Group Management (preparation)
In our group we set each person to have a certain role to benefit the group. To start with Scott was responsible for the equipment and to be the camera man. Lee had decided that he wanted to play the role of the man character of the film. This left me with being the villain character of the film. These were the basic roles for each member but then we adapted further roles. I was put in charge of editing the shots and helped Scott pick between the different shot types. Where as lee was put in Charge to research thriller conventions so we knew what to include in are film. However we all decided to research the psycho graphic and demographics of thrillers.
We researched early on to find out who the primary audience for thriller films normally are. This helped us decide what kind of people we were trying to impress with are film.
Are time management was not of a great standard but we didn’t overrun are time limit. Before we started we recede areas to decide what kind of locations we wanted to have in are film. This gave us a good starting point so that we could come up with good ideas and were able to develop are story boards before moving on to any kind of filming. We managed to get are tasks done on time which gave us time to analyse what we had already done and gave us chance to improve it.
After are pulmonary task we realised that neither of us were brilliant with a camera. This meant we had to change are approach so that I would assist Scott with the filming because of this we developed an advantage in the sense of if Scott couldn’t do something then I could. However this had its down sides as it took longer to do shots as Scott and I couldn’t decide on the shots which wasted a lot of are time.
Linked with this we had to make sure are preparations were safe. Health and safety was something we really focused on. This went from the area and surroundings of the scene to make sure there was no risk to any of us. In the end of the scene I throw Lee on the floor, to make it safe we made sure we practised with very low intensity to start with to see if Lee was at risk of being hurt. Checking the area of the film was important because it made clear to us the dangerous parts for example busy roads where we were planning to film the running scene for example.
Codes and Conventions
the conventions of the thriller genre consist of a lot of things. These things range from camera and editing to sound and mise en scene. All of them have a key effect on the audience which makes them feel emotion and closer to the character on display.
The camera techniques used in thrillers play a vital roll in how the audience feels. Using the close up or extreme close ups shows the characters emotion and makes the audience feel like they are in their head. Where as an hand held camera shot shows the audience view through somebody’s eyes and it really puts them in the scene. Low angle and high angle shots make it clear to the audience who has the higher status which can give the audience a certain impression on a character. Tracking shots are some of the most used camera movements in thrillers, this is because it is the best way to shoot a running scene whilst making the audience feel involved.
After the filming is done it is then edited. The things they do is use sharp cuts to make the pace of the film speed up. This is mainly used in running scenes or car scenes. They make the film darker to give the suspense but this also use it so that the audience ask questions which is a convention of a thriller in its own right. Eye line match is very important In thrillers because some of the conversations during thriller films can be intense and process information of the plot behind the film which the audience will have to know. In film noir it is known mainly for using black and white to show shadows. This is done in editing and is a very good convention of a thriller. Fading in and out gets used a lot because it is a good way of linking two scenes together, this also shows the audience that the next scene is in some way related to the previous scene.
One of the main ways the audience feel emotion or maybe the main reason is because of the sound. This can be diagetic or non diagetic. The diagetic sounds makes the audience feel like they heard the noise to so when the actor panics after hearing somebody in the house the audience feel that emotion also. Non diagetic sounds make the audience think that something is going to happen to the character even though the character has no idea of this. During the film motifs may occur when a certain event is due to take place. For example in jaws whenever the shark is about to attack the dramatic music starts to play. However thriller films have loads of stings through out the film. This is to make the audience jump just like the character does when they see something or something jumps out at them.
Mise en scene takes the thriller genre to a new level as it is used for make up to show wounds and props are used to portray the character different to the audience. The set design is used to show the main locations for thrillers which is normally an estate. If one of the characters is wearing darker colours than the other it is clear to the audience that the darker character is a villain/criminal. If the face of a character is also covered then it suggests that the character shown is a villain. It is important that all the props are selected well because they are the main thing that makes the audience realise what kind of character they are. Depending on the light the audience may think different things. For example if it is nice and bright then it wont be scary or violent. However if it is dark then it shows makes the audience cautious as they instantly expect something to happen.
Story board
1st Scene
Shot type – Long shot
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action - Camera starts off as long-shot, looking at killer chasing victim, then pulls in a bit, as killer and victim gets closer to camera.
2nd Scene
Shot type – Slight Pan
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action - A slight panning shot as killer wrestles victim to floor.
3rd Scene
Shot type – Point of View (POV)
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action - Point Of View shot of camera looking through victims eyes, as he gets punched by killer.
Story Board 4
1st Scene
Shot type – Slow Motion Close – Up
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action – Slow motion Close up of hammer falling on to floor.
2nd Scene
Shot type – Ariel Shot
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action – Ariel shot of victim running away, then killer chasing after him.
3rd Scene
Shot type – Steady Cam
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action – Steady shot of killer and victim running past camera.
4th Scene
Shot type – Low – Angled
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action – Low angled shot of killer and victim jumping over camera, then running away.
5th Scene
Shot type – Point of view
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action – Point Of View shot (POV), looking through victim eyes, as he is being chase by killer.
6th Scene
Shot type – Point of View
Sound FX – N/A
Dialogue/Action – POV shot looking through victims eyes as he is running away, then he turns back to look at killer.
Storyboard explanations
1st scene
Shot type: Pan movement
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: Walking down slope
2nd scene
Shot type: Tracking shot
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: walking through subway
3rd scene
Shot type: Ariel shot
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: looking down at characters
4th scene
Shot type: Close up
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: close up of hand holding the hammer
5th scene
Shot type: Close up
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: close up of victims face
6th scene
Shot type: Close up
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: Villain dropping the hammer
Story board 2 explanation
1st scene
Shot type: Over the shoulder shot
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/Action: Over the shoulder shot of the victim walking down the path.
2nd scene
Shot type: Steady cam
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/action: The victim walking down to path about to notice the body.
3rd scene
Shot type: Mid shot
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/action: The victim noticing the body.
4th scene
Shot type: Mid shot/close up
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/action: The dead body lying on the ground with blood.
5th scene
Shot type: Close up
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/action: Close up of the victims face in shock as I see the body.
6th scene
Shot type: Mid shot
Sound FX: N/A
Dialogue/action: The victim quickly walks away.
1st scene
Shot type – Mid Shot
Sound FX – Flowing water
Dialogue/Action – camera looking down at river.
2nd Scene
Shot type – Upwards Panning
Sound FX – None
Dialogue/Action - Upwards panning from bottom of victims shoes, to top of victims head.
3rd Scene
Shot Type – Ariel Shot
Sound FX – None
Dialogue/Action - Ariel shot of victim walking away from river, and along the path.
4th Scene
Shot Type – Still Camera
Sound FX – River Flowing next to him
Dialogue/Action - Camera in still position, looking at victims feet as he walks past.
5th Scene
Shot Type – Still Shot
Sound FX – River Flowing
Dialogue/Action - Still shot of victim walking round the corner and out of camera’s view.
6th Scene
Shot Type – Over the Shoulder
Sound FX – Maybe Birds
Dialogue/Action - Over the shoulder shot of victim walking around the the corner and down the path.
The Bourne Identity
Camera
the first camera shot on display is a shot from underneath the water looking at the body. This shows the vulnerability of the character it also shows the audience that this person has a very low status at the moment. After this the camera moves to an Ariel shot showing the crew of the fishing boat because of this the audience can instantly see that these men have no idea what is going on creating suspense. During this time the camera is never steady it is constantly moving portraying to the audience that they are on a boat. When the men is disposing something over the side of the boat they use a long shot to show the boat that they are on and to show the surroundings. Once the man sees the body floating across the water a number of close up shots are used to show the change of emotion on the man’s face. Hand held shots are used as point of view shots when they are taking the man to the treatment room this makes the audience feel the rush to get the man checked creating a bond with that character which makes clear to them that he is a main character in this film. The final shot of the scene shows a high angle shot showing the man and showing how he has no status at all.
Editing
Binary opposition is used straight away. It goes from the poring rain outside to the inside of the boat showing the two differences in the shot. Cuts are used lots in this scene. For example when the man walks across the top of the boat he is already walking because the shot was cut so that it is more fluent and smooth. as this the cuts are very slow however as soon as the man notices the body the cuts become faster and sharper showing the audience that something is wrong and that the man is now in a state of panic.
Sound
a lot of diagetic sound is used in the scene. It starts with the quiet violin sound but even thought it is quiet it still makes the audience nervous as they have no real knowledge what is going to happen. The diagetic sounds are all post synced for example the noise of the rain and the thunder. As the mysterious man is noticed the sounds become loader and faster this hits the audience hard as they now start to wonder who the man is and why he is out at sea. When the sudden movement of the man’s hand happens the two stings happen, this is a typically convention of a thriller as it shows the shock of something happening.
Mise en scene
Mise en scene offers a lot to this scene, it starts with the rain that is coming down really hard. Rain to most people is a down thing and it acts the same here. The rain really sets the tone for the scene as it makes you notice that this isn’t going to be a happy beginning it is going to be mysterious. Cards and cigarettes are used to show that the crew have no knowledge to what is about to happen. When the man is eventually put on the table it is clear that he is not in the best place as the table is covered with rubbish and cards shoeing how unexpected it is that he is there.
Rush hour 2 opening scene
Camera types and movements
The scene of this film starts with an arial shot that acts as a master shot showing the city and the scenery. A medium close up is then used on the women who exits the elevator. This is done to hide her identity from the audience showing that this character is a bad guy or is about to do something. The audience feel like they are in the movie more once an over the shoulder shot is used when the lady is walking through the corridor. The camera changes to an wide shot to show the city some more and to also show that life is as normal to everyone and that they are vulnerable as they do not expect anything. An extreme close up is used on the lady’s feet as she walks through the building still hiding the face of the women so that it is unclear to the audience who she is. Again the focus goes back to the streets but this time with a long shot to show that normal everyday life is still going on. The package that the women is carrying is shown clearly with a close up this shows the audience that the package is very important and has a high status. A medium close up is used to show the women handing over the package from behind showing the audience that the women has handed the package over but still they have no idea who she is. The final camera angle / movement of the scene is a crane shot which shows the women clearly now but also the explosion that happens behind her as she walks out of the shot.
Editing
The cuts in this short scene happen at different speeds. The cuts are slow at the beginning however when the women walks further the cuts of her start to increase in speed very slowly. Post synced sounds are used when the elevator door opens, they are also used on the foot steps to make the women seem more dominant.
Sound
the beginning sound is very clever in this clip. The sound to start with is almost tribal as the camera is going over the woodland, however once the city comes into view the sound changes to higher pitched more dramatic music showing the city has higher status out of the two. When the woman appears the music becomes a bit sinister showing to the audience that she is going to do something. When the clip shows the boats and streets however it has a cheery sort of music that suggests that they are safe and calm. The music becomes higher pitched and more tense the further the woman walks showing that she is approaching something.
Mise-en-scene
the first part of mise-en-scene in the scene is the flags that you see when the lady leaves the elevator this clearly symbolizes the american embassy.
Thriller scene review.
Psycho shower scene
The scene starts with the girl sat at her desk filling in a book of some importance showing that what she is doing is confidential and that the book itself must have a higher status than the girl. It is an eye line shot and a medium shot which makes the audience feel close to the girl and here surroundings. In the shot the girl is in a dressing gown and is surrounded by normal scenery for example a mirror and chairs. However there is one window in the shot showing a bit of vulnerability because it is the only entrance that you can see. The cuts at this moment do not occur that often until she goes to the bath room. The girl walks to the shower to put the paper into the bin. A close up is used on the toilet to show that the flushing is an crucial part of the scene. After this the girl takes of her clothes showing her skin, this shows that the girl is vulnerable. This also shows the audience that the girl is now unprotected and the fact that you are seeing her shower indicates that something is going to happen. The cuts start to happen more often now showing that something will happen, the constant showing of the running shower head shows that it is an independent witness of an event that will soon occur. The cuts stop so that the audience can see through the curtain that the door has opened. The camera remains the same as the audience sees the killer slowly walks in. once the killer pulls back the curtain the theme of the killer starts and the cuts start happening very rapidly. The cuts show the women’s head moving different directions showing distress. When the killer leaves the bathroom the cuts become very slow again symbolizing that the women is dieing. Her hand is shown in a close up sliding down the the wall. Whilst this is happening the camera moves to the side slightly showing empty ness, the shower is still running at this point showing how it is the only living source in the room at this moment. A close up is used on the plug hole to show the water going down and symbolises losing and perhaps shows how before she put rubbish in the toilet and now she is almost being flushed herself.
