Research for Thriller Openings - Seven - Mathew Garrett

SEVEN

• Restricted narration - We don't know whats happening at first. We are put in the place of a character in the film


• Protagonist - We are introduced to a character at the beginning of the film, Somerset, which could be the protagonist. Most likely the protagonist as we are rarely introduced to the villain at the beginning of the story


• Enigma code - We are introduced to the story quite quickly and we now see that the character is the protagonist and that this film is about murder


• It begins like this so that we see what Somerset's job is and what he has to deal with everyday. We also find out that Somerset is possibly retiring or facing retirement. Another detective at the crime scene says "We are all gonna be real glad when we get rid of you"


• Antagonist - The other Detective can be seen as an Antagonist as he doesn't seem to like Somerset very much and is rude towards Somerset


• Brad Pitt's character, Detective Mills, is also seen as the Protagonist in this film although he is new to the area we see that all he wants to do is make a difference


• After being introduced to Detective Mills, we find out that Somerset is quitting and Mills is taking over his job in "seven days"


• We are not usually introduced to the main story so quickly. Non thrillers such as Twilight, which is a romantic fantasy film, we don't find out about the main subject of the film, vampires, until later on in the film, as apposed to right at the beginning


• Binary opposition - Mills and Somerset are facing murders, nothing like Mills has seen before. Meaning this is a rough city where murder is common

Character: Somerset

• A lieutenant coming to the end of his career


• Organised - Suit laid out, Picking dust carefully off of his jacket. Not crumpled, but neat and tidy. He has his things lined up on a desk ready for work. He is meticulous in the way that he gets ready, slowly putting on his tie


• He has a routine of all his things as if he has been doing the same things every morning for years


• Hes alone in his apartment. There are no signs of any other person living with him


• He looks smart and intellectual as he dresses smartly and we see a chess board which makes we associate with intelligence. Also he is reading a hardback book rather than a normal paper one


• He looks experienced in the way that he is attentive in his work


• He cares about others such as the families of the victims, even though it is not his job or duty to do so


• He seems quite calm and relaxed throughout the whole opening of the film in the way that he talks and carries himself

Character: Mills

• Mills is a Detective


• Hes young


• Seems Naive


• Quite cocky, thinks hes seen everything


• Fairly confident in his line of work


• Very persistent - We see that he fought to be assigned to this particular city where there is a high rate of murder


• Appears to be judgemental - He judges Somerset before he even got to know him and Somerset knows this


• He ran up the stairs at the crime scene, which could suggest a number of things such as he was late, he is keen, or just energetic

Wallace and Gromit -A close shave- Ed Boyce

This shot shows us particular camera work. The shot here is from a low angle. It makes Preston look bigger and more intimidating. Also the use of clothing (collar) along with his face expression shows us that he is menacing.
The result of this is, as an audience we know this is the bad guy and he is a sinister character.







This image shows the title screen to the film Wallace & Gromit.
This title shot is effective as a thriller shot because of the colour scheme. The colours are dark and sinister which is appropriate for a thriller opening. The text is bold and canted, which creates a sense of unease. We can also see a prop in the background which is a knife. This knife presents Iconography of weapons that usually appear in a thriller.

Preliminary Task Teachers Comments

Having watched our film we have received positive feedback as well as constructive criticism. We received positive feedback on our accurate match on action as well as using a variety of shots to prevent boredom, this included a shot of Ed walking past the alley and an over the shoulder shot of the opening of the envelope. We also received positive comments on our shot reverse shot, however we were criticised on bad lighting which broke continuity. This could've been due to the white balance and that we didn't set it properly. Although our audience liked our shots, the positioning of the shots could've been a bit better, with one shot in particular being criticised for the natural lighting which was seeping through the window of the door behind Jess whilst acting and therefore affected the lighting of the shot. Comments were made on the title of our film which showed at the beginning of our film. We used a typewriter effect for this and were given positive feedback saying that it matched the theme of our film.

My Evaluation- Ed Boyce

The process of creating our Preliminary task has been eye opening experience in what its like to create a film in the media industry. I have learnt lots of new skills with using the camera and the equipment with it, and also with editing the captured video.


I was new at using video cameras. Apart from a small exercise we carried out in class I had little experience in using the. Whilst using them with this task i learned a lot about them. For example, I didn't know anything about white balance prior to this task. After forgetting about it on occasions and seeing the outcome on your film I soon learned the importance of setting it. I also wasn't sure how to set it, this is something I learned with this task.
I also learned a lot about imovie as I was almost completely inexperienced with this. I had used it a small amount in the past but with this task it required a lot more editing- and more difficult and therefore learned a lot. For example small things like cutting clips, the effects you can add to clips and the effect they have and also keyboard short cuts that can save lots of time whilst editing. This brings me to my next point, I am new to Apple Macs and the software they use. In this task I also learned about using them.
We had a lot to consider when choosing our filming location. We wanted a place that would suit our film context and we also had to consider the availability of the place. In the end we found a small hut that suited us well. The hut was never really used so it was a positive that we would never be interrupted or be unable to film because of people using it. We experienced problems with this location though, the hut had windows and this made it difficult to keep continuity. When we were filming a lot of the time it would be different times in the day compared to the previous footage we captured. To over come this problem it ended in us shutting the windows to avoid this change in light with different clips. We also had to go back and re-shoot some footage. After covering all windows we feared that the room would be too dark to film. We brought in a redhead for artificial light but in the end it was not needed. Another thing we did to keep continuinity was make sure props had not changed in the background. Whilst filming from different angles we noticed that different props were in the background, we made sure that we moved these before filming and checked that continuinity hadn't been broken. Also we stuck to the 180 rule, and made sure that we didnt break continuinity in that way.
The input i had into the project mainly was being an actor in the film. However there were other inputs i had. First off it started with the group creating the storyboard and planning our project.
As a group we discussed possible ideas for our film and where to film. This then went down on our story board. I think our planning of our project was good and done fairly, with all group members present. My main input was acting with Jess. Acting was rather straightforward but i am not used to acting or being filmed at all.
In this task there were a few things we could improve on. First off we broke continuity a few times. This was either a prop in a shot that wasnt it before, or Mise en scene (clothing).
We will focus on not doing this again.
Another thing to improve is our location of filming. WE will think carefully about choosing a location and incorperate light into our decision as we found out this is very important.
After creating just one small film, as a group we have all gained experience in the process of creating a film and whats needed. In our next task we will be better than before at this process, in choosing location, acting, filming, and editing.
Ed Boyce.

My Evaluation

During the time of Filming and editing i have learned a lot that i didn't know before. Before this exercise i didn't know how to use a video camera properly. I thought it was just the push of a button and you were filming immediately. Know that i have been taught how to use a camera properly i have realised that there is a lot of processes you have to go through first to get the camera to perform properly. For example, I didn't know anything about white balance prior to this task but know i know how to do it and why it is important to make sure the white balance is set otherwise you film will not have the correct colour levels and it will not look professional.
Also while filming, we found light to be a very tricky and hard part of filming. Because we were filming on different days and different times of the day the light was frequently changing. We found this part of filming very complex and it was a tough, but necessary part of the process to make our film look the best it could. After nearly half an hour of trying to figure out how we could change the lighting and make it consistent throughout our filming time, we decided to use a "Red Head" which is a big filming lamp used to create more light when and where it is needed.
During the editing section of our product, me and my group used a program called iMovie on a Macintosh computer. Prior to editing i had never done any editing before or used this program. I found it frustrating at times but at the same time i found it fun to use. The iMovie program is quite complex but once you know what you are doing you can get started straight away and begin editing without any problems. Because i didn't know how to use iMovie before the task set, i was quite nervous as i thought our film was going to look really bad and unprofessional. After being taught how to use it i learnt how to upload my video onto the computer and how to cut different pieces of footage to create a smooth final piece. I also learnt how to add affects and sounds. The affects were quite simple but choosing the right ones for the footage was tricky and sometimes took more than i had hoped.
Throughout this project i had many different roles. As part of the research for our film we had to do some location scouting and find out when different rooms were available for us to film in them. Me and Jess D'Alvarez went from room to room searching for somewhere suitable and practical to film in. we also needed it to be away from any popular areas of the college as we did not want to pick up any background noises during filming. We also had to ask a few teachers who taught in that section of the college when the room was available. Fortunately, the room was hardly ever used and always open during the day so it was ideal for filming in as we would have no interruptions and we wouldn't have to wait until the room was free.
Another one of my roles was Camera Operator. Being the camera operator, for me, was an important job as i knew i had to get the filming look good enough for our project and the shot sizes and angles correct for what we wanted to achieve in our product. Whilst setting up the camera i found getting the right heights, for filming different sections, to be quite difficult and each tripod leg had to be the same length otherwise the footage would look slightly tilted and could also create a sense of unease which is not what we wanted.
I was also the Director of filming which was a good role alongside camera operator as it meant i knew the shots i wanted already and i didn't have to be told by someone else and then end up getting it wrong. As director of filming i found it useful as part of filming as i could tell each person where they had to be in relation to the camera. This proved to be quite useful and helpful in the process of filming.
Another part of my personal input was as a storyboard artist. I did all the rough planning on shot sizes and angles on one storyboard so that we had a base of what we wanted our film to look like and then someone else went and made it look better and also to improve on different things.
To create continuity in our project, which was our main goal in this filming task, we had three different areas of continuity editing in which to put into our film. To produce a piece of work with three areas of continuity editing in we had to demonstrate a match on action shot, which is where in editing you have to cut form one shot to another view that matches the first shots action. Another area was shot/reverse shot which is when you show one character looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the original character.
Another piece of continuity was to incorporate the 180 degree rule in our work. This rule is when two characters in the same scene always have the same left/right relationship to each other. To create each area of continuity we filmed the same scene from different angles numerous times so that in editing we could choose the best pieces and fit them together to create continuity.
For our main task, as a group, we will be constantly looking through our filming booklets, and our own research to make our final product the best it can be. Because we have now done this once already, i believe that in the main task we will find it a bit easier as we know what we are doing now and we now know how to use all the equipment provided in a professional way. Also i thik we will work faster and we will be more productive in the time that we are given.

Mathew Garrett

My Evaluation - Jess D'Alvarez

During the course of this task I learnt quite a bit about how to use the camera including how to set the white balance. However I learnt a lot about how to use the editing software. For this task we used iMovie and before this task I had never properly used iMovie, therefore I didn't know how to use it. Having completed this task I now know how to upload footage onto the mac computers and I have learnt how to cut a piece of footage down in order to get the bit of footage that you want to use. I also learnt how to add effects to a piece of footage, including adding titles and text.
When choosing the location for the filming of our short film we had an image in mind of a bare room with just a table and two chairs, which represented an undercover secret location. We searched for our location and ended up using an old maths hut which we thought was perfect, however, the fact that the maths hut had windows, turned out to be a problem for us because we were planning to shoot on different days and the light coming from outside, through the windows affected our filming and we knew that we would never get exactly the same light if we were to film on different days. When faced with this problem we considered different options including the decision of closing the blinds to shut out the natural light and considering the use of artificial light. Having considered our options, at first, we chose to use a redhead to see if we could overcome our problem, however this did not do us any favours therefore, we chose to close the blinds in order to shut out the natural light and from then onwards we didn't have to worry about the natural light affecting the continuity of our piece.

Whilst in a free, Mat and I discussed what the topic of our conversation piece could be. Having thought of a few ideas we then remembered a nickname that Mat used to call me when in secondary school which was 'Chief Inspector D'Alvarez' and we thought that it would be interesting to base our conversation on something involving the police. Having thought of this, we jotted some ideas down about what the conversation between the police officers could involve. Having done this, during our next lesson, we pitched our idea to the other two members of our group who agreed that it was a good idea. After a group discussion we expanded on our idea and began to draw up our storyboard. We thought it important that we did not spend too much time on thinking of a topic to base our conversation on and thought it best that we kept it simple because we wanted to focus on our camerawork and knew that we were not going to be marked on the topic of our conversation.

As a group we worked on the storyboard together, therefore I had input in this part of the planning, however we had to designate the drawing of the storyboard to one person and that was Mat (the best drawer). I was acting in the sequence and as a group we designated the cameraman position to Mat, however I did participate in parts of the camerawork because Mat was constantly flipping the small LCD screen round to show us the shot and to ask us if we thought it was a good shot and if not, what needed to be improved.

We demonstrated match on action by filming Ed (the agent) walking through a door. We filmed him walking up to the door and opening the door and made sure that a number of things were exact, for example: we ensured that his right foot was placed through the door first, we also ensured that his right hand was touching the rail outside and we ensured that he used his left hand to open the door. Had we not made sure that these minor things were correct, we would've broken continuity. We then filmed him walking through the door, but from the inside. Whilst in the editing suite we cut the two shots and put them together, to make it look like a continual shot. We demonstrated shot reverse shot by switching from a shot of myself (chief inspector), to a shot of Ed (the agent) whilst having a conversation, however we also demonstrated other shots such as over the shoulder and 2 shot because we thought that this would make our short clip seem more interesting. As a group we made sure that we stuck to the 180 degree rule by ensuring that we did not cross the invisible line, ensuring that characters did not suddenly shift abruptly, which could confuse viewers.

As a group we found a few errors in our clips that broke continuity. For example, in the background of a shot we had filmed, we noticed that there were chairs visible in the background and in another shot there was a poster, on the wall, visible in the background. We came across these mistakes whilst editing and we knew that having these objects in the background would break continuity because they were not in the previous shot and it would also make the audience wonder whether they were there for a purpose, which they were not, therefore they would distract our audience from what they should really be focusing on. We did not have time to correct these mistakes however we now know, for our main task, that we should always make sure that we clear the location we are filming at of unnecessary objects. As explained, lighting was also a problem for us, therefore we will need to think very carefully about lighting for our main task and will need to consider, early on, how we can get the same lighting again (if shooting on different days) and this may be done by using lights or we will need to work quickly in order to shoot everything that is needed to be shot on the same day to ensure that our lighting is the same and that it doesn't break continuity.

Jess D'Alvarez

My Evaluation

What I have learned
I've now had experience using the camera correctly to film parts of the clip. I also had to use a tripod and got use to adjusting the legs of the tripod with mat. the Editing software worked well, and i learnt however it does take more time then expected. I didn't realise how much the weather would influence our filming as we were inside, however it did alot, and the only mistake we made was that when the time of day and weather changed we struggled to make it look the same, and hence forth had to re-film certain sections, so in future as a group we will prepare more thoroughly for this.

My Input
before filming, i took photos of Andrew Mann in the car park with Jess, as i have a camera I also took photos of filming and put them onto the blog. After mat drew the story board i drew on some trees and faces and the last two frames. i then filmed the storyboard and explained it. this then went onto the blog. During filming, i took turn with mat and assisted with the camera work. I also suggested means for the script and placing of characters.

Continuity
We stuck to the 180degree rule, and kept the mise en scene as similar as possible. we struggled with the lighting due to the change of day and weather, however we were able to correct the difference by re filming certain parts. when we edited we used i movie HD to make it look as if it hadn't been edited. We filmed it over and over again giving us enough material to edit with.

Improvement for future
For the main Task next time we will definitely consider the change in weather and time of day. And now we are clear on what to do, how to do it due to practise we will be able to hopefully do it alot quicker and more efficiently. we did film it a few times, however hopefully as we should have more time, we will still be able to film more times, giving us even more material for editing.

From Chess :) x

the filming of the filming...

3rd Jan 2010!!!

ive just finished filming the storyboard which was drawn by mathew, except the last two frames and the faces which was proudly done by myself! i filmed it in my bathroom as that has the best lighting. i tried to speak loudly but i have a sore throat so if anyone wants to listen to it then you may have to turn the volume up abit, i found 80 was good. i also am about to upload some photos which were taken during filming to capture the moment of the making of ze masterpiece!

love Chess (: