For more information on movie rating guidelines, refer to the PDF in the link below:
Wednesday 26 February 2014
Film Ratings
To prevent the display of inappropriate content to younger audiences, all film are rated. This rating system is generally divided into 6 categories; U, PG, 12A, 12, 15 and 18. I believe my thriller, Breath, will be rated a 12, due to its mild violence and threat. Despite it being a kidnapping, carefully selected material will mean there will be no excessive violence and gore, making it suitable for children aged 12 or over. I did this to broaden my target audience in an attempt to make it more widely available and successful. Below are the guidelines on which I based my decision, found on www.bbfc.co.uk.
Locations, Props and Costumes
Locations
Centenary Park - Centenary park is located in the North West London borough of Harrow. This is a convenient place to shoot as not only does it meet all of my requirements for filming and scenery, but its is just 0.3 miles from my house. This makes it the perfect choice for my thriller opening.
Inside of a Car - I have no preferences as to what type of car the opening is filmed in as it is rather irrelevant. Thankfully I know a relative willing to let me use their car for filming. This is to film the kidnapper whilst driving toward the park and throwing the kidnapped boy in the car boot.
Lakeside - The location of a lakeside is yet to be found, as it seems I may have to go out of my way in order to film the particular scene. As there is no real options within a reasonable radius, I will have to look further afield.
Props
Bike - The bicycle is one of the main focal points of the opening. The boy will be riding this around his local park before being kidnapped by the mysterious man. I will attach the camera onto the bike for many different angles of the boys journey, and could even use the bike for tracking shots, as it will provide a smoother movement of the camera.
Car - The kidnapper will be driving the car to and from the park in his car. I have already found someone willing to let us film in their car. The car also plays a big part in the opening scene and again I will mount my camera in various places to achieve my desired effect.
Costumes
Black suit and tie - The kidnapper will be wearing a black suit and tie to give him the professional hit man look that I am after. I believe that it is essential that he wears this costume as it adds to his mysterious image.
Casual teenage clothing - I would like the boy riding the bike to come across as your everyday teenager. Despite the kidnapping he gets caught up in, its important to emphasise he leads are regular and ordinary teenage life. This will emphasise the enigma. To achieve this, I would like the boy to wear ordinary clothing to show the viewers that he is no different to them, just normal people.
Centenary Park - Centenary park is located in the North West London borough of Harrow. This is a convenient place to shoot as not only does it meet all of my requirements for filming and scenery, but its is just 0.3 miles from my house. This makes it the perfect choice for my thriller opening.
Inside of a Car - I have no preferences as to what type of car the opening is filmed in as it is rather irrelevant. Thankfully I know a relative willing to let me use their car for filming. This is to film the kidnapper whilst driving toward the park and throwing the kidnapped boy in the car boot.
Lakeside - The location of a lakeside is yet to be found, as it seems I may have to go out of my way in order to film the particular scene. As there is no real options within a reasonable radius, I will have to look further afield.
Props
Bike - The bicycle is one of the main focal points of the opening. The boy will be riding this around his local park before being kidnapped by the mysterious man. I will attach the camera onto the bike for many different angles of the boys journey, and could even use the bike for tracking shots, as it will provide a smoother movement of the camera.
Car - The kidnapper will be driving the car to and from the park in his car. I have already found someone willing to let us film in their car. The car also plays a big part in the opening scene and again I will mount my camera in various places to achieve my desired effect.
Costumes
Black suit and tie - The kidnapper will be wearing a black suit and tie to give him the professional hit man look that I am after. I believe that it is essential that he wears this costume as it adds to his mysterious image.
Casual teenage clothing - I would like the boy riding the bike to come across as your everyday teenager. Despite the kidnapping he gets caught up in, its important to emphasise he leads are regular and ordinary teenage life. This will emphasise the enigma. To achieve this, I would like the boy to wear ordinary clothing to show the viewers that he is no different to them, just normal people.
Friday 14 February 2014
Breath - Updated Treatment
About the Film
Breath is a Action/Crime Thriller involving a teenage boy, and a professional hit man we know nothing about. The opening involves the abduction of a young boy along with plenty of action, sure to keep the audiences attention. Through the events of the opening. We create a sense of enigma, as many unanswered questions are raised about the man kidnapping the boy.. Who is he? What is he doing? Why is he doing it? and Will he be successful?
The Action
The opening is a very eventful scene. We cut back and forth between the mysterious man and the teenage boy. As the boy prepares to enjoy a bike ride, the man is behind the wheel of a car. We closely follow the two characters as they both make their way to the park, with seemingly innocent intentions. As we get various angles of the bicycle riding through the park, we see a man also in a suit sitting on a bench. We later find out that this is just to throw the audience. We then track the actions of the hit man, as he pulls the boy from the bike, ties him up, to the horror of the witnesses. We then with a low angle shot of the body being dragged up to and thrown into a car boot. The scene finishes with the abducted boy thrown into a nearby lake, followed by the film title 'Breath'.
Themes
During the film opening, I want the audience to travel a roller coaster of feelings. Although from the beginning it seems like an every day bike ride, it ends in a chilling and unexplained kidnapping. During this transformation, the audience will be experiencing fear and sympathy for the vulnerable young boy. This feeling is amplified by the fact that the boy seems to originate from a loving, caring family of which he lives a happy and successful life.
The Narrative
The opening follows events that all happen simultaneously. Although time frame between events are the same, a time lapse, slow-motion and rewind footage will be included to add to the drama. There will be no dialogue whatsoever but both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used. Non diegetic sound will include intense background music and sound effects, and diegetic sounds will be footsteps, bike sounds and the body being thrown into the lake.
The Characters
There are two main characters in my thriller opening. One of them is a your average 13-15 year old white, male teenage boy. He we need the ability to ride a bike. The second main actor will a white 30-40 year old man, who will be the kidnapper. He will need to wear sunglasses, a suit and tie to give him the professional and mysterious look I am after. He needs to have the ability to drive a car. There also needs to be another almost identical man in the opening to mislead the audience into thinking they are in fact the culprit of the kidnapping. Other than the two main protagonists there will be few actors required to film.
Setting
The opening will be filmed mostly in centenary park, as this is an ideal and convenient location for filming as It provides and meets all the requirements of what I need. I also need a car and a lakeside setting. These locations are yet to announced.
Mise en Scene
At the start of the opening, the cyclist begins his journey at home. Here he will be surrounded by family pictures and other sentimental props relating to family life. As previously stated, the kidnapper must be wearing a black suit, white shirt, a tie and sunglasses, giving his his villainous look. Other than this, there is little significant mise en scene, due to a large part of the opening taking place in the park. Despite still being important in making the viewers imply and feel certain ways during the scene, mise en scene takes little part in this particular thriller.
Camerawork
I would like to add a variety of unique and interesting camera angles, and utilize the filming equipment I have to their full potential. A time lapse, helmet cam, underwater shot, tracking shot, slow motion, low, high and long shot are some of the few camera angles and shots I will be using in my thriller opening to create the best viewing experience possible. By including such a variety of shots, I can create the desired effects. To film I will be using the Sony A37 SLR/SLT camera and a more portable Mobius Action camera, both shooting in full 1080p HD. I will also be using a tripod for maximum stability and various mont to create extreme and POV shots.
Editing
In my thriller, the editing will be key to its success. As I want the opening to be high tempo and build up the tension, it will include a series of cross-cuts, crossing between the murderer and victim. This fast paced editing will build that fear factor I look to capture, and show multiple events in the same time frame. Little or no animated transition will be used between each shot to give the opening a more intense and frantic feel. Despite the lack of transitions, I will be using screen splitting to shot different events simultaneously with the obvious addition of text for credits and the film title. Doing all this effectively will be a crucial part in making my opening have the desired effect on my audience.
Audience
My target audience is anyone between 12 to 35 years old who have an interest in action packed crime thrillers. The film is unisex and not aimed at a specific gender, but is not suitable for viewers below the age of 12 due to violence present in some scenes. There is currently a big market for thrillers of this genre, and recent action thriller like Skyfall have become hugely successful critically and financially. This proves there is a keen interest within the genre, of which I can specifically target.
Storyboard
Breath is a Action/Crime Thriller involving a teenage boy, and a professional hit man we know nothing about. The opening involves the abduction of a young boy along with plenty of action, sure to keep the audiences attention. Through the events of the opening. We create a sense of enigma, as many unanswered questions are raised about the man kidnapping the boy.. Who is he? What is he doing? Why is he doing it? and Will he be successful?
The Action
The opening is a very eventful scene. We cut back and forth between the mysterious man and the teenage boy. As the boy prepares to enjoy a bike ride, the man is behind the wheel of a car. We closely follow the two characters as they both make their way to the park, with seemingly innocent intentions. As we get various angles of the bicycle riding through the park, we see a man also in a suit sitting on a bench. We later find out that this is just to throw the audience. We then track the actions of the hit man, as he pulls the boy from the bike, ties him up, to the horror of the witnesses. We then with a low angle shot of the body being dragged up to and thrown into a car boot. The scene finishes with the abducted boy thrown into a nearby lake, followed by the film title 'Breath'.
Themes
During the film opening, I want the audience to travel a roller coaster of feelings. Although from the beginning it seems like an every day bike ride, it ends in a chilling and unexplained kidnapping. During this transformation, the audience will be experiencing fear and sympathy for the vulnerable young boy. This feeling is amplified by the fact that the boy seems to originate from a loving, caring family of which he lives a happy and successful life.
The Narrative
The opening follows events that all happen simultaneously. Although time frame between events are the same, a time lapse, slow-motion and rewind footage will be included to add to the drama. There will be no dialogue whatsoever but both diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used. Non diegetic sound will include intense background music and sound effects, and diegetic sounds will be footsteps, bike sounds and the body being thrown into the lake.
The Characters
There are two main characters in my thriller opening. One of them is a your average 13-15 year old white, male teenage boy. He we need the ability to ride a bike. The second main actor will a white 30-40 year old man, who will be the kidnapper. He will need to wear sunglasses, a suit and tie to give him the professional and mysterious look I am after. He needs to have the ability to drive a car. There also needs to be another almost identical man in the opening to mislead the audience into thinking they are in fact the culprit of the kidnapping. Other than the two main protagonists there will be few actors required to film.
Setting
The opening will be filmed mostly in centenary park, as this is an ideal and convenient location for filming as It provides and meets all the requirements of what I need. I also need a car and a lakeside setting. These locations are yet to announced.
Mise en Scene
At the start of the opening, the cyclist begins his journey at home. Here he will be surrounded by family pictures and other sentimental props relating to family life. As previously stated, the kidnapper must be wearing a black suit, white shirt, a tie and sunglasses, giving his his villainous look. Other than this, there is little significant mise en scene, due to a large part of the opening taking place in the park. Despite still being important in making the viewers imply and feel certain ways during the scene, mise en scene takes little part in this particular thriller.
Camerawork
I would like to add a variety of unique and interesting camera angles, and utilize the filming equipment I have to their full potential. A time lapse, helmet cam, underwater shot, tracking shot, slow motion, low, high and long shot are some of the few camera angles and shots I will be using in my thriller opening to create the best viewing experience possible. By including such a variety of shots, I can create the desired effects. To film I will be using the Sony A37 SLR/SLT camera and a more portable Mobius Action camera, both shooting in full 1080p HD. I will also be using a tripod for maximum stability and various mont to create extreme and POV shots.
Editing
In my thriller, the editing will be key to its success. As I want the opening to be high tempo and build up the tension, it will include a series of cross-cuts, crossing between the murderer and victim. This fast paced editing will build that fear factor I look to capture, and show multiple events in the same time frame. Little or no animated transition will be used between each shot to give the opening a more intense and frantic feel. Despite the lack of transitions, I will be using screen splitting to shot different events simultaneously with the obvious addition of text for credits and the film title. Doing all this effectively will be a crucial part in making my opening have the desired effect on my audience.
Audience
My target audience is anyone between 12 to 35 years old who have an interest in action packed crime thrillers. The film is unisex and not aimed at a specific gender, but is not suitable for viewers below the age of 12 due to violence present in some scenes. There is currently a big market for thrillers of this genre, and recent action thriller like Skyfall have become hugely successful critically and financially. This proves there is a keen interest within the genre, of which I can specifically target.
Storyboard
Title
Thursday 13 February 2014
Storyboard Animatic
Here is my thriller opening Breath in an animatic. This will loosely reflect my final product.
Wednesday 12 February 2014
Thriller Pitch Feedback
Here is me presenting my thriller pitch to the class, along with the constructive feedback I got from them.
Tuesday 11 February 2014
Wednesday 5 February 2014
The Making of Reservoir Dogs
On Saturday 25th January 2014, at 11:00 am, filming began for our Reservoir Dogs reenactment. Our first scene was the tracking shot of the group, walking down the small gradient. This was shot on Grove Hill in Harrow.
This road resembles the one seen in the original opening and provided us with an accurate background to shoot the video. To achieve the tracking shot, the camera was positioned out of a car window. Once the car began to move, the group started walking down. Shooting the scene from the car provided a smooth gliding motion without the possible judders common with handheld tracking.
This made it possible to shoot a scene very similar to the original opening, as you can see from the final product. It took approximately 40 minutes to shoot.
The next scene, or rather scenes, we took was the individual close-ups of each persons face, walking toward the camera. The same location was used, but unlike the 18mm-55mm lens used for the tracking shot, we used a 75mm-300mm telephoto lens instead for the close-ups, as we found it more suitable for setting up the correct framing.
The camera was set up on a tripod to maximize stability when filming and zoomed up to about 150mm. As bigger lenses take longer to auto-focus, we decided to use manual focus when filming to reduce the likelihood of out of focus and unusable footage. After each shoot we previewed the footage to ensure it was suitable. Props used included a gold chain, sunglasses and toothpicks, which can be seen in the final video. Shooting the individual shots took approximately 1 hour.
The penultimate scene we shot was the very ending of the original. In this scene, the entire group walked away from the camera towards the road ahead. We shot this further down the same road at a T-junction, despite initially having another location in mind.
To shoot this scene, we switched back to the 18mm-55mm wider lens and set it up on the tripod. After clicking record, we all got in position and walked toward the road. Although editing was relatively time consuming. As this was the most simple shot, it only took approximately 15 minutes.
The final scene we shot was in fact the first in the original opening video. The cafe scene was shot in a bar lounge about 5 minutes away from Grove Hill. The friendly owner invited us in and allowed us to film around the round table in his bar. This gave us all the resources we needed to shoot a scene resembling the one in the film.
The scene took about 30 minutes to shoot and was a success. It took two takes and when we got the right shot, filming came to a conclusion.
After thanking all participating actors for attending, we finished filming at 1:00 pm, 3 hours after starting. We had shot all the footage we needed, to make an accurate reenactment which pays attention to detail to the original. Overall it was a very enjoyable day, and after editing, the video produced was to a high standard of which we can be proud of.
Reservoir Dogs Opening
Here is the completed Reservoir Dogs Opening reenactment. Refer to the bottom left of the video to see how this matches up to he original.
Tuesday 4 February 2014
The Usual Suspects Analysis
In this analysis I will be looking at the 1995 film, The Usual Suspects. This highly rated picture is a Crime/Mystery thriller, full of twists and turns sure to get you chilled to the bone. Starring Stephen Baldwin, its has an average film rating of 8.7, putting it in the top 500 films of all time. I will be looking at the opening of the film, from the entire extract provided at the bottom of the post. I shall be specifically looking at four micro-elements; mise en scene, camerawork, editing and sound. In each point I will be referring to pictures found toward the bottom of the article.
The scene begins in a very dark and aery location. Although we can see very little in the shot, we hear and notice a man, lighting matches in order to light his cigarette (Picture 1). This seems to be the only source of light in the picture, but is enough to get an idea of what the man looks like. The scene does not give much away and leaves an enigma of unanswered questions despite being at the very beginning of the opening. As the camera slightly pulls out, we see seemingly uncontrolled flames in the background, creating a sense of danger.
Following on from the first few seconds, the man then throws his flaming matches on the floor beside him, which to our surprise ignites a rope. The camera then tracks the path of the rope, and we watch the flames progress in its journey (Picture 2). Throughout this and the previous scene, a non-diegetic and dramatic violin soundtrack is played in the background, creating a gloomy setting for the already dark location.
As we continue to watch the rope set alight, the flames illuminate a clear image of a dead, lifeless body in the background (Picture 3). This is of obvious significance, and raises yet more questions. Who is he? Why was he killed? Who killed him? At this point, we can only presume the man who had just lit his cigarette is the killer, but in fact, we later find this is not the case. The inclusion of this shot is a clever one, as it builds up to the situation in hand. Its a little hint of the story line.
We then get a close-up shot of the still progressing flames (Picture 4). as they creep towards the camera, a clear liquid is poured over the rope from above and the diegetic sound of it splattering onto the ground below, in order to douse the raging flames and stop them in their path. The camera then pans upward to show the silhouette pouring the liquid from the raised balcony. Instantly his higher position shows his dominance and power over the man below. The man on the balcony of which we know nothing about, is cast in a very mysterious way,which gives the viewer the impression that he is in fact the villain in this scene.
We then cut back to the man previously seen at the start of the opening, who is now looking weak and tired, hanging his head whilst watching his attempt at killing himself intercepted and quite literally, fizzle out (Picture 5). Contrary to the viewers previous thoughts, the man pictured from the very start of the scene seems to have very little or no power at all in this situation. As the mysterious man walks down the series of steps to approach the man below, the weak man asks "What's the time?" Of which the mysterious man replies "12:30", and soon after, "Are you ready?". The man looks up to the mysterious one, eventuates the division in power. Through a close up of the helpless mans face shows, he seems to have little hope left and knows his fate will be the same as the dead man seen earlier on.
In the next shot, the man of which we still know nothing about, pulls out his pistol and points it at the vulnerable and injured man (Picture 6). This proves the man fears were right, and proves who killed the dead man seen in the previous scene. The mysterious man is confirmed as the villain, as we wait to hear the loud bang of the gun being fired. As this happens, we cut to an establishing shot of the outside of the boat they are in, and a montage like series of cuts give us an idea of the scenery around the location. We see very little aftermath of the gun shot. Its also relevant to point out we have yet to, and don't see the villains face, and know almost nothing about him other than that he is a ruthless killer.
As we return inside the boat, immediately after the drama has taken place, a close-up of the murderous protagonists hand, dropping his lit cigarette to re-light the fire he earlier put out (Picture 7). The reflective shine already on the floor suggests that some kind of lighting fuel has been used to encourage the fires spread. This ignition causes the rope to once again light.
Once again the camera follows the fire as it progresses down the rope (Picture 8). We experience some kind of Da Ja Vu, as the scene seemingly replays the earlier one, as the flames illuminate the newly dead body, only this time it is the victim seen throughout the first half of the opening. From this we get a sense that there are more victims to the crazy murderer, yet we still do not know why he has killed these people. This nagging question remains unanswered throughout the opening scene.
The opening concludes with a mighty explosion, as the flaming rope reaches its explosive target (Picture 9). This only adds to the deadly mayhem and confusion as to whats going on. This is what makes the opening successful, as the only way to answer these questions is to continue watching the movie. This is what the opening aims to do, and can be the key to a successful film.
4.
6.
8.
The scene begins in a very dark and aery location. Although we can see very little in the shot, we hear and notice a man, lighting matches in order to light his cigarette (Picture 1). This seems to be the only source of light in the picture, but is enough to get an idea of what the man looks like. The scene does not give much away and leaves an enigma of unanswered questions despite being at the very beginning of the opening. As the camera slightly pulls out, we see seemingly uncontrolled flames in the background, creating a sense of danger.
Following on from the first few seconds, the man then throws his flaming matches on the floor beside him, which to our surprise ignites a rope. The camera then tracks the path of the rope, and we watch the flames progress in its journey (Picture 2). Throughout this and the previous scene, a non-diegetic and dramatic violin soundtrack is played in the background, creating a gloomy setting for the already dark location.
As we continue to watch the rope set alight, the flames illuminate a clear image of a dead, lifeless body in the background (Picture 3). This is of obvious significance, and raises yet more questions. Who is he? Why was he killed? Who killed him? At this point, we can only presume the man who had just lit his cigarette is the killer, but in fact, we later find this is not the case. The inclusion of this shot is a clever one, as it builds up to the situation in hand. Its a little hint of the story line.
We then get a close-up shot of the still progressing flames (Picture 4). as they creep towards the camera, a clear liquid is poured over the rope from above and the diegetic sound of it splattering onto the ground below, in order to douse the raging flames and stop them in their path. The camera then pans upward to show the silhouette pouring the liquid from the raised balcony. Instantly his higher position shows his dominance and power over the man below. The man on the balcony of which we know nothing about, is cast in a very mysterious way,which gives the viewer the impression that he is in fact the villain in this scene.
We then cut back to the man previously seen at the start of the opening, who is now looking weak and tired, hanging his head whilst watching his attempt at killing himself intercepted and quite literally, fizzle out (Picture 5). Contrary to the viewers previous thoughts, the man pictured from the very start of the scene seems to have very little or no power at all in this situation. As the mysterious man walks down the series of steps to approach the man below, the weak man asks "What's the time?" Of which the mysterious man replies "12:30", and soon after, "Are you ready?". The man looks up to the mysterious one, eventuates the division in power. Through a close up of the helpless mans face shows, he seems to have little hope left and knows his fate will be the same as the dead man seen earlier on.
In the next shot, the man of which we still know nothing about, pulls out his pistol and points it at the vulnerable and injured man (Picture 6). This proves the man fears were right, and proves who killed the dead man seen in the previous scene. The mysterious man is confirmed as the villain, as we wait to hear the loud bang of the gun being fired. As this happens, we cut to an establishing shot of the outside of the boat they are in, and a montage like series of cuts give us an idea of the scenery around the location. We see very little aftermath of the gun shot. Its also relevant to point out we have yet to, and don't see the villains face, and know almost nothing about him other than that he is a ruthless killer.
As we return inside the boat, immediately after the drama has taken place, a close-up of the murderous protagonists hand, dropping his lit cigarette to re-light the fire he earlier put out (Picture 7). The reflective shine already on the floor suggests that some kind of lighting fuel has been used to encourage the fires spread. This ignition causes the rope to once again light.
Once again the camera follows the fire as it progresses down the rope (Picture 8). We experience some kind of Da Ja Vu, as the scene seemingly replays the earlier one, as the flames illuminate the newly dead body, only this time it is the victim seen throughout the first half of the opening. From this we get a sense that there are more victims to the crazy murderer, yet we still do not know why he has killed these people. This nagging question remains unanswered throughout the opening scene.
The opening concludes with a mighty explosion, as the flaming rope reaches its explosive target (Picture 9). This only adds to the deadly mayhem and confusion as to whats going on. This is what makes the opening successful, as the only way to answer these questions is to continue watching the movie. This is what the opening aims to do, and can be the key to a successful film.
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Extract
Monday 3 February 2014
The Job is Done - Continuity
A short clip practising different shots, and looking into how effective they are in portraying the idea of the scene.
The clip starts by tracking someones feet whilst walking.
The clip also includes continuity editing, also known as invisible editing, to produce an almost seamless string of video. Here is the finished product.
The clip starts by tracking someones feet whilst walking.
Match on action shots were used when going through the door, cutting from frame to frame showing that no time has passed.
Finally, the 180 degree rule is used to film the brief conversation between the two characters, having there head and shoulders in the foreground and the person speaking as the focus.
The clip also includes continuity editing, also known as invisible editing, to produce an almost seamless string of video. Here is the finished product.
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