What do you feel you have learnt in the progression from the preliminary task to full product?
Since the preliminary task, I have learnt how to make sure that my footage can be to the best of its ability. This meant that I had to be sure that the lighting was accurate and that all of shots are correct. Despite this the shots in this scene, was very shaky and blurry due to the fact that I had never used a camera like this before, and getting used to the shots was very difficult.
This had helped me to analyse what I needed to do to improve my final thriller opening, I had to make sure that the lighting which I was using was sufficient and made the scenes clear enough for the audience to see. As well as having a clear narrative so the audience can get a story-line as well as being able to entertain them. The shots which we planned to use for the final opening have to be clean and crisp , so they area focused and that it is clear what is going to happen in the thriller opening. As well as using a variety of shots to make it seen interesting.
This is our one minute re-shoot of a thriller opening which is based on the thriller Se7en. We had chosen to do this thriller opening because it related to our initial idea pf an thriller opening , before changing it to a spy thriller. It was a very complicated process due to trying to replicate the scene, by trying to find the same ticking instrument, however we had decided to use a clock and add a ticking effect over to try to imitate it. This was a success because the ticking was in time with the motion of the clock. We had used many basic camera angles such as close up's on the ticking clock, the shifting of the book and also his face expression. We then had mid-shots of the the character falling asleep and the ticking of the clock. While creating our 1 minute thriller opening, I learned that we had to create a scene which was representative of what we wanted our thriller opening to be, it also helped me to get better at camera angles and what shots I wanted to use. This had helped to make our thriller as it allowed me to see the difference, between having a good focus and shaky focus as well as editing techniques which are vital. It also allowed me to see what atmosphere our thriller opening needed, which would mean not giving away too much of the story-line.
Taking a look back at our thriller opening , we realised that we had to make a variety of improvements , until it was considered as a final piece. While looking at our rough cut , I will be analysing it in terms of editing, camera angles and sound.
First of all, for our camera angles we had made sure that we had used a wide range of camera angles. We began the shot with a wide shot which then carries us into an over the shoulder shot. This effects the audience as it makes the park look isolated and the man very mysterious so they do not know what is going to happen. We then use a close up of the man who is being held captive, showing the emotion and fear that the hostage has. The use of an over the shoulder shot and a high angle captures the anxiety and fear of the hostage, it also shows the immediate threat that the protagonist has with the bat. The high angle also shows the nature of the shot and the power that is over him. It also shows the protagonist bringing themselves down to their level, and say "time's ticking" . This demonstrates the power that the protagonist has over the hostage and also that the protagonist is bringing herself down to his level.
In our rough cut, the lighting is very well lit so that each scene has the focus that it should have. Shooting most of the scenes outdoors show the natural daylighting , however it also makes the scene look sinister so is deceiving to the audience. Despite this the indoor shots , we used a spotlight to be shone on the hostage, this outlines him as important as a character as well as the information that he carries. The indoor scene also shows the location being more sinister and this casts shadows on the protagonist, so they seem more threatening.
Sound in this rough cut, although of average quality it is not essential finished. The diegetic sound within the rough cut, are the speaking which makes the atmosphere tense. We had decided to make the man in the suit to make an different language , is because it makes the man seem more mysterious and also makes the audience question what is going on in his mind and what is going to happen. The Non-diegetic sound in our thriller opening has an eerie backtrack which adds to the suspense and intensity of the situation, it also gives it an enigmatic theme in the opening.
In order to improve our rough cut, we have to transform it to our final product, we will do this by adding the changes from the evaluation . We will then add the changes by adding bars to the top and bottom of the opening, so it will appear more professional to the audience. Also using this technique makes it seem like it is a real film , as it appears in most of films and it also helps to cut out bits of the background visuals in our opening. The title of the film will be changed, as it looks unprofessional and has no relevant connection to the narrative of our thriller opening. The title will also be shortened as it goes on for a long period of time, as well as breaking up the pace of the opening. Shorter views will also allow us to have a long period of looking at the names on the majority of the opening. These changes will be beneficial to our thriller opening, as it allows us to create an opening which is professional and make sure that the audience is not confused about what is happening in our thriller opening.
We had come up with the idea for the title sequence by being inspired by spy thriller openings and numerous other ideas from thriller openings created by students. We had created the thriller opening by filming the characters and creating the scene and atmosphere of a abandoned warehouse. We then decided to film another character who had been talking to someone whilst walking around a park, this was done to show that there was an alternative motive which had some connection with the abandoned warehouse. We had filmed these in alternative locations as we had filmed the abandoned warehouse in a drama studio and the talking on the phone scene outside. This shows a contrast between the environments because as one is dark and sinister the other has natural light and portrays a false sense of happiness.
We did have to reshoot some scenes as some needed to be changed because it had poor lighting or the scenes looked too much like a school, or looked unrealistic.
We then decided to edit the thriller opening by adding all of the scenes together and making sure that they fit together. Also to make sure that it had made sense as a storyline. To make sure that nothing was wrong and to make sure that it was appealing to the target audience. We then editing by creating sound effects, as well as adding in effects of blood. We editing some of the scenes by slowing down the pace that the person was walking at, also by adding a hinge of a cream colour so that it made it seen atmospheric and gives the impression that it has some value of importance.
This was reviewed by a 17 year old Media Student who had said " The thriller opening had the quality of a potential film in the making and that it had made her feel like she was actually in the film, also the lighting and atmosphere it had created are sufficient as it shows the idea behind the storyline, also hints at a darker meaning within the story-line". The student also said , " The camera angles also show the difference between the main protagonist and the other characters as the over the shoulder shot shows the power of the main protagonist".
Despite this the student had also said, "The story-line is sort of predictable as although there is tension it still does not mean that you can not predict what is going to happen later on in the story-line, this I think limits your thriller opening but it still is gripping." The ending also ruins the title sequence as the logo and background do not match the genre of the thriller opening. This is because it is very simple and also the background to the logo being clouds , it also suggests a different message about the film.
While reviewing the feedback from the student we wanted to change somethings because of the story-line being predictable and creating atmosphere. We changed the story-line so it was less predictable, we did this by making sure that there was an atmosphere which everyone watching the film could relate to it. We also decided to add in close ups and mid-shot of the characters to show the power, the strength and each of them. This shows the audience that there is more to the story-line and that something mysterious is happening. We also changed the logo and background by changing the title Torment and making it mysterious by slowly introducing the logo onto a black background. It also shows the difference between between light and dark.
This is a survey which I had used to gain results:
This is our video diaries which is a behind the scenes of our thriller opening and how we had chosen the lighting and the camera angles which we thought would benefit out thriller opening.
These logo's are my idea of what production logo I think we should use to introduce the beginning of our thriller opening. The first idea is of a rabbit but very unique rabbit as it is very abstract so it is very hard to distinguish what it is , however it would be remembered by the audience for being unusual and unique so when you think of the production logo, you will automatically know what sort of films that our production creates. This logo would appear in front of a blue background and it would benefit us as blue is quite a calming colour as well as having the logo being very bright and bold allows it to stand out against the background so it draws the audience to the logo.
The other production logo is of a flower falling apart which would be very relaxing and calm and relates to all different types of audiences as it allows them to relate to the films that we are making. At least four petals would fall from the flower and float onto the water which would then eventually form the word of our title. This would impact the audience because it would be on a light blue background so would be tranquil and it would make the audience remember the production logo as something that would be beneficial to them and also a company that produces movie that are good to watch and would be able to go to, so they can adapt things into films/ TV series.
This is our second storyboard for our recreation from our first thriller, however this one is significantly better.This storyboard has been re-created due to the fact that the story line is clearer and has more detail on what we plan on happening. It also shows the shots and ideas of what we want the actors to do, so the audience has an idea as well as us. This was a rough idea which could have been altered and changed due to disliking the shot or lighting and also the acting.
In the film industry there is a variety of companies that compete against each. They each have different logo's which show the difference between the companies and when you see the logo , the audience automatically knows what to expect from the company. One of these production company is Warner Bros which is part of Time Warner which is a multi-conglomerates company.
This is a example of a title sequence produced my Warner Bros for Harry Potter. This title sequence starts off by zooming in onto the logo through the clouds and slowly reviling the production logs. It then parts so then we can see the logo clearly. They use the colour red to signify the danger that will possibly occur throughout the film, the logo then spins to while the animation is constantly moving forward to shows the main title of the film. Warner Bros are known for producing films such as Harry Potter, Batman, The Hobbit and many more. Most of these films that are created by Warner Bros are action, drama or cartoon films that are targeted at certain audiences to try and get their attention. Another production logo is Walt Disney Pictures.
They had designed this production logo by thinking of who they are at aiming at as an audience. This logo first appears by slowly drawing attention to the castle with the music that introduces the magic that is about to occur. The atmosphere of the logo is magical as the castle is surrounding by fireworks and by a sparkle that arcs over the whole scene. The logo is white and contrast to the dark blue background with a hint of red as it sparkles to create an entrance. The word moves in at the same time and appear when the sparkles form so they gradually get darker to stand out against the scene so that you remember the company. Walt Disney Pictures produce films that are mainly targeted at children as well as young teenagers as they know that they will enjoy these films as they are still at a age where everything is magical to them. An example of these movies are Pirates of the Caribbean,Lion King, Chicken Little and many more. Walt Disney is well known for their production of Disney Princesses and other cartoons that are targeted at children however do produce real life films of tales such as Cinderella and Maleficent to attract an older audience.
Another production logo is 20th Century Fox.
Although the logo does not move, it still captures the audiences attention as using spotlights to circle around the sign which displays it importance by standing out against the scene and being big. This imposes the idea that it is better than any other production logo and that it is a significant company to remember. The use of gold shows that it will always stand out against every other company and that it has been around for a significant amount of time so will be able to produce films that are worthwhile. 20th Century Fox is well known for producing films such as Avatar, Titanic, X-Men, Alvin and the Chipmunks and many more movies that are aimed at a range of different target audiences so that they get them to come and watch their films. They produce films that cover a range of genres as well such as, Romance, Comedy, Drama , Action , Thriller, Horror, Children and many more which makes them a diverse company.
It had taken a long process to create the music as we had to create the right piece so that it would fit our thriller opening.
This was our first attempt to create the music which had taken quite a while to create. However when reviewing the song we realized it had a Sci-Fi sound to it.This had limited the sound that we had created so we decided to change it. Despite this it did start off with a spy theme sound which created the right atmosphere for our thriller opening and allowed us match our footage. However it was very upbeat and this did not match the slow tempo of our thriller opening which also meant we had to change the speed and the sound of the song as well.
The instruments that we had used was: House Amp Plucks, Silver Synth Saw and Strum Patterns, which is indicated in this picture down below.
These instruments had created the sound that we wanted by making the music fast pace and attention seeking. However we wanted music that was more sinister and suited out opening.We then changed the theme of song and came up with an piece of music that had included: French Horns, String Ensemble and Orchestral Kit which allowed us to create a piece that had a classic sound however still produced the sinister effect that we wanted.
This images show the music in progress , I will upload 30 preview of how it sounds when it is completed. However we thought that it also needed a bass to add more of a dramatic effect to the piece as well as a sinister effect so that it draws the audience in.
In our thriller opening, the main protagonist was dressed in a normal suit along with the other actors as we wanted to portray an sense of importance from each of the characters. However the main protagonist stands out with the bright red tie which signifies the importance of the character.But despite this we decided to get rid of this because we thought that it was too bold and bright. so this could take the main focus off the protagonist as the audience would feel drawn to the tie instead of the main character.
In this scene, the main protagonist is seen wearing a school uniform which looks unprofessional as she does not really look like a spy that is professional. Compared to the secondary characters who wearing suits show the importance of them however they are not meant to stand out as much as the main character.
However we are going to re-create this shot and use a different uniform because this shows that this is more of a school uniform and it also causes people to see that it is not professional enough. However using this outfit shows the two different alter ego's that the main protagonist will have as they will be a normal person but also will be a undercover spy that defends the old from the bad.
Editing is very important in film making as it is where the footage actually becomes a film and this post will show you how we had done our editing to our thriller opening. For our editing we had used Final Cut Pro which had allowed us to do voice overs easily and also putting together shots of video that we have.
In this screenshot , you can see all of the clips that we had put together from our filming and used it to create on clip altogether. This screen shot below shows the editing that we used when trying to find a sound that suits our filming.
This screenshot shows the clips that that we had filmed and had put into final cut pro. The yellow outlines are showing the sections that have been picked to go in our opening as we thought that it would suit it. We choose these as we thought that these were the best ones to put into the opening.
This picture shows some of the sound effects that we had thought of using as we needed a sound that matched our spy thriller.
Here is the final cut of our editing and the desired effect that we wanted
To market our thriller we would multiple of different ways to increase our audience and make sure it is accessible to the public.
YouTube
We would use YouTube to promote and advertise our thriller as it is a online video streaming service that is popular and is used widely around the world. During this time a 30 second trailer of our thriller opening will be playing at the beginning of a film or music video that someone wants to watch. We have chosen as it will seen by our primary target audience. Despite the limitation of the 5 second "skip ad", the ad will be enough to make out target audience fell enticed to watch the film. This will be vital to gain viewers for our target audience and also other target audience.
Secondly we will also use billboard advertising as it allow our target audience to see that we are reaching out to them, by putting the posters where they can see them . It will also allow other people to see the poster as it will be advertised while people are on their daily journeys and will entice them to watch it. Using viral advertisement to promote our thriller opening means that we will gain an wider target audience, due to the fact that synergy will be present within our advertising. This because it be produced onto billboards as well as being sponsored by companies so that we gain more leverage.
TV advertisement
TV adverts might be an important factor in advertising out film as it is the most popular way of advertising in the UK. A one and a half minute trailer will preview on BBC and E4 channel , as it will allow other countries as well as the UK to see the trailer and be convinced to go and watch it in cinema or online.
This is our animatic which tells the narrative structure of our thriller opening, also how we wanted to create the scenes and what angles we were also going to use.
These designs were our original concept which we though would be a good idea.The first idea was a rabbit which is abstract however it never really portrayed the danger, and the professionalism that we wanted to the audience to see when the film opened. The next idea was a flower which had falling petals, this idea was similar to the idea of Disney. This is because we wanted to petals to fall onto water and then form the name of the production company, which is similar to Disney putting fireworks over a castle and then adding their company. However we then thought that this would not necessarily apply to the audience, as it would appear quite immature and also would not gain the attention that we would want for our company.
This is another idea of what logo we wanted to use as an opening, as well as having a variety of logo's helped us to explore what we wanted our design to be. Having different interpretations means that there is a better way to come up with a logo, as well as being able to create an mix up of our logo's.
These production logo's are a combination of our names and also an idea of including animals which means that we are promoting our company by relating to an image , which is memorable but also stands out at the same time.
We had chosen this logo as our final one because it is abstract but also it is very captivating to the audience, as it is from the second original idea. However it is more detailed due to the fact that the picture is more elaborate and it is also very simple, so it is not too over complicated for the audience to remember , also it will be very important during the industry.
In many thrillers the men are the protagonists which does not allow women to expand their acting careers as they will only be developed in a certain area. This limits their acting abilities so when they need to apply for other acting jobs they will not know how to portray that character. In our thriller opening, I play Joanna Reed who is the main protagonist and is in control of her own situation.
Salt is a spy thriller that came out in 2010, and stars Angelina Jolie who plays the main protagonist. She plays Evelyn Slat who is accused of being a Russian sleeper agent and goes on the run to try and clear her name. This role was originally intended to be a male protagonist staring Tom Cruise. Changing the protagonist role to female shows that they had considered the possibility of portraying a different side to the women by presenting them as independent and self-confident.
However in majority of thriller films and TV shows the main protagonist is usually a man, such as Shutter Island which is a psychological thriller that came out in 2010 and stars Leonardo DiCaprio. This is a film about a U.S. marshal called Edward Daniels who investigates a psychiatric facility on an desert island.This is common in many films and TV shows as they believe that many males are better to play the role of the protagonist as they can portray the darker side to them easily compared to women. However it is not necessarily true and Salt (2010) proves this as Angelina Jolie shows a darker side to her character and expresses emotions that not many actors can do.
This is the script we used for our thriller opening:
FADE IN:
INTERIOR WAREHOUSE - TIME UNKNOWN
An extreme close up of the chest of a
female(JOANNA REED) with a red tie, revealing the butt of a gun,is sitting at
the centre of a table facing the camera. The camera slowly zooms out until the
upper body and front of the table is visible, revealing she is taking part in a
card game. It zooms out further it reveal two men on either of her sides,
playing the game with her.
JOANNA REED
(with a smile, wryly)
Looks like this is the last draw/ I win!
The screen cuts to black but then she
shoots the two ‘bad guys’ either side of her.
The fonts which we are considering using have to be suitable to our thriller opening. This is because the titles to a thriller openings set the tone of the film. Although they may be simple within the shape, style, weight and size so you can tell a story or set the atmosphere without actually giving away to much of the story. It also helps the audience to distinguish the difference between the thriller and a horror. In this post I will be telling you about what fonts we are hoping to use for our thriller opening, and the subtexts as well.
CONSIDERED FONTS
This font is similar to Se7ens title font as it suggests an sinister story line, however this is not the font that we particular are interested in.This is because although it has a worn and urban style which could potentially suit our thriller opening, our thriller opening is more sophisticated so it would be in appropriate.
This font is closer to the style which we intended to use, however it does not necessarily match the theme of our thriller opening. The calligraphy does not necessarily signify the suspense what we audience to feel, it makes the film to fancy. Although it captures the sophistication of the main protagonist it does not necessarily symbolize her hardness and strong independence.
This font is most likely the style of font we'll use as it both encases Joanna Reed's professional, sophisticated nature, yet her decisiveness and precision. It is particularly similar to the '007' style of font, especially since the film genre and main character are so alike. This is the style which we are most likely to use, due to the fact that is shows the professional and sophisticated nature of the main character but also shows how dangerous and vindictive she is. It is similar to the James Bond font, and this relates to our thriller opening as they are quite similar within the main characters being so alike during the fact that they are both dangerous and sophisticated.
OUR FONT The font we had decided to use was the one that was similar to the James Bond font because it shows the main characters personality and also the idea that the film is also quite a destructive film.
