Thursday 27 January 2011

Comments on Thriller Pitch

one comment we received whist pitching our thriller post was where our location for the house we are going to set our opening sequence, we have decided that we are going to set the house at Olivia's house but we need a ask permission from her family first to ensure we can use her house. another comment we got was where we are going to locate the face off between the dad and the kidnapper, we came to the conclusion that we are going to use grande arcade car park in town for this, because towards late evening it is empty and it will be quite for the ambient sounds to be emphasized to create a eary atmosphere. also we would need to seek permission from the security gaurds. another comment we got was how we are going to show the audience clearly that the dad is going into a dream, we are going to use a transition which will make it clear and easy for the audience to understand that he is going into a dream. also we are going to have ask a child to play a character which we will need to ask permission from their parents for them to be in our opening sequence

Tuesday 25 January 2011

suggested thriller locations

we will be filming our thriller in a variety of locations. firstly at a house, to see the child being dropped off by his father to the mothers house. we would also need a secluded area to film the face off with the kidnapper and the father. this area could be anywhere but we would prefer it that there was little ambient sound to add to the suspense of the scene.
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we could use an empty warehouse in burwell because it is out of the way and has the appropriate atmosphere that we are looking for. we would have to get permission before we film to make sure we are not intruding or anything.

Sub Genre - Explain The Use Of Conventions

the sub genre is crime. the conventions of this sub genre include antagonists, protagonists, serial killers, kidnappers, rapists,chases, police and shootouts. the conventions we used were, kipnapping which is a key convention because it creates mysteriousness and creates a crime scene. another convention we used was the antagonist and protagonist, this is common in thrillers as it give the viewer a sense of hope for the protagonist to save the hostage.

our thriller characters

there will be four main characters within our thriller sequence; the son who is called Freddie, the mum and the dad. there will also be the kidnapper.
the mum will be played by Olivia
the dad will be played by Jake
the son will be played by Michael
the kidnapper will be played by Colin
because the child will be kidnapped in the narrative of the film, his characteristics will have to be naive and vulnerable and he will have to have scared mannerisms.
because the father is said to be having nightmares, he is supposed to be stressed out and constantly looking tired. as well as that, his son will be kidnapped which will add to the strain of the father. having dropped his son of and the mums, he would also feel angry because he would want to blame the mother and say its her fault.
because the mother will have her son kidnapped, as well as having the father blame her for what goes wrong, she will have to come across as worried and scared for her sons life.
becuase of the amount of people within our group, we will be forced to rotate who does the filming whenever there are certain characters within the scene.

political thriller

a political thriller is, as it sounds, themed around politics. this can include a political power struggle or a big event in the political history. political thrillers usually include various plots, which are rarely legal in order to give political power to someone, against the other characters will. a political thriller can be based on a national or international basis. WWII or any political assassinations make popular themes for political thrillers.

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our thriller classification

we have decided to classify our film as a 15. the reasons for this are mainly due to our audience range. if we chose our film as an 18 film, then we would only be able to aim our film at adult whereas with a 15, we can include 15 - 18 year olds which could greatly improve the amount of people viewing our film.
another reason for having our film with a 15 classification is because of the films involved within our film. because our thriller sequence will involve the kidnapping of a child we would have to be careful because a 15 movie restricts the amount of dangerous behavior within the film. because of the nature of a kidnapping, it is likely that some weapons might be used. if this is the case, we must not glamorize them, or use them too frequently.

15

Narrative Description

freddie is visiting his mother as his parents broke up 3 months ago, his dad has been having perculiar dreams which has caused a few sleepless nights, one night after he had been out to drop his son of at his mother house, that night he encounters his most horrific dream yet, freddie, his son, and his ex-wife, there house have been broken into and held hostage after the kidnapper and his father have had some business disputes (involving large sum of money) for quite a while. during the night at 3am he receives a phone call from the kidnapper explaining what they have done and what they plan to do, he is quick to act and and has to try and find the kidnapper and his son. The climax of the film comes at the end when the father finds the kidnapper holding his son and kills the kidnapper and saves Freddies life.

Friday 21 January 2011

Production Logo

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we were inspired by the lionsgate and dreamworks logos. both of these include clouds so we decided that it would be a good place to base our logo around. we decided on the name "dreamgate" because of the background we chose for our logo. because there was a light coming through the clouds, we thought that it look like a 'spiritual gate' so we revolved the name around that. we kept the desing of our logo fairly simple. the reason for this was because the other production logos we look at as examples we also simle designs and layouts. we thought the reason for this was to make the logos more memorable and therefore, make the name stick in the audience's minds. we chose to have the name in the light coming from the clouds because we thought it fitted well and the colours complimented each other well.

Thursday 20 January 2011

thriller soundtrack


this is our thriller soundtrack that we made using garageband. we decided to use orchestral and string themed instruments because that it was is commonly used within the thriller genre. we have used a various amount of layers within our soundtrack so that the sound rises and falls in order to add tension and suspense. we included a bass sequence part way through the soundtrack to give the effect of pacing or time.

Analyzing sound

Catch Me if You Can

the sound that was used for this film was very orchestral based, it had many violins and jazz instruments have been used, to give the film a creepy mysterious atmosphere. also it was quick and subtle which gave the opening sequence a suspicious vibe. the music that was in the opening sequence went well with the visuals and the opening sequence, but it was a contrast to other thriller opening sequences which could confuse the audience. there a build up created by the drums and violins which gave that particular section a sinister effect. it was a jazzy themed soundtrack which went well with the film.

face off

also with this film it has a very orchestral based soundtrack which went well with the genre of the film being a thriller. the violins and the mellow music gave the opening sequence a mysterious atmosphere. there was a sudden drop into harsh drums and fast paced violin sounds, which gave the opening sequence a fast paced racy vibe. there was a gun shot which was diegetic sound and emphasized the gun shot. also at this stage there was a choir singing with mellow opera music, the music was spiritual like which made the death more dramatic also this music reflected the struggle that the man was in.

panic room

the opening sequence to panic room starts off with slow, deep powerful music. this is typical of a thriller movie because it is often used to emphasize the importance of something, in this case, new york city. after a while, it changes to a fast paced ticking sound which is also generally heard in thriller movies because it indicates time and creates tension within the film. there is ambient sound included within the opening sequence of the city which back up the viewer's perception of a busy city, with lots of activity.

Tuesday 18 January 2011

crime and action thriller sub genres codes and conventions


the dark night is an example of both a crime and an action thriller. this is because it is a hybrid and implements qualities that is common within both sub genres.
the conventions of a crime thriller are that they are usually set in a city. this is because there is also the possibility of lots of casualties as well as lots of places to commit a crime and gain high rewards. there are generally an antagonist and a protagonist within a crime thriller with the antagonist exploiting one of the protagonist's flaws that they are supposed to overcome in order to succeed. with most crime thrillers, the crime is generally committed in the night rather than the day. this is so that suspense and tension can be created and so that the antagonist has a chance to escape easily.
an action thriller is similar to action thrillers in that there is also the potential for lots of casualties. action thrillers commonly use guns and explosions to emphasize the scale of the plot and the danger that people are in.

comparing two thriller opening sequences: vertigo and panic room

vertigo


in the movie vertigo, there is sinister music that sets the tone for the rest of the film, this gives the viewer the right mindset of what to expect from this film and gets them ready. there was a slow close up of her eyes which created tension and built suspense throughout the opening sequence. they would have used the eyes for the close up to show the emotion on the ladies face, which can give off a certain vibe or set a specific atmosphere for the film. after the close up the eye turns red, this could be s symbol of pain, death or suffering which again set the mood and get the viewer prepared for what is to come. it could also reflect an aspect of the protagonist or antagonist psychological state which is a common convention for thriller movies. violins are used throughout the opening sequence in the music to build up suspense, and the violin is used because it can make quick sharp sounds which can move the mood of the film very quickly from building suspense ready to drop. the music played is quite slow throughout the piece like the camera movement which creates suspense and makes the opening sequence eery. spirals turn throughout the opening sequence to add a hypnotic feeling throughout the opening sequence, this is a common symbol in psychological thriller because it is to do with mind control and empowers the antagonist.

panic room


panic room is a thriller movies which has many thriller like conventions. the first thing that we found was that the title is panic room which emphasized panic and the mind being under a great amount of stress, also in a room which shows that the characters are closed in and they begin to panic. another convention is that again the slow music which involves violins again for quick, slow, sharp, or mellow sounds, which can set the mood for any scene that is required. also another convention that we found was that the title opening sequence was spread across New York which is a big city in contrast with a small confined room, which means that even in a big city people can still be suffering and under a great deal of stress. the pace of the music quickens as you see the city scape, this could be used to emphasize how lively the city is and that alot can happen in this city without anyone finding out because it's so big. as the music drops another musical device is used, a ticking of a clock which shows that there is a specific time scale of which the protagonist has to save someone from the antagonist, this also shows that the protagonist is again the clock, which emphasizes the suspense and tension. with it being in new york it shows the conventions of extra ordinary events happening in ordinary situations. because the opening sequence doesn't show any characters, the viewers are left with lots of questions as to who the antagonists and protagonists are as well as what the threat within the film is.

the similarities
the use of music and violins within both films show that that particular instrument are very useful for setting the scene and tone for most thriller movies. also, both use slow camera movements which can signify that the plot of the movie develops over time or that the protagonist slowly overcomes their personal problems to overcome the antagonist. as well as these points previously mentioned, mind control and stress play a role in both movies. this can emphasize that these are common conventions within thriller movies. another similarity between Vertigo and Panic Room is the lack of information about the characters that is given. Vertigo at most, shows half of a woman whereas Panic Room doesn't show any characters, just a aerial pan of New York. this technique adds suspense and tension to the film.

the differences
even though the amount of characters shown both of the opening sequences can be seen as a similarity, we think that it is a difference as well. because vertigo shows a woman, you generally assume that she is in trouble because of when this film was made (1958), women were generally thought of as vulnerable and constantly under threat. panic room was made at a much later date, (2002), where psychology plays a much larger role in thrillers than the 1950s. the time scale also differs in the two films because in Panic Room, you know there is a time scale because of the ticking clock noises in the background whereas Vertigo shows no hint of a time scale. this could show that the protagonist is under less stress in vertigo because they appear to have time to catch the antagonist. the city scape in Panic Room is another difference because it sets the scene whereas with Vertigo the background behind the women is dark and mysterious.
15 films are only suitable for people 15 and over. The film must not have discrimoatory language or behavior. Drug taking can be shown in 15's as a whole but must not incurage it to the audience, if it uses redaly avalible substansis such as solvents and areosols it might will probably not be accepitbale. Most are allowed unless sadistic or sexualised. Dangerous behaviour such as self harming and hanging should not be dwelled upon the actual scene. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised. There can be frequent use of strong language such as "fuck". really strong words such as cunt can be used only if it fits in with the context. constant use of the really strong language would not be acceptable. Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context dependng on detail. There are no restrictions on nudity in a non-sexual way. Sex can be shown without strong detail, verbal referances would be allowed. the strongest refferences wouldn't not be allowed but unless justified by the context. films that purpose that is to arouse would not be allowed. Violence may be strong but cant stay show infliction of pain for prolonged lengths of time. The strongest images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic violence is also unacceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence msut be neccisery to the narrative.

18
No one younger than 18 can view, buy or rent an 18. There are exceptions where the BBFC believe they should not give people the removal of constraints to watch these films, for example where the material is in breach of criminal laws, when the material is said to potentially risk harm to the individual or their behaviour to society or where there are more explicit scenes of sexual content which are not justified by the context.

Fugue analysis

Level 4 48-60 marks
evidence of excellence in the creative use of most of the following technical skills:
Holding a shot steady were appropriate
framing a shot including and excluding elements as appropriate
using a variety of shot distances as appropriate
shooting material appropriate to task set
selecting mise en scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting
editing so that meaning is apparant to the viewer
using varied shot transitions and other effects effectively and appropriately for the task set
using sound with images and editing approriately for the task set
using titles approriately.

In the first shot off the buses, the camera is held steady. This is different to the shots of him on the bus as these are slighty unsteady. This is done because it adds a sense of reality and influences the audience to imagine they are on the bus. The opening scene is set in the small confined space of a bus, however they managed to involve a wide variety of shot angles and distances. They linked these shots together with a large variety of transitions to keep the audience interested. The sound compliments the imagery well because the imagery of the character sitting on the bus is sad and mellow which is similar to the music. They have used a simple slow piano score to reflect the pace of the film. For the credits they have used a simple dark font which compliments the film as it reflects the pace and the atmosphere of the film. They have framed the opening scene well as they have included the sun light to make the scene more attractive to the audience.

Thursday 13 January 2011

thriller research

According to the-movie-times website,http://www.the-movie-times.com/thrsdir/alltime.mv?adjusted+ByAG+All+Thr the top ten grossing thrillers are:
1. Jaws (Adventure/Horror/Thriller)
2. Avatar (Action/Adventure/Sci-fi/Thriller)
3. Jurassic park (Action/Adventure/Sci-fi/Horror/Thriller)
4. The dark night (Action/Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller)
5. Airport (Drama/Thriller)
6. Batman (Action/Crime/Fantasy/Thriller)
7. The towering inferno (Action/Drama/Thriller)
8. Spider man 2 (Action/Fantasy/Sci-fi/Thriller)
9. The sixth sense (Drama/Horror/Mystery/Thriller)
10. Twister (Action/Thriller)
As you can see, all of these are hybrid films with more than one genre. This allows more options to be explored and more codes and conventions to be used.

Psychological Thriller Film Analysis

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Friday 7 January 2011

Evaluation of Preliminary task

what did we learn?
as we have already constructed a childrens film preliminary task, we already knew about how much camera work we would need to do for a 40 second preliminary task. also with the storyboard we were able to construct a storyboard which is a realistic for making a short preliminary task.  from the previous childrens film preliminary task, we knew about continuity and how it worked and how to use it correctly, we already had experience on how to construct good continuity, also  doing another one gave us more knowledge on how to use the camera's. our knowledge had expanded on editing as well as we have constructed 2 preliminary tasks on final cut pro and a opening sequence to a childrens film.

were there any difficulties?
there was a few problems that we stumbled across on our progression on creating our preliminary task because we filmed to much work which resulted in having to cut out alot of our preliminary task out but we managed to resolve it in the editing of our preliminary task.
also we had a struggle to choose characters for all the people in our group one camera man and our original storyboard only contained two people marco (the main character) and ben, (the nervous man that borrows the money), but having 4 people in our group we had to make another character and change our storyboard we got around this by giving marco an assistant.

how we constructed the preliminary micro areas
in our preliminary task, we used a series of different camera shots. we stuck to the 180 degree rule as well as other camera shots like the Point of View shot and a zoom out. 

Preliminary Task

Mind map

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Storyboard for our thriller

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