Friday, 15 February 2008
To Conclude this project...
This project was a very enjoyable experience, i learned a lot and had fun in the process. The way i veiw films will never be the same due to the way i have started breaking down sequences while watching, yet it amuses me when i guess what happens next. I have developed skills in all areas of media such as editing the sequence on the computer, using the sound equipment and the camera. My group got on very well and we were able to finish our sequence on time and to a good standard. Because of this i am pleased with how my group worked and how well we worked together.
During this project i realised that i had some sort of interest in the thriller genre as i had never seen it in an interesting way as it is. I can happily say that this project was a success in every way.
During this project i realised that i had some sort of interest in the thriller genre as i had never seen it in an interesting way as it is. I can happily say that this project was a success in every way.
Applying the theories to Retribution
Todorov's theory on narrative structure applied to my groups opening sequence:
Equilibrium - The pace at the beginning is very slow and does not contain any action codes that would suggest that something weird was going on. The girl walks doen the road and into her house as you would expect someone to.
The Disruption - This is when the door is left open due to the girl being distracted by dropping her keys. A person is seen going into the house behind her and this equilibrium is broken.
The new equilibrium would be found later on in the film once this disruption is solved and a new normality occurs.
Theory of binary opposites by Claude Levi Strauss applied to Retribution.
Freedom // Entrapment
Male // Female
Victim // Heroine
Roland Barthes theory of Enigma codes applied to Retribution
- The camera is following the girl possibly suggesting that she is being watched. it is enigmatic because it makes you wonder who the person watching her is.
- The time phase cut to when the girl is woken by her phone is enigmatic as it raises questions of what he has been doing all that time.
- When he walks into the bathroom behind the girl, he does not seem to do anything which suggests that he might not even be a bad person as the camera work may be trying to imply.
Equilibrium - The pace at the beginning is very slow and does not contain any action codes that would suggest that something weird was going on. The girl walks doen the road and into her house as you would expect someone to.
The Disruption - This is when the door is left open due to the girl being distracted by dropping her keys. A person is seen going into the house behind her and this equilibrium is broken.
The new equilibrium would be found later on in the film once this disruption is solved and a new normality occurs.
Theory of binary opposites by Claude Levi Strauss applied to Retribution.
Freedom // Entrapment
Male // Female
Victim // Heroine
Roland Barthes theory of Enigma codes applied to Retribution
- The camera is following the girl possibly suggesting that she is being watched. it is enigmatic because it makes you wonder who the person watching her is.
- The time phase cut to when the girl is woken by her phone is enigmatic as it raises questions of what he has been doing all that time.
- When he walks into the bathroom behind the girl, he does not seem to do anything which suggests that he might not even be a bad person as the camera work may be trying to imply.
Monday, 4 February 2008
The Final DvD Cover
This is our Dvd Cover for our thriller sequence called Retribution.
I think it works very well to signify the thriller genre for many reasons;
The cover works around the colour black which is dark and mysterious, The font used for the title is very blotchy which could symbolise blood.
The picture of the back cover is of an empty street which could show that the area is unsafe and residents could be vulnerable.
We designed our company name and logo to go with the thriller genre, red ink is a suggestion of blood and death and matches our cover layout very well.
The main image on the front cover is of a man smoking, the fact that his face is half hidden can be enigmatic in the way that you want to find out who he is and if he is a bad guy or not. Cigarettes are used to symbolise an older generation and a more uncivilised background.
The layout of the cover is very simple which is also very enigmatic in the way that it does not give too much of the story away and leaves you thinking about what the storyt is about.
My individual contribution to avoiding problems
- Looking up bus times allows me to arrive on time for shooting.
- Assigning every member of the group with one piece of equipment which we hold ourselves responsible for looking after throughout the shooting.
- Using a shot log will help on test shooting and further shoots to make sure we use our time efficiently.
- Not having enough footage after finishing a shoot can be a big problem, a way to avoid that is to plan a certain number of each shots and also to improvise around our shooting schedule so we have a variety of different shots.
- Assigning every member of the group with one piece of equipment which we hold ourselves responsible for looking after throughout the shooting.
- Using a shot log will help on test shooting and further shoots to make sure we use our time efficiently.
- Not having enough footage after finishing a shoot can be a big problem, a way to avoid that is to plan a certain number of each shots and also to improvise around our shooting schedule so we have a variety of different shots.
Location ideas
An idea location for a thriller would be outside at nighttime, this is because it is dark and in an open space which contrasts really well with the encloser theme created by the camera when preoducing a thriler. A woodland area could be used to create mystery and helps to create entrapment of a victim.
Inside locations are also effective like the classic household scene, it plays on the comfort and safe feeling of being inside your own house but uses those aspects to cause feelings of encloser to the outside world.
This was the idea we eventually chose for our thriller project as it suited our character type very well.
Inside locations are also effective like the classic household scene, it plays on the comfort and safe feeling of being inside your own house but uses those aspects to cause feelings of encloser to the outside world.
This was the idea we eventually chose for our thriller project as it suited our character type very well.
Sunday, 4 November 2007
Thriller Ideas
From watching past As level thriller movies and Cinema Thrillers i have found out a few things that are key to making a thriller effective.
- The lighting should always be quite dark, this exploits the viewers fears of the dark and also leaves the audience with an unawareness of what is going on. Heroes and villains can hide without being seen and it allows a lot more suspense to build up than in a lighter environment.
- The settings that are most effective are those that appear to be places of innocents which don't usually contain violence, such as a kids playground or the comfort of your own home. This in particular is effective as intrusion of homes is very common to this day which allows the story to appear more realistic. (e.g. Roberts home in Disturbia)
- The victim should be visually pleasing towards the intended audience so we can build up a liking for them, that way the scene is even more dramatic as we do not want them to get hurt. (e.g. Jennifer Love Hewitt from "i know what you did last summer.")
- Jumping into a scene without the introduction at the start of a film can be very effective as it is very enigmatic, it makes us ask questions in our head about what is going on. In Momento The man appears to have shot someone in the head but we do not know the reason for his actions, this leaves me to wonder if he is a bad guy or a good guy and makes me more engaged in the film.
-Locations Shots
- The lighting should always be quite dark, this exploits the viewers fears of the dark and also leaves the audience with an unawareness of what is going on. Heroes and villains can hide without being seen and it allows a lot more suspense to build up than in a lighter environment.
- The settings that are most effective are those that appear to be places of innocents which don't usually contain violence, such as a kids playground or the comfort of your own home. This in particular is effective as intrusion of homes is very common to this day which allows the story to appear more realistic. (e.g. Roberts home in Disturbia)
- The victim should be visually pleasing towards the intended audience so we can build up a liking for them, that way the scene is even more dramatic as we do not want them to get hurt. (e.g. Jennifer Love Hewitt from "i know what you did last summer.")
- Jumping into a scene without the introduction at the start of a film can be very effective as it is very enigmatic, it makes us ask questions in our head about what is going on. In Momento The man appears to have shot someone in the head but we do not know the reason for his actions, this leaves me to wonder if he is a bad guy or a good guy and makes me more engaged in the film.
-Locations Shots
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