to visualise the shot and help to communicate the script before shooting even begins. |
Shot Choice
Different types of shots are used to create different effects within a production.
There are many types of shots, such as: -Long Shot/Wide shot (LS)/(WS) -Medium Shot (MS) -Close up (CU) -Extreme Close up (ECU) Each can be used to help portray or invoke feeling in an audience when watching a film. Close ups and extreme close ups are very obvious in film and are used to show something important or show emotion that is highlighted on the actors face. It may be a very sad moment in the production, and the director may want to portray the emotion and sadness within the actors face which helps connect the audience more to that character. Wide shots and long shots are often able to view the entirety of a subject and the area around them. They are often used to set the scene or create establishing shots for productions. If overused, wide shots and long shots can mask the important and interesting details of a film. Therefore it is important to only use them when it is relevant to the plot or to establish the setting in which the scene takes place. Medium shots are mainly used to show a general view of the subject/object. They are too far out to see the subject in greater detail but, if you are planning on cutting to a close up or extreme close up, they can help prepare for those more in-depth shots. When we are in a medium shot, we can no longer see as much of the area around the character but our focus is directed onto a specific portion of the character. |
Close UpWide shotMedium shot |
Transitions
Transitions between shots can be used to communicate meaning, as well as changing from one moment to another. There are three main types of transitions:
1. Cuts
2. Fade through black
3. Dissolves and wipes
1. Cuts
2. Fade through black
3. Dissolves and wipes
Cuts are used to seamlessly and quickly swap from one shot to another. Any production could be used as an example for cuts, I have chosen to show a segment of the opening sequence of The Ring (2002). In this scene, the change from each shot is used so effectively that it is seamless and cannot be noticed.
Fade through black can be used to indicate that time has passed between shots. Although quite generic, it can be useful to demonstrate a change in location or time. Dissolves and wipes can be used to show a flashback or a change in scene. As you can tell, Star Wars director George Lucas tends to be a fan of this specific transition and uses them to effectively show a change in scene. |
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Match Cuts
Match cuts are a type of transition that can be used to, again, seamlessly edit multiple different shots together. There are three main types of match cuts:
1. Graphical Match Cut 2. Match on Action 3. Sound Bridge Graphical match cuts are used to blend two different shots together via location. An example of a graphical match cut would be the opening of Citizen Kane (which we looked at in class). In the clip, the window of the castle always remains in the same location on screen, while the area around it changes. In each match-cut, we notice that we are gradually getting closer to the castle. Match on action uses movement to transition between scenes. In many fight scenes during The Matrix (1999) match on action cuts are used to aid the flow of continuity and intensify each motion from the characters. It's a very effective method of masking cuts in a production. Sound bridges use audio elements to combine two shots together. They are especially useful in combining two shots where (for example) a character may be asleep or dreaming and a sound (like an alarm clock, shown here in The Matrix) may suddenly bring them back to reality. |
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Mise-En-Scene
The arrangement of scenery and stage properties in a production or play.
The mise-en-scene is the one of the most important aspects of production. In order to really sell a film to the audience, you need to be able to create 'suspension of disbelief'. If the audience don't 'buy into' the idea/story of the production, it will be highly unsuccessful.
The mise-en-scene is the one of the most important aspects of production. In order to really sell a film to the audience, you need to be able to create 'suspension of disbelief'. If the audience don't 'buy into' the idea/story of the production, it will be highly unsuccessful.
In my opinion, Ghost Ship (2002) was unsuccessful due to the unconvincing story-line and lack of depth. I found myself bored and disinterested throughout the entirety of the movie. The story follows a salvage team who believe that they have made the discovery of a lifetime; finding a cruise ship that disappeared many years ago floating around in the ocean. They board the ship only to discover it's haunted and begin fighting for their lives. To me, the plot is generic and fails to deliver scares.
On the other hand, a film that I thoroughly enjoyed would definitely be The Dark Knight (2008). I believed this production to be successful due to the the intense scenes between the two protagonists - the Joker and Batman -along with the fantastic special effects and elaborate chase scenes. The movie's plot involves the Joker attempting to ruin and expose Batman's secretly identity, proving him to be a fake and fraud. Heath Ledgers character, the Joker, is proven to be a complex psychological mess, unpredictable and menacing. The movie is enthralling and continues to grip your attention from start to finish. Mise-En-Scene: The Sixth Sense |
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The mise-en-scene in The Sixth Sense (1999) is dark and foreboding. Lots of grey-scale colours are used, like dark greens, browns and off-whites that blend to create a dead feel. The character in this particular shot is placed in the centre of the screen, pulling the audience focus onto him. The character is facing away from an open room, causing unease for the audience - and as the character is a child (and it is a thriller/horror movie) the audience can sense his vulnerability and innocence. This causes further tension for the audience.
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In this still from The Sixth Sense the camera is looking down on the character, implying inferiority and lack of ability/strength. The colours are (again) de-saturated and bland - implying decay and death within the film. The character is wearing a blue dress, the colour blue (having connotations of calm and tranquility) is a juxtaposition to the harsher, and darker, colours in the surrounding scene. This creates an uncomfortable atmosphere with the audience and builds tension. The character is looking up towards something with wide eyes, indicating that she is looking at something scary or intimidating. The fact that she is looking up also implies that whatever she is looking at is superior to her, and therefore, superior to the audience. This helps to build suspense.
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Mise-En-Scene: The Cabin in The Woods
In The Cabin in The Woods (2011), the mise-en-scene is very dark and shadowed, using de-saturated and faded colours throughout. These darker colours have connotations of death and decay. The trees are tall and overshadowing, implying that they are superior to the audience. The ray of sunlight draws the focus of the audience onto the cabin.
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Testing Camera shots
In this video we decided to test out some of the skills and shots that we've learnt so far in media studies lessons. We used a variety of lenses such as wide angle lenses, standard lenses and a macro lens (my favourite). We tested shots such as close ups, panning, over the shoulder (following the 180 degree rule) and zoom in shots. This is all in preparation for our preliminary task.
Preliminary Task - The Nightguard
Preliminary Task - Evaluation
In the preliminary task we experimented with match-on-action shots and we used the 180 degree rule, during the dialogue section of our clip. In the beginning we used a low angle shot of the building we were setting the plot in. We did this to create an establishing shot, so the audience were aware of where the storyline was taking place. We used bokah by slowly using the lens to come into focus on the building, which we found to create a subtle bustling street effect. In the storyboard, after this scene, we initially decided to fade to black and cut to 'Kevin' (Joe) in the Manager's (Nathan) office. However, instead we decided to film Joe getting out from his car and pan the camera round (in order to follow him into the building). During filming we made a lot of minor changes to the camera shots we originally decided on, due to practicality issues and to make the overall clip less 'jumpy'. We decided that some shots didn't make sense in the storyboard and ended up cutting them out.
I feel as though we were able to complete the 180 degree rule effectively for our preliminary task, using master shots and over the shoulder shots to bring the section together. However, when setting up the camera for the over the shoulder shot of Joe, we positioned the camera too close to Nathan. This meant that Nathan's head slightly blocked the view of Joe, and we had to use less of the shot that we captured. Fortunately we were able to mask the issue by cutting to a master shot instead. In future we will have to check the camera set-up by checking back the shots we've captured on location, in order to avoid a similar mistake being made again.
In the preliminary task we experimented with match-on-action shots and we used the 180 degree rule, during the dialogue section of our clip. In the beginning we used a low angle shot of the building we were setting the plot in. We did this to create an establishing shot, so the audience were aware of where the storyline was taking place. We used bokah by slowly using the lens to come into focus on the building, which we found to create a subtle bustling street effect. In the storyboard, after this scene, we initially decided to fade to black and cut to 'Kevin' (Joe) in the Manager's (Nathan) office. However, instead we decided to film Joe getting out from his car and pan the camera round (in order to follow him into the building). During filming we made a lot of minor changes to the camera shots we originally decided on, due to practicality issues and to make the overall clip less 'jumpy'. We decided that some shots didn't make sense in the storyboard and ended up cutting them out.
I feel as though we were able to complete the 180 degree rule effectively for our preliminary task, using master shots and over the shoulder shots to bring the section together. However, when setting up the camera for the over the shoulder shot of Joe, we positioned the camera too close to Nathan. This meant that Nathan's head slightly blocked the view of Joe, and we had to use less of the shot that we captured. Fortunately we were able to mask the issue by cutting to a master shot instead. In future we will have to check the camera set-up by checking back the shots we've captured on location, in order to avoid a similar mistake being made again.
Typography
The way logos for TV shows, and productions, are produced and shown to us can influence our thoughts on the program. They can also hint to what the production might be about. Typography is the use and style of different fonts and colours, that can differentiate logos and influence our ideas on the meanings of what they represent.
The Walking Dead |
Here, the logo colour is a stark contrast against the background, which is a dark, earthy brown. This may represent the idea that many of the surviving characters have to fend for themselves and live rough outside. The actual logo is weathered and looks degraded, which could represent nature taking back the earth after the apocalypse It could also represent death, as the dark colour scheme may also suggest.
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Helvetica - Font Logos
Skype
The North Face
Staples
Media Studies Logo (Using Helvetica)
Thriller Opening Scenes
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The opening sequence of Westworld (2016) creates atmosphere. The sequences show a robotic machine creating artificial life, of which is all white. This invokes the idea of purity, yet also death. Death has connotations of violence, which links to the close up shot of a gun being created later in the scene. The sequence also shows a synthetic horse, galloping in slow motion, whilst machines create sinew and tendons around it, and speeding up as it begins to come to life. Unfamiliar, recognisably as un-human, hands begin to play a piano - eventually the piano begins to play itself, later in the sequence. This invokes the idea that the robotic, artificial life is learning and the need for human life has dissipated. The reflection of the wild west landscape is familiar but evidently artificial and unnerving to the audience.
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The opening sequence of Stranger Things (2016) shows the letters of the title being put together, in a random order. The letters are written against a black background, which has connotations of death and uncertainty. The letters being red invokes the idea of danger and anger. The sequence shows the camera zooming in and out of the letters and different parts of the title, perhaps implying that the plot is not completely clear and there is a mystery to be solved. The logo also resembles an illuminated neon sign from the 1980s, implying when the actual storyline was set. Unlike the Westworld opening scene, this has no narrative and almost teases the audience as to what the show is about.
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Genre
Genre is all about our need to classify and label materials available to us. It allows us to quickly categories and select the different forms available to us. The include, in film: Horror, Sci-fi, Comedy, Romance, Thriller, Indie (independent), Action, Adventure, Rom-Com, Documentary and Drama.
Genre is flexible and malleable. Films therefore require factors that can be judged in order for us to identify them.
Codes and Conventions
Codes - A code is a set of determiners that we as an audience 'read'. It is a set of signs that carry meaning.
Conventions - Conventions are the parts of the film that determine the genre. e.g: a horror would have a victim and a villain. If a comedy ends without a happy ending, it cannot be considered a true comedy as it breaks the conventions of the comedy genre. It is instead considered to be a 'Black Comedy'
Genre is flexible and malleable. Films therefore require factors that can be judged in order for us to identify them.
Codes and Conventions
Codes - A code is a set of determiners that we as an audience 'read'. It is a set of signs that carry meaning.
Conventions - Conventions are the parts of the film that determine the genre. e.g: a horror would have a victim and a villain. If a comedy ends without a happy ending, it cannot be considered a true comedy as it breaks the conventions of the comedy genre. It is instead considered to be a 'Black Comedy'
So what are the codes and conventions of a thriller/horror?
What is a thriller?
A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist character and an antagonist character, when there is a disruption to the equilibrium. The story will then follow a chain of bad events that build tension and suspense for the climax of the production. The aim for the protagonist character is to restore justice, while the antagonist seeks to destroy it.
Conventions:
What is a thriller?
A thriller usually consists of a battle between a protagonist character and an antagonist character, when there is a disruption to the equilibrium. The story will then follow a chain of bad events that build tension and suspense for the climax of the production. The aim for the protagonist character is to restore justice, while the antagonist seeks to destroy it.
Conventions:
- Low key lighting
- Shadows
- Quick cuts
- Tension/suspense music (often in a minor key with lots of dissonance)
- Diegetic sound of heavy breathing
- Black and white shots
- Montages of one frame shots during 'jumpscares'
- Protagonist at the mercy of the antagonist
- The protagonist is often a brave male character who seeks to restore equilibrium
- The antagonist will have a hidden identity that will be discovered as the story unfolds
- The antagonist will have a motive for revenge from a past event
- Lots of close ups and extreme close ups of the protagonist
Sound
Parallel sound - when sound/music is created or used with a specific scene in mind. An example of parallel sound can be found in this clip from Star Wars.
At the end of this scene, Luke Skywalker (the main protagonist) discovers that his father is Darth Vader. The music that is played during this crucial moment is the main Star Wars theme, performed slowly and dramatically. This helps to add a somber mood and a feeling of tragedy for the audience as they watch the scene pan out. In class, we look at the scene 'death of Elias' from the movie 'Platoon' as an example of Parallel Sound. The music played is emotional, fitting for the death of a character and helps to connect with the audience's emotions. An example of Contrapuntal Sound can be found in Reservoir Dogs. One character in this scene is about to begin torturing another character whilst the song 'Stuck in the Middle With You' plays. This is a wildly inappropriate track to play during a gory and horrifying scene such as this - a perfect example of Contrapuntal Sound. In class, we studied the scene in Defiance in which a wedding and war take place at the same time. The fighting scene is broken up with shots of the Jewish Wedding and the celebration music continues to play throughout the scene. This, again, is a deliberate use of inappropriate music for a scene such as this; a good example of Contrapuntal Sound. In this scene from Shaun of the Dead, the two main protagonists battle against zombies in their back garden by throwing various household objects such as; lamps, cans and even records! Throughout the whole scene, Non-diegetic sound has been added in for the audience's purpose - the characters cannot hear the music that has been added to the scene. Here is an example of synchronous sound and asynchronous sound. When sounds, often added later, perfectly match the action in the scene it is synchronous sound. When the sound emanating from the video does not fit the action, it is asynchronous sound. |
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Soundtrack in a thriller
The soundtrack of a thriller must always match the pace of the film itself. As a genre, thrillers are classically known for their ability to toy with the audience's emotions. One of the ways many thrillers are able to successfully do that is through the use of soundtrack. When in a cinema, especially when the noise is loud, the soundtrack of a thriller can truly encapsulate the audience and increase the chances of them being successfully entertained/immersed.
Here are some examples of thriller soundtracks that followed the conventions of thriller soundtracks:
Here are some examples of thriller soundtracks that followed the conventions of thriller soundtracks:
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Lighting
Natural light
Pros:
Due to the amount of draw backs to natural light, we can substitute natural light for artificial.
Silhouette is when the light is behind the subject - it blocks out detail
We can use additional lights in front of a subject to light them from different angles. These are fill lights.
You can modify light by deflecting it, using a board with a reflective surface, on to your subject. Our umbrella diffuses the light and lessens the glare on the subject.
We can add 'gels' or filters which affect the mood or feel to what we are filming. This can also be done in post (editing).
Pros:
- Brightest source of light available
- No need to purchase expensive equipment
- Limited hours of sunlight - especially bad in winter
- Continuity can be affected by natural sunlight/weather changes
- Clouds can change the lighting/shadows
Due to the amount of draw backs to natural light, we can substitute natural light for artificial.
Silhouette is when the light is behind the subject - it blocks out detail
We can use additional lights in front of a subject to light them from different angles. These are fill lights.
You can modify light by deflecting it, using a board with a reflective surface, on to your subject. Our umbrella diffuses the light and lessens the glare on the subject.
We can add 'gels' or filters which affect the mood or feel to what we are filming. This can also be done in post (editing).
Lighting in Thrillers:
- Mainly used to create atmosphere within a scene
- Lighting reflects the movie's genre (e.g thrillers will have dark/macabre lighting)
- low key lighting
The way the lighting has been used in Insidious is really effective, as it illuminates the main character from the front, and simultaneously casts a shadow against the threat in the scene. This immediately creates intense unease for the audience and increases tension.
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In Alien (1979), a shadow is being cast against the main character from the light around the flamethrower she is holding. The darkness around the character helps create suspension and the low key light helps to build tension around the character for the audience.
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Representation
Camera can be used to represent many different things, for example, character genders and their stereotypical attributes. In the female led film, Charlie's Angels, women were sexualised throughout the production.
This leads on to the Male Gaze Theory (Laura Mulvey). The male gaze occurs when the camera puts the audience into the perspective of a heterosexual male. The woman is usually displayed on two different levels; an erotic object for the character in the film and for the spectator watching the film. Linked concepts - Voyeurism - the pleasure of spying Scopophobia - deriving pleasure from looking Subverting the male gaze: Humans - Episode 1 characters Anita - female robot, stereotypical female role within the family (assigned cooking and cleaning) Son - teenage male, views Anita as an object, male gaze towards robot (voyeurism) Father - Stereotypical male father figure, 'unable' to work and look after kids, purchases female robot to cook and clean instead Daughter - young female, "can we send her back if it's not pretty?", views physical appearance as valuable Daughter - teenage female, 'core processor speed?', intelligent, stereotypical moody teenager |
Charlie's Angels is an example of a film that follows the Male Gaze Theory.
The problem with objectificaton:
Characters represent people in a story Objectifying renders them as objects and not people Seeing anyone as an object removes their humanity and renders them two-dimensional |
Alien (1979) - Representation in thrillers
Due to the codes and conventions in thrillers, the main protagonist is usually male, battling against an antagonist who is also male. The villains are usually, mysterious, tall or well built or may be deformed - often from a tragic past event (causing them to want to seek revenge).
Some thriller films, for example Alien (1979) have successfully disproved some of the conventions of typical thriller products. The main protagonist, Helen Ripley, is a strong female character who defeats the villain and survives throughout the entire story arc -restoring equilibrium. |
The Male Gaze in Alien (1979):
During the ending scene of Alien, the camera seemingly changes perspective of the main protagonist, Ripley, to look through the eyes of a heterosexual male. This shift in perspective follows the idea of the Male Gaze Theory (Laura Mulvey) and sexualizes the main character. |
Character Types
Richard Dyer's Star Theory:
States that certain Hollywood stars become identified with a certain character type, so they are cast according to identification.
Character representation can always depend on star theory - the identity of the character which has interplay with the character they are acting.
For example, Austrian actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, always portraying a strong male figure (particularly in the film franchise Terminator).
States that certain Hollywood stars become identified with a certain character type, so they are cast according to identification.
Character representation can always depend on star theory - the identity of the character which has interplay with the character they are acting.
For example, Austrian actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, always portraying a strong male figure (particularly in the film franchise Terminator).
Continuity
Continuity is the idea that the details of each scene remain the same when the shots change. The idea behind this is to create a seamless feel between each shot and not to ruin the immersion of the audience. Despite the shots being very fast paced, an excellent example of continuity can be seen in this clip from the thriller film '28 Days Later'.
Youtuber 'JacksFilms' has created a video that shows the consequences of poor continuity which further demonstrates why it is essential in media products. |
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AS Media Studies Task: Thriller/Horror film opening sequence - Disturbed
Project Schedule
Location PhotosEditing process diary entries:
Day 1: We began editing using Apple's iMovie software. We explored different match-on-action sequences with the shots we had taken and experimented with the colours and effects we could use to give our project a more dark and sinister feel. We only put around 10 seconds of our project together, but we were already feeling super motivated and excited for our final product! Day 2: We continued to experiment with colour and atmosphere but we became unhappy with some of the shots we had taken (due to apparent continuity errors and some occasional unsteady filming). We decided, as a group, to arrange another filming session in order to fix some of the mistakes we had made. Day 3: We finally had more shots to work with! Thankfully, the weather was the same on the second day of shooting so we were able to blend the shots together without any continuity errors between days. We did notice that we had recorded the main protagonist walking in the opposite direction that we had on the original shooting day. To fix this, we flipped the sequence using the iMovie software and were able to quickly fix the continuity error. Day 4: We had decided to film some more sequences to include in our project. We used a darkening effect to create a sinister vibe and we also edited together some quick shots to use at the end of the piece. Day 5: We created a title sequence to use in our project and added some credits using the iMovie titles in the beginning of the piece. We used the font 'Helvetica' as we had learnt how to specifically manipulate this font in a typography lesson in class. We were able to put our skills to the test in creating an effective transition into the sequence and using the font and apple software to create the logo. |
Before filming, we decided to visit the location and take some photos to make sure it would be an appropriate place to shoot our footage. As we made some major changes to our idea, after the presentation, we wanted the location to be able to fulfil what we needed for our storyline.
Shooting on location entries:
Thursday 26th January 2017 We spent 3 hours at our location to begin filming for our thriller opening. We used a range of different shots to create an atmospheric and haunting effect. The day we filmed was overcast and cold, which helped add a scary vibe to our shots! Annoyingly we didn't realise that it was set to be 2 degrees and we were absolutely freezing for the entire time we were filming. This meant we had to leave early - we felt like we were going to freeze to death! Friday 10th February 2017 We returned to our location to continue filming for our project as we had some continuity errors and we were unhappy with some of the shots we had taken. It wasn't as cold this time around (6 degrees) so we were able to work much more effectively and quickly. Luckily, this day was also overcast so we had no continuity errors regarding weather. Monday 20th March 2017 The project is almost complete! However, we decided to visit our location once more in order to get any more shots we felt would add to the narrative of our piece. We took some really detailed footage of the aesthetic of the woods (which we thought could be used as establishing shots) and some further reshoots of one of the main characters. Annoyingly, the day we filmed (on this occasion) was rather sunny - but we were able to work around the weather in the editing process) Soundtrack:
We researched lots of different thriller movie soundtracks to help gain inspiration for our project. We listened to Inception's soundtrack along with a lot of atmospheric thriller music to understand the elements that need to be included for our project. Joe was keen to use his musical talents to compose a gripping thriller soundtrack. He created 3 rough drafts which we were able to listen to. We decided on the final mix being atmospheric enough and included it in our piece. |
AS Media Project Plan (Updated)
Coursework questions:
Q)How is your coursework concept rooted in, and related to, real products?
A)For our media project, we were influenced by titles such as; The Blair Witch Project, The Cabin in The Woods and The Forest. We took the concept of a horror story, taking place within a wooded area, and adapted it to create a storyline that is unique for our horror production. We are also using sound that is influenced by real media products - using atmospheric soundtrack ideas from productions such as Inception and Insidious. Both have scores that are composed to trigger emotion within the audience, and we hope to re-create that with out our unique soundtrack for our production.
Q)What key learning points have you taken from your prelim task?
A)In our preliminary task, we noticed that there was some buzzing between match-on-action shots that we had taken using a microphone that was plugged directly into the camera. This may have been due to some interference with the microphone being moved to different locations for the shots. We also realised that we needed to plan our a recording schedule, as when we needed to re-shoot certain scenes, we found it difficult to find a time when the whole group was available in order to do this. If we have a recording schedule, we will all know when we are available to re-shoot any parts of the production.
Q)What technical changes do you need to make between projects for success?
In order to fix the microphone issue, we need to either use a different microphone or not have any diegetic sound at all within our production. This fixes the continuity errors and the flow of the shots will be uninterrupted. The sound for the production will be created on Cubase or Logic Pro X. This will give the sound a more professional finish and ensure that the continuity errors from the preliminary task are kept un-repeated in our final AS production.
Q)How is your coursework concept rooted in, and related to, real products?
A)For our media project, we were influenced by titles such as; The Blair Witch Project, The Cabin in The Woods and The Forest. We took the concept of a horror story, taking place within a wooded area, and adapted it to create a storyline that is unique for our horror production. We are also using sound that is influenced by real media products - using atmospheric soundtrack ideas from productions such as Inception and Insidious. Both have scores that are composed to trigger emotion within the audience, and we hope to re-create that with out our unique soundtrack for our production.
Q)What key learning points have you taken from your prelim task?
A)In our preliminary task, we noticed that there was some buzzing between match-on-action shots that we had taken using a microphone that was plugged directly into the camera. This may have been due to some interference with the microphone being moved to different locations for the shots. We also realised that we needed to plan our a recording schedule, as when we needed to re-shoot certain scenes, we found it difficult to find a time when the whole group was available in order to do this. If we have a recording schedule, we will all know when we are available to re-shoot any parts of the production.
Q)What technical changes do you need to make between projects for success?
In order to fix the microphone issue, we need to either use a different microphone or not have any diegetic sound at all within our production. This fixes the continuity errors and the flow of the shots will be uninterrupted. The sound for the production will be created on Cubase or Logic Pro X. This will give the sound a more professional finish and ensure that the continuity errors from the preliminary task are kept un-repeated in our final AS production.
Poster
We decided to use a still from our film to create a poster for our project, aiming it towards a channel four audience. We aimed our project at this channel due to the shows it airs being similar to style of piece; 'The Passenger', 'Dicte-Crime Reporter', 'Thicker than Water' and 'Aquitted'. These shows are classed under the thriller/drama genre and provided us with ideas for our project. We also studied films such as 'The Blair Witch Project', 'Paranormal Activity' and 'Cabin in the Woods'. This helped us learn important techniques for the genre, such as building tension (using quick shots and cuts) and building up the soundtrack to cause the audience to feel uncomfortable.