Group Planning
My group consist of three members, Kane Faulkner-Wild, Malu Pillai and myself. Group meetings are essential so that our group can come together weekly with different and new and improved ideas for our sequence that we may have thought of in our own time and want to share with the rest of our group. Group planning is essential to carry out in our groups because it helps us to stay organised and gives us the opportunity to discuss and evaluate all our group members ideas. Group planning also helps to develop ideas as all the group members can combine all the different individual ideas to produce better ideas.
In our first group meeting on the 13th of October we discussed each members of the groups individual narrative and their ideas for our own opening thriller sequence. Here we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of all the members different individual ideas and figure out how we could portray them into making a successful short thriller clip. We evaluated each members narrative and picked out the conventional parts of a thriller film in all of the ideas. We then tried to combine all of the ideas together to come up with our final group narrative. We took the idea of the forest setting from Kane's individual narrative. The idea we took from my own individual idea was the idea of using an unusual cannibal antagonist. We finally looked at Malus individual narrative and found that she also included a cannibal idea and a forest setting. Therefore we came to the definite decision of a cannibal antagonist as this is quite an unusual narrative and we we're going to film this in a forest setting. We decided that a forest setting was conventional to the thriller genre as it makes the characters seem vulnerable.
In our second meeting which was help on the 24th of October we discussed what sort of image we wanted to create in our opening sequence and what our final narrative would be. This is where we created our final group narrative of a group of friends who lose their dog in the forest and split up to find it, this is where the unidentified cannibal who is in fact one of the friends attacks the rest of the group. We wrote down and brainstormed all our different ideas onto paper and started to begin thinking what we would include in the different elements of thriller : cinematography, mise-en-scene, editing and sound. On this meeting we came up with the idea that we wanted low key lighting during our sequence and also wanted to use tense background music and also sound effects that would create jumpy parts to scare the audience. We also decided that we would use a close up shot and sharp sound effect on the reveal of our antagonist as this is a key part of out sequence. We discussed within the group our favourite thriller films and why these where our favourites due to the different elements included in them.
In the third meeting which was on the 6th of November we had a discussion on mise-en-scene. This included discussing lighting and colour, costume, iconography, settings and positioning of characters. The main ideas we come up with from our discussion was a forest setting, low key lighting throughout our sequence, we will put our characters in normal casual clothing so the audience can relate to them and identify the as students as this is hoe we want to represent the characters. The only use of iconography we decided to use was the dog, this is because due to our cannibal antagonist idea we don't need a use of weapons.
The next meeting we would have was for a discussion on editing techniques and this was held on the 10th of November. We looked through our books on the notes we had made previously on different editing techniques and when they were used and in what way to make an effect on the audience. The editing techniques we decided were most effective was montage editing and filters. We felt these were effective because the montage editing creates tension and makes the audience feel on the edge of their seat and the filters created an eerie and unsettling look. We also decided that the timing of the shots were very effective as they decide what feeling to give towards the audience and create suspense and scary parts for the audience which is conventional to the thriller genre.
In the next group discussion we was discussing sound. On a piece of paper all the members of my group brainstormed what sound techniques we found the most effective combined with the different shots of our opening thriller sequence. The techniques we came up with was diegetic and on screen sound as we can see where the sound is coming from which can sometimes portray a more frightening moment for the audience. We also all agreed as a group that sound effects were very effective in a thriller film, especially using a high pitch sharp sound effect on the reveal of our antagonist as this will scare our audience which is a convention of thriller films. We brainstormed on a piece of paper and wrote our ideas under four different headings which where non- diegetic sound, parallel sound, off screen sound and diegetic and on screen sound. We decided we would include all these different elements of sound in our own opening thriller sequence.
Our final group meeting was held on the 12th of November and we had a discussion on characters. We discussed how many characters we want to include and what they would be like, look like and what their background information would be. We decided that our own sequence would include 6 characters including me and Kane and 4 of our own friends from our media class. We decided we wanted to represent our characters as they are, students and of our same age group of 16 and 17. We decided to do this because the audience can relate to them as we have a target audience of teenagers roughly the same age as us as we have included elements that we enjoy ourselves so therefore will hopefully have the same effect on our audience. We decided that I would play the cannibal antagonist and Kane would be my victim. We decided that the other 4 characters would be our friends who reveal the narrative and that I am the antagonist and then be involved in a chase scene which is conventional to the thriller genre because it keeps the audience on the edge of their seat and creates tension in the opening of our thriller sequence.
{Table}
Group meetings and discussions are imperative to carry out as it gives us time as a group to develop concentrated ideas and also time to improve them. It helps us to plan out our thriller so it is as professional as it can be and so there is limitless amount of mistakes. I think that my group worked really well together as we stuck to all of our ideas unless we improved or developed them in some way. We was constantly discussing how we could improve our ideas and thinking of ways to make our thriller production better.
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Individual Storyboards - Miss Miller
Individual Storyboard
In the last page of my storybaord it includes frames 17-20 and this is where all is revealed to the audience about what has happened and who the real antagonist is. Frame 17 is an over the shoudler shot as the two friends who heard the scream find kane laying on the floor whilst I am crouched over his body. To the audience this looks as though something unintentionally has happened to Kane and i am trying to help him. The two friends slowly walk up to me and kane as a piece of very tense music is played to present tension for the audience. The next frame 18 is a close up shot of my face, this is where the audience will realise i am a cannibal and the antagonist. I will have blood round my mouth and it will be evident to the audience that I have attacked kane. During this quick shot I have planned for a sharp high pitch sound to be played to create a shock element for the audience and to hoepfully make them jump. Frames 19 and 20 will be long shots to show the audience all of the friends panicing and trying to escape. This is the chase scene that we have planned to include in our group narrative. A chase scene is convetnional to the thriller genre because it makes the audience feel on the edge of their seat as the audience are left wondering whether the antagonist will catch the victims or not. This is where we have deicded to end our opening thriller sequence so that it is left of a cliff hanger for the audience.
We have created individual storyboards so that all the members of my group can put their own ideas into their own storyboard and include the different things that they think will work effectively such as lighting, sounds, cinematography and editing. I think that parts of my storyboard are very successfull and will be good to include in our final group storyboard. This is because it contains some conventional thriller elements and will create shock,supense,suprise and tensions for the audience. I think having our own individual storyboards will help us as a group when we draw our final group storyboard as we can all bring together our ideas and figure out what shots, lighting and editing techniques will be the most effective for our final opening thriller sequence.
The purpose of a storyboard is so that my group can visualise and start to piece together what our opening thriller sequence will look like. This will make it easier for our group to stay organised and understand what different shots, sounds and lighting tones we will use and where will we put them to create shock,suspence, suprise and tension. By creating a storyboard with all the features that will be added to it we can start to imagine in our group whether the shot will work effectively.
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| Frames 1-4 |
In my storyboard page 1 this is the very opening of our opening thriller sequence. This is where I have included mostly panning shots and close ups. My first frame is a simple panning shot to show the setting of the forest. The next frame will be a high angle shot which zooms in gradualy showing the characters entering the forest. Then the next two frames are two of our characters having a converstaion. I decided to include this because it gives our scene a sense of reality and makes it seem more realistic as the characters would be expected to be having a conversation whilst taking a walk in the forest. All of our shots have low key lighting as it will be filmed in the late evening and we want to make the atmosphere seem gloomy and dual. This is conventional to the thriller genre because low key lighting is used to create an enigma and it could also represent the antagonist or in our case the dark side of one of the characters as the audience doesnt know that the antaogonist is really one of the characters at this point. I've decided not to use any background music in these beginning frames as I believe the natural sounds of the forest in the dark will create an enigma and sense of foreboding for the audience.
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| Frames 5-8 |
In my next storyboard page 2 which includes frames 5-8 I have used mainly long shots excluding frame 5 were i have included a panning shot. Ive decided to use a panning shot here to show the narrative so the audience understand that the characters are on a dog walk in the forest. In frames 6-8 this is where the narrative starts to begin as Kane starts to play fetch with the dog. Frames 6 and 7 are showing the dog running after the stick and in frame 8 it is a repeated shot of Kane throwing the stick for the dog. I felt as though a couple of shots showing the dog bringing the stick back to Kane needed to be included so the audience wasnt suspicious and understood that the dog was capable of bringing the stick back. Therefore when the dog doesnt bring the stick back for a second time this will make the audience think that something bad may have happened to the dog. I've decided to still use low key lighting in these frames as nothing very important is happening in these frames and therefore a high key of lighting isn't neccessary. Also jsut the simple sounds of nature, dog barking and conversation will be heard in the background. This is so the audience do not suspect anything and makes the scene seem more realistic. This is conventional to the thriller genre because usually in thriller films they try to make everything seem calm and realistic before something bad happens to create more of a shock element for the audience.
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| Frames 9-12 |
Frames 9-12 include of my 3 page of my storyboard. This is where the narrative starts to get interesting and things start to take a turn for the worst. In this part this is where the audience may start to get a sense of something bad happening to the characters which is conventional to the thriller genre as the characters try to build a relationship with the audience so that when bad things happen to them they feel sympathetic and shocked. Frames 9 and 11 are panning shots which show a wide stretch of the empty forest to represent the dog isnt going to come back. During these shots a piece of tense background music will be played to create tension, I hope to include a sound with a heartbeat effect to represent this as Kanes heart as he fears for his dogs safety. Frame 10 is a mid-shot of Kane calling for his dog through the forest, this is to show the audience that Kane is no longer in control and begin to believe that the dog is really missing after she doesnt come back for a while. Frame 12 is an over the shoulder shot of Kane informing the other characters that they need to split up in the forest to find his dog. In this shot we can hear Kane talking but see the facial expressions of the other characters which is conventional to the thriller genre as usually the facial expressions of the characters seen in the shot are important. Here I have decided to use high key lighting, this is so that it is easier for the audience to see what is happening and so that they can easily spot different facial expressions of the characters.
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| Frames 13-16 |
This is the 4th page of my storyboard and this includes frames 13-16. During these frames this is where the characters split up into pairs and search different parts of the forest for Kanes dog. I decided that frame 3 is a vital shot. In this shot I have decided to include a mid shot of Kane telling me to come with him. I believe this may make the audience start to think that Kane is suspicious and may be a secret antagonist as he might have set all this up to prepare for an attack on me. However this will heighten the shock element when the audience find out I am really the antagonist. Frames 14 and 15 are long shots to show two different groups of pairs searching different parts of the forest looking for the dog. These shots are imperative just to make sure the audience are aware of the narrative and what is going on in the scene. Scene 16 is where the audience will first find out that something has gone wrong. I have included a close up shot of two of the characters faces whilst they are searching for the dog in a different part of the forest to me and Kane. However they hear a scream that sounds like its come from Kane, the close up shot will show their shocked facial expressions as they hear the scream from behind them. This is conventional to the thriller genre because its a clear representation of how the characters feel which helps the audience relate to them and help them to build relationships.
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| Frames 17-20 |
We have created individual storyboards so that all the members of my group can put their own ideas into their own storyboard and include the different things that they think will work effectively such as lighting, sounds, cinematography and editing. I think that parts of my storyboard are very successfull and will be good to include in our final group storyboard. This is because it contains some conventional thriller elements and will create shock,supense,suprise and tensions for the audience. I think having our own individual storyboards will help us as a group when we draw our final group storyboard as we can all bring together our ideas and figure out what shots, lighting and editing techniques will be the most effective for our final opening thriller sequence.
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Planning Opening Credits - Miss Georgiou
Planning Opening Credits
The Style of Credits
The style of credits gives the atmosphere a jagged and hazed feel. This is because the font mirrors a child like style of handwriting and the credits appear on the screen all over the place and slightly blurred. This represents a mental and unstable character in the film. Also when the credits appear on screen there is short flashes of light on the words which makes them look as if they are being repeated and that they are not fully disappearing. This could relate to the antagonist in the film to give the audience the idea that the antagonist won't just disappear but will carry on killing victims. This helps add to the mental and unstable aura of the antagonist that the credits is trying to exemplify to the audience.
The Use of Thriller Conventions
A popular convention of thriller films is an unidentified or hidden killer/antagonist. This is ultimately to present an enigma and make it hard for the audience to build relationships with the antagonists. This convention is also portrayed in the opening credits of Se7en. The images used in the opening credits are extreme close up images which only ever show irrelevent parts of the body for example a finger or an eye. However these images create mystery and suspense as the audience feel there is a certain focus on these images and therefore this makes them think deeper into it. The images in the opening credits never show any characters or faces which makes the audience anticipate who the antagonist will be and this makes them more likely to want to watch the film. Another convention portrayed i the opening credits of Se7en that is conventional to the thriller genre is the iconography shown in the images. The iconography includes images of someone drawing in a book, a sharp blade and photos of the victims. These are conventional to the thriller genre because we usually expect the antagonist to plan his murder before the happening occurs.
The Order of Appearance
The order of appearance is important in the opening credits because it is what the audience take notice of. Therefore most films produce an order with the most popular names of actors near the front which will be appealing to the audience as a big actor they like may feature in the film and therefore this is the first thing they will see. The order of appearance in the opening credits to Se7en is production company, director, actor, title of film, actors continued, casting, music, costumes, editors, production, camera operator, co-producer, producer, writers and director. The reason for the repetition of the directors name at the end of the sequence is because the director is quite famous and recognisable. By having his name repeated twice it will be more obvious to the audience to notice it and recognise him. This may make the audience think that the film may be as good as other films he has produced in the past and therefore make them more likely to want to watch the film.
This is Kane's design idea that he created to use as part of our thriller sequence. I find that there are both many strengths and weaknesses to Kane's opening credit design idea. A strength of Kane's idea is the faded red colour underneath the title. This resembles blood which is conventional to the thriller genre and would give the audience an immediate understanding that our own thriller production may include blood and weapons which is a key convention of thriller films. This would help to create suspense as it would intrigue the audience as they would want to know who's blood it is and also the cause of the blood whether it is a person, animal or other being which may persuade them to want to watch the film. I also think faded black colour in the four corners of Kane's design idea is also effective. Black can represent many things in the thriller genre such as pain, evil and mostly death. This could represent that death may be included in our film which will make them sense the blood and the death could be linked and this may cause suspense to make them want to watch the film. Some weaknesses of Kane's design idea could be that the title itself could stand out more which would possibly make his design look more effective. He could maybe put a white fill instead of an outline which would make the title more bold and make it more eye-catching for the audience. Another weakness in Kane's design idea is that the font style and appearance doesn't really resemble the setting of our thriller piece whereas if it did this could be more effective. For example the pale beige brown colour used in the background could be a darker brown or musky green to resemble our setting of a forest. This would help the audience to understand a little knowledge of our film or make their own conclusions of the film before watching it which could be effective and ultimately make the audience more eager to watch our film. Overall I think Kane's idea of using the blood surrounding the font worked really well in giving the audience an idea of our thriller film and its narrative and I think it would have fit in well. However I believe that using this style credit for each credit entering the screen may look to much and a bit messy to have over our film.
This is Malu's design idea that she created for the opening credits to our thriller piece. There is also strengths and weaknesses that I analysed of Malu's opening credits. A strength of Malu's design idea is the characterized font on a plain black background. This is conventional because the black background makes the font bold and eye-catching which instantly catch the audiences attention and makes them wonder about the film as it doesn't give too much away about what may be included in the film. She has also included a blur effect over the font which may resemble a unclear and mysterious character or idea which may be part of the sequence. There has also been a yellow green colour inserted over the top of the font to resemble or setting of a forest however as this isn't entirely clear the audience could make there own interpretations of the colour scheme and what it may resemble as this also builds the intensity and keeps the audience anticipating. Due to the colours representing the forest being in the middle of the black background this could interpret danger being surrounded by the forest and also the people in the middle of the forest such like the font may be in danger. This would make the audience paranoid as they wonder who in the forest may be in danger and why. A weakness of Malu's design idea is that the font may be a bit small and unclear and it could be improved to make it more bold and to immediately stand out to the audience. I think that she could maybe do this by making the font a bit bigger and maybe adding a white or bright coloured outline around the font to ensure that it would stand out against a harsh black background. Overall I think that Malu's design worked really well and she thoroughly thought out her methods in interpreting the setting and danger of the characters into her font and credits and I think that he credit would fit in with the genre and narrative of our opening thriller sequence.
Opening credits are important in an opening thriller sequence because they inform the audience of the title of the film and also the starts that appear in it and directors and other important people that feature in the film. It also introduces the style and genre of the film and gives the audience an idea of what they should expect when watching the film.
This is the opening credits used in the thriller film Se7en (1995) directed by David Fincher. We analysed the different conventional elements to a thriller film and also analysed what we as an audience found out from the opening credits.
This is the opening credits used in the thriller film Se7en (1995) directed by David Fincher. We analysed the different conventional elements to a thriller film and also analysed what we as an audience found out from the opening credits.
Colour Scheme
The colour scheme used in the opening credits of Se7en is quite conventional. The black and white colour scheme represents good and evil theme but also the lack of colours presents a dark atmosphere. The colour black connotes darkness and also mystery which is conventional to an antagonist of a thriller film. Also the black connotes the evil antagonist whilst the white colour connotes a good protagonist.
The colour scheme used in the opening credits of Se7en is quite conventional. The black and white colour scheme represents good and evil theme but also the lack of colours presents a dark atmosphere. The colour black connotes darkness and also mystery which is conventional to an antagonist of a thriller film. Also the black connotes the evil antagonist whilst the white colour connotes a good protagonist.
The Style of Credits
The style of credits gives the atmosphere a jagged and hazed feel. This is because the font mirrors a child like style of handwriting and the credits appear on the screen all over the place and slightly blurred. This represents a mental and unstable character in the film. Also when the credits appear on screen there is short flashes of light on the words which makes them look as if they are being repeated and that they are not fully disappearing. This could relate to the antagonist in the film to give the audience the idea that the antagonist won't just disappear but will carry on killing victims. This helps add to the mental and unstable aura of the antagonist that the credits is trying to exemplify to the audience.
The Use of Thriller Conventions
A popular convention of thriller films is an unidentified or hidden killer/antagonist. This is ultimately to present an enigma and make it hard for the audience to build relationships with the antagonists. This convention is also portrayed in the opening credits of Se7en. The images used in the opening credits are extreme close up images which only ever show irrelevent parts of the body for example a finger or an eye. However these images create mystery and suspense as the audience feel there is a certain focus on these images and therefore this makes them think deeper into it. The images in the opening credits never show any characters or faces which makes the audience anticipate who the antagonist will be and this makes them more likely to want to watch the film. Another convention portrayed i the opening credits of Se7en that is conventional to the thriller genre is the iconography shown in the images. The iconography includes images of someone drawing in a book, a sharp blade and photos of the victims. These are conventional to the thriller genre because we usually expect the antagonist to plan his murder before the happening occurs.
The Order of Appearance
The order of appearance is important in the opening credits because it is what the audience take notice of. Therefore most films produce an order with the most popular names of actors near the front which will be appealing to the audience as a big actor they like may feature in the film and therefore this is the first thing they will see. The order of appearance in the opening credits to Se7en is production company, director, actor, title of film, actors continued, casting, music, costumes, editors, production, camera operator, co-producer, producer, writers and director. The reason for the repetition of the directors name at the end of the sequence is because the director is quite famous and recognisable. By having his name repeated twice it will be more obvious to the audience to notice it and recognise him. This may make the audience think that the film may be as good as other films he has produced in the past and therefore make them more likely to want to watch the film.
My Groups Opening Credit Design Ideas
Each member of my group including me created our own opening credits to our thriller sequence. We created these credits on the programme Final Cut Pro X. We interpreted all our ideas into these credits before showing them to our group members and analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each others work.
This is an example of the opening credits I created for my own thriller sequence. The title of our film is Devour so I tried to make this stand out the most. I done this by making the title font bigger in size than the rest of the subtitles and also by changing the colour to red. This is not only conventional to opening thriller credits due to the main focus of the title but also due to the title being in red. Having the title in the colour red is conventional because the colour red usually represents blood, pain, brutality and death.
The positioning of the title in the middle makes it clearly stand out well and also shows the audience that this is clearly an important part to the sequence and gives them an understanding of what out sequence may be about and gets them thinking about what they may expect to see. The different titles will come in from different directions of the scene. This kind of represents the chase scene in our sequence, this is because the antagonist is the big and powerful being who chases the victims into different directions. This could represent the antagonist being the title "DEVOUR" and the other pieces of information such as the subtitle and actors names will come in at different directions.
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| My Design Idea |
These are my other group members opening credit design ideas:
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| Kane's Design Idea |
This is Kane's design idea that he created to use as part of our thriller sequence. I find that there are both many strengths and weaknesses to Kane's opening credit design idea. A strength of Kane's idea is the faded red colour underneath the title. This resembles blood which is conventional to the thriller genre and would give the audience an immediate understanding that our own thriller production may include blood and weapons which is a key convention of thriller films. This would help to create suspense as it would intrigue the audience as they would want to know who's blood it is and also the cause of the blood whether it is a person, animal or other being which may persuade them to want to watch the film. I also think faded black colour in the four corners of Kane's design idea is also effective. Black can represent many things in the thriller genre such as pain, evil and mostly death. This could represent that death may be included in our film which will make them sense the blood and the death could be linked and this may cause suspense to make them want to watch the film. Some weaknesses of Kane's design idea could be that the title itself could stand out more which would possibly make his design look more effective. He could maybe put a white fill instead of an outline which would make the title more bold and make it more eye-catching for the audience. Another weakness in Kane's design idea is that the font style and appearance doesn't really resemble the setting of our thriller piece whereas if it did this could be more effective. For example the pale beige brown colour used in the background could be a darker brown or musky green to resemble our setting of a forest. This would help the audience to understand a little knowledge of our film or make their own conclusions of the film before watching it which could be effective and ultimately make the audience more eager to watch our film. Overall I think Kane's idea of using the blood surrounding the font worked really well in giving the audience an idea of our thriller film and its narrative and I think it would have fit in well. However I believe that using this style credit for each credit entering the screen may look to much and a bit messy to have over our film.
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| Malu's Design Idea |
In our opening sequence we are planning to have our opening credits give information on the title, actors names, director, director of photography, editor and also the producer. All the different opening credits will come in order of importance. We will have the actors names first and we will also make sure our title isn't the last credit to appear as this resembles a trailer. The opening credits will all come onto the screen in a different direction that the one before . This is to resemble the chase scene in our sequence and the unstableness and vulnerability of the victims. Just like Se7ens opening credits where the credits appears jagged and looked as if they was all over the place on the screen to resemble the unstable and mentality of the antagonist.
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Planning Characters - Miss Miller
Planning Characters
Characters are important in any film as they carry out the narrative and give the audience a clearer understanding of the scenario. The planning of characters before producing our own opening thriller sequence is imperative so that all of the group understand the image we want to create and also the different characters and personlaities we want to display in our production. Characters help to build a relationship with the audience as they can relate to what is happening in the film.
We have planned to include 6 characters in our thriller sequence. This includes 2 main characters (Myself and Kane). I will be acting as the antagonist and Kane will be acting as the victim. Then 4 other characters that will act as our friends. These are Maisie, Beck, Stacey and Billy.
Character Roles:
Bettie (Antagonist)
I will be playing the role of the antagonist in our thriller sequence. I will be represented as a typical 16 year old girl who is a student out for a walk with her friends. For the majority of the sequence until the attack I will be acting as a normal girl who does usual daily activities such as hanging out with her friends and walking the dog. This is conventional to the thriller genre as I will be able to build a relationship with the audience. This is due to me typically being the same age of the viewers and living similar lifestyles as our target audience is stereotypically the same as our characters. We have made sure of this so that the audience can relate to the characters and imagine themselves being in their situation, this also heightens the shock elements for the audience as they can imagine how they would personally feel if this was to happen to them. Also the audience are shocked as they have built a trusting relationship with my character as they believed that I was so similar to them, therefore when I reveal that I am the antagonist they will be shocked that they have been fooled. However my character is also unconventional in some ways to the thriller genre. My character being a teenage girl and also being the antagonist is unconventional, this is because the audience would expect the antagonist to usually be male and of an older age because of their strength and power. However my group planned that by using this unconventional element that it will heighten the shock and surprise aspect of our piece as this is not what they would normally expect. We think by having my character as a regular teenage girl that it will help engage with the narrative as due to their young and vibrant personalities it will make it seem more interesting and compelling.
Kane (Victim)
Kane will be playing the role of my victim in our thriller sequence. Just like my character Kane will be represented in exactly the same way. As he is presented as a friend of mine he will live a similar lifestyle and have a similar personality. This is because we want the audience to have a sense of familiarity in the sequence and notice that the group are good friends, this is so that when everything is revealed they are also more shocked that I would murder my own friend. Kane being the victim is unconventional to the thriller genre as the antagonist is usually male and the victim is usually female. We planned by having the gender of the characters the opposite way round it will make the audience more suprised when they find this out which is a conventional element of thriller films. Kane is a young boy which will make the audience who is also of a similar age be able to relate to him and build a trusting relationship with him. This is also a good thing as when the audience witness Kane in danger they will start to feel fear and sympathy with him. Also due to the familiar age the audience would be able to imagine themselves in that situation therefore the impact on the characters will have a harsher impact on the audience as they could imagine themselves in that situation.
Characters Before & After Pictures:
Bettie:
Before
Kane:
Before:
After:
In conclusion I believe that our characters challenge the conventions of the thriller genre by having a male victim and a female antagonist. We expect the male to have more strength and power and to usually be the antagonist who focuses on a weaker and more vulnerable female however we have challenged these conventions to hopefully make a unique thriller with an interesting narrative which will hopefully intrigue a wider range audience to create a successful opening thriller sequence.
Characters are important in any film as they carry out the narrative and give the audience a clearer understanding of the scenario. The planning of characters before producing our own opening thriller sequence is imperative so that all of the group understand the image we want to create and also the different characters and personlaities we want to display in our production. Characters help to build a relationship with the audience as they can relate to what is happening in the film.
We have planned to include 6 characters in our thriller sequence. This includes 2 main characters (Myself and Kane). I will be acting as the antagonist and Kane will be acting as the victim. Then 4 other characters that will act as our friends. These are Maisie, Beck, Stacey and Billy.
Character Roles:
Bettie (Antagonist)
I will be playing the role of the antagonist in our thriller sequence. I will be represented as a typical 16 year old girl who is a student out for a walk with her friends. For the majority of the sequence until the attack I will be acting as a normal girl who does usual daily activities such as hanging out with her friends and walking the dog. This is conventional to the thriller genre as I will be able to build a relationship with the audience. This is due to me typically being the same age of the viewers and living similar lifestyles as our target audience is stereotypically the same as our characters. We have made sure of this so that the audience can relate to the characters and imagine themselves being in their situation, this also heightens the shock elements for the audience as they can imagine how they would personally feel if this was to happen to them. Also the audience are shocked as they have built a trusting relationship with my character as they believed that I was so similar to them, therefore when I reveal that I am the antagonist they will be shocked that they have been fooled. However my character is also unconventional in some ways to the thriller genre. My character being a teenage girl and also being the antagonist is unconventional, this is because the audience would expect the antagonist to usually be male and of an older age because of their strength and power. However my group planned that by using this unconventional element that it will heighten the shock and surprise aspect of our piece as this is not what they would normally expect. We think by having my character as a regular teenage girl that it will help engage with the narrative as due to their young and vibrant personalities it will make it seem more interesting and compelling.
Kane (Victim)
Kane will be playing the role of my victim in our thriller sequence. Just like my character Kane will be represented in exactly the same way. As he is presented as a friend of mine he will live a similar lifestyle and have a similar personality. This is because we want the audience to have a sense of familiarity in the sequence and notice that the group are good friends, this is so that when everything is revealed they are also more shocked that I would murder my own friend. Kane being the victim is unconventional to the thriller genre as the antagonist is usually male and the victim is usually female. We planned by having the gender of the characters the opposite way round it will make the audience more suprised when they find this out which is a conventional element of thriller films. Kane is a young boy which will make the audience who is also of a similar age be able to relate to him and build a trusting relationship with him. This is also a good thing as when the audience witness Kane in danger they will start to feel fear and sympathy with him. Also due to the familiar age the audience would be able to imagine themselves in that situation therefore the impact on the characters will have a harsher impact on the audience as they could imagine themselves in that situation.
Characters Before & After Pictures:
Bettie:
Before
After:
Kane:
Before:
After:
In conclusion I believe that our characters challenge the conventions of the thriller genre by having a male victim and a female antagonist. We expect the male to have more strength and power and to usually be the antagonist who focuses on a weaker and more vulnerable female however we have challenged these conventions to hopefully make a unique thriller with an interesting narrative which will hopefully intrigue a wider range audience to create a successful opening thriller sequence.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Planning Editing Styles - Miss Georgiou
Planning Editing Styles
This is a picture of my groups planning and ideas on what different editing techniques we want to include in our own opening thriller sequence.
Different editing styles are extremely important to include in a film because they create different elements such as shock, surprise , suspense and tension. These different elements help to keep the target audience engaged and also these help to show shots in a different manor and help the audience to understand what genre the film may be from. For example slow editing may be used in a thriller film as it is conventional as this creates tension and suspense as the audience anticipates what will happen next and whether the characters will survive different situations. Also the different editing techniques have different impacts on the audience therefore our planning needs to be executed perfectly for our thriller film to be successful and have the most effective impact on our audience.
The first technique that my group planned to include in our production is slow editing. We decided to include this when the characters are all searching for each other through the forest. We decided to include this type of editing at this point because it will create a lot of tension and suspense as it will make the audience anticipate what will happen next and also give them a sense of foreboding as they don't know what to expect or whether the characters will find each other or whether something bad will happen to them first. It will build up the suspense as the audience become more curious and on the edge of their seat as they are eager to know what will happen. This type of editing technique is conventional to the thriller genre because of the high elements of suspense and tension that it will produce. The tension that will be created due to the slow editing will engage the audience and also start to make them feel nervous and paranoid as they want to know what happens next. Also due to the slow editing, the audience will be able to see clearer images of the characters and their facial expressions and body language that will also help them to engage and build a relationship with them.
The second technique that we have planned to use in our opening thriller sequence is the fade technique. We will be using this technique at the end of our piece. We have decided to use this technique at this point in our thriller production because it will create a cliff hanger effect for our audience. This is because it wont present to the audience what will happen next and this will make the audience frustrated but also create an enigma as it creates a mysterious atmosphere as the audience are left wondering what the final result is. This technique is conventional to the thriller genre because it builds tension and suspense. It also creates an enigma as when the scene fades out to black it represents the ending of the scene, so therefore when the production is left with the unknowing understanding of whether the remaining characters survive and escape or whether they are the next victims it will leave the audience on the edge of their seats and eager to watch more as they have already engaged with the narrative. Also this will make the audience paranoid and worried for the characters as they have built a relationship with the characters and now have the option to fear for them as they don't know what will happen to them next.
The third technique that we have chosen to include in the opening to our thriller sequence is montage editing. This is when shots are quickly juxtaposed together to create excitement and panic. We have decided to use this at the part of our piece during our chase scene near the end of our piece when all the characters are running in different directions trying to find a way out. Chase scenes are conventional to the thriller genre as they are a exciting but also nerve-wracking and there is usually one in most thriller films. This is because it creates tension, suspense and also shock when something is revealed towards the end. During the chase scene this editing technique will create a better opportunity for the audience to build a relationship with the characters as it will show them feeling very fearful and expressing a lot of panic. This will make the audience feel sympathy and fear for the characters as they know that this sort of situation can only end positively or negatively where the characters will experience, pain brutality or death. Including this technique for our chase scene will engage the audience as they will experience the first piece of excitement from our piece and this will keep them hooked and make them want to carry on watching the film to see what happens next.
In conclusion I have found that planning the different editing techniques that we want to include in our own thriller sequence very helpful and beneficial. This is because it gives us the ability to create the sort of theme and atmosphere we want to create and also to plan the different impacts we want to force onto our audience at different points. It also helps us to realise the different elements we will be creating by just changing the speed, pace and positioning of our editing techniques. This is helpful for our group as we will understand beforehand what technique we want to use to help us create a different emotion for our target audience. We are hoping by following our planned techniques it will help us to create a successful opening thriller sequence.
This is a picture of my groups planning and ideas on what different editing techniques we want to include in our own opening thriller sequence.
Different editing styles are extremely important to include in a film because they create different elements such as shock, surprise , suspense and tension. These different elements help to keep the target audience engaged and also these help to show shots in a different manor and help the audience to understand what genre the film may be from. For example slow editing may be used in a thriller film as it is conventional as this creates tension and suspense as the audience anticipates what will happen next and whether the characters will survive different situations. Also the different editing techniques have different impacts on the audience therefore our planning needs to be executed perfectly for our thriller film to be successful and have the most effective impact on our audience.
The first technique that my group planned to include in our production is slow editing. We decided to include this when the characters are all searching for each other through the forest. We decided to include this type of editing at this point because it will create a lot of tension and suspense as it will make the audience anticipate what will happen next and also give them a sense of foreboding as they don't know what to expect or whether the characters will find each other or whether something bad will happen to them first. It will build up the suspense as the audience become more curious and on the edge of their seat as they are eager to know what will happen. This type of editing technique is conventional to the thriller genre because of the high elements of suspense and tension that it will produce. The tension that will be created due to the slow editing will engage the audience and also start to make them feel nervous and paranoid as they want to know what happens next. Also due to the slow editing, the audience will be able to see clearer images of the characters and their facial expressions and body language that will also help them to engage and build a relationship with them.
The second technique that we have planned to use in our opening thriller sequence is the fade technique. We will be using this technique at the end of our piece. We have decided to use this technique at this point in our thriller production because it will create a cliff hanger effect for our audience. This is because it wont present to the audience what will happen next and this will make the audience frustrated but also create an enigma as it creates a mysterious atmosphere as the audience are left wondering what the final result is. This technique is conventional to the thriller genre because it builds tension and suspense. It also creates an enigma as when the scene fades out to black it represents the ending of the scene, so therefore when the production is left with the unknowing understanding of whether the remaining characters survive and escape or whether they are the next victims it will leave the audience on the edge of their seats and eager to watch more as they have already engaged with the narrative. Also this will make the audience paranoid and worried for the characters as they have built a relationship with the characters and now have the option to fear for them as they don't know what will happen to them next.
The third technique that we have chosen to include in the opening to our thriller sequence is montage editing. This is when shots are quickly juxtaposed together to create excitement and panic. We have decided to use this at the part of our piece during our chase scene near the end of our piece when all the characters are running in different directions trying to find a way out. Chase scenes are conventional to the thriller genre as they are a exciting but also nerve-wracking and there is usually one in most thriller films. This is because it creates tension, suspense and also shock when something is revealed towards the end. During the chase scene this editing technique will create a better opportunity for the audience to build a relationship with the characters as it will show them feeling very fearful and expressing a lot of panic. This will make the audience feel sympathy and fear for the characters as they know that this sort of situation can only end positively or negatively where the characters will experience, pain brutality or death. Including this technique for our chase scene will engage the audience as they will experience the first piece of excitement from our piece and this will keep them hooked and make them want to carry on watching the film to see what happens next.
In conclusion I have found that planning the different editing techniques that we want to include in our own thriller sequence very helpful and beneficial. This is because it gives us the ability to create the sort of theme and atmosphere we want to create and also to plan the different impacts we want to force onto our audience at different points. It also helps us to realise the different elements we will be creating by just changing the speed, pace and positioning of our editing techniques. This is helpful for our group as we will understand beforehand what technique we want to use to help us create a different emotion for our target audience. We are hoping by following our planned techniques it will help us to create a successful opening thriller sequence.
Friday, 7 November 2014
Planning Mise- En-Scene - Miss Georgiou
Planning Mise-En-Scene
Mise-en-scene is important in the production of any film as mise-en-scene simple means everything that appears in the scene. This includes the setting and iconography, facial expressions and body language, lighting and colour, character representation and costume and makeup. Without these elements in the film it would be very plain boring and unprofessional as these are key things which make a film enjoyable for the audience to watch. There are certain elements of mise-en-scene which are conventional to the thriller genre, for example a knife for iconography and a hidden identity such as a mask for the costume and makeup. These sort of things help the audience to understand that the film is of a thriller genre and to make them aware that there will be scary parts of the film.
Setting and Iconography
Me and my group have planned to set our thriller sequence in a forest. We decided to set it in a forest because it is a conventional thriller setting and it is what the audience would expect. Straight away from our setting the audience will understand that our film is part of the thriller genre and will instantly be on the edge on their seats anticipating what will happen. We feel that the forest setting is the perfect setting for our thriller film as it is a wide open space which will make the characters feel vulnerable but it can also be seem as a dark and gloomy place at night time which will instantly give off a sense of foreboding which is what we want to create for the audience. Due to our narrative of a cannibal attack our film has a lack of iconography. However we have chosen to include a dog in our sequence to make it seem more realistic and relatable. We will be throwing a stick for the dog to build tension before the dog goes missing and everyone has to split up to look for it. This sort of action is a casual daily action which most of the audience will be able to relate to. We therefore chose this so the audience can feel as though they are almost part of our film and imagine themselves caring out this normal action. This is conventional to the thriller genre because they usually try to include realistic relationships and scenarios to make the film seem more relatable to the audience.
Facial Expressions and Body Language
Our group narrative is quite imaginative and unique and therefore our facial expressions and body language will have to be heightened to create the correct atmosphere and ideas that we want to present as a group. There will have to be many different facial expressions portrayed from our characters to ensure that the audience are aware of what is happening. The first imperative facial will be from Kane. He has to start becoming aware that something isn't right when I goes missing from helping him look for his dog. Kane has to portray a suspicious but worried look as he starts to notice a dilemma. His body language will also have to be quite reserved and reluctant as he wont want to make himself overly noticeable. Once I have jumped in front of Kane and shown myself his facial expression will be critical as this will be a shock moment for the audience. It will be one of our moments which will make the audience jump, so therefore Kane has to show the audience he is genuinely shocked and frightened. This will also make the audience surprised as they wouldn't expect me to be the antagonist of the film. I will also have key elements of body language and facial expressions that I will have to portray to make our thriller sequence successful. I will have to ensure that near the beginning of the scene that my body language is as normal and casual as I can make it to make sure that the audience don't suspect anything and try to make it easy for them to relate to me. This should be an easy task as our target audience are people of our own age group therefore our body language should be similar to their daily basis body language. However as the film goes on my body language will have to become stranger and make the audience suspicious. To ensure this I will have to make sure my facial expression are emotionless and make the audience feel as if I am possessed or there is something wrong with me. Also when I am being caught by one of the other characters I will have to make facial expressions which will make the audience feel as if I have ulterior motive which is what we want them to expect so they are surprised for the next jumpy part of our film. We are also hoping it will build tension for the audience.
Lighting and Colour
Our group have decided to use low key lighting and mostly dark colours. We have decided to do this as it gives an all round eerie and gloomy vibe and will make the audience feel a dark aura. We have decided to film our production at around 4 o'clock as due to the weather and the times at this moment it gets quite dark early and therefore we can use the natural light which will make it seem more realistic. The low key lighting that we will be using is conventional to the thriller genre because it connotes mystery and suspense. It will make the audience immediately understand that the film will be bleak and forlorn due to the dark colours and low lighting. This will eventually build up the tension throughout the film making the audience more paranoid which will make it easier for them to build relationships with the audience.
Character Positioning
The characters don't appear in the film until the second frame. In this frame this is where Bettie and Kane are walking through the forest in a low angle shot calling for missing dog Bella. However the characters split up and then the next shot is Freddie also walking through the middle of the forest calling for missing dog Bella. Once this has happened the next few shots include only character Kane as he is on the phone and then we hear a scream on a black screen with our title. The next shot is a point of view shot where the antagonist is positioned with her back to the camera, you can see an arm poking out which we assume was character Kane who we just heard scream. Once the antagonist is revealed we keep all the victim characters in one frame together in all the following shots and we keep the antagonist in a frame on her own to show her dominance and power and to also show the victims vulnerability which will shock the audience due to the female representation of the antagonist. This is conventional to the thriller genre as we see a clear contrast between the victims and the antagonist. In the final chase scene where the victims are being chased by the antagonist who is constantly in her own frame this will create tensions and suspense as the audience anticipate whether the victims will escape or whether they will be attack and caught by the antagonist.
Costume and Make-Up
We have planned in our group that our costume and makeup will be minimal. Our costume will be our casual clothes and our makeup will be minimal of what you would expect teenagers to wear on a daily basis. We have decided to have our costume and make-up in this way as it will make it more realistic and relatable for the audience. Also the audience wont suspect anything from our costume or make-up which will also be more of a shock when they realise that I am the antagonist as they would expect me to be a normal teenage girl. We hope to present the idea to the audience that the antagonist is unknown and is not already part of the group so that they are extremely surprised when they find out who the antagonist is. This type of minimal make-up and casual clothing is conventional to the thriller genre as they usually want the characters to seem as normal and relatable as possible so that the audience are more surprised when bad things happen to them as they expected them to just be normal people like themselves.
Mise-en-scene is important in the production of any film as mise-en-scene simple means everything that appears in the scene. This includes the setting and iconography, facial expressions and body language, lighting and colour, character representation and costume and makeup. Without these elements in the film it would be very plain boring and unprofessional as these are key things which make a film enjoyable for the audience to watch. There are certain elements of mise-en-scene which are conventional to the thriller genre, for example a knife for iconography and a hidden identity such as a mask for the costume and makeup. These sort of things help the audience to understand that the film is of a thriller genre and to make them aware that there will be scary parts of the film.
Setting and Iconography
Me and my group have planned to set our thriller sequence in a forest. We decided to set it in a forest because it is a conventional thriller setting and it is what the audience would expect. Straight away from our setting the audience will understand that our film is part of the thriller genre and will instantly be on the edge on their seats anticipating what will happen. We feel that the forest setting is the perfect setting for our thriller film as it is a wide open space which will make the characters feel vulnerable but it can also be seem as a dark and gloomy place at night time which will instantly give off a sense of foreboding which is what we want to create for the audience. Due to our narrative of a cannibal attack our film has a lack of iconography. However we have chosen to include a dog in our sequence to make it seem more realistic and relatable. We will be throwing a stick for the dog to build tension before the dog goes missing and everyone has to split up to look for it. This sort of action is a casual daily action which most of the audience will be able to relate to. We therefore chose this so the audience can feel as though they are almost part of our film and imagine themselves caring out this normal action. This is conventional to the thriller genre because they usually try to include realistic relationships and scenarios to make the film seem more relatable to the audience.
 |
| Forest Setting |
Facial Expressions and Body Language
Our group narrative is quite imaginative and unique and therefore our facial expressions and body language will have to be heightened to create the correct atmosphere and ideas that we want to present as a group. There will have to be many different facial expressions portrayed from our characters to ensure that the audience are aware of what is happening. The first imperative facial will be from Kane. He has to start becoming aware that something isn't right when I goes missing from helping him look for his dog. Kane has to portray a suspicious but worried look as he starts to notice a dilemma. His body language will also have to be quite reserved and reluctant as he wont want to make himself overly noticeable. Once I have jumped in front of Kane and shown myself his facial expression will be critical as this will be a shock moment for the audience. It will be one of our moments which will make the audience jump, so therefore Kane has to show the audience he is genuinely shocked and frightened. This will also make the audience surprised as they wouldn't expect me to be the antagonist of the film. I will also have key elements of body language and facial expressions that I will have to portray to make our thriller sequence successful. I will have to ensure that near the beginning of the scene that my body language is as normal and casual as I can make it to make sure that the audience don't suspect anything and try to make it easy for them to relate to me. This should be an easy task as our target audience are people of our own age group therefore our body language should be similar to their daily basis body language. However as the film goes on my body language will have to become stranger and make the audience suspicious. To ensure this I will have to make sure my facial expression are emotionless and make the audience feel as if I am possessed or there is something wrong with me. Also when I am being caught by one of the other characters I will have to make facial expressions which will make the audience feel as if I have ulterior motive which is what we want them to expect so they are surprised for the next jumpy part of our film. We are also hoping it will build tension for the audience.
 |
| Freddie's Body Language |
Lighting and Colour
Our group have decided to use low key lighting and mostly dark colours. We have decided to do this as it gives an all round eerie and gloomy vibe and will make the audience feel a dark aura. We have decided to film our production at around 4 o'clock as due to the weather and the times at this moment it gets quite dark early and therefore we can use the natural light which will make it seem more realistic. The low key lighting that we will be using is conventional to the thriller genre because it connotes mystery and suspense. It will make the audience immediately understand that the film will be bleak and forlorn due to the dark colours and low lighting. This will eventually build up the tension throughout the film making the audience more paranoid which will make it easier for them to build relationships with the audience.
 |
| Low Key Lighting |
Character Positioning
The characters don't appear in the film until the second frame. In this frame this is where Bettie and Kane are walking through the forest in a low angle shot calling for missing dog Bella. However the characters split up and then the next shot is Freddie also walking through the middle of the forest calling for missing dog Bella. Once this has happened the next few shots include only character Kane as he is on the phone and then we hear a scream on a black screen with our title. The next shot is a point of view shot where the antagonist is positioned with her back to the camera, you can see an arm poking out which we assume was character Kane who we just heard scream. Once the antagonist is revealed we keep all the victim characters in one frame together in all the following shots and we keep the antagonist in a frame on her own to show her dominance and power and to also show the victims vulnerability which will shock the audience due to the female representation of the antagonist. This is conventional to the thriller genre as we see a clear contrast between the victims and the antagonist. In the final chase scene where the victims are being chased by the antagonist who is constantly in her own frame this will create tensions and suspense as the audience anticipate whether the victims will escape or whether they will be attack and caught by the antagonist.
 |
| Character Positioning |
Costume and Make-Up
We have planned in our group that our costume and makeup will be minimal. Our costume will be our casual clothes and our makeup will be minimal of what you would expect teenagers to wear on a daily basis. We have decided to have our costume and make-up in this way as it will make it more realistic and relatable for the audience. Also the audience wont suspect anything from our costume or make-up which will also be more of a shock when they realise that I am the antagonist as they would expect me to be a normal teenage girl. We hope to present the idea to the audience that the antagonist is unknown and is not already part of the group so that they are extremely surprised when they find out who the antagonist is. This type of minimal make-up and casual clothing is conventional to the thriller genre as they usually want the characters to seem as normal and relatable as possible so that the audience are more surprised when bad things happen to them as they expected them to just be normal people like themselves.
 |
| Bloody Antagonist |
Planning Cinematography
Planning Cinematography
This is an example of the planning of cinematography that we will use in our own sequence. We have included the different shots we intend to use and in which parts of our clip. Planning the different shots for our thriller sequence is imperative because we need to ensure we can use certain shots to create the most effective scare points in our sequence. We need to plan to make our sequence as professional as it can be and to ensure that it doesn't look messy and unstable at any points throughout.
Cinematography is a key element in film production as it creates many different atmospheres and emotions in various film genres. They create different moods and feelings towards the audience and this is why different uses of cinematography are important for different genres. They help the audience to understand the genre of the film by changing the different shots and creating different angles and positions for us to watch during the sequence. For example a close up shot of a characters face is effective in the thriller genre as it shows characters facial expressions which are usually shocked or frightened.
This is an example of the planning of cinematography that we will use in our own sequence. We have included the different shots we intend to use and in which parts of our clip. Planning the different shots for our thriller sequence is imperative because we need to ensure we can use certain shots to create the most effective scare points in our sequence. We need to plan to make our sequence as professional as it can be and to ensure that it doesn't look messy and unstable at any points throughout.
Cinematography is a key element in film production as it creates many different atmospheres and emotions in various film genres. They create different moods and feelings towards the audience and this is why different uses of cinematography are important for different genres. They help the audience to understand the genre of the film by changing the different shots and creating different angles and positions for us to watch during the sequence. For example a close up shot of a characters face is effective in the thriller genre as it shows characters facial expressions which are usually shocked or frightened.
The first piece of cinematography we choose to use in our sequence is a low angle shot. The purpose of this shot is to show me once I have killed the victim. The shot will show me looking bigger than I am as the camera is at a low angle looking up on me. We decided to use this shot as we are hoping it portrays me as a powerful and scary character. We are hoping it does this as it will show me looking superior and in control of the situation This is conventional to the thriller genre as the antagonist is usually portrayed as superior and in control at some point of the film when things are usually going their way. Using this type of shot will help the audience build a relationship with the character as they will feel almost intimidated by me as I am portrayed as the antagonist, I am in control of the situation and therefore the audience will feel sympathetic for any characters that come in my way.
The second piece of cinematography that we have planned to include in our sequence is a high angle shot. The purpose of this shot is to show vulnerability. The shot will be used to show the characters walking through the forest and the beginning of our piece. This is to portray the sense that the characters almost don't know that they are being filmed which makes it seem more realistic but also to give a sense of foreboding. We are hoping to portray the characters as normal people which makes the atmosphere seem more realistic but also make the audience feel that something is looming and that the characters may be in danger. This will help the audience to build a relationship with the characters as they will feel on the edge of their seat as they anticipate what will happen to the characters. We decided to use a high angle shot as the high shot shows the characters looking small and almost hopeless, this is what we wanted to portray as it gives the sense of foreboding which we want the audience to feel. This is conventional to the thriller genre because the victims are usually portrayed as hopeless and out of control, this makes the atmosphere seem more dull and scarier because the audience know that if something bad begins to happen there is nothing the characters can do. This also builds tension as the audience anticipate what will happen.
The third piece of cinematography that we planned to use in our sequence is en eye level shot. The purpose of this shot is to portray casualty and make it seem more realistic to the audience. This type of shot will portray the characters having a normal conversation and it will help for the sequence to flow. The eye level shot makes the audience feel as if they are involved I'm the conversation and as if they are part of the scene. This us conventional to the thriller genre because they want to make the audience feel comfortable and secure about the characters. By making the characters seem normal and casual it makes it easy for the audience to build relationships with the characters and makes it seem more shocking when the antagonist attacks the characters. We wanted to portray the characters having normal conversation to help make our sequence seem as realistic and professional as possible.
The second piece of cinematography that we have planned to include in our sequence is a high angle shot. The purpose of this shot is to show vulnerability. The shot will be used to show the characters walking through the forest and the beginning of our piece. This is to portray the sense that the characters almost don't know that they are being filmed which makes it seem more realistic but also to give a sense of foreboding. We are hoping to portray the characters as normal people which makes the atmosphere seem more realistic but also make the audience feel that something is looming and that the characters may be in danger. This will help the audience to build a relationship with the characters as they will feel on the edge of their seat as they anticipate what will happen to the characters. We decided to use a high angle shot as the high shot shows the characters looking small and almost hopeless, this is what we wanted to portray as it gives the sense of foreboding which we want the audience to feel. This is conventional to the thriller genre because the victims are usually portrayed as hopeless and out of control, this makes the atmosphere seem more dull and scarier because the audience know that if something bad begins to happen there is nothing the characters can do. This also builds tension as the audience anticipate what will happen.
The third piece of cinematography that we planned to use in our sequence is en eye level shot. The purpose of this shot is to portray casualty and make it seem more realistic to the audience. This type of shot will portray the characters having a normal conversation and it will help for the sequence to flow. The eye level shot makes the audience feel as if they are involved I'm the conversation and as if they are part of the scene. This us conventional to the thriller genre because they want to make the audience feel comfortable and secure about the characters. By making the characters seem normal and casual it makes it easy for the audience to build relationships with the characters and makes it seem more shocking when the antagonist attacks the characters. We wanted to portray the characters having normal conversation to help make our sequence seem as realistic and professional as possible.
The fourth piece of cinematography that we plan to use in our own thriller sequence is a zooming in technique. The purpose of this shot is to emphasise on certain parts we want the audience to fixate on. For example once I have killed Kane the camera will slowly zoom into my mouth which we will make evident that it is covered in blood. We chose this shot as it will ensure that the audience realise what has happened but also it will shock the audience as it is an unusual narrative and they would probably have expected me to have used a weapon to kill him like a knife of a gun. Zooming in is conventional to the thriller genre because it builds tension and makes the audience feel scared as it gets closer, they would usually expect something to jump out and they don't usually want to see what the zooming in is leading up to as it is usually leading to a scary part of the film. We want to portray tension as the zooming in will be slow and gradual , this is because we want the audience to anticipate what has happened, we want them to wonder whether I have killed Kane or any of the other characters.
The fifth piece of cinematography that we are planning to include in our opening thriller sequence is a close up shot. This shot will be evident when the characters in the scene realise what has happened, we want to use the shots to show the characters facial expressions and to portray fear. A close up shot will ensure that the fear on the characters face will be shown. This is conventional to the thriller genre as close up shots show the clearest picture of how a character is feeling, for example a close up shot it used in thrillers to help the audience to understand how a character is feeling and to predict what may happen next. It helps the audience to build a relationship with the characters as they can sympathise and feel sorry for characters that portray fear and shock, this is how we want the audience to feel when they see the fear portrayed on the characters faces in the close up shot.
The final piece of cinematography that we plan to use is a panning technique. This is when the camera pans across the screen from side to side usually showing a long shot and showing a wide range of the setting. We will use this shot when in the forest and throwing a stick for the dog, also to show the setting and the wide open area. We want to portray that the forest is a huge open space and we want to create an atmosphere which makes the audience feel worried for the characters, we also want to make the audience feel as if the characters aren't alone. We want to make them feel as if the antagonist is an unknown presence but then reveal that it is already someone inside of the group. Panning is conventional to the thriller genre because it shows the setting and also the narrative as it is usually to show an action which requires space. For example throwing a stick for the dog. It helps the audience to build relationships with the characters as it makes them clear to see what the characters mare doing and whether they feel comfortable in the setting. We decided to include this shot as it will reveal a lot of information in one shot and will also give a sense of foreboding and create an eery atmosphere.
In conclusion this planning will help me when creating my own thriller sequence because to has given me ideas about the narrative and I have a clearer understanding of the different techniques we are going to use as a group. It has helped me to understand what different shots are effective and can make certain parts of our sequence seem more frightening which is conventional to the thriller genre. These techniques make the sequence more conventional because their different angles and speeds create different emotions towards the audience such as shock, surprise, suspense and tension. For example the panning shot can be shot at a slow pace to create tension and leave the audience wondering if something is about to pop out and scare them.
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