Final Piece.

Use of micro-elements in our thriller.

- Conventions through Editing

From our feedback we noticed that the most people found the build up of suspense very effective through the use of music and quick shots. However they found that the other shots and editing also created some confusion as well as the music being to short out and cutting out towards the end.

- Our use of Transactions also helped create a good sense of false security abd the flash of the kidnapped girl was also effective.


- Conventions through Mise-en Scene

Our location appeared very secluded providing a good sense of helplessness and suspense for the audience.

- Dolls helped to create a web of intrigue and helped to create enigmas the audience to solve.

Camera work

Due to lack of time and a change of idea - we never organised a shot list so our filming and editing didn't work so well as planned.

We included alot of pan shots in our opening in order to make the most of our location. We also included a small amount of close ups on characters faces in order for the audience to notice characters facial expressions.

We could of used more close up shots in oder to limit the amount of information given to the audience- creating more curiosity and suspense.

Cinematic Terms:

Long shot:

a camera view of an object or character from a considerable distance so that it appears relatively small in the frame, e.g., a person standing in a crowd of people or a horse in a vast landscape; variations are the medium long-shot (or mid-shot) (MS) and the extreme long-shot (ELS or XLS); also called a wide shot; a long shot often serves as an establishing shot; contrast to close-up (CU); a full-shot is a type of long shot that includes a subject's entire body (head to feet)

Close Up:

a shot taken from a close distance in which the scale of the object is magnified, appears relatively large and fills the entire frame to focus attention and emphasize its importance; i.e., a person's head from the shoulders or neck up is a commonly-filmed close-up; a tight shot makes the subject fill almost the entire frame; also extreme close-up (ECU or XCU) is a shot of a part of a character (e.g., face, head, hands) to emphasize detail; also known as detail shot or close on; contrast to long-shot (LS)

Opening Titles:

the presentation of the 'opening credits' (as an introduction to the audience about the film and including selected important members of the production) is known as the opening credits sequence; sometimes it is superimposed on the action, but often exists as static letters on a solid background; since the closing or end credits usually list the entire cast and production crew, the opening credits sequence is usually positioned to set the mood of the film, and sometimes even lacks any credits except the film's title.

Tracking shot:

a smooth shot in which the camera moves alongside ('tracking within') the subject, usually mounted on a dolly, in a side-to-side motion (relative to the scene or the action); also known as following shot; sometimes used interchangeably with dolly shot, pull back (pull-out, push-out, widen-out or push-back) shot, track back or track in (or push-in), or zoom shot; see also Steadicam.

more feedback on our final piece

How effective is the build up of suspense?

- music and editing successfully builds up suspense, but unsure about ending.

-Because of the music use, the build up of suspense is really effective.

-Very effective, but confusing.

-A lot happens, the music is tense builds a little suspense but it is ruined by randomly stopping st times or it being quiet.

-Very confusing but the shots did look good. music was good but cut out.




HAVE WE USED TRANSITIONS WELL, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THEM?

-Good choice of transitions early on in the sequence, e.g. fades give false scene of security and good effects used e.g. flashes.

-Good use of fade in and out transitions throughout, and variety of shots.

-Transitions are effective especially the flashes of the girl being kidnapped.

-The transitions are good especially the one at the start which fades the two different settings.

Feedback On Our Final Piece

does the opening catch your attention?

Yes.
Not that much because there is a lot of confusion. I think the audience would like to understand some parts before carrying on.

Can you describe what happens in our thriller?

Location is set.
Character has been captured.
Kidnapper is about to attack/torture her.
Location is eerie.
Characters footsteps are introduced.
Girl- Sense of mystery.
Victim is presented in state of shock, at being kidnapped.
kidnapping?

Have we used mise en scene effectively?
Loction creepy.
Dolls effective- creepy.
Effective location- very secluded.
Beleiveable in the middle of knowhere.
props added to confusion and mystery of place.
Hung baby?
Location moldable?
Dolls disturbing.
Use of dialect building effective.

Opinions

What do you like about the thriller?

- visuals were effective

What people didn't like

- Music stopped half way through
- Whole thing was quite short.

Filming Review.

Saturday 16th February 2008.

Due to other commitments Jack and Sarah could not make filming on Saturday afternoon. So me and Nadia took the opportunity to film the setting on a bright and Sunny Day. This is so we can produce a contrast of the mood set by the weather. Sense of security is created on a sunny, bright day whereas a Foggy day creates an uneasy atmosphere where mood is dampened.
We took many shots of the setting and used our initiative and created bright child like writing on a wall to show the kidnapees vulnerability and innocence.


Wednesday 20h February 2008

Travelled to Royston via train and car (Kate drove :D), Luckily we had picked a foggy, cold morning and so created a creepy atmosphere to shoot our filming. We started with some simple panning shots of the field and farm like setting we were using. The setting provided us wuith odd, but interesting props generally scattered around the building fore example Boot, Bootles, Glasses etc. We used two windows of the barn to attach either end of our rope to. In our rope we created nooses for the dolls and a spare (for the hostage). We had to be careful as there was still a bit of broken glass present in the windows. We made sure we kept clear of the broken glass i the window panes. By one of the windows we had a paving stone sitting in the corner amongst the hay. We used this for the hostage (Nadia) to sit on. This allowed her to be seen easier by the camera as she wasn't in amongst all the straw, she stood out as she was slightly above it. It gave the idea that she wasn't supposed to be there. She wasn't supposed to fit in. We 'fluffed up' the hay surrounding the paving stone to try and hide it slightly. We tried to use a small windmill type object in the field but as there was not a lot of wind on that day we had to push it round ourselves which didn't last long! The sound it made when it swung round was a creepy clunking sound but we couldn't get it which was annoying.
We filmed the walking feet along the path and through to the barn. This went well but we had to be careful not to get the wrong footing when filming.

Rough Cut Footage.

First Rough cut.

Feedback below.

Action Plan.

As of 28th February 2008.

Produce/finish Rough cut finish.
Produce/ finish Soundtrack.
Finish editing final piece, Shot transitions, Special effects.
Rolling titles to be incorporated.
Diegetic sounds to be created. Phonetically? such as footsteps.

Finish incomplete blog entries.

Response to Feedback.

Editing:
Make shots shorter. - Not had enough time to cut/edit footage. However shots will be short with rapid transitions, which creates a typical thriller convention of suspense.

Camerawork:
Effective panning shots. - We used these to set the mysterious location.

Sound: / - None yet, however we will use lots of diegetic sound. For example foot steps. Also will will in corporate the sound of a heart beat throughout. A heartbeat for every shot/transition. Shows speed of shot.

Mise en Scene:
Good use of derelict setting. - The fog allowed us to create more suspense of the unknown, also have shots of the same setting on a bright sunny day. These shots will be used in contrast to one another.
Props helped to create curiosity.- The use of dolls creates an uneasy atmosphere. Exploring a typical thriller convention of contrasting safe and familiar things with danger.
Location is mysterious- Set in an abandoned barn. Ideal location for thriller setting. Luckily on our planned day to shoot, there was low lying fog, which was a bonus!
Props set sinister atmosphere.- As afor mentioned.

Storyline:
Could be about Kidnap?- The Storyline is about kidnap, however you never see the girl being kidnapped. Which also makes you wonder how she got there.

Narrative:
A lot of mystery.
Starts web of intrigue.
Good contrast with "the normal" and "the weird". - Typical thriller convention of using safe normal things and turning them sinister.
Shots of dolls are cool but hard to understand why they are there. - All shots currently placed out of order, however we used the dolls as a web of intrigue as to what will happen next as there is a free loose beside them for the girl?
I like the writing on the wall. - We wanted to give messages to the viewer. So messages in bright/big writing emphasises the kidnappee's immense and vulnerabitily.

Needs to be edited properly. - So far cut up shots, editing comes next.
Shots needed to be shorter with quick transitions.- As afor mentioned shots will be short with rapid transitions. they will link with a diegetic sound of a heartbeat created on garage band using a drum kit.

Feedback On Roughcut

Editing:
Make shots shorter.

Camerawork:
Effective panning shots

Sound: /

Mise en Scene:
Good use of derelict setting.
Props helped to create curiosity.
Location is mysterious
Props set sinister atmosphere.

Storyline:
Could be about Kidnapp?

Narrative:
A lot of mystery.
Starts web of intrigue
Good contrast with "the normal" and "the weird".
Shots of dolls are cool but hard to understand why they are there.
I like the writing on the wall.

Needs to be edited properly.
Shots needed to be shorter with quick transitions.

schedule

Date of filming: Saturday 16, and Monday 18.

Props need to bring: camera, knives, dolls, axe, wearing outfits, rope, duck tape, alphabet spaghetti, haribo, and a chair for the girl to be tied up on.

Shot List

- Opens with the view of a girls hand tied to a chair arm.
Close up of the girls hand
Approximately 2 seconds

- Close up of a girls foot tied to a chair leg.
Approximately 2 seconds

- View of the side of a girls eye looking round. Taking up half of the screen.
The other half of the screen is what is behind the girl. Dolls hanging from nooses.
Focus moves from the girl (close up) to adjusting to a long shot looking at what is behind her
Slow transformation from close to far.
Approximately 5 seconds

- A bowl of alphabet soup is scattered over a table in the room.
A close up shot of the soup with the letters arranged to spell 'Murder'
Approximately 5 seconds

- A close up of a decapitated dolls face.
Approximately 2 seconds

- Dolls are hanging from the nooses again.
The camera pans along the line of hanging dolls until it comes to a free noose.
Stops on the empty noose
Wide shot, might not need to use tripod.
Approximately 5 seconds

- The camera then pans down until the girl is seen looking up at the free noose.
Camera stops on the girls forehead, with her eyes looking upwards
Portrait view, wide shot, use tripod.
Approximately 4 seconds

-A close up of the girls eyes. She blinks, opens her eyes then closes here eyes.
Close up view
Approximately 4 seconds

Links into the flashback through bright setting of soft brush

Stalking scenes will have a light non-diegetic soundtrack with them, then we will also leave in the diegetic sound to create more of a realistic environment.

- Two girls walk into 'Evolution'.
Camera: (long shot) half the view is hidden behind a tree (gives idea of someone watching).
Approximately 3 seconds

- Newspaper view. Girls walking by as the newspaper covers the bottom half of the screen.
Newspaper moves with the girls.
Long shot, wide shot, moving with the girls, don't use tripod.
Gives idea of someone hiding and watching them.
Approximately 5/6 seconds

- The two girls are walking away down a street into the distance.
Use tripod, long shot, wide shot.
Gives the sense that they are going home as are walking away from the busy street.
Approximately 5 seconds

- View from the bridge.
Shot from above watching the girls exit from under the bridge.
Don't use tripod.
Birdseye view, wide shot, moving to keep the focus on the two girls.
Approximately 6/7 seconds

- Close up of the two girls faces smiling and talking as they walk along by the river.
Portrait view, not essential to use tripod.
Approximately 3/4 seconds

- Pictures of girls printing or coming out of camera

Flashback ends and return to the room with the girl. Girls eyes open.

-The camera pans out from the girls eyes to show her tied to the chair and gagged
Use tripod
Approximately 5/6 seconds

-Shows another table with a doll on top. It has been stabbed with a knife and is pretty torn apart. Wide screen.
Approximately 3/4 seconds

-Focus is drawn to the door. A shadow can be seen as the door opens of a figure opening the door.
Approximately 6/7 seconds

Our Animatic.

SHOT:
1. Shows the girls hand tied up to the chair creating suspense as you can not see her hand.

2. You see the setting off where she is being kept e.g. broken glass, indicating that it is unsafe.

3. You see another part of her tied up, her foot, creating mystery.

4. Now the plot kicks in as you see the victim, who is a vulnerable female character, and you can see the hanging dolls behind her showing that there is somethings else going on.

5. Next you see a close up of one of the dolls which shows that here is going to be a twist in the plot and creates confusion on the viewers behalf as it is not just and ordinary kidnapping.

6. A wide shot of more dolls creating fear of the unknown.

7. An empty noose creating suspense as the viewers assume it is for the girl.

8.a close up of half of the girls face showing fear in her eyes also creating fear for the audience.

9.A subtle message written in the alphabet spaghetti, 'murder'.

10. FLASH BACK: A stalking scene, where the stalker is following them, hiding behind trees. "The Gaze"

11.Special effect, Footage made to look like Polaroids. this is where our names will be shown. they will over lap. this is as if the stalker is taking photos.

12.Another scene, where the girls are walking home and are being watched.

13.close up of the girls happy faces, flashback. unaware they are being followed.This makes a non linear storing line emphasisng the confusion.

14. Back to the derelict building where the girl is being held, has just cut back from the flashback.

15. The final shot is of a mysterious shadow that bursts through the door, creating mystery and suspense . 'Fear of the unknown.'

Props.

These are some pictures of the props that we are going to be using in our opening title, most of these are going to be used in the derelict house scene, where the girl has been kidnapped and being held.

Duck tape, this is what the girl is going to be tied up with.



Rope, also what the girl is being tied up with.


















Knives.















Screw Driver.














Dolls.


















Axe.

Thriller rough shots (first day of filming)

This was our first day of filming our test footage in the "stalking" scene of our opening.

The purpose of these shots is to help us decide upon the most effective use of filming
E.g - setting, costume, props, and camera angles.

Costume

As we are trying to create a safe and happy mise en scene in this footage, we felt that a more extreme use of costume would be effective. E.g - bright feminine, colors, stripy socks, Tutu, sparkly make up.

We had created a good atmosphere to film in by choosing to film in the center of bustling town on a bright afternoon. Helping us to develop our safe and happy mise en scene. We also decided to film the two girls wandering into evolution as it was a fairly bright and colorful shop and aided with our feminen mise en scene.

Although the busy town center helped to aid our mise en scene we often had problems with public obstructing our shots. To avoid this problem we might have to make our selves completly aware of passers by in the area.

As we were trying to create a sense of the two girls in our shot being watched, we filmed shots from behind objects like trees,lamp posts. We used a Newspaper in one shot to help give a sense of sombody following and watching the two characters.

We felt this shot worked rather well,however more accurate filming is requried to maxamise the effectiveness of this shot.

We felt simular to our bridge shot. The camera needs to be placed at a higher level for the audience to clearly notice it as a bridge.

We filmed one shot of our stalker capturing pictures of the two girls. We felt this shot needs to be made alot clearer for it to have any real effect. As it is very difficult to notice the camera in his hand.

FIRST WEEK OF FILMING

Our first day of filming was on wednesday 30th febuary. We shot some point of view shots around the town center and on midsummers field. The crowded town center was good because it helped give more sense of an safe happy normal enviroment. We also had the camera pan around objects such as poles or trees to give a sense of the cameara stalking the two girls. I think this day of filming gave us a great sense of how these shots will work, when complete with ideal costume. It also helps aid our creation of the soundtrack as we can place the certain soundeffects in accordingly to maxamise effect.

Teacher Feedback

I think your idea contains many key generic conventions of a thriller such as 'The Gaze', a mystery to be solved and the contrast of the familiar with the terrifying.
You have given good consideration to locations, props and your planning so far looks good.
Your blog needs a full shot list, more research such as a location report that details images of the location, why it is suitable and any potential problems that you forsee.
Good work so far.

mise en scene...

PROPS:

For the derelict building scene - chair with rope, dolls with more rope, glass and rubbish on the floor, axe in the corner of the room.

For the stalker scene in the room - computer with the myspace page up and the picture of the girl, printer with the pictuer of the girl comming out slowley, newspaper clipings on the wall of other murder cases and kidnappings, posters o the wall of the room with subtle messages like your next ect...

for the stalker scene outside - shoopings bags for the girls to be carrying, camera and flash for the stalker to be using.

COSTUMES:

Girl - casual darkish clothes so that later on it matches the dark room.
Stalker - dark hoodie so that you do not see his face, scruffy jeans and top with another subtle message.

LIGHTS:

For the derelict buliding scene - filming in either the dark so will use spot lights for soft lighting or film at the break f dan for soft lighting, do not want anythign to harsh as it will not create the mysterious effect that we are after.

For the stalker scene in the room - again want the room to be dark with just a spot light or just the computer light.

For the stalker scene outside - natural lighting.

SOUND:

Throughout the sequence we will use the same music but with it buliding to climax at the end.

SETTING:

The derelict building is a run down bulding with no roof holes in the wall and burnt beams, this is perfect for the kidnapping scene as it is quite scary and sets the mood.

The stalker scene in the room is going to be in a bedroom, you will only see one wall with the computer and the newspaper clippings, it will be dark so you will not be able to see much of the room.

The stalker scenes out side will be set along the river with the two girls walking along with their shopping bags.

Analysis of thriller opening

The Bourne Identity
- Opens with ocean sounds of the waves crashing whilst 'Universal' introduces the makers. (Sounds are heard before any of the film is shown).
- Writing types in from the side as if from a type writer.
- Thunder, wind, music and darkness create a scarey / unknown atmosphere.
- Mystereous.
- On a boat in a storm.
- When a body is found floating in the water the music changes to a higher pitch and it goes very eery. Spine tingling.
- Subtitles are used as the sailors are all foreign.
- Diegetic Sound = water dripping off sailors onto cabin floor, doors and boat creaking, lights banging from the boats movement.
- The eery music creates suspense.
- Thunder crashes and lightening flashes unexpectedly.
- Titles cross in and cross each other on a black screen. Interrupts the action.
- Music drops to silence just before a man jumps out and makes the audience jump.

Anaylsis of The Bourne Identity.
Sarah

ideas

SNAP:


Setting:
There are going to be three main setting for are opening sequence, a normal setting of three girls walking down the the street a setting of a derelict where the girl has been kidnapped and is being kept, and a bedroom where a man is looking at the girls myspace page. The sequence will flash between the two of these settings as they contrast against each other. The first shot you will see is the girl tied up in the derelict building, then it will flash to her walking down the street indicating that it is a flash back.

Characters:
There are going to be two main characters introduced in the opening, the girl that is being stalked and kidnapped and the man who is stalking her.

Plot:
The plot is all about the girl being taken my a mystery man, you will never see his face as it keeps the audience guessing. In the flash backs you will see that he is stalking the girl, following her around and taking photos of her, he finds out the information about the girl by looking on her myspace page and finding out her address and printing off a picture of her. Then when it flashes back to whats happening you will see the girl tied up in the derelict building where the camera will pan along the beams in the building and the audience will be able to see dolls being hung from the beam then there is a space, the camera pans down and you see the girl tied up on the chair as if waiting to be hung.

Mise en scene:
In the derelict building we need to hang the dolls from the beam and try to make the building seem more scary e.g. have broken glass lying around etc
In the room there will newspaper articles stuck on the wall of missing cases and murders.
We will need a chair for the girl to be tied up on. Then in the 'normal' setting the stalker is going to be sitting on a bench with a camera taking photos of the girl, who is just walking along with two of her friends holding shopping bags. We will need a camera and a flash for the camera.

Effects:
When the stalker is taking photos of the girl with every photo he takes the image freezes and turns into a Polaroid which acts as the credits and will have a name on it, this happens about 4 times with a different name coming up each time, and with every photo he takes a bright flash comes up on to th screen then fades to reveal the Polaroid.


Flashbacks:
To make the transition from the dark room to the flashback we will have a close up of the girls face then she closes her eyes which then cuts to the flashbacks.
To make the audience understand that the scenes with the girl being stalked are flashbacks where are going to use a soft focus effect ad have bright colours indicating that she is happy and show that it is contrasting to the actual situation she is in, being tied up in a dark gloomy room.

Analysis of A Student Thriller.

36





Gun shots heard but not seen, Creates suspense.Black screen also!
Titles background black, with white rolling titles and Green Title..Makes them stand out.
Snap shots of piano being played. but heard throughout until..The close up of the eye comes up, the music stops and then the diegetic sound of a heartbeat starts.

Flashbacks-disorientated so it makes it obvious that they are flashbacks.

Mirror effect used.

The title 36 is really disorientated at the end shot. Showing confusion, also symbolising how the audience may be feeling.