Friday, 25 November 2011
Thriller Opening Effect
During planning, we had thought about using the old fashioned footage effect with flickering lines and dots on the screen. But we changed our mind thinking that it was too common and we would rather be more original with our film. So, we have found an effect called 'Dream', which gives the feel of just that. It suggests that although it was quite a long time ago, it is still in someones mind. And because it is filmed in a home video style, it suggests that it is playing over and over in the persons head.
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Shutter Island Case Study
i) InstitutionsThe film is named 'Shutter Island'. Production companies for this film include Paramount Pictures, Phoenix Pictures and Sikelia Productions. The film was directed by Martin Scorsese and starts Leonardo DiCaprio, Emily Mortimer and Mark Ruffalo. The release date for this film in the UK was the 12th March 2010, in the USA it was released on the 19th February 2010. The film was made in the USA, filming locations include:
- Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Hull, Massachusetts, USA
- Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
The film was predominantly made in Massachusetts. The budget of the film was an estimated $80,000,000. On the 25th April 2010, in the UK, the gross for the film was £10,599,763. In the USA, on the 10th June 2010, the gross was $128,012,934.
ii) Audience
With reference to gender, I think there is no particular choice the creators of the film have made within the gender category. The film appeals to both males and females. Although the cast largely consists of males which usually is a factor that contributes to the film being male orientated and targeted at that gender, females can also enjoy the storyline. From previous media exposure, I know that some films have language and actions that can be offensive towards the opposite gender, or that which implies offensive things towards that gender, 'RocknRolla' is an example of this. But this film does not involve things such as that.
Taking into account the age rating for this film, I would say the target audience is mid teens to around 50's. I say this because the younger people will enjoy the tense, suspense and sometimes violent nature of the film, whilst older people up to about 50, will not only enjoy those aspects, possibly to different extents, but also enjoy using their intelligence and vaster media experience to figure out the mystery the character faces in the film. I ended the target audience at around 50 because people older than that tend to prefer films that are based around real world events and experiences, such as war and historical films.
Having looked at the reviews and ratings shown on www.imdb.com, the film seems to be extremely successful, from 204,512 users it has gained an average of 8.0/10. This review is from www.imdb.com:
Taking into account the age rating for this film, I would say the target audience is mid teens to around 50's. I say this because the younger people will enjoy the tense, suspense and sometimes violent nature of the film, whilst older people up to about 50, will not only enjoy those aspects, possibly to different extents, but also enjoy using their intelligence and vaster media experience to figure out the mystery the character faces in the film. I ended the target audience at around 50 because people older than that tend to prefer films that are based around real world events and experiences, such as war and historical films.
Having looked at the reviews and ratings shown on www.imdb.com, the film seems to be extremely successful, from 204,512 users it has gained an average of 8.0/10. This review is from www.imdb.com:
'No one likes to be messed with., 21 February 2010
Author: Connor Stednitz from United States
Shutter Island. A film that will divide the film community. A film that will leave many upset, and hating it. A film that has already completely split the critics. A movie that messes with you. And no one likes to be messed with. And that is exactly where it exceeds. Think I'm contradicting myself?
Shutter Island is one of the most well crafted psychological thrillers to come by since Silence Of The Lambs. And it is no coincidence both were brilliantly written novels. Shutter Island is adapted by a book written by Dennis Lehane (wrote gone baby, gone and mystic river). It is a book filled with twists and turns, that will leave the reader dizzy. And, that is what it's film counterpart does to the fullest. Martin Scorsese helms the director chair, in a movie where he is more free than any before. This is Scorsese at his most unrestrained.
Marty takes what he has learned from the great films of the past and puts it into his. The master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock's influence is everywhere you look in this film. And it is no wonder, considering Scorsese even showed one of his greatest works to the crew: Vertigo. And many of those ideas are present in Shutter Island; the cliff scenes scream Hitchcock. This is a film that creeps and crawls, and is filled with dark corners. And it is all heightened by the coming storm that looms over the island. This is classic film noir.
The story follows Teddy, a federal Marshall, and his partner Chuck (Played by DiCaprio and Ruffulo). They go to this mysterious island enveloped in fog to investigate an escape. From these opening scenes, Marty has set up a dark and creepy premise.
Almost the whole movie incorporates this story as Teddy desperately tries to find the truths he seeks. Teddy is shown as a scared man; a man of war and violence as portrayed in various flashbacks. These will go on to be increasingly important as the story progresses. We follow Teddy on his quest, through every dark corridor and perilous confrontations. Slowly, we are given pieces to the puzzle, but the audience does not even realize it. For we, like Teddy, are blind. For the moment at least. It is because of this that the thrilling conclusion will leave many blindsided. But, you see, that is where this thriller becomes something more. We as the audience are put in Teddy's shoes, and we feel all the things he feels. It is a complete assault on the senses, and it works beautifully.
This is a film you must watch carefully. That is another thing that sets this apart, it is a horror film that makes you actually think. In this day and age, I'm not surprised some found it terrible esp. after their brains have been turned to mush by these new gore filled horror films. Scorsese's ultimate goal here is to wake you up. And trust me, you probably wont like it.
This is also a film I would recommend seeing a second time. In fact, it is even better the second time. All those pieces of that puzzle you didn't catch the first time, you will the second. You see, we as the audience are first put in the shoes of Teddy. The second? Well, without giving too much away, lets just say you are put in someones else's shoes entirely during the second viewing.
Shutter Island. A film that will make you question your own sanity. A film that will leave you breathless. A film that has re-ignited the thriller genre. A film that will leave you, and the main character, searching for answers.
10 out of 10This review is frequently complimentary of the film, saying things such as '...re-ignited the thriller genre.' and '...will leave you breathless.'. The postive feedback this review gives is in agreeance with a lot of the other reviews. Although, as with any film, there are also people who have given negative feedback, calling it a 'let down' and 'unadulterated rubbish'. But I think on the whole, and shown by the overall rating, it is a successful film.
-CLS'
iii) Technology
An example of new technology improving the audience's access to, and knowledge of the film is the internet, it is full of features that offer various features with regards to the film. For example, the film has it's own website (www.shutterisland.com) which offers information about the cast and filmmakers, including details of the actors' and actress' previous work and achievements. Also the website provides downloads for the audience, there is a selection of wallpapers for a computer desktop. In addition, there is an 'About' section which gives a brief synopsis of the film. Finally, there is a pages containing videos about such things as specific characters, the film trailer and a 'Scorsese Featurette'.
All of the things provided give the audience a very good insight into the film, giving them details on how the film was made and thoughts of the people involved with the making of the film. But, the website does not have clips of the film allowing people to actually view 'Shutter Island' itself. Although the film's website does not offer this, other technology does, a main provider of scenes if Youtube.
Youtube users provide people with a vast range of videos about the film. And not only do they show scenes from it but some people also make videos providing their take on the film, this may help increase the audience's knowledge of the film in that reviews and comments may give them an insight into what their opinion of the film may be before they have seen it. Although, Youtube does not have a background information and behind the scenes insight to the extent of websites such as www.shutterisland.com.
Apart from watching scenes on sites such as Youtube, the internet also offers a vast range of websites on which people can buy the film on DVD. The film's official site contains links to a www.amazon.com page containing copies of the film available to buy.
As the film was released in 2010, it was immediately amongst methods such as these whereby people can gain access and knowledge to the film, these will have helped the film's success quite significantly seeing as the internet is such a commonly used thing nowadays and will have provided all of the things mentioned above and much more to help with advertisement, sales, etc.
iv) Codes/forms and conventions of the thriller genre
While we see the opening credits, we can hear some eery music. This straight away prepares us for a tense film carrying reasonable suspense. Then the music becomes slightly louder as the title appears giving emphasis to it, this, without even showing us the island, suggests to the audience its power and significance. Next, we see the boat come in to the camera shot through the fog, as it comes through the fog it suggests the boat and the people on it are trapped inside the encircling white wall. This also adds emphasis on the island as being trapped is obviously against your will, so it is not a place people would like to be for a prolonged period of time. Also, coming through the thick wall of fog could show that they are trespassing, therefore, once again, showing their welcome on the island may not be pleasant, adding suspense.
We can see when the camera is showing the inside of the boat, but it is also shown on the outside as well, that it is not a boat of the highest quality. Its poor appearance shows it to be not very strong or reliable, this suggests that the people on it are not well equipped to cope with the obstacles that lay ahead on the island. Moreover, after we have seen a close-up of DiCaprio looking into the mirror, he turns around and we can see that he is wearing a rather abnormal tie, this could show that he is not completely normal character, this could be in is thoughts, actions or mental state.This provides questions to the audience such as how will he behave throughout the film? will he risk the investigation?
In addition, by giving us a point of view shot when Daniels is looking in the mirror, it is a subtlle and almost unnoticable way of allowing the audience and the character to be empathetic and joins them together in a 'team' to investigate together as we see things from Daniels' perspective.
When he walks out of the room the camera is peering through chains hanging from above. These connote death and being trapped (common features in the thriller genre). This also creates suspense as the audience may wonder who is going to suffer, and for what reason. Still, the music is playing, this suggests that even on the boat, which may be considered as safe for the people on it, they are in danger, possibly already under the influence of the island and its inhabitants.
When Teddy Daniels walks out on to the deck of the ship he and Chuck exchange glances through a fence. This suggests that they are not quite on the same level, they are in some way different or don't see eye to eye. This keeps the audience interested by creating a sense of instability or uncertainty around their partnership. As they begin to indulge in conversation, from their dress and stance it is suggested that Chuck is more of a stable, organised and level-headed person, whereas Teddy seems a little on edge and not quite focused on his current environment; some of his attention seems to be elsewhere. This provides questions to the audience with regards to his background and possible problems caused by it.
We are then shown a flashback of Teddy with a woman that appears to be his wife. The colours in this scene are much brighter and vibrant as opposed to the dull blues and greys seen in and around the boat. This implies that the present time is dark and disheartening compared to the happy and joyful times in Teddy's memory. The flashback is then abruptly cut out by a wave crashing against the side of the boat. This suggests that Teddy is constantly trying to wash it out of his memory, but the wave will always come, and so the memory will always return. This could be a cause of his uneasiness.
We are then shown a wide shot of the island, with it taking up a very large proportion of the screen and seeming very powerful and overwhelming. It is very effective in quickly establishing it's prominence in the film. Also, some low-pitched music kicks in as we see it, helping to emphasise it's significance. By using non-diegetic sound, it implies that the island is quite abnormal and has unusual qualities.
We are then reverted back to the ship as the captain relays instruction to Teddy and Chuck. By the captain standing behind them, it shows the partners are trapped, between the captain eager for them to get off his ship, and the relentless presence of the island itself. This helps to build tension and shows that the island is not where an individual would want to be. This creates suspense as the audience aren't sure what to expect when they dock on the island.
Such emphasis on an island in film is not only seen in 'Shutter Island'. For example, in 'King Kong', the last leg of the journey on the boat as they near the island is, quite a lot more exciting than in 'Shutter Island', but there is a sense of tension as the knowledge of what lurks on the island is very minimal.
The narrative structure of 'Shutter Island' I think is very effective, it is largely linear but contains frequent flashbacks. The flashbacks add to the audiences interest as they are trying to figure out the characters (Daniels') background as very little is given away.
v) Representation
In the film, the disabled are shown in a negative way. We are shown this by the fact that they are separated from the rest of the world by being locked away on an island. Also them being locked away suggests that they don't deserve or have the ability to have control over their own lives, and are in some way inferior. In reality the thoughts towards this group do not go to this extent but there are a lot of people who are not sensitive about their disabilities and see them as weak. Finally, the doctors living on the island are shown in the traditional way as they live in large houses and have a lot of control and power over the people around them.
By emphasising the extents to which the upper class and the mentally disabled are dominant and inferior, it helps the audience to gain opinion about each group and empathise who disagree with them. I think by showing ths suffering towards the disabled in the film it helps the audience to put in perspective how discriminated this group are in reality and may make them think about trying to change that.
An example of new technology improving the audience's access to, and knowledge of the film is the internet, it is full of features that offer various features with regards to the film. For example, the film has it's own website (www.shutterisland.com) which offers information about the cast and filmmakers, including details of the actors' and actress' previous work and achievements. Also the website provides downloads for the audience, there is a selection of wallpapers for a computer desktop. In addition, there is an 'About' section which gives a brief synopsis of the film. Finally, there is a pages containing videos about such things as specific characters, the film trailer and a 'Scorsese Featurette'.
All of the things provided give the audience a very good insight into the film, giving them details on how the film was made and thoughts of the people involved with the making of the film. But, the website does not have clips of the film allowing people to actually view 'Shutter Island' itself. Although the film's website does not offer this, other technology does, a main provider of scenes if Youtube.
Youtube users provide people with a vast range of videos about the film. And not only do they show scenes from it but some people also make videos providing their take on the film, this may help increase the audience's knowledge of the film in that reviews and comments may give them an insight into what their opinion of the film may be before they have seen it. Although, Youtube does not have a background information and behind the scenes insight to the extent of websites such as www.shutterisland.com.
Apart from watching scenes on sites such as Youtube, the internet also offers a vast range of websites on which people can buy the film on DVD. The film's official site contains links to a www.amazon.com page containing copies of the film available to buy.
As the film was released in 2010, it was immediately amongst methods such as these whereby people can gain access and knowledge to the film, these will have helped the film's success quite significantly seeing as the internet is such a commonly used thing nowadays and will have provided all of the things mentioned above and much more to help with advertisement, sales, etc.
iv) Codes/forms and conventions of the thriller genre
While we see the opening credits, we can hear some eery music. This straight away prepares us for a tense film carrying reasonable suspense. Then the music becomes slightly louder as the title appears giving emphasis to it, this, without even showing us the island, suggests to the audience its power and significance. Next, we see the boat come in to the camera shot through the fog, as it comes through the fog it suggests the boat and the people on it are trapped inside the encircling white wall. This also adds emphasis on the island as being trapped is obviously against your will, so it is not a place people would like to be for a prolonged period of time. Also, coming through the thick wall of fog could show that they are trespassing, therefore, once again, showing their welcome on the island may not be pleasant, adding suspense.
We can see when the camera is showing the inside of the boat, but it is also shown on the outside as well, that it is not a boat of the highest quality. Its poor appearance shows it to be not very strong or reliable, this suggests that the people on it are not well equipped to cope with the obstacles that lay ahead on the island. Moreover, after we have seen a close-up of DiCaprio looking into the mirror, he turns around and we can see that he is wearing a rather abnormal tie, this could show that he is not completely normal character, this could be in is thoughts, actions or mental state.This provides questions to the audience such as how will he behave throughout the film? will he risk the investigation?
In addition, by giving us a point of view shot when Daniels is looking in the mirror, it is a subtlle and almost unnoticable way of allowing the audience and the character to be empathetic and joins them together in a 'team' to investigate together as we see things from Daniels' perspective.
When he walks out of the room the camera is peering through chains hanging from above. These connote death and being trapped (common features in the thriller genre). This also creates suspense as the audience may wonder who is going to suffer, and for what reason. Still, the music is playing, this suggests that even on the boat, which may be considered as safe for the people on it, they are in danger, possibly already under the influence of the island and its inhabitants.
When Teddy Daniels walks out on to the deck of the ship he and Chuck exchange glances through a fence. This suggests that they are not quite on the same level, they are in some way different or don't see eye to eye. This keeps the audience interested by creating a sense of instability or uncertainty around their partnership. As they begin to indulge in conversation, from their dress and stance it is suggested that Chuck is more of a stable, organised and level-headed person, whereas Teddy seems a little on edge and not quite focused on his current environment; some of his attention seems to be elsewhere. This provides questions to the audience with regards to his background and possible problems caused by it.
We are then shown a flashback of Teddy with a woman that appears to be his wife. The colours in this scene are much brighter and vibrant as opposed to the dull blues and greys seen in and around the boat. This implies that the present time is dark and disheartening compared to the happy and joyful times in Teddy's memory. The flashback is then abruptly cut out by a wave crashing against the side of the boat. This suggests that Teddy is constantly trying to wash it out of his memory, but the wave will always come, and so the memory will always return. This could be a cause of his uneasiness.
We are then shown a wide shot of the island, with it taking up a very large proportion of the screen and seeming very powerful and overwhelming. It is very effective in quickly establishing it's prominence in the film. Also, some low-pitched music kicks in as we see it, helping to emphasise it's significance. By using non-diegetic sound, it implies that the island is quite abnormal and has unusual qualities.
We are then reverted back to the ship as the captain relays instruction to Teddy and Chuck. By the captain standing behind them, it shows the partners are trapped, between the captain eager for them to get off his ship, and the relentless presence of the island itself. This helps to build tension and shows that the island is not where an individual would want to be. This creates suspense as the audience aren't sure what to expect when they dock on the island.
Such emphasis on an island in film is not only seen in 'Shutter Island'. For example, in 'King Kong', the last leg of the journey on the boat as they near the island is, quite a lot more exciting than in 'Shutter Island', but there is a sense of tension as the knowledge of what lurks on the island is very minimal.
The narrative structure of 'Shutter Island' I think is very effective, it is largely linear but contains frequent flashbacks. The flashbacks add to the audiences interest as they are trying to figure out the characters (Daniels') background as very little is given away.
v) Representation
In the film, the disabled are shown in a negative way. We are shown this by the fact that they are separated from the rest of the world by being locked away on an island. Also them being locked away suggests that they don't deserve or have the ability to have control over their own lives, and are in some way inferior. In reality the thoughts towards this group do not go to this extent but there are a lot of people who are not sensitive about their disabilities and see them as weak. Finally, the doctors living on the island are shown in the traditional way as they live in large houses and have a lot of control and power over the people around them.
By emphasising the extents to which the upper class and the mentally disabled are dominant and inferior, it helps the audience to gain opinion about each group and empathise who disagree with them. I think by showing ths suffering towards the disabled in the film it helps the audience to put in perspective how discriminated this group are in reality and may make them think about trying to change that.
Saturday, 12 November 2011
What is a thriller?
The thriller genre has many aspects contributing to it''s overall individual identity, they come in the forms of iconography, themes, narratives and characters.
Characters
The types of characters include psychos, they may be genuinely mentally unstable or just have many erratic and unusual qualities. Another is detective, again they may be an official detective working for some form of investigative agency or just a character that is in some way linked in to an event that has happened and is determined to figure out what has happened and catch the culprit. Also, there are usually criminals involved, this links in to the common thriller character of victim. In summary, the majority if not all thriller films involve some form of unusual or illegal act involving a culprit and a victim of the event and is then followed by someone trying to put a stop to it and save the victim(s) from harm.
This character is an example of a detective, and in some ways a victim but there is not as much emphasis on the victimised side of him in the film as the film follows him as he tracks down the kidnapper of his daughter. The film is 'Taken'.
Narratives
The 5 most common narratives are death, red herrings, being watched or followed and deception. With further reference to 'Taken' there is a lot of death involved in the film as he kills all opposing characters who get in his way. Suspense and tension are very common in films, this is usually due to a character being unknowingly watched or followed, the audience have a view of what is happening and they build questions on what is going to happen to this person being watched/followed. This links in to the common thriller characters as the person may become a victim of murder if the follower has such intentions. The narrative of deception also links into the character of victim for obvious reasons, and possibly criminal.
Themes
The narrative of deception intertwines with the themes of revenge and gain, although not in all cases. It has been known in thriller films for characters to be deceptive and for the victim of it to seek revenge, these things link in to death in that violence is usually incurred causing some characters to die. We can now see an emerging running pattern through all of these aspects, there always seem to be opposing characters and events are seen because of the nature of their relationship. For example, in 'Law Abiding Citizen', the main character played by Gerard Butler feels a victim of deception and is out for revenge for the majority of the film, he causes death and destruction on his way whilst opposing the police and the general idea of authority after having seen the criminal (another previously mentioned thriller character) slip away from justice with ease.
Iconography
Commonly used items, now seen as icons of the thriller genre include, bars, running water and confined spaces. To begin, bars may not necessarily mean actual metal bars, they may be symbolised by other objects on bigger or smaller scales, for example, in 'Panic Room', during the opening many tall buildings are shown and we occasionally end up nearing the bottom with a poor view of something other than the buildings, feeling trapped. And of course being trapped is a connotation of bars. This links into confined spaces, these may be shown in places such as jails or a victim/criminal being surrounded by people.
Characters
The types of characters include psychos, they may be genuinely mentally unstable or just have many erratic and unusual qualities. Another is detective, again they may be an official detective working for some form of investigative agency or just a character that is in some way linked in to an event that has happened and is determined to figure out what has happened and catch the culprit. Also, there are usually criminals involved, this links in to the common thriller character of victim. In summary, the majority if not all thriller films involve some form of unusual or illegal act involving a culprit and a victim of the event and is then followed by someone trying to put a stop to it and save the victim(s) from harm.
Narratives
The 5 most common narratives are death, red herrings, being watched or followed and deception. With further reference to 'Taken' there is a lot of death involved in the film as he kills all opposing characters who get in his way. Suspense and tension are very common in films, this is usually due to a character being unknowingly watched or followed, the audience have a view of what is happening and they build questions on what is going to happen to this person being watched/followed. This links in to the common thriller characters as the person may become a victim of murder if the follower has such intentions. The narrative of deception also links into the character of victim for obvious reasons, and possibly criminal.
Themes
The narrative of deception intertwines with the themes of revenge and gain, although not in all cases. It has been known in thriller films for characters to be deceptive and for the victim of it to seek revenge, these things link in to death in that violence is usually incurred causing some characters to die. We can now see an emerging running pattern through all of these aspects, there always seem to be opposing characters and events are seen because of the nature of their relationship. For example, in 'Law Abiding Citizen', the main character played by Gerard Butler feels a victim of deception and is out for revenge for the majority of the film, he causes death and destruction on his way whilst opposing the police and the general idea of authority after having seen the criminal (another previously mentioned thriller character) slip away from justice with ease.
Iconography
Commonly used items, now seen as icons of the thriller genre include, bars, running water and confined spaces. To begin, bars may not necessarily mean actual metal bars, they may be symbolised by other objects on bigger or smaller scales, for example, in 'Panic Room', during the opening many tall buildings are shown and we occasionally end up nearing the bottom with a poor view of something other than the buildings, feeling trapped. And of course being trapped is a connotation of bars. This links into confined spaces, these may be shown in places such as jails or a victim/criminal being surrounded by people.
Friday, 11 November 2011
Thriller- Character
We came up with the idea of the little girl character as we were all familiar with it, after having seen it in other horror/thrillers. An example is the little girl in the horror/thriller 'REC'.
We thought this character would be effective in creating tension and suspense. The age-stage of the character provides a sense of innocence about her but, in our thriller, the altered, after-life version of the girl raises questions for the audience, such as what is she capable of? does she have sinister intentions?
We thought this character would be effective in creating tension and suspense. The age-stage of the character provides a sense of innocence about her but, in our thriller, the altered, after-life version of the girl raises questions for the audience, such as what is she capable of? does she have sinister intentions?
Thriller Schedule
We have been discussing a schedule and I have made this post to give an overview of our group's intentions with regards to filming times. We have agreed that Emily, Ed and I will use one lesson on monday 14th to film the prologue clip showing the girl alive and playing. For this we will just need a camera as we will be filming it handheld. We may also use Ed's phone to help it give a more homemade effect. Then we are using a Media double lesson on thursday 17th to film the rest of the thriller opening. Ed is collecting the equipment at the end of the day on wednesday. We are meeting at the school at 8:30 and then biking to the house we are filming at. We should be able to get the filming done in the just over 2 hours that we have.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Thriller Opening- Conventions
I have made this post for our group regarding the typical thriller conventions which we have tried to incorporate in our thriller. In our opening we aim to incorporate many of the conventions of the thriller genre. With only the opening to go by, the girl could be a choice of characters, she could be a victim, in that she could have been killed and merely wants people to understand her and help her. But also she could be evil, a criminal in that in the opening she seems quite vicious and it looks like she aims to harm the other characters, so she may be a killer.
We also aim to make sure the narrative conforms to the conventions of a thriller, we are going to attempt to get across to the audience that someone is being watched i.e. the pizza delivery boy, also death is shown in the opening, both by the dead body in the swimming pool in the implication of death when the girl is standing behind the father, with her body language showing sinister intent.
In addition, we aim to include the usual themes of the thriller genre, one of which being revenge, at least that is what could be suggested to the audience in that we see the girls body and then she seems to be out to make someone suffer when she is suspiciously standing behind her father in the shadows. Linking in to that, shadows is part of the thriller iconography we want to use, this helps to create suspense and tension, it also adds to the malice of whatever is in the shadows, in this case the girl. To help with the darkness we plan to edit our filming on a computer so that it has a night time effect. This is easier, and leaves the film with better quality, than filming in quite dark conditions.
Following on from the shadows iconography, we also plan to use water in the film, both by the swimming pool and rain, which, unless raining anyway, we plan to use a hose to create.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Thriller Opening- Soundtrack
Click here to see the soundtrack post
I think the soundtrack is very good in that it suits the purpose of the thriller genre, helping to create tension, also parts of the soundtrack will be useful in emphasising particular parts of the opening, for example the short sharp sound after a period of quite quiet sound could be used when the pizza delivery boy sees the dead body to put emphasis on the shock and suspicion of the sight of her. Moreover, the music is effective in building emotion in the audience, for example, simply a boy cycling up someone's drive is not particularly tense or scary, but when the music is added to it, although we have not actually made this mixture yet, it should be very effective in adding tension/suspense to the opening, and therefore help it fit into the thriller genre.
Jack made the soundtrack on GarageBand.
Addition after teacher's comment:
I think one of the main aspects of this soundtrack is much alike many other thriller music. For example, in the Se7en opening, the sound that is heard from the start gives the feeling of eery emptiness, with sharp sounds in the background. The sound heard from the beginning of the soundtrack created by Jack is quite similar, with the eeryness accompanied by sharp sounds coming in as it progresses, suggesting pain/danger is lurking in an isolated area.
I think the soundtrack is very good in that it suits the purpose of the thriller genre, helping to create tension, also parts of the soundtrack will be useful in emphasising particular parts of the opening, for example the short sharp sound after a period of quite quiet sound could be used when the pizza delivery boy sees the dead body to put emphasis on the shock and suspicion of the sight of her. Moreover, the music is effective in building emotion in the audience, for example, simply a boy cycling up someone's drive is not particularly tense or scary, but when the music is added to it, although we have not actually made this mixture yet, it should be very effective in adding tension/suspense to the opening, and therefore help it fit into the thriller genre.
Jack made the soundtrack on GarageBand.
Addition after teacher's comment:
I think one of the main aspects of this soundtrack is much alike many other thriller music. For example, in the Se7en opening, the sound that is heard from the start gives the feeling of eery emptiness, with sharp sounds in the background. The sound heard from the beginning of the soundtrack created by Jack is quite similar, with the eeryness accompanied by sharp sounds coming in as it progresses, suggesting pain/danger is lurking in an isolated area.
Thriller Opening- Characters
Click here to see the Thriller Characters Post
I think the casting of the characters helps the thriller effect and the realism of it. I am cast as the pizza delivery boy because the height difference between me and the father of the supposedly dead daughter is quite big, emphasising the youth of the pizza delivery boy, and with youth could come vulnerability, so any danger shown in the film holds special presence when the boy is involved.
Profile
Male
16 Years Old
Friendly
Innocent, just trying to get his job done
Emily is cast as the daughter of the owner of the house, we chose to use a young girl character as it is a common character in thrillers, as it is can be scary. So we chose Emily as of course she is a girl and she is quite small, helping to show how young the character is. This character is seen near the beginning of the film, seemingly floating dead in the swimming pool. She is then spotted in an upstairs window, and again behind her father looking as though as is about to harm or shock the other characters. This character is very significant in the film in helping to create tension and suspense.
Profile
Female
Very young, about 7 years old
This is a ghost of the dead girl, haunting her house and seems intent on harming somebody, possibly in revenge for her death
Ed is the father of the girl, we are using him for this character as his large build is best suited to an older, father figure and the contrast in height with the boy adds to the boys vulnerability. He is wearing a shirt and tie to make him seem older and more sophisticated; somebody living in such a nice and large property would take pride in their appearance, this is shown in the well-kept gardens. Also the formal dressing makes him seem more intelligent, which the character would be in order to afford such a large property.
Profile
Male
About 45 years old
Living alone after his daughter died, quite vulnerable
Intelligent, polite and friendly
I think the casting of the characters helps the thriller effect and the realism of it. I am cast as the pizza delivery boy because the height difference between me and the father of the supposedly dead daughter is quite big, emphasising the youth of the pizza delivery boy, and with youth could come vulnerability, so any danger shown in the film holds special presence when the boy is involved.
Profile
Male
16 Years Old
Friendly
Innocent, just trying to get his job done
Emily is cast as the daughter of the owner of the house, we chose to use a young girl character as it is a common character in thrillers, as it is can be scary. So we chose Emily as of course she is a girl and she is quite small, helping to show how young the character is. This character is seen near the beginning of the film, seemingly floating dead in the swimming pool. She is then spotted in an upstairs window, and again behind her father looking as though as is about to harm or shock the other characters. This character is very significant in the film in helping to create tension and suspense.
Female
Very young, about 7 years old
This is a ghost of the dead girl, haunting her house and seems intent on harming somebody, possibly in revenge for her death
Ed is the father of the girl, we are using him for this character as his large build is best suited to an older, father figure and the contrast in height with the boy adds to the boys vulnerability. He is wearing a shirt and tie to make him seem older and more sophisticated; somebody living in such a nice and large property would take pride in their appearance, this is shown in the well-kept gardens. Also the formal dressing makes him seem more intelligent, which the character would be in order to afford such a large property.
Male
About 45 years old
Living alone after his daughter died, quite vulnerable
Intelligent, polite and friendly
Monday, 7 November 2011
Thriller Opening- Synopsis
I have made a synopsis for our group's project to get across the main story of our thriller opening. It begins with the girl playing in the
garden with her father, with an old fashioned footage effect showing that it was
in the past. Then it skips to the present time with a pizza delivery
boy cycling up the drive of the father's house, as he approaches the
house he notices a girl's body floating on the swimming pool, but when he
runs closer to investigate there is no body in the pool. He then
notices the same girl standing in a top window of the house with a teddy
bear, wearing a night gown. He knocks on the door and whilst making
the delivery to the man who lives there he mentions that he saw his
daughter in the window. The man's response then shows the audience that the girl has in fact been dead for a long time. The girl is then seen behind her father, the film then ends leaving it open to many possible storylines.
Analysis:
The old footage effect not only shows that it was in the past, but also implies many other things. Maybe for the father, the happy and carefree times such as that are sorely missed by him and they are playing over and over in his mind. It also suggests to the audience that something has happened since then, to completely change the lives of the people involved, urging them to keep watching and find out.
By there being a body in the pool, it shows that this place may be dangerous and something is going to happen, but also because the body is then gone, many questions are asked by the audience, and the thing behind all of this is completely unknown, possibly supernatural, this creates suspense and tension.
By having the girl standing behind her father and out of sight of the pizza delivery boy, she is under the radar and is, in a sense, in control of the situation, with the ability to cause harm to these characters, well that is what is implied by the recent events. Also with the experience of media exposure the audience will have, this type of character features quite a lot in films and can be quite vicious. And, as we assume she is dead, she seems even more powerful in that how could she be harmed by anybody??
In the making of the plot, we tried to involve conventions of a thriller, for example, death, victims, criminals, being watched, running water and shadows, For greater detail, see the conventions post.
Analysis:
The old footage effect not only shows that it was in the past, but also implies many other things. Maybe for the father, the happy and carefree times such as that are sorely missed by him and they are playing over and over in his mind. It also suggests to the audience that something has happened since then, to completely change the lives of the people involved, urging them to keep watching and find out.
By there being a body in the pool, it shows that this place may be dangerous and something is going to happen, but also because the body is then gone, many questions are asked by the audience, and the thing behind all of this is completely unknown, possibly supernatural, this creates suspense and tension.
By having the girl standing behind her father and out of sight of the pizza delivery boy, she is under the radar and is, in a sense, in control of the situation, with the ability to cause harm to these characters, well that is what is implied by the recent events. Also with the experience of media exposure the audience will have, this type of character features quite a lot in films and can be quite vicious. And, as we assume she is dead, she seems even more powerful in that how could she be harmed by anybody??
In the making of the plot, we tried to involve conventions of a thriller, for example, death, victims, criminals, being watched, running water and shadows, For greater detail, see the conventions post.
Thriller Opening- Storyboard
This is a preliminary storyboard outlining the key events and basic camera shots we intend to involve. We will create an updated one to show more in depth information with regards to camera shots, transitions and timings.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Thriller Opening Analysis- Se7en
Institutions: The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey. The production companies include Cecchi Gori Pictures and New Line Cinema. In the UK it was released in January 1996, in the USA it was released in September 1995. The estimated budget for this film is $33,000,000, and the gross worldwide is $316,400,000.
Sound: The opening has a strong and constant beat to accompany the visuals, it sounds metallic, forceful and makes the scene eery. The metallic effect in the sound gives the effect of construction, materials being scraped together and dragged along machinery, giving it a sinister edge in that the dragging holds connotations of someone being attacked, and possibly someone suffering, therefore straight away creating tension for the audience. The constant sound of this construction, along with the suspicious actions shown on camera, suggest that the character is spending endless hours concocting evil plots, or building some form of weapon. The constant beat in the background of the music, when added to the rest of the non-diegetic sound, provides a feel of lots of things coming together to construct something, almost like being inside an unusual, evil factory. One of the sounds reminds me of screaming, suggesting that this work being done is ultimately for the pain and suffering of others, giving the audience the idea that the character shown (small parts of the character anyway) is sinister, creating further tension for the audience. This relates to the thriller as a genre in that it suggests there will be a victim, therefore I assume there will be some form of detective, the way the character is shown in this clip says that he is a psycho, his activities and environment show this.
Credits: The style of writing used for the credits connotes many things to the audience helping them to draw ideas on what plot and characters the film contains. It is erratic and scruffy, suggesting the character shown, and possibly others shown further on in the film are rough, unapproachable and have an evil side. As opposed to writing that fades in, is bold and the movement of it, if any, is very slow, this would connote calm, kindness and reliability.
Mise-en-scene: One of the objects shown is photos of people, suggesting that they are a target of the person being filmed, also the character seems to be making some sort of book so maybe the person in the photos has already fallen prey to this person and is being recorded in this book, suggesting this person is a serial killer, keeping record of all his 'achievements'. This possible personality of the character relates to the usual conventions of the thriller genre, in that there is an assassin/psycho. Also, typical thriller narratives include being watched, (or voyeurism), this is included by showing photos of the target/victim. The colours used in the opening are very dark; greys and blacks. These colours can represent age, death and emptiness. This represents the character as being hollow in emotion and compassion, his life and aims are centred around death, bringing it on other people. This creates an atmosphere around this character and his environment of danger, leaving the audience in suspense as they don't know what this character is going to do and what disgusting things will happen in that dark and evil place. This aura around the character is also connoted in the picture of the ugly, disfigured hands. This suggests his mind is bent and far different from a normal person, and that his way of thinking is sick and twisted.
Semiology: The camera angles represent the erraticness of the character, both in actions and mind; the evil he is capable of and his ability to not get caught. This is all shown through short and sometimes scratched, blurred and just generally distorted camera shots. This representation also shows he is hard to get a fix on, understand his thoughts, have an idea of what he will do next. This creates fear and tension in that the audience feel any innocent person in the film could get hurt due to this characters unstable mental state, not only can we not grasp the character in these ways but it is hard to even imagine the things he will do to make people suffer. As mentioned above, this also represents one of the thriller genre's key narratives; death, also we can make an estimation that most deaths, at least the ones caused by the character shown in the opening, are pre-determined, adding to both the evil and twisted personality of the character, and the tension of the film, in that the audience know the deaths will be quite horrific, therefore the film will carry suspense in that they have to wait and see what kind of suffering people have to endure at the hands of this character. The idea of pre-determined murders are also shown in that the only part of the character shown on camera is his hands, connoting a 'hands on' approach and desired detail and planning in his activities i.e. murders.
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