IPHONE 5!

So I treated my self a little while ago to a early Christmas present, thats right the iPhone 5. As you may be able to tell I am a little bit excited about it, one thing in particular that I'm excited about is the Blogger app which I have just installed meaning I can blog on the go. LIKE RIGHT NOW!

Second Draft

Here is the second draft of the music video, however the quality of the video is rather poor this is because of the way it was uploaded, so the final piece will be of better quality. 

Further work to the video includes; 

• Recording non-diegetic sound and recording the dialogue 
• Addition of sound-scape and possible theme music at the start and end of video
• A title sequence 
• Any editing of effects on the video, though this will be kept minimal - not necessarily meaning simple though. 

Filming 4

Looking at the footage in order on final cut we were able to figure out what sections of filming were needed more clearly. Our final pieces of footage were based around the Witness and how he came to actually witness to mob.

All of these shots will have me as the witness narrating over them, though will be cut to shots in the cafe to show the responses of the killer to what I'm saying. 

First Draft

Update On Filming and Editing

Video blog on the last bit of filming, the reason my eyes may look funny is because I'm reading off my screen. Enjoy.

Filming 3

After reviewing the footage that we had already as a group we made a plan of what shot we have left to film to tie the scenes together. Overall the Cafe scene is pretty much there, our main focus was on the Estate scenes, having establishing shots of and setting and of all the characters (witness, victim and mob).

The main scene we wanted to get were broken down into; Opening of witness running away, Witness watching the gang, mob leader by the car  and several establishing shots, including one from the victims point of view from with in the car as you drives up. This is one of my personal favourite shots as it not only sets the scene showing the mob on the estate to the audience, but it is a great shot for building tension as the audience will sense there is a connection between the driver and the mob.

After the days filming the only shots left to get now are the establishing shots of the witness (Me) at a store the entering the estate. These shots should take to long at all to get and will finish the filming stage of the project. So far though I am extremely happy with how filming has gone, sure we had a bit of troubled finding a suitable time of day, but the shots we have now are of a good standard.

Planning Filming part III

Editing 2

We have started to change the order of the shots and think about what flows well, adding footage from the cafe scene. I am liking the way the ending is coming a long, matching the action of the door in two shots. Here are a few still shots and few seconds of footage.

Editing 1

Today we put all the footage we have so far together on the Mac. We have decided to use on Mac and edit from there. Declan's Mac has been chosen and as long as we all remember his login in details we will all be able to login in a edit, this means we can share the editing between us.

Here is the basic placing of our shots, we have left spaces where footage is still needed to be added in. The shots have started to be edited with the estate shots being slowed down to emphasis the establishing shot and making it more enigmatic.

Filming 2

We went out and filmed the cafe section of our thriller opening. For this section of filming I was acting as the witness along side Tommy (the killer), Lewis was filming and Declan was organising which shots we had to film.
The filming went really well and we got plenty of shots from a variety of angles shown below.

Filming Postponed

We were hoping to film the shots from the estate setting which we did not get the first time, however we have had to postpone this filming due to one of our actors being ill. We will be in touch with everyone involved through the Facebook page to rearrange when we can film. We also hope to get the cafe scene filmed Friday, this day was easy to organise as it was just the three of us and Tommy (the killer) who are needed.

The Café Scene Production Schedules

For the second part of our filming, which we plan to do tomorrow, I have created a production schedule which is more detailed then the initial shot list so we get a number of different shots which can be sorted through after filming. As the scene will be broken up with scenes from the flash back I am not sure whether it would work best to film the whole conversation then split it up in the editing section afterwards or to film the scene in the individual sections. Because of this we will film the scene both ways and then pick which works best later. However, making a production schedule table with that many scenes from each angle would be overly repetitive so the table includes all the shots we want with the scenes that we will shoot in a number of angles coloured in red.

Production Schedule – Café Scene
Shot Number	Shot Type	Description	Equipment	Props/ Costume
1	Mid/Close up over-the-shoulder shot	Over-the-shoulder shot, looking over the Killers shoulder	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
2	Mid/Close up over-the-shoulder shot	Over the shoulder shot, looking over the witnesses shoulder	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
3	Mid shot, eye-line angle	POV shot looking straight onto the witness	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
4	Mid shot, eye-line angle	POV shot looking straight into the Killer	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
5	Mid shot, low angle	Looking up to the killer, making him look intimidating.	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
6	Mid shot, high angle	Looking down onto the witness, taking his power	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
7	Mid shot, eye-line angle	Looking onto the pair at the table	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
8	Close up – extreme close up shot	Hand around a mug	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
9	Close up – extreme close up shot	Killers face twitches (signs of nerves)	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
10	Close up shot	Shoes under the table. (Linking with the shoes in the flash back).	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
11	Close up shot	Pan from Killer to the over-head lighting	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
12	Close up shot	Pan from over-head lighting to killer	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
13	Close up shot	Revealing the killers face.	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.
14	Mid over-the-shoulder shot.	Looking over the killers shoulder onto the witness as the mob enters the café.	Camera (canon), tripod	Café setting (tables, chairs, ect.), Coffee mug.

Overall Production plan

Here is a generalised production plan for the thriller opening, it is a little rough but does state the main points; shot type, shot description, duration, location and our back up plan.

Filming

Filming has initially been split into to two parts, the estate scene and the cafe scene. Though we will probably have to film extra shots, or re films shots which we have taken into account when planning. Our first filming sesh took part the other day and we decided to get the estate shot out of the way first as this was the most challenging due to the amount of people we have to organise and getting the light of the location right, as soon the evenings will get to dark.

During the scene myself and Lewis were filming, and Declan was acting as one of the mob members. We managed to get most of the footage, though will need to go back and film one or two other shots. Below are some stills from the day.

Survey Results (Tables)

He are the results from my survey on audience response and expectations to thrillers.

Audience survey results from panayimedia

Survey Results So Far

So far from my survey I have found that although the amount of people who watch thrillers between men and  women is actually fairly equal, there are more men who watch thriller. The audience age if roughly between 18 and 40, though my main target audience will be in the lower years, 18 to 25 years old. My results also show that the most preferred thriller is a psychological thriller, suggesting that the audience like to think about what is happening. The audience also expect to see some violence, however the preferred weapon would be either a knife or a Crowbar/Metal pole. These weapons flash or almost sophisticated as a gun, they are much more brutal if used to attack someone and can have connotations to thug culture.

I will continue to collect data, but also compare the data I have got so far with the other members in the group to see if there are any patterns with my data or even any adjustments I need to make to my survey to collect better data.

Division of Labour

With in the group we are all taking an equal interest and action into; Planning, Research, Filming and eventually Editing and Evaluating. This means the concepts, costume, storyline and shots have all been discussed and decided as a group. As well as the location for the cafe scene, in which we scouted as a group. 

At the moment here is a summary of what we've contributed during filming; 

Me; I will be involved in filming the scene using my own camera, this give a better quality then the schools. During filming a have been still shooting, getting a range of wide and mid shot of the action. I will also be acting in the film as the 'Witness'. 

Declan; Involved in planning the setting for the estate scene, also using his Drama A-level experience in planning out the actions of actors in certain scenes this is helpful as Declan will be acting so will be able to direct others easily. 

Lewis; Will also be filming as he also has a high quality camera, we want to get a lot of shots from different angels, especially with the estate scene. Lew will be more of a glidecam camera, moving into the scenes getting close up shots. Lew will also be showing Declan and I how to edit on Final Cut as he has had previous experience. 

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Title Sequence

Titles and title cards can be distinguished as follows:

• A single title card contains one name credit. Typically used in opening titles to display the name of the lead actors and the creative people involved in the movie. Generally referred to as the above-the-line credits.
• A double title card contains two name credits. Typically is used to display the names of supporting actors and additional creative people involved in the movie.
• A triple title card contains three name credits. Typically used to display the names of additional supporting actors.
• A multiple title card contains more than three name credits. Typically used to name additional supporting actors or extras.
• A main title card displays the main title of the movie.
• Scrolling titles are titles that move sequentially in and out of frame, generally used as end titles.
• A lower third is a title placed on the lower-third of the screen (although there might be other screen placements you could consider), generally used to display the information—name and title—of a person being interviewed or a location.
• Subtitles are titles placed on the lower-third part of the screen (or sometimes on the top of the screen to avoid covering relevant information on-screen or previously existing lower thirds). These are generally used to translate dialogue in another language.
• Intertitles are title cards that display the time, place, prologue, or quotes. In silent films, an intertitle is often used to convey minimal dialogue or information that can’t be deduced from the talent’s body language or the scene’s settings.

- http://masteringfilm.com/giving-titles-to-the-types-of-titles/

The title sequence for 'Se7en' clearly inform the audience about the genre of the film. It uses cinematic features to subtly inform the audience about the serial killer even though he's not introduced until later on in the film. Features such as; quick editing, flashes of colour, the uncomfortable background noise, the scratched/flickering effect on the film and titles.

The title sequence for 'The Number 23' build tension with the use of music and the use of the number 23. It is clear that the number 23 has major importance  in the film and the director is making that obvious in the titles, as he links it to various historical events. Also the use of blood slowly covering the screen and an enigmatic element to the sequence.

The titles sequence for 'The Man With the Golden Arm' is one of the first films to be recognised for it's use of titles working with the actual film. The titles have lines jabbing into the screen at awkward angels, representing the needles that the addicted drug use punctures himself with. The lines also split the screen up to show how the man is stuck or trapped, we later learn the reasons for this in the film. However the titles sequence has real relevance to the film. 

Previous Student Work

Looking at previous student work is helpful to build  ideas and concepts that are actually possible to d, rather than looking at hollywood films which not only have a huge budget but the technology to do more. 

One New Message

In this film lighting is fairly consistent throughout and shots are normally well light. Lighting is used to direct the audience attention really well, in particular when the woman walks past the window. Here the light is limited and we focus outside as that is where the light is. 

  The only setting where lighting is limited is the bedroom, this may be because this is the room where he dies so the fact the only light comes from the computer screen making the room darker and an enigmatic feel. 

A range of shots and angles are used in the film, the start has wide angle shots lasting for some time, this creates tension. Then close up shots are used, mainly of the actors hand. 

Music is used really well in this piece, it adds to the video.

Overall the storyline is simple to follow which helps keep and build tension. The only issue I have with the video was that with the noise that comes in with the title it's unclear what actually kills the guy. However this may be deliberate to and confusion and mystery.

Cairo

Here lighting is limited because of the location and time they have chosen to film. This low lighting creates shadowing and a dark mysterious setting. Representative of the dark event that unfolds of murder and betrayal. 

Section with usees tint or other effect work really well in showing it's a flash back or POV shot. Also the effect of the gun flash is realistic. 

Shots are mostly wide, though they do include mid shots. More mid and close up shots could have been used in this film, in particular in the combat scene. This would have made this section look more realistic as with the zoomed out shot the audience is able to see that the punches aren't actually touching. This effects the believability and tension of the film.

The storyline for the video is very original and clear to follow. though the video has a longer run time then we are allowed. Also the video includes swearing, something we are not allowed in are thriller opening. 

The Withheld

This thriller opening had a really strong with a great title sequence using urban noises to set the scene, and the scratched effect to possibly highlight the vandalism. The storyline was good with great believability of the victim actor. The itself didn't appear to have much if any editing to the actual colour. However the pace and cutting was done to a good standard. The use of the phone calling as non-digetetic sound was effective as the continues ring would be uncomfortable for the audience, also the music was subtle but help build suspense. The fault with this thriller opening was when the scene cut to the other two character the lighting and mise en scene in that scene was totally out of sync with the rest of the video which meant it didn't flow. The acting skills of these two characters is also lacking, in comparison with the other 'victim' actor. 

Shot list

Here is our shot list, we hope to use a range of shots showing our skills and more advance concepts.

Storyboard

Here is the basic outline and storyboard of our thriller opening. 

Survey

In the group we decided to make individual surveys to give us a wider response from the audience survey. From the survey I will be getting primary research and direct information from a potential audience about the likes and dislikes with thriller films. This information will be used when creating the  opening scene to our own thriller film, as by using the suggestions and applying them to the knowledge of thriller conventions, learnt in class, it will make our thriller fit the genre better.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Group Organisation

We decided to create a Facebook event page so we could keep in contact with all our actors involved in the thriller opening, this was very useful not only to be able to tell everyone in one place about location and costuming, but people were able to tell us when they were free so we could see what dates were good for filming in one place. This made deciding dates for filming were arranged easily.

Costume

For the present day scenes in the cafe the witness and killer will be dressed in ordinary clothes; jeans, top and jacket. The witness will be wearing the same coat as he was wearing during the estate scene, as will the killer be wearing the same shoes. These items of clothing may seem everyday but will allow the audience to identify the different character between the scenes. This will be particularly useful when the pace of the opening scene is at it's quickest showing second long shots.

In the estate scene, which will be shown as a flashback, the mob members will be dressed in dark clothing; jeans, hoodies/jumpers and balaclavas. The mob all wear the same type of balaclava, which I must admit I first thought wouldn't work due to the unlikely organisation. However once we got our cast together the look of them all having the same balaclava works really well, and creates a sense of unity and solidarity. A crowbar and metal pole will also be used as props in the scene, the main killer will have one of these props to highlight his importance.

The use of guns was discussed, but it was felt they would take away the realistic features violence scene. Also making it more an action thriller rather than the psychological thriller that we are aiming for. Clothing of the cafe and estate will be different apart from the witness's coat and the killers shoes, as mentioned before. The reason for changing the clothing is to show a change in day between the two events.

Sound In Thrillers

Sounds are used in thrillers to create a certain atmosphere for the audience, so they know what type of emotion to be feeling as each stage. A thriller film can control how the audience react with what type of sound or music they decide to use. Some sounds are used to build tension, others to build a sound bridge, some are even used to emphasis the reaction the audience has to the actions of a character.
The most common type of sound associated with thrillers are dark eerie pieces of music which build suspense, they tend to start slowly and then gradually grow. Such as this scene from Inception, which begins with slow music and on-edge tones and then the pace quickens the action becomes more intense. Also in this scene there is the use of non-diegetic sounds, such as the rain and gun shots, these are non-diegtic so the sound is emphasised so the audience takes more notice of them.

In this scene from The Departed there is no music or sound scape playing. The focus is on to what the two men say. Here the dialogue is more important. The scene also uses non-diegetic sound to emphasis the noise that the elevator is making and the gun shots. This scene isn't as suspenseful as the inception clip but shows how thrillers can use dialogue to be suspenseful and how they can have a dramatic twist.

Here the film The Dark Knight uses a range of sounds to build suspense. There's the music of strong deep notes that links to the actions and follows the pace of the action, the use of non-diegetic sounds such as gun fire, punching and batmans cape to emphasis these actions, and the use of dialogue to inform the audience of what's at stake, as we learn that the hostages have been mixed up and that Gorden's family are in trouble.

Preliminary Task

The preliminary task is set by the exam board OCR to allow us to show our skills both filming and and on Imove editing the footage. The preliminary exercise was; to create a video including;

•  Continuity - a system of cutting used to suggest a progression of events in real time and space (no flashbacks, fade out dissolves etc JUST CUTS)
• Match on Action - where a shot of a character starting an action and the completing the action in the next shot  
• Shot/Reverse shot - this is an editing pattern that cut to the view in the opposite direction (used most often for dialogue)
• The 180 degree rule - Camera should be positioned on one side of the line of actions (within the 180 degree arc). Do not cross the line of action (place the camera on the other side of the line line of action).

Additional features where set by the teachers;

• Shot Variety – size and angles 
• Good Framing of shots
• Make us laugh!
• Music
• Everyone must have an appearance on screen
• Random object from the box!

Final Cut Practice

As I am A bit of  novice with using Final Cut Express I decided to practice using the program, editing a piece of footage. This also gave me the opportunity to using my Camera, which I will be using during filming as it is a higher quality then the schools cameras, so I also got to play around with the cameras filming functions.  Below are a series of effects that I applied to the video, I found practising using final cut was really helpful and has me more confident for when it comes to editing the actual thriller opening.

Opening Sequence

Shutter Island

The scene starts with the ship coming out of the fog heading towards Shutter Island, this creates an enigmatic atmosphere around the Island with out actually showing any of the island. Once on the island clues are left for the audience to take notice, some are very subtle for only the keenest fanatic will notice, where as others are shown to the audience either by the use of the camera directing the audience with close ups of objects/settings or by Teddy mentioning things, such as the barbed wire on the wall of the building.

In the opening sequence we are introduce to the main character Teddy Daniels on board the ship, the important feature about the ship is that it's a prison ship, and Teddy is willingly staying in the prison courtiers. The audience will be questioning why he is in this section of the ship. We see that the suit Teddy is wearing is slightly scruffy and ruffled, suggesting that he is not use to what he is wearing or is uncomfortable in the environment he is in.The lighting on Teddy's face has a chiaroscuro effect suggesting that the character has a split personality, or a hidden maybe darker side to his personality.
The establishing shots of the boat through the fog creates an enigma to the narrative and who is on the boat. This is continued with the close up shots of Teddy talking to himself in the mirror. 
Editing of the opening scene is relatively slow paced, as the film is just establishing the narrative and locations.

Reservoir Dogs

The opening scene of Reservoir Dogs is unconventional in comparison to what is expected of thriller films. The Film starts with A group of men in an American dinner, just finishing and about to leave. The costume of the men ranges from suits to casual wear, this suggests a variety of personalities with in the group, but nothing overly enigmatic or tension building. 
The as the men are walking down the street ,the fairly upbeat song Little Green Bag by George Baker begins to play and the credits begin. This music is again not connvetional for music used within a thriller, as it does not build tension and make the atmosphere eerie instead it makes the group seem cool and friendly to the audience. 
The the screen goes to black as the rest of the credits shown over the song. Yet as the credits are finishing, we hear in the background a person in pain screaming out. You can just about make out "I'm going to die". Suddenly the film has taken a dramatic turn, and created a confusing narrative. This will keep the audience interested as they will want to find out what happened to the man. 

Psycho 
The opening of this film relies heavily on the use of music of the opening credits which instantly creates tension with its high notes. The lines that go across the screen symbolises  prison bars and highlight at this early stage of the film the sense of entrapment, warning the audience someone will be in danger. 
When the film starts the camera goes through the window of the building and connotes the the idea of voyeurism  the audience feel as if they are looking in on someone, this can suggest that the people in the room may be doing something they shouldn't, as it feels as though the audience is spying in on them. 
As we are introduced to the character no real information about them is told to the audience and it make the characters more mysterious. The audience will be wondering who these people are and why they are there. Building tension around the couple. 

From analysing these films I have notices four key conventions of thriller openings.

Titles -
The opening titles are very important to set the tone of the film.

Storyline -
This is important with an film opening, however with thrillers the directior has to capture the attention of the audience with action and suspense, with out giving to much of the narrative away.So they still build tension.

Camera angles/shots -
How the camera is used is important in the opening of a thriller as it can tell the audience a lot about a location or character quickly. And when used effectively can build tension.

Music/Sound-
What music or sound scape is played at the start of the thriller can tell the audience a lot about the mood and tone of the film and can also build tension, like in Psycho. Or the film can challenge building tension and tell the audience that its going to be different, like in Reservoir Dogs.

Shutter Island Mindmap

Thriller Conventions

This was a task to test how much we know about thriller conventions, we made two lists one for General narrative theory and the other specific narrative theory for thrillers.