Good Points
- Sound is really different and effective- Love it!
- Good location
- Dog is cute
- Good sound track- contripuntal sound makes it more creepy
- Contrast of the scene adds a sense of mystery to the opening
- Really like the use of close up shots are the beginning as this leaves the viewer in suspense and creates tension which is really effective
- The combination between the diegetic and non diegetic sound is effective and builds up the tension for the audience
- The camera angle being on the side when the girl is laying on the floor is effective as it brings the audience down to her level which shows a connection between the girl and the audience which is effective
- OMG!
- camera work, angles, sound and concept are all really good
- nothing bad to say, amazing
- Brilliant!
- loving the actress (mum) and dog
- sound, camera angles, lighting, everything is brilliant!
- brillian opening, enough is given out to the audience without giving too much away
- in the last scene the tension is built excellently
- not a bad word to say about it
- good use of lighting in the barn- very dark and mysterious
- the soundtrack is excellent, it really fits each scene perfectly
- good use of camerashots, had a good variety of different shots
Improvements
- Talking on the phone/ voicemail was a bit cheesy
- titles disappeared a bit too fast
- a few more shots of the barn location could have worked
- unsteady shot in the kitchen scene is not as effective compared to others which are well shot
- i thought the tiger proguction abel didnt bleng with the theme the titles created, perhap a change here?
- it seems more like a horror than a thriller because of the way the scene ends.
Showing posts with label Bekki Sadler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bekki Sadler. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Thriller Film Panes
(Order from left to right, down a level and left to right again)
Image one: Thriller Conventions: This screengrab shows the shadow of the Antagonist who has kidnapped a teenage girl.
Image two: Thriller Coventions: This screengrab gives the viewer a sense of voyeurism.
Image three: Costume: A mid-long shot of the charater Jade's costume, with tears and mud all over her clothes.
Image four: Props: Jade is talking into a pink mobile phone.
Image five: Title: 'Disconnected' in a slightly distorted font.
Image six: Lighting: This pane shows how the barn in dimly lit.
Image seven: Location: This screengrab is of the barn location, it is dark and dirty.We chose this image because it gives a good feel of the overall scene and it shows a large amount of the scene. We also really liked the lighting and angle of the shot.
Image eight: Camera work: A close up of Jade's hands bound up over a bloody handprint.
Image nine: Camera work: This screengrab is a point of view shot from Jade watching the kidnapper about to smash the phone.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Best and Worst Thrillers
The Top 5 Thrillers voted for on IMDB are;
1) Goodfellas
2) Fight Club
3) The Dark Knight
4) Inception
5) Pulp Fiction
The Bottom 5 Thrillers voted for on IMDB are;
1) The Hellcats
2) Way of the Vampire
3) The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II
4) Shark: Rosso nell'oceano
5) Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace
Our favourite Thriller films;
Michaela = Inception & The Taking of Pelham 123
Alistair = Shallow Grave & The Day After Tomorrow
Holly = Shutter Island & Premonition
Bekki =Leon & Taken
1) Goodfellas
2) Fight Club
3) The Dark Knight
4) Inception
5) Pulp Fiction
The Bottom 5 Thrillers voted for on IMDB are;
1) The Hellcats
2) Way of the Vampire
3) The Barbaric Beast of Boggy Creek, Part II
4) Shark: Rosso nell'oceano
5) Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace
Our favourite Thriller films;
Michaela = Inception & The Taking of Pelham 123
Alistair = Shallow Grave & The Day After Tomorrow
Holly = Shutter Island & Premonition
Bekki =Leon & Taken
Friday, 11 March 2011
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Logo Research
looking at various logos of production companies, we played around with words and came up with TIGER DOOR PRODUCTIONS, a bit of a play on the 'lionsgate' productions.
Holly drew the tiger and we scanned it onto the computer where we edited the background and text on photoshop.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Research for intro music in thriller
For the beginning of our film we wanted something a bit eerie but urban, combining classical music like piano or violin with drum beats and bass.
A great example for this is Kanye West's song Runaway
A great example for this is Kanye West's song Runaway
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Font
This is the font that we decided to use for our titles,we chose it because of it computer geerated appearance.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Analysis of a Thriller opening: Leon
Leon: A 12 year old girl, Mathilda's whole family is killed while she's at the store and as she arrives home sees the men who killed them still at her home and to save her life she decides to walk past and pretend to live at her neighbors home, Leon her neighbor turns out to be a professional assasin who reluctantly takes care of her and teaches her his trade.
Camera Work:
The establishing shot at the begining is a of a large space of water and the camera then pans across it, then crossing over some trees and the pan gradually becomes slower and lifts up to show an skyline of New York, it then continues with a faster speed and cuts to the busy streets in the city where the camera is unsteadily panning through them just above car height. This scene gives away the location of the film as the camera lifts up to reveal a banner reading 'Welcome to Little Italy'. The camera then pans in closer on a shop titled 'Supreme Macaroni co.' The next shot is a close up of Leons hands gentally placed around a glass of milk on the table, this adds tension to the scene. The next shot is really usefull; it's a close up on Leons eye, but his eyes are hidden with his black lensed circle framed glasses. The glasses don't only add mystery to the figure as it's hiding his eyes, but they also act as a mirror for the viewer, who will be able to see the reflection of the man sitting opposite him putting a cigarette in his mouth and then the next shot is a close up of the man lighting the cigarette in his mouth and the camera pans up very slightly but the mans features are hidden behind the smoke from the freshly lit cigarette, once again adding mystery to the identity of the two men. They utter a few words in italian that also add to the mystery. A mid-close up is then shown of Leon but half his face is blocked from the unfocused shoulder of the man opposite from him. Another close up then shows the man putting out his cigarette in the little glass ash tray on the table. A close up is used on the mans mouth as he says 'Let's talk business'. The man then slides a black and white photo of a man in a car, unaware that the photo has been taken, into the possible point of view shot. The shots then switch between close ups of the two mens faces and the photograph as they speak. The close up of Leons hand around the glass of milk is used again and he picks up the glass, then a close up of the other mans eyes show his eyes following Leons movements, then a close up of Leon drinking the milk is used and finally a close up of when he puts the empty glass back down beside his hand. In a point of view shot a close up of the picture is shown as Leon puts his hand on the photo and slides it away, a reflection in his glasses also shows him doing this.
Many of the shots in the opening scene were close ups, used very skillfully to add tension and mystery between the two men, especailly as close ups don't show all of their features and techniques are used to block them such as; smoke from the cigarette, black glasses, over the shoulder shot close up etc. What i think is really skillfull and interesting about the way the close ups were used is that even though the viewer wasn't shown a full shot of what was going on, they managed to build the scene up bit by bit with big and small details, almost like a jig saw of little pieces put together to show the viewer the full picture.
Also very clever is the use of unsteady camerawork as it pans through the streets as it makes the veiwer feel almost apart of the film, like they're actually there in the street and glancing up when the camera lifts up.
Sound:
The overall soundtrack in the opening is very soft and calm. The soundtrack commences with simple soft notes as the credits appear over a black screen and a single high pitch violin is then added as the camera pans across the water. As the camera rolls over the trees to the New York City skyline more detail picks up in the music and by the time the camera is panning throught the city's busy streets it has become quite complex with pipes or flutes used too but still quite calming. I think this music is well suited to the opening becuase the music is at it's simplest point as the credits appear on a black screen and then as more location is revealed to the viewer, more qualities start to rise in the track and like it's a transition of simple to complex in the music as it is visually from the sea to the city streets.
The music dies down as close up of the man opposite Leon is shown and only ambient sounds are present along with the dialogue from the two men. Tense music then builds up as a clear decision has been made as Leon picks up his glass, the sound of Leon putting his glass down is exaggerated an slightly echoed to add more tension and a final impacting effect.
sound effects used include:
- a cigarette being lit
- dialogue
- a cigarette being put out
- a photo being slid into and out of the shot
- leons hand touching the glass of milk
- sound of the milk being drunk
- the glass being put down on the table
Editing:
The credits and titles are all in a simple white font, with all the names in capitals. The titles fade in and out on the black screen and also along the establioshing shots of the location. When the camera reaches the skyline of New York the title 'LEON' flashes onto the scene, filling up most of the screen and fades away after a couple of seconds, The titles continue through the streets until the camera reaches the little shop.
The majority of the transitions int he opening are cuts, there is only one fade transition which is appropriatly placed between the entrance of the little shop and the close up of Leons hands against the glass of milk.
editing techniques used:
- shot reverse shot is used when Leon is sharing dialogue with the man opposite him.
- as Leon picks up his glass of milk and drinks it, a reaction shot is used of the man opposite him as his eyes follow the glass.
-Match on action is used when the mann lights his cigarette.
The pace at the beginning is slow in the establishing shots and picks up as the camera goes into the restaurant and speeds up more as the two men are having a conversation.
Mise-en-scene:
Lighting: In the establishing shots of the sea, tree's and city the lighting is very natural and bright creating an everyday environment. In contrast to the outside shots, in the small restuarant the lighting is lower and artificail, creating a more tense and serious atmosphere.
Set/Location: The storyline is set in New York, shown in the establishing long shot of the City skyline, in Little Italy, shown by a banner in the street saying 'Welcome to Little Italy' and then even deeper into a restaurant named 'Supreme Macaroni co.'
Costume: the wardrobe for the film is made up of casual everyday wear from the 90's, as the film was brought out in 1994.
Colour Design: Outside the restuarant, nutural colours are used to create the city and inside the restuarant an orangey/red colour design is used.
Props: A glass of milk is the first thing the viewer sees of Leon and acts almost like a full stop because as they finish their conversation, Leon finishes his drink. The other man has a lighter and a cigarette and i think this gives him more of a respectable position. Leon is wearing black lensed circle framed glasses which hide his eyes and add mystery to his identity and show the reflections of what he is seeing. The black and white picture is of a man in a car, a possible target, who appears unaware of the photo being taken.
Body Language: The men come across as ver calm and serious as they talk. Little hints and details such as when the man both lights his cigarette and puts it out and how he casually slides the photograph into view indicate that he is in charge.
Conventions:
Leon is an action thriller, conventions include:
- The narrative centres around the crime of Mathilda's family being murdered and her wanting and gaining revenge.
-Micro elements build up the suspence and tension in the film.
- The protagonist, Leon, now has a weakness, an achilles heel that will be his downfall which is that he cares for Mathilda.
- Leon is put in a complex situation where there appears to be no escape, he manages to escape from it but is dragged a little back in and is killed saving Mathildas life.
Camera Work:
The establishing shot at the begining is a of a large space of water and the camera then pans across it, then crossing over some trees and the pan gradually becomes slower and lifts up to show an skyline of New York, it then continues with a faster speed and cuts to the busy streets in the city where the camera is unsteadily panning through them just above car height. This scene gives away the location of the film as the camera lifts up to reveal a banner reading 'Welcome to Little Italy'. The camera then pans in closer on a shop titled 'Supreme Macaroni co.' The next shot is a close up of Leons hands gentally placed around a glass of milk on the table, this adds tension to the scene. The next shot is really usefull; it's a close up on Leons eye, but his eyes are hidden with his black lensed circle framed glasses. The glasses don't only add mystery to the figure as it's hiding his eyes, but they also act as a mirror for the viewer, who will be able to see the reflection of the man sitting opposite him putting a cigarette in his mouth and then the next shot is a close up of the man lighting the cigarette in his mouth and the camera pans up very slightly but the mans features are hidden behind the smoke from the freshly lit cigarette, once again adding mystery to the identity of the two men. They utter a few words in italian that also add to the mystery. A mid-close up is then shown of Leon but half his face is blocked from the unfocused shoulder of the man opposite from him. Another close up then shows the man putting out his cigarette in the little glass ash tray on the table. A close up is used on the mans mouth as he says 'Let's talk business'. The man then slides a black and white photo of a man in a car, unaware that the photo has been taken, into the possible point of view shot. The shots then switch between close ups of the two mens faces and the photograph as they speak. The close up of Leons hand around the glass of milk is used again and he picks up the glass, then a close up of the other mans eyes show his eyes following Leons movements, then a close up of Leon drinking the milk is used and finally a close up of when he puts the empty glass back down beside his hand. In a point of view shot a close up of the picture is shown as Leon puts his hand on the photo and slides it away, a reflection in his glasses also shows him doing this.
Many of the shots in the opening scene were close ups, used very skillfully to add tension and mystery between the two men, especailly as close ups don't show all of their features and techniques are used to block them such as; smoke from the cigarette, black glasses, over the shoulder shot close up etc. What i think is really skillfull and interesting about the way the close ups were used is that even though the viewer wasn't shown a full shot of what was going on, they managed to build the scene up bit by bit with big and small details, almost like a jig saw of little pieces put together to show the viewer the full picture.
Also very clever is the use of unsteady camerawork as it pans through the streets as it makes the veiwer feel almost apart of the film, like they're actually there in the street and glancing up when the camera lifts up.
Sound:
The overall soundtrack in the opening is very soft and calm. The soundtrack commences with simple soft notes as the credits appear over a black screen and a single high pitch violin is then added as the camera pans across the water. As the camera rolls over the trees to the New York City skyline more detail picks up in the music and by the time the camera is panning throught the city's busy streets it has become quite complex with pipes or flutes used too but still quite calming. I think this music is well suited to the opening becuase the music is at it's simplest point as the credits appear on a black screen and then as more location is revealed to the viewer, more qualities start to rise in the track and like it's a transition of simple to complex in the music as it is visually from the sea to the city streets.
The music dies down as close up of the man opposite Leon is shown and only ambient sounds are present along with the dialogue from the two men. Tense music then builds up as a clear decision has been made as Leon picks up his glass, the sound of Leon putting his glass down is exaggerated an slightly echoed to add more tension and a final impacting effect.
sound effects used include:
- a cigarette being lit
- dialogue
- a cigarette being put out
- a photo being slid into and out of the shot
- leons hand touching the glass of milk
- sound of the milk being drunk
- the glass being put down on the table
Editing:
The credits and titles are all in a simple white font, with all the names in capitals. The titles fade in and out on the black screen and also along the establioshing shots of the location. When the camera reaches the skyline of New York the title 'LEON' flashes onto the scene, filling up most of the screen and fades away after a couple of seconds, The titles continue through the streets until the camera reaches the little shop.
The majority of the transitions int he opening are cuts, there is only one fade transition which is appropriatly placed between the entrance of the little shop and the close up of Leons hands against the glass of milk.
editing techniques used:
- shot reverse shot is used when Leon is sharing dialogue with the man opposite him.
- as Leon picks up his glass of milk and drinks it, a reaction shot is used of the man opposite him as his eyes follow the glass.
-Match on action is used when the mann lights his cigarette.
The pace at the beginning is slow in the establishing shots and picks up as the camera goes into the restaurant and speeds up more as the two men are having a conversation.
Mise-en-scene:
Lighting: In the establishing shots of the sea, tree's and city the lighting is very natural and bright creating an everyday environment. In contrast to the outside shots, in the small restuarant the lighting is lower and artificail, creating a more tense and serious atmosphere.
Set/Location: The storyline is set in New York, shown in the establishing long shot of the City skyline, in Little Italy, shown by a banner in the street saying 'Welcome to Little Italy' and then even deeper into a restaurant named 'Supreme Macaroni co.'
Costume: the wardrobe for the film is made up of casual everyday wear from the 90's, as the film was brought out in 1994.
Colour Design: Outside the restuarant, nutural colours are used to create the city and inside the restuarant an orangey/red colour design is used.
Props: A glass of milk is the first thing the viewer sees of Leon and acts almost like a full stop because as they finish their conversation, Leon finishes his drink. The other man has a lighter and a cigarette and i think this gives him more of a respectable position. Leon is wearing black lensed circle framed glasses which hide his eyes and add mystery to his identity and show the reflections of what he is seeing. The black and white picture is of a man in a car, a possible target, who appears unaware of the photo being taken.
Body Language: The men come across as ver calm and serious as they talk. Little hints and details such as when the man both lights his cigarette and puts it out and how he casually slides the photograph into view indicate that he is in charge.
Conventions:
Leon is an action thriller, conventions include:
- The narrative centres around the crime of Mathilda's family being murdered and her wanting and gaining revenge.
-Micro elements build up the suspence and tension in the film.
- The protagonist, Leon, now has a weakness, an achilles heel that will be his downfall which is that he cares for Mathilda.
- Leon is put in a complex situation where there appears to be no escape, he manages to escape from it but is dragged a little back in and is killed saving Mathildas life.
Friday, 18 February 2011
Filming Analysis
Good Points
Bad Points
- We had our actresses assigned long before our filming began
- We didn't have to retake many shots because most were successful the first time.
- We had all props close at hand from planning.
- Our actresses had previous experience in amateur dramatics so they were confident.
- We worked well within our group and took on different roles to best fit our personal skills.
- We already had two locations available which were perfect for our scenes.
- Our two locations were easily acssessable as they were owned by members of the group.
- We had effective costume and make up.
- We got all the shots we needed from the shot list.
Bad Points
- The actress who played Jade got very cold, her arm actually going numb due to the unheated location used for the hideout scene.
- We had to wait for it to get dark before we could film the kitchen scene, to avoid continuity errors.
- Some of the shots in the hideout scene were too dark and had to be manually lit with a torch or edited in Final cut to make them visible.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Target Audience
The target audience for Disconnected would be teenagers and young adults. This is because conventionally thrillers are aimed at this age range. Younger children may find scenes disturbing.we are going to appeal to our target audience through the micro elements.
Certificate Rating
Our chosen certificate for Disconnected is a 12 because it conforms to the criteria of a 12 film from BBFC, which include:
Discrimination: Discriminatory language or behaviour must not be endorsed by the work as a whole. Aggressive discriminatory language or behaviour is unlikely to be acceptable unless clearly condemned.
Drugs: Any misuse of drugs must be infrequent and should not be glamorised or give instructional detail.
Horror:Moderate physical and psychological threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent or sustained.
Imitable behaviour: Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied, or appear pain or harm free. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language: Moderate language is allowed. The use of strong language must be infrequent.
Nudity: Nudity is allowed, but in a sexual context must be brief and discreet.
Sex: Sexual activity may be briefly and discreetly portrayed. Sex references should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Frequent crude references are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme: Mature themes are acceptable, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.
Violence:Moderate violence is allowed but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood, but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context. Sexual violence may only be implied or briefly and discreetly indicated, and must have a strong contextual justification.
Friday, 11 February 2011
Thursday, 10 February 2011
Test Shots
The video above shows different shots, transitions and sound that we may use for our thriller opening.
When editing the shots together we need to make sure the black screens inbetween shots are shorter then the film it self and so they keep the interest of the viewer withour being boring. In this video we have used a 'Fade in, Fade out Dissolve' for all transition between black screens, on the video this gets very repeatative however as there are going to be less shots in our opening we are going to keep the 'Fade in, Fade out Dissolve'
We tried different angles for the shots as we could not decide which would look the best, after watching through the test shots we have decided on which angles and distances we now want. For example, an extreme close up of Jades eye instead of a close up. a birds eye view shot of Jade lying down and with the phone next to her instead of a a straight angle from the floor. We also tried two panning shots, one using a tripod and the other hand held we decided to go for the use of a tripod.
The sound in this video is of 'Audio Track 33' which is of ambient sound, it was not long enough to fit to the end, therefore we had to have another to the end, however it does not truly fit as it goes quieter after building up the tension. In our opening we will either have a different sound or we will cut it so that the tension stays the same.
In our thriller opening the kidnapping scene will be darker and Jade will be wearing torn and muddy clothes.
Analysis of Production company & Film comparison
For our Thriller Project the production company that would distribute our film would be 'Lions Gate Entertainment' as they do a range of films from comedy, such as 'Dogma' to horrors like 'The Descent' and thrillers like 'Crank' and 'Gamer'.
Because Lions Gate Entertainment has a wide audience from producing various different genres in film, this would come to our advantage as people will trust Lions Gate with previous films they've enjoyed.
Our Thriller opening is similar to the film 'Taken' which was produced by 'EuropaCorp' in 2008.
'Taken' is about a former spy who relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.
Our film is similar to this film because a girl has gotten kidnapped and all the mother has left is a voice mail, and struggles to find her daughter with barely any help from the detectives, and in 'Taken' the daughter is kidnapped and her father takes matters into his own hands to find her.
Because Lions Gate Entertainment has a wide audience from producing various different genres in film, this would come to our advantage as people will trust Lions Gate with previous films they've enjoyed.
Our Thriller opening is similar to the film 'Taken' which was produced by 'EuropaCorp' in 2008.
'Taken' is about a former spy who relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been forced into the slave trade.
Our film is similar to this film because a girl has gotten kidnapped and all the mother has left is a voice mail, and struggles to find her daughter with barely any help from the detectives, and in 'Taken' the daughter is kidnapped and her father takes matters into his own hands to find her.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Call Sheet
Location
- Kayla's house, Isleham.
-Alistair's pig sty, Isleham.
Props
- Mobile Phone
- House phone
- Rope
- Washing up plates
Kit
-Camera
-Tripod
- Kayla's house, Isleham.
-Alistair's pig sty, Isleham.
Props
- Mobile Phone
- House phone
- Rope
- Washing up plates
Kit
-Camera
-Tripod
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