Film Questionnaire Results

Ages asked: (They Stated)
One 8 year old
One 10 year old
Eight 16 year olds
Three 17 year olds
Two 19 year olds
One 38 year old
One 43 year old
Two 45 year old
One 57 year old

Gender asked : (Ticked 1)
Male 8
Female 12

Martial Status: (Ticked 1)
7 were in a relationship
8 were single
5 were married

Occupation: (Ticked 1)
Student =10
Office work =4
Community Work =2
Other =4

Favorite Type Of Film: (Ticked 2)
Thriller =3
Romance =6
Horror =7
Animated =4
Musical =5
Action =5
Disaster =1
Drama =2
Fantasy =0
Sci-fi =1
Comedy =6

Total = 40

Do They: (Ticked more than 1)
Buy DVD's =13
Go Cinema =12
Watch Films Online =7
Have Sky Movies =8

Total- 40

How Many Films They Watch In a Week (ticked 1)
0-2 = 7
3-5 = 7
6-8 = 3
More Than 8 = 3

Who They Watch Films With (Ticked more than 1)
Friends =16
Family =14
Partner =11
Alone = 9

Total 50

In A Thriller What do you expect to see? (Ticked 3)
Murder = 10
Chase Scenes = 10
Stalking = 8
Fight/Violence = 12
Suspence = 13
Cliff-hangers = 7

Total 60

To Hear? (Ticked 3)
Screams =10
Wind/Storm = 9
Footsteps = 11
Heavy Breathing = 9
Silence = 11
Creepy Music =10

Total 60

Setting: (Ticked 3)
Woods = 10
Empty House = 11
Chruch = 10
Field = 10
Campsite = 9
Dark Place = 10

Total 60

Characters: (Ticked 3)
Murderers = 14
Teenagers = 14
Zombies = 4
"Halloween Characters" = 4
Victims = 14
Villians = 10

Total 60

Conclusion :
Looking out our results i have come to the conclusion that the majority of people asked were single male and female students around the age of 16. Their most favorite type of films are horror with comedy and romance films coming second. Most of the people asked either buy DVDs or go to the cinema with friends, family or a partner. We asked people on the thriller genre and what they expect to see and hear and what types of characters will appear. Suspense scenes, murders, chase scenes and violence came top on the list. They also expect to hear screams, footstep, silence and creepy music during the film. Dark empty houses and woods are the expected settings with teenagers, villains, victims and murderers being the expected characters.

Film Ideas: Sanctum (Idea 2)

A newly-wed couple are back from their love filled honeymoon to find someone from Ben's past waiting for them. Sophie discovers a hidden secret that will change her life forever.

We have chosen to film this idea because it is actually doable and sounds like more of a thriller than a horror.

Shooting Script:

Begin with a panning shot of wedding photos on a side table with other items associated with a wedding. This is to set the scene and to build tension. There will be a quiet piano playing over the shot (will be added in editing). The married couple come into shot unaware of what is about to happen. There's a dark figure in the corner who appears behind them. He comes out of the dark and reveals his face. There is a heated discussion between Ben and the man, this is when he has to tell Sophie what he has done. We will use the 180 degree rule with low angle shots during the conversation and sharp and short scenes to build the tension further,the music will lead up to a peak when there is a struggle. we will cut to a shot of outside the house with a woman's scream played over the top.

We will need 3 of 4 actors for this opening if we have 4 one will be an extra who is walking past the house or something like that.

So that we can begin filming we need to

• Take some photos of our actors in a wedding dress (or prom dress) , print them off and put them in photo frames so that we can film the panning shot.
• Collect various UN-copyrighted tracks from soundsnap.com or record our own music using a piano and guitar.
• Ask around for actors using year 12/13 performance students.
• Find a set and all other props.

Film Ideas : Sanctum

Somebody walks among us, somebody with a dark secret, a secret that he will kill for to make sure it stays hidden. No one is safe from him. Frank Terconni a lone police detective has found a trail and is now on the hunt. His life has revolved round him for 3 year, he will never let this lead run cold even if it means becoming him to find him.

"The lucky ones die first"

Setting

1. Frank's office - where his frustrating search to find the him continues.

2. The forest - where the trail takes Frank.

3. The Killers sanctum - The victims final resting place.

Music - Moonlight Sonata

Film Ideas : Sweet Dreams

Sophie Freeman has recently divorced her husband and has moved away with her daughter Angelica in search for a new life. What lies round the corner will give them their new life... but is it what they dreamed of?

ONE TWO HE'S WATCHING YOU

THREE FOUR THREE KNOCKS AT THE DOOR

FIVE SIX HE'S GOT PLENTY OF TRICKS

SEVEN EIGHT DON'T STAY UP TOO LATE

NINE TEN SWEET DREAMS
AMEN...

Setting

Scene Ideas for Sweet Dreams

1. House - Quiet, suspense scenes of victims alone.

2. Bedroom - Victim sleeps as stalker is in the house.

3. Woods - Fast paced chase scenes between victim and stalker.

4. Car - Chase scene ends with victim trying to get into car.

Music - Requiem of a Dream.

Thrillers : Audience Research

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
The BBFC is an independent company that classifies all the films which will be seen in the UK. They have been active since 1912 for cinema and since 1984 for the distribution of video for the home.

Age Classification

U - Universal - suitable for children over the age of 4. These films include positive moral framework with counterbalances to any violence and horror. e.g The Lion King.

PG - Parental Guidance - Some scenes might upset children. These films must not disturb children around the age of 8. Parents are advised to make a judgement if the film is suitable for their child. e.g Matilda.

12/12a - No one under the age of 12 can see a 12 rated film unless accompanied by an adult (12a) e.g Secret Window.

15 - No one under the age of 15 can see a 15 rated film because of the violence/language/sex or drug use that could be present in the film. e.g Pan's Labyrinth.

18 - No on under the age of 18 can see a 18 rating film because of the extreme acts violence/language/sex or drug use etc. e.g Saw.

Thriller Films
Most films in the thriller genre are 15 and above due to the storyline. They normally include fast paced action with the use of suspense, red herrings, cliffhangers and mystery. The thriller genre is a very broad genre with many sub-genres. The expected audience would be teenagers from 14 upwards into the 30's because of the modern and relevant storyline that they have. The use of violence, language and sex etc. would be moderate compared to 18 rated films as they don't have as many restrictions.

1. Se7en (Crime Thriller)
Age Rating : 18

2. The Sixth Sense (Psychological thriller)
Age Rating : 15

3. Panic Room (Psychological thriller)
Age Rating : 15

4. Silent Hill (Horror Thriller)
Age : 15

5. Secret Window ( Psychological thriller)
Age : 12

Preliminary Task Part 2

We have developed on our storyboard and the first piece of footage we recorded.

we have decided to:

• Get other people to be in the short film so that we can concentrate on the camera angles and the piece on the whole.
• Include a better pan and better P.O.V shots.

Prelim. Video 1

I feel this is a good first attempt however there are a few problems with cuts into other scenes as there are a couple of jumps. I do think that we should include the bit where Jasmine slams her hand on the table if we can make it run more smoothly.

Prelim. Video 2

I feel this is the better one out of the two becuase of the angles that we have used and it looks like to flows much better.

These videos are only plans, hopefully next time we will be given a tripod so that the shots are steady and the pans more smooth.

Film Institutions

There are many film institutions around, the vast majority come from the states. Some are more well known and successful than other.

The major institutions are:

• Warner Bros.
• New Line Cinema
• Fox
• Twisted Pictures
• Universal
• Path'e
• Sony Pictures
• Dreamworks
• Disney
• Pixar
• Paramount
• Lucas film
  

The Warner Bros. company dominates the whole market. Some of the other institutions are actually owned by Warner Bros. Other than film, these institutions work with other forms of media like music and television.

New Line Cinema

New Line Cinema was founded in 1967 and is now one of the major American film studios .They initially began as an independent film studio, it has now become a subsidiary of Time Warner (one of the world's largest conglomerates of entertainment and media) they produce and distribute their own films, however, it does so now as a part of Warner Bros. Out side the U.S New Line Cinema does not distribute it's own films, they contract other studios to do it for them such as "Entertainment Film" in the UK and "Alliance" in Canada.

New Line has been involved in all types of film genres their most famous are:

• The Lord of the Rings - Fantasy
• Austin Powers - Comedy
• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - Horror
• The Notebook - Romance
• Mortal Kombat - Action
• Seven - Thriller

Other films by New Line Cinema can be found here http://www.newline.com/archive.html

I believe New Line Cinema would be a good institution to produce, distribute and market my thriller because of all its past experience in all film genres and the directors which they have employed like Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro.

Analysis of a Thriller: When A Stranger Calls

When A Stranger Calls (2006)


Director - Simon West
Starring Camilla Belle



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUnWLdMV-ws&feature=related
( Sorry about the quality of the video...it's the only one i could find)



The young Jill Johnson is being punished by her parents after going over her allowed cell phone minutes. She is not allowed to drive or use her cell phone. She is hired to baby-sit for a couple. After showing her around, the children's parents leave, and Jill feels she can mind herself, knowing the kids are upstairs recovering from the flu. Now that she's alone she snoops around the house until she hears a loud bang. Throughout the night she is taunted with phone calls with no one on the other side. Near the end of the film she has to escape the caller as he tries to get into the house.


Analysis


Scene 1
While the credits are running there is a conversation over the phone between a man and a girl. As there is no picture so all your concentration is on the dialogue. The words used creates a uncomfortable atmosphere. The phone call then ends as the picture fades in, We are looking up at a bedroom window as if we are spying on "Stacey". This shot then pans down to eye level from left to right to reveal a fair ground . The use of the fair ground contrasts between the previous uncomfortable and suspicious environment as we associate a fair with laughter, fun and safety. We then sharply cut to two children, the camera follows them as they run through the fair, we get a group of jumpy cuts of scenes outside of the fair and on rides, this helps to set the scene and adds to the mystery as the audience expects one of the people we follow to be the victim. We keep getting panning shots of the house and window, we assume Stacey lives there. In these shots the house is in focus as the things around it are slightly blurred. We listen to further phone calls of which Stacey speaks but there is now no answer on the other side.

Scene 2
We get a sudden cut of the fair as it pans up to the Ferris wheel. We get further shots of the houses outside of the fair. There is one house that has been lit up by lights this focuses our attention, the woman is looking for her children which hints that they might be the victims. The camera pans up to a sign saying "Jesus" then cuts to a point of view shot looking at the woman we guess that this point of view shot is through the eyes of the stalker. There are many red herrings during this open scene which causes confusion, the camera shots and movements also help add to the confusion.

Scene 3
Again we listen in on a phone call while the camera is looking at the house, a nursery rhyme melody begins, lulling the audience into a false sense of security it then straight cuts to reveal a wind charm as it rattles in the wind, The camera is fixed on this for 6 seconds when a dark figure runs across the shot causing the tension to build as we can see who it was.

Scene 4
A shot of an oil well begins the last pan to the house as it goes to a low angle shot of the bedroom window this shot is the opposite of the first shot of the house when it panned away from it. A light is switched on at the window showing a silhouette of a man, he jumps down toward the ground causing Stacey to scream, this sound is played over the shots of young children on the rides unaware of what is happening, the quickness of the shots combined with the scream makes it almost unbearable to watch but make you want to keep watching. It all goes quiet as the camera looks up at the red balloon that the boy at the start was carrying float away. The Nursery rhyme begins to play again as if nothing had ever happened.

Analysis of a Thriller: No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin.

Anton Chigurh is arrested and taken to a police station, after a struggle he kills the sheriff and escapes. he acquires a get away car by killing a random driver with a high powered air gun. Meanwhile Llewelyn Moss is hunting dear on the Rio Grand and comes across a group of corpses, cars and a lone Mexican survivor. This was a drug exchange that had gone wrong.

Analysis

Scene 1
To set the story and scene the directors have chosen to use extreme long shots of the American desert. The use of non-diegetic has been used, a narrator tells the summary of the film while these landscape shots are shown. The last shot is of a police car the camera is positioned on the floor looking up at the car. Two characters walk into the shot from the left and get into the car and drive off.

Scene 2
A cut to the police station occurs to show time has moved on. The camera if looking straight at the sheriff as he speaks to someone on the phone. the golden mean has been used in this shot so that we can see the criminal creep up behind him and get him by the throat.

During the fight scene the camera movements are very smooth and doesn't have many cuts this contrast against the actions taking place and the normal use of camera angles and movements during fight scenes in other films which are more fast paced and jerky for example in Psycho. The directors have probably used this so the audience can see everything and especially the emotion in their faces.

Scene 3
In scene 3 we are introduced to a new character, before we are, the view we see is down a scope of a sniper rifle, this is a different use of a point of view shot. We then see the new character this scene is quiet up until a gunshot, a cut is made to show the effect of the gunshot. The the scene becomes quiet again as the use of his body language tells us what he is thinking. This carries on through to the next scene when he finds a group of corpses, the way he reacts might surprise the viewer because he is not shock by it. The camera follows him along the floor with shots of the bodies and panning around his feet. The scene stays quiet until he goes up to a car door, this creates tension as the audience expects something will jump out and surprise them. He finds a dieing Mexican but hardly speaks to him which he then leaves, background noise like the wind is amplified to mark the end of the scene as the suspense has now died down.

Analysis of a Thriller:Leon

Leon (1994)

by French Director Luc Besson.




It stars Jean Reno, Gary Oldman, and a young Natalie Portman in her first starring role.



Leon is a hitman living in New York City's Little Italy. His work comes from a mafia partner called Tony. His first contract that we witness is set in a hotel room where he secretly and quietly kills the "Fat Man's" bodyguards. Once he has successfully done that he hunts down "Fat Man" in his hotel room. Appearing from the darkness he gets him by the throat and commands him to ring his boss, after this he leaves the room by disappearing back into the darkness. On his way back to his apartment he meets a young girl called Mathilda who is the daughter of a drug dealer.

Analysis

Scene 1

An extreme long areial shot of a lake and forest is used, the camera then pans up to show the New York skyline and Central Park. Without a cut the camera carries on through the city streets coming to "Supreme Macaroni Company". The director hasn't used cuts during this scene, he has managed to have transitions between where the camera is on set making the opening sequence just one shot.

Scene 2

Scene 2 begins with the extreme close-ups of a mafia boss and Leon the camera concentrates on their eyes and mouth. The director has chosen to uses these shots to add to the mystery of both the characters, the audience will be uncomfortable as they don't know who they are. The lighting in this shot is very low and the dialogue is also quiet so that we have to listen hard to everything they say.

Scene 3

The sense of mystery continues through the next part of the film as the Leon secretly kills "Fat Man's" bodyguards. We do not see Leon's face until the end of this scene even then his face is shadowed. When Leon has "Fat Man" cornered the camera creeps up on him from behind this creates tension because the audience is guessing that the camera is Leon's point of view. The sound of the knife when it touches "Fat Man's" throat is amplified and is probably added in during post production. After a very edgy conversation between them Leon exits the same way he appeared as if he had never been there.

Scene 4

To end the last scene a contrast in light, action and sound occurs. Scene 4 begins with the sound of a screeching train, the audience might jump because it is unexpected and follows a tense scene in which they have been caught up in. The light is also different as the last scene is full of shadows and no natural light however this seen is flooded with light, Besson has done this so that the audience can see Leon in full for the first time and also it shows a time change.

Preliminary Task

For this task my group has been told to make a short 30 second clip of a person walking to a door, entering it and having a conversation with another person inside the room. we must us a range of camera shots during filming and cuts during our editing process to show our understanding of this course. This will be my first time of filming a coursework piece.

Storyboard - including MS,LS,CU,LMS, HMS,POV's the 180 degree rule and panning.

Editing: Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody Music Video

Bohemian Rhapsody was a number 1 hit by Queen in the 70's. This song and iconic music video is well known across the world. The use of new technology at the time changed the way they could make and edit their videos. Bohemian Rhapsody was released in 1976 in their album "A Night At The Opera".

Here are a number of cuts that I found interesting:

Cut 1 - 0:52
This cut is known as a fade out or dissolve. The previous image is still playing over the new section and gradually fades out as it pans upwards towards Freddie, this particular fade is very slow, I believe they have chosen to have a Dissolve because it matches the pace of the music. For example a quick straight cut might not of worked as well. There are a number of fade outs before this one so that they could swap between close ups and mid shots however they are not quite a complete cut as the go back to the previous image. (Superimposition)

Cut 2 - 1:21 + 2:20
This is the first straight cut used in the video it is used just before the chorus of the song,so that is probably why it has been used. After a few fade cuts the second straight cut happens exactly like the one before (just before the chorus) at 2:20. This has been used for the same reason as the first as the tension in the music increases.

Cut 3 - 3:10
This is where the number of straight cuts increases and quickens as the songs pace increases. The mood has changed from a predominately slow and calm song to a fast beat rock song and the straight cuts reflects this and it helps to build tension. The quick exchange of scenes lasts until 5:17 when fade outs and dissolves begin again.

Cut 4 - 4:47
I have noticed a jump shot where two similar shots have been cut together but has a small jump between them. These should not be used as they can make a video transaction look bad.

• The dissolve and fade cuts are usually leading into a pan or zoom. This is to keep the video flowing without any sudden jolts.
• The Straight cuts in this video normally lead onto are stationary shots with only a zoom in or out because if the camera immediately panned after the cut there would be a jolt.
• Overall there are approximately 86 cuts in the span of 5:49.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irp8CNj9qBI

Mise en scène : A New Film

Mise En Scene is an expression used in film and media to describe all the aspects of the piece this includes costume, characters, props, lighting,makeup and camera angles.

I will design a new film using the Mise En Scene concept.

Film Name: Jack

Genre : Horror
Time Set : 1880

Age Rating:18

Synopsis:

A mysterious male walks the streets of New York by the name Freddie Rouge, he seduces and Murders his victims. His killings are the mirror of the infamous Jack the Ripper. Is he the same person who fled London to the safety of New York or a new killer stalking the nation?

Research:

Jack The Ripper was the the name given to an unknown murderer that hunted and killed more than 5 prostitutes in London, Whitechapel during Autumn 1888. Jack the Ripper was never found and is still considered the most famous serial killer around the world.

Setting : The type of setting that would be suitable for the film would be around the typical American wooden style buildings. With horse and carriages in the streets, steam trains leaving stations, with the smoke and ash falling from the factories.

Costume :

Men would be in bowler hats, trench and waist coats, suit, shirt and ties.

Women would be in full length dress with corsets, petticoats, etc.

Characters That Would Be Good at Their Roles :
Tobin Bell - Freddie Rouge

Jack Black - Inspector Mead

Miranda Richardson - Victim

Analysis of Film : Silent Hill

Silent Hill Synopsis :

Rose, a desperate mother who takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent car crash, Sharon disappears and Rose begins her desperate search to get her back. She descends into a fog of smouldering ash and into the centre of the twisted reality of a town's terrible secret. Pursued by grotesquely deformed creatures and townspeople stuck in a permanent purgatory, Rose begins to uncover the truth behind the apocalyptic disaster that burned the town 30 years back.



Silent Hill Movie Clip
Just before this clip Rose and Sharon were chased by a curious police officer. Rose not watching the road ahead didn't see a young girl in the middle of the lane, Rose had to swerve to miss her and crashed into the side of a mountain face. Rose was knocked unconscious. Sharon is now missing.



Silent Hill Movie Stills


Crane Shot
This Crane shot uses the rule of thirds as the object you focus on is the car while it zooms out. This shot establishes the new setting which she is now in and that she is alone, making the audience feel that something might happen soon. Crane shots are used a number of times throughout the film to show that the environment is derelict and unusual and gives the impression that something might be watching "Rose" as she walks on her own.

High Angle

This high angle mid shot is used to show the venerability of Rose while she wonders along the road confused and that she is about to enter a powerful and menacing place. The camera then pans and zooms in towards her face to emphasise her expression.









Medium Close-Up
This MCU is using the golden mean with two significant objects bringing immediate attention to the ash which has fallen onto her face and the confusion caused by this.














Medium Long Shot
One major shot is the MLS of the sign of "Welcome to Silent Hill" and Rose entering. The attention of the viewer will be more drawn to the sign than to Rose because the rest of the films plot is in Silent Hill and so the director needs everybody to understand where she is. The fog is gradually getting thicker as Rose makes her journey into Silent Hill. This slowly builds suspense as you cannot see what might be approaching.



Medium Close-Up
This shot pans around Rose increasing in speed. the background is blurred so that the attention is drawn onto Rose's facial expression. The camera spinning shows confusion and disorientation . The camera suddenly stops and centres on Rose as she stares past the camera as she spots someone in the distance however the audience cannot see who it is yet. It then goes into a P.O.V shot.

High Angle Medium Long Shot
This high angle perspective shot with the staircase leading up toward a small column of light creates an mysterious environment as she creeps into the unknown. An air raid siren spilts the atmosphere as the whole scene goes black. Creating suspense for might happen to Rose.









Close-up
This close up only shows Rose as the background is completely black with a little light coming from the lighter illuminating half her face. This shot uses the rule of triads. As the background is black the audience is left in suspence to what might be round the corner.