Showing posts with label Jon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jon. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Evaluation of our prlimiary tast
This task took us about a couple of hours to film and produce the final piece.
We found that the scene of the character walking through the door worked very well and was quite effective. On Final Cut Express we edited the timing of putting the characters hand on the door and coming out from the other side. We think that we got it perfectly timed.
The background of our video wasn't up to the professional standards that we wanted and expected. If we were doing the task again, we would make sure that we did it in a better location as ours this time was great. We would also make our film a little longer as we thought we cut it a bit short this time around.
We found that the scene of the character walking through the door worked very well and was quite effective. On Final Cut Express we edited the timing of putting the characters hand on the door and coming out from the other side. We think that we got it perfectly timed.
The background of our video wasn't up to the professional standards that we wanted and expected. If we were doing the task again, we would make sure that we did it in a better location as ours this time was great. We would also make our film a little longer as we thought we cut it a bit short this time around.
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Preliminary Planning
A quick scene that involves movement of one character that then starts a conversation with a friend.
1. The character walks across to a door
2. The character then opens the door, camera focuses on hand opening door
3. The character walks through the door, camera focuses on front of character walking through the door
4. The character sits down, the conversation starts, the 180 degree rule applies.
This preliminary shoot will allow us to see how to film the thriller opening.
Costumes- casual clothing
Mike and Jon actors, Tom filming
Around a minute long
Location- School Canteen
1. The character walks across to a door
2. The character then opens the door, camera focuses on hand opening door
3. The character walks through the door, camera focuses on front of character walking through the door
4. The character sits down, the conversation starts, the 180 degree rule applies.
This preliminary shoot will allow us to see how to film the thriller opening.
Costumes- casual clothing
Mike and Jon actors, Tom filming
Around a minute long
Location- School Canteen
Monday, 22 November 2010
Alfred Hitchcock
He was born Alfred Joseph Hitchcock. His father was a green grocer called William Hitchcock (1862 - 1914); his mother was Emma Jane Whelan (1863 - 1942), and he had two older siblings, William Hitchcock (born 1890) and Eileen Hitchcock(born 1892). He grew up in a very strict Roman Catholic family. He attended St. Ignatius College and a school for engineering and navigation. In 1914, when Hitchcock was 15 years old, his father died.
It was around 1920 when Hitchcock joined the film industry, he started off drawing the sets (Since he was a very skilled artist) and he met Alma Reville, though they never really spoke to each other. It was only when the director for "Always tell your wife" fell ill and Hitchcock had to complete the film, that he started off in the directing part of the film world, then Alma Reville and Hitchcock began to talk to each other.
Hitchcock had his first shot of being the director of a film in 1923 when he was to direct the film "The Number 13", though the production was stopped. Hitchcock didn't give up then. He directed a film called "The Pleasure Garden" in 1925, a British/German production, which was very popular. In 1926, Hitchcock made his first trademark film, "The Lodger". In the same year on the 2nd of December, Hitchcock married Alma Reville. They had one child, Patricia Hitchcock (born 7th July 1928).
His success followed when he made a number of films in Britain such as "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) and Jamaica Inn (1939), some of them which also made him famous in the USA. David O. Selznick, an American producer at the time, got in touch with Hitchcock and the Hitchcock family moved to the USA to direct an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1940).
It was when Saboteur (1942) was made, that films companies began to call his films after him; such as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot, Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.
During the making of Frenzy (1972), Hitchcock's wife Alma suffered a paralyzing stroke which made her unable to walk very well at all.
On March 7, 1979, Hitchcock was awarded the AFI Life Achievement award, where he said this famous quote: "I beg permission to mention by name only four people who have given me the most affection, appreciation, and encouragement, and constant collaboration. The first of the four is a film editor, the second is a scriptwriter, the third is the mother of my daughter Pat, and the fourth is as fine a cook as ever performed miracles in a domestic kitchen and their names are Alma Reville." By this time, he was quite ill, he had angina and his kidneys had already started to have problems functioning properly.
He started to write a screenplay with Ernest Lehman called "The Short Night" but he fired Lehman and hired young screenwriter David Freeman who re-wrote the script. Though due to Hitchcock's failing health the film was never made. Freeman published the script after Hitchcock's death.
In late 1979, Hitchcock was knighted, making him Sir Alfred Hitchcock. On the 29th April 1980, 9:17AM, he died peacefully in his sleep due to renal failure. His funeral was held in the Church of Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Father Thomas Sullivan held the service, 600 people attended the service, among them where Mel Brooks (Director of High Anxeity (1977), a comedy tribute to Hitchcock and his films), Louis Jourdan, Karl Malden, Tippi Hedren, Janet Leigh and Francois Truffaut.
It was around 1920 when Hitchcock joined the film industry, he started off drawing the sets (Since he was a very skilled artist) and he met Alma Reville, though they never really spoke to each other. It was only when the director for "Always tell your wife" fell ill and Hitchcock had to complete the film, that he started off in the directing part of the film world, then Alma Reville and Hitchcock began to talk to each other.
Hitchcock had his first shot of being the director of a film in 1923 when he was to direct the film "The Number 13", though the production was stopped. Hitchcock didn't give up then. He directed a film called "The Pleasure Garden" in 1925, a British/German production, which was very popular. In 1926, Hitchcock made his first trademark film, "The Lodger". In the same year on the 2nd of December, Hitchcock married Alma Reville. They had one child, Patricia Hitchcock (born 7th July 1928).
His success followed when he made a number of films in Britain such as "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) and Jamaica Inn (1939), some of them which also made him famous in the USA. David O. Selznick, an American producer at the time, got in touch with Hitchcock and the Hitchcock family moved to the USA to direct an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca (1940).
It was when Saboteur (1942) was made, that films companies began to call his films after him; such as Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot, Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy.
During the making of Frenzy (1972), Hitchcock's wife Alma suffered a paralyzing stroke which made her unable to walk very well at all.
On March 7, 1979, Hitchcock was awarded the AFI Life Achievement award, where he said this famous quote: "I beg permission to mention by name only four people who have given me the most affection, appreciation, and encouragement, and constant collaboration. The first of the four is a film editor, the second is a scriptwriter, the third is the mother of my daughter Pat, and the fourth is as fine a cook as ever performed miracles in a domestic kitchen and their names are Alma Reville." By this time, he was quite ill, he had angina and his kidneys had already started to have problems functioning properly.
He started to write a screenplay with Ernest Lehman called "The Short Night" but he fired Lehman and hired young screenwriter David Freeman who re-wrote the script. Though due to Hitchcock's failing health the film was never made. Freeman published the script after Hitchcock's death.
In late 1979, Hitchcock was knighted, making him Sir Alfred Hitchcock. On the 29th April 1980, 9:17AM, he died peacefully in his sleep due to renal failure. His funeral was held in the Church of Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills. Father Thomas Sullivan held the service, 600 people attended the service, among them where Mel Brooks (Director of High Anxeity (1977), a comedy tribute to Hitchcock and his films), Louis Jourdan, Karl Malden, Tippi Hedren, Janet Leigh and Francois Truffaut.
Monday, 15 November 2010
Target Audience for Thriller
"It really depends on the kind of thriller film. Like all genres, there are sub-genres and to really give an accurate answer to your question you would have to specify what kind of thriller film.
Silence of the Lambs and No Country for Old Men are considered the two best thrillers in recent memory... and they're rated R. Their target audience was probably for the young male adults.
Meanwhile, there are those thrillers that are borderline horror films, such as M. Night Shyamalan films The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village. Since they're close to horror (and horror films target teenage girls), the demographic would be slightly different... probably younger and more female based.
And then there are legal thrillers (Fracture, Runaway Jury) and crime thrillers (Memento, Se7en) that target a more mature audience... and classic thrillers (any Alfred Hitchcock film) that are rated PG, but are intended for adults.
But if you just need a target audience for a generic thriller film... I'd have to say the young adult demographic from 18-25" We have taken this from a Q&A website to see peoples views of target audiences to thrillers.
Silence of the Lambs and No Country for Old Men are considered the two best thrillers in recent memory... and they're rated R. Their target audience was probably for the young male adults.
Meanwhile, there are those thrillers that are borderline horror films, such as M. Night Shyamalan films The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village. Since they're close to horror (and horror films target teenage girls), the demographic would be slightly different... probably younger and more female based.
And then there are legal thrillers (Fracture, Runaway Jury) and crime thrillers (Memento, Se7en) that target a more mature audience... and classic thrillers (any Alfred Hitchcock film) that are rated PG, but are intended for adults.
But if you just need a target audience for a generic thriller film... I'd have to say the young adult demographic from 18-25" We have taken this from a Q&A website to see peoples views of target audiences to thrillers.
5 Important Factors for a Thriller
Some of the most successful thrillers quite often have far fetched story lines as there are so many different components to thriller writing, yet the writer must tell the story in such a way that the audience see it as believable and can be totally entranced by it. In my opinion, there are five very vital points everyone needs to consider when come to make a good thriller film.
Creating a Sense of Danger
In most thriller films you see, there is bound to be a central main character that ends up in danger somewhere. Often, the character will be isolated from the world around them to give the audience a much wider insight to their inner feelings and emotions. In order to achieve this successfully, there needs to be a great sense of loss and betrayal. Another word for this type of character is a ‘Protagonist’.
It is also quite likely that the protagonist will be at risk of death, or worse, at the hands of their main opponent; also known as the antagonist. The antagonist is not crucial to use in thriller films, although they do build up a great sense of excitement for the audience. Antagonist or no antagonist, the important thing to remember when coming to make a successful thriller is to get the audience to literally feel the problems which the protagonist encounters and to get them to realise that it could happen to them which will drive force of fear, worry and dread through them. Therefore, considering the previous factors, I would think that since J.M.T productions focus on a niche market, if they were to make a thriller, they should include all of the points in this paragraph.
The Balance of Power
The second ever so very important aspect of making a thriller is balance of power. This ensures that the antagonist (villain) has the balance of power shifted in their favour throughout the majority of the film. This absolutely vital point draws the audience’s attention into the feelings and struggles the protagonist needs to try and overcome. This nicely places the audience onto the protagonist’s side for the battle of good and evil where the villain is always one step ahead, until the climax of the movie when the power balance shifts and the villain is eventually defeated.
The Importance of Pace
I’m sure that everyone has previously watched a thriller in the past and has got very bored after the first 40 minutes. When one makes a thriller film or video, they must make sure that it is fast paced throughout in order to make it work. Usually, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the main character (the protagonist) in a dilemma from the very start which enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.
Twists and Turns
Most good thrillers use twists and turns to attempt to draw the audience into a false sense of security where they should be led on an adventurous journey, unsure of what lies ahead. An excellent way to maintain the suspense and tension is to have scenes which build up to a certain point where the audience think they know exactly what to expect and to then dramatically change the scene to and unforeseen outcome
Character Growth
Another important aspect of making a great thriller is to make sure that the audience get to know and understand all of the fears and weaknesses of the protagonist’s character. Also, as they begin to overcome the challenges they are given, the film or video also must reflect their determination and strength and have the final outcome showing that how they have overcome their greatest fear and rising to the challenges they were set, has made them a better person. At the same time, it is also important to show the antagonist’s weakness and their fears as the balance of power finally shifts and good wins against evil.
Often in thrillers, good writers build up to a climax where good wins and the audience feel they can finally relax and stop biting their finger nails, when the villain will have one final attempt to beat the hero before being finished for good.
Creating a Sense of Danger
In most thriller films you see, there is bound to be a central main character that ends up in danger somewhere. Often, the character will be isolated from the world around them to give the audience a much wider insight to their inner feelings and emotions. In order to achieve this successfully, there needs to be a great sense of loss and betrayal. Another word for this type of character is a ‘Protagonist’.
It is also quite likely that the protagonist will be at risk of death, or worse, at the hands of their main opponent; also known as the antagonist. The antagonist is not crucial to use in thriller films, although they do build up a great sense of excitement for the audience. Antagonist or no antagonist, the important thing to remember when coming to make a successful thriller is to get the audience to literally feel the problems which the protagonist encounters and to get them to realise that it could happen to them which will drive force of fear, worry and dread through them. Therefore, considering the previous factors, I would think that since J.M.T productions focus on a niche market, if they were to make a thriller, they should include all of the points in this paragraph.
The Balance of Power
The second ever so very important aspect of making a thriller is balance of power. This ensures that the antagonist (villain) has the balance of power shifted in their favour throughout the majority of the film. This absolutely vital point draws the audience’s attention into the feelings and struggles the protagonist needs to try and overcome. This nicely places the audience onto the protagonist’s side for the battle of good and evil where the villain is always one step ahead, until the climax of the movie when the power balance shifts and the villain is eventually defeated.
The Importance of Pace
I’m sure that everyone has previously watched a thriller in the past and has got very bored after the first 40 minutes. When one makes a thriller film or video, they must make sure that it is fast paced throughout in order to make it work. Usually, the beginning of a thriller wastes no time in putting the main character (the protagonist) in a dilemma from the very start which enables the audience to relate to their situation immediately.
Twists and Turns
Most good thrillers use twists and turns to attempt to draw the audience into a false sense of security where they should be led on an adventurous journey, unsure of what lies ahead. An excellent way to maintain the suspense and tension is to have scenes which build up to a certain point where the audience think they know exactly what to expect and to then dramatically change the scene to and unforeseen outcome
Character Growth
Another important aspect of making a great thriller is to make sure that the audience get to know and understand all of the fears and weaknesses of the protagonist’s character. Also, as they begin to overcome the challenges they are given, the film or video also must reflect their determination and strength and have the final outcome showing that how they have overcome their greatest fear and rising to the challenges they were set, has made them a better person. At the same time, it is also important to show the antagonist’s weakness and their fears as the balance of power finally shifts and good wins against evil.
Often in thrillers, good writers build up to a climax where good wins and the audience feel they can finally relax and stop biting their finger nails, when the villain will have one final attempt to beat the hero before being finished for good.
Questionaire
1. What would you say are your preferable interests?
2. When watching a film, which genre do you prefer? (comedy, Romance, action, Horror, Thriller, Family.)
3. What line of work are you in?
4. Who are your three favorite actors/actresses?
5. What is your favorite genre of music?
2. When watching a film, which genre do you prefer? (comedy, Romance, action, Horror, Thriller, Family.)
3. What line of work are you in?
4. Who are your three favorite actors/actresses?
5. What is your favorite genre of music?
Codes, Conventions and Representations of Thrillers
1. Generally we see that murders, crime and dilemmas are portrayed in a thriller.
2. Themes such as Horror, Espionage and Thrilling Excitement are seen in thrillers.
3. Title texts can be shown during the build up to an event or to show the setting of the thriller.
4. Props such as weapons and vehicles are used in thrillers, often the murderer uses everyday objects to kill his victims.
5. Connotations such as the dangers of the modern world and everyday dilemmas of race.
6. Non-diegetic sound such as music, are used to build up tension before a thrilling scene is about to take place.
7. Volume of sound can be useful to build up suspense.
8. Editing is often used in thrillers to track the victim, this is done by showing stalking or skipping scenes.
2. Themes such as Horror, Espionage and Thrilling Excitement are seen in thrillers.
3. Title texts can be shown during the build up to an event or to show the setting of the thriller.
4. Props such as weapons and vehicles are used in thrillers, often the murderer uses everyday objects to kill his victims.
5. Connotations such as the dangers of the modern world and everyday dilemmas of race.
6. Non-diegetic sound such as music, are used to build up tension before a thrilling scene is about to take place.
7. Volume of sound can be useful to build up suspense.
8. Editing is often used in thrillers to track the victim, this is done by showing stalking or skipping scenes.
Friday, 12 November 2010
J.M.T Productions
J.M.T Productions are one of the most dynamic productions companies in the UK today. We mainly focus our films on a niche market rather than a blockbuster mainstream. Our average film outlet every 5 years is around 2-3 films which have hit some major multiplex's all over England and and a fair few places in America but our films mainly end up in Art house cinema's. We have previously been involved with The Little Film Company which distribute a vast amount to America. Our films are generally Independent Thrillers that are more for the adult, educated minds who are able comprehend the story lines. Overall, although we are a small, niche production company we are still very successful.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Introduction
Hi we are part of an A-level media studies class, we have been called Poseidon. We consist of three young and ambitious men, called Michael, Jonathon and Tom
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