"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
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
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.
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?
Setting
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...
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.
Sunday, 23 November 2008
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
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
Monday, 17 November 2008
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.
Sunday, 16 November 2008
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:
The major institutions are:
- Warner Bros.
- New Line Cinema
- Fox
- Twisted Pictures
- Universal
- Path'e
- Sony Pictures
- Dreamworks
- Disney
- Pixar
- Paramount
- Lucas film
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.
Friday, 14 November 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, 13 November 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, 12 November 2008
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
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.
Monday, 10 November 2008
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.
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