Preliminary task evaluation

The purpose of this task was to experience the editing software in our own individual groups, giving us more independence than the class preliminary. Through this we could experiment with many more angles and shots which, once learnt how to shoot successfully, we can use when producing our final film. A selection of our shots included match on action, shot reverse shot, over the shoulder and long shot. Using a variety of shots allowed us to make the sequence a more interesting for the audience rather than consistently using one angle throughout.

A difficulty we found was the lack of experience we had with the editing program, premiere pro, this limited our ability to explore many different editing techniques such as use of audio. If i were to repeat this task i would have added other audio than the existing dialogue, this would be both ambient sound and a non-diagetic soundtrack to set the mood of the scene and build upon the mysterious narrative. A further limitation with the advanced program was our inability to change the colouring to increase the contrast and saturation, making the footage more cinematic and producing  a serious, professional looking scene.  Another difficulty  we faced was making our footage continuous when editing as some shots didn't flow from one scene to the next and it made it obvious when there was a shot change. 

When producing our preliminary film we did not plan out our scenes or locations so we were limited to filming in school which we attempted to make less obvious when filming in the toilet cubicle. An issue which occurred as a result of us not planning effectively or producing a storyboard meant we started to film irrelevant scenes, which took up a considerable amount of our filming time and it made it harder to have the consistency of the narrative throughout as our scenes were predominantly improvised. 

Through this task i have learnt how to use the editing program more effectively and i now know the importance in planning ahead with the use of a storyboard. This will therefore be a more effective use of my time as i can follow the scenes planned and use a variety of shots.  Planning my scenes would consequently make it easier to achieve a continuous, invisible editing, meaning no scene changes would be obvious to the audience, use of video transitions would help to assist this

Group Preliminary Film

Costume, Props and Make Up

I will be using costume to portray to the audience the mood of the scene and suggest the intentions and position of the characters for example if they are good or bad. This will be suggested through what they are wearing, the props they possess and the colour connotations from their clothing.

The two main characters, one evil one good will be juxtaposed by the difference in costume, this will represent their contrasting personalities.

The evil character, as portrayed here, will be wearing all black. This includes a black hoodie, jeans and boots, these items have been chosen to conceal the identity of the character  which ensures that this particular character is disconnected from the audience. This makes the male more intimidating and suggest to the audience that he has bad intentions and should be feared. The only prop which this character will have is a weapon such as a knife which would connote that the character intends to do harm. As males don't stereotypically wear make up this character does not require the make up to conform to the stereotypes. The hair will be covered by the hood from the costume however it will also cover the face of the male to conceal his identity.

The protagonists costume in the scene where the photos are being developed is predominantly made up from neutral colours and is very causal, a simple top and jeans with converse for footwear. This costume has brands with which the audience can relate however, the neutral colours mean that the audience cannot decipher whether the character is good or bad, as we want to keep this as a mystery to build suspense and create confusion. The clothing will be simple and are similar to the clothing which the audience demographic would typically wear so the character is easier to relate to. A prop which the protagonist will carry is the camera which is relevant and significant in the storyline. The hair and make up will reflect the costume and will be kept very simple and neutral, with the make up being minimal eyeliner and skin make up.

However, this costume changes where the protagonist is taking the photos in the park the costume is bright and made up of light colours this is to represent the character as innocent. These contrasting colours between scenes show a change in the characters personality and intentions. This makes the audience question why the representation of the character has altered this reflects the change of mood and seriousness of the story line





The dog walkers costume will consist of typical walking clothing including a hat, scarf, gloves and muddy clothing. The colour of these will hold little significance as the character does not have a big role in the scene. The hair of the character will be tied back to ensure that the facial expression can be clearly viewed when the character is being abducted.

Location Recce

We have decided for one of our locations to be set in a dark room where photos will be developed, we will be using the dark room at school as it will be easy to gain consent to use however using the dark room creates an environment which will not be obvious to the audience that it has been shot in a school. The room will be used as it is relevant to our story and will allow the audience to have a better understanding, building upon the story line.

 If we record after school hours there is a reduced risk of getting other students in the scene which we want to avoid as it would create a more serious, tense atmosphere if the character is isolated in the room. Being located in the school means that filming is very convenient and less time consuming.

Our second location in the opening sequence is in St Louis Meadow Park which is located in Banbury, Cherwell heights. We have chosen to use this park for convenience as it is easily accessible for all of our actors.

The park is surrounded by a wooded area which we will also be using as a location because woods are often associated with a possible risk of danger, this is relevant to our story and adds to the tension and suspense in the scene due to the danger involved. When filming we will also ensure that the park is empty, filming at times in the early evening when the park is less likely to be used having an empty park will make the location eerie and add to the thriller aspect of our film. The park also has a set of swings which we intended to use when creating our storyboard, using the symbolism of innocence in the swing contrasted against the idea of danger and the occurring event of a kidnaping.

Casting mindmap

Call for Actors

We are looking for a female character to play 'Phoebe' in our film production, this character is a student aged 17 so you must be around a similar age to this. This role will not include any dialogue however we will require you to be able to show great expression on your face as we will be using many close up shots which will show these. The character will be mysterious with a slightly uneasy/ crazy personality. She will have to be physically fit, thin and defenceless, they have blue eyes with long blonde straight hair and will be of medium height. The clothing will be casual, this being black jeans, a patterned top and converse all of the colours will be neutral and dark . Props would include a camera.

We are looking for another actor who will play our male character 'Terrance' he is a serious and dangerous male who takes on the bad character role in the opening sequence. You will have to be aged around the age of 20, fairly tall with a broad and muscular structure We require the actor to have an unshaven/ unclean look with dark black or brown hair and dark eyes. The costume would be all black with a black boots, jeans and hoodie, with the hood up to conceal the face. This character has no character and as the identity is concealed there will be no need for the actors face to be in shot however the character still needs an intimidating profile who has a sense of danger about them. Props would include a fake weapon, this may be a knife or blunt object.

Our final actor who is needed will only have a minimal role in the scene and they are a dog walker who is predominantly used for background shots.  The character will be female who is a young adult who is small with a weak frame. The costume is a typical walking clothing with hat, scarf, gloves all clothing is muddy. The character has limited dialogue, they are only required to scream when being attacked, there is also not a lot of acting for this actor in the scene as they are often used in the background.

Narrative

Our narrative is non linear because we have a flash back at the beginning which allows the audience to see what happened in the past so they can understand the storyline. We have done this to create confusion and build upon the mystery within our genre. The flashback will be indicating through the use of editing, changing the saturation on the image so it is obvious the event occurred in a different time period. The film will be non linear as the flashback will change narrative structure, this will make our opening sequence more interesting as the audience are witnessing tow different time periods and events in a short amount of time

Regarding Todorov's  theory on narrative we have decided to go against this, meaning our film doesn't start off with the equilibrium we start of with the disruption of the equilibrium which is the flashback. The resolution of the disruption is shown in the rest of the film. We have decided to do this so that our film doesn't follow the common narrative of a thriller, therefore making it unique and different to other films of this genre, appealing to a mass audience.

Audience

Target audience

Our film production is targeted at a 15 year old predominantly female audience, the film includes conventions, characters and events which are suited towards both this age and gender and some aspects we include will be inappropriate for younger audience. According to BBFC we could not class our film as a 12 or 12A because for it to meet the regulations, the "violence would be moderate with lack of detail or emphasise on gore. There would be no promotion of dangerous behaviour, easily copied by children of the glamorisation of weapons." However, as our film breaks these regulations we have classed it as a 15  as we want it to appeal to a broader audience and not limit it to adults only, to do so we have followed the BBFC regulations. This means the "violence will be strong however without the emphasis on the infliction of pain." There may also be a "strong sense of horror and threat" which is relative to our genre.

We have chosen to target the film at this gender as we have a female protagonist which may appeal to the audience as the character can be idolised and the character becomes more relatable due to shared gender. However, our film doesn't included aspects such as costume and colour which are tailored to a specific gender so you can argue that it may still appeal to the male gender, however it is predominantly for females.

Our film is targeted at the C1 class, which is a lower middle class, we believed from our research it would be better to aim it towards this class because this film genre is very popular amongst this group  of people. Our production also includes characters from the same class meaning the audience can relate and become more involved with the characters as they are more personally connected to them through class.

Script

 FADE IN

   1 INT. OUTSIDE DARKROOM

the darkroom door has a sign on it saying "DARK ROOM". The door is a grey colour. The camera zooms in and focuses on the sign (sound of tap dripping).

2 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

A pot is in the right hand side of the shot, with the hand of the woman holding some tongs and putting them into the pot. The camera is focusing on that with the background blurred. The light is limited because it is in the darkroom (sound of tap dripping).

3 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

High angled shot of woman developing photo in the chemicals, she is positioned in the centre of the shot, the camera does a pan around the person ending up behind her (sound of tap dripping).

4 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

Close up of her fingers scratching the table (sound of scratching to match the shot).

5 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

Close up of tap showing water dripping the camera is focused on the tap, the sound of the tap is now matching the shot.

6 EXT. IN A PARK

Close up of a leaf with a drop of water dripping off the background is blurred (natural sounds).

7 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

Over the shoulder shot seeing the dark room, there are photos hanging up in the background and there is a sink (sound of tap dripping)

8 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

Close up of the woman hand using the tongs (sound of developing photo so the sloshing of water).

9 INT. INSIDE DARKROOM

Extreme close up of the woman's ear her hand brushes her hair behind her ear (sound of water dripping)

10 EXT. AT A PARK (FILTER)

Mid shot of the woman's hand holding a camera, the scene will be in black and white to indicate that it is a flashback. The camera is following her after she walks into the scene.

11 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Over the shoulder long shot of the woman and the dog walker and owner in the background, the camera then follows them (there is a slight sound of the dog and the owner in the background).

12 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Long shot of the park showing the setting.

13 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of a swing showing a mysterious figure in the background the person will be wearing black and their face will not be shown to the camera. The swing will be crossing the shot (sound of the  swing squeaking).

14 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of the mysterious characters boot showing grass in the background which isn't in focus.

15 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of the zip of the mysterious persons coat. Their hand is in the shot zipping it up. He is wearing all black and the camera is still and doesn't move.

16 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of mysterious persons pocket with him putting his hand in it. There is no camera movement and the jeans will be a blue colour.

17 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Long shot of a dog walker and her dog she is walking past the camera. She is situated in the centre of the shot.

18 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of the dog walkers face it is on the left hand side of the shot with the mysterious person in the background following the dog walker. They are walking along a path following it.

19 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Shot of the back of the dog walkers head walking the dog, the dog is also in the shot.

20 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of the dog running past the camera which is position at a low point. The leash is dragging on the floor behind it as it runs away.

21 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Close up of the dog walker who has been knocked over the head and falls on the floor. The shot includes her face hitting the floor and there is no expression on her face, she fall into the shot.

22 EXT. IN A PARK (FILTER)

Extreme close up of the camera lens and the reflection of the situation is caught in the lens. You can see the shutter of the camera close and take the photo. (sound of the camera taking the photo)

23 INT. IN THE DARKROOM

Over the shoulder shot showing the woman looking at the photo she has produced and the audience only sees part of the photo, it is obstructed (sound of a tap dripping).

24 INT. IN THE DARKROOM

Mid shot of the woman looking at the photo the photo is obstructing her identity and you still don't see the photo. She is situated in the centre of the shot (sound of the tap dripping).

25 INT. IN THE DARKROOM

Close up of the woman's expression, her eyes. This is the first time the audience sees her identity (sound of tap dripping).

26 INT. IN THE DARKROOM

Mid shot of the image being dropped. Her hand is in the shot and the camera is level to the photo so again you don't see the image.

CUT TO BLACK

Representation ( costume, lighting, setting, camera, sound)

Costume
For the main character the costume will be bright/ white this is to connote innocence and convey to the audience who plays the 'hero' following Propps theory of character roles. The costume will also be casual to keep the character more relatable for the target audience.

For the character playing the villain they will be dressed all in black, with a hoodie to conceal the character's face and identity from the audience, this builds upon the mystery in the film.  The colour black connotes death which suggests to the audience that this character is bad. The contrast of these characters follows binary opposites, good and evil.

Lighting
The lighting in both of the locations is dark to conceal the characters from the audience in order to represent the violent, evil character negatively as the colours connote this.
The lightning in the dark room is red this creates a dangerous environment

Setting
The opening sequence is set in two main locations one of which is relevant to the storyline, in a darkroom, where the photos the character has taken are being developed. This location adds to the story and due to it being dark with a red light it adds to the mis en scene.
The other location is set in a park,  when empty it creates an eerie and isolating environment. A park is also a conventional place for kidnappings or acts of violence to occur. The idea of kidnapping in a park which children often use to play in contradicts these two images and makes the event more impactful for the audience

Camera
The most prominent camera shot used throughout this sequence is going to be close ups, these are of facial features or hands, this introduces the audience to the character however without revealing the identity of the character. The constant use of close ups are used to make the audience feel uncomfortable and intimidated it means that the whole scene isn't revealed so the audience can't follow the audience entirely, leaving them to figure it out, this builds upon the mystery of the character and story.

Sound
The non diegetic music in the sequence is going to begin quiet and increase the volume and instruments included, this will be used to increase the tension at specific times where the action become more intense in the sequence.

Production Schedule

PRE PRODUCTION
Story- 1 hour
Storyboard- 1 day 
Narrative- 1 hour 
Script- 1 day 
Mood board- 2 days
Pitch- 20 minutes
Presentation of the pitch- 1 day 
Location preview- 2 hours 
Casting/ auditions- 1 hour 
Props/ costume- 30 minutes 

PRODUCTION
Contracts-10 minutes
Equipment- 30 minutes
Camera/lighting/sound- 1 hour
Make up- 30 minutes
Script read through- 10 minutes
Main filming- 3 days
Rushes- 5 minutes 
Wrap up- 5 minutes 

POST PRODUCTION

Uploading- 1 hour
Editing- 1 week
Music- 30 minutes
Colour grading- 10 minutes
Titles-5 minutes
Ident- 3 hour
Draft edits- 40 minutes
Final edits-1 hour
Final Master-1 hour
Upload-1 hour
Audience screening- 1 hour 

Thriller Genre Common Conventions

Some examples of films in the thriller genre include 'The bourne identity' (2002) and 'Shutter island' (2010) these are part of this genre due to the conventions it incorporates.  The genres intention is to create suspension for the audience and often follows the tory of a protagonist who is required to resolve a problem.

Conventions: Filming and cinematography

• A common camera shot used in this genre is a close up this is used to make the scene feel intimidating as the shot is often focussed on the facial feature, this can be viewed and threatening. The close up is also used to show the emotions and reactions to certain events in the narrative.
• Dirty shots are used frequently to obstruct the view of the character this conceals their identity and creates mystery.
• The duration of the shot sometimes become shorter to build tension.

Conventions: Editing

• Continuity editing is commonly used to ensure the audience follow the narrative 
• Graphic match can be seen if flashbacks are present in the sequence to create a smooth transition through time periods.
• Jump cuts to build upon the tension
• Montage

Conventions: Sound

• Threatening diegetic sounds e.g. characters heavy breathing 
• Intense music which increases in tempo and pace as the tension in the scene increases 
• music emphasised as a result of an action or the introduction of a character.
• Often begins quiet and inaudioble

Conventions: Mis en Scene

• Low key lighting 
• Shadows over charaters
• Dark and unknown locations

Storyboard 2

Storyboard and script pitch

First Storyboard

Feedback on my pitch

Our Pitch

Mood Board Anaysis- Pros and Cons

Mood Board

Annabel Wilford -  A strength of this mood board is the clear conventions which link directly to the genre. The images included show where the location of the film is planned to be set and suggest that there will be a mysterious, threatening character who we cannot identify. Using the common conventions of the genre shows that they are well researched for what is necessary to include in the narrative.

A weakness of this mood board is the lack of detail in the explanations and it only gives vague details on what the narrative of the story is. They have focussed heavily on the location rather than other aspects such as the narrative or characters. 

Emily Roberts-  The pros of this mood board is that she explains what she has spoken about very well so the reasons why she has chosen to have the male in black and the reasons why she has a female as the person who is kidnapped. She has used reasoning to support the choices she made.

The cons of this mood board is that she doesn't quite explain all of the choices made in equal amount of detail. She also only included the examples of what props she would have in the location this decision means that it only covers some of the aspects involved in making up a film and doesn't cover the characters.

Dan Edwards-  The strengths of this mood board are that it is very clear and specific about the location. It outlines all the categories necessary in his film and discusses the connotations of things like costume, setting etc.

 The weaknesses of this is are some points when he speaks he seems unsure of what his ideas are. He also rambles throughout and moves away from the point he's making.

Identity- Opening sequence analysis

Identity is a thriller/mystery production about a group of ten strangers who become stranded in a desolate motel when a severe rain storm hits. They soon realise that they are getting killed off one by one and that the murderer is amongst them, but not everything is how it appears when its revealed that the story was all in the mind of a criminally insane man. Released in 2003 and directed by James Mangold the film stars John Cusack and Ray Liotta.

Mise-en-scene
From the beginning there are many aspects in the scene which suggest that the film is a thriller and foreshadows the events which occur throughout. One of which is the use of props where the camera pans across child-like drawings showing stick men with blood coming off them. As the blood is bright red next to the dark sketchy drawings it contrasts emphasising the colour, it also connotes violence and danger. The violence in the image juxtaposes the innocence of the child-like drawing.

Other props include the use of a tape recorder which are typical convention of the genre and suggests that the film is not set in present day.
The location in this sequence is very simplistic and does not add much context to the scene however being a office suggests that this male character maybe an authority figure, being a detective or lawyer. Furthermore, the clothing which this character is wearing, being a suit and glasses, give him a official and professional  temperament.
The lighting is primarily low key with the exception of the flashes of lightening which highlights the face of the character, displaying the serious emotions. It also casts shadows across the room and character, contrasting the colours black and white and exploring the idea of good and evil due to the connotations of these colours.

The storm creates both a dark lighting and atmosphere as it is deemed to be threatening ans is therefore used to intimidate the audience. Pathetic fallacy is seen through the weather, foreshadowing the possible violence and underlying sadness of the characters and the murder cases he is looking through.

Sound
To begin there is no backing track only the ambient sounds of the thunder heard over the company idents which puts the audience in the scene before they can visually see it, making the viewers feel isolated and intimidated as only a dark screen accompanies the sound. When the non-diegetic music is  introduced it begins with on simple high pitched note throughout, being this simplistic does not detract any attention from the image on screen, indicating that it is the main focus of the scene. However having one note increases the eeriness of the scene and makes it an uncomfortable watch for the viewers.
The dialogue is coming from a tape recorder and is of a police interview with a murdered who is becoming increasingly angrier, suggested through the repetition and tone in the characters voice. This is reflected in the music to increase tension in the atmosphere by becoming louder and having a quicker tempo.
The non-diegetic sound of the tape recorder rewinding interrupts the otherwise quiet scene as it is very loud and abrupt, this changes the flow of the sequence and intends to confuse or make the audience jump.

Camerawork
Most of the camerawork during this production includes extreme close ups and pans. The close ups are used for example on the tape recorder and documents to reveal information about the character being investigated and being close to the recorder makes the audience feel closer to the audio coming from it. The close ups are used to make the audience feel uncomfortable, particularly in the close ups on the eyes of other convicts, this makes the scene more personal yet sinister as they lack any colour.

The camera movement used most commonly is a pan which crosses over all the paper work so that the audience only gets a limited time to view the image and decipher what the story is behind them, getting the audience actively involved and immersed in solving the crime. The pan also allows things to be revealed slowly, for example through a pan we are introduced to the character, first by his hands which creates mystery as he is given no identity, meaning the audience is restrained from making any immediate judgements of his character. This lack of identity also stems many questions of who his character is or if he is of much importance to the story.

Finally, at the end of the opening sequence an over the shoulder shot is used to take the audience out of the scene and assess both the evidence and the character seen in frame.

Editing

The editing throughout the sequence is continuous with the shots becoming increasingly quicker when the tape recorder is rewinded this makes the audio and visual match up and keeps up the audiences interest as many images are shown simultaneously. Like the images the transitions are very quick and abrupt flashing between images to reflect the storm the transition between the shots is also demonstrated through the flicking of images past the camera.
An eyeline match is used in the scene to show the audience what evidence the character is looking at to ensure the audience is aware of everything in the scene and to not cause confusion.

Genre conventions
 The conventions of the thriller/mystery genre have been successfully used throughout this sequence with the dark colours used in both location and costume and the only apparent and noticeable colour being the red seen in the child-like drawings. This colour connoting violence which is a common occurrence in a thriller film.

Shutter Island- Opening analysis

Shutter Island is film set in 1954 and explores the story of a US marshal who is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a murderess who has escaped from the hospital for the criminally insane. The production stars well knows actors including Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo and Emily Mortimer, and is also directed by  Martin Scorsese. The film falls under the thriller/ mystery genre as it includes many common codes and conventions, it is also relevant to the film I will be producing as it shares this genre type.

Mise-en-scene

Mise-en-scene included in the opening sequence has been used to supply the audience with some vague information about the story and genre of the film through use of location, lighting, costume and props . The scene includes two main locations throughout the sequence, one of these is on a ship. This is used to intrigue the audience immediately and creates questions which are to be answered throughout the duration of the film, for example where are the characters travelling to? The lighting for this location is prominently low key with a monochrome colour gradient edited to give the scene a melancholy feel. Many of the props used in the location where metal and have little colour to them, this creates a very cold and empty atmosphere, intentionally used to make the audience feel uncomfortable or alternatively, the atmosphere may have been created to reflect the protagonists personality.

Juxtaposing this is the second location in a bedroom full of common house objects which make the scene feel more familiar and therefore comforting. The lighting in this location is far brighter with many vibrant colours associated with happiness such as yellow. Contrasting to the boat, the room has a yellow and green tint to the image, as the room location is used in a flashback this suggests that the character was happier with his life in the past than the grey reality he is living now. However, the green and yellow colours may be perceived differently as they are colours often used to represent sickness which may suggest that not everything is how is appears, fitting with the mental instability of the characters in the production. 

The costumes which the two male characters are wearing, being trench coats and hats, are clearly used to indicate the era in which the story is set as they're not fashion items seen in current day. The suit worn by the main character suggests to the audience that he may be of upper class or has a superior occupation, using mise-en-scene to introduce the audience to the characters and indirectly implying aspects of his background.

Sound

The sequence begins with ambient sound which can be heard of the waves, shortly disrupted by a loud ship horn, ending the tranquil atmosphere created by the waves as they are known to be calming and peaceful. This interruption symbolises the foreseeable problems which the characters are to face.

In the very beginning scenes there is a distinct lack of music which further develops the emptiness of the scene as there is no audio to match the imagery, this is uncommon in a scene and makes the audience uneasy. The non-diegetic sound track only begins when we are introduced to the second character, this music is tense and builds suspension into the scene as we are unaware of whether the character is good or evil. The music only changes in tempo during the flash back where is becomes far more eerie, this kind of music is more commonly heard in the thriller genre. During the flashback there is a record which we can only see however cannot hear due to the non-diegetic sound already in the scene, creating a feel of isolation and doesn't allow the audience to be include in the intimate scene with his wife, showing that it is a personal memory which isn't to be shared with others, insinuating that the character had a lot of love and devotion for his wife.

Camera work

 There are many camera angles and movements used throughout the opening sequence, to being an establishing shot is used of a boat of a misty sea, the mist concealing the main focus of the scene which may also symbolise the secrets concealed by the characters. A freeze frame is used at the end of the flashback of a close up on the female characters face. Stopping briefly on her face emphasises that the film plot is focussed around her character and so the audience are aware of her role.

We are introduced to the main character with a long shot which revealed only the bottom half of the character as he knelt over the toilet, this is contrasting against his professional representation suggested in his costume. An eyelevel shot is also used where the character is looking at the audience through the mirror this places the audience in the scene without directly addressing them. Looking at the camera movements the director has ensured that the camera tilts with the waves which allows the audience to again feel as if they're in the scene by provoking the feel of seasickness.

We can see here in this shot that looking at the rule of thirds the character is stood slightly off centre when we are first introduced to him this makes the audience question whether the character is good or bad building upon the mystery in the scene.

Editing

The editing throughout is continuous with the cuts between shots being longer during the present/reality scene demonstrating that the character believes life is more slow and dull in comparison to the quick cuts in the flashback scene. A montage of images are used in the flashback these are all very happy and with the jump cuts used making the scene feel more upbeat and also appears more like a memory as only snippets are shown. The sequence also uses a jump cut between reality and flashbacks making the editing intentionally not smooth when the freeze fame is used to emphasise her importance.

An eyeline match is also used when the protagonist walks through the door and sees the second character before the audience, laving the audience questioning who it is and what there intentions are, stimulating a sense of mystery.

Genre conventions

This film opening has many conventions of the thriller/mystery genre. For one the detective characters with the fitting costumes are common and necessary features of the genre as there are often mysteries to be solved

The lack of props, isolated location and tense music are all conventions found in both the thriller/mystery genre and this opening sequence.

Shot type notes

Ariel shot-  Camera from an overhead position to establish a shot
Close up-  Shot of the head and shoulder of a character to often show emotions
Medium Shot- Camera shot from the waist up of a character
Long shot- A shot taken from a long distance often to show the location
Dutch tilt- Tilt in the camera which is used to confuse the audience
Establishing shot- Used at the beginning of scenes to give information about the location
High angle shot-  Camera looks down upon a subject or object
Extreme close up- The image fills the whole screen
Eye Level-  Camera is eyelevel with the audiences eyes
Two person- A shot including two people
Dirty shot- When something is obstructing the camera
Deep focus- The shot allows the audience to see everything near and far
Over the shoulder- Looking from behind the characters shoulder to see actions of other characters
Shot reverse shot- Camera switches back and forth between the characters
POV- A shot which is from a point of view of one character.
Cowboy Shot- A shot from mid thigh up.
Pan-  The camera follows someone or something.
Whip Pan-  a camera movement which moves fast enough so it will create so blurred image.
Track- Where the camera tracks something.
Contra Zoom- Where the camera moves closer or further away from something while keeping the thing in the shot the same size.
Follow- when the camera follows an objects movement.
Dolly- A shot where a dolly is used to follow an object.
Pedestal- a camera movement which moves vertically with respect for the object.
Hand held/ Steadicam- The camera is hand held
Crane- the camera is on a crane while shooting
Arc- A camera movement around an object

Editing notes

Continuity Editing- In order for the audience to enjoy the film they have to understand the order of the narrative. In this editing style it is essential that the shots flow smoothly without showing cuts.

Shot size- The use a variety of shot sizes allows us to maintain interest in the film, and avoiding repetition. Close up’s can highlight certain objects  or symbols to focus the audiences understanding.

Cross cutting- A technique used for building suspense by editing together shots of events in different locations which link with one another.

Eye line match- Interactions between characters require an eye-line match. This is where the camera demonstrates to the audience who or what they are looking at.

Match on action- Editing together two different shots or angles to give the audience a slightly different perspective and providing more detail into the scene.

Match cut-  Two objects of the same size are edited  together. These shots graphically match.

Shot reverse shot- Two shots are edited together from different angles to explain a scene further, this is often used in a conversation.

Jump Cut- Two shots of the same thing are taken
from camera positions that are slightly different. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time.

Montage- A series of shots edited together to give a condensed period of time, space or information.

Preliminary film- Evaluation

The purpose of this preliminary task is to understand and become familiar with continuity editing and to successfully use it in creating a short production. While also learning how to use and film shots correctly in a scene, these include match on action (which we used in our production where the character enters a room) and the 180 degree rule which we clearly abided by throughout the sequence, to not confuse the audience.

We faced many difficulties when producing our short film, our main problem was in the editing were the footage was not continuous, demonstrated when the character had there hood down in one scene and up in the next, disrupting the flow and possibly confusing the audience. We also struggled to match up the shot correctly as they had been filmed multiple times and in alternative ways, this therefore made it more challenging to order the scenes correctly. Furthermore, we found the editing programme limited what we could do with the clips as it was too advanced, therefore we were unable to achieve what we wanted, for example changing the footage into black and white to create a sad and atmospheric mood. Following on from this, due to the advanced programme we found the audio very hard to make flow when fading out the non-diegetic music and introducing the dialogue from the character, disrupting the continuity.

To plan out the shots we created a storyboard before we began shooting to clearly structure our ideas and make sure we all knew what to be filming, rather than wasting time aimlessly filming irrelevant clips. However, when filming the storyboarded shots were not always kept too and things were adapted for convenience. We also took the shots several times, for example the POV shot down the corridor, to ensure that when it came to the editing there was plenty of different shots to chose the best and most fitting in the scene to improve continuity.

When shooting and editing this preliminary film I learnt many things to help improve my production next time. One of which was to check that all the shots are accurate and there is nothing obviously out of place, before editing to save time trying to make the images connect through the editing. I also discovered that it is important to have invisible editing, meaning there are no harsh or obvious scene changes which the audience may become aware of. To achieve this is would cut out any pauses at the beginning of scenes, where the actors begin a new action, which may disrupt the flow. 

'Scorch Trials' Opening Sequence Analysis

Another opening sequence I will be analysing is ‘The Scorch Trials’ directed by Wes Ball and starring actors such as Dylan O’Brien and Kaya Scodelario. This movie is the second in the trilogy and begins with a flashback of when the main character is a child to give the audience an insight into the story line and develop further from the first production.

There are many camera angles and movements used in the sequence which are effective and add tension into the scene, fitting with the action/ thriller genre.  Several low angled shots are used throughout, one which looks up and highlights the barbered wire above; this may represent the controlling authority figures making the characters appear inferior and vulnerable
Another low angled shot is used when looking up at the young boy, this is also a point of view shot from the mother, this is an uncommon shot used on a child as they are often looked down upon as they are inferior and younger, although in this, the child is in a superior position insinuating that he is of importance to the story.



Additionally, we can see the use of eyelevel shots amongst the crowd, with the characters having extremely close proxemics; this creates the feeling that the location is extremely crowded and establishing a feel of tension which is built upon throughout the opening. Alternatively, this shot is effective as it suggests that something is wrong due to tense and confusing atmosphere created, meaning the characters and audience are equal as they are viewing the same thing and the audience is not given an insight into the storyline.

Camera movements in this opening rely heavily on a steadicam to keep the camera still through the action in the scene in order to not confuse the audience. A track is also used to pull away from the mother, as she blends in the crowd and becomes insignificant; in this the audience are also in the point of view of the child as he is dragged away. This presents the action to the audience without plainly showing it, instead the audience becomes a part of it.

The opening to the film has been edited using jump cuts at a fast pace, this is used to ensure that tension and curiosity is built up in the scene as the audience have a limited duration to understand what’s occurring in the image.  A shot reverse shot is used between the boy and mother whom we assumed have a paternal relationship due to the use of close proxemics. It is also suggested through the emotion of sadness upon both characters faces when the boy is taken away. The shot reverse shot is key in allowing us, as an audience, to understand the relationship as we can see both characters reactions and facial expressions.

Throughout the sequence there are two prominent effects used on the visual image, one of which is a blur applied to the image on screen. This is used as another way to confuse the characters, preventing the audience from clearly seeing the image stimulating a sense of mystery. This may also imply there is information or secrets being concealed from the audience.  Furthermore, there is blue tint/effect which has been used throughout the first half of the sequence. The use of this colour connotes sadness and hopelessness and makes the scene more serious. However, this contrasts against the characters that are made brighter and highlighted. As seen in the image, the rim light around the characters head may be linked with religion, this could be seen to represent angels, therefore demonstrating the innocence of the characters.

The lighting used in this clip is consistently dark and low key suited to the location and time of day it is set. However, it connotes mystery as the images are concealed and it’s hard to decipher what is occurring in the scene. The lighting is also a common convention of the action/ thriller genre in order to keep the suspense of the scene. The importance of the lighting is shown in the scene where the young boy is travelling on the train and is looking up at the dominant characters; the lighting is both highlighting and concealing his face. This contrasts light and dark therefore making the audience question the characters intentions as these colours often connote good and evil. This is used to further implement confusion and suspense into the opening sequence to draw the audience’s interest.

There is a vast use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound in the scene. The music in the background was the dominant and the most obvious use of sound in the whole sequence, beginning slow and atmospheric then building and becoming louder, parallel to the action on screen. The non-diegetic music was prominent in the scene due to the lack of dialogue and minimal diegetic sound. This was effective because despite the music the scene felt very empty and eerie as there were many characters on screen yet no diegetic noise could be heard, making them seem inferior and unworthy of a voice. The only diegetic sound heard was the breathing from the guards in the mask and the dog bark, both of these making the scene more intimidating and is used to create a feel of isolation which the audience experience, with the lack of dialogue or comforting background noise.

 The mise-en-scene in the scenes work well with the story line and helps to build on the tension in the sequence. For example the location provided for this is effective as being in a train station shows that the characters are attempting to leave, suggesting something may be wrong, which makes the audience question what the events where leading up to this. The location is also out in an outside environment which is caged up and barbered wire can be seen on the gates, suggesting the people are almost as unworthy as animals, caging them in a similar way as what they would do to animals in a zoo.  The costumes range from the intimidating heavily armed guards, which are intended to be intimidating to both audience and characters, wearing masks which may suggest that something is wrong. To the female character at the end that ensures everything will be okay for the young boy whom is wearing an all white costume, juxtaposing the dark background or seen as a good character in an evil society and a prominent figure in the following story line of the film.