Opening credits are used to list the important members of the production team, actors and directors. In the thriller genre they are used to set the atmosphere of the initial setting and film, as well as help define the as a film from the thriller genre, with the use of different colours, styles, they are also used to display different conventions.
The film 'Se7en' uses the credits well, to help to create certain effects. One way it does this is by making the credit font white, this stands out against the dark colours and low key lighting used in the opening sequence, this can be used to show the contrast between good and evil, which reveals more about the film. Another effect used in the opening credits was making the font of the credits handwritten, jerky, quick and blurry, this gives the effect that the atmosphere is uneven and can make the audience feel uncomfortable, these are all ways the opening credits have different effects on the audience.
This is also displayed in the film 'Shutter island', in this the colour of the font is in red, with the colour red having the connotations of blood and murder, this gives the audience the initial impression of the film and what is to come in the alter film, this puts them on an edge from the very beginning, this creates the element of suspense, a key convention of the thriller genre.
From the opening credits that my group has researched we an see the re-occuring theme of the colours red, black and white used, and that they are often used in contrast to a dark background. I believe that this is due to the fact that because in thriller genre there is always a killer and a victim, therefore the white and black can represent the contrast between the good of the victim and the evil of the killer. Using the red because of the connotations of blood and violence.
In our credits we are going to have the actors, music producers, director of photography, screen play writer, mise-en-scene co-ordinator, then the editors and producers in that order. We are going to have the actors first as they are an important part of the scene, and they are first seen, we are then going to have the other roles in production following, this is because there work is not immediately recognised, however still needs to be shown, we are then going to have the director and producers last as they were in charge of the whole creation of the scene, however without everyone previously, there would be no opening.
The font we are going to use is a handwritten font, this gives an eery effect as it brings the audience into suspense into who has written it, even though it is only the cast, it still creates an enigma. Adding to this we are going to use the effect of using a white font on a dark background, contrasting the good and bad in the scene representing the killer and the victim. We are going to add a jerky effect over the credits, this creates an instability in the scene, this can be used to show that there is an instability in the scene, in particular the victim's situation, as she is being chased by a masked killer.
Thursday 28 November 2013
Thursday 21 November 2013
Planning Sound - Miss Miller
One sound technique we are going to use is diegetic sound, we are going to use this in the format that it is the victim's heartbeat, this enables the audience to become involved in the sequence, this also helps build upon the element of suspense, a key element and convention in the thriller genre. This is because as the heartbeat speeds up the audience knows that something is going to happen, knowing that something is going to happen they begin to feel the suspense as they are waiting for it to happen, not knowing when it will.
Another diegetic sound we are going to use is going to be the heavy breathing of the victim, this again enables the audience to become involved in the sequence, the heavy breathing lets the audience know that the victim is running out of breath and that they might be caught, this then builds upon suspense again as they know she is going to get caught and that they begin to just wait for it, this is makes it conventional of the thriller genre. We are going to use this when the victim is begin chased through the forest, with the diegetic sound simply adding to the suspense.
In the thriller sequence, we are going to use silence, this is when there is no sound at all and is a good at building up suspense in the scene, therefore we are going to use it right at the point before the victim is going to get caught, when she is hiding in the forest, this is the optimal point of suspense. Again the silence applies that she is going to get caught and that audience are just waiting to watch, because this builds up suspense its a key element in the thriller genre.
Another diegetic sound is one of the key factors which builds up the suspense in our thriller opening, this is the use of a soundtrack. The soundtrack is going to begin as soon as the killer in seen in the scene, and is going to play throughout right until the very moment the victim's phone begins to rings, our soundtrack is going to be a constant beat in the soundtrack which is constantly building, there is then gong to be a break in the soundtrack, this shows the audience that there is a change in the atmosphere and that something is going to happen, this then builds up the suspense. This is conventional of the thriller genre as they are often used to give this same effect.
Overall, I believe that sound is a key element used to build up suspense in thriller films, and the effect of suspense would not be as strong without it. I also believe that sound plays a strong part in involving the audience in the film and really helps them build up relationships with the characters/
In the thriller sequence, we are going to use silence, this is when there is no sound at all and is a good at building up suspense in the scene, therefore we are going to use it right at the point before the victim is going to get caught, when she is hiding in the forest, this is the optimal point of suspense. Again the silence applies that she is going to get caught and that audience are just waiting to watch, because this builds up suspense its a key element in the thriller genre.
Another diegetic sound is one of the key factors which builds up the suspense in our thriller opening, this is the use of a soundtrack. The soundtrack is going to begin as soon as the killer in seen in the scene, and is going to play throughout right until the very moment the victim's phone begins to rings, our soundtrack is going to be a constant beat in the soundtrack which is constantly building, there is then gong to be a break in the soundtrack, this shows the audience that there is a change in the atmosphere and that something is going to happen, this then builds up the suspense. This is conventional of the thriller genre as they are often used to give this same effect.
Overall, I believe that sound is a key element used to build up suspense in thriller films, and the effect of suspense would not be as strong without it. I also believe that sound plays a strong part in involving the audience in the film and really helps them build up relationships with the characters/
Planning Cinematography - Miss Miller
One of the camera angles we're going to use is a close up, a close up is a camera angle that shows little background and concentrates on a face or a particular object of mise-en-scene. In our thriller opening we are going to use them to concentrate on the victim's face and the killer's hammer, emphasising both in the sequence. By using a close up for the killer's hammer, it emphasises the significance of the hammer in the scene, a hammer is a quite a brutal way to hurt someone, so this therefore reveals parts of the killer's personality, that he is a brutal character.
Another camera angle we are going to use is an establishing, this is going to be used at the beginning of the scene in order to establish the setting of the initial street setting of the opening, our victim will then walk into the scene. An establishing shot is when the scene is displayed, we are using it in order to for the audience to get a feel of the setting that the victim is in, and can begin to relate to the victim.
The third camera angle we are going to us is going to be a high angle, this is used when the victim is walking down the alleyway at the beginning of the sequence, this almost initialises that the female is going to be the victim. A high angle shot is often used to show that something is inferior, as it makes the viewer look down at them, we are going to use this to show that our victim is inferior to our killer, and that he has the power over her. This is conventional of the thriller genre as this is often used as it makes the victim look weak and vulnerable, therefore making her inferior to the killer. This is used to build up the emphasis the audience has for the victim as they begin to feel that the victim is unable to defend herself from what is after her.
Another camera angle we are going to use is the low angle, this is the opposite of the high angle, and therefore has opposite effects. A low angle is where the camera is looking up upon something, for example the killer, this is how we are going to use it in our thriller sequence, as it makes the killer look superior to the victim in the scene. This is conventional of the thriller genre as it begins to build up a fear for the killer, knowing that they are more powerful than the victim, this makes the audience begin to think that he is capable of doing something bad and will do something bad to the victim, as they already emphasise for the victim, they will begin to fear him.
In addition we are going to use hand held shots, this gives the effect that the audience is watching from the actor's perspective and can have many effects. In our thriller we are going to use it when the victim is running away from the killer, this is because it gives the shaky effect and really involves the audience within the film, almost putting them in the victim's footsteps, by involving the audience within the film is begins to build up there relationship with the victim, and can feel there fear. the use of hand held shots is conventional of the thriller genre as they create a jerky and uneven atmosphere, giving the effect that there is chaos and they have no control over the film, implying that something bad is about to happen, this builds upon the key element of suspense.
Overall, I believe that our camera angles will have a strong effect on the audience as they allow the audience to really build up a relationship with the victim and even the killer, by doing this they can begin to relate to the film and feel the victim's fear, a key convention when making a thriller film.
Another camera angle we are going to use is an establishing, this is going to be used at the beginning of the scene in order to establish the setting of the initial street setting of the opening, our victim will then walk into the scene. An establishing shot is when the scene is displayed, we are using it in order to for the audience to get a feel of the setting that the victim is in, and can begin to relate to the victim.
The third camera angle we are going to us is going to be a high angle, this is used when the victim is walking down the alleyway at the beginning of the sequence, this almost initialises that the female is going to be the victim. A high angle shot is often used to show that something is inferior, as it makes the viewer look down at them, we are going to use this to show that our victim is inferior to our killer, and that he has the power over her. This is conventional of the thriller genre as this is often used as it makes the victim look weak and vulnerable, therefore making her inferior to the killer. This is used to build up the emphasis the audience has for the victim as they begin to feel that the victim is unable to defend herself from what is after her.
Another camera angle we are going to use is the low angle, this is the opposite of the high angle, and therefore has opposite effects. A low angle is where the camera is looking up upon something, for example the killer, this is how we are going to use it in our thriller sequence, as it makes the killer look superior to the victim in the scene. This is conventional of the thriller genre as it begins to build up a fear for the killer, knowing that they are more powerful than the victim, this makes the audience begin to think that he is capable of doing something bad and will do something bad to the victim, as they already emphasise for the victim, they will begin to fear him.
In addition we are going to use hand held shots, this gives the effect that the audience is watching from the actor's perspective and can have many effects. In our thriller we are going to use it when the victim is running away from the killer, this is because it gives the shaky effect and really involves the audience within the film, almost putting them in the victim's footsteps, by involving the audience within the film is begins to build up there relationship with the victim, and can feel there fear. the use of hand held shots is conventional of the thriller genre as they create a jerky and uneven atmosphere, giving the effect that there is chaos and they have no control over the film, implying that something bad is about to happen, this builds upon the key element of suspense.
Overall, I believe that our camera angles will have a strong effect on the audience as they allow the audience to really build up a relationship with the victim and even the killer, by doing this they can begin to relate to the film and feel the victim's fear, a key convention when making a thriller film.
Tuesday 19 November 2013
Group Storyboard - Miss Miller
The purpose of the group story board was to plan our final ideas for the thriller sequence, combining the ideas of the thriller sequence together, picking out the best bits of each others storyboards. By putting our idea onto a storyboard we are able to have in mind what we would like on screen in each shot, knowing the camera angle, lighting, iconography, actors, editing and the narrative.
When our group made our individual storyboards we all had the same narrative and ideas in mind, so when it came to making our group storyboard we each incorporated our own different ideas for the same narrative, this made it a lot easier for us. For example we took Scott's idea for the opening scene and Devon's idea for the last scene, we then used my ideas for the certain camera angles we should use in each scene.
Our groups have had a lot of inspirations from the most current thriller films, which often use the setting of an isolated location, in our thriller film we are going to be using a forest, as this is used in many successful thriller films like The Strangers and Cabin Fever. We also took inspirations from films such as Halloween, Scream, and Texas Chainsaw massacre, for the use of a masked killer, these are some of the most well known thrillers, and have used the concept of having a masked killer well.
The idea we took from Devon's storyboard was the use of a phone in the last scene, where the phone is ringing and the victim is frantically trying to turn it off thinking that she is going to get caught, then the next scene the phone is seen ringing on the floor, and then it stops ringing. This is a good idea as it doesn't actually show the audience that she has been taken, but implies it and lets the audience's mind wonder as they think what could of happened to the victim.
Scott's idea for the storyboard was to use a hammer instead of a knife, this is because that the knife is a popular item of choice for the killers, however Scott said by using the hammer instead of a knife reveals morea bouit the character, for example a hammer is much more brutal than a knife, and by using a hammer then the audience can infer that the killer is a brutal character.
My idea for the storyboard from my storyboard was the alleyway scene, where the victim is seen walking down an alleyway where she does not realise the killer is at the end, it then jumps to a camera angle which is a close up of the hammer. This is the beginning where the audience first see the killer and when the soundtrack starts, an important scene in the opening sequence.
Overall, making the storyboard has been useful as now our group has our final idea planned out, knowing exactly what we are going to have in each scene, and the duration, this means we can spend our time efficiently when we go out to film.
When our group made our individual storyboards we all had the same narrative and ideas in mind, so when it came to making our group storyboard we each incorporated our own different ideas for the same narrative, this made it a lot easier for us. For example we took Scott's idea for the opening scene and Devon's idea for the last scene, we then used my ideas for the certain camera angles we should use in each scene.
Our groups have had a lot of inspirations from the most current thriller films, which often use the setting of an isolated location, in our thriller film we are going to be using a forest, as this is used in many successful thriller films like The Strangers and Cabin Fever. We also took inspirations from films such as Halloween, Scream, and Texas Chainsaw massacre, for the use of a masked killer, these are some of the most well known thrillers, and have used the concept of having a masked killer well.
The idea we took from Devon's storyboard was the use of a phone in the last scene, where the phone is ringing and the victim is frantically trying to turn it off thinking that she is going to get caught, then the next scene the phone is seen ringing on the floor, and then it stops ringing. This is a good idea as it doesn't actually show the audience that she has been taken, but implies it and lets the audience's mind wonder as they think what could of happened to the victim.
Scott's idea for the storyboard was to use a hammer instead of a knife, this is because that the knife is a popular item of choice for the killers, however Scott said by using the hammer instead of a knife reveals morea bouit the character, for example a hammer is much more brutal than a knife, and by using a hammer then the audience can infer that the killer is a brutal character.
My idea for the storyboard from my storyboard was the alleyway scene, where the victim is seen walking down an alleyway where she does not realise the killer is at the end, it then jumps to a camera angle which is a close up of the hammer. This is the beginning where the audience first see the killer and when the soundtrack starts, an important scene in the opening sequence.
Overall, making the storyboard has been useful as now our group has our final idea planned out, knowing exactly what we are going to have in each scene, and the duration, this means we can spend our time efficiently when we go out to film.
Planning characters - Miss Miller
They purpose of characters in the film is to add and creative a narrative, but also give the audience something to focus on, and something for the audience to build a relationship with, engaging them into the film.
Our main character in the sequence going to be the victim, we are going to make her a female because this is a stereotypical that females are innocent, therefore the audience will begin to emphasise and build a relationship with the character. We are also going to make it so that the character is blonde, again the hair colour of blonde has the denotation of innocence, this again builds up towards the empathy the audience will have with the character, because she's innocent the audience can begin to feel sorry for her as she is being chased by a killer and they can begin to feel that she shouldn't be in the situation, therefore causing empathy. We are also going to make the victim a student, by doing this it means our target audience as they are of they age of which they would still go to school as well, this helps them build up a relationship with the character and again can emphasise her situation. Females are often used in the thriller genre as victims as they are portrayed as the weaker sex as they are seen as weaker than males, due to this they would be less likely to defend themselves in a situation where they encounter a killer, this means our victim is stereotypical of the thriller genre.
The only other character in our sequence is the killer, a tall male. Throughout we are going to represent him as being deranged, and will never reveal his identity, this creates an enigma around him as the audience will begin to wonder, who he is, and why he is following the girl. This will cause the audience to engage in the sequence as they would want to know who it is and why they are doing this, and will carry on watching in order to discover more about the killer. Masked killers are stereotypical of the thriller genre as they are often used in the thriller genre, for the very same reason of creating an enigma around the killer.
Overall, now that we know about the characters, we know how to represent them inside our thriller sequence, this relates to our narrative as by using characters that the audience can easily relate to, by making it easy for them to relate to the audience can build a greater relationship with the characters in the scenario, helping to build up the tension in the scene and meaning the effects would impact the audience more. This is instead of using famous actors in which the audience would not be able to easily build up a relationship.
Our main character in the sequence going to be the victim, we are going to make her a female because this is a stereotypical that females are innocent, therefore the audience will begin to emphasise and build a relationship with the character. We are also going to make it so that the character is blonde, again the hair colour of blonde has the denotation of innocence, this again builds up towards the empathy the audience will have with the character, because she's innocent the audience can begin to feel sorry for her as she is being chased by a killer and they can begin to feel that she shouldn't be in the situation, therefore causing empathy. We are also going to make the victim a student, by doing this it means our target audience as they are of they age of which they would still go to school as well, this helps them build up a relationship with the character and again can emphasise her situation. Females are often used in the thriller genre as victims as they are portrayed as the weaker sex as they are seen as weaker than males, due to this they would be less likely to defend themselves in a situation where they encounter a killer, this means our victim is stereotypical of the thriller genre.
The only other character in our sequence is the killer, a tall male. Throughout we are going to represent him as being deranged, and will never reveal his identity, this creates an enigma around him as the audience will begin to wonder, who he is, and why he is following the girl. This will cause the audience to engage in the sequence as they would want to know who it is and why they are doing this, and will carry on watching in order to discover more about the killer. Masked killers are stereotypical of the thriller genre as they are often used in the thriller genre, for the very same reason of creating an enigma around the killer.
Overall, now that we know about the characters, we know how to represent them inside our thriller sequence, this relates to our narrative as by using characters that the audience can easily relate to, by making it easy for them to relate to the audience can build a greater relationship with the characters in the scenario, helping to build up the tension in the scene and meaning the effects would impact the audience more. This is instead of using famous actors in which the audience would not be able to easily build up a relationship.
Thursday 14 November 2013
Planning Editing Styles - Miss Georgiou
Planning Editing Styles - Miss Georgiou
We are going to use the editing effect of jump cuts, a jump cut is when one scene abruptly changes to another, this creates a jumpy effect by suddenly switching scene to scene instantly, with the viewers believing that something has happened whereas its only switching scenes.
Another effect we will use will be timing of shots, timing of shots is when a scene is edited so that it will be played faster or slower, each having slower effects. We will be slowing the scenes down in order for the audience to build a relationship with victim, this is used in the initial scene, so that the audience can begin to build up a relationship with the victim from the very beginning.
We will also use the Kuleshov effect, this is when two shots are put together to give a third meaning, in our thriller we are going to see the victim with the phone trying to turn it off, the scene later we are going to see the phone on the floor, this clearly shows that she has been killed or taken, however does not actually show it on the screen.
Another effect used is the reaction shot, this shows the character's reaction to everything that happens in the sequence, for example when she falls over, and when she begins to realise she is being followed. This again helps build up a relationship with the victim as the are constantly reminded of her emotions as things happen inside the sequence, this allows the audience to emphasise as they constantly know what she's feeling.
Our editing styles are conventional to the thriller genre as they help the audience begin to build a relationship with the victim, as the relationship is built with the character, the audience becomes more and more involved in the sequence, this then lets the audience begin to feel the fear of the character as they emphasise her situation. Making the audience feel the fear of the character is a key part in building the suspense, a key convention in the thriller genre.
Thursday 7 November 2013
Planning Mise-en-scene - Miss Georgiou
Mise-en-scene is everything that can be seen on camera, made up by five elements, the setting and iconography, costume and makeup, facial expressions and body language, colour and lighting. It is important in the thriller genre as it helps the viewer understand what is going on in the scene, and build a relationship with the characters.
Setting and iconography
Our thriller film will be set in the street and in the forest, we have used this as it will be familiar with the viewer meaning that they can relate, as anyone can go into a forest and can walk in the street. We are also using the same technique for the iconography, by using a hammer as the killer's weapon, almost anyone can gain access to a hammer meaning that the killer could just be anyone, again involving the viewer into the sequence.
Lighting
Throughout the sequence we are going to use low key lighting, we are using this in order to create an eery and dark atmosphere, which would of had a greater effect on audience over filming it in daylight. Being filmed in the night is a common convention of the thriller genre, as it meant the audience can see less, which builds up the suspense within the scene, a form of enigma.
Costume
For the costume of the killer we are going to use black clothing, this is because the colour black often has the denotation of death and evil, implying that he himself is evil and out to do something bad, we are also going to make him masked, this means that the identity will always be hidden throughout, this adds an engima as it could be anyone, as anyone can pick up a mask and can do what he's doing, meaning the viewer can relate.
Facial expressions and body language
Through out the sequence we are going to make it so that the victim's expressions are always seen by the audience, this will keep the audience aware of the victim's emotions, allowing them to build up a relationship with her, as they can begin to sympathise.
Positioning within the frame
In our thriller, we are going to make sure the female victim is central in the scene, this can imply that she is the target, and that she is what the killer wants. We are also going to keep the hammer in focus when it is shown on screen, by putting emphasis on the hammer is shows how dangerous it can be, building up the suspense in the viewer wondering what he is going to do with it.
How is the mise-en-scene conventional to a thriller film?
Setting and iconography -This is conventional to a thriller film the use of forests at night are a common used setting in the thriller genre, because of the bad connotations that there are with the forest, the darkness also adding to the atmosphere.
Lighting - Throughout the clip we are going to use a low key lighting, this is a stereotypical convention of the thriller genre, as it adds to the enigma, a key convention in the thriller genre as well, this is because the restricts what the viewer can see, and therefore they begin to wonder what is in the darkness, and begin to fear it as anything could be in it.
Costume - Our costume in conventional because of the fact that we are using a masked killer, due to this the identity of the killer is hidden throughout it, this again creates an enigma, this will encourage the viewers to watch on in order to find out the identity of the killer, as the viewer has no clue.
Facial expressions and body language - The use of body language will be conventional as we are going to constantly show the victims emotions, by doing this the viewer can build up a relationship with them and begin to feel the fear of the victim, a typical convention of the thriller genre.
Positioning within the frame - Our use of positioning is conventional as centering the victim in the middle of the shot is commonly used in the thriller genre, this doesn't only show that she is the target in the scene but that she is in fact a significant part in the film, meaning the story line may develop around her or that event.
How can your thriller build up a relationship with the audience?
Our thriller can build a relationship by constantly using elements that people can relate to, for example the setting, anyone can walk down the street and walk in the forest, by constantly including elements they can relate with, they can begin to involve themselves in the film. We are also going to build a relationship with the audience by showing the viewer her emotions after something happens by the use of close ups, by doing this the viewer can begin to emphasise with the victim, and begin to feel her fear.
Setting and iconography
Our thriller film will be set in the street and in the forest, we have used this as it will be familiar with the viewer meaning that they can relate, as anyone can go into a forest and can walk in the street. We are also using the same technique for the iconography, by using a hammer as the killer's weapon, almost anyone can gain access to a hammer meaning that the killer could just be anyone, again involving the viewer into the sequence.
Lighting
Throughout the sequence we are going to use low key lighting, we are using this in order to create an eery and dark atmosphere, which would of had a greater effect on audience over filming it in daylight. Being filmed in the night is a common convention of the thriller genre, as it meant the audience can see less, which builds up the suspense within the scene, a form of enigma.
Costume
For the costume of the killer we are going to use black clothing, this is because the colour black often has the denotation of death and evil, implying that he himself is evil and out to do something bad, we are also going to make him masked, this means that the identity will always be hidden throughout, this adds an engima as it could be anyone, as anyone can pick up a mask and can do what he's doing, meaning the viewer can relate.
Facial expressions and body language
Through out the sequence we are going to make it so that the victim's expressions are always seen by the audience, this will keep the audience aware of the victim's emotions, allowing them to build up a relationship with her, as they can begin to sympathise.
Positioning within the frame
In our thriller, we are going to make sure the female victim is central in the scene, this can imply that she is the target, and that she is what the killer wants. We are also going to keep the hammer in focus when it is shown on screen, by putting emphasis on the hammer is shows how dangerous it can be, building up the suspense in the viewer wondering what he is going to do with it.
How is the mise-en-scene conventional to a thriller film?
Setting and iconography -This is conventional to a thriller film the use of forests at night are a common used setting in the thriller genre, because of the bad connotations that there are with the forest, the darkness also adding to the atmosphere.
Lighting - Throughout the clip we are going to use a low key lighting, this is a stereotypical convention of the thriller genre, as it adds to the enigma, a key convention in the thriller genre as well, this is because the restricts what the viewer can see, and therefore they begin to wonder what is in the darkness, and begin to fear it as anything could be in it.
Costume - Our costume in conventional because of the fact that we are using a masked killer, due to this the identity of the killer is hidden throughout it, this again creates an enigma, this will encourage the viewers to watch on in order to find out the identity of the killer, as the viewer has no clue.
Facial expressions and body language - The use of body language will be conventional as we are going to constantly show the victims emotions, by doing this the viewer can build up a relationship with them and begin to feel the fear of the victim, a typical convention of the thriller genre.
Positioning within the frame - Our use of positioning is conventional as centering the victim in the middle of the shot is commonly used in the thriller genre, this doesn't only show that she is the target in the scene but that she is in fact a significant part in the film, meaning the story line may develop around her or that event.
How can your thriller build up a relationship with the audience?
Our thriller can build a relationship by constantly using elements that people can relate to, for example the setting, anyone can walk down the street and walk in the forest, by constantly including elements they can relate with, they can begin to involve themselves in the film. We are also going to build a relationship with the audience by showing the viewer her emotions after something happens by the use of close ups, by doing this the viewer can begin to emphasise with the victim, and begin to feel her fear.
Sunday 3 November 2013
Individual Storyboard - Miss Miller
The purpose of making a story board was to plan out our narrative, and plan out each of the elements used in each of the scenes. This means when it comes to filming our opening sequence we know what we're going to film, and exactly what effect and sound tracks we are going to use in each scene. On each story board we included the camera shot, location, lighting, actors, sound, editing, and the narrative.
In the initial four scenes I have made it so that the initial scene is set, so that the viewer gets the idea of what is going on, using long shots to get a feel of where the sequence is set, and can see that the victim is alone. It then goes onto show that she is being followed by someone who has the intention to hurt her from the fact that they have a hammer, this begins to build up the suspense, I have also used close ups for the viewer to begin to build a relationship with the victim, seeing her emotions and seeing the fear, making the viewer emphasise with her, for the same reasons I have included a lot of POV camera angles, as well as handhelds.
On the second sheet, this is when the chase really begins, again using a lot of POV, handhelds and mid shots, this restricts the viewer's sight of the setting, meaning they ca only really see as much as the character can, involving the viewer in the sequence, which can let them feel the fear of the character. Keeping the same soundtrack on, building up towards the end of the sequence.
On the third sheet, this is the ending of the sequence, after the victim has fallen the scene falls into silence as she tries to hide, showing the emotions on her face, again the viewers emphasise and really feel her fear, knowing that she is going to get caught now that she is hurt, and that they are just waiting for the moment, still shocked when she is going to get caught. The sequence then ends on a cliff hanger as you don't know that happens to her.
In the initial four scenes I have made it so that the initial scene is set, so that the viewer gets the idea of what is going on, using long shots to get a feel of where the sequence is set, and can see that the victim is alone. It then goes onto show that she is being followed by someone who has the intention to hurt her from the fact that they have a hammer, this begins to build up the suspense, I have also used close ups for the viewer to begin to build a relationship with the victim, seeing her emotions and seeing the fear, making the viewer emphasise with her, for the same reasons I have included a lot of POV camera angles, as well as handhelds.
On the second sheet, this is when the chase really begins, again using a lot of POV, handhelds and mid shots, this restricts the viewer's sight of the setting, meaning they ca only really see as much as the character can, involving the viewer in the sequence, which can let them feel the fear of the character. Keeping the same soundtrack on, building up towards the end of the sequence.
On the third sheet, this is the ending of the sequence, after the victim has fallen the scene falls into silence as she tries to hide, showing the emotions on her face, again the viewers emphasise and really feel her fear, knowing that she is going to get caught now that she is hurt, and that they are just waiting for the moment, still shocked when she is going to get caught. The sequence then ends on a cliff hanger as you don't know that happens to her.
Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou
Group narrative
The purpose of a narrative is to engage the viewers into the story of the film, creating certain atmospheres, for example a film in the thriller genre uses the elements of action, suspense and shock to draw the audience in. To discuss our ideas we spoke in lesson, and spoke about all of our individual narratives followed by discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each one, before deciding on our own.
The first narrative we discussed was Scott's, involving a paranoid child ignored by his parents, leading to him being murdered by a ghost that he feared, in front of his family. Advantages of this narrative would be that it there would be a lot of suspense involved, which would draw the viewers in to watching the film, as well as there is a teenage victim meaning the younger audiences watching the film can relate to to. However disadvantages are that we cannot use a ghost as a provocateur because we do not have the equipment to create one, and disadvantage are that it would be hard to find people who would act as parents in the opening sequence.
The second narrative we discussed was mine, about a couple staying in a house in the mountains, the first night there are noises from upstairs so she goes to find out what is making the noises, she finds a locked room which the house owner doesn't want her to see. This happens for a few nights and then one night the male goes missing, she then goes onto find that the male has been taken and murdered in the room even though the male didn't believe that the room existed, as she tries to rescue him she is trapped in the room herself. Advantages of my narrative are that its simple and would be easy to film, however disadvantages are that it would be very long and would not be possible to fit into three minutes.
The third narrative we discussed was Devon's, the narrative is that a man and woman are walking late at night through a forest and they hear noises, the boy goes to check for danger and leaves the woman alone. She waits for his return yet he does not come back for a while, she feels as if she is being watched so she decides to head out of the forest. As she is walking the noises return and she starts to run, as she is being chased she trips over a figure on the floor. It is her boyfriends dead corpse. Advantages to this narrative is that it would be easy excess to the location and the story line is very simple. However it will be hard to film during dark hours as the lighting will not be very clear.
The narrative we decided was to choose was a variation of Devon's, with the same concept that there is a victim and killer, and the killer stalking the victim. However we decided that there will be one single female victim walking down the street on her way home, when she begins to think that she is being followed through the forest, she then runs into the forest in an attempt to get away. She is then chased by the killer until she hides, believing she has gotten away, the killer then re-appears and takes her.
There are many different narrative theories, the main three are Vladmir Propp's, Todorov's theory, and Aristotles. Propp claimed "every film has a different character which has a different function", his theory generally applied to fairy tales, for example there will be a hero who seeks something, villain who actively blocks the hero's quest. Todorov's theory is not about the characters but the narrative and that they evolve around an equilibrium and disequilibrium, there is a state of equilibrium, a disruption to the equilibrium, recognition of disruption, attempt to repair the equilibrium followed by the restore or the return or the equilibrium.The third theory was Aristotle's, this was again a theory based on the narrative again, that there is an inciting incident, a dramatic question, character goal, the introduction of an antagonist/protagonist, stakes, a resolution followed by sympathy or empathy. I believe that our narrative would follow the Todorov's theory, because there is an equilibrium, where our victim is walking down the street, followed by a realisation of a disequilibrium, then an attempt to repair, when she is running away trying to escape the killer.
The first narrative we discussed was Scott's, involving a paranoid child ignored by his parents, leading to him being murdered by a ghost that he feared, in front of his family. Advantages of this narrative would be that it there would be a lot of suspense involved, which would draw the viewers in to watching the film, as well as there is a teenage victim meaning the younger audiences watching the film can relate to to. However disadvantages are that we cannot use a ghost as a provocateur because we do not have the equipment to create one, and disadvantage are that it would be hard to find people who would act as parents in the opening sequence.
The second narrative we discussed was mine, about a couple staying in a house in the mountains, the first night there are noises from upstairs so she goes to find out what is making the noises, she finds a locked room which the house owner doesn't want her to see. This happens for a few nights and then one night the male goes missing, she then goes onto find that the male has been taken and murdered in the room even though the male didn't believe that the room existed, as she tries to rescue him she is trapped in the room herself. Advantages of my narrative are that its simple and would be easy to film, however disadvantages are that it would be very long and would not be possible to fit into three minutes.
The third narrative we discussed was Devon's, the narrative is that a man and woman are walking late at night through a forest and they hear noises, the boy goes to check for danger and leaves the woman alone. She waits for his return yet he does not come back for a while, she feels as if she is being watched so she decides to head out of the forest. As she is walking the noises return and she starts to run, as she is being chased she trips over a figure on the floor. It is her boyfriends dead corpse. Advantages to this narrative is that it would be easy excess to the location and the story line is very simple. However it will be hard to film during dark hours as the lighting will not be very clear.
The narrative we decided was to choose was a variation of Devon's, with the same concept that there is a victim and killer, and the killer stalking the victim. However we decided that there will be one single female victim walking down the street on her way home, when she begins to think that she is being followed through the forest, she then runs into the forest in an attempt to get away. She is then chased by the killer until she hides, believing she has gotten away, the killer then re-appears and takes her.
There are many different narrative theories, the main three are Vladmir Propp's, Todorov's theory, and Aristotles. Propp claimed "every film has a different character which has a different function", his theory generally applied to fairy tales, for example there will be a hero who seeks something, villain who actively blocks the hero's quest. Todorov's theory is not about the characters but the narrative and that they evolve around an equilibrium and disequilibrium, there is a state of equilibrium, a disruption to the equilibrium, recognition of disruption, attempt to repair the equilibrium followed by the restore or the return or the equilibrium.The third theory was Aristotle's, this was again a theory based on the narrative again, that there is an inciting incident, a dramatic question, character goal, the introduction of an antagonist/protagonist, stakes, a resolution followed by sympathy or empathy. I believe that our narrative would follow the Todorov's theory, because there is an equilibrium, where our victim is walking down the street, followed by a realisation of a disequilibrium, then an attempt to repair, when she is running away trying to escape the killer.
Preliminary Task - Miss Georgiou
We learnt which camera angles were appropriate for each scene, for example during the conversation, filming over the shoulder to show there perspective and the person they are talking too's reaction. We also learnt the appropriate times to ct the scene, and cut into the next one, attempting to make it not too early and not too late. We also learnt how to use all of the equipment, the camera and tripod. As a group we struggled to use the camera correcting, for example using the tripod in a smooth motion, instead the camera was jerky and therefore making it look unprofessional. We also struggled to plan it before hand, therefore making it up as we went along, consequently, we had less time to edit the film at the end.
This will help us for our own opening sequence because we know where are faults were for the planning and the use of the equipment, now that we've had practice using the equipment we will be able to use it when we are filming our opening sequence, meaning that our camera work will be better making it look more professional. We also know that we need to fully plan it out in order to film it in the time set, this will also means we will have more time to edit, making our opening sequence look more professional.
During the film The Human Centipede there are various editing effects which are used to create emotional meaning to the audience. Various editing techniques help to inform the audience of the conventions of a thriller by keeping them in suspense, shocking them and surprising them.
One editing effect used in the film is a straight cut, a straight cut is a change of shot from one viewpoint or location to another. This is used during the clip when the victim is being chased and has been lead to a dead end, by using this it gives the viewer both perspectives, the doctor's and the victim's. This builds up the tension in the scene, as it is building up to whether the victim gets away or is caught, this would also create suspense, a typical convention of thriller.
Another editing effect used in the scene is the timing of shots, this is when the shots are edited slower or faster to add emotional impact or to create suspense. This is used when she is being chased, the timing of the shot increases when she is being chased, this makes the scene become very fast paced, this creates the sense that she is escaping gives the effect of fast movement. Then when she approaches the dead end the timing of shots is decreased as he approaches the room she is inside, this creates suspense as you have no idea what is going to happen to her however you do know something will happen to her. The victim nearly escaping is a stereotypical convention of a thriller film, as well as the building of suspense.
The use of reaction shots are also used in the clip, reaction shots are when the something happens or when something is said, the clip then switches to another character to emphasise their reaction. This is used when the doctor is shouting at the female form outside the door, the clip switches to her face which shows her terrified expression. By putting emphasis onto this it shows the viewer that she is, vulnerable, the victim and that she is scared for her life, the viewers can engage with her more as the clip enables you to see her emotions. From this it begins to let the viewer feel the fear of the character, this is a typical convention of a thriller.
From this I can tell that showing the two perspectives in a chase scene are an important factor in build up the suspense, showing the victim's reaction and emotions, which helps us emphasise with the victim as we can see the fear and being to feel there fear. Also we can learn that the timing of shots can have a big effect in thriller films, allowing the camera to put emphasis on certain elements and can change the way the motion is seen, for example making someone who is running look like they are running a lot faster, which builds up the excitement for the viewer.
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