Continuity editing task - Planning

Shot list.. 

1. Person A walks up to a door.
2. A close up shot of the hand pushing the door
3. Shot of person A walking through the door
4. Shot of person B sitting down
5. Shot of person A asking if person B if they're okay
6.  Reverse shot of (CU) of person B replying
7. Shot of person B standing up
8. Shot of person B asking person A a question
9. Shot of person A reaction and answer
10. Person B sighs and walks out the fire exit
11. Person A follows after person B out the fire exit
12. Shot of person A and person B facing each other

Location - Spanish Department 

Actresses - Shawnean + myself. 

Story board. 

Analysing clips

Analysing clips

costumes typically seen in Espionage Films

In order for our group to get to know the espionage genre more, we begun to think about the things we will need in order for our opening to look like an a typical espionage film due to having to think about audiences familiarity and what they are used to seeing. So from this i begun to research typical costumes characters/actors tend to wear in an espionage film.

From my research i gathered together costumes for both Male and Female actors.

Female 
From my research on the typical clothing/costumes women in an espionage film tend to wear are as follows..

There were a few options for the clothing that women would wear in a spy film

Males

From my research on the typical clothing/costumes of men, the main results i got where this.
So familiarly we are used to seeing the super spy in formal and smart clothing, like the picture below a males typical clothing would be a black suit, a white shirt and a bow tie. We see this typical clothing in many films such as James Bond, Mission Impossible and so on. The props that the majority of the male characters carry on then is guns, and any form of weapon for protection. From this outfit we could connote that the males are more dominant by being in smart clothing and carrying weapons so when choosing our characters and costumes we could take into consideration which role they are representing.

Research Espionage

For our media video we have decided to go with the genre 'Espionage' or the commonly known as a 'Spy Film'. We came to this decision due to having many different ideas of where we could film, what it could be about and so on. Where as our other options didn't give us many places to go, with out going down the same route of similar films. Our other options were a psychological thriller, which when it came down to talking to Sir about it, we were then informed that we are no longer allowed to do a psychological film so any idea we did have is now out the window! Our second option was an action thriller, however we decided that doing an action film wasn't the route we wanted to go down, after researching things about action thriller and watching examples we came to a decision that we really didn't want to go down that road. When we came across Espionage, I personally wasn't familiar with this genre however as we were decusing our ideas, we all came to a decision that this was the genre that seemed most exciting! So in order to become even more familiar with the espionage genre, there was some research that had to be done... 

The spy film genre, which is mainly the sub-genre of thriller and action, deals with the subject of fictional espionage either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy. Spy films show the espionage activities of government agents and their risk of being discovered by their enemies. From the Nazi espionage thrillers of the 1940s to the James Bond films of the '60s and to the high-tech blockbusters of today, the spy film has always been popular with audiences worldwide. Offering a combination of exciting escapism, technological thrills, and exotic locales, the spy film combines the action and science genres, presenting clearly delineated heroes for audiences to root for and villain's for them to hiss.

Research on Espionage Locations..

For our thriller opening we have decided to do an Espionage film, so for my role I had the job to research locations in London where an espionage film may take place... 

1. White Hall Court.
MI6 had its headquarters here until 1919. Inside, the Service’s first and most famous chief, Sir Mansfield Cumming, built an office which could only be accessed by negotiating various puzzling corridors and steps. These were often difficult to tackle because of false walls and staircases which led to nowhere.

2. In and Out Club, Piccadilly.

A recruiting venue for MI5 and MI6, this address was also used in correspondence found on a dead British officer who was deliberately dropped into seas off Spain by MI6 during the Second World War.

3. 54 Broadway. 

MI6 moved its headquarters to this address in 1926, under the guise of the "Minimax Fire Extinguisher Company". However, many London taxi drivers soon became aware of its role as a spy location.

4.Whites, 37-38 St James's Street. 

Another popular meeting point and recruiting venue, Whites was used for decades by the MI5 and MI6.

5. Old Vic Theatre. 

**needs to be finished**

Importance of Survey

The importance of the survey is to get an idea of what particular aspects people look for in a thrillers and thriller openings. This will give us a small guideline and some ideas of what to include in our  opening. For example if 8 responses out of 10 say they like to feel tense and suspense in the beginning of the film then that is some thing we may consider putting into our opening. From the survey we will also be able to produce different ideas due to using 3 openings in the survey which aren't similiar, this will give the audience a variety to choose which thriller sub genre they prefer.

Once we receive the responses, i will then put it into the powerpoint to show our results, by showing our results we will get an good idea of the variety of things that people look for in a thriller opening, which will give us good ideas for what to include in our opening sequence and what not to include in our sequence, and things we may need to consider. 

Opening thriller research for survey 2

For my second survey i have decided to do it on a few thriller openings, in order to do this i had to do a bit of research on you-tube by watching many different videos, however after not being able to decide or to find any suitable for the survey, i manage to get a few opening of Jordan who is researching thriller openings as a whole for the research base. So i was given three thriller openings one from the film called Psycho, Rear Window and Reservoir dogs. 

Opening summary  - Psycho 

Hitchcock opens this landmark film in his traditional manner, involving the viewer immediately with his players and his twisting plot. The camera pans the skyline of Phoenix, Arizona, and then focuses on one building, zeroing in on one hotel window, going through it to show Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), wearing only a bra and slip, reclining sensuously on a bed, her lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin) standing over her. From the onset of their conversation we realize that they are having an adulterous affair and that Gavin is too poor to get a divorce. (In presenting the opening scene in this manner, like a peep show, Hitchcock transforms the viewer into a voyeur.) The unhappy Marion returns to her real estate office, where her boss George Lowery (Vaughn Taylor) agrees to hold $40,000 for a rich, loud-mouthed client, Tom Cassidy (Frank Albertson).

In a moment of weakness, Marion steals the money and decides to make a new life for herself. She pays cash for a new car, but her nervous behavior draws the attention of a state policeman who follows her and, when catching her asleep in the car, warns her not to sleep along the roadside. Marion drives through the night until she is exhausted and begins looking for a place to stay.

Opening summary - Rear Window

James Stewart, one of the director's favorite leading players, is excellent as magazine photographer L.B. "Jeff" Jeffries, a man of action, who has broken his left leg and is confined to his Greenwich Village apartment. Now he must passively sit back and be content with the mundane day-to-day activities he views from the rear window of his apartment through field glasses and the telescopic lens of his camera. His window looks out on a back court area showing a small garden and the back areas of other apartment buildings. His neighbors are conspicuously unconscious of their own vulnerability to Jeff's constant gaze. Jeff watches housewives, newlyweds (the only persons who actually draw the shades on their rear windows), a composer in a posh apartment, a lonely woman he dubs Miss Lonely Hearts, a Broadway ballerina ("Miss Torso"), and, of particular interest to Jeff, Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr), who lives with a shrewish wife.


Opening Summary - Reservoir Dogs 

 The story looks at what happens before and after (but not during) a botched jewelry store robbery organized by Joe Cabot (Lawrence Tierney). Mr. White (Harvey Keitel) is a career criminal who takes a liking to newcomer Mr. Orange (Tim Roth) and enjoys showing him the ropes. Mr. Pink (Steve Busce) is a weaselly loner obsessed with professionalism. Mr. Blonde (Michael Madsen) has just gotten out of jail after taking the rap on a job for Cabot; he's grateful for the work but isn't the same person he used to be. While Mr. Blonde goes nuts during the heist, the thieves are surprised by the sudden arrival of the police, and Mr. Pink is convinced one of their team is a cop. 

Results from survey 1

Survey

For the research part of our coursework, I was down to created a survey which I created on surveymonkey.com.

Before I created my survey I planned out and researched what questions I wanted to ask, then when I decided I drew out the survey...

 

Once I was happy with the drawing I then started to create my survey on the thriller genre...

 
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/B5DHQ8D

This is the link to my survey, however I have given the survey to my family to answer because I wasn't 100% sure on whether this survey would tell me much about the thriller genre so I have got 7 responses which isn't many, however I have decided that just from the fewer responses, the survey isn't helpful at all so I'm in process of creating my second survey.

Gender Representation

1. What is the difference between someone's 'sex' and their gender?

         Gender is the way you express and present yourself, like your interests, hobbies and the way you go about certain situations. And sex is showing if you are a male or female from birth.

2. 'Male and Female' can be a binary opposition within texts. In your opinion, which male or female is seen in a more positive light by society and why?
  
        I do think that males are seen in a more positive light due to many thinking men are the ones who provide the money wealth and security. Men have always been seen as the more dominant sex, even going back to the Victorian era, a lot was planned for the women; they didn't have much choice of what to do with their lives. For example they were seen as the house wife who cooks and cleans, which even to this day and age is still the way in which some men expect there wife to be. Where as women are presented as weak, relying on the males to provide for them which many will argue against because many females have superb jobs however many will still argue that women couldn't cope with the work that men do daily.

3. What do we mean by the term 'stereotype'
       
          A generalised idea of some thing

Do generic conventions help or restrict fim makers?

 Helpful

- blue prints 

-codes/conventions

-Genre evolution meaning that have 

a type of guideline may be helpful for 

the film makers when coming up with 

an idea, so they know how quickly genres

become unpopular due to the evolution of

them all so this would prepare them to create 

a film that will be popular. 

Restrictive 

-Been done before so the film makers will

have to come up with a fairly original story line.

-Loose audience if the film is too repetitive or doesn't live 

up to the typical plot for that genre.

-Expectations linking with loosing the audience, if your 

expectations aren't met then its a disappointment, this

can be caused if the film makers do not stick to the typical 

plot or the same characters etc.

Animatic

Animatic

The last couple of weeks we have been in groups creating a story board for a film called ' Terror In The Night' after we had created the video we then had to make it into an animatic.

At first I wasn't 100% as to what an animatic was. So I done some research to find the meaning and i found out that an animatic is a form of television commercial consisting of a series of drawings with a voice over.

To create the animatic, we took pictures of our story board separately and then downloaded them onto the Mac, which we then imported the pictures onto premiere pro and started to put them into order and edit them. 

On our story board, we figured out the duration of  each clips which made it easier when we had to create our animatic, because we only had to either cut or drag the clip longer to create the particular time we wrote down. 

This would be the area I lack most in, I am not familiar with Macs and most of the programme's on it, so by doing this task I was able to come familiar or at least learn some skills and how to use premiere pro to a certain extent.

Narrative

Whats the effect of the change in narrative structure? 

The effect it has changing the narrative structure is that it gets you thinking and questioning certain roles within that narrative, for example the binary opposition and the length in which some shots are, having to change things around rather than sticking with one narrative. For example in our groups we were given the task to come up with a story for the title 'Terror In The Night' and once we had figured out the type of shots and our story, sir then went and changed the narrative starting with a death which didn't completely change the narrative however it did makes us think of a better story line, so by changing the narrative it can give you different and possibly better ideas for the project you're working on. 

What must happen to tell the same story, but with a different narrative? What technical areas need change? 

Before sir switched some parts of our story board around, i thought that if you change the narrative you then also change the story line completely, as in the story becomes new. However after this lesson, i begun to think differently. What must happen to tell the same story is for the story line to stay the same to a certain degree, by making certain changes it will most definitely change. So to a certain extent i don't think you can have the exact same story if you change the narrative, because i would argue that binary oppositions and technical codes are then out of place and context. As well as the duration of certain clips will have to change if the narrative is changed. Referring back to sir taking one of the killing scenes which was originally in the middle of our story board, sir then placed it at the beginning of the story board which instantly makes our story more dramatic, just in that first scene creating more tension straight away for the audience to experience. 

What technical areas need change? 

If the narrative changes, the technical areas that will have to change will be the duration of some clips due to the change making the video or film not flow as nicely. As well as the camera angles possibly not making sense or causing the tension we originally created, so i would have to re-think how long the clips will be and the camera angles that will create the tension we wanted to begin with. 

 

Camera shots

Tracking shot:
Tracks the movement of a character or object

Pan shot:
When the camera is stationary but moves from left to right or right to left. 

Tilt shot:
When the camera is stationary however its move up and down.

Aerial Shot:This is often used at the beginning of a film, in order to establish setting and movement. A helicopter is like a particularly flexible sort of crane - it can go anywhere, keep up with anything, move in and out of a scene

In lesson we looked at Fast and Furious and how they conveyed shots, so we found a tracking shot from when the two cars are racing and the camera keeps switching to each car causing tension, as well as allowing the audience to predict some sort of collision due to not being able to see where they're heading, until we see a another tracking shot of the train heading in the same direction, this causes the suspense to see if the cars will collide with the train. As well as this we also picked out a tilt shot of the traffic lights turning red to green, this ensures the audience that its a chase. 

Extreme Close up 

An extreme close-up of a face, for instance, would show only the mouth or eyes, with no background detail whatsoever.

Extreme long shot 
This can be taken from as much as a quarter of a mile away, and is generally used as a scene-setting, establishing shot and is often used to show scenes of thrilling action eg in a war film or disaster movie. There will be very little detail visible in the shot, it's meant to give a general impression rather than specific information.

Long Shot 
A long shot  contains landscape but gives the viewer a more specific idea of setting. A long shot may show the viewers the building where the action will take place

Medium Shot

Contains a figure from the knees/waist up and is normally used for dialogue scenes, or to show some detail of action.

Medium Long Shot
Frames the whole subject from the knees up showing the subject in relation to the surroundings.

Over Shoulder Shot
This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame.

High Angle:

A high angle shows the subject from above, i.e. the camera is angled down towards the subject. This has the effect of diminishing the subject, making them appear less powerful, less significant or even submissive.

Low Angle:

This shows the subject from below, giving them the impression of being more powerful or dominant.

Camera Angles

For home work we were set a task to go and find a film in which included different shots film makers have used. So I chose the film The Chronicles Of Narnia which I then found a tracking shot, a medium

Shot and a long shot, this is my homework below which explains why the shots are useful and why the film makers may have used them.

Shots

Film Language

Editing 

Speed: The duration of the scene. 

Sound: This is where the meaning is created and the tone is established, for example if there's a sneaky scene you're most likely to hear the tip toe music, creating the tension. As well for example the film 'Jaws' due to it including sharks, you will hear the dun dun dun theme tune, commonly linked with sharks. 

Style

straight cut - is when the camera cuts out into a black background

Fade - is where the camera fades into a black background then fades into the next scene 

Dissolve - is when one image replaces another

Horror Codes 

- technical codes 

- Editing 

- Camera

     -C.U (close up)

   -E.C.U (extreme close up)

Graphic Match

A graphic match creates a cut between two shots that juxtapose their graphically similar images. The successive shots have compositional elements that match (shapes, colours, movements, linear); therefore, the cut can establish a link between the shots graphically and metaphorically

Further into the horror cycle and the impact of social and psychological forces

Today in media, we learnt about The Horror Cycle and the impact of social and psychological forces.

Starting off in 1930's this was when the Monsters,Werewolves and Frankenstein like characters were introduced, which had a major effect on the audience in that time, due to them never have seen a so called 'Horror' they were soon introduced to them. This was the start of the horrors. For example, the film Nosferatu which was released in 1922 which was slightly earlier, however its a great representation of the beginning of Horrors. Taking this iconic scene from the film, of Count Orlok climbing up the stair case. This is significant due to the fact that you dont physically see his body, you only get to see his shadow. As well as this the film is set in a house at this particular time, so this would have scared the audience even more, due to the realisation that these so called monsters and vampires can intrude into your home you  look at as a safety barrier. Even to this day, many would agree that once you close your front door, that closure acts as a comfort, making you think that none of them monsters or any creature can harm you. As well as children hiding under their duvets, expecting that to act as a barrier. However after this film, many people begun to question this.




Moving onto the 1940/1950's this was when the commonly known 'Dracula' was introduced, which was fairly similar to the film i mentioned above. Dracula put the message across to the audience to not trust everyone you meet, they may come across kind however many have a nasty streak in them. Moving onto the 1950's this was when sci-fi/ horror came together (Hybridisation). This included UFO's which would of made the audience question the planet, and what it really in tells. As well as this it would of made the film makers produce this image of what Aliens look like.

1960's was the 'Sycho' Era, this film was also another film that has made the audience question the amount of safety that there homes produce. Due to a scene being filmed in the bathroom, whilst shes having a shower, this is seen as many peoples 'alone time' and relaxation time, however after this film this relax time was forever intruded.

The 1970's was the Slasher films, such as Driller Killer, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hitcher. They were called 'Slashers' due to them being a sub genre of thriller and horror film, typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and murdering a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner. 

Moving into the psychological films, that when produced made the audience feel very on edge and especially The Nightmare On Elm St, this frightened many viewers, as well as this many couldn't sleep days after, this was clear the film makers the psychological affect it had on the audience.

Lastly was the Teen Horrors in 1990's  such as scream, this included comedy aswell as the horror/thriller aspects. However the film Prom Night had many aspects in it, including a stalker, gore and many more aspects you would see in a Horror Film.


From all of this i have learnt the way in which the horror cycle has evolved over many years.

Mise en scene

French term - what is put into a scene or frame.

Mise En Scene

- communicates essential information to the audience
- Made up of six elements
   -setting and props
  -costumes hair and makeup
  -Facial expressions and body language
  -Lighting
  -Colour
  -Positioning of characters and objects with the frame

Setting and Props -
 - Setting/locations play an important role in films and aren't just backgrounds
 - Sets are either built from scratch or a great deal of time is spent finding a setting that already exists but for the audiences familiarity.

Costumes, make up and Hair :
- Tells us whether the film is set in the present such as if its subtle make up or over dramatic which could also present their character.
-   Can show wealth
- Act as an indicator of a characters personality job and status.

Facial expressions and body language -
- Clear indicator of how someone is feeling
- How a character feels towards another character such as if there is eye contact may suggest passion and many other feelings.

Positioning of character/ objects within a frame -
- Can draw attention to the main character or any character.
- reveal feelings between characters

Lighting and Colour -
- Make characters come across as sly or mysterious by covering certain parts of the body.
- highlight important characters
-reflect a characters mental emotions.


Low key lighting
   - created using key and back lights
  -  contrast of light and dark areas

High key lighting
 - More filler lights are used
 - More natural to the eye
 - light lit sets

Generic evolution

The Horror Cycle generic evolution

The difference between style and taste is never easy to define, but style tends to be centered on the social, and taste upon the i individual. Style then works along axes of similarity to identify group membership, to relate to the social order; taste works within style to differentiate and construct the individual. Style speaks about social factors such as class, age, and other more flexible, less definable social formations; taste talks of the individual inflection of the social- John Fiske 

 I agree with this quote from John Fiske due to the fact that it is hard to define style and taste, as in the taste is the audience and what you expect to see when going to watch a film. For example if you went to see a horror film, you'd commonly find that there will be music in the back ground to create the suspense. As well as this the style is what you, as a director and maker of the film have to include in it. The iconography which is what the audience will expect to see, the typical aspects of that genre will have to be included. 'style speaks about social factors such as class, age and other more flexible, less definable social formations' I also agree with this because there needs to be an aim in which the film is heading, defining it by the age group or class. 

Binary Opposition

Binary opposition is a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning. Binary opposition is the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another.


 Binary Opposition is very common in  majority of films, possibly showing the wealthy and poor in two different images.

Examples of Binary Opposition

Semiotics

Semiotics


Mediation - the process where Media institutions are the go between. They select an organise material for the audience.

Representation - The way people groups, cultures and ideas are shown by the media.

 

 

Denote is the literal meaning of the 'sign'. Using the example above, the denote would be the image of the red car.

 

Connote is the interpretation of the meaning of the sign.

 

POLYSEMIC

 

Iconic - resemblance

 

Symbolic - Learned

 

Indexical - Casual link

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre

The last couple of lessons of media, we've touched upon genre. I have learnt about it's importance within the television industry and films. Before media, I just saw genre as classifying films into groups such as the inbetweeners being a comedy and so on. However media has opened up a whole new perspective of genre, finding different ways to classify genre. For example many characters play similar roles in films due to audiences noticing them for that particular role, as well as this, the character can be seen as not fitted to any other role, such as Cameron Diaz is usually found playing the sexy blonde bimbo regularly found in RomComs. Where as the memorable Robin Williams was a very diverse character by playing many different roles throughout his acting career such as Mrs Doubt-fire and the genie in Aladdin. Even though they are both children's film/programme both characters that he plays are very different in many ways.

In addition genre can be classified by the setting and use of props throughout the film. For example your typical western film will include guns, tumble weed, cow boys and remote areas. The genre helps the director gain influence when approaching the story, for example a horror film will have to include creepy music to create the atmosphere, dark scenes to reinforce the genre and ghosts.

As well as this, I have also learnt that series of films is all well and good however there needs to be new twists, this will keep the audience hooked on to the film and stopping it becoming predictable. The twist will be what makes the film different comparing to films within the same genre. Such as 'Toy Story 3' and 'The Chronicles Of Narnia' they are both so different but also very similar due to them being both an adventure. This is because Toy Story 3 is specifically aimed at younger children ages 4/5 upwards And 'The Chronicles Of Narnia' is aimed at older children due to it exploring the world of fantasy and mythical creatures. Where as 'Toy Story' focuses more on real life, showing things that young children will likely recognise.