Re-shot evalution

We had decided to re-shot many of our scenes because of our location and overexposure to light which had limited our thriller opening. The lighting was also not what we had wished for and the scene to be recreated because of the room that we had filmed in which was visible as an school environment. We then decided to use the drama rooms which gave the impact that we wanted and also the spotlight gave a sincere look.

In this scene we had created an sinister look by only seeing the two other character being shot and the main character being half in the light and half in the shadows. This insinuates that the main character is someone who is not to be messed with and that they should be feared by the other characters as she has dominance of them .

In this scene we focused on showing the card dealing and the watch which signifies the time passing by and waiting for the time to come when the action will happen. This shows the audience the importance of the protagonist and how the other characters will be impacted by the main characters action.

This is a filler shot that we had decided to use which shows the main protagonist being the most important and also showing the other characters, who is boss. There is a such difference between this and the other scenes from the other shortage we had originally filmed as this scene created the desire effect that we wanted. 

Thriller opening analysis

This is our final decision of how to represent the thriller opening that we wanted as we had the correct  amount of lighting which shows the main character and the actions that they are doing. We also decided on the the focusing in and out which gives the effect of someone just waking up to seeing someone but for us it helps because it makes the main character seem distorted. 

At first we had thought that this would be the perfect lighting  for the scene however it was too bright and had not created the effect that we had wanted to aim for. 

We also had thought that this would be a good place to film our scene however there was minimal light so it was hard to film and although we had found out that shining a touch on the lights created a twinkling effect which would be great for our thriller opening it was still hard to film. We also thought that it would suit a horror opening more than a thriller opening. 

Storyboard

Thriller opening mood board

The reason I have chosen these words and images is because it shows the power that the protagonist has and how it is going to be portrayed in our thriller opening. The word 'power' shows the difference between the two main characters as they each have different types of power that dominate other people but when they are together they conflict. My mood board shows the drive and passion the characters have and how they compete to be the best by killing, gambling and trying to win an empire. 

Costume and shot list

Costume and shot list from doloko7

This is my groups costume and prop list as well as our shot list and what we anticipate to do 

Target Audience Profile

Target audience profile from doloko7

This is my groups target audience profile where we aim to make our thriller opening for everyone to watch 

Meeting minutes

Meeting Minutes: 21st November 
ACTIONS TO BE AGREED ON

• More filming should be done to lengthen opening.
• More narrative should be added to make understanding the opening more.
• Abstract imagery should be added to the opening to make it slightly longer.
• Voice overs should be done if audio isn't of good enough quality 

MOTIONS TAKEN OR REJECTED

• We decided more filming needed to be done if we were to reach the required opening length.
• We also agreed that the narrative from the footage so far once edited down felt very rushed and may need more imagery, or dialogue.

NEXT STEP PLANNED

• Filming in Harris Bromley and on Beckenham High Street will be planned with the shoot schedule.
• The script will be amended and added to lengthen opening and add narrative.

ITEMS TO BE HELD OVER

• Abstract imagery should be added to the opening to make it slightly longer.
• Voice overs should be done if audio isn't of good enough quality.

NEW BUSINESS 

• No new business to report.

Next meeting date and plan: 26/01/16

Target Audience Interviews

To gain more information on out target audience we decided to have a couple of interviews with students about what they think makes a good thriller. We targeted our audience at young teenagers to mid adults who enjoy different genres of films. We had asked 16 year old student Lorraine who had stated the reason why she liked to watch thriller films.

We also asked another student called Samuel who is a 17 year old media student that enjoys watching films that have good story line and grab his attention from the very beginning.



While reviewing the target audience interviews, we looked at the what our thriller needed and how it important it was that we had these in our thriller opening. We had to make sure that our thriller opening did not give away too much of the story-line as well as making sure that it was making sure that it captivating our audience. This meant that we had to change our original idea for our thriller opening as it gave away too much of the story-line and what was going to happen, so by changing the story-line and making it captivating to the target audience then we would be meeting their needs.

Production log

Here is our production log of what we planned to do for our thriller opening.

22/11/15 - Idea and concept were brainstormed and  the script writing began.

29/11/15 - Final script was completed and filming was to begin the next day.

30/11/15 - The 3 possible filming locations for the first scene were assessed. For the first location it was decided that the lack of equipment made it difficult to use. The second location (small gym) was currently being occupied and so we resorted to the third location (drama studio). We managed to film in the third location (sixth form study room) but the lighting was poor and filming was postponed until the other locations were assessed and approved for filming.

09/12/15 - The third location, once again was being occupied and filming was postponed until the next day which was when it would be available.

10/12/15 - Location test in the drama studio was done to see if the lighting and sound were suitable. The results came out favorable and so the actual filming would be done on 14/12/15.

14/12/15 - All filming was done in the drama studio. The resulting footage came out well but more filming was to be done if the full opening was to be finished and editing would begin.

05/01/16 - Editing in the media suite began and the opening began to come out as we would have liked. 

06/01/16 - Editing continued but footage fell short of expectations and more filming in multiple other locations was scheduled for the next two weeks.

11/01/16 - The title music was created for the opening ahead of the extra filming. 

Why Fast and Furious inspires me?

Fast and Furious inspires me because of the action packed drama that they include in the film. From the beginning Fast and Furious has been an international worldwide smash hit that many people related to, as they saw the life of a young man who worked with the police to uncover an racing gang but yet later on in the instalments becomes one of them. The storyline is an basic action storyline with fast cars however also shows the ups and down of their daily lives and the trouble that their occupation gets them into. Each of the actors that portray the characters in different ways that show their personalities and have it affects the audience sees and views them as well as the characters with in the film.

 

In this clip of the plane drop from Fast and Furious 7 they use interesting camera angles as they use many close up to show the characters expressions before they jump and how they feel about the jump as well as the use of low key lighting to signify the enclosed space they are in. The use of the luminous red lights shows that they are somewhere military based and that foreshadows what is going to happen later on in the film. They also use an long shot to establish the scene when multiple of them are jumping out of the plane and it also shows the surrounding that they are swallowed by and shows the beauty of the earth from above.

They also use long shots and panorama to show the locations that they are shooting in and the cinematic effect it has on the audience as it makes you wish that you are there. The last scene before the end titles is from an low shot which shows the blowing up of an building and the jumping of the car from the building. This impacts us as the audience as it shows the importance the car and the blowing up of the building and makes us fear that something bad is going to happen.

 

 

Media Proposal

 
This is our media proposal for our thriller opening and what inspired us to come up with the ideas within the proposal as well

location analysis

We add thought of multiple places to film our thriller opening and had found that many places that we had desired to film in had lacked the necessities that we needed. We then decided to use the drama rooms and Kelsey Park as we thought that it would be atmospheric.

The first location that we had used was the drama rooms as it was a very dark room which allows us to have good lighting and also allows us to create the effect that we desire. The drama room had black curtains which we had drawn to create the dark background and then we used the stage lights which we could control to create the right atmosphere that we wanted. 

 This was a scene that we had wanted to use, as it was dark and had perfect lighting so allowed us to create an atmosphere that would impact the audience. As the lighting is on the centre of the table and highlights the main character but still casts light on the secondary characters , but they still have shadows on them which hides them. 

The second location that we had planned on using is Kelsey Park as it is very atmospheric and it creates an natural atmosphere for our thriller opening. It also is very open and is not an over populated park so it allows us to film our opening without any interruptions. It is very easy to get access to and is very quiet as well with good lighting. 

This was our ideal location to film the scene with the thriller opening because it has shade but it also lets light in so that it illuminates the scene and it is also looks like a place where spies would meet. 

Analysis of From Darkness

From Darkness is a TV show on BBC. The title sequence uses fade to emphasize the importance of darkness and that it can never really be trusted. The scene then opens onto a woman running where they use a close up of her face to show her facial expression and the fear she feels. They then enhance her breathing to signify the importance of the panic she feels and an extreme close up her reaction, they also use low key lighting to show the intensity of the main characters situation and it also represents the sadness or the guilt that she feels.
There is juxtaposition of darkness and light within the TV series as it shows the darkness within the main character and how they have an impact on the other characters in the film. Whereas the light shows the passion that the main character probably has however is never fully expressed but it also shows the innocence of the other characters and the main one as well as how they are viewed by other people.
The use of high key lighting is relevant as it shows the natural imagery within the scene as the contrast with the waves and the brightness of the sky , this contrasts with the main character who is running along the shore line. The main character has low key lighting and the use of high key lighting for the environment shows the importance of the character and how their actions affect others.

The difference between Horror and Thriller films

Horror films and thriller films both are similar in certain ways however have many different qualities. Horror films are used to make people scared and fill fear, also to make the audience think that there is no hope for the character as you feel emotionally and physically connected. Many horror films also focus on the people who have currently died and the killer that did it, or supernatural causes. The use of blood and hidden frames gives the audience an sense of hopelessness and that there is no escape from the reality of what is about to happen. Isolated settings are used to intensify the emptiness that character feels and how trapped they are within the film. Many horror films have "Don't do it" moments which the audience predicts coming as they are screaming at the screen . 

However thriller films have mystery and suspense which causes the audience to think of what will happen and how it will affect the characters within the film. Dark settings and low key lighting is used to create an sense of fear for the audience however not actually making them scared or feel like that there is no hope for the characters. Enigma is used for the audience to want answers to the questions that they are thinking even though they will not be exposed until the end of the film. 

Planning Sheet

This was our original idea of what our thriller opening would have been liked, we then changed it to the story-line that we have now.

Initial Planning from doloko7

Typography analysis

Typography is the art and the technique to make language visible such a font that has the size, display and the design changed. It also involves using a selection of typefaces. Typography is effective as it makes the text appealing to the audience and adds emphasis on the atmosphere in the film/TV, colour is also used for an emotional effects as it conveys the tone and the nature of the project.

Sons of Anarchy

The typography in "Sons of Anarchy"  moves in time with the tempo of the music and also the tattoos turn into the font which escapes from their skin. This suggests that the characters are changing. The western genre shows that in the show there is going to be some sort of violence as well as being set in a remote location. The typography has a kinetic movement which is synchronised with the movement of the body and at the end the font all comes together at the vent which shows that there is a significant danger or threat. The typography of "Sons of Anarchy" is effective as the audience is captivated by the blending in all of the words and tattoos as it makes you wonder why are the tattoos related to violence, what happens within the TV show and who is of more importance. Sons of Anarchy being set in the west of American gives the audience a sense of the western side and makes them interested in the violence that you expect to see along with the drama.


Fringe   

The typography in " Fringe" is in capitals and this shows us the importance of the word. It has kinetic typography as it is moving backwards into scientific words which show that it is fading to show us a bigger picture. The handprint suggests that there is a crime scene or reconstruction of something so we know it has something to do with crime. The fragmented title relates to the title Fringe being 3D as it pieces all of the fonts together to make Fringe 3D  and allow us to see the importance of the title. The typography in Fringe is effective as you see the scientific words along with the handprint makes the audience think about the situation that will occur and the problems that they will face. It allows the audience to think of what situation the characters will get into and how they will solve these problems as well as leaving them in suspense.

Analysis of lighting stills

The use of high key lighting signifies the importance of the main character and his facial expression. It allows you to have an insight of what the character is like and how he is portrayed in the film also allows you to see that it is a very dramatic scene.

The use of low key lighting shows the sinister side to this character and also shows different aspects towards the scene and the character.

Three-point lighting is used to highlight the main characters and also put shade on other objects or other characters and tells you that they are the main focus of the film or TV show. The key light highlights the characters , the fill light gets rid of the shadows and the back-light separates the character from the background.

Analysis of music in thriller films

James Bond

The music used in James Bond is very unique as it has very high pitched sounds which notify you that you are listening to that soundtrack. The theme is very dynamic as the music is piano ( quiet) at the beginning but begins to crescendo and forte ( loud) so when you get to the end of the theme song it is loud and recognizable for you to notice.


The Hunger Games

The music used in The Hunger Games is very high pitched as it resembles as whistle and at the beginning of the soundtrack it is very quiet as it is recreating an effect before it crescendo's and gets louder to create an impact for the rest of the film. The whistle is significant because when it comes on you instantly know that you are watching The Hunger Games or are listening to The Hunger Games soundtrack.

Barthes Codes

Bathes Codes are using movies to create effect. There are many different codes as the Hermeneutic code which is when the story avoids telling the truth or revealing the facts so that it can drop clues throughout the film to cause mystery. Another code is the Proairetic Code which is when tension is built up and the audience is left wondering what is going to happen next. 

Proairetic code is used in Minority Report when the main character has had an eye transplant and the spiders go to check if he is the thief, we start to wonder whether the eye transplant has worked so they will recognize him or they won't. The Hermeneutic code is used in Minority Report by throughout the opening sequence you don't really have an understanding of what is really happening throughout the film so you are intrigued to watch more as there is a sense of mystery. 

The Proairetic code is used in Inglorious Basterds when you see the black motorbikes driving up the road to the house and you wonder what they are coming towards the house for, you also see the Proairetic code when the Jewish girl runs away form the Nazi's and you wonder what is going to happen to the girl. The Hermeneutic code is used when you see what is going to happen throughout the film as they create mystery by speaking about the Jews and what they expect to happen.     

In our thriller opening  we will be using Hermeneutic code and the Proairetic code to convey a sense of mystery. This means that our thriller opening will not give away too much of the story-line, also having scenes which include dark lighting and clues shows the audience that something important is going to happen, without giving too much of the story-line away. We also use the Proairetic code to build tension up and create an atmosphere which is substantial to our thriller opening, so the audience is constantly left guessing what is going to happen.

Connotations of Dexter

Dexter is a TV show that is based on the life of a killer. These nine still images show his daily routine and how it relates to what he does in his everyday life. The sharpness of these images stand out to you as an viewer as they are so visually aided that you are captivated to carry on watching. The use red is used to show the violence and the passion that main character carries as it shows that you can never really underestimate people. 

The string is significant as it shows that he is very precise in daily routine for the morning and also relates to the way that he could possible kill his victims, that nothing goes wrong and that everything is in order. 

His face is very well structured which shows that he has no remorse for what he does and believes that it is acceptable as he does it as a hobby. The serious looks in his eyes make you distrust him and feel unsafe however the other image contradicts this as he smiles a cheeky grin that makes you rethink his personality and how he is. You believe that you can trust him but yet you do not really know the real him. 

The title frame with the name of the show Dexter shows you that the show is very violent orientated as the red signifies the nature of the show and the violence that will occur. However it can also show the passion of something as well so it is very well appreciated and important. 

Analysis of the Blue Valentine Title Sequence

Blue Valentine is portrayed through these nine still frames of this title sequence as a love that was so strong that nothing could destroy it. Fireworks are exploding over the pictures which show the celebration of their love and how strong it is. How there is also conflict as we have an image of a  hooded person who we would suspect is a threat to their love or complicates their story. However this image is contradicted by the image of a little girl which could relate to the future where they have a child or to her youth that shows that her innocence is lost but is still valued by her love.    

The bright illusion of an firework along with the image of the people kissing shows that their love is passionate and valued as they are a force that is unstoppable with no limitations in their way.

This images contrasts as it is a picture of her at an happy period in her life and is overlapped with fireworks which suggest that she is in a happy period of her life  as she is shown dancing with her boyfriend or husband but it is such an captivating image that it shows an softer side to film.

The use of the word Blue Valentine which is a pale blue and blends into the fireworks so that although it is made to stand out, it always allows the two people underneath to stand out as they are the main characters and are shown in such an affectionate way that you are captivated to know what is happening.



Analysis of Se7en

In Se7en , the title sequence contains several features which are in the form of lighting, editing, camera angles and sound which make this such a amazing thriller opening. The lighting which is used within the opening is very low key, as it creates an mysterious atmosphere to the gain the audiences interest and also to wonder what the character is doing. Majority of the shots are in black and white this suggests that what the main protagonist is doing is unethical or is going against society norms, therefore portraying him as abnormal.The cards that also appear are white and are on a large blackboard, showing that there is a lot of dark scenes that show a certain side to the character and what we appear to know about him. The title cards are also blurry and glitch a lot which shows that maybe this person is not mentally well, as there is also shots of scattered writing.
 


The camera angles that are being used within the title sequence are close ups and extreme close ups which show the character he is, and also expressing what character he might be. The constant use of close ups show what mind frame that the main protagonist is in and also the idea that something is being avoided , which also suggests an alternative motive. This might be because the director might not want us know what is happening in his mind, as well as making it more mysterious and adding more suspense, so we are curious to know more. The camera angles are there to hide the character and allow the audience to feel intrigued and fascinated by this character that they can not see, therefore making him seem as through he might be guilty for something. This intensifies the mysterious nature of the film due to the fact that the character is also developing photos and using x-rays which implies that he is searching or hiding something.This correlates to the idea
of the character removing his fingerprints from the evidence which also leads to the idea that he is hiding something.


The music that is used throughout the Se7en title sequence is very important for them. This is because it is a very high pitched sound which consists throughout most of the sequence as it makes the audience panic and fear for what is going to happen in the  film. The diegetic sound which can also be heard is the screaming which makes the audience feel uncomfortable and also suggests the idea that there is something sinister going on.The music is very distinctive from the beginning as crescendos so that it creates suspense for the audience.

Conventions of a Thriller

Low Key Lighting

Low key lighting is essential in a thriller as it creates suspense and makes the audience wait in anticipation. 

Another factor is:

Shadows

Shadows are used to create an eerie effect that there is someone there when in actually fact there could not be but it makes the audience anxious to know what it is. 

Suspense 

Suspense is used in thrillers to make the audience unsure of what is going to happen during the movie or a certain point in the movie whether it is the beginning, middle or end. 

Enigma

Enigma is used in thriller films to let the audience think of questions that need to be answered within the film.