Third Production meeting

So in this meeting we wanted to make sure shot list and storyboards were completely finished and that as a group we was all happy with what we've come up with. To get things done quickly, we split. Me and Jake finished the shot list and storyboard while Afsana and Beata done the blogs so we all had the correct dates. They also managed to do the location sheet, which we all need for our blogs

Second Production Meeting

so today we attempted to finalise our storyline, with me and Jake working on the shot list and storyboards, with Beata and Afsana throwing shots at jake to consider using. Using the storyboard helped figure out what would work together and what wouldn't, enabling us to make the correct changes to the shot list.

Analyzing Thriller Openings

A History Of Violence

In the opening scene we see two thugs, Leland Jones (Stephen McHattie) and William Orser (Greg Bryke), who are on the road hiding out from the law. Their boredom with their fate of having to stay away from any large city or town where they could be recognized, is usually relieved by some violent act. As we see them casually checking out from a run down motel, it is revealed that they have murdered the owners. When Orser goes back into the motel office to fill their water bottle, he reveals his sociopathic character by cold-bloodedly shooting the dazed five-year-old daughter of the motel owners when she wanders into the office looking for her parents. At this point there is a blackout and we hear a scream.
It begins with a very long shot. It tracks them all the way through, probably with the help of a crane. The dialogue is very slow, relaxed and calm, matching the pace of the opening. The first cut only comes 4 minutes in, creating suspense and tension towards the audience. Now after that cut, we go back to a tracking shot, following his movements, when we suddenly see blood on the counter, and then the camera swings down and we see two body covered in blood. Jones killed them. Orser practically doesn't even recognize them and carries on doing what hes doing, filling the water bottle, when a girl comes out. By now there are more cuts, and the tension builds as it cuts to him pulling out a gun, then cutting to a close up of the gun shooting the girl...





No Country for Old Men

The film starts with a slideshow of long shots of a rural, desolate landscape, all with a narrator giving some back story to the scene. Straight away, connotations of a Western film have been shown, despite no characters have yet appeared on screen. This is immediately questioned in the next low angle shot of the two men with the police car; and with the conventions of Westerns being laid out, it is obvious to the audience within the scene that one of the men will take the archetype “villain” character.The use of the wide shots of the landscape gives the audience a moment to reflect on the narrator, which implies what he is saying is important. The non-digetic music also adds to this, with the wind blowing softly to emphasise the isolation of the setting, which just makes the placement of the characters all the more bizarre.There is almost a match dissolve between the villain sat in the darkness in the back of the car and when he's in darkness at the back of the prison wall. This gives me the impression that this process is one he is used to and has experience with, as he is very calm up until he kills the policeman.He policeman is the first character we hear talk, which builds audience empathy for him as he is killed as we can see the killer walking up behind him, and through dramatic irony we feel somewhat sorry for him. The lack of any non-digetic sound at this point increases the tension as he walks up behind him as if you could physically feel him getting closer.Again, the lack of a soundtrack when the killer chokes the policeman shows the lack of perceived importance the film shows for the character's death, as it doesn't warrant the need for one, which mirrors the lack of empathy the killer shows for killing the policeman. The lack of emotion he shows when killing his first two victims (the policeman and the man whose car he steals) builds up a reputation in the audience's mind of him being heartless and has no empathy for his actions. The scuff marks on the floor and a slow pan up, stopping before it shows any gore, gives the viewer a moment to think about the brutal way this man has just been killed, which is more effective that if the killer had just shot him. The oxygen tank that the policeman talked about is used immediately following this scene, which tells the audience that the killer had used before killing the man in the car at least once before.

Zodiac

We see a mid-shot of the couple turning and looking towards the car. We then see a view from the back of the couple’s car of them both turning around. This shot is effective as we notice the fear the couple are experiencing and we are almost put in the view of the Zodiac Murderer. Artificial lighting of a torch is then used to shine through the couple’s car and is used effectively to not allow the audience to see the Zodiac killer. This creates a mysteric atmosphere hiding the Zodiac’s identity. The Zodiac then moves around the car still holding the torch blocking lighting from his face. The Zodiac killer then simply pulls out a gun and shoots the girl, still blocking light from himself. As we see blood splatter across the girl’s body the Hurdy Gurdy Man song, as previously heard in the opening credits, kicks back in. We see the girl struggle as she is repeatedly shot. I really like the use of music being added in here as it makes the deaths seem incredibly easy for the killer to commit and shows the audience it’s going to be quite a casual thing for him to do. Once the girl is shot we then see a mid-shot from the front of the car of the killer moving away he then comes back and we see a high angled long shot of the boyfriend struggling and attempting to get away but being casually shot by the killer. After that the Zodiac killer walks away, still shadowed out, and walks back to his car. As he does so the screen fades into darkness. This is effective because the killers identity hasn't been exposed, leaving the audience anxious to find out who it is...

Brick

At the start of the opening sequence of Brick there is incidental music playing this sets a mysterious tone to the film it also gives a sense of loneliness and the actual music sounds like the noise of dripping water; this could be a connotation to what the film is about. The first shot we see is of the protagonist, the shot it’s a close up of his shoes/feet. His shoes are quite old fashioned and nerdy this gives us a sense of the protagonist’s character. When the camera reveals the protagonist’s face there is a shallow depth of field, we learn from the character by his face that he is a teenager. His face also tells us he is in distress. We see a variety of shots of the girl; the first shot we see is of her feet, her hair and her blue bracelets. The enigma codes/ question this makes us ask is how did she die? Why is he there? Did he do it? The blue bracelets are significant as they are shown on the girl                                                                              again when but when she is alive. This is the                                                                            shortest of all the openings.

First Production Meeting/ Initial Ideas/ Introducing the group

Our group consists of me, Jake, Afsana and Beata. We discussed some potential ideas for our thriller opening for the first time. Firstly, we wanted to try and suggest what roles will be implemented for each of us. Initially, I'll be director, while Jake edits, Afsana and Beata volunteered to act, although we may not need Beata to act, which would mean she'd help me and Jake. We will all work together as a team, even if we have specified roles.

Working Title: 'JUSTICE'

 INITIAL IDEAS:

So our favourite idea was this idea of a woman who looks as though she is the victim, and it flashes between her acting and to a picture of her pinned on a wall. This will continually happen until the final shot, which would be a view of t
he whole pin board of her. In the end we hope to show the audience that she isn't a victim, and is in fact the criminal and it was detectives that were spying on her. We hope to try and hint it is a detective by doing voiceovers.

SETTING:

So we decided that the shots/film of the mysterious woman would be in a car park, possibly even in an actual supermarket, making it look as though CCTV, hinting to the audience that she is not innocent. We also need to get a dark, dingy room for the pin-board shots.

COSTUME:

With costume, we want Afsana (criminal) to be dressed in casual clothes. Possibly with the colour black and red, connoting death etc. We also need something to give an idea of the detectives, possibly a police badge, police hat or a long detective coat.

SHOT IDEAS: 

• Establishing shot (possibly of the car park?)
• Jump cut
• Graphic match
• POV (Detectives eyes)

We want to maintain fast pace editing

Psycho

The movie starts one afternoon, as the camera moves from the outside of a city through a window into an apartment. Hitchcock opens the film by panning through a large city (Phoenix Arizona), the choice is random, so is the date (Friday, December the Eleventh), as well as the time (Two Forty-Three P.M.) The camera then moves through a random window of one of the many buildings. Through these random choices, Hitchcock subliminally tells the audience that this tale can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
We then get our first glimpse of the main character, she is blonde, a 
Hitchcock trademark.
Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is wearing a white bra and cuddles with her lover. Hitchcock picked that white bra at the beginning to signify her innocence. Later on, after she steals the money, we see Marion in a black bra, signifying her darker side. Through dialogue, we learn that marion and her lover cannot get married for financial reasons,but what Hitchcock is doing on a deeper level is  justifying the heroine’s future actions. That way we don’t despise Marion for committing theft. Instead, we understand her troubles and feel for her. In other words, she has a reason for stealing the money.  Another example of Hitchcock trying to justify her theft is evident in the next scene. We meet Mr. Cassidy, a man who sprays his money everywhere to “buy happiness”. We don’t regard Marion as a villain because the man she steals from is portrayed as a very rich disgusting beast who doesn’t know how to hold his tongue. He speaks his mind with no manners whatsoever flirting with Marion and embarrassing the boss (“where’s that bottle you said was in your desk?”). After the theft, no real harm is done, at least not enough to make Marion a villain. We simply see her dark side. Again, this is expressed visually when we see her staring at the open envelope wearing her black bra. The $40,000 in the envelope serves as the ‘MacGuffin’ of the film. The term ‘MacGuffin’ refers to an object that bares much importance to the characters but to the audience it’s only a vehicle to drive the plot to the next level. A ‘MacGuffin’ is dropped once it serves its purpose. Hitchcock uses a medium shot of the main character, Marion Crane, as she drives away from her hometown. The shot shows her face, part of the steering wheel, and the background, which includes the sky. The shot then changes from that particular medium shot to what is regarded as an eye-line matching shot, in which we as the audience see the highway through her eyes. The minute she steps into her car, the narration starts.

The narration serves as the voice in her head.  At first, we hear what she suspects Sam will react like upon seeing her with the money. 

After a few more scenes, we are introduced to Norman Bates, 'cinemas most famous villain'. She checks in and we are first introduced to Norman. Perkins plays the role in an oddly chilling loose and naturalistic manner. Marion signs as ‘Marie Samuels’. Again, the alias signature is pathetic as it’s proof of her not doing a good job of hiding her real identity. Marie is too close to her real name, Samuels is her boyfriend’s name. Norman asks her to write her home address as well. She looks at the newspaper that reads ‘Los Angeles Times’ and chooses that city rather than Arizona. “Los Angeles” she says. Meanwhile Norman chooses something else, a key to the room she’ll be spending the night in. Unlike the three suspicious men prior to that scene, Norman doesn’t suspect a thing. Why? – Because he’s hiding something himself. Norman picks room number one. “Cabin 1. It’s closer in case you want anything” Both character’s suspicious actions cancel each other out. A perfect scene as only the audience is aware of the humour in their interaction. 

THE MOST FAMOUS SCENE IN HISTORY????

In probably the most famous, and well edited scene in all of cinema, also known as the shower scene, Hitchcock uses editing and sound as cinematic manipulation to create a carefully thought out horrific murder scene. In less than one minute, we witness a combination of 78 shots, in relation to the sound of a knife slashing against skin. We never actually see the knife enter the woman’s flesh, yet we’re convince we do through the sight of stabbing (hand motion), sound effects, the musical score (horrible animalistic screeching), and of course the careful editing. 

Unknown

Unknown was made in 2011, and features taken star Liam Neeson. A biochemist and his dishy wife arrive in Berlin for a conference at which a scientist and his controversial Arab funder will announce breakthrough research. While his wife checks into the hotel, he grabs a cab to return to the airport for his briefcase, left at the curb. En route, an auto accident puts him in a coma, from which he awakes four days later without identification and with gaps in his memory. He goes to the hotel: his wife refuses to recognize him and another man has claimed his identity. With help from a nurse, the cab driver, a retired Stasi agent, and an academic friend, he tries to unravel what's going on...

As the movie opens, we meet Dr. Martin Harris and his wife, Elizabeth, who are on a flight to a biotechnology conference in Berlin. at the airport, Dr. Harris lets a guy load his luggage, and as the taxi leaves, we get a big shot of his briefcase, still on the luggage trolley.

Was this an accident? If I'm carrying a briefcase that contains a cure for world hunger or a formula of mass destruction, I'm not gonna leave it on the curb. Dr. Harris and his wife get to the hotel, she starts to check in, he realizes his briefcase was left behind, and without telling her, he grabs another taxi to the airport. He tries to call her, but can't get a signal. 

A container falls off the truck in front of them, the taxi swerves and plunges through a bridge rail, Dr. Harris is knocked unconscious, but his life is saved by the quick actions of the driver, Gina. He's in a coma for four days. He pulls himself together and races to the hotel, only to find that his wife says she has never seen him before and is happily married to the "real" Dr. Martin Harris.  How can he prove his real identity and understand the conspiracy that has taken control of his life?

As a veteran thriller watcher, you can think of several possibilities here. It was all a dream. He has been brainwashed. He only thinks he's Martin Harris. He only imagined he was on a plane with the real Mrs. Elizabeth Harris. The second taxi was waiting to pick him up. And on and on. Or possibly none of the above.

Was it an accident he left the briefcase behind? If he hadn't, there would have been no need to return to the airport. Was the falling container an accident? Was it an accident that he got a (beautiful) undocumented Bosnian refugee taxi driver who performed a heroic rescue in icy winter waters? Was it planned that he would be able to walk into the biotechnology conference and find the (real or fake) Dr. Martin Harris?

I'm thinking, if I'm an operative for some sinister secret organization and I want that briefcase and the MacGuffin it contains, here's what I'll do: kill off Liam Neeson, whoever he is, and steal the briefcase, or break into his hotel room, or drug him. Anything. Because, think. If he isn't the real Martin Harris, why does he possess the briefcase containing the MacGuffin in the first place? But if he's a fake Martin                                                                                    Harris, who is the real one?

The birds

Garden birds turning against mankind - even though the plot seems banal, it has become terrifying in the hands of Hitchcock. Tippi Hedren played the blonde heroine of "The Birds." The story starts with the lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), who meets a rich girl Melanie Daniels (Tippi) in a pet shop and treats her like a shop assistant. He is playing a joke on her since he once tried to persuade her in court for a practical joke that went wrong. They argue, and Melanie tries to get her own back by presenting Mitch's little sister, Cathy, with the two love birds Mitch couldn't find in the pet shop. 

She has travelled from San Francisco to Bodega Bay. After secretly delivering the present, Melanie is attacked by a seagull. As Melanie is introduced into Mitch's family (Mitch's mother, Lydia, is afraid Mitch will leave her - like when her husband died) and schoolteacher Annie Hayworth (she loves Mitch, they once had a relationship, she moved to Bodega Bay to be near him), the different species of birds escalate their attack: gulls attack Cathy's outdoor birthday party; sparrows fill down the house by coming down the chimney; Lydia finds a dead farmer with his eyes gouged out; crows attack the school children; gulls attack the town, which goes up in flames. 

 They all board themselves up in the house, only to have the birds attack but not get in. During the night, Melanie investigates a sound, and is trapped in the loft, repeated pecked by an onslaught of birds. Dragged out by Mitch, she is in shock. Mitch goes outside and all the buildings and land are covered with birds. They tiptoe out, and slowly make their way by car to some uncertain future. 

There is no music in the film, only natural and unnatural sounds. The sound of the birds massing is frightening than any kind of soundtrack.

                                

How To Film A Thriller

At The Fort 

Very Long shot- sets the scene for the audience, they can gather that the film in the country side with the non digetic bird sound running over the top.

Point of View- Helps the audience feel as though they're in the feel, makes us fell as though we're in the actors shoes

Dissolve- This means the audience know that we've moved forwards in time, instead of having to watch a long walk and have no action(boring!)

Long/ Tracking shot- Again, sets the scene, tracking shot helps move the action along. Not breaking the 180 degree rule.







High Angle Tilt- this shows the actors vulnerability, as it makes him look small and defenceless. Sinister music starts, suggests danger is approaching.

Shot reverse shot- We see what he sees (POV) then the camera shows the actor. This was difficult to spot because we normally refer to this shot when conversation starts. Deep note suggests suspense. Digetic sound's:
feet splashing in puddles (live)
dripping water (sound effect)



Does this shot suggest he is being watched?!









Close up- This could emphasise danger is coming closer and that he may need his feet to run... showing the contrast as he may be running back through this puddle to escape.






Backlight- Creates him as a silhouette, suggesting that the outside (light) is his only escape....







Wide shot (Deep focus)- With this shot being deep focused, it could be hinting to the audience that this is where he will be running towards to escape. If it wasn't in deep focus the audience would know that it doesn't play a part in the film.






                                                                     


Sinister sound effect scares the audience, we sense that danger is fast approaching.

Low Angle (Parallel between inside and out. Sinister music stops when we are inside...)

Close up- This shot shows his reaction, emphasising the emotion (in this case, fright) on his face.








Fast pace editing, fast&threatening music and canted angles all suggest danger.








Worms-eye view- This shot is making him look big. Is he the one who's in control??

POV (using stedicam)- Makes the audience feel as though they're the character, this is helped with the digetic sound of breathing.






warm light = unthreatening while the music and breathing fade out, emphasising relief.

Silence, has the danger/threat gone? Was there even a threat??








Warm backlight. Everything ok and back to normal?









Extreme close up and ominous music! He is being watched? :o Ends on cliffhanger