Friday, 28 January 2011
Monday, 24 January 2011
Account of shoot day.
Our shoot day was generally similar to our storyboard apart from a few changes. We added in a 'pull focus' at one point when the actor puts on his blazer and turns his head to look at the gun. How we did this was having it focused on him and then when he glanced towards the gun, changing the focus so it was focused on the gun instead. This looked so good and each of us in the group had a go at filming it so we could chose the best one later on. We also filmed a shot of him going into the wardrobe and looking through the clothes to find the suit and then laying it out on the bed. This was not originally in the storyboard and we were not certain if we are going to use it but we got the shot just incase. With this, we tried to do something different and so one of us got inside the wardrobe with the camera and tilted it upwards and then acted out the part where he is searching through the clothes so you can see the clothes moving from underneath them. We had originally wanted to do this differently, with the camera behind all the clothes but it was not possible due to the depth of the wardrobe. The shot we took was not as effective and therefore we are not sure if we will use it but it is good to have anyway.
We were very well prepared and due to this we managed to get everything done very quickly and felt very impressed with what we had done afterwards. There were a couple of times where we had to quickly move things from the room, like a bin, when it creeped into the shot! Apart from this, we managed to create the effect we were going for which was more of a thriller than a horror. The target audience was mainly general apart from young children of course, however we used a young, good looking actor so it may appeal more to teenage girls. It will also appeal to teenage boys too though as it has a james bond feel about it.
We chose many different shot choices for different things. Apart from the unplanned shots like the pull focus and shot from underneath the clothes in the wardrobe which I have previously talked about, we had certain shots like a close up of his shirt panning up as he did up the buttons. We did this because it makes him look like he has power and that he is in control of the situation. In contrast with this, after he has heard the door go and is suddenly not in control of the situation anymore, we did many high angle shots to show him as inferior. We also had an extreme close up of the door handle when he notices that the woman is about to enter the room, this was to create suspense. We also took a shot from under the bed of his trousers falling to the floor before he puts on the suit trousers. This is to give people the impression that there may be something underneath the bed.
Another key technique which we did not plan and decided to use on the day was shutter speed. We had slow shutter speed to start off with and when he realises someone is coming and starts rushing we used fast shutter speed. This was to create tension and show the rush and stress. This worked really well.
For the lighting, we used a redhead which we put in the corner of the room and pointed it up to the ceiling. This is so that the lighting did not look too artificial and forced but there was still enough light for everything to be clear. For the bathroom scene, we only used the bathroom light as we wanted that part to be dark as it is the beginning of the sequence so puts across the idea and prepares the audience that this is going to be a thriller.
We had many diegetic sounds like the wardrobe opening and closing, the sound of the zip on the trousers, the water running in the bathroom and everything else. However, we were scared that these would not be so effective so when we got back to school we went around with a camera and a microphone and found ways of making these sounds in different places all over the school. We used my jumper zip for the zip of the trousers, the taps in the school bathrooms to get a more clear sound of water running, and doors closing for the part where he hears the sound of the front door and the woman is home. We also recorded us walking up stairs so we could add that part in.
We realised when we got back from shooting that the body under the bed may be confused for the man that had previously been getting changed, hiding from the woman. This would mess up the story line and so we were thinking about what we could do to make the storyline clearer. We decided to have a black screen at the beginning where you would hear the sound of a body falling to the floor and then being dragged (under the bed). Once we had decided this we realised we had to find something around school that could make these sounds. Therefore, we ended up recording many things to see what would get the best sound. I even dragged another one of my group members across the floor to get the sound of a dragging body! We also recording things like a chair toppling over to get the bang of the body falling to the floor.
My role in the production on shooting day was partly director and partly cameraman. I checked whether the shots looked good and if suggested something else if they weren't quite right. This was important because sometimes, for example, there would be something in the corner of the shot like a light stand or wire, or even a bin which would have looked terrible. I also did some of the filming and there were a few shots which all 3 of us had a go at doing so we could chose the best one afterwards.
We all worked very well together and I liked the way we divided up the tasks as we all did a bit of everything and all 3 of us worked just as hard as each other. We had a bit of a disaster at first because we had planned to use a room but then a couple of nights before we went in there just to check everything was sorted out, and we realised that there was no space under the bed! We then became very stressed as we realised the only room in the whole house with space under the bed was very messy and had 3 single beds instead of one double. The bathroom was also not in the right place or big enough for what we had to do. However, it was too late and so we just had to work with it, including using a different bathroom all together. So the mise-en-scene was a last minute thing and so we didn't have a lot of time to talk about it. We just decided on the dressing table along with the posters and record player to signify that a man and woman both lived there.
I was very happy with the overall result. I wasn't sure it was all going to work out at first. I wasn't THAT keen on the idea, and the location was all last minute so I was not expecting it to go as well as it did. It went so much better than I expected and I think the mise-en-scene worked fine in the end. Thank you!!
We were very well prepared and due to this we managed to get everything done very quickly and felt very impressed with what we had done afterwards. There were a couple of times where we had to quickly move things from the room, like a bin, when it creeped into the shot! Apart from this, we managed to create the effect we were going for which was more of a thriller than a horror. The target audience was mainly general apart from young children of course, however we used a young, good looking actor so it may appeal more to teenage girls. It will also appeal to teenage boys too though as it has a james bond feel about it.
We chose many different shot choices for different things. Apart from the unplanned shots like the pull focus and shot from underneath the clothes in the wardrobe which I have previously talked about, we had certain shots like a close up of his shirt panning up as he did up the buttons. We did this because it makes him look like he has power and that he is in control of the situation. In contrast with this, after he has heard the door go and is suddenly not in control of the situation anymore, we did many high angle shots to show him as inferior. We also had an extreme close up of the door handle when he notices that the woman is about to enter the room, this was to create suspense. We also took a shot from under the bed of his trousers falling to the floor before he puts on the suit trousers. This is to give people the impression that there may be something underneath the bed.
Another key technique which we did not plan and decided to use on the day was shutter speed. We had slow shutter speed to start off with and when he realises someone is coming and starts rushing we used fast shutter speed. This was to create tension and show the rush and stress. This worked really well.
For the lighting, we used a redhead which we put in the corner of the room and pointed it up to the ceiling. This is so that the lighting did not look too artificial and forced but there was still enough light for everything to be clear. For the bathroom scene, we only used the bathroom light as we wanted that part to be dark as it is the beginning of the sequence so puts across the idea and prepares the audience that this is going to be a thriller.
We had many diegetic sounds like the wardrobe opening and closing, the sound of the zip on the trousers, the water running in the bathroom and everything else. However, we were scared that these would not be so effective so when we got back to school we went around with a camera and a microphone and found ways of making these sounds in different places all over the school. We used my jumper zip for the zip of the trousers, the taps in the school bathrooms to get a more clear sound of water running, and doors closing for the part where he hears the sound of the front door and the woman is home. We also recorded us walking up stairs so we could add that part in.
We realised when we got back from shooting that the body under the bed may be confused for the man that had previously been getting changed, hiding from the woman. This would mess up the story line and so we were thinking about what we could do to make the storyline clearer. We decided to have a black screen at the beginning where you would hear the sound of a body falling to the floor and then being dragged (under the bed). Once we had decided this we realised we had to find something around school that could make these sounds. Therefore, we ended up recording many things to see what would get the best sound. I even dragged another one of my group members across the floor to get the sound of a dragging body! We also recording things like a chair toppling over to get the bang of the body falling to the floor.
My role in the production on shooting day was partly director and partly cameraman. I checked whether the shots looked good and if suggested something else if they weren't quite right. This was important because sometimes, for example, there would be something in the corner of the shot like a light stand or wire, or even a bin which would have looked terrible. I also did some of the filming and there were a few shots which all 3 of us had a go at doing so we could chose the best one afterwards.
We all worked very well together and I liked the way we divided up the tasks as we all did a bit of everything and all 3 of us worked just as hard as each other. We had a bit of a disaster at first because we had planned to use a room but then a couple of nights before we went in there just to check everything was sorted out, and we realised that there was no space under the bed! We then became very stressed as we realised the only room in the whole house with space under the bed was very messy and had 3 single beds instead of one double. The bathroom was also not in the right place or big enough for what we had to do. However, it was too late and so we just had to work with it, including using a different bathroom all together. So the mise-en-scene was a last minute thing and so we didn't have a lot of time to talk about it. We just decided on the dressing table along with the posters and record player to signify that a man and woman both lived there.
I was very happy with the overall result. I wasn't sure it was all going to work out at first. I wasn't THAT keen on the idea, and the location was all last minute so I was not expecting it to go as well as it did. It went so much better than I expected and I think the mise-en-scene worked fine in the end. Thank you!!
FINAL IDEA - finally.
Over the holidays, once the tiring musical was over and we each had a bit of time to think with a clear mind, I received an email from another group member explaining exactly what I had been thinking myself. This was that we were not completely happy with the idea we had decided on before the holidays and if we were not completely happy with it, we were not going to enjoy it or be as enthusiastic.
Through emailing between all three of us we decided to settle on the idea of an opening sequence which was very simple. It would start with a man in the bathroom washing blood off his hands and then washing his face and glancing in the mirror, where we would see his face for the first time. He would walk into a bedroom where there would be a suit that he had previously layed out on the bed. There would be some nice shots of him dressing into the suit. The idea would be for the audience to assume this was his house. Already dressed in his shirt, he would start to put his trousers on but when he got the trousers to his knees he would hear the sound of the front door opening and a woman arriving home. He then would start dressing much quicker and the shots would have increased pace to show he was in a hurry. Finally once he was dressed he would grab a gun from the table along with a passport. As this is going on we can hear the sound of footsteps up the stairs, building the tension and suspense. The door handle would turn and the man would take one last worried glance towards the door. Then we would see the door opening from the womans point of view and as she glances around the room, the man has dissapeared. As she shuts the door, assuming she never heard anything and it was just a misunderstanding, we see the feet of a dead body underneath the bed.
The story is that this man has entered a womans house and killed her partner for some reason or other and then taken his identity. We chose this one for definite because it included both the suspense of the woman catching the man with his trousers down - literally - but also the shock of seeing the body under the bed. It is also interesting as the audience are made to believe that this is the mans house to start off with, then the story slowly unravells.
Through emailing between all three of us we decided to settle on the idea of an opening sequence which was very simple. It would start with a man in the bathroom washing blood off his hands and then washing his face and glancing in the mirror, where we would see his face for the first time. He would walk into a bedroom where there would be a suit that he had previously layed out on the bed. There would be some nice shots of him dressing into the suit. The idea would be for the audience to assume this was his house. Already dressed in his shirt, he would start to put his trousers on but when he got the trousers to his knees he would hear the sound of the front door opening and a woman arriving home. He then would start dressing much quicker and the shots would have increased pace to show he was in a hurry. Finally once he was dressed he would grab a gun from the table along with a passport. As this is going on we can hear the sound of footsteps up the stairs, building the tension and suspense. The door handle would turn and the man would take one last worried glance towards the door. Then we would see the door opening from the womans point of view and as she glances around the room, the man has dissapeared. As she shuts the door, assuming she never heard anything and it was just a misunderstanding, we see the feet of a dead body underneath the bed.
The story is that this man has entered a womans house and killed her partner for some reason or other and then taken his identity. We chose this one for definite because it included both the suspense of the woman catching the man with his trousers down - literally - but also the shock of seeing the body under the bed. It is also interesting as the audience are made to believe that this is the mans house to start off with, then the story slowly unravells.
even more ideas....
After our other ideas were not working out for us, we came up with a totally different idea, which was influenced by the opening sequences of ‘Se7en’, ‘Momento’ and ‘Pi’. We were very confident with this idea as it was original, however it was very complicated and when we pitched it, our audience didn't quite understand it. We then started to doubt it as it ended up getting too confusing, as we had to find a reason behind the equations and a reason behind why the sequence was done backwards.
THEREFORE another idea..
Due to rehearsals for the Christmas Musical which my other group members were involved with, along with one of our group members being ill and hardly being involved in the choosing of ideas due to us missing some vital lessons together as a group. This meant that we weren't able to discuss as a group what idea we were going to work on. The three of us individually worked on some ideas, however there weren't any opportunities to present them to the whole group. Thus, we still were not settled on an idea.
After talking to Matt, we came up with a completely different action-based thriller idea. We weren’t really enthusiastic about the idea, but it was something that Matt was happy with, so we chose to go ahead with it. We spent time putting a powerpoint together and thinking of possible places where we could film it. We were pretty settled on this idea so tried to think of a reason to why the men were fighting and decided it could be based on identity theft.
THEREFORE another idea..
Due to rehearsals for the Christmas Musical which my other group members were involved with, along with one of our group members being ill and hardly being involved in the choosing of ideas due to us missing some vital lessons together as a group. This meant that we weren't able to discuss as a group what idea we were going to work on. The three of us individually worked on some ideas, however there weren't any opportunities to present them to the whole group. Thus, we still were not settled on an idea.
After talking to Matt, we came up with a completely different action-based thriller idea. We weren’t really enthusiastic about the idea, but it was something that Matt was happy with, so we chose to go ahead with it. We spent time putting a powerpoint together and thinking of possible places where we could film it. We were pretty settled on this idea so tried to think of a reason to why the men were fighting and decided it could be based on identity theft.
Monday, 6 December 2010
MORE IDEAS.
Another idea which I have been thinking may be good for our thriller is one shot, like a reverse zoom. The reverse zoom would come from something interesting and as it zoomed out interesting things would be around that one starting object. This would make the opening sequence interesting and mysterious.
For this idea I got inspired by the opening sequence of 'A Clockwork Orange':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04un4-DOyA0
I found this opening sequence interesting due to:
Another idea which has crossed my mind would be doing the whole opening sequence backwards. Starting off with something that has happened and maybe going back to how this happened. A good thriller which uses this technique is momentum:
For this idea I got inspired by the opening sequence of 'A Clockwork Orange':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04un4-DOyA0
I found this opening sequence interesting due to:
- the fact that there is only one camera shot - extreme close up followed by a reverse zoom.
- the mise-en-scene in the way that the bar is set out. It is not like a normal bar and there is something strange and bizzare about it.
- The sound: it starts off with eerie, strange music which gets more bizzare until the end where there is a non-diegetic voice over, creating more madness.
Another idea which has crossed my mind would be doing the whole opening sequence backwards. Starting off with something that has happened and maybe going back to how this happened. A good thriller which uses this technique is momentum:
Tuesday, 30 November 2010
GROUP MEETING
When we met originally to discuss our Thriller idea's in our group we chose to develop this idea:
- a small girl in a park on a swing
- a woman watching her
- flashback of woman pushing her daughter on the swing
- woman looking at photo of her daughter (we realise daughter has died)
- woman putting 'wanted poster' through the little girl's letter box
- little girl turns up at womans house and we see that woman is going to kidnapp her.
However, we then realised that this may have been a bad idea to develop. First of all, it is very long and would not fit into a 2 minute sequence. It also does would have told most of the story in the opening sequence and would not leave much to be discovered or developed. The final problem was how we were going to get a little girl to be in the sequence.
After thinking a lot, we decided on a completely different idea. This idea was based around the myths that you hear about which explain how people wake up in baths full of ice with organs missing and writing on the wall saying 'Call 999' as people have drugged them, cut out their organs and gone to sell them in another country. This is what we came to:
- There is an extreme close-up of a girls eyes. We see them open as she gasps.
- There is then a reverse zoom so we can see that she is in her underwear in a bath full of ice; she has a shocked/confused expression.
- There is then an eyeline match of her looking in the mirror. We see that there is something written on the mirror. The rest of the mirror goes out of focus and allows us to read what is written in red lipstick: 'call 0800......( a phone number)'
- The girl looks around and sees a phone lying next to her. She slowly types in the number and we see a close-up of the phone with the diegetic noises of her typing in the numbers.
- she puts the phone to her ear, but we don't hear what the person is saying on the other line. She has an extremely shocked expression and slowly lets go of the phone in fear.
- There is then a flashback. We see her dancing in the club holding a drink, she moves over to dance with a guy and when she's not looking there is a close up of him spiking her drink. We then see him dragging her into his car or something similar to this to show that she is the victim and he is the bad guy.
- It then cuts back to reality and she is in the bath. We are looking at her through the mirror. She looks down looks back up at herself in the mirror and screams.
- The screen goes black and the title comes up whilst she is still screaming.
Sunday, 21 November 2010
HORROR/THRILLER IDEAS.
1. Guy alone in a room in a mental asylem. Show's his unstableness, and when people come to find him he has dissapeared.
2. Someone with a handheld camera which is set in night vision mode. Shows us the horrible things they see and then camera switches offf.
3. Freaky killer child who has killed all her own family; there would be a process in which we would figure this out.
4. A man who obsesses over young girls and we see him plotting his next attack.
My main chosen idea is idea 4. It would start off with a close-up of a wall in an empty room and on the wall would be pictures of little girls and articles of girls who have gone missing along with pictures of little girl's bedroom's and other items to do with youg girls. There would be a reverse zoom and then diegetic sounds of a door opening and footsteps of a guy walking into the room. You will see his fingers running along the pictures. As he looks at his 'work' of pictures and runs his fingers against them, there will be non-diegetic eerie music that builds tension. However, throughout the whole of the clip you wont see his face This is to create suspense and keep people hanging. There will then be quick cuts of the guy sitting at a desk looking at information about a new little girl and planning his attack. There will be cuts of him packing certain items into a bag and things like that. As he packs his bag there will be diegetic sounds of him singing a nursery rhyme in a scary way. Right before the clip ends there will be a shot of something which gives away what he is doing with these little girls, but i am still undecided on what this will be.
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