Final Story Board

Costume Ideas For Thriller

We want to replicate the youth of today with the costumes. The people that rioted wore hooded jumpers, tracksuit bottoms. They tried to look as less unidentifiable as possible, by covering their faces with balaclavas.

This is the type of costumes our characters who are rioting would wear. As it is set in the current time the costumes wont be hard to prepare for shoot day.

The other cast members will be passers by wearing day to day outfits that someone of that age would of this day. Such as a t-shirt jeans and coat. There could also me people coming home from work in suits.

Cast List

 This is the cast list for the extras.  They are picked to look like a normal society and passers by. However some are also picked to be included in the riots. The younger people are used to be in the riots as age 16-19 are the most likely to be rioting. The elder people are more likely to be passers by, rushing home with their shopping.

Prop List

These are the props that i will be using in our Thriller

Locations Ideas for Thriller

For the first part of our thriller we planned to film in Turrets house. We would set this up the way we want to shoot, so that it looked like a flat of a man who wasnt going through debt, but also was not very wealthy. This way it would show that some people involved in the riots did not do it do steal becuase they didnt have enough money to buy things. But it would show that some people were just bored and looking for something to do, like our main character.

This is Turrets house where we will be shooting the first part of our thriller.

In the second part of our thriller, when the man leaves his flat to blow up cars, we were first going use the side streets behind Cranleigh. However it came to our attention that it would be just as similar if we did this shooting inside the school grounds in Hurtwood House car park. We would keep the shots close up so that you cant notice too many trees and so that it looks more like London rather then the countryside. We thought this would be a better option then traveling to London itself as this would be time consuming when we could get similar shots in school as long as we were careful about what was in the shot.

Group Discussion 3

We later spoke to Matt again about the idea. We decided to take inspiration from a movie where this a man is watching TV and a bottle gets thrown through his window. He gets up and goes out of his house to cause mayhem. We planned to focus on one man during the riots. He would be watching TV in his old flat, watching the London Riots on the news. The man would then turn the TV off and the noise of the riots would then continue on in the background. This would allow the audience to realise that the riots are going on outside his flat. He would then leave his flat and go out onto a street which we decided would be filmed in backstreets in Cranleigh. We would use different camera angles to hide the fact we are not in London (holding it downward to remove the trees from the shot). The man would walk down and start blowing up cars. We thought this idea would be better following one man that is scarier and more destructive then anybody else. This would make the audience want to watch the rest of the film and find out what else this man will do in the film.

Group Discussion 2

After we decided on our idea we talked to Matt to see what he thought. We agreed that in the London riots people dont normally plan their rioting but it is a spur of the moment thing. So then our idea changed to the gang doing their rioting in a church car park. We planned to use the car park in the school and make a sign off the internet to show that it was a church car park. We were going to have people blowing the cars up and making a scene. The petrol idea was going to be used with continous shots throughout the title sequence of a man trailing petrol behind him around the car park. The camera shot would be low- following his feet, and the petrol trail. We would continue to use music from 'Kidulthood' or 'Adulthood' in the background.

Group Discussion

In our group we discussed what we liked in each  others ideas. We all liked Bella's idea of doing something to do with the London riots, and the idea of the petrol dripping along the ground from my idea. We thought London Riots would be good because it was a real event that happened recently. Together we decided to film characters which would be part of a gang in london. They would be filmed in a room. Their actions would be close up, for example someone chewing gum, lighting a ciggarette or close ups of previous newspaper artcicles to let the audience know what the clip was about. It would start with the gang outside a council estate and then a shot of them running up the stairs. The sound would be mute at this moment. The teenagers would enter the room and turn a radio on and music would start. The music would be similar to that in the film 'Adulthood' or 'Kidulthood'. The gang would be planning how they were going to go into the riots and what they were to do.

Thriller Ideas

i was put in a group with Bella and Sola. I was happy with this as they are both creative and good with the camera. I knew they would have good inputs to the idea. Before we discussed our final idea each individual developed some ideas of our own.

My first idea was a girl levitating. The clip would begin with lines dropping down from the top of the screen and spelling the title in red. This idea was inspired by Saul Bass' work. It would then cut to a girls face. The  white balance would be high, especially on the face- so you would only really see the features appearing (eg eyes). The screen would then flash black and re-appear on the girls face with a normal white balance.The camera would then be guided along each body part, with soft yet creepy, ghost- like music playing in the background. The camera shots would be close up, going through from the head to the feet. The camera movement would be slow and steady. This would last the majority of the clip. The audience would not know the girl was levititating yet. However the clip would seem creepy and make the audience uneasy. The titles would be appearing at this time. The music would then suddenly change to a high pitched fast sound getting higher and loader. As this noise came, the camera would zoom out as if it was hand held. The audience then realise that the girl os floating in mid air, and behind her in the corner of the room in an old lady on a rocking chair. Screen goes black.

My second idea began with a close up shot of feet walking. Close up of bottle of petrol. Shows waist below walking with petrol being poured on the ground. The camera then cuts at the same angle as the petrol on the floor. The camera follows the petrol and titles begin to appear in the trail. This the cuts to the mans face with low light so you cant make the identification completely. He drops the rest of the bottle and it leeks off the edge of the pavement. Close up of the petrol dripping off the side. Scene then cuts to black. A match lights up in the centre of the screen and the title of the film appears from the match light. The music throughout is tense and sinister.

Coursework Defined

Main task: the titles and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

All video and audio material must be original, produced by the candidate(s), with the exception of music or audio effects from a copyright-free source. Both preliminary and main tasks may be done individually or as a group. Maximum four members to a group.

What is a Thriller?

Thrillers often get mixed up with Horror movies and people find it difficult to differentiate from the two unless you know more about films. We learnt that thriller films are more about the built up tension and the suspense in the film. However horror movies are more to do with gore and people being killed aggressively and shown to the audience. It is more graphic.

Alfred Hitchcock's movies such as 'Psycho' would be classified as a thriller as it gives the audience's mood a high level of anticipation, anxiety, uncertainty and surprise. Along with many other of Alfred Hitchcok's movies he helped to shape the modern day thriller genre. Fritz Lang and Hitchcock started this by introducing the film 'The Lodger.' The clip below is the trailer for the movie and you can already feel the suspense the audience was intended to feel.

There are many sub genres to thrillers, such as psychological, crime, mystery, political, and spy thrillers. In all of these the main aim is to keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Feelings Of My Prelim Task

I think my prelim task went well and i am happy with the final video. However i  think we could of done something more interesting in the clip such as adding a sound bridge as this would of been more unusual and made the video more interesting for the viewer. I think we also could have focused more on the idea of the the girl setting the alarm off. However i am happy with all the shots we got in the lesson and didnt feel the need to go back and take different shots during editing.
We did have a few problems during editing as the actors didnt use the exact words in the script and so we found that often the words were repeated and this meant that the choice of shots we could use was fewer, or else we would have repeated words in the video.
This was not a big problem as we had taken many shots throughout the lesson and we had left the camera on for the whole script in each angle, so we had enough shots to edit together.

Prelim Task

This was my prelim video.  We used different camera angles to create effects in the clip, such as behind the shoulder shots of the girl to allow the audience to position themself in that situation and feel the characters vulnerability as she is being forced to do set of the alarm. The close up shots of her face also allow you to see the expression in her face clearer. The close ups of the boy makes him seem more intimidating as you can see the anger in his expressions. We also shot the door handle opening and closing as we thought this would make the clip more interesing and add a greater affect to the tension when the boy left the room.
When we edited the clip we used FinalCut Pro so we could make the shots flow through to each other without any repeated action which would distrub the flow of the video. To ensure this each shot had to be cut at the right second. The program was hard to use at first but after a while it became easier and we discovered ways we found easier to edit.
This task really helped me understand how to use the camera properly and put everything i learnt in the camera lessons into action.

Prelim Storyboard

This is our story board that we base our prelim task on.

Coursework Defined

Preliminary exercise: Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Different Structures of Title Sequences

We looked at different title sequences and examples of them to see if we could incorporate them into our work.
We looked at when the titles are superimposed on top of the action as soon as the film begins. I like this affect as it is simple and affective. In 'The Stepfather' they considered the places that the titles were on the screen, aswell as when they came in. This was one of my favourite ways of showing the titles.

This is an example of the placing of the title sequence. It has been places inside the cupboard door where it can be seen easily and so is not a destraction for the audience.

We also looked at discreet titles sequences which is when the titles are completely seperated from the rest of the film. This is how 'Se7en' title sequence was created. I think this looks very good and shows you the atmosphere of the film. For example in 'Se7en' it lets the audience know a bit about the film before they get into it. It can make the audience want to watch the film more as it could make them feel more tense, as it does in 'Se7en'.

Another way of entering the titles could be Old School. This is where the titles are layed over the top of a black screen before the film starts. This has been done at the begining of 'The Mothman Profecies'.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/2008/04/11/the-mothman-prophecies/

This way of placing the titles emphasises the soundtrack to build suspence before a thriller movie. However i think this doesnt look as affective or interesting as the other ways.

Stylised editing is when the film begins but the titles enter in an elaborative way, infront of the action. The editing is often deliberately drawn attention to in these title sequences

Opening Title Sequence (Kyle Cooper - SE7EN)

Kyle Coopers opening title sequence of  'Se7en' is positioned against the character. Everything that the character makes me think of him more negatively. Kyle Cooper does this by showing the audience things that would make them feel suspicion towards the character. For example there is a shot of the character shaving the tips of his fingers off. This would mean he would have no finger print and would instantly make the audience feel he was up to something bad. The broken hands, the crossing out of peoples eyes in pictures, and the note taking he is making in his note book would all be seen as creepy and unusual behaviour. The shots change quickly all showing obsessive behaviour, this makes the audience feel uneasy whilst watching the sequence. The font used is almost like hand writing (like in his note book), the font is reversed at some point, and off centre. This shows the character is unbalanced. The font also beats to the music, and to the different noises taking place in the background, like people screaming. The music is building up throughout the clip, at the end the music is fast and intense which could mean the man has done his preparation and is finished and ready. The music speeding up could also be linked to obsessive behaviour. Pathetic fallacy is used as there is thunder in the background, this reiterates the fact that the character is doing something he shouldnt be. The title sequence in general is fast and the clips keep changing, this would keep that audience engaged aswell as gives them a lot of information about the film already.

Opening Title Sequence (Strangers On A Train)

'Strangers On A Train' opening title sequence is definitely inspired by Saul Bass. He is a huge influence in this work. The men, the window shutters, the ciggarettes. Lines form objects a lot in this title sequence which refers a lot to Bass' work. The title and the names are shown like the ones in 'The Man With The Golden Arm'. They come into the shot from different positions, gliding in, with text in between the lines. This title sequence also looks very similar to Danny Youts 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'

Opening Title Sequence (Danny Yount- Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

This opening title sequence was produced by Danny Yount. The design deffinitely could be recognised as very similar to Saul Bass and Kyle Cooper, however, Kyle Cooper was the executive producer. The Title sequence has letters which are layed out oddly onto the page, the words 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' appear on an orange/red background. They words are placed one by one onto the page along with dramatic gun shots. The background colour and the gun shots already tell you a bit about the film - that it could be an action or crime film. The black and white suits of the people in the animation could tell the audience more about the character. The audience could gather from that, that the characters are wealthy or well off. The contrast of this with the gun shots, could lead the audience to think that the money is not actually theres and that they could be thieves. The way the characters in the black suits have been designed is very similar to that in 'Catch Me If You Can' opening title sequence. They could have both been inspired by Saul Bass, or maybe 'Catch Me If You Can' was inspired by the modernised version Danny Yount. The girl falling past the moon is very similar to that in 'Mad Men', which is has been influenced also by Saul Bass' work. The lines across the page when the lady falls, and the stack of books which fall have also been inspired by Bass' work. It is very alike the lines in 'The Man With The Golden Arm' which represent joints and injections.

Opening Title Sequence (Kyle Cooper - Demo Reel)

Kyle Cooper is also hugely influenced by Saul Bass. He is an extremely succesful, more modern example of Bass. The demo reel shows a variety of different work that he has done varying from adverts to films. You can see the influence Saul Bass has had on him in his work. Kyle Cooper uses simplistic lines in his work aswell just like Saul Bass.

Opening Title Sequence (Mad Men) (Catch Me If You Can)

Mad Men Opening Title Sequence

This opening title sequence is extremely similar to Saul Bass' work as the work is simplicitic. Saul Bass has such a huge influence on people. The man in a black suit suggests that he has wealth, but his office begins to fall which could show that he is not in controll and that his job is all falling apart. The man begins to fall past advertisements which shows the audience which industry the man is in. At the end of the sequence the man looks more controlled with a ciggarette in his hand which in the 50's would be stylish and sophisticated as they did not know they were dangerous to health yet. The ciggarette that the man at the end is holding is also similar to that in 'The Man With The Golden Arm'.

Catch Me If You Can Opening Title Sequence

Catch me if you can is also very similar to Saul Bass' work as it includes the lines that was shown in 'Man With The Golden Arm' and in 'Psycho'. The lines come in and out of each other, off the ends of the words, and are also used to block people from getting to others. This links to the title that someone is catch someone. This is also shown through the use of transport, airoplanes flying around, airhostesses and piolets, exit signs, and cars being chased by policemen. Whilst this is happening the music is quite mysterious but lively, repeating itself. It then changes to more relaxed and sophisticated when the scene changes to people relaxing around a pool sitting and drinking. This could show wealth and glamorous lifestyle. Throughout the whole sequence the man is being chased through his life. This opening title sequence lets you into alot about the film before it actually starts. The design of this opening title sequence is similar to Saul Bass', but it seems more complicated and tells you more about the film then Saul Bass does. However you can still see the huge influence that Bass had on this work.

Opening Title Sequence (Saul Bass - Psycho)

Saul Bass' work all has a similar look to it. In the opening title sequence to the film Psycho, Saul Bass has set it out like The Man With The Golden Arm. His work is all mainly line based. The dijointed text which races apart and together could represent the abnormality confusion that a psycho would have. The lines coming from all directions could also show that there is no formality and adds to the confused and strange mind of the pyscho.The music is fast and tense and makes you feel on edge.

Opening Title Sequence (Saul Bass -The Man With The Golden Arm)

This is an opening title sequence by Saul Bass. Saul Bass was a graphic designer and film maker, but he is  best known for his opening title sequences. He worked for some of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers during his career, including most notably Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. Amongst his most famous title sequences is The Man With The Golden Arm. It is so simple but effective, it tells the audience already that the film may has some connection to drugs. The lines across the screen could be similar to injections, because of the motion that they enter the screen. The lines could also symbolise a joint which also gives the idea of a drug sort of lifestyle. The arm was the central image in the sequence because it is where people inject drugs, and is also in the title of the film.

Prelim Task

We used a short script of people pressuring the other person to do something. Our group chose, in a previous planning lesson, for this to be setting a fire alarm off at school. We got an actor and actress and asked them to read the script out. We filmed the whole thing in wide shot like we talked about when we practiced using the camera. We then got behind the shoulder shots of both the actors/actress so that the audience could see what the character was seeing. This would perhaps make them feel tense as if they were also being pressurised. Or feel sorry for the person being pressurised. We also did close ups of their faces in parts to make it more exaggerated and tense. As well as faces we did a close up of the actress nervously fiddling with her jumper. This would give a sense of tension yet again, showing that she really didn’t want to set the alarm off.  We also used a close up of the alarm, ready to cut the film and place the shots we want next to each other to create juxtaposition.

Connotation and Denotation

I learnt that the meanings associated with what we see are often different. We use the term denotative to refer to the actual process of seeing an object and we use the term connotative to refer to the meanings associated with what we see. If you make the connotations that the producer of the media text meant to make, this is called a preferred reading. If you make different connotations from those the producer intended, then this is called oppositional readings.

Denotation of fire would be Combustion or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke.

However connotations could be danger, smoke, death, or even warmth and comfort for some people.

Learning About Camera Angles

First we learnt about the different camera angles and how the present different feelings for the audience. We watched the first scene from the film Pleasantville and wrote notes about the different camera angles and why the director has decided to use them. The film opened at a wide shot so that the audience knew you were in a school with a lot of teenagers walking around. Then the camera angle changed to a close up of the boys face. The camera then changed to p.o.v of the boy, and the shot changed to what the boy is seeing (the girl). This gives the audience the feeling that the boy and girl are having a conversation. The camera angle then changed to an over the shoulder shot of the boy. This allows the audience to see what the character of the boy is seeing. From the director doing this shot, the audience realise that the boy and the girl were not having a conversation. Instead the boy was imagining he was, but the girl was on the other side of the set. The director then chose to change the camera angle to a high angle shot; this makes the audience feel sorry for the character of the boy as they are looking down at him.

Another angle that would make the audience feel something is point of view shot. This pictures makes you feel as if the girl is being followed. During a point of view shot like this the camera movement can also add to the suspense and creepy feeling. This can be done by the camera replicating the stalker looking around a corner or through something. This would make you see what the stalker is seeing, and his point of view.

Practicing Using The Camera

We used what we had learnt in the first lesson about how to set the cameras up and film a scene. The scene we set up was simple, as this allowed us to put more of a variety of angles into it by using the 180 degree rule. We filmed a wide shot of the whole scene, then a close up of the hands typing, and then a close up of the face concentrating. These could all be cut together later to give a more interesting view then just one shot of the whole scene.

Learning About The Camera

In my first lesson in the studio we learnt how to put a camera together, setting it up with its tripod. We also learnt the main functions of the camera so we would be ready to film for the next lesson. We were taught about White Balance, how to zoom and focus on an object so that it gives a clearer picture. I reviewed what I had previously been taught in one of my photography lessons about exposure. The aperture and shutter speed and how they need to allow the correct amount of light into the camera so that the film looks life like and not strange. We also learnt about the time code so we will know how many frames per second are being filmed and how many frames we have left whilst filming.

Introduction To Me

My name is Leah, I’m 16 and I’m studying Media, Business, Photography and Psychology at Hurtwood House. I chose media as a subject as I’m interested in how films and music videos are made. Media is becoming more and more important in my generation and I think it’s a useful subject for me to have, as well as one I will enjoy. I’m looking forward to filming my music video next year as this will give me a better understanding of this industry and if I would want to look further into it. I am extremely interested in Photography as a hobby and I think that taking it as an A level will  help with my media as they are both working with cameras and exploring a more creative side of myself.