Shot List
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Scene
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Shot Number
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Description
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1: Walking scene
2: Exchange scene 3: Chase scene 4: Capture scene |
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
Medium shot
Long shot Shot of legs *cross cut*Over the shoulder shot Medium shot Close up. *cross cut* *cross cut* Car Long shot Close up Long shot Long shot Long shot Close up Long shot Close up Point of view shot Long shot Wide shot Medium shot Close up. Long shot |
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Storyboard: Shot List
Monday, 8 December 2014
2nd Production meeting
Today we divided into two different groups and discussed what our final thriller opening will be. We then wrote down some rough notes about the shot types that we were going to use then we got a story board and started planning.
We thought about the types of shots that we were going to involve and what surroundings we were going to have them in. On the storyboard we started drawing shot by shot what we were planning to film and we did a rough drawing for each box as a guide.
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| Me and Azimul. |
Storyboard
Our group made a storyboard in order to start making plans for our thriller opening that we are going to be making in a few weeks time. We tried to make it as clear as possible and added in all of the main shots. We managed to fill out two storyboards with different shots, however when we do go out filming we may make a few changes to improve the film.
Thursday, 4 December 2014
Initial Ideas
Azimul and I had originally come up with two ideas that involved someone getting kidnapped. We used the second idea, but eventually we developed it into a different thriller. We brainstormed our ideas on a large A3 sheet of paper and discussed how and where we were going to film it.
Idea 1:
Plot
Initially we were going to have a seven-teen year old boy minding their own business walking home from their work. The antagonist and his comrade drive slowly towards the boy and roll the window. While the antagonist asks him questions the thug comes out and forces the boy into the car. The antagonist carries on asking the boy questions about a heist but the boy is clueless and doesn't know what is going on. Eventually the thug drives to a remote place and takes the boy out, but before he can end his life the teen manages to escape. A chase begins and the thug follows the boy and tracks him down. The boy finds himself trapped at the end of a closed ally-way, but before he can run out the thug appears at the only exit. The thug then picks up a crowbar and knocks the boy unconscious.
Costume
The seven-teen year old: shirt and tie
Antagonist: full suit
Thug: combats
Idea 2:
Plot
Our other idea that we had planned was going to include the same characters, but we were going to have a different set-up. The boy was going to be walking home casually from his Saturday job and just around the corner there was going to be some sort of illegal activity happening. When the boy comes around the corner he notices a deal taking place and at this point he has already made eye contact with the don. The don then sends the thug to hold their trade and because the boy has seen too much. The thug pulls his hood up and hunts the boy down. The chase begins and the boy manages to keep his pace and stay away from the thug. The boy notices a car driving down the road and gambles his chances of making it across. The thug then follows, but its too late and he gets run over. The boy is distraught and walks quickly away from the scene.
Costume
The seven-teen year old: shirt and tie
Antagonist: full suit
Thug: track suit
Idea 1:
Plot
Initially we were going to have a seven-teen year old boy minding their own business walking home from their work. The antagonist and his comrade drive slowly towards the boy and roll the window. While the antagonist asks him questions the thug comes out and forces the boy into the car. The antagonist carries on asking the boy questions about a heist but the boy is clueless and doesn't know what is going on. Eventually the thug drives to a remote place and takes the boy out, but before he can end his life the teen manages to escape. A chase begins and the thug follows the boy and tracks him down. The boy finds himself trapped at the end of a closed ally-way, but before he can run out the thug appears at the only exit. The thug then picks up a crowbar and knocks the boy unconscious.
Costume
The seven-teen year old: shirt and tie
Antagonist: full suit
Thug: combats
Idea 2:
Plot
Our other idea that we had planned was going to include the same characters, but we were going to have a different set-up. The boy was going to be walking home casually from his Saturday job and just around the corner there was going to be some sort of illegal activity happening. When the boy comes around the corner he notices a deal taking place and at this point he has already made eye contact with the don. The don then sends the thug to hold their trade and because the boy has seen too much. The thug pulls his hood up and hunts the boy down. The chase begins and the boy manages to keep his pace and stay away from the thug. The boy notices a car driving down the road and gambles his chances of making it across. The thug then follows, but its too late and he gets run over. The boy is distraught and walks quickly away from the scene.
Costume
The seven-teen year old: shirt and tie
Antagonist: full suit
Thug: track suit
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Preliminary Task & Evaluation
In our short preliminary sequence we filmed a scene of a drug deal where two of the characters that were "doing business" ended up getting caught by two unknown, suspicious looking people who then order an assassin to kill the drug dealer and the drug buyer.
In our short sequence we included some continuity at the start because we as group thought that we could use it there well as the two main characters were about to meet to perform the drug deal. The video started with a match on action when the two main characters came to meet. When the operation was taking place we did not break the 180 degree rule and we decided to make sure that we kept this in place by filming close to a wall so that we had a faint guideline. We also used a shot-reverse shot to show that the characters were having a discussion before they moved onto the actual drug deal. Straight after the drug deal was completed there is an eye-line match between the drug buyer and one of the unknowns. We thought that it this would've been the best place to put it because it gives that effect of uncertainty to the audience because they don't know what is going to happen next.
In our short sequence we included some continuity at the start because we as group thought that we could use it there well as the two main characters were about to meet to perform the drug deal. The video started with a match on action when the two main characters came to meet. When the operation was taking place we did not break the 180 degree rule and we decided to make sure that we kept this in place by filming close to a wall so that we had a faint guideline. We also used a shot-reverse shot to show that the characters were having a discussion before they moved onto the actual drug deal. Straight after the drug deal was completed there is an eye-line match between the drug buyer and one of the unknowns. We thought that it this would've been the best place to put it because it gives that effect of uncertainty to the audience because they don't know what is going to happen next.
Even though we thought that our short preliminary task was good there are some improvements that we could've made and they were mostly with the sound and editing. On this exercise we did not have a boom so therefore we were unable to film with any decent sort of sound. The sound effects that we did add into the sequence was satisfactory, however I think that we could've improved it by searching longer for the correct suitable music to go with the scene.
The editing was adequate in a way that the story we were trying to deliver was not obscure, but we could've improved it if we were all working on it at the same time and had all come to an agreement. In the scene where Azimul (the assassin) is about to kill the people doing the drug deal we should've shortened it because you can see where he stops walking and is slightly in the shot.
1st Prduction meeting
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| Left to right: Destiny, Jack, Sam & me. |
We started it off by thinking of random, creative thriller openings and when we shared them with each other. Then we collectively came up with two ideas and started to make notes on how we were going to film and how we were going to put the shots together. Monday, 1 December 2014
Thriller Titles
In the title sequence of "SE7EN" we are also given the names of the people who have helped produce, film and edit the film. These are known as credits. The credits given to this film go to the film studio, which is New Line Cinema, the director - David Fincher and the other members of the crew. Most importantly we see the title of the film before it advances into the other crew members who made the film
Introduction to our group
We have a group of two people and we have both decided to take responsibility for our own film instead of appointing ourselves with different roles. With the location, shooting schedule, costumes/props and acting roles we decided that we will confirm with each other on our ideas and thoughts. We have done this because we think that we will work better and more efficiently this way since there is only two of us in this group.
With the location sheet and shooting schedule Azimul and I did it together and discussed the best place to shoot our thriller opening and the days that we would shoot it. We also had to ask other members of the class if they were free on these days because we would be needing their help to film some scenes.
In our final thriller opening Azimul and I will take it in turns to film, but because we are both acting in a scene we are also getting some help from other classmates because we cannot do this alone. We are taking control of when we go out to film because we are the directors.
"Rope"
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| "Rope" (1948) |
In Alfred Hitchcock's 1948 thriller "Rope" Hitchcock navigates deeper into any ordinary thriller and creates a film that constantly keeps the audience on the edge of their seats and keeps them unease throughout the film until the mystery is solved.
The trailer of the film is very effective because it captures its audience by having a mystery that is not yet solved and the only way of finding out is by watching the film. The trailer carries a lot of suspense within its 2 minutes and this really draws the audience in.
It contains the key elements of thriller such as fast pace and frequent action. However, unlike many thrillers we do not know who the resourceful hero is until the end quarter of the film because he does not seem to be weaker than his villains. The film appeals to its audience by starting off with a story. It is just an ordinary scene with two characters talking to each other going about their day, then there is a voice over all of a sudden and the scene switches from the two characters to a man, named Rupert, speaking about the death of the young man that was just going on about his day. The trailer then develops into a mystery with the two main characters, Brandon and Philip, being put on the spot and under intense pressure by Rupert about the murder of David. The trailer ends with Rupert dragging the truth out of Philip and gun shots.
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| Rupert getting into Philip's head |
Suspense is clearly used throughout Hitchcock's thriller because without it there wouldn't be much of a mystery and it wouldn't keep the audience at the edge of their seats. Hitchcock builds suspense by making the characters Brandon and Philip set their dinner party around the dead body of the missing David Kentley. The dinners guests are all worried and confused about David Kentley except from one. Hitchcock has one character that is smart, intelligent and very devious. He uses this character to ask Brandon and Philip burning questions that puts them on the spot until one of them breaks. Then from there the pace of the film starts to pick off and one character, Philip, cannot handle it anymore and goes crazy.
There are different types of social groups in the film "Rope" and they are each represented differently. Brandon and Philip are gay with each other but in this thriller they are treated as any other ordinary person. They are not looked down upon or discriminated against they are just treated fairly and equally.
Men and women are represented differently. In the film the men are portrayed as business men, very smart and intelligent, whereas the women are just partners or housekeepers. The women do not really have much say in the film they just keep the conversations flowing, but the men are the ones that make the huge points and discuss hot topics that create tension. There is another representation of women and this refers to 'the male gaze'. This is where women are viewed as objects of male erotic desire. This means that they are just there to make up the numbers, they don't need to be there but they are there just in the men's image. Women also do not have agency - they do not move the plot forward. They are not the ones that like to push themselves forward in the heated conversations because they may fear that the men may push them back.
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| Philip and Brandon Strangling David |
The last social group that I have identified is the social status within the characters. All of the characters except from the housekeeper, Mrs Wilson, are all middle or upper class. We know this because of the formal type of language that they use when communicating to each other, the way they dress and by having a housekeeper. Brandon and Philip consider themselves as intellectually superior and upper class because of the garments that they wear and where they live, which is is a very tall story building that looks across the whole city. David Kentley is seen as an inferior classmate in the eyes of Brandon and Philip. He is seen as not worthy and because of this they decide to strangle him to death to see if anyone would care.
Sunday, 30 November 2014
How to film a Thriller
Filming a thriller involves using a lot of different editing techniques, sound and shot angles. When you use different transitions between shots it helps the audience understand what is going on and helps the thriller flow better. The sound that is used can create suspense, danger or even relief in a thriller depending on if it is parallel and matches with the scene. Lastly, the shot types that are used can help the thriller develop depending on what angle the camera is in. Different angles can make the character seem helpless and vulnerable.
In the thriller opening we can see all the key features that make up the thriller. From the beginning of the short video we see a cross dissolve and this is used to leave out part of the journey. It makes the characters journey shorter so that we don't have to see too much walking. When the character gets into the fort there is parallel editing which cuts between inside and outside. This suggest that there is some sort of danger outside that the character may not know about. When the music builds up there is fast pace editing used. This means that we see a variety of different shots very fast and this indicates that the character is in danger.
Sound is another element used to make up a thriller. At the start we can hear some diegetic sound of a calm bird song. When the character enters the fort the bird song stops and we start hearing different types of diegetic sounds such as dripping water and splashing. Inside the sinister music starts playing and this suggests danger. The deep note of the sinister music implies the suspense of what is happening in the video. As we hear the music getting deeper the character starts breathing heavily. As the man runs outside the music and deep breathing fade out as the character feels relived that he is now in the open field and there is no danger around him. The bird song starts playing again to show that the character is back in normality.
Different types of shots can portray how the character is feeling in some situations. From the beginning of the sequence we see a long shot and this sets the scene as the character is calm. The tracking shot matches movement and the shot reverse shows what he sees. When the character is in the fort we see a shot through a gap and this suggests that someone or something mysterious is watching from outside. There is a close up of the character and this shows the reaction of the character as he thinks that he is in danger. The variety of canted shots shows that something mysterious is going on. He runs for the exit and the camera starts moving and this type of shot is called a steadicam. When the charcater gets outside the scene is bright and this shows that everything is ok.
In the thriller opening we can see all the key features that make up the thriller. From the beginning of the short video we see a cross dissolve and this is used to leave out part of the journey. It makes the characters journey shorter so that we don't have to see too much walking. When the character gets into the fort there is parallel editing which cuts between inside and outside. This suggest that there is some sort of danger outside that the character may not know about. When the music builds up there is fast pace editing used. This means that we see a variety of different shots very fast and this indicates that the character is in danger.
Sound is another element used to make up a thriller. At the start we can hear some diegetic sound of a calm bird song. When the character enters the fort the bird song stops and we start hearing different types of diegetic sounds such as dripping water and splashing. Inside the sinister music starts playing and this suggests danger. The deep note of the sinister music implies the suspense of what is happening in the video. As we hear the music getting deeper the character starts breathing heavily. As the man runs outside the music and deep breathing fade out as the character feels relived that he is now in the open field and there is no danger around him. The bird song starts playing again to show that the character is back in normality.
Different types of shots can portray how the character is feeling in some situations. From the beginning of the sequence we see a long shot and this sets the scene as the character is calm. The tracking shot matches movement and the shot reverse shows what he sees. When the character is in the fort we see a shot through a gap and this suggests that someone or something mysterious is watching from outside. There is a close up of the character and this shows the reaction of the character as he thinks that he is in danger. The variety of canted shots shows that something mysterious is going on. He runs for the exit and the camera starts moving and this type of shot is called a steadicam. When the charcater gets outside the scene is bright and this shows that everything is ok.
Saturday, 29 November 2014
Studio Indents
All film studios have idents in order to make themselves stand out and give an impression of what type of studio they are. These have varying design and can either be as simple as a picture or a short motion. Film studios such as "Warner Bros" are very well known,and there are others such as "Paramount Vantage" which are known, but not on a bigger scale. Each ident is different are easily identifiable.
The "Warner Bros" ident shows an infamous shield made out of a hard metal with their studios name on it. With this ident the studio are trying to portray that they are powerful, dominant and important. This gives us the impression that their studio is right at the top and we can expect good, high quality productions from them.
The ident of "Columbia Pictures" has to represent their studio and also stand out. They have to make themselves look powerful, creative and offer an insight to the type of studio they are. By doing this it gives us a little bit information of what we can expect from the studio.
Another ident is "Film 4 Productions". This is a British indie studio that is owned by Channel 4. Unlike some idents Film 4 adjust their logo depending on what film they have produced. For example if they had produced and action film they would have an explosion in the background of their ident. This ingenious idea is very creative and this is what most idents aim to do.
"Paramount Vantage" is an indie ident because it is not a big studio ident. Paramount Vantage is a film division from Paramount pictures. They also have an ident so that they can be identified, but instead of having such a detailed meaningful ident they just have an easy, simple ident. This is because they are not at the top of the film industry but they still create films which some may say are just as good.
The "Warner Bros" ident shows an infamous shield made out of a hard metal with their studios name on it. With this ident the studio are trying to portray that they are powerful, dominant and important. This gives us the impression that their studio is right at the top and we can expect good, high quality productions from them. The ident of "Columbia Pictures" has to represent their studio and also stand out. They have to make themselves look powerful, creative and offer an insight to the type of studio they are. By doing this it gives us a little bit information of what we can expect from the studio. Another ident is "Film 4 Productions". This is a British indie studio that is owned by Channel 4. Unlike some idents Film 4 adjust their logo depending on what film they have produced. For example if they had produced and action film they would have an explosion in the background of their ident. This ingenious idea is very creative and this is what most idents aim to do."Paramount Vantage" is an indie ident because it is not a big studio ident. Paramount Vantage is a film division from Paramount pictures. They also have an ident so that they can be identified, but instead of having such a detailed meaningful ident they just have an easy, simple ident. This is because they are not at the top of the film industry but they still create films which some may say are just as good.Friday, 28 November 2014
"Unknown"
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| "Unkown" (2011) |
"Unknown" is an action thriller that is about a man that has his identity stolen from him whilst he was in a coma and when he wakes up nobody believes that he is who he claims to be. He goes out and finds the young woman that was with him in the crash and they set out to prove his identity.
From the trailer we can see that the film is a thriller because it includes fast pace right from the 20th second. From this point there is frequent action because the main character, who claims to be Martin Harris, has to try recover his memory and find the person that has stolen his identity and why. The trailer appeals to the audience because it involves these key thriller elements. From the trailer itself we can tell that the film goes up and down and is quite fast pace with a lot of action. Also the audience can make the assumption that Liam Neesons character is the resourceful hero who that thwarts the plans of the more powerful, better equipped villain and manages to find a way to stop the villains from killing him and stealing his identity.
The mcguffin used in this thriller is "Prince Shalla" who is the Arabian funder for the breakthrough research that has been found for world food. This provides the basis for the story of why Dr Martin Harris has come to Berlin for, however the audience are not interested about the event that is taking place. Instead they are only focused in Liam Neesons character to see if he will be able to find his identity and be able to survive from the people that want to kill him.
The car chase is one of the most important scenes in the film. This is because it has the most effect and so much could go wrong for Liam Neesons character and he could be captured or even killed by the villains hit-men.
The camera work used in the car scene is very detailed and a variety of shot angles were used. From the start of the chase we can see a close up of Liam Neeson's character trying to get away from the killers, then suddenly the get hit by a lorry and the shot changes to a wide shot. There is a point of view shot when Liam Neeson's character tries to look through his windscreen but it is covered in white liquid. There are many shots used in this scene to make it fast pace and thrilling.
There must have been a lot of editing because there were so many shots used to make such a dramatic car chase. This is because the car chase needs to be fast tempo and by putting in different shot types that only last a few seconds it adds the effect that time is going faster during the chase.
The type of sound used is diegetic because the characters are talking and there are some sound effects from the cars. Parallel music is also being played throughout the whole of the chase. The music is faint but at some points you can hear it clearly.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Friday, 14 November 2014
"Psycho"
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| "Psycho (1960)" |
Alfred Hitchcock directed the film in a way so that the audience are able to work out that there is a murder but they don't know who the murderer is and when he/she will strike again. Hitchcock has made it suspenseful by prolonging the time of the next murder. He also stressed that as the apprehension increases there is less and less violence on the screen.
Thrillers are characterised by fast pacing, frequent action. In the scene where the Marion Crane gets stabbed multiple times, by the unsuspected murderer, there is a mystery to be solved and this is where we start to see the thriller element of the film. As the audience we do not see the murderer walk into Marion's room and we do not get to see their face but all we see is the murder taking place. The murderer stabs Marion Crane multiple times before making a quick dash and before we know it she is dead. There are many shots during this short period of time and the non-diegetic music that is played adds to the fast pacing action that is happening. We learn that the madman, Norman Bates, has a disturbed mind and is a psycho. He is under a psychological domination by his dead mother. Towards the end the characters learn that Norman was a lunatic ever since his dad past way. He killed his mother and his mothers lover.
Saturday, 8 November 2014
"The Birds"
The Birds is a Hitchcock classic that was released in 1963 and it is about crazy, deranged, aggressive birds that attack people.
"A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness." - IMDb The Birds (1963)
"The Birds" contain the key aspects of a thriller film. From just the trailer we can tell that this Hitchcock film is another one of his thrillers because it contains fast pacing action within the scenes. The trailer starts off dramatically with "there is no reason to be afraid" and this then leads on to a short clip from the film. By this stage the audience is already curious of what the film is about then suddenly there is chaos on the screen and a lot of scene switching. There is so much going on within the scenes that the audience want to know what is the cause of the birds going crazy and what happens to the people.
Hitchcock's film used suspense greatly throughout the film to create uncertainty within the audience. At certain stages of the film he used it more than others and kept the audience intact. Also at the same time the suspense used created excitement because we wanted to know how the characters would cope with the evil birds and they would wriggle out of this problem.
During the scene where Melanie and Mitch's family were caved into the house Hitchcock used suspense to build up anxiety within the audience. During this scene the family the family have trapped themselves into Mitch's house to protect themselves from the birds. In the night Melanie decides to go upstairs because she has heard something and wants to investigate. She walks up the stairs slowly and by doing this the audience are on the edge of their seats. When she finally reaches the door there is hardly any noise coming from the room and at this point the audience are a bit uncertain of what is going on, but as soon as Melanie opens the door she is attacked by a mass heard of birds.
Hitchcock used dramatic irony to draw the attention of the audience. In the schoolyard scene there were happy children singing their songs in contrast to the evil in nature. This engages the audience with the scene because the audience know what is going to happen, but the children in the schoolyard are clueless.
"A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness." - IMDb The Birds (1963)
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| "The Birds" |
Hitchcock's film used suspense greatly throughout the film to create uncertainty within the audience. At certain stages of the film he used it more than others and kept the audience intact. Also at the same time the suspense used created excitement because we wanted to know how the characters would cope with the evil birds and they would wriggle out of this problem.
During the scene where Melanie and Mitch's family were caved into the house Hitchcock used suspense to build up anxiety within the audience. During this scene the family the family have trapped themselves into Mitch's house to protect themselves from the birds. In the night Melanie decides to go upstairs because she has heard something and wants to investigate. She walks up the stairs slowly and by doing this the audience are on the edge of their seats. When she finally reaches the door there is hardly any noise coming from the room and at this point the audience are a bit uncertain of what is going on, but as soon as Melanie opens the door she is attacked by a mass heard of birds.
Hitchcock used dramatic irony to draw the attention of the audience. In the schoolyard scene there were happy children singing their songs in contrast to the evil in nature. This engages the audience with the scene because the audience know what is going to happen, but the children in the schoolyard are clueless.
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Film Theorists
1. Barthes – Enigma Codes
2. Levi Strauss – Binary Opposites
3. Traditional Hollywood Narrative Structure – 3 Acts (linear)
4. Todorov – narrative theory – 5 stages
5. Propp – Character Types.
1. Media Theory – Barthes –Enigma Codes
•Enigma codes (problems introduced) – usually in ‘disruption’ stage.
•Open – not resolved at end
•Closed texts – resolved at end
•Polysemic texts – lots of different meanings
2. Heroes and villains ‘Binary opposites’ Levi Strauss
Levi Strauss – Binary Opposition –
He said narratives can be organised through binary opposition - two things opposed – often dominant vs subordinate - e.g. male/female, hero/villain.
3. Traditional Hollywood narrative
•Three Act Structure = the typical Hollywood narrative = set up (25% time) /confrontation (50%) /climax (Final 25% of film time)
•Linear (chronological), few, if any, sub-plots, tendency towards closure at end of film.
4. Todorov's Narrative Theory
•In 1969 Todorov produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. Todorov believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern through various stages.
The 5 Stages:
•1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)
•2. A disruption of that order by an event.
•3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
•4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
•5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium
5. Vladimir Propp
1.Vladimir Propp – character types – analysed traditional folk stories – 8 key character roles
2. Hero/Villain/Helper/Donor(Provider)/Father/Dispatcher/Princess/
False Hero - N.B. one character can perform more than one role – how many in your thriller?
Representation of Women in Film
•Women viewed as the objects of male erotic desire – in film and audience
•Men active / women passive
•Women do not have agency – they do not move the plot forward.
•The audience is forced to identify with male gaze.
•Cinema reflects patriarchal (male dominated) society
•Patriarchy and phallocentrism linked – phallus (penis) a symbol of power – e.g. in cinema guns = phallus = power.
2. Levi Strauss – Binary Opposites
3. Traditional Hollywood Narrative Structure – 3 Acts (linear)
4. Todorov – narrative theory – 5 stages
5. Propp – Character Types.
1. Media Theory – Barthes –Enigma Codes
•Enigma codes (problems introduced) – usually in ‘disruption’ stage.
•Open – not resolved at end
•Closed texts – resolved at end
•Polysemic texts – lots of different meanings
2. Heroes and villains ‘Binary opposites’ Levi Strauss
Levi Strauss – Binary Opposition –
He said narratives can be organised through binary opposition - two things opposed – often dominant vs subordinate - e.g. male/female, hero/villain.
3. Traditional Hollywood narrative
•Three Act Structure = the typical Hollywood narrative = set up (25% time) /confrontation (50%) /climax (Final 25% of film time)
•Linear (chronological), few, if any, sub-plots, tendency towards closure at end of film.
4. Todorov's Narrative Theory
•In 1969 Todorov produced a theory which he believed to be able to be applied to any film. Todorov believed that all films followed the same narrative pattern through various stages.
The 5 Stages:
•1. A state of equilibrium (All is as it should be.)
•2. A disruption of that order by an event.
•3. A recognition that the disorder has occurred.
•4. An attempt to repair the damage of the disruption.
•5. A return or restoration of a NEW equilibrium
5. Vladimir Propp
1.Vladimir Propp – character types – analysed traditional folk stories – 8 key character roles
2. Hero/Villain/Helper/Donor(Provider)/Father/Dispatcher/Princess/
False Hero - N.B. one character can perform more than one role – how many in your thriller?
Representation of Women in Film
•Women viewed as the objects of male erotic desire – in film and audience
•Men active / women passive
•Women do not have agency – they do not move the plot forward.
•The audience is forced to identify with male gaze.
•Cinema reflects patriarchal (male dominated) society
•Patriarchy and phallocentrism linked – phallus (penis) a symbol of power – e.g. in cinema guns = phallus = power.
Styles of Editing
Editing is the process of gathering all footage that has been shot during the day/night and putting it together in order to make a film/tv program. There are different styles of editing and this is because of the type of genre that the film is. If the film is a thriller then the editing will be fast and the transitions will most likely to be straight cuts, however if a film was sci-fi then the editing may include a lot of different transitions such as graphic matches, fades and dissolves.
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| "Thor" (2011) |
The speed of editing is how long each shot lasts. In a film each scene may last a few seconds or it could continue for minutes. The length of each sequence establishes the pace of the film moving the action along. The speed of editing determines the mood of what is taking place.
If the audience is to feel anxiety and suspense, the editing will be quick and the scenes/shots will change more frequently. For example "Thor" is an action film and has a lot of fast editing because in some of its scenes there are battles and a lot of action.
Scenes at the beginning of a film must be long enough for us to be able to understand where we are and what is going on. It is also slow to introduce the main characters. As the film progresses scenes may become shorter as the editing cuts between two or more story lines at the same time.
The movement from one shot to the next is called a transition and this is used in editing to make the film or video run smoothly. There are many different types of transitions used and they can either last a few seconds or even be invisible.
A straight cut is the most common form of a transition. This is when one shot moves instantaneously to the next without attracting the audiences attention this is because a straight cut is so fast that it is invisible to see, but the audience can tell that it has happened. Straight cuts help retain reality and the do not break the viewers suspension of disbelief. In the fighting scene from "Thor" where Thor confronts his brothers beast there is a straight cut from the beast to Thor then to Loki.
Another transition style is a dissolve. This is when one shot fades of the screen wile another fades on. The audience will be able to see both shots on the screen at the mid-point of the dissolve. A dissolve is used if the film make wants to show a connection between two characters, places or objects. This gives the audience a clue of what might happen later on in the film.
A fade is a gradual darkening or lightening of an image until it becomes black or white.It is used to show the passing of a long period of time and one shot will fade until only a black or white screen can be seen.
Wipes are not usually seen in modern films, but it is when an image is pushed off the screen by another image. It is more common for the image to be pushed off the left hand side because then it gives the effect that the audience is moving forward with time.
A jump cut is when the audience's attention is brought into focus of something very sudden. This occurs by breaking continuity editing and it is when the camera films different shots of the same subject from a slightly different position. This is called discontinuity and it appears as if a section of the sequence has been removed. For example in "Thor" we see Thor flying from the bifrost to the entrance of Asgard.
In a graphic match the film maker can choose to place shots in a certain order so that it can create a smooth visual transfer from one frame to the next. When two consecutive shots are matched in terms of the way they look it is called a graphic match.
Thriller Conventions
Thrillers have fast pacing, frequent action and resourceful heroes that thwart the plans of more powerful better equipped villains and use devices such as suspense, red herrings, cliffhangers. They usually have hard men as their heroes, however they be ordinary drawn into danger by accident.
Thrillers occur on a much grander scale than Mystery Films: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Danger and violent confrontations are standard plot elements of a thriller
The climax of a mystery is when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others.
There are many types of thrillers and they are; legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller.
An example of a thriller is the film Taken.
Thrillers occur on a much grander scale than Mystery Films: the crimes that must be prevented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination, or the overthrow of governments. Danger and violent confrontations are standard plot elements of a thriller
The climax of a mystery is when the mystery is solved, a thriller climaxes when the hero finally defeats the villain, saving his own life and often the lives of others.
There are many types of thrillers and they are; legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller.
An example of a thriller is the film Taken.
"A retired CIA agent travels across Europe and relies on his old skills to save his estranged daughter, who has been kidnapped while on a trip to Paris" - IMDb Taken (2009)
The film involves these thriller conventions and uses them throughout the film to create an atmosphere of suspense and curiosity to the audience. It also keeps the audience glued to the movie and keeps them active as they ask themselves questions and try guess what's going to happen next.
Taken follows Todorov's theory by starting at an equilibrium and this is in the opening sequence of the film then as we the audience just get to know the main character, Bryan Mills, and all of a sudden there is a disruption and something bad happens. This indicates to us and the audience that something is not quite right and this is where the real story begins. At this point we want to know who was the kidnapper. Going further into the film Bryan Mills realizes what has happened and this links up with the next stage, which is an attempt to repair the damage. As soon as the action has finished and the hero has overpowered and outwitted the villain there is a new equilibrium. Things are back to normal, however there is a sense of safety and awareness.
The film Taken involves all the great devices and this makes it a great film. It involves the right balance of suspense and red herrings. This means that the audience are kept on the edge of their seats for majority of the film, but in the end after the hero defeats the villain they are relieved for Bryan Mills and his daughter.
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| "Taken (2009)" |
Taken follows Todorov's theory by starting at an equilibrium and this is in the opening sequence of the film then as we the audience just get to know the main character, Bryan Mills, and all of a sudden there is a disruption and something bad happens. This indicates to us and the audience that something is not quite right and this is where the real story begins. At this point we want to know who was the kidnapper. Going further into the film Bryan Mills realizes what has happened and this links up with the next stage, which is an attempt to repair the damage. As soon as the action has finished and the hero has overpowered and outwitted the villain there is a new equilibrium. Things are back to normal, however there is a sense of safety and awareness.
The film Taken involves all the great devices and this makes it a great film. It involves the right balance of suspense and red herrings. This means that the audience are kept on the edge of their seats for majority of the film, but in the end after the hero defeats the villain they are relieved for Bryan Mills and his daughter.
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