Shooting Schedule

SHOOTING SCHEDULE

School time / Weekend

Tuesday 28th Feb - Period 4 + 5
Saturday 3rd March - Morning 11am-3pm (scene 2&6) UPLOAD MONDAY 5TH

Monday 5th March - Period 5

Monday 5th March - Evening 6pm-8pm (Scene 4) UPLOAD TUES 6TH.

(Tuesday 6th March - Evening Redo scene 4 if needed)

Tuesday 6th March - Period 4 + 5

Wednesday 7th March - Period 1 + Period 5

Friday 9th March - Period 4

Mise en Scene Elements Within Sub-genre

MISE EN SCENE- BURIED ALIVE

COSTUME:
The main character, the girl, will be wearing stereotypical clothes of a teenage girl on a night out, for example a nice top, leggings etc. We want to present this image of the girl to make the film seem realistic and highlight the fact she was having a night out with her friend. The man will be wearing a hoody and jeans, wearing the hood up will give a suspicious and sterotypical look to the man. We chose these typical looks because in other crime thrillers everyday clothing is used, and we want to stick to the conventions of our sub-genre.

PROPS:
Crime thrillers often use different variety of props which relate to the events happening in the film. Therefore, in our production we will be using lots of different props to show what has taken place in the opening sequence. To portray the torture and captivity of the girl, we will use rope to show she has been tied up and put fake blood over her face and arms to show she has been injured. We will use a bin bag over the other girl, to show that she has also been abducted, and leaves the audience wondering why she is in a bin bag and what is going to happen to her, which adds suspense to the crime. Other props that we use throughout the sequence will be day to day props, such as mobile phones, bags and cars. This adds realism to the scene.

LIGHTING: The lighting of the forest scenes will be ambient, as it is in a natural setting and in the morning/afternoon time so it will be light enough for us to film without using artificial lighting. In the scene of the flashback the lighting will be quite dark as it is in the evening, which matches the narrative as the girls are about to get a taxi to a party. The darkness relates to the sub genre of crime, as you do not expect a kidnap to happen in pure daylight, and in most crime movies the crime is taken place in the darkness.

CASTING: The characters we are using in our opening sequence are very basic, being two teenage girls and a slightly older male. In other crime films already made, these are similar characters, maybe because they are young and vunerable. It also conforms to the sterotype of teenagers being irresponsible, as they are drinking alcohol and walking around the streets at night which is unsafe.

MAKEUP: We will be using make up to show that the character has been hurt and injured, by making it look as if she is bruised and has been bleeding.

Logo Production

Below is our group logo which we produced on photoshop. As a group we came up with the idea of M.G.A standing for Mimi, Grace and Amy as we are the makers of the film. We had seen other logo analysis like warner brothers and fox and thought we would keep ours simple and eye catching. We started off by using the font tool and simply writing in the letters MGA, we moved the letters around (making sure we were on the right layer) and changed the font until we thought it looked as best as it could be.


After getting the first image we wanted, which is shown below, we thought we should make it more interesting. So we then came up with the idea of the film tape under the letter MGA. We copied and pasted an image of a film tape from google to photoshop and edited it to make it are own. We used the magic wand tool to delete any unwanted background and then used a brush tool to fill in a box a colour of our own choice.


To make the logo even more creative we will edit each image (letters and film tape) on final cut to make the logo moving, the film tape will appear first rolling out then the letters placed out after. This will add more creativity and orginality to our logo.



MoodBoard

Past Student Work Analysis

The Candidate

In this past student thriller opening sequence, we are able to tell its an opening sequence as the credits and cast and crew are shown on the screen. We are also introduced to the main character without telling the audience what has happened or what is to happen in the rest of the film, which is leaves them wondering what secrets are to be exploited.

The four micro elements help construct the genre of the thriller.
Camerawork:
There is a long shot duration at the beginning of the sequence where the man is washing his face and looking at himself in the mirror which adds effect as if he has done something really bad. Over the shoulder shot is used throughtout the sequence, this almost gives us the idea that he feels uneasy as if someones watching over him after doing something he shouldn't have. There is a close up of his face as he hears the door lock open, this emphasises the characters emotion of shock on his face and tells us he is anxious that there is someone else is in the house. When he is rushing to get ready, there is a selective focus of the gun on the side, this shows us that he is looking at the gun and deciding what to do with it adding suspense to the film as the audience now want to know what he has done, this also makes the whole sequence more tense and thrilling. There is also a close up of his feet from a view from undeneath the bed showing that he is getting dressed.

Editing: The credits are shown in the sequence telling the audience straight away that it is an opening sequence. When the man starts to rush, it is slightly sped up to emphasise the fact that he is in a hurry.
Sound:
The beginning of the sequence starts with 2 gun shots already adding suspense to the opening. A slow,  spine chilling diagetic soundtrack is slowly introduced as the character is being introduced. The music begins to race and become pacy as he starts to rush and become anxious, this is parallel sound. This adds tension to the sequence making the audience worried what is going to happen.

Mis en scene
Lighting: In the sequence the lighting is natural and artificial as its light outside but there are lamps being used too,  shadows are created creating a more gloomy mood and conveying mystery and crime.
Costume: The man in the sequence has no clothes on at the beginning of the sequence, and then gets dressed into everyday work clothes.
Location: The location is situated in a normal house, we only see the bathroom and the bedroom vaguely, which adds realism and mystery to the sequence.
Props: There is a gun and passport shown at the end of the sequence that the character then grabs, the gun is a typical prop used in most crime thriller films and leaves an enigma, making the audience wonder what the gun has been used for and why it is there, and where he is planning on going and why. This builds up the suspense.

Overall i would give this opening sequence a level 3, as there are evidence of proficiency in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:
- Hold a shot steady
- Framing a short, including and excluding elements as appropriate
- Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate
- Shooting material to the task set
- Selecting mis-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and settings
- Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer
- Using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for task set
- Using sound with images and editing
- Using titles appropriate.

Past Student Work Analysis

SIGHT

In this past student work we can clearly see that its an opening sequence to a thriller film. The slow, spooking music in the background and the credits clearly being seen. The first five seconds are the name of the productions and cast. The voice in the background is an example of direct address, the person is talking to the audience but we can not see him/her. The direct address is telling us what the story is going to be about and what we aspect to see later on the film itself. To anaylise the thriller opening in more detail I will explain through the four micro areas...

CAMERAWORK:
In the opening sequence of Sight has various shot types. Close up shots and extreme close up shots are mainly used throughout the opening of images of someone, its not clear to the audience who it is which gives the film mystery and confusion, also the close up shots are used to pin point what the narrater is saying. A long shot is used 30 seconds in, this shows a location, but again is not clear to the viewer.

EDITING:
The opening sequence, is continously short cut transitions, with added credits. The short transition slides, give the audience more to think about and make it clear it is the opening, it doesnt have a start, middle and an end. Many clips have been edited to look blurry, this makes it look spooky and creates a spine chilling mood. Also some shots have changed speed, some have be clearly slowed down perhaps to exaggerate the shot.The credits are not on the filming itself, and each credit has a slide of its own, the text has been editing to look like its in water, this also adds effect to the opening. Each shot is in black and white, however, the blood is in red giving emphasis on the genre thriller.

SOUND:
From the start of the opening sequence there is a narrator, explaining about the character in the film, this sort of tells the audience of whats to come. It starts of at the beginning with ambient sounds, for example birds, breathing etc; Then turns to background music with added sound effects. The music does work well with what is being shown, which is an example of parallel sounds and does bring ultimate effect to the opening. The tempo of the sound does increase creating exitment and urge to watch more.

MISE EN SCENE:
LIGHTING- The lighting is dark throughout each shot and is in black and white. Shadows are seen which again creates a spooky tone.
COSTUME- The characters arent shown clearly therefore costume is not being shown in detail, however the image that is shown is everyday clothing, making it seem more realistic.
LOCATION- The location is not shown cleary either, although the shots that are shown seem very quiet and away from anything or anyone. However the shots in the bathroom are in a normal home, suggesting realism but then creating more suspence
PROPS- The props used in the opening are the knife at the end, where the audience sees the knife cutting the woman/man and lots of blood dripping down (which must be fake blood)

I would give this past student work a level 3. The reasons for this is because this is evidence of creative use of the following skills, holding a shot steady, using a variety of shot distances and using titles appropriatly.

Past Student Work Anaylsis

Cruel Revenge

In this past student example, we can tell it is an opening sequence as there are credits shown across the screen, such as editing and music. It does not give away what it going to happen in the rest of the film, and so leaves an enigma at the end, which makes the audience wonder why it is happening, and what is going to happen next. It also gives us an introduction to the main characters, and so is the opening to the film, although we never actually see the mans face, but this keeps the audience engaged as they want to find out more.

The four micro areas help construct the genre of thriller.

Camerawork: There are many close ups throughout the opening sequence of objects that may be important in the rest of the film, such as pictures of the girl and information on pieces of paper about suicide and death, which relates us to crime and thrillers. There is short shot duration when he is looking at the pictures and information, which adds excitement and suspense to the viewers as they want to know what is going to happen. There are long shots when the girl is shown, which could show us that the man cannot get too close to the girl, which relates it back to the genre of thriller. It also makes the whole opening more secretive and worrying. There is an over the shoulder shot when we are looking at the photos on the wall, which shows the audience exactly what he is looking at.

Editing: There are fast cuts used when he is looking at the pictures which adds a jumpy effect to the opening. The colour changes to grey-scale when the girl is on screen. This suggests to the audience that he is spying on her and so makes the audience feel on their toes and worried for the girl and what might happen to her. 

Sound: The opening sequence starts with sound effects of thunder because of the name of the production company; Lightning Productions. The way in which this is loud and jumpy makes the audience suspicious and nervous as to what is going to happen in the actual sequence. There is a non diagetic soundtrack which is fast paced and racy, with a slower soundtrack playing over the top. The two sounds are not parallel to each other, but they work together to make the sequence seem more thrilling. There is sound effects of scratching and peoples voices mixed together throughout the sequence. This could make the audience feel scared and wonder why this is happening, and make them think that something bad is about to happen. It makes the sequence more thrilling as it stands out from the other music and so may make the audience jump. 

Mis en Scene

Lighting: The lighting in the opening sequence is very dark with lots of shadows being created. From watching other thriller films this is a general convention used to convey mystery and crime. 

Costume: the man in the opening sequence is wearing every day clothes, which could be to hide the fact he is about to commit a crime. This is also very popular in other thriller films, as the audience knows who the criminal is, but the characters may not be suspicious of him. 

Location: The location seems very quiet and secretive - the perfect place for somebody to arrange crime. This conforms to other films in the same genre. 

Props: There are photos used in the opening sequence, with the same girl in each one, suggesting a main character to the audience. A knife is also used which is related to thrillers and crime, which makes the audience on edge. 

Marking CriteriaI would award this past students work a level 3, as there is evidence in the creative use of many of the following technical skills:
-Holding a steady shot
-Framing a shot including and excluding elements as appropriate
-Using a variety of shot distances as appropriate
-Shooting material appropriate to the task set
-Selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and settings
-Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer
-Using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set
-Using sound withimages and editing appropriately for the task set
-Using titles appropriately

Test Shot Analysis

We chose one of our hardest shots for our first test shot. This was a chanted shot, where we had to capture the character fall to ground following her face and movements. This involved handheld camera work as we had to move the camera with the falling motion. We also had to zoom in when the camera was tilted, which was a challenge. When we film for our real opening sequence we will use a tripod to keep it steady and ensure a smooth movement and a professional look. For the editing we cut the clip into three parts. For the first part we slowed it down and added slow motion effect to emphasise the fall. For the zoom into the characters face we sped it up to 250% to keep the shot short. For the final part of the clip we slowed it down again to  50% to show that the character is looking at something.

The second practice shot was a long shot with a blury effect, we did this simply by focusing and unfocusing the camera. We did this to show the vision of the character and to show the audience she may be sleepy or drugged.

FEEDBACK
Our class members gave us feedback on our test shots. They gave us positive and constructive feedback to help us improve our shots for when we film our actual opening sequence.
POSITIVE 
Good technique using a chanted shotWell chosen and well portrayed
Handheld effect was used well

NEGATIVEOn the handheld effect, you could not always see the characters face as it was cut off.
Focus more on one thing when we were using the blurred effect, and then blur it out to show what you are actually looking at.

Logo Analysis and Production

Layout and Structure: This is a very simple logo with the writing being the main focus to draw attention to the production companies name. 
Iconography: The image is basic, and therefore isn't very eye catching to viewers. Its simplicity makes it easier to read and makes it appear classy.
Font: There are two fonts used in the production name, with 'Relativity' standing out more than 'Media'. This could be so that viewers are more likely to remember the production companies name, and so increase its popularity.

Layout and structure: The writing on this logo is in the centre so that it can grab the viewers eyes instantly, as it is the main and biggest part of the logo.

Iconography: The image is quite detailed, with the companies name being made into a building like feature. This draws attention to it as it stands out and over powers the other aspects of the logo. It is a very memorable logo. 

Font:The font of the writing on the logo is very bold and easy to read. The 'FOX' stands out more than the rest of the words so that viewers can remember and notice the companies name.

LOCATION RECCE

Location Recce

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Audience Profile

The poster above shows what type of individuals will be interested in our media product and it shows who our target audience is. The information we included in this poster was from our variety of primary and secondary research...


RESEARCH

For our primary research, we conducted a questionnaire to discover the expectations of our target audience within our sub genre. We asked questions such as "What is your age grouop" "What are your hobbies" "What is your occupation" with multiple choice answers. This was to get a feel of how we wanted to attract and address our target audience. We wanted to find out who would find our media product interesting, and who would most likely be wanting to watch it. So we asked questions like "When you go to the cinema, what are you most likely to watch". Most of our research showed that thrillers were very popular with the youth social groups thats why we have edged our target audience towards them. We will use this research throughout the making of our product and help us to understand what viewers want to see and what they find most eye catching.

The image below is some of the questionnaires we sent round to a variety of individuals.. In different age, gender and social groups:

We also used secondary reseach to find out more from our target audience. We used the Pearl & Dean film website to find out about the audiences of thrillers. One film that we looked at was Shutter Island. From the information we can see that this thriller is most popular with people between the ages of 15-24 and 25-34. The gender ratio is more popular with men than women, but the percentage for women is still fairly high, showing us that both genders would enjoy a film in this genre.

We conducted more secondary research on the Pearl and Dean film website in order to back up our other reseach and focus more on crime thrillers. From this, we can see the highest age percentages are in the age ranges of 15-34, which is similar to the comparable profile on Shutter Island. Here again we can see that the percentages of male to female are very similar, showing us that crime thrillers are popular with both genres.

We found out alot about our target audience from conducting primary and secondary reseach to gain an insight on what they like to do in their spare time, their occupation and most importantly their favourite genre of film. This helped us a lot when we were thinking of our narrative and the types of camera techniques we were going to use when filming our final media product as we needed to include things that would interest and engage our audience. We found out that our audience all enjoy the same things in their spare time, such as socialising, sports, visiting the cinema and going out for meals with friends. We also found out that the most popular age range for crime thriller films ranges between 15-30, which helped us when choosing characters for our opening sequence as we wanted our audience to be able to relate to them in order for them to enjoy the film more. We think that conducting all of this research helped us a lot in the production of our crime thriller opening sequence.

Filming - Risk Assessment

Shot Lists - Buried Alive

Story Board for Opening Sequence - Buried Alive

Crime Thriller Opening Sequence Analysis

Memento - Crime Thriller

The opening sequence to Memento uses generic conventions to show us that it is an introduction to the film. We are introduced to the main character as soon as the opening sequence starts, and he is introduced just after we hear a gun shot. We can then see the character who gets shot laying on the floor, with blood all around him. We then see a series of enigmas, one being a close up of a camera which could suggest to us that this is an important part of the film.  Details of the cast and crew and directors etc are shown, all in front of the background of the picture that the man took. By having the picture shown throughout, it makes the audience engage in the film, and wonder why the picture is such a big part of the narrative. The title of the film, Memento is then shown, again over the picture, but this time, we are able to see what the picture is of. The names of top billing actors are then shown. 


The opening sequence also uses specific sub genre conventions to show the crime sub genre in terms of the four micro areas. 
Camerawork: There are many close ups of certain items throughout the opening sequence. This suggests to the audience these items will have a role throughout the rest of the film. The close up of the camera could suggest crime, as the thing the man is taking a photo of is of another man he has shot. A low angle was used after he had shot the man, to show he is now superior to the other man. This leads the audience to wonder why he shot him, and what he has done wrong. Throughout the rest of the opening sequence, we see a close up of the photograph. This could be associated with crime because of what is on the photo; a dead man.
Mis en scene: The location in which the scene is set looks like an abandoned room, maybe in a warehouse or someplace similar, because of the ripped up walls and the darkness of the room. This is suggesting crime to the audience as it looks as if no one would be around, and so it would be the perfect place for crime to happen. There are props used when the man gets shot and falls to the ground. We see his glasses have fallen off and have blood on the rim, which is associated with crime. There is also a gun used, with a empty bullet hitting the floor to show that a crime has taken place.
Editing: Short shot duration has been used at the beginning of the sequence when the man shoots the other man to the floor. This has been used to create urgency to the audience just as the crime has taken place, and make them anxious for what he is going to do next. 
Sound: There is diagetic sound at the beginning of the clip of the man shouting and the gunshot. A non diagetic soundtrack begins to play as the man looks at the man lying on the floor. It starts off quite quiet and slow, and then builds up and adds more tension as the picture is made more clear to the audience, and is at a peak when the title is shown. 


I can tell that this sequence is an opening sequence to the film as there are credits shown, such as director, editor and members of the cast and crew. The opening does not give away what is going to happen in the rest of the film, it just gets the audience engaged and wanting to watch more. We can also tell that the film is about to start by the title being shown.

THRILLER PRESENTATION 'BURIED ALIVE'

Buried alive presentation

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Feedback on Presentation

POSITIVE FEEDBACK
We were told that we had a good storyboard, which made it easy for the audience to understand our opening sequence. My teacher gave us feedback on our assigned roles, as we are very organised as we all know what parts we are going to do. Our peers also told us that we had good sub thriller conventions, as we added in different camera work and editing.

CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK
We were told that we should carry out test shots of our locations, such as the forest. This would help us be mroe prepared as we would have time to change the location if the filming didnt work out. We also need to decide on the male actor, and also check the availability of the characters we are going to use.

Sub Genre Opening Sequence Analysis

Sub genre opening sequence analysis

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The girl with the dragon tattoo opening sequence analysis

The opening sequence of The Girl With The Dragon Tatoo shows us the use of many different generic conventions such as the names of the cast and crew with a dark mysterious background which relates to the title of the film. Only 2 characters are introduced in the title sequence which tells the audience that they are the main characters when we see their faces form from a strange liquid that the whole title sequence is made up of. The title of the film is then shown in bold dark writing relating to the title again and is a chinese/japanese font, which also relates to the title of the film as dragons are known for representing china and japan.

Mis-en-scene: The opening of the title sequence includes flash's of lights, as if its like lightening, with a dark strange looking liquid and objects moving and falling around. There is no lighting its all dark except the dark objects being shown which some we cannot tell what they are. This makes the audience wonder what is to come in the film and links in well with the sub genre of the film which is a mystery, crime thriller.

Camerawork: The camerawork in the opening sequence has both short shot duration and long shot duration suggesting to the audience that there unexpected events to come. The fast movements of the objects and people suggest this is how the characters and events are to happen in the film.

Editing: In the title sequence there is a cutaway after each image in the title sequence showing different images that are not familiar giving the audience the impression that quick, mysterious or unexpected things are to take place in the film.

Sound: There is a non diagetic soundtrack which is fast paced and racy adding tension and suspense to the audience as they are wondering what is going to happen throughout the rest of the film. As the objects and people are moving faster the music is parallel to this making the audience more excited and keeps them interested.

The title sequence shows names of the producers and cast and crew etc, so we can tell that it is the beginning of the film. It also doesnt give away what else is to happen, as its just introducing the film and leaves the audience wondering about the enigmas.

Psychological Thriller Opening Sequence Analysis

Black Swan - Psychological Thriller

The opening sequence to Black Swan uses many different generic conventions, such as an introduction to the main character, as we see the feet and legs of what looks like a ballet dancer. We can see the details of some of the cast and crew, and by showing us their names over the background of feathers, it relates well to the title of Black 'Swan'. The main characters name is also introduced with feathers in the background, leading the audience to believe she has some relation to the title of the film. We then see another introduction to the character, with the title then being shown afterwards. The title scene is very plain, with just black and white writing. This could also link in to the title, as the colours of the title scene work with the name, 'Black Swan' (swans are white).

The opening sequence also uses specific sub genre conventions in terms of the four micro areas.
Mis en scene: The lighting of the opening sequence is very dark and seems very out of focus. This links in well with the psychological sub genre as it leads the audience feeling slightly anxious to watch, and lets the film be more of a mystery to the audience as it does not give much away about the narrative. Feathers are used in the opening sequence which makes the audience wonder why they are there, and what is going to happen later on  in the film. 

Camerawork: The camera work in the opening sequence of Black Swan is very slow, suggesting mystery to the audience, emphasizing on the dancers body movement. There is a close up of the feathers when they are shown, adding detail to what they actually are, as the audience may be confused as to why a ballet dancer and feathers are related in anyway, making them engage and want to understand the film.

Editing: There are many fade in and outs of image in the opening sequence. This makes a slower, more mysterious atomosphere to the scene which relates well to the conventions of a psychological sub genre. Fade out and in's have been used a lot when the feathers are on screen. The feathers are also changing colour after each fade in, suggesting something bad is going to happen, which could also confuse the audiences minds and perception on the film.

Sound: There is a non diagetic soundtrack played in the opening sequence. This is quite slow, music played by instruments such as piano. As the dancers feet speed up, the music is parallel to her body movement. The music is quite slow at times and then speeds up which adds tension to the audience as it increases the intensity of the opening sequence. The music sounds quite mysterious which matches the sub genre of psychological, as it could add confusion as it is playing with the mind. 

The sequence looks like an opening sequence as it does not give away the story and leaves us wondering what the film is about. There is also conventional titles shown, such as producer and members of the cast and crew which tells us it is the beginning of the film. The title of the film, 'Black Swan' is also shown at the end, showing us that it is the end of the opening sequence and that the film has been introduced.