Initial thriller ideas

This is a mind map of our initial ideas for for the thriller film we will be filming for our main task. This was useful as it allowed us to brainstorm ideas, and use ideas from other thrillers to incorporate into our opening. We thought of all of setting ideas, what effect the video would be in and how the story would go. We also used semic codes, which are a typical convention of a horror thriller.

BBFC and deciding the age for our film

The BBFC is the British Board of Film Classification, and it decides on the age rating of a film. We have decided to give ours a rating of  '15' because the website states 'No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age.'

The rating of a film is given to stop/allow certain age groups watching a film. 'Examiners look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence when making decisions. They also consider context, the tone and impact of a work (eg how it makes the audience feel)'

Any of the following could give the rating of 15:

•   strong violence
•  frequent strong language
•   portrayals of sexual activity
•   strong verbal references to sex
•   sexual nudity
•   brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
•   discriminatory language or behaviour
•   drug taking

A 15 rated film is good because more content can be added, with all the things above being allowed. However, it is not useful as it is not open to a wide range of an audience, as younger age groups are unable to watch it.

We would apply for a rating of 15 because of the ideas of the hypodermic needle model. This could mean that if anybody that watched the content under the age of 15, it would put ideas into their head that the specific content (i.e murder) would be acceptable. The 15 is also used because of the cultivation theory, to stop younger ages from watching films that include things such as murder, because the more of it they see, the more acceptable it will become. To stop this the age rating is put in place, but also the murderer could be shown to be punished, proving it is wrong to the viewers that are allowed to watch it.

The information in ' ' was found from:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification

Disability

According to a study in 1991, there are 10 different stereotypes that media use to portray disabled people, these are:
-Pathetic or Pitiable
-An object of curiosity or violence
-Sinister or evil
-The super cripple
-As atmosphere
-Laughable
-His/her own worst enemy
-A burden
-Non-sexual
-Unable to participate in daily life


Film has provided a been key for developments in language and social attitudes towards disability- including learning disabilities and mental illness, which endured a bad history of misrepresentation on screen. The 21st century has been a platform for the media to enhance the disabled in a good light, with most soap operas, and TV series including them, but not just as 'atmosphere'. For example in Coronation Street Izzy Armstrong, (played by Cherylee Houston) suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, using a wheel chair to get about,  she plays a main character with a child, and is respected by all of the other characters, going against many of the typical stereotypes. RJ Mitte is another example, playig a key part in the hit TV series 'Breaking Bad'. Mitte plays 'Walter Jr' and suffers from Cerebral palsy in real life as well as in the TV show, showing him to be very skilled, even though he has a disability.
However, it is not just disabled people that suffer from under representation; figures state that just 15% of women that feature on BBC 1, ITV 1, Sky 1, and Channel 4 were aged over 56, half (30%) of which actually make up the demographic, hinting that TV is verging on sexism. Also older people are often forgotten about and are considerably under represented with over 55s accounting for just 12% of lead roles in dramas.

Disability in a touch of frost

We watched a clip on the treatment of a disabled person from a touch of frost (Billy). Here are my ideas:

The inspector is looking down, and talking down on him throughout the clip, showing he is of higher status than him. Whilst the Inspector speaks to him, he repeats Billy’s sentences, almost like you would with a child- because he thinks of him as ‘mentally sub-normal’. Billy is also shown to be covered in mud, emphasising he isn’t ‘clean’; using both aspects of the word, maybe he has done something wrong, and/or maybe he is trying to be portrayed as dirty just because he is disabled. To contradict this Billy is shown as not as clever as everyone throughout, but is said to have a job, perhaps suggesting that disabled people are equal to us and deserve the same chances.

Se7en-Textual Analysis

The Woman in Black- Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis: Trailer of Paranormal Activity

Barthes' Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes' Narrative Codes

Action Code
The audience will recognise an action code, as it indicates what is the next logical step. For example, the packing of a suitcase symbolises that the person is about to leave. In my Preliminary task, I used action code by somebody walking in a door, symbolising that you will see that person leave the room.

Mystery Code
This code is used to explain that you think you will find an answer if keep watching. It grabs the audience's interest and attention as it draws them in to keep watching. For example, somebody is holding a bloody knife, and there is a body on the floor; it draws you in as you want to find out who did it, and why. In our preliminary piece we used mystery code through showing the wrong document being given, this draws you in to find out why the document is needed.

Semic Code
Symbols are used to show meanings and a narrative through signs, for example in this picture the 'A' in the circle symbolises anarchy, and foreshadows what is to come.

The Cultural Code

This makes the narrative to make sense, and show the cultural and social atmosphere that should be created during the film. In my preliminary task we showed the scene to be in an office, showing the mood of the film (formal).

Code of Opposite

This code refers to a narrative that shows binary opposites, for example black vs white, male vs female. In my preliminary we used male vs female, and in this case the woman (playing the antagonist) outwits the man (playing the protagonist). 



These also link into our  main task. We would use things such as semic codes in our thriller as they are a key convention of a thriller, and entices the viewer in as it foreshadows what may be coming. In our thriller we could also use mystery code, because the 2 minute opening will make them want to keep watching, as they feel they will find an answer if they do so.



Conventions of a thriller

Conventions of a Thriller Movie

In a thriller, the usual scenario is a battle between a protagonist and an antagonist, when one disrupts the other. Usual a set of bad events happen, setting the scene for a climax at the end, often a build of to suspense for the end of the film. The protagonist tries to out do the antagonist, and often (not all the time) justice is restored.

In thrillers there are many different conventions, these include:
-Tense music
-Quick cuts
-Black and white shots
-Protagonist in mercy of Antagonist
-Variety/Montage of shots

There is, most often, a single/group of characters that make up the protagonist, and they virtually always fight for justice, whilst in most thrillers the antagonist usually has a hidden identity at some point in the film, adding mystery code to the thriller. The story line is often quite realistic so that the person watching thinks it could possibly happen them, involving them and adding emotional connections with the film.

Camera shots like close up and extreme close ups would be used to show the emotion of the character, to set the tone for the scene. Along with the camera shots, music would be played in the background to enhance the mood for that particular scene even further.

Music in a thriller is key for the mood of any scene, and it can also send a message to the audience ie. making the them happy, or making them scared. In the majority of thrillers it builds up suspense, and the music will often get louder as more of something is revealed, to make it more dramatic.

Mise-en-scene:
-The location is key because it establishes the theme of the thriller.
-Lighting so that the theme can be further established
-The costumes play a key part in the mise-en-scene as the characters personality is clearly displayed through them.
-Saturation and colours used in the film show the theme and mood.

This links into our thriller as we are going to use some of these ideas, for example the lighting, in our thriller for a more sinister effect. We will use sharp music, similar to that use in the shining.


                

Preliminary Evaluation

What is effective about S2:E6's opening to Utopia?

This is the recent exam question I did on an opening to a TV drama, Utopia.

It is effective because it reflects the zeitgeist and people can relate to it in everyday life. This is because everyone seems to be worried about the environment and what can be done to change it. However, it tells you in an extreme way what can be done to change it and draws you in because it mentions the killing of a child, which is not only evil, but it adds tension and meaning to the message.

The camera shots are effective because a wide range of shots are used, adding dramatic effect to the scene. For example a close up is used to show the emotion on the speakers face and how serious he is when he talks about killing the child, and the exact antithesis is shown on the child's mothers face; perhaps portraying the emotion of most of the viewers faces- involving the audience, making it effective. Other shots, such as two shots are used to show the conversation and the use of a low angle at the end shows the evilness of the man who spoke of killing and 'innocent' child, which is also used at the start of the scene, making the viewer anticipate him being evil.

The representation of gender is effective because the man is shown as clever by showing his knowledge through using facts and figures. The way he speaks shows his evil tone, and it is he is seen to be dressed in black-a dull colour to again, add to the subtle evilness of him. The woman is shown to be 'aware' of the environment but doesn't actually know a great deal-suggesting that most people, in this instance women, use a token of good gestures but what they do doesn't have a significant impact. The woman is again shown as the exact opposite of the man aa she seems innocent and actually cares about her child. The man is also shown to talk over the woman in a passive aggressive way, which adds the gender stereo-type that men are better than women-making it effective because it will create discussion between genders, luring them in to the programme and making them want to watch it.

It is an effective opener because of the music used to creat tension and suspense, with non-diegetic sounds used as the programme is shown at 10 at night- just after children are put to bed and although sinister it could entice you in to watch it.

Preliminary Task has finished

We had to add more on to make it longer, so it is different from the story board, and also had to change a few things- but the story board gave us a few ideas and a basic story.
Here is the link to the task:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjqStVOOzn0&list=UUht5fxUjha19_XNfG0mi2EA

Game of Thrones (Case Study)

This is my case study on Game of Thrones.

Filming has started...

We (a group of 3 consisting of me, Reece and Emily) have started our continuity task. It is a lot harder than I first thought to include everything and to make it flow. The acting is not greatly important but it has to be of a good standard, and for me that is the thing I am struggling with the most, but all in all our group is doing well for a first try. Here are a few pictures of what is soon to be the next big movie...

Preliminary Task

This is the story board we used we will use for our Preliminary piece, with great drawings. All credit goes to Reece.

Stylistic Influences and Post-Production in Utopia

Utopia is notorious for its comic book look, and its thriller hyper-real violence along with its use of colour like no other programme. The director, Marc Munden is like a comic book artist, using bright colours to create a techni-colour 1950's Hollywood look to the programme. The bright colours give a unique look to the programme.

Most days, the skies weren't even blue (they were typically grey as it was filmed in Britain), but due to the incredible amount of work in post production, the skies are shown in a vibrant blue colour, adding to the comic book look. Aiden Farell precisely colour corrected each shot, using dynamic colours, like bright yellow and turquoise, and painted them into the shot during post-production.

Normally stylistic influences affect a piece of cinematography by almost instructing it to use blues, reds and greens, but the 'individuality' of Utopia shows them using cyan, yellows and magentas adding a distinct element to the series.

The colour palette is for series 2 is said to be bolder. Marc Munden said that this time they are not trying to find the aesthetic anymore, and it is no longer difficult to manipulate colours in a shot that weren't part of the palette. This time they can afford to dress the sets in yellows, cyans and magentas, so in post-production we can make them bolder, due to the success of the past 2 series, it is no longer hard to produce the colours.

 

Preliminary Breif: Continuity Task

The Preliminary task we have been set is to create a small clip using a variety of continuity techniques. The task will need to include: 180 degree angle rule, match on action and a shot/reverse shot, in a film of someone opening a door, crossing the room, and then sharing a few lines dialogue with another character.

180 Degree Rule- This is a guide for two people that are the subject of the filming should have the same right/left relationship. The camera should always be on the axis, or as some like to call it; the imaginary line, in order for the shots to work and be correct.

Shot reverse shot-This is used to show 2 characters dialogue, and is another example of continuity shots. The shot focuses on one person and then quickly changes to the other one, so that the audience are able to see the expressions on both actors faces, and makes the scene look more natural.

 

Match on action- This is also an editing technique when the editor cuts from one scene and then they shoot the same scene in a but at a different time. The match on action shows the same scene, but as a continuity shot, as the name suggests the action has to match what was in the previous shot. The action has to look like it exactly matches what has gone before so it looks natural.

First camera shots

In a group, consisting of Myself, Reece and Emily we first attempted using a of variety of camera shots from different angles in a typical narrative of an antagonist and a protagonist. We used shots such as:

                                                                                 

In this long-shot we are showing the protagonist more in the background of the shot, as the antagonist is closer to the camera and is unable to see him, adding tension to the atmosphere of the shot. Also this shot shows the importance of each character, the antagonist is the 'hero' so shows him as bigger which in turn shows his higher status.

An establishing shot was use to show the context and the placement of the storyline. The picture shows a vast area that the protagonist could potentially pursue the antagonist, like a typical horror story, which was the atmosphere we were trying to create.

                                                                                                                                                         

This shot is a low angle shot, and although he is smiling because he was loving the attention, he is supposed to look evil.

This extreme close up (ECU) , unlike most other ECU's shows some background but magnifies the actors eye (and wonderful eyebrow) which adds dramatic effect to the situation, as the antagonist is unable to see the threat posed my the antagonist.

This was the same shot, taken from 3 different viewpoints; and as you can see each one gives a different perspective on what is happening. The last one we took (from the side) shows how different positions can show what is going on- as Reece looks a lot further away from me than it it shows in the other 2 photos.

My introduction...

My name is Slim Shady, and no, I will not stand up.

Only joking! My name is James Key, and I am an A-level Media student. Although I have never studied Media before, I am a keen TV watcher; watching things such as Game of Thrones and Breaking bad to name just a couple, and I do tend to watch a lot of films (however, not at the cinema anymore, due to the ridiculously high prices and I cannot afford to pay for myself, let alone 'treating' my 'lovely' girlfriend). It seems like I watch a lot of things but because I do so much school work, being the model student that I am, I don’t actually get huge amount of time to watch films, but I can always spare a few days for a Harry Potter marathon or a few hours to watch the best film ever produced: Dumb and Dumber!

I used to have a channel on Youtube when I was about 12, and from that I developed editing skills, by using simple things such as Windows Movie Maker and Sony Vegas Pro, and I also developed my skill of stooping my head and cringing when I watch them again. I also watch a lot of Youtubers and spend a lot of time on sites such as IMDB looking at reviews on recent films and series, anything below 7.3 is a no go for me!