Thriller Openings

VACANCY - horror thriller

Fact File:

• Made in 2007
• Acting by Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale
• Distributed by Screen Gems and Sony Pictures
• Budget - $19,000,000
• Gross Revenue - $35,300,645
• DVD release - 14th august 2007
• Prequel - Vacancy 2: The first cut

Music and Sound

• Tense music at the beginning to symbolise Danger.
• Diegetic sound (radio and car, also outside noises, natural)
• eery/spooky music to make us sense tension and an approaching moment.

Setting

• red/black titles give a dark and 'dangerous' atmosphere.
• falling and lengthening of letters give a bleeding effect.
• Maze effect gives a trapped sense/feeling.
• low lighting, not allowing full profile of characters.
• Mirror shot
• cliche car breakdown in the middle of nowhere, at night.
• motel
• jumpy

Characters

• 1st character not full profile
• 2nd character also in low lighting
• a couple, not happy together
• hidden characters, building tension

The Departed - gangster thriller

Fact File:

• Made in 2006
• Acting - Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon
• Distributed by Warner Bros pictures and Entertainment Film Distributors
• Budget - $90,000,000
• Gross revenue - $290,000,000 (worldwide)
• The film appeared on many critics top ten 2006 films.

Music/Sound

• Diegetic - narrative.
• Non diegetic - soundtrack music.
• Voice over
• Large alternate of diegetic and non diegetic
• typical gunshot sequence and sounds

Setting

• Boston - rough area
• Fighting
• Near sea
• Suburban parts
• Fighting throughout gang area.

Characters

• 1st character profile not revealed as they are in shadow.
• 2nd - young, innocent, being moulded
• 2nd - looks up to 1 as a role model.

Media Production Tips!

Diegesis

Is a way of combining diegetic and non-diegetic material to create meaning for the image or moving text.

Diegetic material - Usually sounds that exist in the world its self. This may be Dialogue or natural sounds, such as thunder, or birds etc.

Non Diegetic material - Usually sounds added for the audience. Sounds such as, atmospheric music, soundtrack or voiceovers etc.

Some types of sound are both diegetic and non diegetic. For example there may be a piece of dialogue as a characters thoughts, in a voice over technique. But would be non diegetic in the sense that other characters cannot hear it.

An example of film that contains a lot of Diegetic sound and Non Diegetic would be a Thriller. As atmospheric music is a must, but natural sounds such as footsteps or birds etc can also give an effect.

An example of film that is mainly Diegetic is Documentaries etc. As they contain a lot of dialogue and real noises, to keep us aware its reality.

An example of film that uses mostly Non Diegetic sound would be Nick and Norahs Infinite playlist. As the film has a large soundtrack.

Micro and Macro origination

Micro Macro elements - to shoot material that is appropriate to your film. And that relates to the genre of film you are making. Also other details such as: music, style of titles, dialogue, setting up and pace.

Pre Production is highly important! it gives you a guide presenting all your initial and final ideas that you need to create your film!

For example, if you were making a romance film, a three stage process:

First, study romantic comedy conventions using the micro macro strategy. Second, spend time developing a romantic comedy narrative. Third, spend time planning to shoot and edit material that looks right for the genre!

Camera Work And Framing

Using a tripod in filming is a must, as a steady shot is not as simple as you think. Most of your shots should be using a tripod, unless a handheld/realistic effect is required.

Its best to stay clear of zooming, as it makes your camera work seem un professional, and is rarely used in the industry.

A widescreen framing setting is advised as film uses fewer close ups than television.

For film it is suggested that mostly mid-shots and long-shots are best, a few close ups used sparingly.

The rule of thirds is a good way to get some exciting shots, that are thought about and will impress your audience.

Combining shot types and distances is essential to the 'language of film', for example, Long shots to mid shots, to close ups are sometimes a good way to display action. And over the shoulder shots etc are good ways to display a conversation to your audience.

Camera angle is a good subject to think on, making sure your subject is not interfered by other interesting subjects in the back ground. And the use of power, for example, a high angle makes your subject look less powerful, a low angle shot makes your subject look more powerful.

simple tips:

• practice shots before recording.
• shoot far more footage than you need to make editing easier.
• test microphones before filming, so you dont accidentally end up with a silent movie!
• switch off date and time on camera.
• be prepared to take several takes of each shot.
• be a perfectionist, if something goes wrong, redo it!
• make sure all your batteries get re-charged.

Mis En Scene

Mis en scene is an expression commonly used for film, meaning, all production aspects.

Its important to chose all details very carefully. And when i say details i mean:

costumes, lighting, props and location, to create that ultimate atmosphere and overall feel to

your film. As students we are often victims to simple mistakes such as, costume changes, hair cut mid sequence, poor acting, poor lighting and un realistic props etc.

Lighting

Most media students cant get access to industry standard professional lighting or equipment and this can sometimes limit there creativity. However there are certain techniques that can overcome some of these problems, here are 5 tips:

• Use natural light - sunlight, in shadow, mist, through rain (depending on the effect you need). Keeping in mind your patience and time scale on waiting for certain weather conditions.
• Use cheap and cheerful artificial light - as long as you have done your risk assessment you can use candles, firelight, torches, car headlights, security lights, neon signs and street lighting.
• create colour filters - shine light through, coloured liquid, vases and ornaments.
• position light source for effect - lighting scenes from different angles etc. can create different kinds of atmosphere, so experiment with this.
• Ultimately, lighting a scene is a scientific process.

Combining sound, image and titles

it can be hard to put footage together with sound and titles. You will need to look at every aspect and detail of your title, including finding a good time length for the title that will please your audience. Also where to place the titles near shots etc is also a factor to take into account.

using music to add ambience to the beginning of your film. Think very carefully about the semiotic value, keeping to the tone and pace of the film, and thinking about what your music represents. its a good idea to test music in the earlier stage of post production.

Somers Town - After Viewing

4. How would you categorise this film in terms of genre? Does it remind you of any other films you have seen?

Categorising this film

is a particularly hard thing to do for this particular film. As it was originally only meant to be 10 minutes long, its hard to understand its original intentions as a short film. Now that the film runs at just over an hour, it is not the length of a full feature, nor is it a short film. It is a typical british film, run on a light budget, this adds a lot of effect to the finished film - A fairly rough part of london, where not many people have a lot of money, and your watching your typical british kid teaching his ways to an outsider. So i see the way the film was made having a large effect on the way people look at it. So if i had to categorise this film i would label it as a Comedic Drama.

This film reminds me of This Is England. Although they both are different in many ways, the way the film is made, and the acting is very similar, and i would almost immediately pair them up. In This Is England, there is a certain grittiness that reminds me of certain parts of Somers town e.g. The man who is always finding a way of selling something, or doing dodgy deals, and the thugs towards the beginning of the film.

5. What do you think is the film's appeal for audiences?

The two main characters of the film are both every day lads, in which a lot of people could relate to. Already thats a good start. Even better is that they are both lovable, and the audience can find ways of sympathising with this. There is some humor in the film which is needed to break up the edginess and the grittiness, that makes the film what it is. Also comedy is popular in modern day british film, and most of us enjoy a good laugh. The similarities in the characters, that you dont notice at first, also make this film so enjoyable. As you get the boy who has ran away and is lost. And yet you can find that the boy with a home is also lost.

6. As well as being in black and white, the film is subtitled during the conversations in Polish between Marek and his father; there are also sections in French. In what ways do these factors affect your responses to the film, the situation and the characters?

I think the main effect this gives on the film is the reality to it. Watching the film in black and white really helps you to concentrate on what the films about, and not so much about other distractions colour gives. It makes you think about why the film has been made in black and white, and you start to understand throughout watching it, why it is in black and white. The use of subtitles is a particular strong point in this film. It completely elaborates the distance in the foreign characters. They've been written in every detail, and it makes the film a lot more realistic and effective than sitting there watching a couple of people with dodgy polish accents.

7. Shame Meadows' 2006 release, 'This is England', won a number of awards. Research and explore the film's critical reception and suggest what similarities and differences you can identify between 'Somers Town' and 'This is England'

I have already mentioned some similarities between the two films in question 4.

The film itself has now become very well know. It gets played regularly on TV. And has won numerous awards such as "Winner Best Film" at the British independent film awards. "Winner most promising new comer" at the British Independent Film awards.

They have also had many excellent reviews, from well known sources such as, radio one, the observer and many more.

8. To what extent do you think the audience is expected to be 'comfortable' with this portrait of two teenagers?

Both of the character are most definitely not perfect, and they both contain a kinds of edginess that suits there loneliness and neglection. So i dont think that the audience are supposed to feel a complete connection to them. I think this is part of the effect of the film, that your never getting to familiar to the characters, there is always an aspect of you that wonders what trouble are them boys gonna get into next. Also the situations you find the characters in make you feel a bit uncomfortable. For example, Tomo has nowhere to go and claims no life to go back to. And Marek, who is lonely as his alcoholic father spends little time with him.

9. A sign on the estate reads 'children playing on these grounds is prohibited'. In what different ways do Tommo and Marek seek to amuse themselves within this environment? Do you think the film encourages us to judge any of their actions?

When i saw this during in the film, it reminded me of our modern day. How teenagers, with not enough to do, become quite simply bored and make trouble. So when Tomo and Marek did this, i didn't find it unusual. The comedic side of it was the reason they were mis-behaving, for example getting drunk due to the disappearance of there love Marie, a french waitress they both fall for. This behavior is quite comedic, and you start to realise how young and immature they are.

10. What messages about childhood and adolescence do you, or could you, take away from the film?

The film doesnt give very positive messages about childhood, but thats its aim. Your supposed to find faults in these characters and there childhood and adolescence. There are positive aspects of there childhood, the freedom the both have, and how good there friendship is, and how they have developed it through some of the worst parts of there lives. Obviously the negative messages you gain from this film are everything parents wouldn't want to see there children doing, not in our modern day anyway. For example: underage drinking, Trespassing and hanging around with strangers.

11. Do your reactions towards the boys change at different points in the film? Which moments in particular:
a) encourage you to sympathise with the boys;

I think there are several times throughout the film where you can sympathise with the boys. Near the beginning of the film when Tomo gets beaten up, and his only possessions get stolen. You immediately feel sorry for Tomo, even though he looks like a bit of an mischievous character himself. Certain clips of Marek allow you to sympathise with him, usually because he is lonely, or his father is in some state. A time when you can sympathise with both characters at the sam time is when Maria leaves without warning, leaving Tomo and Marek feeling heart broken, and distraught. During this time, we feel for the boys neglection, although they have been neglected in so ma y ways before.

b) make you unsympathetic towards them?

In my opinion there isn't a time in the film where we feel unsympathetic towards them. There quite vulnerable, and in need of symapthy throughout the film. This is why the film works so well, cos there both trying to find there way. And they may be happy in parts, but this doesn't mean that we feel unsympathetic towards them.

The Definition of a Thriller!

What Is A Thriller?

Thrillers quite often crossover with other genres, meaning that the main concept of film may be a thriller, but quite often there is an aspect of Action or Adventure too. You also get thrillers that are more psychological, or thrillers more based on the gory side of things and thrillers based on crime. They all have different ways of affecting there audience. There are many different types of thrillers, the above were just a selected few.

To get more to the point, the aim of a thriller is to keep there audience on edge, with large suspense and sensational action. They often include characteristics such as, plot twists, and red herrings. Thrillers usually contain a lot of action, to give there audience that sudden adrenaline rush and sensation. Thrillers often have a psychological aspect, forcing the audience to think about the film, and look further into it. This is why Thrillers often have back stories and little details that can sometimes be un-noticeable.

Thrillers often contain a hero, who has to overcome some heroic task, often seen impossible (as a story line).

Final Cut Express

The first lesson i had on Final cut express, wasn't the most optimistic, nor encouraging lesson i have ever experienced. Although it gave me a fair insight into using the software, i feel i did not learn that much. Despite this, i am thankful to the teacher for helping us.

The second lesson, out of the three i used Final cut, was a highly successful lesson! I found large relations to Adobe Premier, which i had previously used in B-Tec Media. I thought that Final cut was actually a lot smoother, and better organised than premier.

Although some parts of using Final cut was tricky, we aren't alone in the world! The internet is a great tool when it comes to using such software, and when we came to problems we weren't sure about, the restore button was always there to help (although this was only used once).

Problems that occurred for us were:

1. Losing our tool bar - solved by looking through relevant information in the top toolbar, an easy problem to solve.

2. Our timeline window disappearing - solved by opening and closing program.

3. Figuring out how to edit the sound e.g. fade outs, turning down for other sound parts. - solved by Mrs Pursers excellent Knowledge!

And that was all of our problems! Only minor as you can see :)

Overall, i found Final cut an excellent piece of software, and i look forward to using it in the future.

My Absence

Hello again!

Unfortunately due to the un-expected death of my Granddad, i have not been able to blog for a while. It seems i am quite behind on not just Media and my blogging skills, but all of my subjects.

Im doing my best to catch up, so if you would all like to bear with me, i hope to catch up soon.

Thanks :)

My first blog!

Hello!

My name is Sophie Campbell and i am an As level media student at Reepham College.

I shall be blogging regularly particularly in relation to my media work.

I shall blog again soon aha!

Thanks :)