Our Final Movie

Pros and Cons

Pros:
Good camera work
editing techniques
the black and white\negative effect
good titles
nice shot transitions

cons:
need more sound
more action
steady filming
cctv clip not clear

Editing

we tried to create a thriller atmosphere within our film to potray the feelings that we wanted to achive. we did this through a high use of edditing on final cut express. we used many effects such as

• flash
• we used a google image of 'FOG'  and eddited it on final cut express and put it in the thriller.
• we used black and white effects that give it a old rudty and dark look to create a dark atmosphere that leans out to the audiance.
• we also used negative effects that flsh into scenes to give a abnormal thriller effect to try gain attention of the audiance as in most thriiller films they have simmilar effcts we therfore tried to meet the convections of a normal thriller film.
• we used a  green effct on one of our camera shots to create a CCTV effect.
• we we got a clip of sound from yputube which is a shower sound,from our feedback we learnt that we had to put the shower clip running over the whole shot and not just titles we therfore made this change.
• we also got a screaming clip that we made ouself during lesson we have used this sound to create a thrill in the thriller and so it holds the whole thriller together.

Ideas for Ediiting

we wanted to create a diffrent effect on the fim instead of the typical 2 balck and white" we wanted to create a deeper meaning in the fim through our edditing. we therfore used many kinds of contrasts on final cut express and many types of sounds to create this new and entertaining aspect of the fim.

we wanted the simmiler look to this effct shown on this immage.

location ideas that we wanted to use but did not have the time. by fathima begum

we wanted to make the best of the task ans achive a extreamly scary thriller we therfore wanted to shoot our film out of cambridge. we thought that thinking outside the box would help and we after sharing our idead to the class it sounded as if the thriller storys were all going to be the same. we therfore had a idea that we should shoot the fim in "london" but due to the time and and camera availabilty we could not achive this.

the locations we wanted looked simmiler to this:

we wanted somthing like this beacuse the whole overall house looks scary. we wanted to pitray the victim of our fim getting staked and murderd in this empty house the main idea was to potray the character alone and being concious of her every move she made as she was scared and was seeing fash backs.

we wantes to fiml at night but due to the limited time we could not achive this.

another location idea was somthing along this line of immage.this was beacuse we wanted to shoot many types of angles in our fim and as this house is very big wanted establishing shots and low angle shots to make it obviouse in the fiml that this house was the main problems to all the storylines that we were going to create withing the trailer.

The tension and suspense

this was our planned board



In our title sequence we filmed clips that will create tension. Our aim was to build up suspense and tension then under cut it to release tension and to get the audience thinking as to what will happen next. We built tension up to the scream moment where the girl notices her killer.

Props and locations

The locations that we chose are locations that were easily accessible and we wouldnt be limited to filming time.  We filmed in a gym changing room and a bathroom, we used the bathroom for when the girl was getting ready as this is a typical place. The changing room was used for the scene where the girls dead body is dragged into the shower by her killer. We chose this location as it is usually a busy stop and when empty it is quiet and slightly spooky as it is completely different to the usual feel of the location.

The only props we used was some make up, we didnt feel as though we needed any more as we didnt think it would benefit our sequence.

Editing Plans

We have several ideas for editing shots in our sequence to give them a more dramatic feel. We have decided to add smokey, cloudy effects to the titles to make them appear more dramatic and spooky. We are also going to use a glow effect on our characters face to make the scene seem more shocking.
We are also going to use CCTV's in our footage and make the image glow green and add several numbers to the frame to make the CCTV footage seem more realistic. Finally, we are going to dim the entire footage. It wont be made black and white but it will be dimmed to give it more of a dramatic feel.

Costumes And Location Plans

For our thriller sequence, we have several idears of where to film our project and what our characters would wear. We have sized down from our original plans of having a woman dressed as a businesswoman. Instead we are going to dress our character more casually, in ordinary day clothes. This is easier for us to get hold of, and makes the time we have to plan easier and more manageable to work with.

For our location, we are planning to use a changing room set, possibly using a showroom to give a scary, deathly effect of a shower running. We can use several locations to film different parts of the project. We can film some scenes in a small bathroom, possibly at college or at someones house. We can then film the other parts of the sequence in an open changing room, with maybe add on showers. The showers could be used to film the aftermath or the killing, and where the body of the murdered character would be left.

Our thriller title sequence

We have made alot of changes to our original plans, this was because of several unforceen events that caused us to change our plot. Our original plot involving the stalking of a business women as she is coming home from work and at her home and in the bath this plot didnt happen as we were unable to film over the weekend that we had planned. So we had to rethink our sequence, so we decided upon a flashback sequence that we could film in college and use effects instead of camera techniques to make suspense etc. our plot was of a girl getting ready for a night out so she is putting on her makeup in the mirror that is a flash back then we get to see her when she has been killed and she is lying in a shower cubical of a changing room we dont no why she is there and what happened but we can here the sound of the shower so the killer is trying to get rid of the finger prints and washing away the blood. The sound of the shower wasnt load enough in the original film so we had to rerecord the sound of the shower and played it all the way through the sequence. This was done just as an experiment as to see what it would sound like, but it actually sounded quiet good so we decided to keep it. We also decided to put our titles on an animated cload/fog background the aim of this is to create a scene of mystery and awe. The tittles move across the screen slowly to try a pressent a scary atmosphere. 

The First Drafts of our storyboard

More Advanced Plans

We have decided to change some aspects of our thriller opening sequence. Instead of using a large set for our thriller we have decided to size it down and have come up with several new ideas. We would still be basing it on a dark theme, using the same sinister music and titles. However our storyline has been altered to fit our new requirements. We have decided to look at close up shots, filming and editing close up shots to look dark and creepy. Our new sequence would feature close up shots of a character who is applying makeup while cutting her arms. Blood would flow from her arms and there would be no emotion in their face.

The female character would be applying make up to her face in the bathroom, although our camera would only catch close ups of her face, and you wouldn't see any of the set. and she keeps looking behind her because she hears noises and thinking she can see someone behind but when she turns around there is nothing there.

We have decided to give different camera aspects to our title sequence. We have changed the filters on final cut to give a mysterious aspect to the film, this includes black and white, and filtering different colours into or out of the film.

films that we are inspired by to help create scenes in our thriller. by fathima begum.

this shot is from the film "what lies "beneath" this is a shit that relates to our film as in our fin we will poetry our actress harriet as the victim in the fin who has some from a long tiering day at work and is feeling strange and feels as if she is being stalked. we wil therefore use edd house to pefoRm this shot in as Edd has a simmilar scenery n his bathroom,however we are not coping the full scene or film we are taking ideas from it.

here is an similar costume hariet will be wearing. we will buy the outfit from a debhanams and try to achieve this look. this is a look we want as it potray's a successful buisneslady who is dressed as if she has just arrived back from work and is walking towards her car.

this is the car we will be using in our thriller as it is a very posh yet highly effective car that uslay you would see parked outside a buissnes womens house.

set

we are going to film at Eds house.
we are going to use these areas of the house:
bathroom
outside in the drive way
outside the gates
kitchen
hallway
garden and feilds

Costumes

ideas for the costumes are :
for the main actress
high heals
pensil skirt
shirt
suit

and for the driver
suit
hat
smart uniform
tie
shirt

images

just some ideas on what we would like the acters to wear.

MUSIC

The music that we will most probably be using will be a sinister slow peice just like this:

Secondary Plans

Our title sequence is going to be of two people, a women getting ready for a night out by putting on her make up and doing her hair and someone who has recently been killed because he has blood dripping down hisw body. The sequence would start by establishing a location so a flash image of a house or street will help establish the location. The filming will be closed ups of both people, the widest shot will be an arm or the womens face. This is done to create a feeling of tension a mystery to the people both the person getting ready to go out and the other person. we will create blood by mixing water and red food colouring we will then reverse the film tension and suspense.

Things to do

• Examples of the fonts
• Soundtrack
• Establish what characters we will use
• Location pictures
• Find props
• look into renting a night vision camera

Shadow Production Logo

Planning of our opening sequence.

i would like to film the tittle sequence at :
my friends house
in the woods
in a field
and in a lake
or a public place for example a park.

We will aim to have as little characters as possible this is to keep everything as simple as possible so we can create a sequence that looks good.

The sequence will either feature a good person being chased or running from something. Or having the bad guy planning something which gives the view a slight insite as to what they are planning. The other options include stalking someone from the stalkers view, but with the camera being presented as a security camera view. The stalker will not be stalking the person in person but instead through the security camera system.

The music will be used as to try and create and atmosphere or to create suspense.

The lighting will most probably be during the dark or sunset, this is because it can be used to create an atmosphere. This is used in films alot as the dark creates a feeling of the unknown as you cannot see what is in front of you.We will aim to either film in a seculed place were it can be earilly quiet this is seen in films such as the BlairWitch Project. But we could also used a public area this is used most commonly in films, this is done as it creates a feeling that we as the public could have been effected as it is a public place.

The titles will be kept short but by using different fonts we aim to create a feeling of either fear, suspense or thrilling. The fonts that we may use are as follows: Apple Casual, Big Caslon, Book Antiqua, Britannic bold, Chalkduster, Charlemagne Std, Copperplate, Handwriting-Dakota and Zapfino. We can then alter the titles more by adding effects to them effects cause titles to be animated, colourful or to change over a time period.

The potential titles to the film are as follows: The Shadow, Watched, Suspect, Identity, Last Choice.

Our first production logo

Leaning Experince

As a group, we have learned that time is important during filming and editing. We have also found that trying many different styles of titles and screenshots makes it easier to bring together the work. We had to be re taught the basics of photosop and final cut as to achieve effects on our production logo. Once we had the basics then we were able to produce our production logo and add effects and a soundtrack.

Pixar Production Logo Analysis

this logo is very simple yet highly effective and eye-catching,however it it rather dull and this may be a negative point as it may not reach out to the audience as much as it should. Other than the downside of being boring and ineffective, it is also humerous, and is easily recognisable.

Pixar Production Logo

MGM production logo

The production logo features a lion which is roaring and shaking its head. As a lion is seen as a symbol of dominating power, it makes people feel scared and worried.

TIPS

plan quickly but effectivly, get everything we need, work round problems.
Make sure you know where your titles will be going on the screen. don't leave it until after. leave space in the film. Make sure you plan your setting and costumes effectively so that they fit in with the genre.
Plan your story of your titles.
Make sure you take several different takes to see which one fits best.
Choose a font which fits in with the thriller genre. Plan your sound and music to make sure they sound thorough and consistent and don't mix badly with the sequence.
Stick to the 180 degrees rule, continuity editing and shot reverse shot when you film, otherwise the storyline wont work properly.

Vantage Point

The opening sequence to vantage point features camera shots to the sides of the screen moving around. The clips are edited with sepia to make them look old and more antique. The other sides of the screen features the title sequences which are in a white font. Towards the end of the start credits the title of the movie comes in against the sepia background. The shots are mostly birds eye shots of a neighbourhood.
The music playing is haunting and includes elements of sci-fi and crime scene drama type soundtracks. The music follows the words as they appear on screen by jumping out with a deep sound.

Fargo opening sequence

The opening sequence to Fargo is a dark sinister opening, the sequence just consists of a man driving down the road. it is very foggy and also snowing so when the car appears it more prominent as you have only previously been able to see the head lights and then suddenly the car is very close. The only other thing that is in the sequence is a crow which flies alone beside the car and then lands on the ground then flies away again. Crows are most commonly associated with death since the middle ages, this maybe what the director is trying to achieve. Then they cut to a shot of a dark quiet town. it is a sub genre it could be a psycological thriller the camerma is prodomitatly long shots with the car moving towards it. There is no narrative really as the first conversation or talking takes place once all the titles are passed. The titals are in a plain boring font but it creates a tense atmoshphere. All together we did not like the title sequence in Fargo.

Green zone montage

Analysis of The Game

The Game opening sequence features a recording of a family, set in the format of an old camera film. The film uses a lot of dark, sepia styled colours.

The film features shot reverse shots between two characters sitting in a restaurant. It features other shot reverse shots thought the film, including ion the laboratories.

conclusion

in our preliminary task, we used the methods of match on action, Shot revere shot and the 180 degrees shot. We believe during the clip, we kept to the 180 degrees rule, with the camera following Fatimah though the corridor, locking onto the left hand side of her body and movements. It follows her into the classroom, moving to her right, for which we are introduced to the shot reverse shot with Harriet. The two characters talk back and fourth until the end of the clip.

The use of match on action, is used when Fatimah enters the classroom, and her hand grips onto the door handle. The camera shows her from behind entering the classroom, and then snaps to seeing her enter the room.

thriller films

preliminary Task