Research Into Existing Products - Horror (Task 2)

Horror

The openings to the two horror films were similar but different in many ways.  For example in ‘The Strangers’ the opening has a slight saturated tint on the image. However in the opening to ’28 Weeks Later’ there is no tint but the image uses very low key lighting.  The slight saturated tint to the image builds tension as it causes the audience to anticipate that something is going to happen at some point in the near future of the film. In contrast to this the low key lighting in the second film builds ambiguity and leaves the audience questioning as to whether something is lurking in the areas of the screen that are hidden due to the lack of lighting. 

 (28 Weeks Later)

As well as this both films use hand held camera work to shoot the scenes the director wanted to capture. This adds a sense of uncertainty to the scene as the picture is distorted and the surrounding area cannot be scene completely so could leave things hidden to the audience, allowing things to be lurking around. In 'The Strangers' the hand held camera is used through a POV shot, which gives emphasis on the main character and what's chasing her, also it gives the impression that there is someone else there catching what is happening on video, that is then  created into a film. This allows the audience to step in to that role as it is the angle they are seeing things from, so begin to think that they are the ones there filming what is happening bringing a sense of realism to the film.

Finally within both clips there are quite short shots before a cut to a new image.  This creates an impression of urgency within the scene and builds angst within the audience as they can guess that something is about to happen. For example in '28 Weeks Later' the shots are very short before they change who they focus on whilst the characters are sat around the table eating their dinner, this then builds the urgency within the film that leads to the young boy knocking on the door. This can show every character's reaction to the audience which will then enable the audience to reciprocate the fear or sadness that the characters are feeling, as they start to find out what is happening.

Research Into Existing Products - Romantic Comedy (Task 2)

Romantic Comedy

In the opening scenes of ‘Hitch’ and ‘Love Actually’ a common feature of Romantic Comedy films is used – a voice over. This allows the audience to see into the mind of the main characters and also sets the tone of the film – whether it be more comedic, more romantic or a mix of the two. This can be seen in 'Hitch' when as the different scenes pass, the voice over by Will Smith explains what he 'teaches' to the people he works with, this then gives an insight into the film and also gives a brief outline of what he does as a job in this particular film.  As well as this it creates a bond between the character and the audience as the audience may feel like the characters trust them enough to tell them what’s really happening inside their heads.

Within the clips, also, were characters from everyday walks of life. This allows the audience to enjoy the films as it means they can follow the characters stories better as they are simply normal people from normal lifestyles. This is shown in the film 'Love Actually' as the opening includes clips from the arrivals area in an airport of family greeting each other after not seeing each other for a while; it shows parents meeting their children, older husbands greeting their older wives, younger couples being reunited and also friends meeting each other. This allows the audience to follow the story line as it is a concept that is easy to understand as the characters are normal people from everyday walks of life.

Another aspect found in both films was the use of titles as the scenes progressed. This can  also be seen during 'Love Actually' whilst the clips of the meetings are shown, they introduce important people from the making of the film such as the director and executive producers, but also reiterates what Hugh Grant is saying in the voice over by placing the words ''love actually is all around'' on the screen as he says them.  This shows the importance of the words and also brings the title of the film on to the screen in an imaginative way, catching the audiences attention.

During the openings to these films, the cuts between scenes are smooth and seamless. This allows the transitions to be clear and for there to be no unwanted jerkiness. It shows the calm sense of both films, and allows an audience to relax whilst watching it as it flows smoothly. This can be seen in 'Hitch' when the clip changes between the many characters to portray the many groups of people Will Smith's character has helped, and the clip changes quite smoothly with the image.

Research Into Existing Products - Thriller (Task 2)

Thriller

Within the opening clips of ‘Seven’ and ‘Red Dragon’ a fast paced set of cuts are used to build tension within the scene and to help show the fast-paced theme that the film is based upon. As well as this it causes the audience to understand where the director wants to take the mood of the film. For example, in the scene where the characters are watching an orchestra perform in the concert hall in 'Red Dragon', fast paced cuts are used to cut between Hannibal and the flautist that is not playing correctly; this gives an inclination that Hannibal has something in for him and due to his past in 'The Silence of The Lambs' it makes the audience believe that he is going to eat him, his reputation for being a cannibal creeping back on him.

To add to this the clips both use low key lighting to build the atmosphere of the film, this then adds to the tension that the film already creates and builds upon the adrenaline that ‘Thriller’ films are stereotyped to create also. This can be seen in 'Seven' when the main character, played by Morgan Freeman, is getting ready to leave his apartment. This could show that it is early morning, or that he lives in quite a cheap flat in a dingy area so does not have bright lighting that may be found in more built up areas within cities.

The films also both use costume to create an ambiance and to also distinguish class between the characters. For example ‘Seven’ uses costume to distinguish the higher ranking detectives from the lower ranking police officers, whereas in ‘Red Dragon’ the costume is used to distinguish the upper classes from the middle and lower class public within the scenes. This allows the audience to follow the characters lifestyle choices within the piece and also allows them to possibly understand why the characters are portrayed in the movie that way, and to represent their past and future.

Within both clips also, the use of diegetic sound helps to build an atmosphere and texture and add to the tense aura already present. This causes an audience to engage in the tension within the clip and also to understand the setting in which the characters are placed.  In 'Seven' this is done through the use of sirens, talking and traffic; showing that he is in a city environment and is involved in crime - underpinned by the fact he is a Police Detective. These sounds can be heard in particular when the characters are at the scene of a murder, this pinpoints a setting for the audience to help them understand where the murder has taken place and often to create a stereotype through this. For example they could stereotype an area of America to be More violent, so could assume that that is where the scene is currently set.  In contrast, in 'Red Dragon' ambient sounds from a piano, music from the orchestra and dialogue, show the characters to be quite sophisticated and show them to be in an upper class setting - a concert hall. The concert hall shows the characters to be of wealth, this is then supported by when the characters are in a the following scene, this is set in a larger house in a very sophisticated dining room.  This shows the characters to be smart and polite as they all sit round the table in calm conversation.

Preliminary Task - Video Evaluation (Task 1)

 Preliminary Task - Video Evaluation

A 180 degree rule is after establishing where characters are within the shot, you must keep the camera on that side to ensure the characters stay in the same place in comparison to each other. This allows the audience to maintain their understanding whilst watching the clip.




A match on action is where the perspective of the camera changes during a scene and the scene continues to flow. This allows the clip to be seamless and for the edit to not be obvious.



The matching of eye lines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity. 



I incorporated these into the storyboarding and planning of my film by including when they would be used to ensure I followed the guidelines, and also highlighted where I would need to place the camera to ensure that the eye lines matched and I followed the 180 degree rule.

I think that the filming process worked well, because I feel that the shots I managed to shoot were to a high quality and also they were easy to edit together to make a seamless movie clip. However not all shots from my storyboard were collected as we couldn't always use the area of the college we wanted due to other groups, and it took longer than we were expecting to get some shots and get our cast organised therefore causing us to run out of filming time. This made the editing difficult as the story did not flow as well as it could have and meant that we sometimes had to re shoot some of the shots as they weren't perfectly shot, but although we were not able to shoot all of the shots we managed to make a clip out of the shots we had, and it still made sense.

When using the editing software, I learnt how to add transitions, sound and titles correctly and also which ones worked more effectively than others.  For example, I found that cross dissolves worked better than dip to white/black and looked neater on our film.

Preliminary Task - Through the Eye of the Lock (Task 1)

Preliminary Task - Through the Eye of the Lock