Thriller opening Mood Board

What do directors seek to establish in the openings of thrillers?

In the openings of Thrillers, important aspects of the film are often established such as character, themes, location, tone/mood, plot and genre. Different directors will have their personal preference in terms of what they feel be should primarily focused upon and this is based on their style of film making as well as what they think will benefit the film overall. Above is a diagram that highlights how strongly a selection of films we have looked at establishes the previously mentioned aspects within their openings. This diagram is particularly useful in determining similarities and themes across a range of thriller openings and from the diagram patterns are immediately obvious. Character and themes are clearly two important aspects of the thriller genre and two which many films strongly establish from the beginning. An example of film which does this is Se7en.

Character

 The director of 'Se7en' is David Fincher, an experienced and highly skilled director who has worked on other thrillers such as 'Fight Club' and 'Panic Room'. Whilst each of the openings of his thrillers establish different aspects, in 'Se7en' the character of  detective Sommerset is established effectively to allow the audience to better understand him.

For example, in this shot prominent features of Sommerset's life are portrayed through a set of neatly arranged items. The gold homicide badge shows the audience that the character they have been introduced to is a police officer who has specialised in one kind of field. Furthermore this implies intelligence and a level of skill in what he does. The colour of the badge-gold- also strengthens the power that the badge connotes; the audience understand he is a somewhat important man. Next to the badge is a flip knife. This weapon allows the audience to understand that he is in some way connected to violence or danger as a character and this in turn links with his police officer status. The pen that lies next to the knife is a symbol of intelligence and and helps construct him as a character more. The audience understand that he is not a careless or reckless

police officer as the weapon he chooses is refined and delicate and he also carries a pen connoting that he likes to write things down and be organised. The portrayal of him as an intelligent character is strengthened through the leather glasses case next to his pen. This infers to the reader that he enjoys literature and reading. All of the items so far have implied to the audience that Detective Sommerset is a secluded and organised man who is devoted to his job. The last item however suggests something entirely different. The paper rose at the beginning of the line infers to the reader that there is more to his character than just being a police officer who deals with violence. It implies that he is holding on to some kind of hope and furthermore this means that he isn't happy with his life at the moment. Finally the very precise and neat lay out of the items implies that he is a careful man who likes organisation and structure. This shot excellently introduces many aspects of Detective Sommerset's character and allows the audience to obtain a greater understanding of him.
Fincher also uses compositional techniques to help portray to the reader deeper aspects of

Sommerset's character. For example in this shot Sommerset is positioned in between two lamps of differing sizes. This symbolic shot construction implies that he as a character is trapped. Further more this construction implies that he feels as if he cant escape the violence and darkness of the city in which he lives. As well as this the inequality in the size of the lamps imply an imbalance between his work- which consumes him- and his social life- which is virtually non existent. By focusing on establishing character in the opening of 'Se7en' Fincher allows the audience to gain an in depth understanding of the main character. By doing this in the opening the audience better engages with the film as a whole as they connect to Detective Sommerset from the beginning. The reason many thrillers focus on establishing character in their openings is because many Thrillers' plots revolve around interaction between a set of characters (for example 'Taken') and by establishing these character early on the audience engage with the plot at a higher level.

Location

Establishing location in a Thriller can be used effectively to give the audience an idea as to what kind of film it is they are about to watch as well the tone of that film. For example a film set in a dark mysterious city is likely to be a film noir film,where as a thriller set in grimy urban location is likely to be a British gangster.  A film that establishes location effectively in it's opening is 'Essex Boys'. As the title suggests one of the main themes that runs throughout the film is the location of Essex and how it is a metpahor for the dark events that happen within it.An excellent example of how 'Essex Boys' uses techniques to establish location is in this shot. The use of a saturated colour palate in which greys and blacks are predominant gives the shot a bleak tone and portrays to the reader that the location itself is sapping the colour and therefore the hope and happiness out of the film. As well as this the use of an onscreen vanishing point adds to the bleakness of the shot by inferring to the audience that the darkness and hopelessness never ends. These techniques are repeated throughout the opening of 'Essex Boys' to put the focus on the establishment of Location. A common theme in thriller openings is that the plot isn't as heavily established and 'Essex Boys' meets this expectation. Very little information about what the main plot of the film is given away, instead almost every shot is helping to establish the location to the audience.

This is another shot from 'Essex Boys' in which location is strongly established. The limited and saturated colour pallet is this time much lighter due to the change in location but has the same effect of creating a bleak, hopeless tone to the scene. By placing an on-screen vanishing point almost dead centre, the audiences eye focuses on this and the landscape rather than the man. The location throughout the opening 'Essex Boys' reflects the dark tone of the events which take place in the film and so help provide accurate expectations to the audience. By establishing location the audience gains an understanding of the genre, the tone and the time period of a film which allows them to interact and engage more effectively with the piece. Terry Winsor, the director of 'Essex Boys' expertly establishes location throughout the films opening to provide the audience with an accurate expectation of the film that follows.

Themes and Plot

'Sin City' is a neo-noir film directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez that focuses on establishing themes and plot. In this cold opening the audience already experience a kind of surprise/plot twist as what they expect to be a romantic relationship between a man and a woman turns out to a violent one as the man assassinates her. By introducing this film through a miniature story line, the audience gains an understanding as to the film may be about: how the the assassin takes out his victims. While many Thrillers begin with action to surround the audience in the plot straight away, 'Sin City' instead carefully constructs a smaller version of the main plot to allow the audience to understand the nature of the film. However even in this film where the directors purposefully wanted to establish the plot, the full plot of the film is not revealed as this would defeat the purpose of watching the film as the audience would already understand the entire story,

This is the opening shot of the film and immediately helps to establish and introduce the films

themes. The background of the shot is dark, mysterious city. As the tile suggests the 'Sin City' in which the film is set is a main theme and acts as an extended metaphor for the darkness and crime which happens within it. This shot is effective as by introducing the city in such a powerful way so early on the audience focuses on it and understands it as a main theme of the film. As well as this the whole film is shot in black and white and this helps to emphasise the chiaroscuro lighting. This lighting uses a high contrast between light and dark to create very intense shadows. This portrays to the audience the theme of darkness and criminality that runs throughout the film. The shadows deep shadows that every character seems to cast is metaphorical of the darkness within everybody.

 The themes of 'Sin City' are very much those which would be found in classic Film Noir; an all consuming,mysterious city, high contrast, chiaroscuro lighting and femme fatal characters typified by

the colour red. In the opening all three of these themes are clearly established and in particular the colour red is emphasises as it is the only colour in an otherwise black and white world. The scarlet dress and lipstick the female character wears connotes both danger and lust and signifies to the reader that these are the only two traits that can be associated with Women in this film: men are either detectives or criminals and women are either dangerous or sexual or both. In the beginning of 'Sin City' the directors decide to focus on the establishment of theme and plot. The result of this is a very stylised opening in which the audience gain an understanding as to what will happen in the film as well as to the themes and their metaphorical meanings.

Establishing Tone

The tone of a thriller is an important aspect throughout the film. By establishing the tone in the opening, the audience can better engage with the film and other important aspects of the film such as character, themes and genre are made clearer. In the opening of the film 'Alice Creed' sound and camera movement is used to both involve the audience as well as to establish tone.

 In the opening scene two smooth moving shots are cut together. The first leads up a lane in a car park showing a selection of dull coloured cars beneath an equalyl dull grey sky. The first shot immediately implies to the audience the tone of the film: bleak. The smoothness and steady pace of the moving camera engages the audience and makes them feel instantly as if they themselves are a character in this film. The second shot uses a slowly panning camera that shows a few cars before eventually pulling up to a show a van being stolen by two men. Again by using this steady moving camera the bleak tone is emphasised again as instead of a quick paced, panicked movement, a slower more hopeless one is used. Additionally this scene opens with the sound of aeroplanes flying over head. This in itself creates a tone of hopelessness through a metaphor; the people who are escaping are far way in the sky whilst on the ground, a bleak, dark event is taking place. The cutting between the two shots is rhythmic and timed and this further emphasises a tone of organisation and planning.

This opening scene concludes with the afore mentioned stolen van being driven past the original moving shot. This shot perfectly establishes the tone of the film. The desaturated colour palette of the shot combined with the soundtrack and car and plane engine sounds creates a tone of hopelessness and bleakness. As well as this the movement of the camera engages the audience in a way that makes them feel completely enveloped in the film; they feel as if they are actually in the film itself. Finally this whole opening scene takes place in an incredible common place that almost everyone in Britain has experienced: a depressing, grey car park. This emphasies the  cold, hard tone of the scene whilst at the same time engaging the audience further.

In this shot, the sound and camera movements combine to establish tone once more. The camera is

again moving steadily and smoothly as it focuses on a wobbly wheel of a shopping trolly which is making a high pitched squeaking sound. This shot portrays a common scenario which the majority of people have experienced and by doing this the audience is engaged fully as if they are a character in the film. The moving camera strengthens this as the audience feels as if they are moving along with the characters. By connecting the audience this strongly to the action and charters of the film the tones portrayed are better interpreted.

Up until this shot the soundtrack of the opening had been dark and tension building helping to maintain the theme of bleakness and darkness throughout. But the soundtrack alters slightly when this shot is introduced. It becomes less intense and softer instruments such as a piano part can be heard.

The camera in this shot moves slowly around, mimicking the movement of the human eye as if it were looking around the room. Whilst a hopeless tone is maintained through the desaturation of the colours and the overall dark soundtrack, there is a slight change in the tone during this scene. It is implied via the freedom of the camera to move around the room that a small amount of hope remains. This change in tone coincides the lack of the two main characters which allows the reader to infer that they are morally corrupt characters. Furthermore the tone of the scene changes back to the originally hopeless one when the charters enter the room.

By primarily using camera movement and sound to establish the dark, bleak tone of their film, the directors of Alice Creed completely engage and envelop the audience making them feel s if they themselves are part of the film. The audiences interpretation of the tone is heightened through this as they feel completely surrounded by the bleakness and hopelessness of the opening.

My Own Thriller

By analysing how a selection of directors establish different aspects of their thriller films in their openings I have gained an insight in to what I should emphasise in the opening to my thriller. While Sin City uses a kind of mini-plot in it's opening to engage the reader, I feel focusing on the establishment of plot would not work in my thriller. By revealing small aspects as to what could happen later on in the film, an element of enigma is retained and makes the audience want to watch the rest of the film. However something I can take from Sin City is it's clear portrayal of it's themes and genre. I feel establishing what kind of thriller my opening is for is key as there are so many different kinds. The expectation the audience has for the events in a film noir thriller for instance will be very different to those of a British gangster film. By making the genre clear through the establishment of themes in the opening, the audience has more accurate expectations for the film and allows them to engage with it more effectively.

Ideally establishing character in the opening of a thriller is an excellent  way to connect with the audience and make the plot of the film more exciting and engaging. However because the acting ability of the actors that will be used will be limited, trying to primarily establish character will be difficult and could result in the audience not connecting with the charters and so not engaging with the opening as a whole. Therefore primarily I will be focusing on the establishment of location and tone in the opening of my thriller. By carefully planning camera movement, composition and lighting techniques, location can be effectively portrayed. By doing this the genre and tone of my piece can be better interpreted by the audience. Additionally the plot of the opening can be enhanced as the audience can better understand the context of the thriller. As well as this making sure the tone of piece is accurately portrayed will be vital in connecting with the audience as if they understand and interpret the tone in the correct way everything else that follows will make more sense and be enhanced. While maintaining a balance in the establish of all aspects in my opening is key, I will be focusing primarily on the establishment of location and tone..

EDITED: How is location portrayed and used in Essex Boys to create and meanings and metaphors?

What could you learn from this thriller opening to use in your own film opening?

The location in Essex boys is used expertly to create meanings and metaphors which engage with the audience and portray themes and tones effectively. The locations used are not rare nor especially hard to get to and from this I can conclude that using common, bleak and uncared for locations in my opening can be an excellent way to make the themes and portrayals of meanings and metaphors more effective. By using typical, common British locations, themes of bleakness and darkness can be created as the audience recognise the scenario or location and therefore interpret the depression of those locations more effectively. Films such as Essex Boys and Alice Creed do this very effectively in their openings, using typical British locations to portray a grimy, British-gangsta tone to their films. By thinking carefully about the locations used, the opening of my thriller can be made very effective.

How is editing, sound and mise en scene used to create meanings and effects in the title sequence of Se7en

EDITED: How can the use of compositional techniques such as Quadrants can make a scene or movie feel 'alive'?

How can the use of compositional techniques such as quadrants can make a scene or movie feel 'alive'?

This video explores how the use of compositional techniques such as quadrants in the film 'Drive' create an unpredictable, organic one which in turn makes the film feel alive.

The quadrant system involves splitting a shot in to four quarters- hence quadrant. By positioning things in different quadrants, the focus of a scene can be pulled around and different emotions of characters can be simultaneously portrayed in an interesting and clever way. As well as this, the position of charters in different quadrants in consecutive shots can portray to the audience the relationship between them. For instance if two characters appeared in the same quadrant one after the other, this could represent a power equality between them or it could represent a feeling of love between the characters. The subtlety of this technique is the reason why it can give a film a sense of a reality or unpredictability. Our eyes may be being pulled between two simultaneous story lines without us even knowing, keeping us engaged and interested in the seemingly 'alive' storyline.

Figure 1

For example in Figure 1, one half of the shot is covered leaving only the top half or the top two quadrants. In this half are three characters' shoulders and heads. From this, emotions can be displayed through the speech that occurs as well as by the emotions portrayed through the actors faces. Furthermore, this suggests that this half is portraying the more dominant, lead story as shown through the triangle of faces representing the three way relationship on
show.

Figure 2

Figure 2 shows the other half of the shot. In these two quadrants a more subtle, underlying story is being told through the actors body language and more specifically through their hands. By portraying the emotions of the characters as well as the relationship between them through very obvious speech and facial expression as well as through subtle body language, the whole scene gains as sense of reality. This is because, instead of the shot focusing on one thing and therefore almost instructing what the audience to focus on, the eye is being pulled back and forth between one thing then another, allowing the audience to pick up on more subtle, more life like behaviours.

Figure 3

In Figure 3, the use of all four quadrants can be seen; in each one a different story is being highlighted. The incredible complexity nd diversity created through simple compositional techniques is why the linked video describes Drive as feeling 'alive'. In reality, our eyes take in far too much information to even process however in film, specific things can often be highlighted to ensure the audience has seen it and so understands the plot. But by utilising the quadrant system effectively, the middle ground can be reached between these two extremes. The main plot can be presented to ensure the audience understands the film but at the same subtle, references and hints towards the characters relationships of behaviours can also be shown, such as in real life. It's this unpredictability and organic composition that engages the audience and makes film feel complete and realistic.

By using the quadrant system in almost every shot, Drive obtains this realistic and alive tone throughout. This in combination with the actors own performances creates an effective, realistic representation of the films characters. The quadrant system is a simple technique but if used well can produce highly effective results.

what techniques or ideas can I take from this that i could use in the planning or filming of my own thriller opening?

The quadrant system is a relatively simple compositional technique that if used carefully and thoughtfully -such as in 'Drive'- can be extremely powerful and effective in portraying to the audience context in regards to characters personal story lines. 'Drive' is described as feeling alive by audiences and this is a result of using the quadrant system to portray simultaneous storylines at once. As in real life, Drive portrays to the audience in almost every shot more than one plot or context that makes the film a fuller, more vivid piece of work. Whilst planning my thriller opening, incorporating compositional techniques in the storyboarding of the shots, such as quadrants, could help make the opening feel alive. This would immerse the audience as they would relate to the more realistic tone of the opening. Additionally the quadrant system is perfect for portraying meanings and metaphors such as relationships between characters. Because the acting ability of the actors in my opening isn't likely to be high, this could be an effective way to establish character. In conclusion, while story boarding my thriller opening, taking in to consideration simple compositional techniques such as quadrants could raise the quality of the opening considerably; it could make the piece feel alive. Meanings, metaphors and relationships between characters could be established engaging the audience more. In the practical filming of the piece, making sure that the shots planned in the storyboarding are shot well is key in creating these compositional techniques. It is a simple technique that if done well can make a huge impact on the final quality of the piece.

How does the sewer scene from The Third Man use framing and composition techniques, mise en scene and cinematography to create meaning metaphors and effects?

 How does the sewer scene from The Third Man use framing and composition techniques, mise en scene and cinematography to create meaning metaphors and effects?

The sewer scene from The Third Man uses a combination of framing and composition techniques, mise en scene and cinematography to create a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere that engages the audience and enhances the scene. An inescapable, uncomfortable tone is maintained throughout the entirety of this film noir classic to portray the paranoia and tension within Europe at the time. This scene showcases this, using the sewer setting as an extended metaphor of the evil and darkness that surrounded Europe and it's people.

Figure 1

In this shot, sharp, angular edges as well as geometrically aggressive shadows create a German Expressionist like composition. This technique creates connotations of paranoia and claustrophobia to the audience and this along with Orson Wells' character physically crawling up a narrow staircase creates an uncomfortable atmosphere. The use of a high angled shot makes the character of Harry Lime seem powerless and as if the audience is the only one who can aid him. This strengthens the tense, uncomfortable tone as it puts in to question the audiences own morality. The high intensity key light positioned below Orson Wells, creates strong, bar like shadows which is symbolic of prison bars, further strengthening the tight trapped atmosphere created by the shot. The unnatural triangle shapes used for the stairs implies that the evil of humanity is trapping and destroying Harry Lime. As well as this the sharp vertices of the triangles strengthen the link to German expressionism as well as the connotations of inner human evil and paranoia.

Figure 2

The use of a blocked, central vanishing point in Figure 2, makes the audience feel trapped and hopeless as the symbolic hope of the light is blocked. This sense is heightened by the tunnel like setting, making the audience feel as if this is the only way to escape. By blocking the vanishing point, the audiences eye is dragged to somewhere that is obscured and that they can not see. This in combination with the void like atmosphere in the shot gives the audiences a sense of vertigo as if they themselves are falling in to the darkness and evil of the sewer. The use of water in this scene is symbolic as, historically, water is used to represent cleanliness; to wash away sins. However in this shot, the water appears to be black as an effect of the chiaroscuro lighting. As a result the water strengthens the implication that everything within Vienna -and a larger level, Europe- has an inner evil and darkness which can not be escaped. The use of intense Key lighting as well as slight backlighting creates a silhouetted figure. The chiaroscuro lighting intensifies this as well emphasising the charter shadow on the wall. This very dark portrayal of this character is symbolic of the darkness man had had to battle and deal with shortly before the creation of this film, post World War Two. The position of the man in the shot is dead centre. This pulls the audiences eye towards him making him the focus of the shot. By doing this both the obstruction of the vanishing point and the darkness of the man are emphasised strengthening the two techniques effects. In addition to this, the matrix of lines and shadows created by the shadows of the bricks on the wall, create connotations of German expressionism. This in turn maintains a sense of paranoia and aggression in the shot, giving it a continuity with the rest of the sewer and scene and the film as a whole.

Figure 3

In Figure 3, the use of quadrants adds to the intensity of the chase. In the upper half of the shot, the police can be seen searching for the character of Harry Lime, where as in the lower half of the shot, Harry Lime can be seen running away. By doing this, the audiences eye is dragged back and forth between two simultaneous events, creating a intensity which strengthens the portrayal of the chase. As well as this, connotations to heaven and hell are created, as in the top half of the shot, good is situated, trying to catch the criminal where as in the lower half of the shot, the criminal who represents evil is escaping. By doing this, a metaphor of morality is created, highlighting the inner morality crisis that resides in the character of Harry Lime. The representation of him as both a good and bad character symbolises the inner questioning Europe was experiencing as a result of World War 2. This metaphor is extended through the high contrast, chiaroscuro lighting used in the shot. By using this technique, opposing deep blacks and bright whites are created, again symbolising good and bad and further strengthening the metaphor of morality. Finally, hints of German expressionism are again created through the sharp angles of the railing in the upper half of the shot. This creates tones of paranoia and aggression which links to the context of the chase.                                  

In Figure 4, the use of a central, on screen vanishing point adds a sense of finality to the scene as well as the film as a whole. By allowing the audience to finally see the vanishing point, after constantly obscuring it for the entirety of the film, this shot implies to the audience that a sense of evil has been defeated and therefore the film as well as the moral crisis is being resolved. The vertigo felt in previous shots is removed and so the audience no longer feels as if they are falling to the darkness and evil within the sewer,and Vienna as a whole. This feeling of closure is strengthened by the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel, symbolising that hope remains even after the darkness and uncertainty of the film. This is on a larger scale symbolic of the emotions felt after World War 2 of which the film explored throughout. However there are still hints of darkness within this shot. The silhouetted figure at the end of the tunnel, while not blocking the light, partially obscures some of the vanishing point.This in combination with the figure's shadow on the side of the wall is a metaphor for the fact that in life endings are never perfect. It's symbolising that even after the source of evil within the film, Harry Lime, is killed, a moral crisis still remains as it was his friend who killed him.This imperfection is strengthened via the position of the character in the light. Instead of being dead central, he is slightly to the right. Further more instead of being a perfect final shot, elements such as the darkness which surrounds the character, the slight obstruction of the light and the off centre position of the character implies to the audience that while one moral situation had been solved, a moral crisis still remains. This is symbolic of the societal state of European at the time.

EDITED 26/10/15: G321 Preliminary Task Write Up

Preliminary Task Write Up

Our preliminary task was a continuity task to film and edit a scene of a character opening a door, crossing some kind of space and sitting down or standing next to another character with whom they exchange a couple of lines of dialogue. This was in fact our brief, and so we had to create a short clip incorporating all aspects of this.

Planning

Before we could film or edit anything, we needed to plan our scene to help us understand how the clip would come together as well as to help ensure the shoot was smooth and well organised. To begin with we had to find a location to base our scene around. After a short brainstorm and walk around the school site we had decided upon our location and headed back to class to create a floor plan and to create our script. We used the internet to find a copy of  the script from'The Woman In Black'. We searched through it until we came to the section we had planned to use, copied it in to a word document and edited it slightly to help it fit more effectively in to our scene. By creating a script as earl as possible it gave us time to both learn the lines as well as use the dialogue when planning the action within the scene. As we hadn't decided upon the shots yet, we began by simply sketching out the area we had chose. This was beneficial later in the creation of the storyboards as we could use the floor plan as a reference when deciding upon different kinds of shots. After this we progressed on to creating a story board to help bring all of our ideas together in to a rough outline of how the scene would progress. Storyboarding allowed to us to evaluate each shot, one after the other and think carefully about the variety of shots we would be using, such as extreme close ups and extreme long shots. As shown in the photos of the story board, the sketching of where characters would be as well as what kind of action would be happening in the shot, helped us create a scene with a variety of interesting camera angles, different kinds of shots and different action within the scene. When it came to filming, we referred back to the storyboards to remind us of what kind of shot we should be aiming to shoot as well as what action should be happening within each clip. Having done this, we then went back on to our floor plan and added where the cameras would need to be for each shot, labelling the camera with which shot in the storyboard would be filmed there, where the characters would be and where they would move to and finally the 180 degree line between the two characters. By adding this line, we could ensure that our scene would not break the 180 degree rule, as we could clearly mark on the cameras that would be filing the conversation on only one side of this line. After doing this, we practiced creating the shots we had outlined in our storyboards with the camera and the tripod. As well as making sure the 180 degree rule was upheld throughout the clip, this helped a lot when it came to filming as we didn't have to waste time trying to work out where the camera would need to be placed as we had already rehearsed the filming and placement previously. The only additional planning I would have done for this task would have been the rehearsal of the characters action within the scene. This would have aided us in ensuring the continuity and smoothness of the characters as well as allowing us to edit and refine the motion we had drafted in the storyboards.

By creating storyboards, when it came to filming we had a clear idea of what shots needed to be filmed and how as well as a rough idea of how the scene would eventually be pieced together.

After deciding upon the location of our scene, the floor plan was drawn up. After the storyboard was created, the locations of the characters and their movements as well as the cameras and their storyboard shot numbers were added 


Techniques

In our task, we used a range of techniques in both the camera work and the editing, that we had studied and looked at in lessons to help our piece come across as professional and interesting as possible. Throughout the scene we ensured the characters had both head and nose room. The degree of this changed slightly according to which character was speaking, portraying to the audience differing levels of power. This technique is used in a scene from Breaking Bad where Walter White and Gus Fring are exchanging conversation about a business proposition. In that scene headroom and nose room is shrunk according to who has more power at the time t make the character seem trapped and claustrophobic. We took inspiration from that scene and used the technique so that throughout the dialogue 'Mr. Kipps' has less headroom than 'Sam'. During the conversation part of the scene we used over-the-shoulder shots to make it clear who was talking and when. This technique is very commonly used in instances where talking and conversation happens very regularly. For instance dramas such as Hollyoaks used this technique frequently every episode. While using these over-the-shoulder shots we ensured that we didn't break the 180 degree rule. We had previously studied the importance of the 180 degree rule and understood that by abiding to it, our scene would have a stable continuity throughout and would not confuse and distort the audiences view. The camera work in our scene incorporates a variety of different shots to make the scene as interesting as possible. Extreme Long shots such as the 3rd shot and the final shot contrast with close ups such as the 4th shot and this diversity of different shots helps change the focus of the scene, providing the audience with a more in depth scene. As well as this, we used different angled shots to portray the power associated with each character. The scene that we studied from Peaky Blinders uses interesting and professional camera work to show the power of the gang in an interesting way and we wanted to emulate their use of camera work in our own scene. While editing I used a range of editing techniques to add other aspects to the scene. Throughout the scene, there is a high contrast, black and white filter applied to the shots. This adds to the piece as it highlights the bold light that we filmed in outside. The use of a high contrast filter links to the Film Noir style of thriller we have been studying in class and the chiaroscuro lighting used within it. Where as in Film Noir this create a dark tone, I simply wanted to saturate our scene, linking to the content of the dialogue. Finally, the fade to black at the end of the scene, closes it well, adding a professional definite end to the piece. This is used in many films and television pieces as it is a classic and traditional way to end a scene.

We used a variety of different camera shots in our piece including extreme long shots and close ups.

We used differing levels of head room to portray the characters power level (a technique used in the Breaking Bad scene of Walter White and Gus Fring)

We also used interesting camera angles to add variety to our piece as well as to illustrate further the power level of the character.

Main Learning Points

By partaking in this task, I have learnt many key points that I can use and refer back to when it comes to creating the opening to a Thriller. In terms of practical aspects, learning about using the camera in areas such as focus pulling, manual focusing, zooming and placement has been very useful. When it comes to creating the Thriller opening, I will be able to to use these techniques in a more efficient manner as I will have already practised them and so the quality of the camera work should be higher. In regards to the tripod simply understanding where all the adjustment levers and mechanisms are will benefit me as I will be more competent when it comes to using the tripods again. One of the main practical aspects I learnt about was the basics of the editing software I will be using. Understanding how to open the programme, how to input clips, how to add in and out points, how to add and edit video and audio effects and how to export the scene will allow me to use the programme efficiently when it comes to my thriller project. As well as practical aspects, this project has taught me about the importance of planning and group work. I learnt that by creating a detailed storyboard and floor plan, the actual filming of a scene becomes easier as it is already thought out and not spontaneous and as a result has a more professional outcome. While the planning aspect of this piece worked well, there are some aspects we didn't plan and as a result were not as smooth and continuous as I would have liked. For example, if we were to do this again, I would like to plan in detail where each character would be in the scene as well as the movement and action between shots as in this preliminary task, the characters sometimes appear to jump to different body positions in between shots. As well as the planning aspect, this project allowed me to learn how to work efficiently as a group and how important it is to make sure everyone in the group has an equal amount of responsibility within a task as this makes every aspect of the task easier. As well as the previous issue, the other thing I would do differently if I could do this task again would be to take more shots of the same action as well more rehearsal shots. I think if we had done this, there would for one be more options to chose from when it comes to editing which could mean the final outcomes may be of  higher outcomes, but also by rehearsing shots in more detail, any errors or faults (such as the discontinuity between characters positions between shots) could be identified and rectified.

How could you have filmed more material to strengthen the audio in your production? 

Something we didn't do in this task is record a room tone. This is when the 'silence' or ambient noise of a location is recorded to be used to aid the continuity of a scene during editing. When we shot our preliminary task we simply used the audio recorded by the camera during filming and this resulted in some auditory discontinuity when it came to editing. For example the background noise or ambient noise changes suddenly between shot 2 and 3. As well as this example, the occurrence of wind affecting the background noise means it was even less continuous as in one shot there would be audible wind and in the next there was none. If we had recorded a minute or two of room tone, we could have used this in editing to make the audio in our production seem more professional and continuous. For example in scenes where there is no dialogue, the room tone track could be used instead of the original track as this would produce a smoother overall finish to the production. Similarly, in shots where there is audible wind in one and then suddenly none in the next, the room tone track could be used to cut out this wind and therefore hide the discontinuity in the sound. In conclusion if I could do this task again, I would make sure 1-2 minutes of room tone was recorded to be used to aid the continuity in editing.

Preliminary Task

How do directors film a conversation?

Clip 1. Breaking Bad

The directors of this clip use many traditional rules to film this conversation. Throughout the clip the 180 degree rule is used kept to. This means that the camera shots are always on just one side of the two people having a conversation, meaning who ever is on the right stays on the right and vice versa. This clip abides by this throughout; Gus is always on the left and Walter always on the right. This rule is used to add continuity to the clip. For example, if the rule was not kept to, the characters having a conversation would appear to switch places and be in different locations in each shot causing confusion and discontinuity. In this scene, the tone and atmosphere of the conversation is a calm, controlled one and the 180 degree rule helps to convey this as the characters are always n the same location. The only difference is the level of zoom applied; the more zoomed in the more intense the conversation becomes.

As well as this rule, the directors of this clip used head room and nose room to signify the power balance and intensity between the two characters. At the beginning of the clip both character have an equal amount of nose room and headroom and are positioned similarly, opposite from one another. This shows that the characters have an equal level of power as well as showing the intensity of the conversation at this point is relatively low. As the scene progresses the amount of headroom the characters has decreases significantly. This gives a more claustrophobic view of the conversation creating amore intense atmosphere. Throughout the rest of the scene, the first shot (with lots of head/nose room) and the second (a smaller amount of headroom) are used to signify the small shifts in power between Walter and Gus. This use of alternating shots represents the power struggle and ultimate equality between them.

Clip 2. Reservoir Dogs Opening Scene

In this shot, the characters are sat around a round table therefore the 180 degree rule is not applicable. Instead Tarantino, uses multiple shots, showing many different sides and angles of every character. By doing this the characters are immediately portrayed to the audience as being both equal as all of the shots are filmed at eye level and as being characters with some sense of depth to them as all of the characters speak and all are filmed at different angles. The lack of the 180 degree rule is replaced instead with an ongoing conversation. By using this as well as shots of people looking in the direction of the character who is talking, the audience understand roughly where all the characters are seated and so do not feel confused.

Why is the 180 degree rule important and why might a director break it?

By using the 180 degree rule, continuity is upheld and the audience understands the location of the characters during the conversation. Furthermore this creates a controlled and professional shot, allowing the scene to focus more on the context of the conversation than the position of the characters and the layout of the scene. However sometimes this rule can be broken for effect. For sentence in The Shining, the main character meets a ghost and the rule is broken. This will enhance the scene as it emphasises the disorientation and instability of the characters metal health. Another example is the scene from The Lord of the Rings where Golem is having a conversation with himself. In this instance an imaginary 180 degree line is used to show the two sides of his character, again strengthening the internal struggle, the character is experiencing. In instances such as these the disoriented created by breaking the 180 degree rule fits and improves the scene as it relates to the context however in the majority of conversational scenes where the subject of the conversation is the focus, the upholding of the rule allows the audience to concentrate on this focus.

EDITED 08/10/15: How do the directors of Peaky Blinders use camera angles and miss en scene to establish expectation and character?

 In this shot many techniques are used to show the power of the group. The very fact that they are walking through the puddle instead of around signifies that they don't have any respect for their surroundings and that they are focused on what they are going to do and where they are walking to. Every character in the group are wearing work boots. This strengthens their representation of being powerful. The heavy boots signify aggressiveness and violence and the fact that they are all wearing similar boots gives the audience an expectation that the group of people walking through the boots are related in some way. Finally the dark water is symbolic of something pure being dirtied. Traditionally water is representative of purity and something that washes away sins. However in this shot the water is dirty and murky giving the audience an expectation of the kind of action that will take place later on in the scene

This shot uses an usual camera angle to portray the group as upside down. This immediately signifies that the members of the group are not just ordinary men going to work- there is something different or special about them. In the middle of the shot there is a strip of clear blue sky that eventually the group block. This is symbolic of the peace and neutral atmosphere being disrupted stopped because of the men. After this shot, the lighting in all the scenes is dark and therefore the fact that the only light in this scene is blocked by the men strengthens this point. The organisation of the group of men is significant as instead of being structured and ordered there seems to be no formation the men are walking in. This relates to the point that the men are bringing some kind of disorder to a neutral environment but also implies a gang like culture upon the men and therefore gives the audience the expectation that they are a violent and powerful group.

Finally, in this shot lighting, costumes and set design are all used to create an allusion to the style of western films. In the background there is a building that has the style of a saloon, a kind of house common in westerns. the shapes in the windows and the large doors create this impression. The hats worn by two members of the groups (the man in the centre and the man at the back left) also create an allusion to the western style of films. The flared sides of the hats link to the flared rims of the cowboy hats which are a stereotypical western image. Finally the low lighting and the smoke in the air of the scene link to the dust often associated with the western films. The whole allusion strengthens the portrayal of these men as dangerous, powerful and ruthless. The disorganisation of the group as well as the dark, uniform like clothing they are wearing again signifies there is a gang like culture to the group. Finally, this shot allows the audience to see where the group are walking to and this allows them to understand where their anger and violence is directed. This therefore confirms that the group are all walking somewhere to do something together and strengthens their gang like image further.

What can we learn about how to film characters walking from this clip?

There are many techniques being used in this clip to create a powerful and effective scene that portrays the power and authority the Peaky Blinders have. By observing and studying the techniques used, we can learn about how to film people walking effectively. To begin with, slow motion is used subtly in this clip to emphasise the calm yet powerful nature the gang has. By slowing the ordinary, common motion of someone walking, the audience focuses more on it and therefore interprets a persons characteristic/levels of power from it more effectively. However, the level of slow-motion used in this clip is not extreme and so still portrays the focus and determination the gang has. From this learn that slow motion can be used subtly to portray power and authority as well as to emphasise the focus of the shot.
 Secondly an array of different angled shots are used to both represent the power the group has as well as to introduce the number and depth of characters within it. For example low angled shots in the exposition of the scene immediately gives the audience an idea of the Peaky Blinder's power. Eye level shots are then used further in to the scene to focus on the individual characters in the group. This suggests to the reader that within the group they all have an equal level of power. From this use of low angled and eye level shots, we can learn that by using a combination of different angled hosts, the characters level of power can be portrayed further.
Finally the smooth, moving camera work throughout the shot adds to the collected tone of the gang as well as linking to the physical walking of the characters. Where as a hand held, shaky camera may be used in a scene to reflect panic in a character, the use of the tripod and railing in this scene portrays the calmness and power the group has.
In conclusion the shots used in this clip teach us that camera techniques such as angled shots and smooth motion as well as editing techniques such as slow motion can portray power, authority and the mental state of a group.

EDITED 20/09/15: Media Studies Summer Task

Introduction

I'm Ben Rodwell and this is my media blog.