AS thriller practical assignment

Over the course of the term we have been looking at thrillers, this is because our practical is creating the opening of a thriller film. 

In our media lessons we have been studying and analyzing clips of different thriller movies to find out what should be included in our own project, we have focused on camera work, editing, lighting, and mise en scene. Each of these things are important when creating any type of film. In both Dan and Annabel's lessons we have been concentrating on the different elements that make up a  thriller, we have studied this profusely so that we remember to add certain elements to our own thriller.

Music is the key to most movies as it creates the mood, and also can distinguish a horror from a romance, or a comedy from an action movie. It's important that we create a soundtrack for our opening that fits with the opening itself, it needs to create an eerie mood to create suspense.

The editing is important as well, because the editing can set the pace and even the mood. Each shot needs to be well edited so it looks consistent and makes the thriller look its best.

On Monday 26th January, and Tuesday 27th January, we filmed our shots for the thriller. We were determined to get it all filmed so that we could begin the editing process which would take a longer time than the filming would. 

Brooke had planned out each shot from the plan we wrote in class, and we went by that so that we wouldn't get mixed up with what we filmed and what we hadn't. It was important that we filmed some scenes last as they were harder to do during the day, or not possible until everything else was finished. For example, the bath scene had to be filmed last because it was the messiest scene and also would take the longest to create. 

Also, scenes that were supposed to be shot in the dark had to be postponed until it was darker outside. 

We managed to get all of the shots filmed, shooting them a couple of times to make sure we had enough choice for the editing process. 

Today, and Wednesday have been our first editing sessions, we have managed to complete the sequence for the movie, but there are still some elements we need to include. We still need to create the music for the opening, we also need to film another shot - a knife being sharpened - to heighten the fact there is a killer. 

During the editing process we have paid close attention to match cutting, this is important because without it the shots would look inconsistent and wouldn't fit together properly, making the film look poorly made.

Until the opening itself is fully edited and we are happy with everything we have added into it, the music will be the next big thing to create because it's important that we set the right mood, and of course we will need to be able to see the finished production in order to create the music that is eerie in the right places.

 

editing

Filming Thriller Opening

Part one of filming:
On Monday the 26th January 2009, we started to film our thriller. So, the first day we planned to get the first 10-12 shots filmed. As a result, we got a good 10-15 minutes of film to edit. It took us about 1 and a half to 2 hours to get the 10-12 shots filmed and as a group we completed this by producing the shots very well and filming each shot at least 3 times so that we had a range of choices when editing the film. However, on the first day of our filming we managed to film 9, which was acceptable because there were only 21 to film so we did quite well as a group.

Part two of filming:
The next day, on Tuesday the 27th January 2009, we started to film the other half of our shot and we try to finish the filming. As a result, we could start to edit our film on Wednesday. As a group we were filming from 3 to 8 o clock for Monday and Tuesday, which was in a responsible time this is because we filmed each shot at least 3 times so we had a range of shots, angles and a range of choices when we come to edit the film.

Planning of our thriller opening

We sat down in our groups and together we brainstormed some ideas about the opening of our overall thriller. As a result, we all had different ideas of what we wanted within the opening of our thriller film, so as a group we tried to merge all of the ideas and add them into one collective opening for the thriller.
In addition to this, we came up with many different ideas such as, using a church, graveyard and dark alley ways. However, we then realised that these ideas were a bit formula therefore, at the end of our brainstorm we decided to film the opening of a girl inside her house who is having a normal day. However, then a guy gets into her house and starts to watch her all the way through until she is murdered.
We then decided that we wanted to be creative and show the ending as if the whole film was being made and then kind of going back in time and showing what happened, including the events that leaded to her being murdered.
After getting a primary idea we then brainstormed the type of shots we wanted to add to the opening of our thriller to make it attractive and appealing to the audience. As a group we then went through shot by shot and planned every shot we was going to use in the opening of our thriller such as, the camera angles / movement. Also, in the second half of our lesson we had to pitch the plan to the class and to the teacher to see if it was good to go ahead to process. We also personated our idea in a PowerPoint presentation informing the class about everything they needed to know about our thriller opening.

Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th January - Filming Opening

Monday was the first day of filming the thriller so we had planned to get the first 10-12 shots done so that got a good 10-15 minutes of film to edit. we filmed for about 2 hours straight to get them done and we achieved this by creating the shots very well and filming each shot at least 3 times so that we had choices when editing the film. On the first day of filming we got 9 shots done which was ok because there were only 21 to film so we did quite well collectively as a group.
Tuesday we decided to film again to try and finish up the filming so that in wednesdays lesson we could edit. we ended up filming the entire other 12 shots so collectively we had 21 in total to edit on the macs. we were filming from 3 in the afternoon until 8 o clock which was good because again we filmed each shot at least 3 times so we have a variety of shots, angles and choices when we come to edit it.
Now we have the entire 21 shots filmed we are now going to think about editing the film and making music to go with the thriller opening. we wanted to get the filming done quickly and in a short space of time so that we had a lot of time to arrange shots, music and edit because that adds the finishing touch to the opening.

Friday 23rd January - Planning Lesson and Presentation

For the first half of the lesson the whole group (Faruk, Andy, Kassi and Me) sat down together and brainstormed some final ideas of what was going to be our overall idea for the opening of our thriller. we all had different ideas of what we wanted within the opening so we tried to combine all of the ideas and incorporate them into one collective opening for the group. We came up with many vague ideas like using a church, graveyard, dark alley way etc but then realized that these ideas were a bit cliche so at the end we decided to film the opening of a girl inside her house just being normal and then he gets into her house and is watching her. This is the idea that we are going to film and edit to become our opening. With the thriller we decided that we wanted to be creative and show the ending as if the whole film was being made and then kind of go back in time and show what happened in the events leading up to that point. After getting an initial idea we then decided what sort of shots we wanted to add to the opening to make it interesting and appealing. we ran through a shot by shot scheme where we planned what was going to happen in each shot and the camera angles/ movement that we was going to use so that when we decided to film we would be totally prepared.
When the thriller opening was planned according to shot types and content, in the second half of the lesson we then had to pitch it to the class and teacher to see if it was ok to start the process. We presentated our idea in a powerpoint presentation telling the class everything that they needed to know about the opening (Some brief Examples of what we pitched in the powerpoint):

• The Basic Plot - Simple and effective, Based around a girl being watched, show the ending at the beginning to create speculation...
• What we wanted to achieve in the opening - Add an element of weirdness, physco, portray storyline and tension without dialogue but through mainly music and camerawork. We dont want to add to much information to the opening that tells the whole story but add enough information that the audience want to watch on and ask questions.
• Quick run through of what the 2 minutes is going to contain - Expained the storyline as above
• Some Camerawork and angles included in the opening - Extreme close ups to highlight specific parts and show emotion, Zooms to add a sense of revelation, through shots for example through doors, cupboards to add an element of being watched, Handheld camerawork to show that the camera is conveying the mans eyes that are watching the girl, an establishing shot to show the location and setting of the opening, low angle shot to show the vunerability of the character in the situation she is in and we are going to keep the camerawork quite close and compact to create tension etc.
• Basic name ideas for the film - They're already in, watched, watching, Alone, Enter, They are back etc. These were just some names that popped into our head whilst planning but we are going to continue to think about the name of the film whilst filming because it is crutial to the film and its content.
• Location, setting, Characters - location of filming is my house in the EC1 area in an esate but the actual filming is taking place in my home because that is going to be where the girl is 'living'. Some settings we are using to film is the living room, kitchen, bathroom, front door etc, so typical household settings.
• Elements added from already existing thrillers - variety of shots, tension, hanging questions, dark lighting, suspense, credits and title etc.
• Key Images we want to create - Framing the girl alot on her own to show isloation and the sense of being alone in a situation, we want to make the camera his eyes, shots through things and around corners so to create a real sense of being watched and also to make the audience feel really involved with what is going on.
• Lighting in the opening - we want to use dim lightingto create a dark, weird, scary mood in the opening, house lighting and street lamps will also be used because of the location and setting we are filming in.
• Music used - music is going to be a key part of our opening as it is going to set the pace of the opening, set the mood, feeling, and gather character emotion. we are going to stop and start music at certain points in the opening to highlight specific parts of the opening or just to show the importance of somethings. we also want to convey thoughts, feeling and atmosphere, tension through music which means it is going to be a major factor within our opening.
• Audience - we want this to appeal to audiences that enjoy thriller movies already and also people over 15 because thats probably what the rating would be on the movie if it was actually being released because it contains death, blood, stalking etc.

Above is a few points that i included within my presentation to give the class a real feel of what i wanted to create in the opening and what its content was going to be.

After we finished the presentation we watched others pitch theirs to class which was good to see what others ideas were and how they were going to portray this when filming. As a group we then created a schedule of times and date we were going to film. overall we had 21 shots to film so when knew we had to get started straight away. The group decided to start filming at 3 on moday afternoon and at 3 on tuesday afternoon at the location that was my house.

Match Cut Practice Film

Practical Film 2

In this lesson we were given a task, to go out and film a practice sequence so we can improve are camera shots and camera movements etc for the real thriller film. We had to include the following sequence, in are film and they were to making sure that we have use at least one match cut, an example of shot/ reverse shot and showing are understanding of the 180 degree rule. The story of are practical film was A character opens a door, walks into a room, sits down opposite another character and they share a few lines of dialogue.

The camera work movements used in our film sequence was excellent as we used a wide-ranging amount of shots and also experimented with movement and angles. My personal judgment is that, I feel that as a group we have improved are skills in camera work from the last practice film we created. As a result, we also have learned from the mistakes we made last time and have improved them for our second practical film.

The shots that were most successful in our film, was the over the shoulder shot, close up (of feet and hand opening door) and the match cuts. That was used to create a sense of flow and stability in the sequence. However, the panning shot we used in the beginning of the film didn't work good as the character was not located in the frame properly and was not capable to judge the speed of the person walking so therefore it was a bit muddled as an general shot.


The editing in our practical film was very successful, this was because the clips we filmed were simply fitted together following some touching up as a result the film looked very good and made sense. We also used continuity editing productively in editing as the film flowed and appeared like there was no editing done. The short film that we have made in our group did make sense because of the thinking and planning that went in beforehand. Also of the shots and angles used and in the editing we formed the scene therefore it would appear straight rather than appearing as though it have been edited.

We also learned as a group that the Mise-en-scene was very important in the shots. This is because it created the atmosphere and emotion which also gave the viewers an idea of where it was set.

As a group we also managed to create a sense of tension, at the beginning when the character was walking in have not shown fully. Therefore, we only determined to show a close up of his feet and hand opening the door. Therefore, it would collect questions to the viewers, like where he was going and why?
One thing that we forgot to do when filming our film was to add the 5 seconds rule before and after the shot which would have specified us more time and space when editing the film.

However, we also tried to use various conventions from a real thriller film like tracking the characters footsteps, close up of his hand which creates suspense and also a range of camera shots giving the viewers more to look at.
After filming our film and editing it, we had some feedback from the teacher and she told us that the film we made was very good and also the match cuts we used worked out well. Also she told us that the camera work was well thinking out and planned.

In my personal feelings of the practice film, was very successful and I also have enjoyed playing a role in the film with the group. Also, i personally believe that the work we was set to do was well done and it was to its highest standard including all from the brief in the film.

Practical Film 2

The task given in this three hour lesson was to film our practice film that would be submitted alongside our thriller as a practice piece in order to practice match-cutting also, In this film everyone in the class had to film the same thing which was 'a character opens a door, walks into a room, sits down opposite another character and they share a few lines of dialogue.' and in this film we had to make sure that we had at least one Match Cut and showing our understanding of the '180 degree rule'.

I am very happy with our camera work, we planned it thoroughly and used a lot of different camera shots. The shots that worked well were the Over-the-shoulder shots and the low-angle-shots, they worked well because it showed two perspectives of the characters. If i had to pick, the camera shot that didn't work was the panning shot but it worked in the end because of editing which went well. Our continuity editing was very successful. I have learnt a lot about mise en scene because i have learnt that it is incredibly important to how the film is portrayed and how the story is told.

Our film did create an element of suspense as I walked in in the opening scenes with the close up of the feet and hand opening the door shot, you think to yourself 'where is he walking and why?' We did come across some errors and mistakes when we got to the editing process, we realised that we did not add a extra five seconds at the end of each shot to make it easier and gave us more time to edit. I do not think that we used any of the conventions from other thriller films we just made it up ourselves. 

Our feedback from our class and our teacher was positively. Annabelle said it was 'short which was good'. After watching our short piece of film i thought it was quite good for a practice, but this would mean we would have to work twice as hard for our thriller because our expectations may have been higher now, we could take the negative feedback and learn from out mistakes for the thriller. We feel that our thriller should be better as we already have a lot of interesting ideas already off the top of our heads.

Practical Film 2

The task we were given for todays lesson was to go out and film another practice sequence so we can practice camera shots etc for the real thriller film. The Brief we were given was: 

Film the following sequence, making sure to use at least one match cut, an example of shot/ reverse shot and showing your understanding of the 180 degree rule - A character opens a door, walks into a room, sits down opposite another character and they share a few lines of dialogue. 

The camera work used in the sequence was very good as we used a varied amount of shots and also experimented with movement and angles, i feel we have improved in camera work from the last practice film we created as well have learned from the mistakes made last time and fixed them. The shots that were most successful were: Over the shoulder shot, close up (of feet and hand opening door) and the match cuts used created a sense of flow and continuity in the sequence. The panning shot we used in the beginning of the short film didn't work very well as the character was not positioned in the frame properly and was unable to judge the pace of the person walking so therefore was a bit messy as an overall shot.

The editing was very successful because the clips we filmed were easily fitted together after some touching up so the film looked good and made sense. We used continuity editing successfully in editing as the film flowed and looked like there was no editing done to it. The short film that we made did make sense because of the thought and planning that went in before hand of the shots and angles used and also in editing we created the scene so that it looked straight rather than looking as though it had been edited. 

We learned that Mise en scene was very important in the shot as it created the mood and feeling and also gave the viewers an idea of where it was set and taking place.

We did manage to create a sense of suspense at the beginning when the character walking in (Andy) was not shown fully we only decided to show a close up of his feet and hand opening the door so it gathered questions like where he was going and why? the close ups used created this suspense because of the involvement with the character and the waiting that was needed to find out what was happening.

One thing that we forgot to do when filming was to add 5 seconds before and after the shot which would have given us more time and space when editing it.

We tried to use some conventions from areal thriller film like tracking the characters footsteps, close up of hand creating suspense and also a variety of camera shots giving the viewers more to look at and thing over. 

The feedback from the teacher was that the film we made was good and the match cuts used worked well and also the camera work was well thought out and planned.

my feelings of the practice was that it was very successful and i enjoyed filming with the group, i also believe that the work we was set was done well and to high standard including everything from the brief in the film. 

Openings to films:

Blogging lesson (9th January 09)
In our first lesson back today we analyzed and picked apart the openings of films specifically looking at thrillers, we watched a BBC documentary called ‘Watching’ that analyzed film openings and also as a class we took notes on the opening of films and also watched a few of last years thriller coursework’s to see how we could go about making ours and gave us ideas to get started on.
From the documentary I learned a lot about what the openings of films should do to us as an audience and how is makes us carry on watching. At the beginning of the documentary Thomas Sutcliffe says: “films need to seduce their audience into long term commitment. While there are many types of seduction, the temptation to go for instant arousal is almost irresistible” This quote is saying that as a film maker you have to grab the audiences attention by luring them in slowly and carefully with the opening without giving too much or too little away that may bore them, also the opening has to make a viewer want to watch on so it should arise questions to the viewer making them want to watch on and find out the answers. Openings of films should not give everything away at once they should “nurture the desire” of the viewer so as to make them watch on.
The opening of a film should give bit by bit in the opening making them wait and wonder what’s going to happen next, creating and imaginary interaction between viewer and character making the viewer want to find out more and get their questions answered. The opening initially is to establish the setting and scene that is set, to capture viewers attention, instruct us of the mood and tone and leads us into the story telling us about the story line, the characters and the tone set for the movie.
In the documentary critic Stanley Kauffmann described a classic opening to a movie:
It should give you enough questions and information to make you want to carry on watching to find out answers, it should ask yourself questions, not much dialogue in the opening so that mood can just be created by the music, setting and action rather than just focusing on what characters have to say through dialogue. Lastly he says that the opening of a film should be subtle but effective on the viewer to again make them want to carry on viewing.
The documentary carried on to show the opening of Kyle Coopers film Seven which was very effective as an opening because it created an atmosphere and mood for the film through just the edited clips of a close up of the mans hands and also the film was cleverly created through the credits as they flicked up and down creating a surreal, psychopathic mood and gave this off to the audience without anything being said and just focused on a close up of a mans fingers sewing which is simplistic but effective.
Orson Welles created a film called ‘A touch of Evil’ where he wanted to not put any credits at the opening of his film but just to focus on the content of storyline and characters rather than making the viewers read the credits and loose focus from the film. Universal studios then took the film in to their own hands and decided to add credits at the bottom of the screen that killed the effect of the film and blunted the storyline that was originally meant to be effective but was taken away by the credits.
“A favourite trick of film noir” is used in movies because it is believed to work well in films against viewers. Noir is meaning black, filmed at night and also means that the director is putting the ending of a film at the beginning of the film to look ahead to what’s coming up with one of the critics saying “ destination as much of a departure point”.
The opening of the shining cleverly creates suspense by not using any dialogue and just followed a lone car in the middle of a deserted forestland like a predator. It created a sense of ‘wrong’ just by camera shots where “Every image leads you in”. The opening used high angled, crane shots and panned the car with Kyle Cooper saying it “Tuned viewers into a dissonant pitch”.
After the documentary we brainstormed as a class about openings of films and what worked and didn’t work. We discussed the methods that are used to draw audiences into the opening of a film and the most important factors of an opening:
• Gradual build up to keep the viewer interested
• Excitement/ action
• Introduction of characters and a brief incite into the story line/s
• Name of the film, titles and credits
• Music/ sound
• Establishing shots (set the scene)
• Setting the tone, time, place, mood, atmosphere, characters and settings
• A dramatic opening to excite the viewer and carry on their viewing
• It must raise questions and interests
• It MUST NOT tell the story as it would give the viewer the story in the first 3 minutes and then it would bore them, so not carry on watching.
• Logo and music first off all draws and leads you in
• The opening must create speculation, curiosity, pleasure and promise
• It must set up and destroy assumptions

“A good beginning will signpost its destination” meaning that a good beginning will give directions to where the film is heading leading you carefully through the story and what to expect next. This quote is telling us that it has to give us little information, not too much but guidance into the next part of the story.
Elements that worked well in the films seen today including editing, shots, distances, music, mise en scene:
• Editing that conveys pace
• Overlaid/ overlapped editing
• Effects on images EG: negative, red tint
• Extreme close ups, establishing shots, panning, close ups, medium shots all work well in the opening as we have seen from other film openings
• Music that creates a mood and atmosphere just by listening is a good soundtrack but it works very well when the beat of the music fits with the edited cuts of the sequence.
• Mise En Scene must be a good choice like churches, streets, graveyards, buildings, estates work well as they have a sense of professionalism about them, more thought out and work well with the thriller genre but using college corridors doesn’t work so well as it adds a sense of slap bang and messiness to the production.

What role do you think planning played in the films seen?
A great amount of planning is needed when making a film and is the planning is thorough and thought out then it is reflected in the film itself whereas if not much planning is involved with the film then it shows in the film as it looks rushed and carefree.
Elements that I hope to avoid in my film:
• A sense of tackiness
• Mobile phone shots and knives because these are always used in films and get boring for the viewer if overly used
• Overly thought out or not thought out enough
• Too many camera angles
• Too much overlap etc