We created a rough cut of our opening sequence and asked our class to think of pros and cons as they watched our first cut. We then asked for verbal feedback once we had shown our cut a few times over.
Our audience liked our initial ideas but felt that some of our shots seemed too random and didn't fit as well as others with our sequence; rather creating unnecessary confusion and drawing the viewer's attention from the storyline.
Therefore, we made changes to the following themes and ideas:
(Please feel free to click any of the above headings in order to see the individual blog entry regarding the changes made or for more details on decisions made).
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, January 20, 2012
'The End Where I Begin' by The Script
We decided to use 'The End Where I Begin' by The Script as our soundtrack because it related to the topic and main idea of our film and also once again reflected the cyclical theme. It is a well known song and therefore even hearing the acoustic version people would associate what they see with the song title which we felt was relevant. It also was a gentle song which changed in pace and tone throughout which, we thought, reflected her emotions and also helped to set a mood for our film.
"The End Where I Begin"
"The End Where I Begin"
Sometimes tears say all there is to say
Sometimes your first scars won't ever fade away
Tried to break my heart
Well it's broke
Tried to hang me high
Well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me
Well I'm soaked
Soaked to the skin
It's the end where I begin
It's the end where I begin
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes
Sometimes we've no choice but to walk away, away
Tried to break my heart
Well it's broke
Tried to hang me high
Well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me
Well I'm soaked
Soaked to the skin
It's the end where I begin
It's the end where I begin
Now I'm alive
and my ghosts are gone
I've shed all the pain
I've been holding on
The cure for a heart
Is to move along, is to move along
So move along
[X3]
What don't kill a heart
Only makes it strong
It's the End where I
End where I
End where I begin
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes
Sometimes we've no choice but to walk away, away
Sometimes your first scars won't ever fade away
Tried to break my heart
Well it's broke
Tried to hang me high
Well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me
Well I'm soaked
Soaked to the skin
It's the end where I begin
It's the end where I begin
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes
Sometimes we've no choice but to walk away, away
Tried to break my heart
Well it's broke
Tried to hang me high
Well I'm choked
Wanted rain on me
Well I'm soaked
Soaked to the skin
It's the end where I begin
It's the end where I begin
Now I'm alive
and my ghosts are gone
I've shed all the pain
I've been holding on
The cure for a heart
Is to move along, is to move along
So move along
[X3]
What don't kill a heart
Only makes it strong
It's the End where I
End where I
End where I begin
Sometimes we don't learn from our mistakes
Sometimes we've no choice but to walk away, away
Thursday, January 19, 2012
So, what song?
Once we had decided to use a popular song as our soundtrack rather than simply backing music, http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3840062290283247416#editor/target=post;postID=3311631010801298922, we had to decide on the perfect song.
First, we decided to use an alternative indie genre of music because of the general lyric-types being quite solemn and negative. But, the band/artist needed to be popular in order for the lyrical connotations to follow when we remove the lyrics.
Therefore, we decided to use a song by either
Coldplay
The Fray
or
The Script
After much discussion, listening to many many songs, and more classroom research, we decided upon 'The End Where I Begin' by The Script.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Thriller Research
I have found using presentations like these ones from www.slideshare.net very useful in my research.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Soundtrack Research
So, how do I go about choosing the soundtrack for our Thriller opening sequence?
_ "Music is a powerful tool in filmmaking."
_ "choosing the right mood is an art in itself."
We have discussed the type of soundtrack that we are going to use time and time again but could, but, due to our ideas involving both positivity and negatively almost simultaneously, we could not find an appropriate soundtrack. Then, we saw this quote:
_ "Professional film directors work directly with composers to produce music & sound design that integrates perfectly with the imagery on the screen. They will often choose published songs to connect with the audience adding emphasis to certain scenes."
and it gave us an idea to use a popular song with lyrical connotations, but then to take away the lyrics. This would remove the lyrics as a distraction but the audience would still make mental links with the action and the songs' lyrics.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Thriller Research
Thrillers! from ZainabMorafa
'Titling'
We are planning on conforming to all of the conventions mentioned on slide 2; using non-diegetic music, and using a main event before the titles begin to show.
'Camera movement'
Although we are not going to use Tracking or Pan shots, we will use effects and motions to make it clear that the protagonist is moving, although we do not actually see it happening.
'Framing'
We will be meeting conventions extremely strongly as we plan to use a lot of close-ups and extreme-close-ups. However, due to the intimacy of our film we do not think we will use long-shots.
'Camera Angles'
As a very strong convention, we will be likely to be incorporating both high and low angle shots into our product.
'Editing'
We will be using a lot of cross-cutting and jump-cuts, but also including montage editing to create confusion and enigma for the audience, but also to link a large variety of locations and shot-types together.
'Sound'
As stated in this presentation, using dialogue helps to give an insight into the characters lives, therefore by opposing this convention we hope to create a further sense of enigma. Nonetheless, we will be using non-diegetic music which is a strong convention of Thriller films.
'Titling'
We are planning on conforming to all of the conventions mentioned on slide 2; using non-diegetic music, and using a main event before the titles begin to show.
'Camera movement'
Although we are not going to use Tracking or Pan shots, we will use effects and motions to make it clear that the protagonist is moving, although we do not actually see it happening.
'Framing'
We will be meeting conventions extremely strongly as we plan to use a lot of close-ups and extreme-close-ups. However, due to the intimacy of our film we do not think we will use long-shots.
'Camera Angles'
As a very strong convention, we will be likely to be incorporating both high and low angle shots into our product.
'Editing'
We will be using a lot of cross-cutting and jump-cuts, but also including montage editing to create confusion and enigma for the audience, but also to link a large variety of locations and shot-types together.
'Sound'
As stated in this presentation, using dialogue helps to give an insight into the characters lives, therefore by opposing this convention we hope to create a further sense of enigma. Nonetheless, we will be using non-diegetic music which is a strong convention of Thriller films.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Thriller Film Conventions
In researching thrillers, I came accross these presentation, on www.slideshare.net, which contained many famous films of the genre, and their main conventions, allowing me to compare, and apply many of the ideas we have already had with aspects of real Thriller films.
Film Screenshots - Conventions Of A Thriller from Sophie Drewery
Many of the conventions found in these presentations we like and are considering using in our own product. Include the victimised female protagonist, a convention also used in 'Scream' , 'The Birds' and 'Psycho'.
'Jaws' uses recognisable theme music in order to create familiarity with the audience and help to build the tension. We liked this idea, so have decided to use a popular Coldplay song as the soundtrack to our opening sequence to not only draw the audience in but also to create a link with the songs lyrics and the storyline. http://maisieheskethmedia-main.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/soundtrack.html
We also thought that it was effective surrounding and isolating the victims, making them vulnerable, like in 'Jaws' and 'Scream'.
Using low angle and high angle shots- like 'The Silence of the Lambs', 'Die Hard', 'Sin City'- was also a technique we found was effective in portraying both power and vulnerability.
Nonetheless, although we are planning to stick to many of these conventions, we will also be breaking conventions like 'The Silence of the Lambs'.
Many of the conventions found in these presentations we like and are considering using in our own product. Include the victimised female protagonist, a convention also used in 'Scream' , 'The Birds' and 'Psycho'.
'Jaws' uses recognisable theme music in order to create familiarity with the audience and help to build the tension. We liked this idea, so have decided to use a popular Coldplay song as the soundtrack to our opening sequence to not only draw the audience in but also to create a link with the songs lyrics and the storyline. http://maisieheskethmedia-main.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/soundtrack.html
We also thought that it was effective surrounding and isolating the victims, making them vulnerable, like in 'Jaws' and 'Scream'.
Using low angle and high angle shots- like 'The Silence of the Lambs', 'Die Hard', 'Sin City'- was also a technique we found was effective in portraying both power and vulnerability.
Nonetheless, although we are planning to stick to many of these conventions, we will also be breaking conventions like 'The Silence of the Lambs'.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Storyline
Our opening sequence begins with a young couple walking down a road towards the boy's car, we see them getting into the car, which is white, having colour connotations of innocence. Once inside the car, the couple are happy and are about to begin their journey home from their day out. The radio is turned on and a popular christmas song comes on which the couple clearly both love- as they are looking at each other, we see a car coming towards them from the opposite direction. The car gets closer and closer until we all can see are the headlights. The lights are becoming so big that that it fades to a white screen, together with the sound effects the audience know that there has been a crash. The white screen fades into a hospital scene, where we see the protagonist gaining consciousness, at the same time we see the female being pushed down a long corridor on a bed. She then closes her eyes and the scene fades to a blackout implying the idea that perhaps the female has simply fallen asleep or perhaps has fainted or even slipped into a coma. We then begin a section of montage editing, where we see the female have many flashbacks provoking her emotions to spiral. She sees the times when perhaps when she was more happy, spending quality time with her partner who sadly passed away.
Were we to create the rest of the film, it would simply begin by following the female protagonist's every day life, as it had returned to a state of equilibrium. However, every time that christmas came around, and the song from the crash was heard something terrible would happen. As the film went on, it would become clearer and clearer that what was happening was not such a horrible coincidence as was at first thought, but rather the devastating plan of an evil antagonist.
Were we to create the rest of the film, it would simply begin by following the female protagonist's every day life, as it had returned to a state of equilibrium. However, every time that christmas came around, and the song from the crash was heard something terrible would happen. As the film went on, it would become clearer and clearer that what was happening was not such a horrible coincidence as was at first thought, but rather the devastating plan of an evil antagonist.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Conventions of a Thriller
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