Shot List

Inspiration

Flight 2012

      

I would like to interpret a section of this into my opening, 1:26 - 3:06. I like the slow zoom into the fridge, then the hand opening it. The idea that he tries to use all his will power to leave the alcohol and put it down , but isn't strong enough and grabs it anyway. I like how he manages to walk away, then there is a close up on the bottle, then a sudden shock when his hand comes and takes it. The silence emphasises every sound which I think is a good idea. I would interpret this into my film by rather than using a bottle, I'd use a knife and rather than using a fridge, I'd use a kitchen draw.

Shutter Island

      

Another aspect I would like to interpret into my opening is the close up and focus on the weapon. This insinuates that a murder is going to occur. The fast that he also puts his feet on the gun could be an implication that he don't care. This is the kind of look and feel I want the murderer in my thriller to have.
The only difference I see between this and my film my thriller is that I intend to use a knife rather than a gun. However, both will  have a few seconds focused on the weapon alone, to install some fear into the audience.

Props and Costume List

On this presentation I have put all of my initial ideas in terms of props and costumes.

This is a more detailed analysis of one of the outfits/costumes for one or my characters, Ronnie. I have chosen strictly black colours to keep the mood somber and unknowing. All of his clothes are quite loose fit and baggy. This is to reduce any restrictions in movement he hay have, allowing him to run freely, space to 'hide the knife' and grab Lauren. Also, this will help fit into the look I'm trying to portray for this character. Wearing all black to this extent means the character will stand out as this isn't your everyday 'casual' outfit. However, in dark lighting, e.g. late evenings (when we will be filming) it should allow him to hide easier. This outfit will also show the viewers that it is unlikely that he is going to/coming from work or anything along them lines. Allowing him to look less like a formal business man and more like a lower/middle class street boy that people want to stay away from, which is the look I am going for. The big jacket is to portray his characters dominance and significance as he will seen bigger and stronger.  Furthermore the all black will show that he has put thought and effort into his outfit but doesn't follow mainstream fashions and trends. He will also be wearing trainers, rather than plimsoles, boots or shoes, to add to the 'street' effect. The combat trousers with multiple pockets could have the audience wondering what he could be hiding in the pockets  and why he would need so many. 

Location Reccee

These are some pictures I took a few pictures of an alleyway I may do some of the filming in. This alley-way in particular is a location possible for filming because it sets the scene of dark and dingy, giving a sense of fear. The darkness implies someone could be hiding anywhere, being unnoticed, perfect for a killer. The barriers at the end of the alley-way could put the victim in danger, as the barriers would be a hazard putting her at risk as it is preventing her escape. Reasons why we may not film here is because it is quite far and it would be difficult to get the right lighting. This is because we would want to film while its fairly dark outside, but as the alley-way is dark regardless, it would be hard to catch the characters.

Proposal

Proposal from shanikamaraj

Analysis of Psychological thriller

What's the lasting impression for the viewer?

Psychological films generally play on people's mind. These are the films where the focus is on the in depth details of the film having an impact the way the audience look at things, constantly trying to unpick things. As a genre, thrillers aren't normally used to make the audience think too deeply about anything, maybe just the plot or who a character is. In a psychological film, it is difficult to see a clear line between what is fictional and what is non-fictional. This is because thing come across a lot more possible than they ever have.  The primary reason for thrillers is to thrill, entertain and raise enigma. Looking further into sub genres, such as psychological thrillers, the secondary purposely made more obvious. There are plenty films that mix psychology and thrillers for a sub genre. Films such as  Taxi Driver (1976), Silence of the Lambs (1991), Fatal Attraction (1987), Memento (2000) and my favourite, The Butterfly Effect. As I have seen quite a few psychological thrillers myself, I have realised that I really enjoy this type of film. I like how they get you thinking and the sense of understanding when the film is finished, even how it continues to sometimes play on your mind after. However, I know that these films may not be everyone best interest. Some people like knowing roughly what is happening or maybe don't want to think too much about a film while watching it. I find that the more recently made thrillers are of a better, more relatable quality, due to constant new technology convergence and more fresh, current ideas. I think the more modern psychological thrillers are more relatable to a wider ranger of people as they portray more realistic features now. I have chosen to look further into The Butterfly Effect.

The Butterfly Effect
This American psychological thriller was produced in 2004 (though there are variations from other years), and  was distributed internationally (the UK to Japan). On my opinion, this film is really interesting and relatable for modern people, as many tend to keep things they don't like 'bottled up'. To allow some insight into the movie, here is the trailer and a short synopsis of the film from IMDb: 

"In the year 1998, Evan Treborn (Ashton Kutcher), who suffered severe sexual abuse and traumas as a boy and a teenager, blacks out frequently, often at moments of high stress. While entertaining a girl in his dorm room, he finds that when he reads from his adolescent journals, he travels back in time, and he is able to "redo" parts of his past, thereby causing the blackouts he experienced as a child. There are consequences to his choices, however, that then propagate back to his present life: his alternate futures vary from college student, to prisoner, to amputee. His efforts are driven by the desire to undo the most unpleasant events of his childhood which coincide with his mysterious blackouts, including saving his childhood sweetheart Kayleigh from being molested by her father and tormented by her sadistic brother. The actions he takes, and those he enables others to take during his blackouts, change the timeline in the new future where he awakes. As he continues to do this he realizes that even though his intentions are good his actions have unforeseen consequences. The assimilation of dozens of years' worth of new memories from the alternate timelines causes him brain damage and severe nosebleeds. Ultimately, he decides that his attempts to alter the past end up only harming those he cares about. But Evan realizes that the main cause of everyone's suffering in all the different timelines is himself.

At the conclusion of the film, Evan purposely travels back in time one final time to the first day he met Kayleigh. By scaring her away, he makes sure that she is never a part of his life, and thus finally succeeds in saving her life. He then destroys all of his journals and memories so that he is not ever tempted again to make any more changes. The film ends eight years in the future with Evan leaving an office building in Manhattan and passing Kayleigh on a crowded sidewalk. They alternately pause and turn after spotting and passing each other. After a moment of hesitation, Evan lets her walk away without speaking to her."



This film appears to be aimed mainly at young adults. The strong language and sexual scenes mean that the film must be atleast a 15/18, for this reason I think their target audience is 16 - 30. They show the main characters at age 7, 13 and 20+, so each age must be relatable to a certain extent. Below is a Prezi I have made showing a deeper look into each of the main characters and their representations. This should help give a reason why I think this is their target audience. The viewers must be able to understand the films concepts and I think this is the best age for it.

Music Inspiration

        

I think this would be a good song to use in my film opening. The beginning is not too overpowering, allowing a narrator to speak over it if we want one, while the victim is walking. Also, The stop of the music stops at 0:46 seconds, we plan to have the transition of victim switching from walking to running. As this happens we plan to fade into a black screen to further build viewers anxiety of what is about to happen. After this, we thought it would be good to have a montage of following shots of the victim running.


I would also like to mix this song into the end, when Lauren (the victim) is running. This is because this music is at a faster pace, allowing more and more tension to build in the audience. Due to the fast pace of the beat, the music should correlate well with Lauren's fast paced running.

We've chosen to use more than one song/item of music to add to the diversity of the film. Personally, I think it would be quite boring simply using one. The mix can also add to the tension of the film as it could throw the audience off task, not knowing what song is next as well as not knowing what is going to happen next. This also isn't music typically listened to by many if the people in our target audience. This could be viewed as a good thing, in the sense that they will feel less in-tune with the film. None if them would have ever heard the songs being mixed as it will be for our opening. Therefore those who do listen to this music, will feel more familiar with the film. Knowing the music may make them feel as if they know what to expect. The mix if them may add to their confusion. 

How To Film People Walking

The 180 Degree Rule
When filming someone walking, there is a number of things to bare in mind. One of them is the main things is the 180 degree rule. This is the idea that the camera filming remains on one side of the characters. This usually reduces confusion of the viewers  as the characters don't switch sides, they stay on the side the viewer originally see them on. When a camera crosses the 'line of action' which connects the two subjects it is called 'crossing the line'. If this happens, shots are often reversed. On the left is a visual example of the 180 degree rule. When the camera passes the straight black line on to where the red line is, the characters switch (as in the red box) and would be standing in reverse.
Variety of Camera Movements
Panning Shot: This is when a camera goes from side to side (panning the room) usually with the use of a tripod for a steady shot. This is an example that I found;




Tracking shot: This is when the camera is on wheels, usually a set of tracks, allowing the camera to go back and forth. Here is an example of one;



Dolly: This is simple when the camera can do anything. The camera can go up and down, side to side, horizontally, vertically, and so on. For example;



Dolly Zoom: When the camera moves either even closer to or further away from the characters whilst the zoom angle is simultaneously being adjusted, allowing the characters to be able remain the same size. Here is an example that I've found;



Tilting shot: This is when the camera is tilted up and/or down, An example to showing this:


Following shot: This is quite literally when the camera follows something or someone at a reasonably constant distance. For example;


Jib: A jib shot is when the camera is on a crane. Here is an example of this:


Pedestal shot: When the camera moves vertically (in a pedal form). Here is an example of how this could be done;


These are examples of shots that can be used while someone is walking, for a variety of different effects. Though, not all of them need to be used at once.

Example in a movie - Staying Alive (1983)

                                 

To begin with, there is a slam through the door, followed by a series of following shots. This creates an effect of consistency and fluency in John Travolta's walk. In-between these shots, there are cut-in shots of  different parts of his body. For example, his feet. In this circumstance, it emphasises the fluency as although we don't see his face and upper body moving anymore, it is clear that he is still moving because of his feet. Here are a few examples of the cut-in shots:

These show what he is wearing, quite casual clothes (jeans, leather jacket, casual shoes and a shirt). The leather jacket in itself has connotations of 'bad'. This connotation, along with the slamming through the doors at the beginning, gives John Travolta a 'bad boy' image.

There is also an example of a tracking shot in this clip. From this we can establish his settings/environment. This is important as it allows the audience to see where he is important, and allows them to come to terms again with where he is, as now he's left what seemed to be a club. He appears to be walking passed plenty of shops, showing he is on a street. He also seems to have a 'bounce' in the way he walks which, along with his slight smiling, gives the impression that he is happy about something. All these things are made obvious through the shots used, showing the impact shots have on a film.


Finally, the scene ends with John Travolta walking towards the camera as it slightly moves up then back down. The shot begins as a long shot/extreme long shot as he begins to walk towards the camera. Once he is close, he walks up some steps and freezes then disappears, as the background remains. this makes the viewers feel more curious and inquisitive. Due to the quality of this film, it is clear it was made quite a few years ago. Technological convergence means that we now can do these things much more clearly. Throughout this clip, the camera remains only infront, behind and to the left of John Travolta, baring in mind the 180 degree rule. This is important because is means John looks like he is walking the same way the entire way, reducing viewers confusion.

Another Film Example - Night At The Roxbury

             
In this scene, we see a wider variety of shots, an more angles. We see other people walking on the street also, giving a sense of normality, daily life. The light levels in this clip are a lot brighter, portraying daylight and positivity. Compared to the first clip, there is a lot more focus on the mise-en-scene, settings, surroundings.

 Here are a few examples of the surrounding shops used in this clip.


The first shot we see of the main characters is of their feet, walking on the road. It is made clear that they're walking at quite a fast pace, in sync with each other. It's a low angle shot (as the camera is on the or near the ground) as well as a tracking shot (as the camera is more than likely to be on wheels). Throughout the scene, short following shots are used, to show to fluency of the characters (Steve and Doug's) walk. The focus being only on their feet builds audience tension and suspicion as at this point it's not clear who's feet they are. Also, the focus of just their feet is effective as it shows that the feet step in-beat with the diegetic music. The up-beat song, along with the weather and flowers give a spring/summer season to the clip.

This is a simple flow chart of the shots of the main characters used in this clip.

Compared to the Staying Alive clip I used earlier, the shot variety is much higher. This elongates the audiences interest in the film. All of the main elements that should be used to enhance the effects on filming someone walk (e.g. the 180 degree rule and shot variety) is used in this clip.

First we see a shot of the characters' feet, which moves slowly into a 2 mid-shot of them, walking in sync. The camera then moves into a mid-shot of Steve drinking something. This then changes into a tilted low angle shot of Doug walking then into a tilted low angle shot of Steve. After this, there is a long/wide shot of the pair of them together again walking, watching a young lady walk by. They then turn and chase the girl, so it's a shot from behind, into a 3 mid-shot of them with the girl. The final shot is a tracking shot of Steve and Doug walking into a flower shop. Changing from front to back, low shot to mid shot etc allows the audience to see everything from different perspectives, also adding to the interest because it means the viewers aren't just looking from one point of view.

Similar to the clip of John Travolta's walk in Staying Alive, there are plenty of cut-ins of parts of their body while walking, for example, their feet. Both also end with a long shot of the characters converting into a mid-shot as the characters walk towards the camera. However, Night At The Roxbury is less repetitive with the cut-ins used. This could be due to technological convergence and the improvement/development of films over the years has allowed producers to understand this and better film quality. Although this has been a good thing in this aspect, other times it may not be so good as it means audiences have higher expectations of films.

The clip begins and finishes with Steve and Doug together, side by side. This creates a looping, echoing effect. The audience should feel a sense of unity and good friendship between them. This means they familiarise themselves with this aspect of the film, giving them a deeper understanding as well as making them feel their part of the film.