Jordan Radfords Five Thrillers

No Country For Old Men

Evaluation

The opening of No Country For Old Men is extremely eery due to the initial slow establishing shots of the desert with the sun rising just above the horizon. These are incredible shots as a intense mood is created from the orange glow of the sun and lighting is used in such a way that it seems to the audience that all the light there is, is coming from the suns deep glow. This also creates a mysterious mood as the audience cannot see much of their surrounding. However, as the shots progress, more of area is visible to the audience. The mood that is created, some may say, is that it sets it for the rest of the film as the movie gets extremely eery and tense due to the lighting and slow, quiet shots. Also, while, these shots are being shown the non-digetic sound of the radio is being played over the top which helps contribute to the eerie mood that is created. To the audience, it is obvious to where this man speaking comes from due to his accent and vocabularly which sets up the whole film as it becomes clear to the audience, from this and the establishing shots, where the film will take place.

After the first stunning shots, the camera pans from one of them to show a sheriff walking with the antagonist of the film. It is obvious to the audience that this is the antagonist from various shots, such as, when the sherrif is getting into the car, you can see a dark silhouette of the man in the background. Already this conveys enigma to the audience as they have not yet seen the mans face and dont know anything about him - this sort of shot emphasises the enigma of this character hugely. Also, as this is happening, it becomes more and more clear that the man talking is in fact the sherrif in the scene which tells the audience that something going to happen between the antagonist and the victim. Then there is another long shot of the car driving away which closes the voice over. This makes the audience omniscient as the voice over tells them that there will be involvement between the two characters, however, they are still unaware of what, exactly, will happen.

The camera then cuts to a medium close up of the sherrif witht the antagonist in view, to the audience, but not to the victim. This gives the audience even more omniscient as the sherrif is unaware of what the man is doing when all the audience can do is watch. A series of close ups is then used to show the victims claustraphobic feel as he gets strangled by the antagonist. The shot of the two characters feet is extremely good and shows how much pain the victim is going through. After this, the first proper shot of the antagonist is shown with a birds eye view of the event taking place. This shot allows the audience to see the mans facial expression as he is strangling the sherrif and shows the audience what sort of man this is and it makes them feel weary about the rest of the film if they already have figured out that this is the antagonist for the entire film.

Luther

Evaluation

At the very opening of the scene, which isnt shown in this particular video, there is a tracking shot as the police officer goes through a door in the house. However, as he enters the door another man comes through another one, in a different location. Parellel editing is used in this particular shot extremely effectively as it shows a connection between the two characters, however, the audience is unaware of the connection until later on in the opening seqeunce. The camerawork in the chase scene is used differently when shooting each, individual, character to convey how each of them is feeling and reacting to the situation that their in. For example, when filming the man running away the camera movement is quiet shaky and there are many close ups to suggest claustraphobia. On the other hand, when filming Luther, the camera is steady which shows that the character is in a calm and collected state of mind.

The non-digetic soundtrack is very fast paced which tells the audience, almost immediatley, that one character is chansing the other. This use of sound grabs the audiences attention almost straight away as they are already in engaged in the chase, asking the question - will he get away or not? The sound continues in this pacey manner even when the two characters confront one another but then, finally, slows down when one of the characters falls and the characters start talking.

The lighting in the seqeunce is quiet dark in the chase with a few glipses of sunshine bursting through the windows of the building that they are in. This makes a tense atmosphere for the audience due to the location that they are in. This is because the audience has a restricted view as they dont know what the building is and cant see inside it fully due to the slightly dark lighting. When the characters are talking however, sunlight streams onto the side of Luthers face which could imply to the audience that he is in fact the protagonist and not the antagonist which could have been percieved due to the chase scene.

Pulp Fiction

 

Evaluation

Pulp Fiction opens the film with a rather slow opening and not something that puts the audience on the edge of their seat as soon as they start watching. This method allows the audience to get to know the two characters better as they are talking for a long time before the action then starts to kick in. Also, the audience is unawarre of who these characters are but get given more and more clues as the scene progresses until it finally ends with the robbery of the diner. This creates a mysterious mood and enigma is immediatley created around the two characters. Mise en Scene is used to make the couple look ordinary and not, in anyway, look like the antagonists that they are. For example, there are lots of dirty plates etc on the table which suggests that the two characters ate there, spending money. This creates an oposite view of what they actually are, to the audience.

The camerwork in this seqeunce is mainly simple conversational shots and techniques. The initial shot of the scene is a medium shot of both the characters and lasts for a whole 30 seconds. This is an extremely lengthy shot and works quite well as it allows the audience to step back and watch the characters from a non bias point of view. The shot only changes when the waitress comes to pour them coffee. The camera then shoots the womans reaction using the shot/reverse shot technique and the camera returns to its original position. This creates a tedious atmosphere so, therefore, almost forces the audience to listen to what the characters are saying which may be important later on in the film. There is only one close up in the opening seqeunce and that is of the gun to tell the audience that something is going to kick in and grab their attention.

There is no non digetic sound throughout the scene until the very end when the extremely fast paced soundtrack comes in. This grabs the audiences attention even more as they dont expect it when it happens as there was no previous sound, apart from that inside the resturant. The use of sound is so effective because of this contrast that is created. Furthermore, the same sort of effect is used with the editing as it is just staright cut transitions until the pint when the woman starts pointing the gun and the shot becomes a still while the music starts up with a credit on the screen.

Reservoir Dogs

 

Evaluation

At the very begining of the opening scene to Reservoir Dogs, there is a voice over to a couple of credits. This shows that the audience ought to concentrate on the conversation as it is the most important part of the scene. Furthermore, the camera moves around alot during the conversation which obscures a couple of the characters faces emphasising the conversation even more. This slow panning movement is very effective at keeping the conversation interesting for the audience as the camera is constantly focusing on different people (usually using close up shots) so that the audience arent just watching the same shot for a long period of time. Also, there are alot of depth of field shots when focusing on a character behind another ones shoulder or back, for example. The camera work emphasises the casual atmosphere with a casual conversation.

The Mise en Scene in the opening scene tells the audience alot about the characters. This is due to all of them wearing suits and smoking cigars ehich tells the audience that these men look proffessional and that they could be involved in crime in some way or the other. In the group of people, there are men all ages which may imply to the audience that some of them have been involved in this assosciation for a long time and have gone through some things. This leaves room for there to be enigma later on in the film, when more is revealed about the characters. Also, many of the men are wearing jewellery which implys that they are wealthy and then the question is asked - what are their jobs/way of earning a living?

There is not much 'fancy' editing in the seqeunce as it is mainly straight cuts to emphasise the use of shot/reverse shot in the mens conversation. However, at the end of the scene there is a fade out along with a voice over to show the opening has come to an end and the film is about to start for real. Also, music begins to kick in after the men have left the cafe which speeds up the pace of the film due to there being only digetic sound until that point of the film. The music then continues as the characters are walking along next to each other which then confirms the idea of them all being in some kind of mob or gang as the audience can see that they are all, pretty much, wearing the same things

 The Departed

 

Evaluation

The voice over at the beggining of the film is very effective at getting the audience to listen to whats being said and watch the footage being shown. The showing of old footage from 'some years ago' grabs the audiences attention as they become awarre of a connection between old and new which will take place in the film, at some point. The camera work at the beggining of the clip shows an extreme long shot of Boston city from the past but it is clear that this will be the location where the film will be set in present day aswell. The camera then cuts to a slow pan of a man (with the voice over still going) and lighting has been used so that the character is not very visible but is instead a silhouette. This then creates an enigma for the character as the audience is not clear on how he looks due to his face being hidden. After, the shot of the silhouette the camera then moves from outside the shop to inside of it in one sweeping motion, this then tells the audience where the next scene is taking place. Also, it is used to match the mans action as he walks in also at a similar time and pace.

The Mise en Scene in the scene shows the character has some sort of power over the workers in the cafe/diner. This is due to sim just walking into the cafe without saying anything and the worker automatically gets money out of the till for the man. Throughout this shot the mans face still remains covered by the dark use of lighting. Positioning is a factor when talking about power here as it is the opposite of what you may expect. This is due to the man behind the counter having less power than the man on the other side. This implys many things to the audience and starts getting them asking questions about the man. Editing is used in the seqeunce to portray the connection between the past and present day but mainly, apart from that, it is standard editing used for conversational purposes.

The sound in the clip is extremely effective as, pretty much, throughout the whole scene there is non digetic soundtrack being played with its volume increasing and decreasing throughout. Also, the voice over is very good as it creates a narrative early for the audience.

 

 

  

Matt's 5 thrillers

http://vimeo.com/7695947

Fight Club

The title sequence is a CGI of the narrator’s brain which the camera scans along at a fast rate. This looks very dark and creepy with the flashing. Alongside this sequence there is intense rock music which is also slightly eerie. This image then zooms into an extreme close up through the sights of a gun. This really builds the tension as the camera zooms out to show the gun barrel in the protagonist’s mouth. There is a shallow depth of field which details the gun and blurs the face but as the camera scans up the gun barrel the depth of field changes to show the protagonist’s sweat covered, fearful expression as his eyes open wide. The camera then changes shot so the side of the two characters showing only the hand holding the gun and the protagonist’s face, it then changes to a over the shoulder shot from the protagonist’s eye level which is low as he is in a chair, it shows a character towering over the protagonist, this makes the other man look dominant. This is called restricted narration. The narrator’s voice is very calm and casual; this is in contrast to drama of the opening sequence. Mise on scène is used to create questions, the room is very dark with cables running across the floor, the only information that the audience is given about the building is that it’s a skyscraper in a city from the backgrounds of the shots, although even this is slightly hidden in shallow depth of field.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M17kHj-TNOc

Sin City

The first thing that strikes you in Sin City is the use of colour ,The first shot in Sin City is an establishing shot of an urban city in which you can see a woman from behind. The only colour used in this shot is the vibrant red of the woman’s dress; this makes it clear she is an important character in this scene. This establishing shot creates a relaxed but eerie mood, it is also has a slow pace. There is soft non diegetic music played at the beginning which matches the women measured walk to the edge of the balcony. There is also some diegetic sound which creates a relaxed atmosphere such as the women’s soft footsteps. There is also subtle quiet traffic noise in the background. The narrators voice then comes in which is nearly a whisper; this also reinforces the relaxed mood created. As the camera shot changes to a long shot of the women, it is clear that a man is approaching her from behind at a stroll pace, although low key lighting is used at first to conceal his identity as light is shown from behind to show the man as a silhouette; this creates suspense. The low key lighting creates a sense of mystery. As the man offers the women a cigarette a close up of the transaction is shown, this shows a connection between the two characters. While the two characters are in dialog the subtle diegetic music returns, and gets louder as they approach each other to kiss, also as they approach it begins to rain, which is in contrast to the innocence of a kiss. When they kiss the camera shot changes to a long shot with the two characters being white silhouettes against a black background. This makes the scene more passionate as the two become one shape as a silhouette. After the kiss they stare at each other, then suddenly he shoots her without her ever knowing it was coming, this was in complete contrast to the rest of the scene as it seemed a mellow picture. After he has shot her he holds her and the camera tilts up to see his face, due to clever side lighting it shows the side of his face which is hidden in the dark, this brings back the feeling of mystery which was given when the man first appeared. The camera then switches to a shot from a high angle looking downwards upon the two alongside the rain this creates a really passionate scene. The camera then zooms out and flies across the city, with some non diegetic music which is darker and far more intense than that of the music previous.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6msq8mgdnE

The Usual Suspects

At the beginning of the scene you hear a match being lit this then provides light which enables you to see a book of matches being lit. The cameras then switches to a medium close up, showing a man clearly in some distress, lighting a cigarette. The camera then shows a barrel leaking some fluids, the camera then returns to the man which reveals he is sitting in a very grim environment. He is sitting on an old rusty boat surrounded by barrels and crates. It’s a very dark scene with flittering flames creating a dark atmosphere. As the man throws the book of matches it lights a line of petrol which begins to ignite to the source. The camera then pans to follow the fire, this builds suspense for the audience. As the camera follows the flame it builds tension, until it passes a bloody corpse lying on the floor. This creates a sense of danger. The camera shot then changes so as the flame approaches it, until petrol drops down just in front of the camera. The camera then switches so as is partially block by the corpse, then tilts upwards while looking at the falling petrol to see a man holding a barrel. Although due to low key lighting and restricted narration neither his face nor his identity is revealed. This creates suspense and mystery. The camera then returns to the sitting man, as he closes his eyes and lets his head fall. The camera then follows the other man as he walks down a set of stairs from where he was standing. Due to clever lighting and camera work his identity is still not revealed, as he is lit from behind making him appear almost as a silhouette, as well as when the camera follows him it stays slightly below to keep his face hidden, this builds more tension and mystery as the audience fear for what will happen to the seated man as the stranger approaches him. The stranger walks at a slow pace to increase suspense. Once the stranger has approached the man the camera changes to a cut in as he pulls out a lighter and slowly moves it towards his face, this builds more suspense as the audience think the camera will follow the lighter to reveal the man’s face, although it stays fixed on his body creating more mystery. The camera then switches to a over the shoulder shot but from below the strangers shoulder as to keep his appearance a mystery and to build tension, also the seated man is now looking up at the stranger, showing the strangers dominance. The camera then returns to a cut in to show the stranger put in the lighter back in his pocket. The camera then switches to the previous shot where the stranger reveals a gun, although this is slightly hidden due to the use of shallow depth of field. There is some more camera work using shot reverse shot between the two characters, and then the shot changes to a cut in of the stranger aiming the gun.  Then the camera completely changes to a long shot of old boat, this builds yet another element of mystery to the scene. The camera then changes several times showing the boat from different sides and angles. One of the shots of the boat shows the light reflecting of the water and onto the boat which creates an eerie mood as the water ripples. The camera then shows more petrol leaking then back to a cut in of the stranger dropping a cigarette onto the floor as it sets alight. This is in slow motion as to build tension. It then shows the stranger climbing down a ladder in a long shot as a silhouette. The camera the slowly begins to zoom in towards a pile of ropes with small explosions going on in the back ground, then shows a long shot of the explosion then back to slowly zooming in to the ropes this builds tension and suspense as the audience wonder what will happen once the camera has finished zooming, this is revealed when they fade from the ropes to a new scene.

At the very beginning there is some non diegetic music of one note being played on a piano which fades, this creates an eerie mood. The diegetic sound at the begging is also eerie as you can constantly hear the petrol hitting the floor. As the camera pans up to see the stranger sinister music begins to play which creates a dark mood. As the man walks down the steps his footsteps are very loud and precise which increase tension and the very dark atmosphere. After the gun has been fired there is diegetic thunder in the background which is very subtle, but adds to the dark, eerie atmosphere. As the flame ignites after the stranger’s cigarette is dropped the music becomes more intense and increases the dark atmosphere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dSQajsHYCQ

Piranha 3D

At the beginning of the title there is a establishing shot which shows a mountainous and desert like landscape. Mise en scene is used to create the surrounds to seem baron and abandoned which adds to the atmosphere. The camera begins to slowly pan to the right, this creates an eerie mood alongside the diegetic sound of the wind. This theme of eeriness is continued when the shot changes to show a old sign creaking in the wind. The sign reads something quite mysterious although it raises the tension due to the eeriness established. Non diegetic sound then begins to play the music is very eerie which adds to the atmosphere. The shot changes to a reptile which creeps along a rock which adds to the eeriness. The camera then changes to another establishing shot, this time showing a river. More diegetic sound is played to get the audience adapted to the new environment such as birds and the water rippling, although the music is quietened the theme of eeriness continues. You then hear the sound of a radio playing old music which continues the theme. Then there is a very wide shot of a man in the middle of a river, this alongside the music creates tension. There is an underwater shot of beer bottles hitting each other which sounds eerie under the water. The camera then changes to a medium close up of a man sitting in a boat singing, the man singing in the boat takes away some of the eeriness but you are still reminded of it due to the sounds of the water. The camera work until the man gets a bite is very slow, but afterwards the cuts become much more frequent, this builds tension and suspense. When a beer bottle sinks down the water the camera follows it, the deeper it goes the darker it gets which builds tension as well as eeriness and creates a dark atmosphere. Tension is then built up by suggesting that something’s happening under the water by showing different places of ground shaking, also tension is raised by more non diegetic music returning. The camera then does a POV shot of what’s under the water moving erratically this adds pace and suspense as well as tension to the scene. When the camera returns to show the man it’s shaking. As the whirlpool spins the music gets faster and faster raising tension and giving an element of danger. Once the man’s in the water all movement is fast paced and erratic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bjA-4no1ZY

Strangers on a train

At the beginning a taxi approaches the camera, a man gets out but you can only see his lower body through clever use of restricted narration, the music is non diegetic and upbeat, this creates an element of mystery. Another man then gets out of an identical taxi, in a very similar fashion, the only subtle difference being their shoes and luggage. One of the men has white shoes making him easier to spot and recognise. This shows a connection between the two characters, this also creates mystery. Both men have people who carry their luggage for them suggesting they are wealthy or people of importance. The camera then follows both of them using cut in shots of their legs, as they walk through a busy station. The camera then shows several people going through a barrier in a near identical manner, the man with the white shoes is just recognisable but you only see him from behind and he is wearing a hat, meaning anyone of them could be the other man from the taxi, creating suspense and mystery. There is then a POV camera shot of a train, there is then a fade, after the fade the music becomes quieter and less forceful which shows the gentleman in the white shows walking along the train then sit down in a casual manner. It then shows the other man walking and sits down opposite him, as their shoes touch under the table; this creates suspense as the audience now really anticipate knowing the connection between the two. Mise en scene is used to create a upper class, well polished environment with everyone in suits, and dressed smart.

Matt's Evaluation

Evaluation of Preliminary Matt Coghlan

I believe our preliminary was a great success, the only problem was a slight continuity error in where our actor is shown opening a door the walking through from the other side, although the doors do not match up. Although this is not very noticeable and doesn’t hinder the film’s effect.

We felt it was very important to use a range of camera shots to keep the audience engaged and excited.  When editing we also varied the order of the camera shots so we could avoid having to of the same shots in a row. We also only used straight cuts this could be seen as a negative thing although we felt it was necessary to keep the pace of the film.

To avoid continuity problems in the actors clothing, we choose to film all the scenes in one day, this made great continuity.  For our next project, the thriller opening I think we could improve by using different types of cuts, and using artificial lighting to create a mood.

Alex's Five Thrillers

The Disappearance of Alice Creed

Evaluation

The opening of "The Disappearance of Alice Creed" shows two men preparing to take part in a kidnapping. There is no dialogue whatsoever for the first five minutes, this is were both diegetic and non-diegetic sound take their toll in creating suspense and tension. The music slowly gets louder and faster in pace throughout the clip (apart from when the room is empty). This helps create tension as it slowly builds the viewer up to the kidnapping. Also the diegetic sounds of the equipment is used (drill) adds to the fast pace that helps the suspense.

There are a variety of shots used throughout this clip as well. The type of shot used the most is a CU. CUs were used when the men were using the equipment, and the men grabbing materials when they were shopping. These CUs allow us to see clearly they are preparing for a kidnapping. The CU at the rope concludes this to most viewers.

This scene has been very well thought out. The sounds and shots point out what is going to happen, so suspense is built and grows throughout the clip.

The Dark Knight

Evaluation
The opening of "The Dark Knight" is an extremely action-packed scene. It is a bank robbery planned by the Joker, and the scene has been put together fantastically. Sound is a crucial factor to this opening. The music is synchronized with what is going on in the scene. When there is shoot-out between the bank worker and the two robbers, the music volume and depth increases. However, when the Joker takes part in dialogue with his colleague and the injured bank worker, the music volume decreases, and drifts into little volume at all. The music contributes to making this a thriller. It makes the scene feel like constant action due to its fast pace.

A variation of shots have been used. An ELS is used when the two robbers zip wire from building to building. This combined with a very high angle allows us to see how high they are and how long the zip wire is. From this shot, we can see they are very high, giving a sense of extreme danger. When the robbers enter the building, the panning shots gives a lot of information. The pan shot allows us to see "bank" at the corner of the screen. This is important because it verifies what these guys are doing, robbing a bank.

The Mise En Scene of this scene is has been set out so we know that it is set in a bank. We know this is in a bank due to several shots. When the robbers enter the building, we can see it is a bank because of all the help desks. Also, the shot of when the robber is opening a very "big" vault gives this away too. As referred to before, the shot of when the robbers enter the building, the words "Bank" in the corner of the screen give this away too.

This has scene has been constructed magnificently. It is definitely a thriller because, although it doesn't cause much suspense or tension, it keeps a constant thrill of action. The shots and sounds help create this thrill, and the scene has been constructed so we know that is is a bank heist.

Snatch


Evaluation
The opening scene of "Snatch" shows a HUGE contrast between calm and chaos. Sound takes a huge part in showing this transition. When the camera zooms on the man who exposes his weapons, the music changes from calm and peaceful tune to a loud, chaotic sound. This music transition helps create a sense of surprise and chaos. This music keeps going for the rest of the heist.

Editing also takes an important roll in this scene. When the man exposes his weapons, the camera continuously rotates when it the camera zooms in. This creates a sense of chaos and disorientation as this is a surprise attack. These rotations are also used to create a transition into another cut. This speeds up the pace of the clip also helping to create a thrilling effect.

CUs are constantly used in this scene. The most important CU is when the camera is focused close to diamonds. From this shot we as viewers realize that this is what the heist is all about. This is what makes this shot important.

Narc

Evaluation
The opening Scene of "Narc" is an extremely fast paced scene and this is contributed heavily from the camera movement. At the beginning of the scene, the when there is a tracking shot of the man, the camera is moving around extremely quickly. This causes a sense of rushing and disorientation. The tracking shot and camera movement contributes heavily to the thrill of the scene.

The Mise En Scene of the scene has been set out so we know this is a poor, suburban area. All the buildings look like flats and the streets are full of litter. At the very beginning of the scene, the house's front garden is filled with litter. This is used so we know this is a poor area.

The only sound used is diegetic. You can only hear what the character can hear. The screams, ambiance and movement sounds create a "real" feel of the scene, and it makes the us, the viewer, feel like we're actually there. This is a fantastic effect to have.

Kill Bill Vol.1

 Evaluation
The opening scene of "Kill Bill Vol.1" is a very unnerving opening. Sound plays an important part of this scene. Diegetic sounds are only used. These sounds help create minor tension. The footsteps of the male unnerves as the audience, as we have no idea what is going on. These footsteps start before we see them, so a sound bridge has been used. All we are seeing is a battered woman on the floor. Another important use of sound is the cocking of the firearm. We hear this sound during the man's dialogue, and this creates tension as we get an idea of what is going to happen next.


The editing of this scene creates a very gritty and bloody atmosphere. The black and white filter shows up the woman's injuries and blood much more. As the woman's face is the first thing we see, this helps create an unnerving atmosphere.

We only see two shots of the see. Majority of the scene is the CU of the woman's face, and the man's feet. The CU has been used on the woman's face so we see her facial injuries more. This shows more of an aftermath of what as just happened, so as a viewer this creates a mood of intense danger.

This scene is very slow paced. But the editing, lighting and sounds turn it into an unnerving scene, which shows it has been made successfully to watch.

Alex's Evaluation

In our preliminary film we used a variety of shots, we used shots such as LS, CU, MS, 2 shot and more. We also used low angles and high angles throughout the film. I think we were successful with camera use.  I believe most of our shots were framed well, and were appropriate.

However, there were faults with our work. The doors at 0:17 did not match up. This is a bad mistake. Also, the framing at 0:59 was off due to the position our camera was in (in the very corner of the room).

If we were to have another chance to film this scene, I would suggest having quiet music during the dialogue to build a bit more of a thrill. I would also have used a new room to match up with the doors.

In conclusion, I believe our group met the brief very well, and that we completed our first time of filming and editing successfully.

Liam's Five Thrillers

FILM 1 - I AM LEGEND

The first shot is a tracking, establishing shot, this gives us a sense of a deserted and lack of positive feeling when there is nobody around but him. It then moves into another tracking shot but this time from the front of the characters and backing away from them, we see Will Smith with a gun and his dog by his side moving slowly through a patch of long grass, he seems intimidated by the big city ahead of him and this creates danger. Next a close up of him and the dog to show both of there emotions, which is pretty bland but still gives us a nervy feeling. After this a tracking shot from the side, behind parked cars, it makes it feel like its from a perspective and somebody is watching the two characters, this lures us into a false sense of security, it suddenly changes to behind them again making us think there are more things following them. Then what looks like a point of view shot from the dog is used to capture an intense brawl between a lion and a deer. Finally a close up of Will Smiths face and his watch imitate the shear importance of what is about to happen.

The sound during the whole opening has no dialogue throughout apart from near the end where he talks to his dog, this echoes what I have already said of luring us into a feeling of something about to happen and dangerous context. As it moves on into the opening further and further more sound is produced each time, for example when they go from walking into a swift jog, there are heavier footsteps. Then how the lions attack the deer, there is a ferocious. As soon as he speaks to his dog, ‘lets go Sam’, and the end shot of the opening comes in, faint, dark music begins to play.

It is based in Manhattan, New York, however the city is deserted and some what blown up into devastation, the lighting is as it would be at dawn or dusk. This compliments how evil and dark the city looks and gives a feeling of danger and curiosity. His costuming and equipment has a real meaning to it, a sense of protection and very prepared. The gun shows how dangerous the environment that he trespasses in is. The acting itself is very well done, however alarmed the audience is, he is calm and very confident, obviously showing he knows exactly what he’s doing and that he’s a brave character.


FILM 2 - INCEPTION

The first shot in inception is a establishing shot of the beach where the action first takes place. Throughout this opening many different shots are used, there are two main close ups, one of the items the stranded man possesses and secondly of the man himself. These both have strong meanings towards the whole film and contribute to the resulting ending. There is shallow depth of field at a scene on the beach which gives a good effect on the child playing in the sand. There are also various angles of shot for example, the low angle at the start where the soldier pokes the gun into Decaprio’s back.

The first sounds in the opening is waves crashing into the shore as the character lays there motionless, this creates a great effect of uncertainness, this evolves into footsteps and joyful shouts and talking from what sounds like small children. You then here a sound bridge from the scene on the beach to the dialogue taken place in the office like room, after this scene all is quiet till a ‘chinking’ sound as the actor if eating from a china bowl.

It is first set on a beach, which looks to be a small military watch out that has guards all around. This gives us a feeling of insecurity and that something bad or dangerous could happen at any moment, this is also due to the man washed up on the beach. The costuming is very classic yet original, it makes the film feel less modern then maybe it should, for one the old style of rifles gives the impression it is set some time ago.


FILM 3 - INSIDE MAN

The first shot is an ongoing shot over a very long period, it is a close up of the character, as this shot of his face in mid screen continues, the background made up of different bricks changes to similar backgrounds of bricks. This shows that he may well be in prison or just in a confined space. As it moves on, a dissolve takes place into what looks like a deserted fair ground, giving a feeling of uncertainty and an abandoned place. Finally a number of tracking shots following a particular van take place. This gives an idea of how the van may later become important towards the whole film itself. The final shot of the opening is a close up of a woman in the van, she is half masked and has a pair of sunglasses on,

At the very start of the opening all we hear is the actor begin to speak, he speaks with a very serious tone of voice indicating there is no humour involved. The man that speaks, speaks also very slowly, this defines how he is read, he makes himself feared in a mischievous but cunning way. Just before he stops talking a soundtrack starts to play, this acts as a sound bridge to the next set of shots which are at a fairground then the tracking shots also get linked in. The music is of an Asian theme, giving a fast paced tempo to what is happening prior to following the van.

The first setting is set in what looks like a small room such as a prison cell. As the first shot goes on, the background behind him changes, this changes with different tones and colours of bricks dissolving into each other. As the opening progresses, the scene of an empty theme park is used to link the man in the room to the scene with a van driving through a state in the United States. This is identified due to the view of colossal bridges and buildings, then near the end a flag representing the USA. As the van the camera follows, people are picked up along the way. They are all wearing white overall, hinting crime maybe about to take place.


FILM 4 - TERMINATOR 2

The first shot is a pan crossed with a crane shot where the camera is rises upwards, after a short fade, the next shot is another pan but this time a sort of panning track shot. A tilt is then you, this also evolves into a low angle used to establish the figure of a robotic creature. After this a number of various different speeds and angles of tracking and pan shots are taken to capture all the action possible. This gives us a full look of what’s going on and makes it easier to find out what is going on at that exact moment. Close ups are taken of soldiers faces to catch expression and emotion, close ups are also used on robots, such as there guns and body parts to realise the significance of them.

To start off with all we hear is the sound of a light brush of wind, then to create an effect of shock, a crushing sound is used when a robot stamps on a skull, this is done without people knowing its going to happen, this is also known as restrictive narrative where the audience doesn’t know what exactly is going to happen. There is then a huge number of, explosions, gun shots and screams in very quick succession, this builds up the tempo and excited of the at such an early point. This all works well because it tell you, all about the film as soon as it begins, yet there is still a lot of explanation due to how everything has occurred. There is a voice over of a woman speaking and telling the story throughout, her tone of voice also makes it sound more frightening.

It is set in a very futuristic time, and it seems to be a land of the dead by all the skeletons and skulls everywhere, this creates a sense of fear and high potential danger in this setting itself. Apart from the computer animated robots and machines, the dress and costume of the other characters is full army clothing. The colours throughout are very dark as it appears to be at early hours in the morning or night, the sci-fi gun bullets are then bright luminous colours with stand out very well on such dark background.

Liam's Evaluation

I think our preliminary filming and editing went extremely successful, we worked very hard to make ever scene match up, although we unexpectedly came to a fault where an actor was shown walking through one door and opening it the other side, these doors did not match up co-ordinately.

We used a wide range of various different shots, including many angles and shot sizes, we also manage to fit in a point of view shot and a 2 shot. This all came out very well and framing is crucial and was nearly met to precision every single time.

We used music with the build up to the main event, I believe this worked very well to create tension and atmosphere that signalled something was about to happen.

If we had another chance to improve our project I believe that the problem with the doors could be fixed and half way through there was also a focusing issue where a slight blur came up. We could also have used artificial lighting, However it was redeemed by not breaking the 180 degree rule and there was no continuity problems with clothing.

Finished Preliminary Film

Evaluation of Preliminary - Jordan Radford

In our preliminary film, we used a variety of shots to not bore the audience and used them in a specific order so that one shot would be followed by a completely different one for versatility. In the editing, we used, mainly, straight cuts to keep the pace of the film up but failed to use any other transitions such as fade and dissolve. This is something that we could improve on when doing our thriller opening.

In the film, there are no continuity errors in the dress of the actors as we filmed it all in one day but there is,  however, a continuity error as we use two doors which dont match up in the film. We did not use any artificial lighting in the film also which is a problem and is something we could improve on in the future. All in all, i think that the finished product was a success as we ticked all of the boxes and used techniques like shot/reverse shot, panning and we did not break the 180 degree rule.

Finished the filming!

Horray! We finished the fiilming! We are now in to editing but have spotted a couple of mistakes. One of which is that the two doors do not match when they are meant to be the same door (to the audience). The second mistake is that the camera goes slightly out of focus on one of the shots due to lighting. We have done our best to hide these mistakes when editing. JMAL