Wednesday 24 March 2010
Evaluation questions
Evaluation Questions
1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
2. How does your media product represent particular social groups?
3. What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
4. Who would be the audience for your media product?
5. How did you attract/address your audience?
6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing the product?
7. Looking back to your preliminary task, what do you feel that you have learnt in the progression from it to the full produc
Monday 22 March 2010
Audience
We decided that our film would have to be a 15 because it has themes of murder, but there are no guns, or sex, these are the normal guidelines for a 15
Discrimination
The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory
language or behavior.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not
promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily
accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example,
aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic
or sexualised.
Imitable behavior
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and
self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be
copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorized.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (for example,
‘fuck’). The strongest terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be
acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated
use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without
strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a
non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail.
There may be strong verbal references to sexual behavior,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable
unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is
appropriate for 15 year old.
Violence
Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction
of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to
be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also
unlikely to be acceptable.
There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence
but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and
have a strong contextual justification.
Comparing characters
The main character in our opening is much like the main character in Donnie Darko he has gone a little insane and hears the voice of "Frank" the bunny, in our opening the main character hears the voice of his dead daughter.
Thursday 18 March 2010
- We thought that you held the shots steadily all the way through were appropriate.
- We liked the way you did different angles during the scenes in the church and and the way you did closer ups and different distance shots.
- We thought your thriller material contained a lot of thriller conventions and we liked the way you used them in your footage.
- We really liked the fact you made your flashback footage in black and white, it really went with the theme of a thriller with a hint of eerieness. The footage is all in a good light and sets the atmosphere well.
- The cuts were in good places and the scenes weren't too long which kept us interested.
- The sound was good, helped with the atmopshere, was a bit repetitive, but good. We thought the little girls voice was a bit creepy, but also a bit horror like.
- The title was a bit a random, but then we didn't really understand what the narrative was clearly. The beginning title and the end title... the ends were cut off, didnt understand why?
Wednesday 17 March 2010
A coffee in the morning analysis
Thursday 11 March 2010
Feedback for our thrillers
Monday 8 March 2010
Photoshop saving
Save as web and devices
PNG 24
Tick transparency
Thursday 4 March 2010
4/3/10 Editing
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Audio Laugh
Friday 12 February 2010
Wednesday 10 February 2010
Ideas
Hev's script
Costumes
Influence
Age classification
Discrimination
The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory
language or behaviour.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not
promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily
accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example,
aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic
or sexualised.
Imitable behaviour
Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and
self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be
copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language but not excessive or unnecessary. Aggressive or repeated
use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without
strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a
non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail.
There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour,
but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable
unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is
sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is
appropriate for 15 year olds.
Violence
Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction
of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to
be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also
unlikely to be acceptable.
There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence
but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and
have a strong contextual justification.
Saul Bass
Saul Bass (May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, but he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences.
During his 40-year career he worked for some of Hollywood's greatest filmmakers, including most notably Alfred Hitchcock, Otto Preminger, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese. Amongst his most famous title sequences are the animated paper cut-out of a heroin addict's arm for Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm, the text racing up and down what eventually becomes a high-angle shot of the United Nations building in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, and the disjointed text that raced together and was pulled apart for Psycho (1960).
Monday 8 February 2010
Testing Editing techniques
Sunday 7 February 2010
Thursday 4 February 2010
Directing notes
Candles
Knife
Blood
Costume:
Hood
Black Trousers, white shirt
Characters
Villain
Victim
Girlfriend
Set/Location
Church
Forest/Bridge
Editing:
Fast cuts
Flash backs black and white
Sound:
Voice over or giggling
Diegetic sound of atmosphere
Non diegetic, Soundtrack but not all the way through
Sound breaks
Location moodboard
This is the location of our location, and where we are going to film. This is the church in a village near Sawston.
Our thriller title and Opening credits
Directing notes
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Monday 1 February 2010
Shot List
Shot 2: Then there will be a close up of the back of the mans head as he removes the hood.
Shot 3: This will then revert to the same shot as the first, as he walks towards the alter. The voice will then giggle softly, almost out of earshot.
Shot 4: Will be at an angle from the mans face, and slightly tilted up. This is when the voice will start to talk to the man "What are you doing here, your not a religious man" The man will then twitch.
Shot 5: There will then be a tracking shot which will follow him along the aisle, behind the pillars.
Shot 6: The first flashback will be a shot of the man standing with a knife in his hand. With an over the shoulder mid shot. this will last only a second and another flash will initiate the end.
Shot 7: The man will stumble slightly and move into a quicker pace towards the alter with another tracking shot. During this the voice will say "Don't go any further..."
Shot 8: There will then be 4 flashbacks one after the other, the first will be of the man's first assassination, the first shot will be an over the shoulder shot of the man and his target.
Shot 9: The next flashback will be the target turning and seeing the murderer.
Shot 10: The man will stumble more powerfully before, touching his hand to the ground. This will be a mid shot.
Shot 12: The final flashback will be him dragging the body away. From a long shot.
Shot 13: This will then be a close up of his face, as the voice says "You'll regret it..."
Shot 14: The next tracking shot he will basically be in a jog, using a tracking shot through the pillars. he will pass a man praying.
Thursday 28 January 2010
Thrillers that relate to our thriller
The DaVinci Code is a psychological thriller and relates to our project in that we have a character seeking answers.
Although this is a video game, it does relate to our thriller, as in this game you are playing through someones memory, however at the end this god talks to the person playing the puppet. So this is like the voice in ours.
Donnie Darko is another example (See below)
Smile
This student thriller has the same setting as our thriller idea, however we will make our music less repetitive and more reflective of the mood. There was not much of a hint towards the narrative, and there was no real reason for the tourist to go into pursuit of the crazed man. However this has some similarities as the priest guy was slightly crazy, and there is another sub character who is confused by his actions.
Pitch Feedback from Andrea
Your black and white flashbacks need some detailed planning.
Also ensure you seek permission from the vicar to use the church.
Also, take a look at U2-67 Smile, a previous student thriller with a similar location and concept.
Great work so far, keep going guys.
Our Logo
Our Logo is called Anarchy-Inc and the name was made by Hev and Luke, and the actual putting together of it was done by Chris.
Blog advice from Andrea
A blog in the 'excellent' category could include some of the following detail:
1. Analysis of student thriller
2. More than one detailed analysis of real thriller openings
3. Practise soundtrack for your thriller
4. Practise soundtrack for Taking Lives intro
5. Production company logo
6. Definition of thriller, outline of different sub-genres and hybrids
7. Analysis of examples of political, psychological, action thriller and crime thriller
8. Initial ideas post
9. Final idea post - for pitch
10. Influences and the thriller generic conventions you intend to explore
11. Mood board
12. Research into other films of similar sub-genres
13. Props list - with illustrations
14. Details of costumes - with illustrations
15. Location report - where you intend to film, if it is a public place then you need to consider the logistics of filming there. If it is private property you must seek permission from the owner.
16. Complete shot list
17. Completed storyboard
18. Test footage with a full explanation as to the technique you were testing and how successful the test was.
19. Details of when you intend to film (dates, times and places), who is responsible for bringing what props etc, what actors are needed and who is in charge of ensuring the actors are informed of times and locations.
20. Practise titles, consider the job titles and the names you wish to include. Do some research into titles. Look at Saul Bass as an industry expert in title sequences.
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Why Thrillers Thrive
“Why Thrillers Thrive”
A thriller is a genre of film that is characterized by fast pacing, frequent action and resourceful heroes, who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better-equipped villains. There aim is to leave you with mystery and wonder, to put you one the edge of your seat and make your heart race but with your conscience knowing that you are safe.
There are many different types of thriller. Some are supernatural, for example, centering on mystical antagonists. Others are scientific or medical in nature, forcing their protagonists to contend with biological agents or mysterious scientific happenings. Some are simply straight mysteries with clever or horrific antagonists, while others be focused on the inner workings of the legal system, environmental threats, technology, or natural disasters. One long-established thriller genre is the spy thriller, featuring an often heroic and dashing spy who must confront whichever enemy happens to be popular at the moment.
Thrillers have been around for a long time, One of the earliest 'thrillers' was Harold Lloyd's comic Safety Last (1923). Yet it’s 2010 and thrillers are still a popular genre, Why do a majority of people really enjoy thrillers as a genre over the years?
The article ‘Why Thrillers Thrive’ picks up on a really good point, seeing things that ‘consists of emotional disturbance’ that ‘we don’t experience ourselves’ in reality, gives us excitement and the trill of something being able to upset your homeostasis in an environment where you are completely safe. It gets your heart beating faster, and your mind off of other things. ‘We are safe secure, sitting in an armchair and looking at the struggle and turmoil of life through a window, as it were” Here the essay is stating that your conscience knows you are in a safe environment, you are watching an actor who is in no harm and it isn’t real. This is why people watch thrillers, because they can go through emotional journeys such as your own fears by watching them on a screen while knowing they are safe. It is also ‘thrilling’ and sensation seeking to watch other people deal with your fears, traumas and horrific situations but knowing they are safe at the same time, fright and disgust are enjoyable feelings in the framework of fiction.
Another reason why thrillers thrive stated in this article is where “some characters who have won the audiences sympathy is involved in danger” As a human being you may go through your life without someone you like or sympathies go through something traumatic, so some people may enjoy thrillers because they feel emotions they may not come across in real life. For example wanting a character to escape or wanting the traditional ‘truth seeker’ to find out the truth. Or maybe they are experiences you have been through your self, again such as the truth seeker trying to find out the truth but are far exaggerated than your own experiences, which will make feel the emotional journey that character is going throughout the film. This would intrigue the audience and really play on their emotions. Thriller is a genre that can have a plot that is very like real life, it may be far fetched but the audience can really relate to it.
So over all, this article is telling me that people enjoy thrillers for the emotional empathetic journey and the fact they can really understand what is going on, the audience can compare and relate the thriller to real life.
Thriller opening in more detail
Monday 25 January 2010
Pitch
Idea: We are going to develop Chris's idea about the assassin who hears voices that make him do things he is ignorant to.
Actors: Luke Swann, Hev Oglesby
Location: Shadowy, We will use strong colour filters to bring out the darkness in the shadows. Church
Mise-en-scene: Shadow,Enclosed Space, Hitman(Suit)/Assassin(Hood), Candles (possibly), Flashbacks with quick cuts B&W,
Camerawork: Close ups predominantly, Long shots, establishing shot, High Angle shots, CCTV Feel for paranoid ambiance.
Soundtrack for Taking Lives
Sunday 24 January 2010
Thriller Idea
Saturday 23 January 2010
Thriller Idea
Another idea i had (also about assassin/hitman sort of things) is about the protagonist hearing a voice inside of his/her head which plays with the protagonists mind, for example with one of the most powerfulgang leaders in their grasp the spirit inside lets out a highpitched squeal forcing the protagonist to collapse in pain, allowing the target to escape, but helping as in warning of a attack from the left allowing the protagonist to move out of the way and counter the punch. Also the voice can communicate much more clearly through the protagonists dreams, and has slight control of their body. I think i got this idea from a video game Assassins Creed, as this relys ona puppet system giving them complete control of his ancestors, but this will also help to set up a lot of mystery onto who the voice is.
I think i may have thought too much into this... :)
Thriller Idea
I didn't really get inspiration from any films that I watched, I just thought it up, I like the use of the church because it symbolizes sanctity and safety from evil things. I like using things that you think are good and turning them against people, like the waxwork figures in House of wax, they are something people go and see, not realising there are actual people trapped inside the wax unable to move or get out.