Moodboard

Location Recce

For one of our locations we have decided to choose a darkroom. The reason why we have done this is so that we could use the red lighting. The colour red connotes danger and death and the fact that our main character is mostly in the darkroom so suggests that there is something wrong about her. This lighting also implies that there is something devilish about her because the lighting almost creates a red halo around her creating the idea of a hellish nature/atmosphere. The other reason why we chose to film in the darkroom is to link it with the storyline of the film because she is a photographer and therefore tells the audience something about the character. We will be using the darkroom at school because it is easy to access and to get permission to film there but because its a darkroom it isn't normally associated with schools so therefore isn't obvious that we are filming in school. Also we will film after school so there won't be any chance of younger children getting filmed. 

For our other location we are going to film in St Louis Meadows in Banbury. We decided to do this because we found when researching that parks were a convention of kidnapping scenes so we thought that it would be a good idea that we film our kidnapping scene in this park. There will be shots where there would be close ups of swings swinging which highlights the abandonment of the park and creates a unsettled atmosphere. We will be filming it during the day because this time period is most popular for a kidnapping event in a park. Also with having a dog walker we found that dog walkers are common within park and we wanted it to be as realistic as possible. 

Call For Actors

We are looking for a woman to play Phoebe. We need her to be able play a 17 year old student who will need to be mysterious. We will not need her to say anything because she isn't going to say anything within the opening. She will need to be able to show great expression within her eyes because we are going to have close up shots of features which will need to be effective. She will need to have a small figure because she is going to be defenceless so she needs to look like she is at a disadvantage. She is going to have blonde hair and blue eyes so we are looking for someone who has these characteristics. She is going to have an uneasy, slightly crazy personality so we will need someone who doesn't look completely right and normal. We will need her to wear jeans, a casual top and converses, this will represent her as being a normal teenager.We will also need her to be familiar with a camera because her prob will be a camera and she needs to be confident and comfortable with it.

We are looking for a man to play Terrance. We will need him to play a 20 year old man who is going to be the antagonist of the story. He is going to be very muscular and story so he comes across as powerful and intimidating. Again there will be no need for him to say anything because he won't be speaking in the opening. We are also going to have him dressed in all black so black boots, black hoodie and black jeans. We will need him to have prominent features because there will be close up shots to show his emotions. We will need him o have dark/brown hair and dark eyes.

We are looking for a woman to play the dog walker. We need her to be a older teenager to play a middle aged dog walker. She will be wearing light colours to show innocence and vulnerability. We are going to have her dressed in a winter coat and hat and scarf to shown the vulnerability against the cold. Also we won't need her to talk because she isn't going to talk in the opening. We would only need her to gasp because during the opening she is going to be hit over the head and the audience will need to hear her reaction. We are going to have her having dark hair and eyes.

Character mind map

Representation of narrative

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 also done this to create confusion which links into our genre. Within the editing of this scene we will put an effect on the film so that it is clear to the audience that it is a flashback. What i mean by non linear is that within the opening scenes we are going to have a flashback which changes the narrative structure and therefore changes it from linear to non linear.
Linking to Todorov theory on narrative we have decided to go against his theory, what i mean by this is that 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 isn't like the stereotypical film and allows it to be more unique and then it will attract a wider range of people.

Representation of Audience

Audience
Our target audience is 15 and females. We decided to choose 15 because of the violence that will be included and expected from a thriller. We didn't choose to age it at 12 because according to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) 12 rated films "may contain moderate violence but should not dwell on detail. There should be no emphasis on injuries or blood but occasional gory moments may be permitted if justified by the context." According to this our film would not meet the regulations of this age category that is why we chose to choose the 15 category because our film meets the category better.
We chose to have females as our target audience because we have a female protagonist which would naturally attract females. Also they might want to aspire to be like her trying to solve the crime and take it into her own hands which goes against the common conventions of the stereotypical female. Our film is targeted towards the C1 class which is lower middle class. We decided to do this because we researched it and found out that this class is the most popular within the population, so we thought that if we aimed it towards this class that we would have a more successful film. Another reason why we have chosen to aim it towards this class because the audience will relate to the character within the film because she is of the same class to them.

Representation of costumes, setting, camera, mise en scene and lighting

Costume
Our main character is going to wear normal day clothes to highlight that there is nothing abnormal about her. It also suggests that to start off she isn't a main character because she blends in with the other characters which creates mystery for the audience. In addition the antagonist of our film  is going toe dress in all black or mostly black to highlight the danger he might cause throughout the film/opening. We are also going to have him wearing a hooded jacket so he can wear his hood up, with this detail the audience can tell that his identity is supposed to be a mystery and therefore entices the audience to watch it more. For the dog walker we are having her in normal clothes to highlight she is a normal person and possibly a vital person to the scene/opening.

Setting
The setting within our opening is going to be a park and a darkroom. We chose a park because most scenes that are kidnapping scenes are taken place in a park so it is a common convention of the action. Also the act (kidnapping) completely contradicts the common conventions associated with a park which makes the film more shocking to the audience. We also chose to set part of it in a darkroom which links to the role of the protagonist of the story. The scenes where its set in the darkroom involves her revealing what she thinks is the evidence to support her claims.

Lighting
The lighting in the darkroom is red which is normally associated with darkrooms. Also the colour red suggests there might be danger because violence is a connotation of the colour red. Throughout the beginning scene the lighting is dim which makes the scene more mysterious because it hides their identities this then reflects the genre of the film. With the scene being dimly lit almost hints to the audience what might happen next.

Camera
Close up shots are going to be used to emphasis emotions of the characters and extreme close ups are going to be used on specific features to allow the audience to know part of their identity but not all of it which would create mystery for the audience. We will also use long shots to show the location and its importance.

Sound
There is a sound that is going to repeated throughout the opening scene which is a tap dripping. We chose to have this because it is erie and connects with the genre.

Production schedule

Pre production:
Story- 1 hour
Storyboard- 3 hours
Script- 3 hours
Audience- 10 mins
Call sheet- 3 hours
Shot list- 1 hour
Permissions- before production
Health and safety- 1 hour
Casting- 2 hours
Props/costumes- 3 hours
Location- 3 hours

During Production:
Equipment- 30 mins
Contract- 15 mins
Transport- 1 hour
Catering- 30 mins
Camera/light/sound- 30 mins
Makeup- 30 mins
Script read- 5 mins
Main filming- 2 days
Wrap up- 10 mins

Post Production:
Uploading- 1 hour
Editing- 5 days
Special FX- 1 hour
Sound FXEditing- 1 hour
Music- 30 mins
Colour Grading- 30 mins
Titles- 45 mins
Ident- 3 hour
Draft edits- 3 hours
Final edits- 1 hour 
Final master- 1 hour
Upload- 1 hour

The Thriller Genre common conventions

The thriller genre can be seen in the films Silence of The Lambs (1991) and Zodiac (2007). The aim of the thriller genre is to create suspense and to entice the audience.

Conventions

• A thriller film usually consists of a battle between the protagonist and the antagonist,  which creates a disruption in the equilibrium and then the film follows events which could effect the outcome of the film. The aim of the protagonist is to try and restore normality and create a new equilibrium and the aim of the antagonist is to create destruction and to stop the protagonist. 
• Low key lighting
• quick cuts within editing
• shadows
• music which creates tension
• black and white shots
• montage of shots
• diegetic sound of breathing

Common conventions within characters and theme of the film

• protagonist is normally a heroic male who tries to restore the equilibrium
• The antagonist normally has a secret identity which will be uncovered by the protagonist which could help them solve the mystery and defeat the antagonist.
• The storyline will normally include an event in which could happen to the audience (a real life scenario)this would then make the audience feel scared and would make them react to the film more, this would also make the film more successful and effective. 
• The antagonist would normally wear dark or black clothes and the protagonist would usually be found in everyday attire to highlight their normality (symbolic codes).

Common conventions within filming and cinematography (technical codes)

• A lot of close up shot will be used to increase tension and show importance to specific characters of objects/props. Close up of characters are used to show their reactions and their emotions which could be important to the storyline and scene.
• Shots which will include the antagonist will be short shots and shots which are obstructed in some way either by editing or lighting or even in which the way it is filmed (dirty shots). This will hide their identity to the audience creating mystery.

Common conventions within editing

• Jump shots are used when editing to hide vital objects and masks their importance to the audience.
• Cross cutting is used to build suspense for the audience which helps the thriller to have its unique effect.
• Continuity editing is also used to make the audience able to follow the film better and helps them understand the narrative. 

Common conventions within music/sound

• Music in thrillers is used to highlight characters emotions and their reactions also it is used to hint at the importance of selective scenes or parts within the film. 
• Speeding up of the music is also normally used to create tension and suspense. So at the start there will be slow music and then the pace of it will increase when importance scenes would appear. 

storyboard 2

storyboard 1st draft

Our pitch feedback

Our pitch

Pitch

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

Pros and Cons of mood boards

Emily Roberts
The strengths 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 reason why she has a female as the person who is kidnapped. She has used reasoning to support the choices she made. The weaknesses  of this mood board is that she doesn't explain all of the choices she made in equal amounts of detail. She also only included photos of examples of the choices which she made about what prop would be in the location. The cons of this decision is that it only covers one aspect of her moodpboard and not all of it.

Annabel Wilford
A strength of this mood board is that there is 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 researched for what is necessary to include int he narrative. A weakness of this moodpboard s the lack of detail in the explanations and it only gives vague details on what the narrative of the story it. They have focussed heavily on the location rather than other aspects such as the narrative or characters.

Dan Edwards
The strength of this mood board is that it is very clear and specific when explaining the location. It outlines all the categories necessary in his film and discusses the connotations of things like costumes, seeing etc. The weaknesses of this is that some ;points when he speaks seems like he is unsure of what his ideas are. also he is rambling and doesn't include as much detail as you would expect.

Shutter Island opening analysis (thriller, mystery genre)

Within the opening of Shutter Island it is clear to the audience that it is a thriller/mystery genre through the use of mise en scene. One aspect of mise en scene which is used in the opening sequence is costumes. We are fist introduced to men in uniform, you can tell that they are all in some way related to authority and the law. What I mean by this is that that the men in police uniform implies that they work in the police. In addition the badge on their hats also suggests that they are involved with the police. The idea of the authorities makes the audience aware that the film is a thriller because the police/authority is a common convention of the thriller genre. There is also conflict that is created through the use of clothing because the other men are dressed differently in a way that they are in stereotypical detectives uniform, the stereotypical trench coat and trilby hat which are associated with 1950’s detectives. This creates suspense because the conflict suggests that something is going to happen between them. Another aspect of mise en scene which is highlighted in the opening sequence of Shutter Island is props. There is a significant importance when the guns are introduced into the opening, The guns highlight who has authority, and in this case it is the police, this further crjeates conflict between the two because it infers that there is a fight between who is the dominant maple, in addition guns are a stereotype of the thriller genre. This is why the camera focuses on their expressions a lot. The use of mise en scene in the opening sequence of Shutter Island highlights to the audience that it is a thriller genre.

Another way that the opening suggests that the film is a thriller/mystery genre is through the use of sound. There is music that is powerful and mysterious which is introduced from the start of the opening. With having mysterious music the audience is almost being shown that something is going to happen, it builds up suspense and also highlights the genre of the film. This is the use of non diagetic sound, the music is also very climactic this almost foreshadows what the film is about and what is going to happen in it. There is also the use of diegetic sound which is the sound of the guns and the footsteps of the men. These sounds are being highlighted through the lack of speech. The sound of the guns are used to further suggest that they have the power in these scenes. There is also the sound of birds in the background when they are in the car, this could create the idea of freedom because in the next couple of scenes the idea of imprisonment is being introduced which then allows both of them to juxtapose each other. The use of sound suggest that the film in a thriller/mystery genre.

The use of camera angles and camera movements are used in the opening of Shutter Island to suggest to that audience that the film is a thriller/ mystery genre. There are close up shots which are used to emphasise the reaction on the people faces. Why these shots suggest that the film is a mystery is because the audience sees the reaction but then don’t see what they are looking at, but there is one close up shot which shows a sign saying “Remember us for we have too lived, love and laughed.” This creates mystery because the audience doesn’t know the significance of it but they can speculate what it might mean and what its importance is.  There is also a low angle shot which is used when the prison is introduced. The shot is a dirty shot and is positioned behind one of the detectives, is shows a wall which surrounds the prison and the prison its self. The reason why I think they decided to use this shot to introduce the prison is because the prison is then highlighted as being powerful and a important aspect within the film. You can tell it’s a prison because the high walls that surround it suggest that it isn’t supposed to be easy to escape from and also there is barbed wire that tops the walls, this is a stereotypical convention of a prison. The idea of the prison suggests that the film is a mystery and a thriller because there has to be a reason why they are going to a prison and a reason why it is so secluded therefore there are numerous unanswered questions that the audience is thinking throughout the opening. There is a high angled shot which is used when the car goes past the prison wall, the camera is placed on the inside of the wall so it allows the audience to look through the barbed wire at the car. This creates the idea of the audience being trapped within the prison almost spying on the people who are about to arrive. The camera also focuses of the barbed wire changing the depth of field when the car leaves the shot highlighting its importance. Another shot that is used in the opening is a point of view shot which is from the car as they approach the prison gates, the use of this shot emphasises how big and powerful the gates are this then implies that whatever is on the other side of those gates is just as powerful. This again creates suspense and mystery highlighting to the audience that the film is a mystery/thriller genre.

Editing is also used to suggest that Shutter Island is a thriller/mystery genre. The shots are edited together so there is a gradual zoom into the main characters face and his emotions. This creates an idea entrapment because as the shots get closer it creates the idea of being enclosed and imprisoned this reflects what might happen in the rest of the film.  

In conclusion Shutter Island is clearly being presented as being a thriller and mystery genre because of the use of props, shots, editing, locations and mise en scene.

Identity analysis (thriller and mystery genre)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umFAoepyWjM until 2 mins 

The film Identity was produced in 2003 by writer Michael Cooney and directed by James Mangold. The budget for the film was 28 million US dollars. The main actors in the film were John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet. The film is both a mystery and thriller genre. The age rating for this film is 15 which suggests that the film is directed to people over 15 years of age so the target audience is 15 years and older. With both males and females being the main characters could imply that the target audience is both females and males.

The opening to the film starts with the production companies for example Columbia picture which is the same as The Da Vinvi Code this could be highlighted as a similarity between mystery and thriller films. When Columbia Pictures shows on the screen it is in white font and is presented on a black background which makes it stand out and also the I in Columbia pictures is on the screen for longer which reflects the title of the film and therefore shows its importance.

The first shot is a close up of a cassette which looks like it is from a hospital of some sort because it says patient and the session it is. Pathetic Fallacy is also used in this shot because the sound of thunder is in the background and the flashes of light from the lightning is reflected on the cassette. The use of thunder and lightning reflects the mood of the scene and maybe even the overall film. This could mean that the film involves death because thunder and lightning is normally associated with horror films and killings. The use of cassette tapes suggests it might be set in the past because cassette aren’t so common within today’s age.

The next shot is of the same record player but involves a pan of the camera turning the shot from a high angle shot into a level shot. This shows the importance of the tape because the background is unclear even when the camera moves showing it is the main item in the shot. Mystery is being created because the audience is wondering what the tape has to do with the film and why it is so important. After this a hand is introduced into the shot and rewinds or fast forwards the tape and when this happens there is a flash of different shots showing information about the tape, a photo that may be the person on the tape and some children’s drawings with red pencil showing blood. The technique used is a montage of shots which creates suspense and confusion for the audience because the shots aren’t on the screen long enough for the audience to get all of the information.

The shot after this pans over the children’s drawings the drawings look like people have been killed because a red pencil has been used to colour in the blood. These drawings could reflect the film or even show the future of the film.

After that there is a pan down showing more drawings of what looks like a family because there are words like mum written around them. These drawing could also say something about the film or person who is I the film. The next shot is a close up of the word mom which shows its importance to the audience.

There is then a mid close up of the record player and the drawing which shows there is a link between them or the person on the cassette may have drawn them. There are a lot of questions created by the audience which means that confusion is being created as well as mystery. Within these shots the names of the actors are being shown on the screen in white writing which makes it stand out on the background.

The next shot involves a pan to the right over what looks like criminal files, this emphasises the fact that the film is a mystery and thriller. The camera then moves to a over the shoulder shot looking over who could be a main characters shoulder at the files. This could suggest that this character could be a detective or a doctor of some sort.

Within the next couple of shots the camera gets closer to the file focusing on important information like the name of the criminal, the photos and the reason why they were jailed. The camera focuses and zooms in to see just single words which highlight their importance.

A mid close up of the persons face is the next shot the guy is wearing glasses which could highlight his intelligence and the knowledge he may have. He is squinting so would suggest that he is concentrating on something of something is confusing him. Also he is positioned on the right side of the shot which allows the title of the film to be introduced on the right. The fact that the title and his face is in the same shot suggests that he may play a big part in the film.

The next couple of shots go back to the files but this time focuses on their faces in particular which emphasises their relevance to the storyline and film. Also the repetition of the files further reinforces the fact that the film is a mystery and thriller.

There is then a low angle shot of the male character showing what power he might have so he might be a detective who is very high up in the ranks or he might just be very well respected within his field, this further gives clues to what the film is about because it is now more obvious that a crime is involved. An aspect of mise-en-scene which is shown in this shot is costumes because he is wearing a suit and tie which further implies that he is a detective or works in law. The camera slowly zooms into his face throughout the duration of this shot.

There is then a mid close up of a news paper clipping which shows an incident which could have been solved by him or could be related to the case files he is looking through during this scene. Throughout this whole scene there is no loud music but there is a soft music in the background with the tape playing over the top, these both contradict each other because the tape involves much action through words yet the music is calm.

After this there is an extreme close up of the title of the newspaper clipping further showing its importance to the audience. This is another clue to who the main characters might be and what else is going to happen.  The camera pans across the title showing what is says almost like it is from the characters point of view reading it this creates a connection with the audience because it is like they are reading it with the character.  There is then a shot of the picture in the newspaper showing a boy at this point the audience might have made a connection between the voice on the tape and the boy in the car which therefore highlights his importance. The following shot just show important information on the files which relates to the incident, the location and foster agencies which would suggest the boy was orphaned at a young age, again giving clues  about the film.

There is then a mid shot of the man leaning on a desk with the window in the background looking through those files. The camera then starts to slowly zoom in towards the man’s face showing his reaction to the tape. There is use of low lighting in this scene to create suspense and is almost lets the audience know that this is the opening to the film and want the audience to focus on the tape more than the surroundings in the room. 

The Da Vinci Code analysis opening scene (thriller and mystery genre)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AYADYAMoKs until 3:10

The Da Vinci Code was produced in May of 2009 and was written by Akiva Goldsman and Dan Brown. The film rights were purchased from Dan Brown for $6 million. The director was Ron Howard and the main actors were Tom Hanks who played Robert Langdon and Audrey Tautou who played Sophie Neveu. The budget for this film was 125 US dollars. The Da Vinci Code is both a mystery and thriller genre. This film is rated a 12 which suggests that the target audience is for 12 years plus this could imply that the film may contain violence. With Tom Hanks being the main character attracts more males resulting in males being the main target audience.

Within the opening sequence of the film you see a killing which immediately creates the idea of mystery film and also suggests that the film might be about the resolution of the crime. In addition this event creates the idea of the film being a thriller because the thriller genre has death and a murderer who is a main character.

A common convention of an introductory scene is the production companies names and advertisement. For example within the section of The Da Vinci Code you are made aware of the production companies by seeing their recognisable shots, Columbia Pictures and Skylark. With having the production companies at the start of the film creates the idea of what type of the film it might be because some people may associate a certain production companies to a specific film. The transitions between these shots involves a swiping effect like the shot is literally being moved out of the way of the audience. In addition there is a touch like light which is used in the transitions that creates the effect of looking for something and therefore the idea of the film being a mystery genre is being created because the touch light and touches can be associated with looking for something in the dark. Throughout this first sequence of shots a dark background is used which further relates to the idea of the touch looking for something in the dark it also highlights the effectiveness of the touches light. 

The title of the film is then shown on the screen by each individual letter being flipped around in the direction of the audience which makes it look like it is being uncovered which further implies it being a mystery genre. 

The next shot is a mid close up of what looks like paintings and the camera is moving which would suggest that the camera is at the point of view of the character. a point of view shot allows the audience to become personal with the character which makes the scene more intense and suspended. the camera then pans to create a long shot of several paintings which gives an idea of the location of the scene perhaps a museum of art in a major city like Paris or Italy. The camera is at eye level showing the paintings and then a character runs into the shot looking behind him which implies that he is running from something. Mystery is being created because when the man runs past the camera there is then a shadow which the camera focuses on, the use of a shadow is effective because you don’t actually see the persons face but you are still aware of someone being there.  Within this part of the scene there is hardly any light which would allow the audience to think that the scene is set in the evening or even night time which is a stereotypical time of the day for something bad to happen, this then allows the audience to predict something bad is going to happen. 

The next shot is a low angled shot which pans down to see that man running from behind him. The camera movement is fast to create confusion and with the darkness the audience has to concentrate even more to be able to see what is going on. With this effect tension is created because the audience isn’t quite sure what is happening within the scene because the camera is moving so quick. 

The shot after this is a long shot showing more of the scenery and location allowing the audience to guess where the film is going to be set. In addition the setting is massive compared to the man this could reflect what little power he has because of the difference in size. The man is also placed to the left of the shot which makes the audience uneasy because typically a person is placed in the centre of a shot therefore suggesting something is wrong. 

The camera is then placed at a low angle showing first his shadow and then him running past the camera. With him running in all of these shots makes the scene fast paced and intense which implies that the film is a thriller. Another shadow is shown on the wall which has a different shape it is almost like the person is wearing a hood. The differences in outfits highlights the difference in person and possibly actions.

A close up is then used in the shot of a painting on a woman’s face. I think the reason why the director wanted to do this is to possible suggest that the paintings literally have eyes and that they are witnessing what is about to happen in the scene. In addition the woman’s face has no expression which could reflect what the audience is feeling because they aren’t sure what is going on so they don’t actually know what to feel.

There is then a mid close up of the man’s face showing his emotion. It looks like he is terrified of what might happen in the near future. The camera following him while he is running which implies that he is a important character in the scene. The other person’s identity if unknown to the audience which creates mystery and suspense.

The next shot is of the faces in the paintings again this time showing a different emotion. The faces look sad which could suggest that something bad is going to happen in the next couple of shots. The repetition of the faces in the paintings highlight their importance within the film .

A close up is then used to show the emotion on the man’s face. This time he is placed in the centre of the shot. His emotions suggest to the audience that he is tired and possible ready to stop running. The camera doesn’t move but the man is moving in the frame because he is running. He is also sweating which conotates him being scared of something.

There is then another close up of a child’s face which is also in a painting but this time the camera focuses on the eye which could suggest that something bad is going to happen next because every time you see a shot of the paintings the camera gets closer and closer each time which slowly builds up suspense  and implies something is going to happen.

The next shot is a bird’s eye view shot from outside of the building looking in. This shot shows the outside of the building which is slowly being made aware to the audience that it is a art museum. With the audience knowing the location could allow then to try and guess what the film might be about. There is also a slow zoom being used in this shot which follows the person as run into the room. This room is slightly lit more than the others which could suggest to the audience something is going to happen here.

The camera is then placed at eye level following the man as he takes the painting off of the wall. The camera then pans to the other side of him showing where he came from which could imply that the other person is going to come in any moment.

Within the next scene the scene is shown what the mysterious man looks like which confirms something is going to happen because his identity isn’t a secret anymore and there is now no reason for it to be a secret. A long shot is used as he walks towards the camera. This shot is very short so the audience doesn’t learn to much about this hooded character.

A low angled shot is used to show the male character taking the painting off the wall which implies that his actions put him at an advantage because by taking the painting off of the wall he is setting an alarm off which is warning someone. A close up of the alarm is used to show this and shows its importance.

There is then a close up of a gun which is being held by this mysterious character. With him having a gun illustrates that he is the bad guy in this scene. This is because guns connote danger and death. The use of mise-en-scene in this shot demonstrates to the audience that this film is a thriller.

A low angle shot is used to to show the closing of the gates as a result of the alarm being triggered. The use of the low angled shot highlights the gates importance. Within this shot the audience is show the full identity of the mysterious person but mystery is still there because the gate still obstructs the audience from knowing his complete identity. This could show that the film could expand on the identity of this character. At this point he is pointing the gun in the direction of the other character.

The next shot shows the other guy on the floor which immediately puts him at a disadvantage because he is at a lower point.

The camera then focuses on the other man using an eye level shot as he takes off his hood revealing his complete identity. With him doing this emphasises that the other man is going to die because why would he expose himself.

The costume aspect of mise-en-scene creates mystery because he is dressed up in a brown robe type thing which is associated with monks whom aren’t supposed to be violent this therefore creates confusion. 

Another aspect of mise-en-scene is sound and both non diagetic and diagetic sound is used in this opening. There is music in the background which increases in pace as the shots become faster and the diagetic sound is the heavy breathing and the footsteps of the man which both creating suspense in the opening. 

                                            

Preliminary task

shot types

Aerial Shot- A shot which is taken from an aerial device.
Close Up- A shot which shows of the object or person on a large scale.
Medium Shot- A shot showing someone from the waist up.
Long Shot- A shot showing a location (establishing shot)
Dutch Tilt- A tilt in the camera which makes the shot confusing for the audience.
Establishing Shot- A shot which shows the setting and might give some background information it is usually used at the start of a clip.
High Angle Shot- A shot taken from a high angle which shows that the thing or person in the shot has less power.
Xteme Close Up- A shot when a persons face or something fills the entire shot.
Eye Level- usually used in a conversation when the camera is at the level of the actors eyes.
Two Person- A shot which includes two people.
Dirty Shot/Dirty Two/ Three- when something is obstructing the shot.
Deep Focus- When the camera focuses on something far away from the camera
Over the Shoulder- A shot that is taken from over a persons shoulder commonly used in a conversation.
Shot Reverse, Shot- A shot which is used during a conversation when a person is looking at one person then the camera switches to the other person.
Wide Mid Shot- A shot from the waist up showing some setting behind it.
POV- A shot which is from a point of view of one character.
Cowboy Shot- A shot from mid thigh up.
Pan- where 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

class notes 1

Continuity Editing
For the audience to enjoy the film they need to understand the narrative and not get confused by it. One aspect of editing which allows the audience to not get confused is the shots flowing smoothly so they aren't distracted by the editing points.The main purpose of continuity editing is to create a seamless order of scenes.
Shot size
The change in shots and shot sizes allows the audience to remain interested in the film and it avoids repetition. Close ups can highlight the importance of an object or person.
Cross cutting
Cross cutting is used to build suspense. It involves the editing together of shots which continues the narrative.
Eye line match
Used when there is a conversation and any interaction between two characters, there is always a eye contact between them.
Match on action
The editing together of two shots which are from different angles or shot sizes which allows the audience to have a different perspective of the scene and gives them more detail.
Match cut
When  two objects of the same size are edited together. Two scenes are edited together which have the same object within it.
Shot reverse shot
When two shots from different angles are edited together.
Jump cut
A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which 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 short shots which are edited together to condense time, space and information.

Evaluation of the preliminary task

What is the purpose of the preliminary task?

The purpose of the preliminary task is to highlight our understanding of shot reverse shot, the basic rules of match on action and the features of the 180 degree rule. It is also going to show my understanding of how to use them when filming a sequence of shots. 

What difficulties did you face?

The difficulties that we faced was making the scene flow when using transitions. Also trying to match the clips so the storyline makes sense. In addition we had trouble finding the right piece of music to match the scene and the context of the scene. Also we found that when filming we had to try and keep things in the same place and not move them between shots because you would be able to see them and the scene wouldn't flow. 

How did you plan out the shots?

We planned the shots out on a story board which allowed us to see what it would actually look like. We also took the shots more than once so we were able to choose the best one that made the most sense and looked best. 

What did you learn about continuity editing?

The shots all have to run smoothly and clearly so the sequence of shots will make sense to the audience. 

What did you learn about the demands of filming a sequence?

I leant that you have to make sure you plan out all your scenes first so you don't make mistakes when filming and so it is easier when filming too. This also allows you to spend more time of editing. 

The Holiday analysis

          The Holiday was made in 2006 and was directed and written by Nancy Meyers. The film has a romance genre. The film has the age rating 12 which means the target audience is mostly females because romance films typically attract females. In addition the target audience is aged 12 and above. The film stars Jack Black, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz  which creates a large target audience because they all have existing fan bases and they would be attracted to watch it. The Holiday is set at Christmas time which overall makes it more appealing this is because it reflects what Christmas time is about, this then reminds people every Christmas of the film.

The film starts with a mid-shot of trees and leaves and nothing is in focus which creates a soft opening for the audience. This scene is used to say to the audience who the producers are; this is written in white which denotes innocence which could say something to the audience about the film. A couple then comes into the shot kissing they are what is in focus saying that this has some importance for the film suggesting that the film is a romance film. The next shot is a mid-close up showing the top half of their bodies this shot shows a bit more scenery so therefore the audience know a bit more about the scene. Mise-en-scene is used in this scene because the clothes that they are wearing remind me of the same era in which Romeo and Juliet was set which is well known for love and romance. The woman is wearing a white dress which suggests she is innocent and pure. The guy in the scene is wearing a shirt and a casual waist coat which are commonly known for classic romance films.

           A slow zoom out is then used in the next shot which shows details that suggest that the film is being edited. There is also a keyboard and other monitors that suggest that technology may play a big role in the film or scene. The camera continues to zoom out then a pan is used to see the characters face. Also on the computer scene there is sheets of music, these are common convention of the romance genre. Another slow pan is used in order for the audience to see the characters face and to realise that in fact it is Jack Black. For the audience to know that Jack Black stars in the film suggests that the film might be a comedy.

          The next shot is of Jack Black’s face which is a mid-shot. A dirty shot is also used because the camera is placed behind the desk so the desk is obstructing the image. With the camera being placed behind the computer suggests he might do something computer related for his work. He then looks up past and behind the camera which makes the audience ask questions like who is behind the camera therefore it creates mystery. The is also the use of zoom which is when the camera zooms into his face making the audience aware of his emotions and implying that they are important. There is then use of the 180 ̊ rule when there is a conversation between the two characters which allows the audience to not be confused.  The shot where the woman is on the phone suggests that she isn’t as interested in him as he is with her because her attention is split whereas his is directed to her. The camera is also positioned a bit higher when she is in the frame showing that she has the most power in the relationship.

          The next shot is a wide shot following her as she walks towards the camera. This allows the audience to see more of the setting which increases the knowledge of the mise-en-scene used in this scene. The setting which is an aspect of the mise-en-scene suggests that the scene is set in a house or workplace. There are massive windows which shows the audience that the house is secluded because there are large amounts of trees surrounding it. This implies that the house may be expensive because of its location so gives an idea of what job he may have, in addition this may suggest that his job may be important for the film. Also with only giving little details about the location allows the audience to use their imagination and ask questions about the character.

          The next shot involves both characters which is the first time that this has happened. The characters are positioned differently, what I mean by this is that she is positioned higher than him, she is standing and he is sitting this suggests that she has more power than him in this scene. He is also looking up to her which could literally mean that he looks up to her. Jack Black’s character is presented as being a gentleman because in the next shot he reaches for her hand and kisses it which is normally associated with love and politeness. This is a point of view shot which is from her point of view. Her hand comes from the top right hand corner of the shot which further implies that she has all the power. With her being presented as the person who has all the power goes against the common conventions of a relationship it almost represents the modern day relationship. A low angle shot is then used as she goes up the stair which also presents her as someone with power. Throughout the majority of this series of shots the 180 ̊rule is used multiple times. 

          There is a pan that is used to transition between the different stories which allows the transition to be smooth. Within this transition the name of the film is made aware to the audience. The next scene is a completely different location and time because the scene looks as if it was set at night, with these alterations the change of story is made clear to the audience. Cameron Diaz who is also a popular and recognisable actor come into the frame in what looks like a car. There is a mid-close up shot of her face which shows the awkward look on her face which suggests to the audience that something isn’t right with this scene. She is also positioned off centre which creates the audience to feel uneasy suggesting that something is wrong. She then looks past the camera as if someone is there the audience is then curious to see who it is. Cameron Diaz is wearing a white outfit which suggest she is innocent and says something about her character. The 180 ̊rule is also used in this sequence of shots which infers that there is something between them.  There is another close up of the guy’s face who is also in the car, no words are said during these scenes which makes the acting even more important to the audience. Also in the next shot he is placed nearer to the camera almost making it a dirty shot and only Cameron Diaz is in focus which suggests she is more important in the story.

           The next camera angle is a high angled shot of the licence plate of the car the camera still focuses on the car as it drives away then a pan Is used to transition into the next story. The setting of the scene is dark which means it is set at night, this creates a completely different atmosphere for the audience compared to the first series of shots.

           The next shot is a mid-level shot of a person’s body, the audience can tell it is an old man because he has a walking stick which is a typical prop used to emphasis how old someone is. The focus of the camera then changes to a picture on the bedside table which implies she is someone very special to him, this emphasises that the film is a romance film. The man in the shot touches the photo and the camera pans and focuses on his face which shows his reaction to the photo and also suggests that it is a romance film.

            The music throughout this two minute intro is a classic romantic love song which starts off loud and then is quietened down for Kate Winslets voice over. The fact that Kate Winslet is doing a voice over implies that she is the main character. She speaks about love and relates it to the scenes that you are being shown. For example during the first story she says “love is blind” which adds to the fact that the woman in the relationship holds the power therefore the man is blind because of how much he loves her. In the second series of shots she says “love fades” which explains why they aren’t talking and suggests something is wrong. And then the last story she says “for others love is simply lost” this implies that he has lost her and therefore love has gone for him. With the film starting off like this makes the audience aware that these are the people the film is based on and gives hints on what it is about.

The Matrix analysis

The film The Matrix was filmed in 1999 and was directed by Lilly and Lana Wachowski; they were also the writers of the film. This production stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie- Anne Moss, the film is also an action and sci-fi genre.

           The target audience of The Martix are teenagers and adults because the film is rated a 15 also most males would be the target audience because the main character is male which stereotypically attracts males. In addition females may be in the target audience too because there is also a dominant female in the film which attracts females because it goes against the typical action movie which allows the film to have a unique characteristic which is attractive.

           The first part of the opening scene there is green code which shows on the screen which connotes that technology is a main feature of the film. This special effect is effective because the camera slowly zooms into the code which suggests that the audience are going into the computer and therefore the film is about to begin. A voice is also used to highlight a conversation between two of the main characters, the sound of a ringing telephone at the start suggests that their conversation is over the phone which also implies that technology is going to be used. Within the conversation they discuss someone who might be a main character which leaves many unanswered questions and therefore entices the audience and keeps them curious. The code is used throughout most of the first scene; the camera is constantly zooming into the code. In addition the conversation explores the questionable security of the line which could suggest to the audience that the film might be about breaking the law or doing things you aren’t supposed to do. This attracts the eyes of the audience because this situation will create action and suspense. When the camera is zooming into the code it creates the idea of that the audience is going somewhere, this also could create the idea of adventure and action. At one point in the opening sequence the camera moves through a tunnel made of code that has features that make it look like a hall; this furthermore creates mystery because you do know where the tunnel leads to.

A blank screen has also been used to create mystery and suspense because you aren’t sure what is going to happen next. A circle of bright light is then situated in the centre of the frame, this could

represent the light at the end of the tunnel or the light within the dark. The use of this could imply that the film is about finding things or navigation. The camera is zooming into the light which makes the audience feel like they are in the scene moving at a fast speed this would increase tension and the pace of the scene. There is also the use of sounds in the background which are electrical and mechanical they add to the whole idea about computers.

          There is a use of a fade in transition into a close up of a man’s face, a close up shot is effective because it allows the audience to see what the persons expressions are. There is then a change in depth of field which creates a dirty shot/over the shoulder shot, this shot allows the audience to see what is happening from

the characters point of view. In addition the fact that his face is the first one you see could highlight his importance in the scene. The scenery that surrounds him is dark which portrays a mysterious atmosphere for the audience. The use of mise-en-scene suggests to the audience that the men in this scene are part of a service for example the police, you can tell this by the uniform they are wearing because it is commonly used to represent men of the law. They also wear old fashioned police hat which may suggest that the film is set in a different era or time z
one. The use of props suggest that they are looking for something or someone because they use torches which create an ere atmosphere for the audience as well as creating suspense and hinting at the fact something big may happen.

          The next shot is a mid-shot which follows a guy with a gun. The use of the gun emphasises the fact that something bad is going to happen because guns represent danger and death. The fact that the camera is following him could suggest that he is the leader. The setting that is being used in this scene has features of an abandoned building with over grown plants which emphasises the lac

k of care. There is a low angled shot that is being used which suggests that the men are the people with all the power in this scene.
           The next shot is an over the shoulder shot which is

taken from behind the men this gives the audience
an idea of what they are seeing and gives them a chance to actually be there with them. The door which the camera is focused on is highlighted with the light from the torches, this highlights the importance of the door in the scene and creates a lot of questions for the audience. The audience start to question what id behind the door and why they are so interested/ obsessed with it. There is also a use of a pan at eye level towards the door. By the use of this the audience gets a view from the other side almost in place of the door which suggests that someone is behind it.
            There is then a low angle shot of the men just before they are about to break down the door which suggests to the audience that they have the most power at the moment which is a common convention of an action film. There is also a low angle shot of them walking into the room almost walking over the camera this furthermore highlights their masculinity and power to the audience because it is almost like they are walking all over them.

            A wide angled shot is used to introduce one of the main characters, Trinity who is sat slightly off centre which makes the audience uneasy because they are used to seeing things in the centre of the shot. She is in an empty room with a phone. The fact that the only thing she has in there with her is a phone suggests that it has great importance and that it may have significance in the story line. There is a use of a spot light made by the torches that is making Trinity stand out which suggests to the audience that she is important. She is wearing all black leather which is a common convention on a hero for example cat woman who wears a leather cat suit, this emphasises that she is a hero in the film. On the other hand she could be seen as a villain because black denotes death and violence. She also has her back to the audience which creates mystery and makes the audience ask questions like, who is she?
            A pan is then used to show the expression on each of the officer's faces, using a mid close up shot within the same shot you are able to see the guns pointing in the same direction as the light showing that Trinity is the threat and maybe is seen as dangerous to the audience. The use of guns suggest that the film is an action film because they are a common convention of the genre.
           This is then when there is a pan when the camera is on Trinity. When using a pan the audience is limited to what they can see at any one time meaning suspense is created because the audience what the camera to move quicker so they are able to see what is happening faster. for the audience this is the first time they see trinity and she is being portrayed as someone who goes against the law, the bad guy. there is the use of a dirty shot because the pan starts from behind the table which creates the idea of mystery for the audience. There is light coming from behind her which refers to her being an angel and someone who is good. There is a mid close up used which allows the audience to see her face and her facial expressions. Her hands are up which suggests that she has done something wrong and that she is guilty. The aspects of mise-en-scene which is used are lighting, and camera angles. There is low key lighting being used and there also looks as if the is a dim spot light on Trinity which highlights her importance in the scene.