Lip sync
14 years ago
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Tuesday, 28 April 2009
Thursday, 23 April 2009
Evaluation
The task given to us as a group was to create the opening sequence of a thriller. As a group, we decided to concentrate on a domestic violence theme and use the sub-genre of a psychological thriller.
Our final product is aimed at representing a young person/people who are victims of domestic violence. Our product fits in with our genre in the way that it is mysterious; in our opening sequence you do not actually view the action of domestic violence, however it is obvious it is happening. This creates mystery in the way that it leaves the audience why, how and when. The plot has an emphasis on the character, which is also typical of a psychological thriller rather than a thriller in general. The audience also has no idea what happens to the protagonist at the end of the piece, which add to the mysterious feel. You can see that our protagonist is suffering from psychological issues, influenced up on her by other people or a person. Some things within our piece however are not typical elements of a psychological thriller; the face that the victim is the one being shown, and she is being shown as having a psychological problem, rather than the character causing the problems. It is obvious there is someone else with psychological issues, who is inflicting other issues upon our character, but the fact that this is not being shown contradicts the typical psychological thriller genre.
Our female protagonist is shown as a stereotypical teenage character, with the added complication of domestic violence. Mise en scene shows that the clothes and make up that the character is shown in reflects a teenage girl, however with bruises and facial expressions showing added complications to her lifestyle. The character is wearing fashionable, feminine clothing, showing that she is just a normal teenager, with added issues on the inside. By using this it will be easier for the target audience to relate to the character, and therefore more likely that they wish to view it and enjoy it. The music that has been chosen for the piece is an up-beat, modern piece which, again reflects the age and state of the character. It is quite fast paced and constant until the end, which shows that this could be happening quickly and gives then sense of adrenaline and feeling.
A production company such as film4 would be an ideal institution for my products distribution. Film4 distributes English only films, which reflect of real life issues. The fact that the character is a stereotypical young teenager, in the real world would target a young audience well. Film4 is a well known institution that tends to use well-known young actors and actresses, which would also attract the young audience. Film4’s marketing techniques mean that the film would be advertised widely and merchandise would be hugely available, which would promote the film prior to it’s release.
From looking and researching into the BBFC, we have decided that a suitable certificate for our film would be 15. We have decided this due to the language used at the beginning of the piece, although it is not to the worst standard it is still not particularly suitable for anyone under the age of 15. Also due to connotations such as injuries and bruising seen on the character and the fact that she is climbing up and over the railings of a bridge that is obviously going over a busy road, it is not a suitable situation to be showing or putting young people through, and we want to be certain that our audience can cope with any influences this may cause.
The fact that we had decided on a certificate of age 15, meant that mise en scene, music/sound, camera shots and editing needed to be researched and revised accordingly. Our protagonist is a young girl suffering domestic violence. The character had clearly got what she was wearing from her own wardrobe as she is wearing young and fashionable clothes, however what she is wearing is not particularly formal or impressive, showing that no effort is needed as she wishes to commit suicide. The music reflects on the feelings that the character would have and the adrenaline and energy she must be feeling, her actions and expressions also help to reflect upon this. It also gives these feelings across to the audience, helping them to feel the adrenaline rush at the same time, and the suspense build up that something is going to happen. The track is a drum and bass remix instrumental of a popular song that has previously been in the music charts, which again will help build the relationship to the audience as they can relate to this. It has a constant rhythm to it, showing that the narrative is also just as constant. The music also helped with the continuity of the film, especially due to the fact that it is separated with relatively frequent credits. The language used at the beginning of our piece is not necessarily typical English, but more slang and incorrect grammar. There is also inappropriate language, but this is backed up by the certificate we have chosen and the audience we have chosen to target. The make-up in which we chose to use was chosen to back up the narrative of the story, her appearance shows that she has suffered cuts and bruising to her face, backing up the fact that someone has been violent towards her. We tried to use a wide range or camera shots that show the emotion and feeling of the character and viewing audience, but are also clear and effective for viewing. We edited our piece accordingly, so that there was nothing showing that was inappropriate to what we were trying to show, but also wanted to be effective enough and show enough drama for the correct feeling and emotions to be shown. Our locations were chosen accordingly, the first main location is an internal location in a bathroom, with low level lighting to show the mood is also low and negative and water running in the bath. The water running not only helped with the continuity of the piece, but also showed that she wanted to wash away her problems and relax and get away from her problems. The second main location is an external location, at a bridge. The bridge is isolated, but is going over a very busy road, which shows the audience that there is something strange happening and that the character has chosen to get away and be alone. However the fact that the bridge goes over a busy road brings in an element of danger, suggesting that this has something to do with why our protagonist is there.
During the process of making our opening sequence, I have learnt a lot about the technologies I have needed to use. For our preliminary task, we used Adobe Premiers Pro CS3, which helped us to decide we would prefer not to use it in our main task. This decision was due to the fact that none of us had ever used it before and it was taking us a lot longer than it would have if we used a simpler programme, which appeared more familiar to us. As we had uploaded the film onto the school computer in the media editing suite, this was where we had to do all of our work, which was hard to do at times as other media students also needed to use this, so when we did get a chance we took advantage and spent the whole day finishing off what we needed to do. As we got more and more used to the software we were using we were able to perfect our work more, and do the more advanced things such as removing the ambient sounds and replacing them for our own choice of soundtrack, which we edited using the software so that certain parts of the song covered certain parts of the film to which we thought most suited and would be most effective with the narrative. We also added in our own titles, transitions and effects. A first we had the second half of our sequence, in the second location in a greyscale effect, however we decided against this as it gave the effect of going back in time, and in fact our piece was chronological.
By doing our preliminary task, we were certain of what we needed to do in our final piece. In our preliminary the shots used were very shaken and didn’t look very professional, as a result of this we made sure that we had the correct equipment in our final piece. We also had a lot of ambient sound of which we didn’t remove, so we made sure that any of this was hidden or removed in our final piece. Our preliminary task was filmed on the school grounds, which we didn’t think gave the effect that we were hoping for, therefore we made sure that we planned well and visited locations in order to chose and use a suitable one.
Our final product is aimed at representing a young person/people who are victims of domestic violence. Our product fits in with our genre in the way that it is mysterious; in our opening sequence you do not actually view the action of domestic violence, however it is obvious it is happening. This creates mystery in the way that it leaves the audience why, how and when. The plot has an emphasis on the character, which is also typical of a psychological thriller rather than a thriller in general. The audience also has no idea what happens to the protagonist at the end of the piece, which add to the mysterious feel. You can see that our protagonist is suffering from psychological issues, influenced up on her by other people or a person. Some things within our piece however are not typical elements of a psychological thriller; the face that the victim is the one being shown, and she is being shown as having a psychological problem, rather than the character causing the problems. It is obvious there is someone else with psychological issues, who is inflicting other issues upon our character, but the fact that this is not being shown contradicts the typical psychological thriller genre.
Our female protagonist is shown as a stereotypical teenage character, with the added complication of domestic violence. Mise en scene shows that the clothes and make up that the character is shown in reflects a teenage girl, however with bruises and facial expressions showing added complications to her lifestyle. The character is wearing fashionable, feminine clothing, showing that she is just a normal teenager, with added issues on the inside. By using this it will be easier for the target audience to relate to the character, and therefore more likely that they wish to view it and enjoy it. The music that has been chosen for the piece is an up-beat, modern piece which, again reflects the age and state of the character. It is quite fast paced and constant until the end, which shows that this could be happening quickly and gives then sense of adrenaline and feeling.
A production company such as film4 would be an ideal institution for my products distribution. Film4 distributes English only films, which reflect of real life issues. The fact that the character is a stereotypical young teenager, in the real world would target a young audience well. Film4 is a well known institution that tends to use well-known young actors and actresses, which would also attract the young audience. Film4’s marketing techniques mean that the film would be advertised widely and merchandise would be hugely available, which would promote the film prior to it’s release.
From looking and researching into the BBFC, we have decided that a suitable certificate for our film would be 15. We have decided this due to the language used at the beginning of the piece, although it is not to the worst standard it is still not particularly suitable for anyone under the age of 15. Also due to connotations such as injuries and bruising seen on the character and the fact that she is climbing up and over the railings of a bridge that is obviously going over a busy road, it is not a suitable situation to be showing or putting young people through, and we want to be certain that our audience can cope with any influences this may cause.
The fact that we had decided on a certificate of age 15, meant that mise en scene, music/sound, camera shots and editing needed to be researched and revised accordingly. Our protagonist is a young girl suffering domestic violence. The character had clearly got what she was wearing from her own wardrobe as she is wearing young and fashionable clothes, however what she is wearing is not particularly formal or impressive, showing that no effort is needed as she wishes to commit suicide. The music reflects on the feelings that the character would have and the adrenaline and energy she must be feeling, her actions and expressions also help to reflect upon this. It also gives these feelings across to the audience, helping them to feel the adrenaline rush at the same time, and the suspense build up that something is going to happen. The track is a drum and bass remix instrumental of a popular song that has previously been in the music charts, which again will help build the relationship to the audience as they can relate to this. It has a constant rhythm to it, showing that the narrative is also just as constant. The music also helped with the continuity of the film, especially due to the fact that it is separated with relatively frequent credits. The language used at the beginning of our piece is not necessarily typical English, but more slang and incorrect grammar. There is also inappropriate language, but this is backed up by the certificate we have chosen and the audience we have chosen to target. The make-up in which we chose to use was chosen to back up the narrative of the story, her appearance shows that she has suffered cuts and bruising to her face, backing up the fact that someone has been violent towards her. We tried to use a wide range or camera shots that show the emotion and feeling of the character and viewing audience, but are also clear and effective for viewing. We edited our piece accordingly, so that there was nothing showing that was inappropriate to what we were trying to show, but also wanted to be effective enough and show enough drama for the correct feeling and emotions to be shown. Our locations were chosen accordingly, the first main location is an internal location in a bathroom, with low level lighting to show the mood is also low and negative and water running in the bath. The water running not only helped with the continuity of the piece, but also showed that she wanted to wash away her problems and relax and get away from her problems. The second main location is an external location, at a bridge. The bridge is isolated, but is going over a very busy road, which shows the audience that there is something strange happening and that the character has chosen to get away and be alone. However the fact that the bridge goes over a busy road brings in an element of danger, suggesting that this has something to do with why our protagonist is there.
During the process of making our opening sequence, I have learnt a lot about the technologies I have needed to use. For our preliminary task, we used Adobe Premiers Pro CS3, which helped us to decide we would prefer not to use it in our main task. This decision was due to the fact that none of us had ever used it before and it was taking us a lot longer than it would have if we used a simpler programme, which appeared more familiar to us. As we had uploaded the film onto the school computer in the media editing suite, this was where we had to do all of our work, which was hard to do at times as other media students also needed to use this, so when we did get a chance we took advantage and spent the whole day finishing off what we needed to do. As we got more and more used to the software we were using we were able to perfect our work more, and do the more advanced things such as removing the ambient sounds and replacing them for our own choice of soundtrack, which we edited using the software so that certain parts of the song covered certain parts of the film to which we thought most suited and would be most effective with the narrative. We also added in our own titles, transitions and effects. A first we had the second half of our sequence, in the second location in a greyscale effect, however we decided against this as it gave the effect of going back in time, and in fact our piece was chronological.
By doing our preliminary task, we were certain of what we needed to do in our final piece. In our preliminary the shots used were very shaken and didn’t look very professional, as a result of this we made sure that we had the correct equipment in our final piece. We also had a lot of ambient sound of which we didn’t remove, so we made sure that any of this was hidden or removed in our final piece. Our preliminary task was filmed on the school grounds, which we didn’t think gave the effect that we were hoping for, therefore we made sure that we planned well and visited locations in order to chose and use a suitable one.
The Analysis of A Thriller - Reservoir Dogs
Before beginning the storyboard and thinking of any original ideas for my thriller opening I have watched a couple of opening scenes for thriller movies in preparation. I have decided to analyse Reservoir Dogs, a thriller; directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, certificated 18 in the UK to get ideas such as camera angles, lighting affects and themes.
The film begins with a black screen with the credits rolling with dialogue over the top; this creates a sense of un-expectancy for the audience as they don't know what is happening. The scene shown next is of a circle of men, while the character who was speaking over the credits continues. The shot to show this scene is over the shoulder and the camera tracks around the circle at shoulder level, by doing this the audience are excluded from the circle and not a part of what is happening, this creates a feeling of uncertainty and mystery.
The characters are stereotypical gangsters with a New York accent and suits, there is a definite authority figure that is standing up compared to the others who are sat down, and this puts him on a higher level showing his power. The dialogue of the characters matches their portrayal of gangsters, for example one character says "shoot this man" this aggressive talk and swearing which is used frequently relates to its certificate of 18. The characters are also smoking, by doing this the setting is in this fog of smoke and everything is not clear, this could have been used instead of the stereotypical dim lighting.
This scene carries on for a while but as the characters leave the setting another voice over begins in a New York accent, there is then a fade to a black screen and music that fits with the setting, characters and pace of the film begins and the credits start rolling again. While the music still carries on playing over the credits there is a voice over of a man screaming in pain and shouting "I'm going to die". The audience are clueless of what is happening; again this creates a sense of un-expectancy, mystery and suspense.
From analysing the opening of Reservoir Dogs I have learnt that effects such as a black screen, camera shots, voice over and music all create a feeling of ambiguity and keep the audience on tender hooks. I will definitely consider this when planning my opening scene.
Before beginning the storyboard and thinking of any original ideas for my thriller opening I have watched a couple of opening scenes for thriller movies in preparation. I have decided to analyse Reservoir Dogs, a thriller; directed and written by Quentin Tarantino, certificated 18 in the UK to get ideas such as camera angles, lighting affects and themes.
The film begins with a black screen with the credits rolling with dialogue over the top; this creates a sense of un-expectancy for the audience as they don't know what is happening. The scene shown next is of a circle of men, while the character who was speaking over the credits continues. The shot to show this scene is over the shoulder and the camera tracks around the circle at shoulder level, by doing this the audience are excluded from the circle and not a part of what is happening, this creates a feeling of uncertainty and mystery.
The characters are stereotypical gangsters with a New York accent and suits, there is a definite authority figure that is standing up compared to the others who are sat down, and this puts him on a higher level showing his power. The dialogue of the characters matches their portrayal of gangsters, for example one character says "shoot this man" this aggressive talk and swearing which is used frequently relates to its certificate of 18. The characters are also smoking, by doing this the setting is in this fog of smoke and everything is not clear, this could have been used instead of the stereotypical dim lighting.
This scene carries on for a while but as the characters leave the setting another voice over begins in a New York accent, there is then a fade to a black screen and music that fits with the setting, characters and pace of the film begins and the credits start rolling again. While the music still carries on playing over the credits there is a voice over of a man screaming in pain and shouting "I'm going to die". The audience are clueless of what is happening; again this creates a sense of un-expectancy, mystery and suspense.
From analysing the opening of Reservoir Dogs I have learnt that effects such as a black screen, camera shots, voice over and music all create a feeling of ambiguity and keep the audience on tender hooks. I will definitely consider this when planning my opening scene.
Target Audience
Target Audience
After researching into who thriller films target we have decided what audience we want to aim out film at; this decision was made on a number of things. Firstly the sub genre of psychological thriller we have deiced to interpret into our film plays a big part into which audience we should aim our film at. Children may not understand the connotations laid out about the plot in the beginning and may not appreciate the clever and complex storyline. However the nature of our film is not explicit and does not contain strong violence this is why we have decided to certify it a 15.
Chosen certificate '15' – Suitable only for 15 years and over.
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video or DVD.
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (eg 'fuck'). But the strongest terms (eg 'cunt') will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.
Violence
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.
Imitable techniques
Dangerous techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
In terms of language our film does contain strong language but not of the strongest terms, it is used quite frequently so it would not be suitable for anyone below the certificate of 15. An imitable technique - suicide, is used in our film but is not dwelled on and the means of doing it is not glamorised, there is however the use of strong threat and menace between the characters but no gore. These are the reasons why we decided that 15 was the best certificate for our film along with the sub-genre of psychological thriller as deceptive games and elements from the mystery genre are used, so younger people may find it harder to understand.
After researching into who thriller films target we have decided what audience we want to aim out film at; this decision was made on a number of things. Firstly the sub genre of psychological thriller we have deiced to interpret into our film plays a big part into which audience we should aim our film at. Children may not understand the connotations laid out about the plot in the beginning and may not appreciate the clever and complex storyline. However the nature of our film is not explicit and does not contain strong violence this is why we have decided to certify it a 15.
Chosen certificate '15' – Suitable only for 15 years and over.
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video or DVD.
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (eg 'fuck'). But the strongest terms (eg 'cunt') will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.
Violence
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.
Imitable techniques
Dangerous techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
In terms of language our film does contain strong language but not of the strongest terms, it is used quite frequently so it would not be suitable for anyone below the certificate of 15. An imitable technique - suicide, is used in our film but is not dwelled on and the means of doing it is not glamorised, there is however the use of strong threat and menace between the characters but no gore. These are the reasons why we decided that 15 was the best certificate for our film along with the sub-genre of psychological thriller as deceptive games and elements from the mystery genre are used, so younger people may find it harder to understand.
Thriller / Psychological thriller
Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film, television, and gaming that includes numerous and often overlapping sub-genres.
Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively. "Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest stories in the Western world and is regarded as an early prototype of the thriller." A thriller is villain driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles the hero must overcome. The genre is a fascinatingly flexible form that can undermine audience complacency through a dramatic rendering of psychological, social, familial and political tensions and encourages sheltered but sensation-hungry audiences, in Hitchcock's phrase, "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it's like."
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. However, this genre usually has hints of the mystery genre in addition to the typical elements of the thriller genre.
Generally, thrillers focus on plot over character, and concentrate more on intense, physical action over the character's psyche. Psychological thrillers tend to reverse this formula to a certain degree, emphasizing the characters just as much, if not more so, than the plot.
The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters influencing upon one another's minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state.
Sometimes the suspense comes from within one solitary character where characters must resolve conflicts with their own minds. Usually, this conflict is an effort to understand something that has happened to them. These conflicts are made more vivid with physical expressions of the conflict in the means of either physical manifestations, or physical torsions of the characters at play.
Distruction of the definition:
Psychological – Elements that are related to the mind or processes of the mind; they are mental rather than physical in nature.
Thriller – A genre of fiction that attempts to "thrill" its audience by placing characters at great risk. This constant unease throughout the story makes the narrative suspenseful to the reader by creating a tense atmosphere.
Psychological + Thriller – By combining these two terms, the definition changes to a narrative that makes the characters exposed to danger on a mental level rather than a physical one. Characters are no longer reliant on physical strength to overcome their brutish enemies (which is often the case in typical action-thrillers), but rather are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling wits with a formidable opponent or by battling for equilibrium in the character's own mind.
Top 5 psychological thrillers:
Definition:
a suspenseful movie or book emphasizing the psychology of its characters rather than the plot; this sub-genre of thriller movie or book
Example:
In a psychological thriller, the characters are exposed to danger on a mental level rather than a physical one.
Reasearch taken from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_thriller
http://listverse.com/movies/top-15-psychological-thrillers/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/psychological+thriller
Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used extensively. "Homer's Odyssey is one of the oldest stories in the Western world and is regarded as an early prototype of the thriller." A thriller is villain driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles the hero must overcome. The genre is a fascinatingly flexible form that can undermine audience complacency through a dramatic rendering of psychological, social, familial and political tensions and encourages sheltered but sensation-hungry audiences, in Hitchcock's phrase, "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it's like."
Psychological thriller is a specific sub-genre of the wide-ranging thriller genre. However, this genre usually has hints of the mystery genre in addition to the typical elements of the thriller genre.
Generally, thrillers focus on plot over character, and concentrate more on intense, physical action over the character's psyche. Psychological thrillers tend to reverse this formula to a certain degree, emphasizing the characters just as much, if not more so, than the plot.
The suspense created by psychological thrillers often comes from two or more characters influencing upon one another's minds, either by playing deceptive games with the other or by merely trying to demolish the other's mental state.
Sometimes the suspense comes from within one solitary character where characters must resolve conflicts with their own minds. Usually, this conflict is an effort to understand something that has happened to them. These conflicts are made more vivid with physical expressions of the conflict in the means of either physical manifestations, or physical torsions of the characters at play.
Distruction of the definition:
Psychological – Elements that are related to the mind or processes of the mind; they are mental rather than physical in nature.
Thriller – A genre of fiction that attempts to "thrill" its audience by placing characters at great risk. This constant unease throughout the story makes the narrative suspenseful to the reader by creating a tense atmosphere.
Psychological + Thriller – By combining these two terms, the definition changes to a narrative that makes the characters exposed to danger on a mental level rather than a physical one. Characters are no longer reliant on physical strength to overcome their brutish enemies (which is often the case in typical action-thrillers), but rather are reliant on their mental resources, whether it be by battling wits with a formidable opponent or by battling for equilibrium in the character's own mind.
Top 5 psychological thrillers:
- Silence of the lambs
- Rear window
- The Manchurian Candidate
- Taxi driver
- Se7en
Definition:
a suspenseful movie or book emphasizing the psychology of its characters rather than the plot; this sub-genre of thriller movie or book
Example:
In a psychological thriller, the characters are exposed to danger on a mental level rather than a physical one.
Reasearch taken from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_thriller
http://listverse.com/movies/top-15-psychological-thrillers/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/psychological+thriller
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