Evaluation (Question 1) - In what ways does your media product use, develop or challange forms and conventions of real media products?

Examples of fonts

I have started to do some research of different fonts that could be used for the credits on the opening sequence of our film. All the fonts connect to the theme of Thriller which was our aim. Most of the fonts show the theme by using blood splatter or sharp edges on  the letters.

Production Company logo

 

This is our final design for our Production Company logo. The image is from a setting in Abergwyngregyn taken by one of our group members. The name 'Gilubech' came from the first two letters of each group members first name. (Giacomo, Luke, Becca and Charlotte). We chose a font that went well with the theme of the opening, e.g thriller, hense the blood splatter over the word 'production'.

 

This is the image that group memeber Luke James took on his trip to Abergwyngregyn. We all finally decided that it would be the background image for our production company logo after we have editied it.

Woodlands Storyboard (1)

1st box: In our final openign sequence, we have decided not to show a plain wall at the beginning with a picture frame, we decided to show someone looking at a house from a distant. This will show up in jumpy flickers to go with the theme. Before this our production company and name will be shown. The screechy sound of a quitar in the background will be played throughout the opening sequence.
2nd box: The scene then jumps to an empty bedroom with a bed that the psychopath is lying on, flickery images of a lamp is shown up on the screen. In the final opening sequence, we are not going to have the voices in the background, all you can hear is the screech of a guitar. More opening credits appear on the screen.
3rd box: *flashback* Shows a girl walking through the woods with a map, looking confussed on where she is going. The camera shot is above her to look like the psychopath is looking at her from a high tree. The screech on the guitar is starting to get louder. More opening credits appear.
4th box: We decided that we are going to change this scene for the final openign sequence. We are going to have the camera from the girls point of view looking around the forest, as the camera is moving around, it quickly moves to a certain point. We decided to do this to show that teh girl is suspecious of someone being there so she has to look twice. More opening credits are shown.

Woodlands Storyboard (2)

1st box: This shows the door of the room that the psychopath is in with a beam of light. This is to give tension, as it gives the feeling of someone looking over at you. We decided in the final opening sequence that we wouldn't have any speech at that point, we would just have the music throughout, so it would always bring tension.
2nd box: *flashback* One girl is running through the wood as she is running away from the psychopath. The camera is shown from the psychopath's point of view. Font's flicker in the corner of the screen to shows the directors name.
3rd box: *flashback* This scene is still from the psychopath's perspective as he shows the weapon. Mise-en-scene in this scene is going to bring tension as it gives the audience a knowledge of what is going to happen. This is also done with the speed of the music getting faster.
4th box: Going back to the bedroom that the psychopath is in, the camera will zoom away from the window to show the man lying in the bed. In this scene we are going to darken to go with the conventions of a Thriller film. Also, in the final opening sequence, we are not going to have the voice i nthe background, just the music.

Woodlands Storyboard (3)

1st box: *flashback* This is the scene where the victim gets attacked by the physcopath. Although the storyboard shows that she gets attacked by a knife, in the actual video she gets attacked by a rock as we thought the weapon would be more reasonable as the scene is set in the woods.
2nd box: The scene then jumps back to the bedroom that the psychcopath is lying in. Different parts of the room flash up on the screen, we thought this went well with the conventions of a thriller film.
3rd box: *flashback* This scene shows the victim that has been, murdured by the psychopath who is standing over her. It then shows him running away from the victim who is lying there dead. The music builds up at this part to show the tension.
4th box: This is the final time whe nthe scene goes back to the psychopath in the bed. The camera gradually moves up the body of the man to finally show a close up of his face. His eyes then quickly opens.

Woodlands Storyboard (4)

This is the end scene where the Film title appears. The title is going to appear when there is a close up of the psychopath's face and he opens his eyes. The music throughout the opening sequence is going to be composed by group member Luke James, by screeching on his guitar strings, and making high pitched notes on a piano, also there is also a Thriller tune that is played throughout by the piano.

Whilst in the middle of filming, we decided to change some of the ideas that we inluded in the storyboard to make the film more realistic. As an example, instead of using a knife as the weapon, we decided to use a rock as it also went well with the surrondings we were filming in. Also, we decided instead of two girls going for a walk in the woods like it says, overall we decided only to use one girl for a walk, as it went more well with the theme (a girl by herself, running away from a physcopath).

Se7en opening sequence

This is the opening sequence to the Thriller film Se7en ,which star the top billing actors such as Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwyneth Paltrow. This has clip has helped to give me some knowledge on what our group could include in our Thriller film when it comes to creating ours. The fonts in this sequence goes well with the genre of the film as it it very small, and almost as it has been scratched on. They alos flash up really quickly so it's hard to read it in time which makes the audience want to watch the film to find out. The colour white could also represent heaven/death which is what usually thriller films involve. The music in this opening sequence goes with the theme of thriller as it brings a lot of tension to the scene. It also shows that the film is quite twisted (which what the Thriller film revolves around) because the non-digetic sounds are mainly scratching noices. The images in the clips give us, as the audience, a knowledge of what the plot is going to be about. Props such as needles, blades, sissors and documents could show that the plot could be about a detective because those are objects that are usually used by detectives. The images of the props also flash up to give the audience suspence of what is going to happen.

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre opening sequence

This is the opening sequence to the film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. This opening sequence represent the Thriller genre in a different way to what Se7en did. The images in this sequence are more gruesome, this helps represent the genre of Thriller because it is what you would expect from a Thriller film (death, gruesome images). Dark colours are used throughtout the sequence to again represent the genre, the colours red and black show death, blood, evil etc. The fonts that show the cast, director etc are in the colour red which could represent blood. The sounds that are used are the screeching noise of a camera going off whilst the people are takign pictures of the dead bodies they have found, and also the sound of the news reporter tellingus what has happened. Not a lot of non-diegetic sounds have been used in this opening sequence.

Conventions of a Thriller Film

Most films have different conventions so that the audience know what genre of film it is, as an example of this, for a Romantic comedy, it's very happy with 2 people falling in love, with bright colours and the music is very happy and romantic. So for our Thriller opening sequence, I have to do some research to find out what we need to include in ours. Thriller films usually make the audience mysteriosu of what is going to happen. This can be done by;

• Camera shots and movement - In the examples of Thriller films that I have scene, most of them have camera movements and very jumpy and quick. This helps to bring tension to the scene and to keep the auidence on the edge of their seats.
• Editing - In thriller films, a lot of editing is needed for the scenes because as they invlove a lot of speed, they need to be very fast and jump from one scene to another.
• Sound - This is very important for a Thriller film because it helps bring tension, again a speed of the music can give audience a feeling of something dangerous is going to happen.
• Mise-en-scene - This is a good way of knowing what is going to happen in a Thriller film. Props can give a way what is going to happen so it doesnt leave the viewer feeling confussed and not knowing what is happening.

How to represent Genre

1. Film - What genre is the film?

- What is the style of the film?

- Who are the audiences?

- Think about the storyline

2. Mise En Scene (MES) - Lighting

- Music

- Position of characters & objects

- Font/colour (credits)

- How is it presented? (credits)

Film opening title sequence -

Here are some examples of Thriller movies and how they represent genre

The Exorcist

- Music brings tension

-Flashing lights

- Actors names in the bottom corner of the screen so it doesn't take away the action from the scene

- From the opening sequence you can see that it is about a girl being possessed (it is shown by the characters talking and the pries that is shown)

- About religion

- OTS shows that there isn't going to be blood and gory

- Audience - For people who enjoy this genre

- People who have heard about it in the media

- The title 'The Exorcist' the 'x' changes into a crucifix, which shows that it is religious

- There is a shadow behind the font - showing two people

- Credits shown on each staircase as we go up

- Dark colours to represent thriller

Se7en

- Scary music - shows that the film is twisted - music also builds up to show tension - scratching sounds are used

- Scary images - Give us a clue of the plot

- Actors names flash up - shown on a black background - lower case lettering for names

- Colour red to show evil/danger/blood

- Images flash up on the screen to show suspence

- From the opening sequence you can see that it is about someone who is killing someone/planning it/trophies shown/ done because of God

- Objects detectives might have - Scissors

- Needles

- Blade

- Documents

- The film title has difference font styles - flashes up - words flash up so you cant read it in time, makes you feel like you need to watch it all to find out

Texas Chain Saw Masacre (1974)                 

- From the opening sequence, you can tell that the film is about death/massacre/including a chain saw - also known from the title of the film

- Images of dead people flash up on the screen

- Audience for this film, would be adults who enjoy gorey films

- Flashing images from a camera is used/ a crime investigator is taking images of the dead people

- The colour of red shows evil/blood/danger

- A radio in the background tells you what has gone on, the images also show you this

- The sound of digging in the background when the dead bodies are shown - The noise of a camera going off - slow motion

- The title is in bold writing (the colour yellow stands out on the black/red background)

- Red images give you differnet images of what it could be


Dracula

- Music brings tension

- Red font shows danger/blood/evil

- Crucifix symbolises religion

- Black images of people fighting - against a red background

- Music starts agai nwhen Dracula is in Church and sees his fiance dead - it brings back the tension whe he starts going mad

- A lot of screaming to show anger

- The Crucifix image shows a dark side and a light side - shows two halfs

- Helmet of Dracula shows a symbol of a devil, to show he is evil

Our groups ideas for our Thriller Opening Sequence

Plot - A man has experienced something traumatic and goes mad and murders people for fun.

Our ideas;

• Distribution Company - We will be using an existing company
• Production Company - We will be making our own, which an image we have taken for the background
• Director - Giacomo Perazzi
• Producer - Charlotte Liepins
• Executive Producer - Becca Turley
• Actors - Luke James (Crazy Man) Becca Turley and Charlotte Liepins (Girls in the forest)
• Movie Title - Woodlands

Mise En Scene for opening sequence

Room
- Dark room
- Low key lighting coming from the door, slightly open
- Empty Room
- Family found him unconcious and put him up
- Voices of the family from outside the room, you can still hear the voices when he is having flash backs

Woods
- Both murders happen in the woods
- Shot in the evening, where it's quiter, dark but also quite light

Costumes

Luke - t-shirt, jeans when in bed, leather jacket when in the woods and a hoodie
Girls that get murdured - Walking gear

Primary Research

We decided that we would do a tally chart which we asked random people what they enjoyed most. We decided to do this to help use come to a final decision when deciding what theme we were going to do for our Opening Sequence.

Thriller examples

This has given me some examples of what is expected in a thriller film. It shows me the fonts that are mainly used in this specific genre so I know what to use when it comes to editing our opening sequence with the fonts. It also shows me the colours that are mainly used in this genre. Colours such as black, red, white etc, represent the theme of Thriller (Black for danger, red for blood, etc). It also gives me a exampleof the lighting used and the shots, most of the clips are gruesome to again, go with the theme.

Examples of Thriller films

These are some examples of Thriller Movies, which include Top Billing Actors including, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Robert De Niro, Ben Affleck, Will Smith, Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Meryl Streep and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Dark colours such as black, red and dark blue, etc, give the Thriller effect.

Opening Title Sequence (OTS)

A Opening Title Sequence is a method that all cinimatic films and television programmes use.
This is the usual order they come in:

• Distribution Company
• Name of the Production Companies
• Director
• Producer
• Executive Producer
• Top Billing Actors
• The Movie Title

This is done so that the audience has a knowledge of what the film is called, who created it, who's in it etc

For the OTS, there a few things we have to look at, this includes:

- Font of the credits (This is looking at the style, size, colour, positioning, entrance and exit)
- Background (Colour, animation)
- Narrative (This the storyline of the film, and the Mise En Scene (M.E.S) which includes the lighting, camera shots, sound and editing in the Opening Sequence)

Thriller Genre

What is a Thriller?

Thriller Film is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. The protagonist in these films is set against a problem – an escape, a mission, or a mystery. No matter what sub-genre a Thriller film falls into, it will emphasize the danger that the protagonist faces. The tension with the main problem is built on throughout the film and leads to a highly stressful climax.

Sub-Genres of Thriller:

Action Thriller
An Action Thriller uses physical action to create suspense within the film. Like a traditional Action film, this sub-genre will often have continuous motion and action including physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. Often, these scenes will contribute to the overall sense of danger that the protagonist is facing.
Examples: Die Hard, Kill Bill Vol. 1, The Bourne Identity.

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Crime Thriller
Crime Thriller film is a sub-genre that incorporates the suspenseful aspects of a thriller with a crime film plot. This sub-genre's plot usually centers on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. As opposed to traditional crime films, the storyline focuses both around the criminal and the protagonist. Crime Thrillers use both action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense.
Examples: The Usual Suspects, The Fugitive, Jagged Edge.

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Film-Noir
Film Noir is not simply a sub-genre, but rather a term for a distinct, stylistic type of crime-drama or thriller that was popular throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Film-Noir is characterized by a black-and-white style with stark lighting effects. The main character is usually a cynical hero. Film-Noir relies on a narrative voice and various flashbacks to explain the intricate plot.
Examples: Sunset Boulevard, The Maltese Falcon, Sweet Smell of Success.

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Psychological Thriller
In addition to the traits of a regular Thriller, a Psychological Thriller incorporates elements of drama and mystery film. The suspense in this sub-genre comes from the mind, rather than from a psychical threat. The protagonists in Psychological Thrillers must rely on their mental resources to solve the situation. Because of their nature, many Psychological Thrillers cross over into the Horror genre.
Examples: Memento, Rear Window, Taxi Driver.

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Science Fiction Thriller
Science Fiction Thriller incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. Traditionally, a Science Fiction film will incorporate heroes, villains, unexplored locations, fantastical quests, and advanced technology. These elements can be used in a Science Fiction Thriller to create anticipation and suspense. Often, this sub-genre will explore the “future-gone-bad” theme, including plots that revolve around alien invasions, dystopian scenarios, and super-diseases.
Examples: Aliens, Inception, District 9.

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Religious Thriller
Religious Thriller film incorporates religious themes, including religious questions, ceremonies, and objects. Though some films can revolve around a specific church, many Religious Thrillers include supernatural experiences not pertaining to a certain religion. Exorcisms, demon possession, and church cover-ups are typical themes of Religious Thrillers.
Examples: The Devil’s Advocate, The Ninth Gate, The Da Vinci Code

examples of different film genres

These are a few examples of comedy films. Most colours used for comedy films are bright,this helps give the theme of comedy, because the colours represent happy and humour.

Here are some examples of Action movies. Most of these films use dark colours to represent the theme of Action as they are mainly fighting and danger films.

These are a few examples om Romantic Comedies, colours that usually represent love are colours such as red's, pink's and purple's.

Film Genres

For our next task, we have been asked to make an opening sequence of a film. As research for this task I am going to be researching different genres of films. Here are some examples of some film genres. After researching different genre's, our group have decided to base our opening sequence on a Thriller.

	Action films usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' - all designed for pure audience escapism. Includes the James Bond 'fantasy' spy/espionage series, martial arts films, and so-called 'blaxploitation' films. A major sub-genre is the disaster film. See also Greatest Disaster and Crowd Film Scenes and Greatest Classic Chase Scenes in Films.
	Adventure films are usually exciting stories, with new experiences or exotic locales, very similar to or often paired with the action film genre. They can include traditional swashbucklers, serialized films, and historical spectacles (similar to the epics film genre), searches or expeditions for lost continents, "jungle" and "desert" epics, treasure hunts, disaster films, or searches for the unknown.
	Comedies are light-hearted plots consistently and deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter (with one-liners, jokes, etc.) by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and characters. This section describes various forms of comedy through cinematic history, including slapstick, screwball, spoofs and parodies, romantic comedies, black comedy (dark satirical comedy), and more. See this site's Funniest Film Moments and Scenes collection - illustrated, and also Premiere Magazine's 50 Greatest Comedies of All Time.

Our Preliminary Task

This is our Preliminary Task. It is about an Italian who is trying to get into this country. In this video, Giacomo Perazzi is the Italian, Luke James is the Interigator and both myself and Becca Turley took turns to direct. We have included the three main shots needed for this task which inlude 'Match on Action', 'The 180 Degree Rule' and 'Shot Reverse Shot'. Our preliminary task went well although we did have a few continarity errors in there. I randomly appear in one shot where I wasn't supposed too. Giacomo's hand position changed dramatically from one shot to another and also, we couldn't include the music as it would of made the video extremely slow. Also, the title was spelt wrong.

Our storyboard for the Preliminary Task

This is our storyboard for the Preliminary Task. It shows each different shot that we have to include with the different images to show the plot. We have also written about what will happen in each shot and how we will show each shot.

Working on the Primlinary Task

                   On our last few lessons, Me, Luke, Becca and Giacomo have been busy filming our Primlinary Task. It took a few takes to try and get the three main shots right but in the end we got them all right. The trickiest to try and capture was the shot reverse shot. Luke and Giacomo were the actors in the short video while me and Becca took turns to film. We are all now editing the video clips to bring the Primlinary Task together.

Reverse Shot example

An example of a Reverse Shot. This will be helpful when it comes to using the shot for the Preliminary Task as it can help us how to achieve the shot.

180 Degree shot example

This is an example of 180 Degree shot. This will be helpful when it comes to using the shot for the Preliminary Task as it can help us how to achieve the shot.

Match on action shot example

This is an example of a match on action shot. This will be helpful when it comes to using the shot for the Preliminary Task as it can help us how to achieve the shot.

Preliminary Task Plan

In my group - Charlotte Liepins (Me), Giacomo Perazzi, Becca Turley & Luke James

Situation Ideas: - Job Interview
                          - Detention
                          - Arguement
                          - Interrogating an Italian

Dialogue for interrogating an Italian

Giacomo - The Italian
Luke - Man in a suit (interrigator)

Script

Luke - What is your business in this country?
Giacomo - Sono qui per cucinare la pizza!
Luke - Speak in English please
Giacomo - Non capisco
Luke - I KNOW YOU CAN SPEAK ENGLISH!