Research and Planning: Genre

Our chosen Genre is: psychological thriller, we chose this as we believe that is will work best with are current capability. We were originally going to attempt horror but decided that a psychological thriller was better, also this genre has allowed us to create a better idea for our main task than if it was horror, sci-fi or romantic comedy.

Research and Planning: The Shining

The Shinning Deconstruction

The Film Begins with a long shot of a lake situated in a mountainous area. The shot establishes that the film is set in a remote place, making the characters isolated from the rest of the world. This creates tension and insecurity portraying the idea that if anything happens to the characters they will have no one to help them and nowhere to go.

The camera begins to use a high angle tracking shot to follow the lake to the road. The non-diegetic music adds the tension, by creating suspense ad makes the landscape appear untrustworthy as though its beauty is luring the audience in to a horrific trap. A fade in is used to move from the lake to a road. From the previous shot it appears that this is the only way in or out of this area, bringing more isolation to the characters. A bird’s eye angle is used to follow the car as it moves through the terrain and forests, illustrating that they are the only form of life in this area, or so it would seem.

A wide shot follows this and the car is still travelling through the area bringing to light the vast terrain, portraying the distance they are travelling making it even more relevant that they are not only alone but extremely far away from any other form of help, whilst the non-diegetic music continues to play.

As the camera moves towards the car the opening titles being to scroll up the screen, they are light blue which connotes sky and water, which generally are positive connotations. Yet the music contradicts the colour as it has already established that this will not be a happy positive story.  The camera track speeds up to make it look as though it is with the Beatle, which is a shade of yellow another colour which has positive connotations (sunshine, light, flowers). Yet the camera overtakes the car, and with a longshot reveals how deep the characters are travelling in to this uninhabited terrain. At which point the music takes a more sinister turn with the use of violins, which are somewhat screeching.

The camera continues to follow the car on its journey, and by the use of the high angle shots it reveal that the area is dangerous and the road is clearly the safest way to pass, the camera does show that another car is parked on the side of the road. However the car is shown to be stationery and is passed by, by the main car. This illustrates that the characters are willing to go to their destination, it even has connotations that they themselves are running from something.

Another car passes them and yet it heading in the opposite direction, representing the idea that where they are heading no-one wants to stay in. A long shot is used again and the scene is becoming darker, bringing a time frame to the opening, and that they have been driving for a long time. As it gets darker it creates this image that they are in more danger and darkness connotes evil and negativity.

Research and Planning: The Shining Opening Scene

Research and Planning:The Others Video clip

Research and Planning: First Deconstruction "The Others"

The Others Opening scene

Duration 1minute 47 seconds

The Other’s opening scene begins with an in depth series of shots taking both audience and family on a tour of their house and life. It begins with a completely black frame. And then there is a fade in to reveal a glow of a candle in the centre of the frame. When the light of the candle is brought up to see behind a piece of a drawn image. Yet it is at the start somewhat unclear as to what that image is.

In the centre of the frame the first titles appear, the font used is that of an older period and adds age to the beginning of the film. The use of the candle light behind the titles adds a sense that there are two worlds. The real world and the one that this family live their lives with. Within the opening you can already establish that we are not alone. The camera then pans across the image to show the drawn image of a man and a women looking out.

The camera then begins to tilt up the stair well this creates the idea to begin with that we are merely being taken on a tour of the house. Yet as no actual human beings are present it creates the idea that the house is isolated and we are breaking in. Then with in the space where the candle is still glowing the title “the others” is placed directly in the candle light. There is the non-diegetic music playing in time with the camera music. The music creates tension and also a somewhat comical look at the start of the film as though even though the images we are seeing are making the audience uneasy the music suits the piece but brings the audience in to an uneasy sense of calm.

After leaving the stairwell the camera moves to pan across what appears to be a small nursery. Showing a boy playing casually whilst his Nanny watches over him; establishing that this family are somewhat well off, also by the way the nanny in particular is dressed the film is not set in modern times. These images still do not contradict the idea that this is a normal happy family in a normal happy house, even though the lighting and music connote darkness and evil.

Yet after this there is a black out and the music suddenly changes to something more sinister and faster pace acting as a catalyst suddenly changing the mood of the current piece. The camera tilts down an illustration of a candle. Once again showing that the piece is set in a time period that is not modern. The shot continues to tilt down to show someone about to place a key in the lock, the close up showing that the person has not yet placed the key in the lock creates tension and suspense. Making the shot even more uneasy.

The camera tilts up the staircase to show a child being frightened by an unknown women, the music creates tension between the two characters as their confrontational stance connotes an unfriendly as well as tense relationship between the two drawn characters. The shot fades out and then pans down to the drawn face of a terrified person. The use of an extreme close up shows that the person is terrified and makes the audience concerned for the person’s wellbeing as the person appears innocent.

The candle light increases in the next scene and a mid-shot reveals a hand holding puppet strings. The title downwards reveals a child is being held on the puppet strings revealing that she is not in control of her own life. The blankness of her face shows that she is completely unaware of what she is doing and brings the idea that it is easy in this household to lose control of yourself.

The final shot begins unfocused and the illustration cannot be seen, the final opening titles appear and then the camera comes in to focus, bringing the illustration to reality justifying that the titles that have just been revealed are portraying the life of these people. In the bottom left of the frame appear the words “Jersey The Channel Islands 1945” revealing the place and time and the use of a long shot revealing the distance between the house and the surrounding areas.

Research and Planning: The Main task Brief

The title and opening of a new fiction film, to last a maximum of two minutes.

Evaluation: The Preliminary Task Evaluation

For our preliminary task we created the story of a terrifying briefcase taken around the globe by a Russian spy. The briefcase shows people their worst fears and they can do no more than attempt to run away from them even though they are told not to.

As a group the film was made to an appropriate standard, taking in to account the fact that none of us had made a film in this way before. Yet some of the factors that affected the film we failed to take in to consideration and so aspects of the film suffered. As the first part of the film was shot outside the actual weather conditions caused an unexpected issue, as we had intended to do a close up of the text message. However the sunlight meant that the message could not be filmed on the camera and so I had to read the message aloud. My voice was not projected well enough and so this caused some confusion during the middle of the film. To avoid this problem in the future either a message should present itself across the base of the frame or shoot the shot in advance to avoid the lighting being a problem.  In addition the film was set in a changing room causing bags to enter the frame and obstructing the view of my face in the shot. Due to use being inexperienced in filming the camera pan was unsteady and did not follow the subject the way we intended and so the frame at one point was empty. To develop this we should properly check the equipment to make sure the tripod is set up in order to allow the pan to flow more freely, as well as practise the shot before filming.

However as we had never used final cut pro the editing went according to plan, solving certain timing issues we had and the transition of the piece. For example when the shot changed from me turning the corner to walking up the ramp in to the changing rooms the filming itself caused a gap in timing. Final cut pro helped us so that the shot ran smoothly and showed match on action.

In the original script and storyboard we did not plan to have music yet when editing we decided to add a sound effect to create tension and suspense towards the end of the piece which fitted in really well and allowed the film to end on a cliff hanger. Also by entering titles in to the piece we created suitable pauses in the film to improve on this we would have like the titles to enter the frame with the subjects.

In terms of camera our planning allowed us to have an effective shot reverse shot when the protagonist and antagonist are having a conversation and we were able to use the 180 degree rule well and create a film that showed continuity and was not confusing for the audience to watch.

Overall for our first time the filming, editing and introduction of non-diegetic sound was done well. Yet we were inhibited by our story line and the weather conditions at the time as well as the set we chose to film in.