Evalution Draft

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? 

The opening to any film especially a thriller, sets the tone for the rest of the film and gives the audience an idea about the story line as well creating questions which they want answered. Conventionally thriller openings are used to build tension and suspense for the audience and foreshadows ideas about the film. The mise en scene, sound, music and editing all contribute to setting the atmosphere for the audience. In the thriller that we have created we used some of the conventions of the thriller as well as challenging some of the forms which are expected. After gathering the results of our questionnaire we decided to focus on a paranormal thriller, as it held a popular choice to what sub-genre people preferred to watch. Throughout our opening we tried to create tension by using quick snappy cuts, typical of a thriller opening. We were influenced by the film 'Se7en' 1995, directed by David Fincher as this also uses quick cuts to shots which are mostly extreme close ups and close ups.



Example of a close up shot which
influenced out opening.

We used quick cuts to try to create excitement for the audience and also give ideas about the story line and what was going to be included throughout the film. Shots such as the Ouija board and the table tipping to show the paranormal side to the film and imply to the audience that ghost hunting is a definite theme throughout the film.

Establishing shots which we used of the church helps to draw the audience in as they begin to wonder the history of the building and why that is relevant to the activities which are going to happen. Although all the shots were filmed in the light, we have edited our clips so that it looks a lot darker. This fits a convention of a thriller opening sequence as they are often dark and have shadowed areas which symbolises the film as the shadowed areas are seen as the mysteries of the story line which are not yet uncovered.

We chose to film the opening of our thriller in the setting of a chruch as this is a conventional setting for thrillers to follow. A chruch leaves the audience with many questions as there are many possibilities to why you are there. As well as a church representing positive things, such as a wedding or faith. It also follows a negative attitude as there is a grave yard which represents death. The mise en scene presents obviously to the audience that they are not there for a celebration which makes them question why they are there. This is conventional of a thriller opening as it creates questions for the audience.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

After the research results from our questionnaire most of the people who took part in answering it were ages 15-25. Therefore we tried to make our thriller most suitable for a younger target audience as they were obviously the people who seemed most interested in film and this specific genre. The actors which are used throughout are all between the ages of 16-17. We believe this will help relate to the specific ages of the audience as they will be around a similar age. The mise-en-scene which consisted of a dark shady atmosphere, contrasted with the characters within it as they were dressed normally which, to the audience, makes them seem vulnerable as it seems they are not ecpecting what could possibly happen, we believed this will also help relate to the audience. All of the actors which are in our thriller all follow different styles, however none are too outrageous or out of the ordinary. We believe choosing a style which the majority of young adults follow will help suggest ideas about the characters personalities. Throughout the film I am wearing leggings, with a buttoned up blouse and military boots. Kristina is wearing jeans, a jumper and UGG style boots. These choices of clothes allow the audience to see that the characters are just stereotypical teenagers. It also suggests where they have been or are expecting to go as none of the characters are dressed warmly suggesting they were expecting to be inside or not out too late, which gives more suggestions about the storyline. All of these trends are often followed by other people, the characters' clothes suggest something about their background as none of our outfits look unaffordable, leading to the audience's conclusion being that the characters are representing the working class. Our hair and make up is very naturalistic. In the film ‘Paranormal Activity’ 2007, directed by Oren Peli. The characters are similarly wearing clothes which are common of many people.

Their hair and make up is also naturalistic which adds to the effect of the film as it shows the film is set in the ideas of every day life. The mise en scene created in ‘Paranormal Activity’ shows a middle class social group as their house is presented obviously to the audience as a big house. 

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

Many film distributing companies are interested in thrillers as they are a popular genre favored by the audience, shadowing comedy and action films which take the lead in top releases and have a total of 45.6% of gross from the box office in 2008 from films such as ‘Sex and the City’ 2008, directed by Michael Patrick King and ‘Quantum of Solace’ 2008, directed by Marc Forster. I believe film distributors such as 20th Century Fox, although focus on lighthearted films such as ‘Glee’ 2009, and ‘Narnia’ 2005, directed by Andrew Adamson, they also have released successful thrillers such as ‘Black Swan’ 2010, directed by Aronofsky, which was placed second in the top 10 thrillers of 2010. Both ‘Black Swan’ and our thriller, ‘The Haunting’ both follow the same sub genres of mystery and drama.

‘The Haunting also adds horror to its sub-genres which will allow 20th Century Fox to explore a range of different genres within the films it produces. Before ‘Black Swan in the top 10 thrillers of 2010 is ‘Inception’ which came first and was distributed by Warner Bros. This is another distribution company which I believe would be interested in our product. Warner Bros. is another distribution company which was had a successful background in the films it has been involved with. Such as the ‘One Missed Call’ 2008, directed by Eric Valette and ‘Batman Begins’ 2008 directed by Christopher Nolan, which are both follow some of the conventions of a typical thriller. I believe these distribution companies would be interested in 'The Haunting' if the budget was bigger and more advanced as it follows the typical chain of thriller conventions. As the film is low budget Warp X Films would be a good distribution company as it has had many successes with low budget films, such as 'This Is England' 2006, directed by Shane Meadows. Other films which they have released which follow the similar genre to 'The Haunting' includes 'Donkey Punch' 2008, directed by Oliver Blackburn and 'Hush' 2009, directed by Mark Tonderai. Which are conventional of a thriller/horror genre which is what our film, 'The Haunting' is trying to follow.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

I believe the most suitable target audience for our thriller, ‘The Haunting’ would be people who have an interest in the paranormal world. People who enjoy watching or taking part in ghost hunts will find our thriller exhilarating and captivating. This can apply to all ages, however we believe that the most popular age bracket would be between 15-25 year olds as they will have most in common with the characters and therefore get a feel for the personalities and experiences as they can picture themselves in the same situation. I believe that aiming ‘The Haunting’ at this target audience would be the most economically viable as aiming the product at an age any younger could limit the people who buy it as it may raise some causes for concerns by parents as it is about the paranormal world. As well as young adults older people who may have experienced something which is similar to the story line of the film may also be interested in buying the product as they would be able to relate the situation to their own. The questionnaire which we devised when researching for our thriller, helped us recieve an overview on the sort of people who are most interested in the thriller genre. We found that although there wasn't a significant difference between who was interested between males and females we found that males were slightly more dominant in who were most likely to watch the thriller.

There people who we asked to fill in our questionnaire were mostly working class. Therefore as the majority of people were of the working class we tried to create our thriller so that it was most appealing for this class, making them more likely to watch it.

How did you attract/address the audience?

Throughout the creation of our thriller we always tried to keep the codes and conventions of a typical thriller opening in mind. We tried to ensure that the majority of our thriller followed these conventions as we wanted to use the most effective method to create tension and suspense for the audience. Influenced by the film 'Se7en' 1995, quick, snappy shots are used, we tried to follow this example as we used quick shots to create suspense, for example, the shots of the Ouija board, table tipping, and the glass sliding across the table.

Another way in which we tried to attract the audience is by location which we set our thriller in. An establishing shot is used to clearly show the audience that we are in a graveyard, just outside of the church. An establishing shot similar to this also applies to the opening of the film 'Thriteen Ghosts' who also use an establishing shot to clearly show the audience where they are.

Based on the results from the questionnaire we tried to create a specific atmosphere which we think will attract the type of people who are going to watch the thriller. The characters which we used helped create the atmosphere which we wanted as it relates to a wide number of people. In the questionnaire the results showed that the biggest target audience would be people of a younger generation, therefore the characters which we used are of a similar generation, we believed this would help attract the audience as they could feel that they relate  more to the people in the film. In the opening we wanted to foreshadow ideas about the film, the quick cuts, which are seen as flash backs are used to attract the audience as they will want to carry on watching to see the full memory not parts of it.

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

From filming this product I have found that however well planned and organised the production of your film may be it may not turn out how you would prefer it to. Perseverance and patience will eventually lead to the final product coming together. Our group experienced many attempts of filming and editing, and although some times it did go adequately others we faced problems which we then had to overcome.  Our first attempt of shooting our thriller was an example of where things didn’t go to plan. We first shot our thriller at Tutbury Castle. During shooting we learnt that preparation was crucial as soon after we arrived our camera ran out of battery, limiting us to doing only inside shots. However, we still gathered as much footage as possible and tried to get a range of different shots so that we could experiment with them during the editing. As well as doing pan shots and zooms whilst the camera was on a tripod we also did handheld shots as we believed it would add some effect to our thriller as it would put the audience into the view of the characters within it. However once watching the footage back we found some of the shots were to shaky effecting the quality of the overall film. The camera which we used to film was new to the group as all of us had used different types of cameras but not specifically this one. Throughout filming I learnt how to adjust the settings on the camera to focus change things such as the saturation and the exposure. 

After a group discussion we decided that although Tutbury Castle was a perfect location for  what we wanted it was too difficult to access regularly especially as we thought we would have needed to go back on numerous occasions. Therefore we changed our location to a local church and grave yard in Attenborough. This was an easier location to access for the entire group. We then shot again, learning from our previous mistakes we made sure the camera was fully charged before setting out. We also made sure that the majority of the shots were done on the tripod so they would definitely be steady, increasing the quality. 

Being a group of 4 we wanted to divide the tasks evenly so each person would be able to develop more of their skills on the editing program, Adobe Premiere Pro. Nearly all of the footage we took we edited to make it fit the conventions of a thriller more effectively. One of these included making all the clips darker, to create a sense of darkness and mystery. We made sure that all the saturation levels were the same so that non looked lighter than others, however as some of the shots were filmed at different times the natural light was different therefore we had to adapt the settings for the each clips to what time of the day they were filmed. As some were already very bright and others were quite dark. For example when my arm reachers to open the gate the camera look very over exposed. 

Also clips such as the Ouija board and table tipping were done inside and are quick shots representing a flash back of a memory from Kristina who is describing her experience. Therefore we made these shots fade in from white and fade out from white so that it is obvious to the audience that they are from a different time period. Other editing skills which we learnt throughout making our thriller included adding titles, sounds clips and slowing down clips to add effect. Throughout editing all of the skills which we used to create our final edit were new skills which I learnt through experimenting on the program. How to use Adobe Premiere Pro was the biggest learning curve for me as prior to this task I have never used a film making/editing program of the same standard.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

On a personal level I believe I have made many improvements to my overall skills and thoughts towards the creation of film production. I think that having two different groups, one for the preliminary task and one for the final product help show a range of different peoples ideas and abilities which can be passed on to others to allow people to learn new skills on all the software including editing, camera shots and angles, and the overall production of the film. In the preliminary task the first panning shot of Will, there is a noticeable glitch in the camera which decreases the quality of the film.

Comparing this to the final product which we have produced there is a noticeable change in the standard of the quality as there is no blurring or distortion when doing slow panning shots. For example when there is a slow right pan of the church. It flows smoothly and does not show any distortion.

As well as the filming being more effective my editing skills are also more advanced. Throughout our preliminary video there is less editing and most of the transitions are all straight cuts, as well as the fade at the end and the slow motion in the middle. Also throughout  our preliminary task, Will, who was in our group was a skillful editor therefore didn't often need to experiment on how to do things which meant I was restricted as I didn't often learn things for myself. The editing skills which I have shown in our final product are much more advanced as we have experimented more with the lighting of the shots, and also the way the audience view the film and what influence we can have on them through the use of editing and sound. For example, when the shot dips to white the audience can easily see that it is a flashback, leading them into somebody else’s memory, giving them the feeling of mystery and interest. The sound track of the preliminary task is just the natural sound of what actually happened. This differs entirely from the final product as all of the sound on it is through effects and no natural sound apart from the voices between Kristina and Emma are used. We believe that this creates more tension for the opening of our film, which is conventional of a thriller opening. Adding music to our thriller is another example of how my skills have developed, before this task, I have never had to find any copyright music and had import it onto our film. This is something which I have developed to do and in future would be able to use my skills to create more advanced filming and editing effects.

Final Edit

Editing the Final Edit
All four of us tried to contribute equally to the editing of the thriller. Depending on college timetables, we all tried to make the majority of the editing a group decision where we all shared ideas. However sometimes this wasn't always possible therefore sometimes an individual focused on the editing, then somebody would later pick it up. Not all of the group had the most adavanced skills on Adobe Premier Pro, therefore we all had to experiment with the programme and researh certain things which we were unable to work out. For example, we wanted to make some of the clips darker to create more suspense and to fit the thriller opening convention, dark lighting and shading areas. Therefore we had to darken the clips, which non of us knew how to do. Therefore we researched how to do it on Youtube, because we all could see how it was done we all gained new skills throughout. The deadline for the Final Edit came closer than we imagined. Therefore towards the end we were slightly rushed for time to get the editing exactly how we wanted. Me, Emma and Kristina spent all of our time throughout the day to get it finished, we all stayed after college to insure it was how we wanted. The computers which were avalible to us to edit our thriller weren't always responding leaving a lot of time waiting for the programme to load and respond.

Re-filming for the Final Edit
After gathering feedback for our first draft, we took the comments into account and decided to re-film some of the footage to increase the overall quality of our thriller. We also wanted to improve the audiences experience when watching the thriller, therefore we added a bigger range of shots and angles to help increase tension and suspence, conventional of a thriller opening. We re-visited Attenborough Church numerous amounts of times. However being a group of 4 it was hard to find a suitable time which didn't conflict with other commitments, where we all had enough time to film. On the first day when we went back Emma was unable to come to attenborough which elongated how long it took to film as Me, Kristina and Louise all were actors in the thriller therefore we had to set the camera in position and then continue to film. The second time we went to Attenborough Louise was unable to attend, this raised a big issue for our thriller as she was an actor in the first shooting of the clips therefore leaving us with only two actors. The group were pleased with how the first shooting turned out therefore we didn't want to totally re-film the opening without Louise in it. Therefore we tried to get as many shots as possible which we still could use even though Louise wasn't there.

Feedback From First Draft
After uploading the video to our blogs the whole class did some peer assessment and gave eachother feedback on good points and areas which we could improve to make our thriller better.

After watching our thriller some of the feedback which suggests areas which we could improve includes:

• Adding a sound track to help build tension
• Make it longer so it covers the full 2 minutes of the opening
• Make some of the shots more steady as some are slightly shakey
• Adding more credits into the opening can help elongating it
• Making some of the shots lighter as some are slightly dark
• Give more suggestions of the links between the narrative and the shots in the opening

All of the feedback our group agreed with and we decided that to improve our thriller and to give create the best effects for the audience we were going to add in all of these things.

Draft Edit

Editing the First Draft

In our group we all realised that we needed to be more organised and plan our out time so that we had plenty of time to re shoot and make suitable changes if we aren't happy with how our thriller has turned out. We realised that after the second time of shooting we didn't have as much time as we would have liked to edit our thriller and make the changes which we wanted to. However we still tried to get as much done as possible. Our group spent a lot of time deciding on what to do regarding the transitions, we used a lot of quick cuts, as they are conventional of a thriller opening sequence. We also used a fade at the beginning between the gravestone and the establishing shot of the church. Also adding in the titles we decided on a font and how they will interact with the scene. After the group decided we uploaded our first draft onto Youtube then uploaded it onto our blogs.

Second Shooting

Because the first set of shots which we collected from Tutbery castle weren't as good as what we wanted them to be we decided to re-shoot to get better shots to add to our thriller. As Tutbery Castle is hard to get to regulary as it is a fair drive away from us, we had to think twice about shooting there and just changing our location totally. After brainstorming other places which we could use, where the storyboard could stay the same instead of having to make changes to the actual story as well as the location. We decided to go for Attenborough Church to re-shoot our thriller as it is local to us so it is easy to get to if we need to go back again in future.

New location

Even though we hoped to set our thriller at Tutbery castle as we thought the shots would be really effective, however because the shots didnt work, we decided to go for a local church, which although isn't the same as Tutbery would still collect some effective shots. As the church was locked we couldn't collect any inside shots from the church, this creates some problems as the mise en scene is obvious if set somewhere else than a church. The inside shots we did at Emma's house and we did birds eye view shots so we didn't get the background in so it wasnt obvious of where we were, and that we werent in a church.

Props

The props that we used included a candle, the matches which are next to it in the photo we will use to light the candle. The ouija board which is shown in our story board will be a quick flash shot with a glass running over it. There will also be a simliar shot for when the table tipping. The picture bottom left is the table that we will use for this. The final photo of the glass will be in numerous shots when they run over the ouija board and the table.

Filming Day 1

Me and Emma went to Tutbery Castle to record as many shots as possible for our thriller. As the setting which we wanted to film our thriller was about an hour away, our group was planning on going to the Tutbery Castle, filming as much footage as possible then editing what we have afterwards. However we faced some problems which meant it was not possible to get all the footage we needed for our entire clip.

We took many shots which would be very effective and were suitable for what we wanted in our thriller. Unfortuatley the footage that we took, when put together wouldn't work.

When we arrived at Tutbery Castle the camera which we had at the time had run out of battery, therefore only allowing us to do inside shots, of things such as the ouija board and glass moving. Because the camera was on charge we were unable to attach the camera to the tripod which meant we had to do all the shots hand held. For our thriller we werent aiming on having all footage done by handheld camera, like films such as paranormal activity. When the camera was charging we didn't want it to get too dark that we wouldnt be able to film anything of the outside as we had travelled to get there. Just for extra footage we decided to get some shots on a mobile phone, which had a good camera on it. Obviously this would also not attatch to the tripod, however we thought it would still work. However when we uploaded all of our footage onto the computer the footage which was on the phone was on its side, therefore once rotated was not the right proportions. Meaning it would be useless for our thriller as the footage from the different cameras didn't match, and were all shakey. Our group decided we were going to go re-shoot the filming again as we now knew what we needed to do to improve our footage. However, as the location which we chose to film in was exclusive and quite far away it was hard to find an oppourtunity to go back to Tutbery castle. Therefore the group started questionning whether we were going to need to change the location, but try and follow the same storyboard as the original.

Questionnaire

Me and Emma devised a questionnaire which we asked as many as people as we could find at the time, including the people in our class, teachers and friends. From the questionnaire we analysed the results and we will make suitable adaptations to the ideas about our opening to try and make it suitable for the target audience and what they prefer to see in the opening of a thriller. We presented our results in pie charts to make it clear which answers were the most popular.

1. Are you male or female?

After gathering the results for our questionnaire although the results were nearly equal between males and females there were slightly more males.

2. What age group do you fit into?

We asked people there age to try and determines who were most interesting in the thriller genre, therefore aiming our thriller towards them and what they prefer. From the 20 people who answered out results 15-25 year olds were the most popular group.

3. Is the thriller genre a genre which you watch regularly?

From the results we can see that more people watch thrillers quite often more than people who don't watch them often.

4. What sub-genre of thriller do you enjoy watching? (can choose multiple)

Popular choices from the group of people who we asked included horror, mystery and crime. Other choices however did not seem as popular which helps determines the sub genre which we should go for when filming our thriller.

5. Do you prefer to know the main story line in the first two minutes of the film or be left questioning?

Most people would prefer to have subtle hints into the main story line of the film instead of having it easily given away or being totally unknown.

6. Do you prefer more dialogue in the beginning of the film rather than just sound?

In the thriller genre sound is important to build tension for the beginning of the film. People in the questionnaire said they prefer there to be more sound in the opening rather than dialogue. Which will help build tension for our opening.

7. Is there a particular setting which you like a thriller to be shot in? (if yes please state where)

More people weren't particular about a certain setting. Most people suggested that they like settings which are unknown, to add mystery and tension.

8. Are there any particular factors which you like to see in the opening sequence to a thriller?

There were many suggestions to what people like to see in the opening sequence to a thriller. Suggestions included having a montage of clips, a lot of close ups to add mystery to the setting of where they are, quick snappy shots which creates excitement. The one which was suggested numerous time included the clip being mysterious and building tension for the rest of the film.

9. Name a thriller you particularly enjoyed watching.

People chose a range of different thrillers which they enjoyed watching, some of these included, Seven, Signs, Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, Black swan, Fight Club and Case 39.

Codes and Conventions of the Thriller Genre
Each opening for each genre of film each follows certain codes and conventions of that inparticular genre, this helps set the atmosphere and foreshadows ideas about the storyline in the introduction of the film. In the thriller genre the codes and conventions which it follows helps build tension and suspense for the audience. Mise en scene, sound, music and editing all contribute to the atmosphere created for the audience. Some of the conventions which are included for the opening sequence of the thriller include:

• Quick snappy shots which adds to the excitement for the rest of the film
• Edits are quick, most often straight cuts, which make the opening fast paced and add to th e atmosphere for the opening
• Music often is loud, and tempo increases throughout the opening until reaching a climax
• the lighting is often dark, and usually creates shadows adding to the mystery of the thriller

Location

Our group has decided to go with a paranormal thriller, so we have decided to go for an old castle as the setting for our thriller. Emma from our group's Mum owns a company called Haunted Happenings, so our group has decided to go for one of the venues which they hold there events. Tutbury Castle is where we will film, we have tried to base our storyboard around where were going to film even though we haven't visited the castle. Haunted happenings do ghost hunts including things like glass moving, ouija boards and table tipping. In the opening of our thriller we are going to include clips of this.
http://www.hauntedhappenings.co.uk/






Props
Ouija board
Glass
Table (for table tipping)
A candle and a match

Actors
Because our thriller is moslty based on paranormal activities we do not need many actors as they isn't a lot of dialouge or acting needed throughout the clip. However to build up tension we used some actors to establish the setting and the storyline of the thriller. The actors that we used included:
Lizzie Tye

Kristina Lowe

Louise Alvey

Thriller - Planning

Firstly our group started by making a list of some ideas which would suit the thriller genre. Ideas including someone being chased, a stalker victim, and a hostage. When we had our list of ideas we decided to go for a paranormal thriller. One of our group members (Emma Ford) mother's owns a business called 'Haunted Happenings' We decided to take advantage of this and use one of her venues, Tutbery Castle, where she holds events as the set for the opening to our thriller. We then created a mind map, which is seen in the picture above, about the smaller details which will be in our thriller. In our mind map it included the camera shots angles and positions, the cast, the mise en scene, the sounds and editing. Everything which is going to influence our opening to the thriller.

After gathering all of our ideas we started designing storyboard which, when filming, we will follow.

Storyboard

The first shot will be of the gates of
Tutbury Castle which is where all our filming will take place. It will be a straight shot of the gates, which slightly jolts. This will be followed by a very quick flash from a birds eye view of lots of pairs of hands on a table, as if they are about to do table tipping. The room will be low lit which will hep build suspense for the audience. After the quick flash of the shots it will cut back to the gates which will be opening, the camera will then move through the gates asif walking through them. In the background you will be able to hear footsteps. The shot will then pan left to some gravestones, setting the scence for the audience. The camera then zooms in headstones, being able to see the writing. This will also add horror to the scene as it makes it obvious to the audience what the film is potentially about. The shot then pans right across the front of the mansion.

The shot will then cut to the front of the mansion door, it will be a straight shot. The shot will stay the same but people will walk onto the shot and open and walk through the door. Similar to the previous shot of the table tipping, there will be a quick flashing image of a ouija board, the flashing images foreshadows what is going to happen in the rest of the film. The shot will then go through the door and there will then be a slow panning shot of the first room which you walk into. Half way through the slow pan of the room there will be a flash of a glass with two hands touching it at the top moving really fast across the table. There will then be an establishing shot of the castle which will jolt.

Opening Credits, The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

(up to 2 minutes)

The Dark Knight was directed by Christopher Nolan and was produced in 2008. The story line follows Batman, and other people trying to serve justice as they are faced with an anarchist causing trouble throughout Gotham City.

Editing

There is many uses of editing throughout the opening of the The Dark Knight, this helps create tension for the audience. The first shot of the production company logo, DC Comics is black and dark, it is followed my what looks like an explosion but instead of being orange like fire it is also black and grey, which creates a feeling to that audience about darkness, it also links to the title. Many cuts are used throughout the opening scene. The quick cuts make the audience feel like there is a lot of things happening all at one time. The cuts switch from different locations, starting at the building where the window is smashed then the floor then back to the multi-store building, followed by the car. It builds up tension for the audience as they know that everything is going to merge together making one ultimate climax, however the audience are unsure what that is going to be.

Camera shots, movement and positioning

The camera work is very important in helping build tension in the beginning of a film. In this film there are many different camera shots,, movement and positioning which help build tension for the film. The first shot is an establishing shot of the roof of a building, surrounded by other tall buildings, instantly setting the scene for the audience is in a city. However it makes the audience question why they are on the roof and not on the ground. The camera pan forward slowly zooming in on one particular building, the audience then questions what is important about this building. Then when the window suddenly breaks it becomes obvious to the audience that something unexpected is going on inside of the building. When the shot has been cut onto the inside of the building the camera pans left around the back of the man, this allows the audience to see that there is two men wearing masks, which automatically makes the audience think that there is a crime. As there are two men it makes the crime seem bigger than just one person, this creates tension for the audience as they are in suspense about what the crime is. An over the shoulder shot is used of the man shooting the wire across each of the buildings, the over the shoulder shot also allows the audience to see some of the room which he is in. This makes it clear to the audience what is happening. It also makes the audience realise they have some high-tech equipment suggesting that this is an important action. Also suggests to the audience that they are not amateurs and using the equipment easily suggests they have done it before. The shot then cuts from the room to somebody standing on the ground, the camera is behind them, his face is totally hidden and gives no clues to the audience, this creates mystery for the audience as they begin to question who he is, his relevance and why he is there. The mask which the camera zooms in on which is in the persons hand leads the audience to make a link, therefore them knowing that he is a part of the crime. An example of when a long shot is used includes when the two people are using a sky wire between the two buildings. The long shot allows that audience to see the height of where they are, making the audience see that the people are not afraid of danger as they can see its high up and dangerous.

Mise en scene

Mise en scene creates the atmosphere for what the audience can see in the opening of the film. In the thriller genre it often helps to build tension and suspense for the audience. The most noticeable and important piece of costume used throughout this scene is the clown mask. It straight away implies to the audience that they are the criminals as they are trying to hide their faces. It gives a clear impression that the people are going to commit a crime, the gloves also imply the same thing. The car which pulls up to pick up the man who is on the ground seems like quite a big car, this suggests that there is more people involved that the three people we have already seen. The car does not seem expensive which could reflect the people involved's wealth, or that they are trying to fit in. When the people are in the car the light is low lit, and more natural light, this creates shadows over the peoples faces making their identity even more hidden. However you can see that they have a small hand gun which showing wherever they are traveling to may involve violence. This creates tension for the audience as they are eager to know where they are going. Also when the camera changes the audience can see that the man in the front seat is also preparing a gun, this suggests that it may be soon when they are going to need it building suspense for the audience.

Opening credits, Thir13en Ghosts

(First 2 minutes)

Thir13en Ghosts was directed by Steve Beck in 2001, a remake from the original produced in 1960 by William Castle. The story line follows a unique collector's nephew as he investigates some of his late uncle's collections unaware one these is a group of ghosts. The opening sequence to film leaves many questions for the audience leaving a sense of mystery and tension, typical of the thriller/horror genre.

Editing

One of the factors which helps create tension throughout the opening to the film includes the use of editing. The first shot which is of the Columbia advert, a well-known producer and distributer company. Normally the shot is colourful with warming colours, however an effect is used which makes the colours dingy and dark, almosts seems like grey scale is used. This instantly creates a feeling of unhappin

ess and negativity for the audience, as the first shot is made to seem dull implying the rest of the film is going to follow a similar feeling. The font in which the credits are written in are bright, fiery orange which contrasts to the dark background which are shown throughout the opening shots of the film. The relevance to fire suggests to the audience that fire might have a relevance in the rest of the film. When the title 'Thir13en Ghosts' comes on the audience instantly makes a link to fire and ghosts, suggesting hell, implying to the audience that evil is going to be in the film. Another use of editing which is used in the film includes the fades. There is a fade used from one set of cars to another, this makes the audience feel surrounded as there is a lot of broken cars round them. The dark atmosphere and cars creates a scary atmosphere for the audience as there is a lot of things for somebody or something to hide behind, or possibly for them to hide behind.

Mise en scene

The cars which are surrounded by the audience is all part of the mise en scene which is another factor which helps create tension and questions from the audience about the film. The setting is quickly established as straight away the audience can see that they are in a car scrap yard. Even though the audience are aware where they are it still creates questions, why are they there? Also it is obviously night time as it is dark which makes being in a scrap yard more unusual. Making the audience wonder why they are there so late. The mise en scene also relates with the editing. As the lorry breaks through the gates there is a burst of sparks. This links with the font of the credits as there are more factors which implies fire has an importance. The audience can see the big black cars, which are all the same and have an orange logo on the side of the door. This suggests to audience that even though the have broken in to the scrap they are still a professional business and are obviously there for something important. This creates tension as they wonder what is so important that they have to be there at night and in such a hurry. This idea is supported when the people all get out of the cars as they are all dressed in the same black coats and boots. The uniform creates a feeling of authority for the audience, which they relate to the police or FBI. This suggests that there is a crime or something which is not right happening, explaining why it is important that they are there.

Camera shots, movements and positioning

The camera positions, movements and shots help create the atmosphere for the audience which the mise en scene is trying to create. There are a range of different shots used throughout the sequence. The first shot which is used is at a low angle looking up at a car which is dangling. Instantly the audience can see that it is night time as the can see the sky, also that they are in a car scrap yard. The camera circles, giving the audience a detailed view of what is around them. A high angle is then used to show the lorry and cars which come in to the scrap yard, being at a high angle allows the audience to see all the vehicles in the same shot. A close up is used of the car window as it pulls up, it is a tinted window, which adds suspense for the audience as they are eager to know who is going to come out of the car. Once the people are out of the car and they have opened the car boot an over the shoulder shot is used which allows the audience to see the equipment which they have. This suggests more than the FBI as they have high-tech equipment suggesting something scientific. This creates more question for the audience as there first impressions were obviously incorrect. A shot which is used which helps create the ergency of the task includes a mid shot of the bottom of the people's legs. They are running which suggests whatever they are doing has to be quick.

Sound

As well as the visuals which are used sound is a key factor in building suspense and tension for the audience. When the clip begins there is no non-digetic music and all the audience can hear is the wind. When the credits come on there is a sound effect which is used emphasising them. The digetic sound is throughout the clip until the people get out the car. Then a sound track is used. Which starts quite quickly from the beginning but as more people are around and running the pace picks up and gets louder which follows the feeling of ergency and importance. It creates tension from the audience as it makes them question whatever they have to do are they going to complete it successfully as it seems like the climax of the song is approaching.

Opening Credits, Se7en

Se7en - Opening Credits

The film Se7en, produced in 1995 and directed by David Fincher follows two detectives through the investigation of a serial killer using the seven deadly sins as his motive. The opening sequence to the film builds tension, and suggests ideas to the audience about the rest of the film.

Camera shots, movement and positioning

Camera work is one of the factors which helps build tension in the opening sequence. Extreme close ups are used widely throughout the clip. At the beginning of the clip the first shot is an extreme close up of the top of a thick book with a hand blurred in the background. The audience first question the relevance of the book, what book it is, why they are reading it and who is reading it. However the shots are quick and quickly cut to the next shot in a matter of seconds. Leaving the audience little time to create more questions just based on the book as the next shot is of a pair of a hands, which seem old as they are wrinkled and fingers are bent. Throughout the entirety of the clip all of the shots are close ups and there is no establishing shot which is typical of films to set the scene for the audience, however having no establishing shot helps build tension throughout the opening sequence as it creates more questions and possible answers about where and who they are. On the other hand some shots do give hints to the audience about possibilities of the film. The shot of a picture of a dead man suggests to the audience a crime has commenced therefore, could be at the crime scene or at the view of the investigator. There are many shots of writing and texts in a book, however they are from different angles. Whilst the man is writing the shot is from the side, seeing the pen as it touches the paper, however further on in the clip shots of the text are from behind as if you are looking down to read the book. This suggests the different perspectives of the film, and possibly the detectives as they are trying to approach the case from all angles. Near the end of the clip there is a panning shot of many books on a bookshelf, this suggests to the audience the opening shot is in a library. Already from the first sequence the audience knows that books and writing is a main theme throughout the film.

Sound

Another aspect which helps build tension through the opening sequence is the use of sound. Throughout the clip there seems to many different layers sound track. There is a constant base in the background which is continuous throughout the entire clip. Which consists of two beats and then a cymbal. What overlaps this continuous beat however is what helps build tension as it is constantly changing in pitch and tempo. At the beginning of the clip it starts with the what seems like an explosion or a harsh sound which then introduces the background sound. This explosion time sound also carries throughout the clip. It often is followed by a scream, which sounds female, which is a contrast to the picture which is seen on the screen as it is male, suggesting to the audience that there is more than just the one murder. Towards the end of the clip the tempo increases and a heavier base comes in. This makes the audience feel something is about to happen and the music is building up to the climax. Then the base cuts out and there is one line of lyrics, where a male voice says 'You get me closer to God' this line is shown right after the word 'God' is cut out of a newspaper article. Suggesting to the audience that the film is going to have a religious influence.

Editing

Editing is important in the opening sequence for Se7en. There any many edits which are repeated throughout the clip to create effect. Quick straights cuts are used widely throughout the clip. Allowing the clip to show a lot of different shots in a short space of time. Which seems ironic as the audience gets shown a lot of clips yet still knows little information about the film as nothing is established. The cuts often show the same thing from a different angle, for example when the fingertips are holding the small blade, three cuts are used but show the same thing only from a different angle, this links in with the idea of seeing the film from different perspectives, like the detectives are trying to do. The quick cuts also creates excitement for the audience as they are quick and fast, which could relate to the killer as they obviously haven't captured him if they are still investigating the murder, suggesting he is quick and is out smarting the police. Another edit which is used throughout the clip is when the shot in the screen seems as if it is jumping. Which typically in a film would not be expected as normally they run smoothy. However the jumping is done purposely to create a feeling for the audience of uncomfortableness as it makes the clip seem rigid and disturbed. Which follows the theme of the film as somebody unknown has caused eruption, as the police haven't found them yet.

Mise en scene

Mise en scene is a key factor in portraying a feeling for the audience. In the film Se7en mise en scene is used to create tension for the audience. The mise en scene leaves an unclear view for the audience and the clips leave many lingering questions. This is used as an effect for the audience as it leaves them in the unknown and left questioning, helping to build tension. The close ups and dim lighting creates the mystery of what, who and why the shots which are chosen have been used as the opening sequence to the film. For example throughout the clip the books which have shadows on from the hands which are opening, reading and writing in them creates tension for the audience as they want to know the relevance of the book, and what book it is.

Planning Preliminary Task

On the 18th of January we started planning ideas for out prliminary task. Will was absent from our group so me and Frankie started drafting ideas. The ideas we came up with ranged throughout genres, icluding thriller, rom-com and comedy. We eventually came up with an idea which we then drafter on a storyboard, making notes thourhgout on camera angles, sound and dialouge.

The setting would be in a coffee shop where it seems like a normal day.

An establishing

shot ofr the coffee shop

would open the sequence, then a man (Will) would walk on to the camera and put his hand out to open the door. The camera would then zooe in onto Will's hand, making it an extreme close up of Will opening the door to the coffee shop. The camera would then do a straight cut to a mid shot of a woman (Frankie) at the tillsw, buying herself a coffee, strugling to carry all the things that she has in her hands. The camera then pans to see the woman walking swiftly towards the exit as if she is in a hurry. As she's waloking towards the camera it is a long shot. Then a cut back to Will who just entered the coffee shop. A quick cut is then used to a side shot of both Franki

e and Will you see them both bump into each other

resulting in Frankie spilling her coffee on herself. The shot then cuts to a close up of Frankie's face when she realises that her top is ruined. She looks up at Will, wh

ere he then uses the first peice of dialouge. As he speaks it is an over the shoulder shot, over Frakies shoulder on Wills face, then alternates as she replies. All in a mid shot. After a breif conversation she barges past hime, like she really h

as to be somewhere, and she walks out the door. Frankie is in a long shot, however Will is close to the camera so you can see his reaction as she walks out the door.
Dialogue:

W: Hey

F: Hi

W: I'm so sorry, will you let me buy you another?

F: Just move!
The sound throughout the back of the clip starts with normal digetic sound, of background people in the coffee shop. When Will and Frankie bump into eachother typical romance music comes on as they both look up at into each others eyes making the audience believe it will be the typical film where they fall in love. Howeber when she says 'Just move!' the music cuts out, sounding like a needle down a record played, to show the shock from Will as she was rude to him. The followed by the background noise coming from people in the coffee shop as she walks aw

ay.

Day 1 filming

On the first day of filming we made sure that we had all the appropriate props, such as a coffee cup whcih Frankie would use to spill on herse

lf. We used to lower site cafeteria in school as it has a til which looks similar to one which people would find in a coffee shop. We filmed the beginning of the sequence which included the establishing shot of the coffee shop, will grabbing the door handle, and him walking into the coffee shop. When trying to view the shots we had just taken they wouldn't play. After experimenting with the camera and re-recording shots after changing the settings on the camera we were still unsuccessful. Therefore we went back to the classroom to find hyelp from the technical team. He advised us to use a different camera, however time was pressing short and w

e wouldn't have had time to record the whole sequence, with the help of other groups for the background people in the coffee shop. Therefore our group decided we would start again at the beginning of next lesson, and check the camera to mak

e sure it works properly.

Day 2 filming

On the second day we realised that there were similiar story lines which we could follow which would be easier to film than our first peice, which would require less props, extras and less editing. Therefore we came up with out second story board which had a similar story line however different setting.

The first clip will be of Will, who will be walking towards the camera, down the corridor. It will be a full body shot until he eventually gets to close then the camera will pan round and follow him as he gets closer to the door. When he gets close to the door the camera angle will cut to the other side of the door where you can only see Will through the glass in the door. This will be followed by another cut which will be an extreme close up of Wills hand pushing the door to open it. There will then be a long shot of Wills whole body coming through the door. There will then be a cut to Frankie who will be deep in concentration at her phone whilst walking towards the door. At the last second before Frankie notices she is going to bump into Will she looks up and notices that there is going to be a collision. There will be a close up of Frankie’s shocked face. The shot will then be from the side getting both of their bodies in full perspective to see them bump into each other. These shots will be quick and will jump cut very fast to show how fast they were going when they bumper into each other. There is then a slow motion shot of all of Frankie’s books and work falling to the floor by their feet. They both pause then both rush down to try and pick up the folders, this is at a low angle and is a mid shot but you can see their whole bodies and Frankie’s work on the floor. There is then a side, long shot of both of them looking closely at eachother, making eye contact as if they are both bedazzled by each other. Will then starts the dialogue, it is a mid shot of Will allowing the audience to see his emotions and facial expressions.

‘Hey’

Will says it in a slightly surprised tone.

Frankie then replies, within the same shot, a mid shot, however holding her folders.

‘Hi’

She replies with a sarcastic tone The shot then cuts back to Will where he is apoligising. With a slight stutter as he is embarrassed he walked into her.

‘I, I’m really sorry’

Frankie’s reply then shocks Will, as he expects her to be understanding however she comes across rude.

‘You gonna’ move then,

Frankie then barges past Will and opens the door, you can see the back of Frankie over Wills shoulder, allowing the audience to see Wills expression as she is walking away from him. Will then carries on walking the way he was going in the first place, and the door closes behind him, you can see Frankie walking out through the crack of the door then through the glass. It slowly fades out.

Day 1 editing

After completing all the filming which we needed for this task. We then uploaded our clips onto Adobe, where we then began editing. As a group we all contributed ideas of things we could edit in to improve our task. We also overcome hurdles together as non of us were very familiar with the program. Eventually after experimenting with different ideas and figuring out the program we completed our preliminary task.

The Final Product

Overview

Overall I believe our group worked very well as a team. Even though Will wasn’t present on the first day of planning, everyone made lots of contribution towards our video and the thoughts and ideas behind it. I think our preliminary task does shows many different camera positions, angles and movements. Including, low angle, over the shoulder, panning, extreme close up and long shots. If our group had more time I think background sound or music would improve our piece. I think the idea about sound in our first storyboard would have still fit with this sequence. Therefore if we could improve I would suggest adding music.