Final edit

- Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

Looking back at the preliminary task I realise how much I have learnt and progressed from it. I have noticed a lot of problems witht he Preliminary task since filming my thriller opening sequence.
Preliminary Task

• Only used a basic camera (flip recorder) wasnt in HD and could be fied to the tripod. Also didnt have white balance settings on it.
• Unwanted background sounds (didnt know how to edit it out)
• Good range of shots but problem with sound (cant hear dialogue)
• break 180 rule
• blurry
• out of focus at times
• shaky clips
• no consideration on mise en scene
• not planned well

Final opening sequence

• Used Canon 550d camera and exported in HD
• used tripod so shots were still
• ensured all shots were in focus
• Edited out background sound and used music over it
• filmed outside so shots had a better natural lighting
• Used a better range of dynamic shots and camera angles
• planned it well
• researched mise en scene and thought about it carefully eg. costume,lighting,location

- What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

c

How did you attract/address your audience?

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for my media product will be a similar age to the actors in my thriller. I chose to do this as audiences are often more interested in something if the actors are a similar age to them. The audience will be around the age of 15-25 however older adults may choose to watch with younger adults. We have chosen the age certificate to be 15 as some of the content could be seen as disturbing to children younger than that. This is due to the disturbing murder and the mental illness the killer has to go through. Also the other horror/thrillers we viewed that had similar content also had a 15 age certificate. We aimed our thriller at a middle/working class group, however this does not mean other social groups will not enjoy it. We aimed it at a middle class social group due to the fact they have the largest population therefore there will be a larger audience, and higher viewing figures. We did this by assessing certain problems that are common in the world today. For example the mental illenss issue that some people can relate to and others want to know more about. However in order to make the thriller more interesting to the audience we over exaggerated elements of this.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

After thinking about social groups it is important to then think about what media institution would go with my target audience, and what kind of media institution would distribute my product. Even though I have only filmed the opening sequence of my thriller, I have to bear in mind that this will evantually be distributed as a film. Taking these factors in I thought about the kind of media institutions that would want to distribute a thriller aimed at teenagers and young adults. There are often thrillers shown on the sky movie channels;however they are often not aimed at specific audiences and cover a larger target age range. Although this may be a problem sky movies do have specific channels for specific genres that could go with my thriller theme. However sky is a large conglomerate company that only show movies of a hign cinema standard. My thriller opening sequence is not a high quality cinema standard; therefore it may be best suited to a small independent company. My thriller also has elements of horror in it which means it could also go with the horror gnre, and be distributed that way.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

In what ways does your media product use,develop or challenge forms of conventions of real media products

An element of my media product that challenges forms of conventions of real media products is the way the opening sequence is set out. The opening sequence includes many flashbacks which may confuse the audience as to what the storyline is. However we wanted to do this so the opening sequence will also be part of the end sequence. The end of the opening sequence is also the start of the opening sequence where the movie will then play out the story, that then leads to the outcome of the opening sequence.The end sequence will include part of the opening sequence, however this time the audience will understand the plot. We did this in order to create suspense that will draw the audience in and make them want to carry on watching the movie. The fact we decided to make an opening sequence that would also appear at the end of the movie used conventions fo real media products, as this concept was used in 'Usual Suspects'. The forest location also uses forms of conventions of real media products as it is a typical location for horror/thriller movies.

Final Titles

This is the final title for the opening sequence of Relapse. We decided to make company logos for the companies instead of making all the titles the same font. This makes it easier for the audience to identify with each company. We chose a grey background for High Cross Pictures, with a bold black font, and the logo as a stick man crossing the road.






 Red leaf Productions is also shown on a grey background with a thin red font to go with the name, and a red leaf logo so the audience can easily identify what company it is when they see the red leaf. The titles were made on fireworks in order to make the opening sequence look more professional.

Relapse (Draft)

After uploading my draft edit of the opening sequence i achieved a disappointing grade of a D+
The feedback below is what I will continue to work on over the next week to achieve a higher grade. 

      ·         Not exported as HD

·         First pan is jerky and slightly out of focus

·         Titles need a lot of work – font style follows no conventions, there are too few, think about transitions/ size/ colour etc. Final title of the name of the movie is much better

·         Girl coming in and out of water shots – why does she come in and out? The meaning is not clear here

·         39 seconds shot is unsteady

·         Girl’s approach to train lines is a little too fast – put in slow mo as well as the hand on shoulder shots

·         CU of her hand on his shoulder needed

·         Why jump cut at 1.10? Not appropriate –stay with previous shot

·         Jump cut again at 1.19

·         1.39 why is she standing still then starting to walk? It looks like she is waiting for the camera to start walking

·         Jumpy reverse zoom as she walks towards the camera

·         1.54 too much light in the camera – needs deeper contrast

·         Too much walking in the woods – narrative not really clear and too many long shots

·         Seems too much like a trailer to put the title at the end of the sequence

·         Too long – need to cut about 40 seconds

Draft Titles

These are the draft titles for the Relapse thriller. We chose this font throughout the titles similar to the opening sequence of Lost Highway. The font has an eerie glow to it adding to the atmosphere. However the colour of the font tends to slightly blend into the background. I will take this into mind when making the titles for my final edit.

Actors

Matt Sharples
Age:17
Character Age:20
Character: John Smedley
Character traits: Serial Killer








Robyn Strong
Age:17
Character Age:13
Character:Lily
Character traits: victim, innocent girl

Costume

Killer: The killer will be wearing distressed jeans and a plain tee and a vintage leather jacket. This will make the thriller look rough and mysterious. The leather jacket look is typical for a 'rough' 'villain' look, and will help the audience to identify his character type













Victim (girl): The girl will be wearing a floaty dress and cardigan in the bath scene to represent her age and innocence. However in the railway and woods scene she will be wearing black leggings and a beige knitted jumper. This is to show the difference of time from when the killer murdered the young girl and her coming back to haunt him.

Location

After the results from our questionnaire we chose to film in two locations. The first location will be shown in the woods. We chose the woods as the location is often used in thrillers and horror movies. The second location will be an abandoned railway. Both the locations are deserted areas where other members of the public are not often seen, this will help add the fear and suspense we want the audience to feel during the sequence.

Risk Assessment

Before filming my Thriller I need to assess the risks of filming it.
Location:
*The location is far away so my group and I need to plan how we are going to get there
*Filmed in woods so need to clear a path so the actors don't slip and fall
*Also filmed on an abandoned railway which is hard to get too (have to climb over fences to get there), need to make sure the crew or the actors don't harm themselves while climbing.
*The weather could also be a risk as it could prevent us from filming if it is raining or snowing
Costume:
*Need to find a costume that fits the actors
*Make sure the costume is appropriate for the Thriller
Actors:
*Need to find a time everyone is available
*Responsible for getting them to the location
*Make sure they turn up on the day we plan to film

Story Board

This is the Story Board for my thriller where I have drawn out the shot angles and sizes and the order they will take place.
*Firstly there will be an Establishing Shot of the Abandoned Railway (location) with the antagonist in the background. With the Antagonist in the distance. *The camera will then zoom in to an extreme close up of the antagonist that dissolves into a flashback. *The flashback will be shown in a long shot with the antagonist walking through the woods.
*There will then be an eye line match of the antagonist looking around the woods to show the audience what he can see.
*Another close up of the antagonist will be shown going into a flashback. The flashback will include a range of high angle extreme close up shots of the victim under water. There will be fast cuts back to the antagonists reaction and the the extreme close ups of the victim.
*A close up of the victim (girl) under water will be shown in slow motion, when she opens her eyes and raises up out the water.
*The scene will then go back to the woods where the girl will be seen in a low angle shot walking where the antagonist is walking.
* The antagonist will appear in a medium shot looking round to show his increased fear and to build up the suspense. The camera will pan up as the girl walks towards it so the audience are able to see her costume and facial expressions.
*The antagonist will then be shown in a long shot running to then wood which will remain in a long shot of him climbing onto the railway.
*There will then be a medium shot of the antagonist looking sideways at the girl, which will then transfer into an over the shoulder shot of him looking at her (so the audience can see what he can see).
*The over shoulder shot will then be shown over the girls shoulder looking at the antagonist, which will flow into a two shot of them showing the antagonist walking back onto the track.
*After a close up shot of the antagonist will be shown so the audience can clearly see his emotions.
*Finally the camera will zoom out to a long shot of the girl walking towards the antagonist, and then this shot will be repeated without the girl to show she is actually in the antagonists mind.

Plot

Mind Map

Audience Questionaire

1: Are you male or female?
Male: 5
Female: 8

2: How old are you?
10-16: 3
17-19: 10
20+: 0

3: Have you ever watched a Thriller?
Yes: 13
No: 0

4: If yes how often do you watch them?
Weekly: 7
Monthly: 5
Few times a year: 1
Other: 0

5: Do you think it's better viewing a thriller in the cinema?
Yes: 9
No: 4

6: What location would be best suited for Thriller?
Woods: 2
Abandoned Railway: 8
House: 2
Other: 1

7: What Character would you rather play the victim?
Young Girl: 6
Young Boy: 2
Older Girl: 1
Older Boy: 2
Other: 1

8: What Character would you rather play the murderer?
Young Girl: 1
Young Boy: 3
Older Girl: 1
Older Boy: 5
Other: 3

This is the questionaire and the results we gathered from it. We asked a range of students from our college, so we found that the majority are aged 17-19. The results have helped us to decide what location we will use, as the majority chose the abandoned railway.

Se7en-Reception

Seven was released on September 22, 1995, in 2,441 theaters where it grossed US$13.9 million on its opening weekend. It went on to gross $100.1 million in North America and $227.1 million in the rest of the world for a total of $327.3 million, making Seven the seventh-highest grossing film in 1995.
The film was highly acclaimed by critics and currently has an 85% rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Gary Arnold, in The Washington Times, praised the cast: "The film's ace in the hole is the personal appeal generated by Mr. Freeman as the mature, cerebral cop and Mr. Pitt as the young, headstrong cop. Not that the contrast is inspired or believable in itself. What gets to you is the prowess of the co-stars as they fill out sketchy character profiles

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_(film)

Lost Highway

Lost Highway (David Lynch,1997) titles:
*Bill Pullman
*Patricia Arquette
*Balthazar Getty
*Lost Highway
*Robert Blake
*Natasha Gregson Wagner
*Richard Pryor
*Lucy Butler
*Michael Masse
*Jack Nace
*Jack Kehler
*Henry Rollins
*Giovanni Ribisi
*Scott Coffey
*with Gary Busey
*and Robert Loggia
*casting by Johanna Ray CSA
*and Elaine J Huzzar
*music composed and conducted by Angelo Badalamenti
*editor Mary Sweeney
*production designer/costume designer Patricia Norris
*director of photography Peter Deming
*prodced by Deepak Nayar, Tom Sternberg, Mary Sweeney
*written by David Lynch,Barry Gifford
*directed by David Lynch

The titles are shown in a bold yellow font matching the markings on the road. The font is a sans serif font that stands out due to the choice of colour. The opening sequence titles conists of the main characters and the key individuals who helped to make or assist in making the film.

The music playing in the opening sequence is a song called 'i'm derranged' by David Bowie. The music is a fast paced track that builds up as the opening seqence runs. The music goes in line with the with the fast moving car which can be seen by the road linings. The lighting is low key with the only light sorce being the car headlights.This creates a mysterious elelment and perhaps foreshadows a potential car chase?

Mission Impossible (Brian de Palma,1996)

Mission Impossibe titles in order of appearance:
*Paramount Pictures presents
*a cruise/wagner production
*a Brian de Palma film
*Tom Cruis
*Mission Impossible

The Mission Impossible  title consist of the main character and the main roles in making and producing the film. The Mission Impossible title at the end of the sequence is shown in seriff font. The sound at the start of the seqence has a low tone to create tension, and gradually builds up adding in more percussion and what sounds like a trumpet. As the sequence continues the music builds up to a fast paced piece. This matches the fast cuts that are used to create suspense and tension. At the start of the sequence an extreme close up of a burning wick is shown and breifly makes appearances throughout the sequence that also helps to create suspense.

a series of extreme close up shots are shown throughout the opening sequence, making the audience question what exactly these items are.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes Titles:
*Warner bros pictures
*Village Roadshow pictures
In the Sherlock Holmes opening sequence there aren't many titles shown. The titles shown are the normal companies logos that are shown at the very start.
After the titles a male character is shown typing on a type writer. This suggests that the film is not set in the modern era. The character Watson's voice over starts which then cuts to a long shot of what looks like an ordinary everyday scene. Watson's voice over sounds like veen he is trying to make sense of Sherlock's ways. However when the voice over ends the loud ambient sounds and the long shot signifies the bomb going off. This is a shock and a thrill to the viewer, as it is completely unexpected.

The steady build up of a violin and other percussion instruments starts to play and there is a close up of a parcel being passed around by unknown individuals. This makes the audience question what is happen and creates mystery. The characters costumes consist of large dark coats accompanied with tailored hats, this helps point out that the film is not set in the modern era.

You then see a two shot of the main charcter Sherlock and what could possibly be his 'love interest'. There is a brief dialogue between the two characters where Sherlock says 'three men have been following you'. This foreshadows a potential fight or confrontation. The location is a market in london with the female character mentioning the Savoy. The large market is shown in a high angle shot.

Se7en (David Fincher,1995)

Titles in Se7en (in order of listing) :
*New Line Cinema Presents an Arnold Kopelson production
*A film by David Fincher
*Brad Pitt
*Morgan Freeman
*Se7en
*Gwyneth Paltrow
* Richard Roundtree
*R.Lee Ermey
*John C. McGinley
*Julie Araskog
*Mark Boone Junior
*John Cassini
*Reginald E Cathey
*Peter Crombie
*Hawthorne James
*Michael Massee
*Lelan Orser
*Richard Porthow
*Richard Schiff
*Pamela Tyson
*Casting by Billy Hopkins, Suzanne smith, Kerry Borden
*Music by Howard Shore
*Costumes designed by Michael Kaplan
*Edited by Richard Francis-Bruce
*Production designed by Arthur Max
*Director of Photography Darius Khondji
*Co Producer Stephen Brown, Nanu Greenwald, Sanford Panilch
*Co executive producers Lynn Harris and Richard Superstein
*Executive producers Gianni Nunnari, Dan Kolsuid, Anne Kapelson
*Written by Andrew Kevin Walker
*Produced by Arnold Kopelson and Phylis Carlyle
*Directed by David Fincher

The main actors are shown on a cut black background with white writing in a sans serif font, with a 'high pitched' sound effect featuring over them.  The screen shot above shows the cut black background with a small moving image at the top. The image shows a black marker pen drawn across a photo of a young boys eyes. This portrays a disturbing image to the audience and foreshadows what will happen in the story line. The lighting in the opening sequence is low key which creates an eerie theme and shows clear signs that Se7en is a thriller.There is fast pace editing that adds a mysterious element to the piece. The editing also creates movement and distortion. High pitched sounds of machinery can be heard which creates a uneasy atmosphere.

extreme close ups are shown of disturbing images. Screenshots show two of them above. The first image shows a person peeling the skin off their fingers with some type of scalpel or knife. This is particularly disturbing for the viewer and adds a horror element to the thriller. The second photo shows certain words covered over with a marker pen. These words tend to be 'pregnant' 'birth' and 'child' that suggest the unknown character doing this is slightly deluded and also foreshadows murder.

The Usual Suspects (Bryan Singer 1995)

During the film The Usual Suspects we were asked to mae notes on what made it a thriller. Here are my notes below:
*antagonist (villain) and law figures
*Classical, low main note with high notes on top (dark)
*fire with incidental music
*low key lighting
*dark, mysterious/run down location
*close up of gun (prop)
*ambient sound of gun shot
*use of poilce (shows criminal action)
*murder shown (fear,suspense) (multiple murders)
*investigation
*violence
*smoke/fire
*gangs
*drugs
*flashbacks
*unexpected ending
*complex storyline
*narrative enigma

Final Preliminary Task

Editing for the Preliminary Task

After filming we edited our preliminary task on Adobe Premier Pro. Firstly we downloaded all the clips into the editing software and placed them in order. After placing them in order we reviewed the clips and cut the parts that didn't fit in. For example the establishing shot at the beginning shook as the camera panned round. This was because we didn't have the correct tripod to use. We cut the part where the camera shook so the clip looked more professional. After cutting certain scenes we then went on to edit the flashback clip where we firstly changed the coloring to black and white. This is to make it more obvious to the audience that they clip is not part of the ordinary dialogue. We also edited part of the flashback in slow motion to create suspense. After editing the flashback we realized there wasn't a steady flow in the straight cut from the flashback to the dialogue, so we chose to add a dissolve in between the two. We also added a dissolve at the start to set the scene and added a fade at the end. Unfortunately we could not edit out the ambient sound in the background affecting the dialogue but we have noted this to make sure there is none in our thriller.

Filming for the Preliminary Task

During filming we chose to edit the script in order to modernize it and the original script was slightly dated. There was also a range of unwanted ambient sounds in the location we chose which you can hear over the dialogue. However we only realised this after the filming. However other elements of the filming went well with a range of shots and camera angles used during dialogue. We also added another element other than the dialogue, using a flashback to help the audience gather an understanding of what has happened previously. We used low angle and high angle shots during the conversation to show the hierarchy of power between the two characters. We also included close up shots of the characters reactions and facial expressions, so the audience can relate to the characters feelings. If we could film our preliminary task I would use the canon 550D with the tripod rather than the flip video camera as in parts it tended to shake; making the clip look unprofessional.

Script for the Preliminary Task

This is the initial script for my preliminary task. However during filming when reviewing the script we chose the slightly change some lines, in order to modernise it.

Planning for the Preliminary Task

Firstly my group and I drew out a mind map brainstorming ideas on what location, script, story and characters to include in our scene. We were aware of the fact we had to include a shot reverse shot of a conversation. After watching the YouTube clip on how to film a successful conversation we were told we needed to include a two shot, a close up of each character, a medium shot of each character, and the over the shoulder shot reverse shot of the conversation. The YouTube clip also said it is important to have a 'climax' point of the scene. After gathering this information we chose the common room as our location and the conversation would be a confrontation between a character who has had his phone stolen, and the character who has stolen it. The climax of the scene will be the character admitting he has stolen the other boys phone.

Story Board for the Preliminary task

After planning our ideas for the Preliminary task we drew our plan out in a storyboard. We chose to have two actors in our task, where one has lost his phone and the other one has stolen it. However the actor admitting to the phone being stolen will be the 'climax' of the scene. We have chosen to include a two shot, a close up of both the actors, and an over the shoulder shot reverse shot of the conversation. The actor that has stolen the phone will be shown in a high angle shot in order to make him look small and weak, in contrast to the actor whos phone has been stolen as he will be shown in a low angle shot making him look superior to the other.