Practical Coursework : Questions 1 and 2

1. We will get hold of eachother through school. We always see eachother and if we do not, then messages can be passed on by others in the group. also we all have eachothers phone numbers, so we can easily get hold of eachother that way as well.

2. I think taht at the moment, i am quite orgainised, but in my opinion i think i need to learn the technical terms more, so that my writing is fluent and i am using the correct terminology.

Practical Coursework : Certification Research - 5

Universal - All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children.

12A - Suitable for those aged 12 and over. Those aged under 12 are only admitted if accompanied by an adult at all times during the performance. (Replaced the standard 12 certificate for cinema releases in 2002.)

12 - Suitable only for those aged 12 and over. Nobody younger than 12 can rent or buy a 12 rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game. (Used for cinema as well before getting replaced by 12A in 2002)

15 - Suitable only for those aged 15 and over. Nobody younger than 15 can see a 15 film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 can rent or buy a 15 rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game.

18 - Suitable only for adults. Nobody younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 can rent or buy an 18 rated VHS, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, UMD or game.

Restricted 18 - For adults only. May only be shown at licensed cinemas or sold at sex shops, and only to people aged 18 or over.

Practical Coursework : Location Scouting - 4

Transport links - I have a train station within 3 miles of my house, so i can easily get a train to the location i need to, i also have a bus stop at the end of my road, so i have another way of getting to the place we are working. We have a big forest that is a five minute walk from my house taht could be filmed in. If i cannot get to the location i need to by train, bus or walking, then i can get a lift with my parents.

Homes - We are allowed to film at my house if we need to, also alterations may be made as long as they are put back at the end.

Local Area - There a few places in my village where an atmosphere can be created, for example a big forest, which is a five minutes walk away from my house. there are also a lot of big fields with a huge open space, with lots trees around the outside of them to give tension. also some pathways, which are covered by trees, where if you were walking alone, a sense of fear can be shown.


Sources Of Lighting - When in a forest, we would not be able to use plugs, but a battery powered camera can be used. I do not knpw of anyone with a very powerful torch, but could obtain one if i needed to get one.

Paranormal Activity

I went to see Paranormal Activity in the cinema, and i didnt think it was that good. It was about a couple who live together, and the girl has had strange things happen since she was young and she thinks it is a demon or ghost that is following her. So her and her boyfriend set up a video camera and use it constantly thorughout the film. I did like this as it gave a very realistic effect and it looked like it was real. Throughout the film, strange things kept happenning, like banging on the walls and thumping up the stairs while the couple were asleep in bed, but then it stopped which i thought was quite boring as the audience was expecting something big to happen.
I think the only really thrilling bit was at the end where the girl gets taken over by the demon and attacks her boyfriend, who then dies. Also, in the middle of the film, there was one bit i thought was quite thrilling. This was when the couple were in bed, and the girl gets out of bed, and stands still, staring at her boyfriend for around three hours. You can tell how long it took because at the bottom of the screen there was the time, and it went from about 1 o'clock to about 4 o'clock and it was moving very fast, like on fast forward which i thought was very effective. :p

Practical Coursework : Organisation Elements - 3

When carrying out our preliminary coursework assignment, we learnt many skills and techniques. for example we learnt how to position the camera in the correct place so that we got the exact shot we needed. This was also done by zooming in and out on certain objects to make the object stand out and be visible. We also learned how to pan the camera with the correct timing to keep up with the character being filmed. When working as a team, we found that we all got on well together and each did an equal amount of work. When filming, we all organised who would do the different jobs, for example who would be singing and who would be filming certain bits. we decided that instead of creating a speech, we would sing a song in the style of an X factor show. we also decided that the two that were not singing would act as judges. When an idea was raised, evryone in the group listened to eachother and we took all ideas into consideration, this shows that each member of the group respected on another.     

5. Certification Research

U - Universal

Suitable for all
It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances to any violence, threat or horror.
If a work is particularly suitable for a pre-school child to view alone, this will be indicated in the Consumer Advice.

PG - Parental Guidance
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children.
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch. A ‘PG’ film should not disturb a child aged around eight or older. However, parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset younger or more sensitive children.

12A/12

Suitable for 12 years and over
Exactly the same criteria are used to classify works at ‘12A’ and ‘12’. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. Works classified at these categories may upset children under 12 or contain material which  many parents will find unsuitable for them.
The ‘12A’ category exists only for cinema films. No one younger than 12 may see a ‘12A’ film in a cinema unless accompanied by an adult, and films classified ‘12A’ are not recommended for a child below 12. An adult may take a younger child if, in their judgement, the film is suitable for that particular child. In such circumstances, responsibility for allowing a child under 12 to view lies with the accompanying adult.
The ‘12’ category exists only for video works. No one younger than 12 may rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video work.

15

Suitable only for 15 years and over
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work

18

Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video work.

R18

To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years.
The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ videos may not be supplied by mail order.  



 

Evaluation of Preliminary Coursework

What our Coursework was about 

Instead of doing a speech we though it would be a good idea to do an x-factor like scene. The contestant would walk in and then start singing. The people who were behind the camera and not singing were the two judges.

3. What skills did you learn and develop? 

 -Better idea of how to use Final cut express, I was un aware of the program and how to use it before this piece of Coursework
-I learnt how to use the video camera effectively (different camera angle and the effect they create) 

What were your teamwork experiences?

- You have to work as a team to get the coursework done
-We made sure we agreed on something as a group before we did it
-We listened to everyone's points and took them into consideration
-We found it easy to work together as we all knew each.

4. Location Scouting

-I can get to anywhere as if I cant there by foot,train,bus my parent will give me a lift
-We are aloud to film at my house
-An atmospheric place is the forest which is a 5 minute walk away from where I live, obviously there is no power plugs. It would have to be battery power only.
-I dont no anyone with powerful torches but i could get hold of one if we needed one.

Thriller and suspense films

Thriller and Suspense Films are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. Thriller and suspense films are virtually synonymous and interchangeable categorizations, with similar characteristics and features.

Character Codes

Characters in thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitious individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

Panic Room

 Silence of the lambs research and ideas


When looking at a thriller film many film settings came into my head, but what appealed to me the most was an idea of a scene in a big tall forest. By using a setting such as this it creates a scary, quiet and lonely atmosphere and i think would be good as a setting for the beginning our film.

Silence of the lambs appealed to me and help aid an idea of a big dark forest setting. This gives us some idea's of certain camera shots we could incorporate into our scene. Right from the beginning with the use of tense and suspicious music Silence of the lambs grabs your attention making you want to carry on watching. In our opening scene we should aim for something like this. I think that to make a film scary it needs good sound effects, as a group we need to get good sounds for our scene. we want it to sound professional and realistic and actually spark thoughts and feelings as people watch it.

When looking at silence of the lambs i noticed the unique lighting, its natural and yet scarily dark. Although the opening scene for silence of the lambs is inspiring, I'm not to keen on the credit font and how it is used. it makes the film feel tacky and cheap, but there use of setting and lighting makes up for that. When making out opening scene i want to make sure we have a good font and colour to our setting that links to the film.

I really like the camera shot where the girl is running and its focused behind her and you can see her shoulders up, and her breathing rate as shes running. I think that would be a great way to start our scene. And finally i like the contrast towards the end of the opening scene as it lights up, as you can see the natural lighting of the sun coming through the trees, i think this use of contrast is really effective.

Analysis of Cloverfield

When watching the clip, it starts off with a happy atmosphere as there is a surprise party, the sound effects are fast moving music and people cheering (having a good time). The atmosphere changes when the screen goes dark and when car alarms go off. There is also a loud strange noise which changes the mood of the party, people start to worry but then then lights come back on. We find out when something has happened when the news bulletin comes on. The people go outside to see if they can see or hear anything and then the loud noise comes back and there is a big explosion, what we can see in the distance. The atmosphere has changed from people worrying to people being frightened. People start to panic and try and run away from what people think is a monster. We then get a glimpse of the monster but people turn and run when it starts throwing objects.

The camera (1st Person) is a key role in creating the atmosphere because it makes you feel like you are there, you can see and hear what everyone around you can see and hear. The sound effects also play a key role in the atmosphere as you can hear the sound effects of the people (screaming) and because the monsters noise tells us that something bad is about to happen. The light effects add to the reality as most of the lighting is like what you would see in real life. This works well with the 1st person camera view as it is suppose to make you feel like you are there.

 (The camera effects make you feel like you are there)

Themes, Events, Narrative Stuctue and Characters in Thrillers

Themes
-murder
-death
-action
-crime
-identity

Events
-running through forest
-strange noises
-shadows
-extraordinary events
-echoes

Narrative Structure
-atmosphere
-suspense
-false paths
-complex
-enigmas

Characters
-detectives
-proagonist with flow
-antagonist

What is in an opening scene?

Set the scene
establishing shot
prduction list
titles
master shot
details of the cast and crew
introduction to character
indication of place
indication of historical period
information regarding mood and tone
information about the genre
patterns and types of editing that will be echoed in the remainder of the film.

Silence of the lambs opening scene

Some examples of thriller genres

The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres:

• Action thriller: In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. Notable examples are the James Bond films, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne novels and films.
• Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlum fall into this category, as do films such as Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, and JFK.
• Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven, The Godfather, Reservoir Dogs, Inside Man, and The Asphalt Jungle.
• Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen, Tremor by Winston Graham, and the 1974 film Earthquake.
• Drama thriller: In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
• Eco-thriller: In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity, often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues. Futuristic eco-thrillers are of the science fiction genre that propose ideas that will or may occur and include such works as Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy and Ian Irvine's Human Rites Trilogy and Dasavathaaram.
• Erotic thriller: In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill, Color of Night, Eyes Wide Shut, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Obsessed, and In the Cut.
• Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
• Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.
• Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film Agency.
• Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers) and The Good Son starring Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin.
• Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction): In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia, with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller).
• Techno-thriller: In which (typically military) technology is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Techno thriller".
• Religious thriller: In which the plot is closely connected to religious objects, institutions and questions. While suspense stories have always shown a significant affinity for religion and philosophical issues (G.K. Chesterton's novel The Man Who Was Thursday has been called a "metaphysical thriller"; and Umberto Eco's novels The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum both display thriller characteristics), Dan Brown's 2003 best-seller The Da Vinci Code has lead to a current boom in religiously oriented thrillers. 

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Seven

In class we recently looked at a thriller called SEVEN

Here is the opening title sequence



The opening scene of Seven creates a lot of suspense. During the title sequence, there is creepy music playing in the background, and it quite dark and scary and draws in the audience with its slow bass. As the music is playing, the scene is going on. The scene is of an unknown person who we see doing all sorts of different things. it shows pictures of a diary which he is writing, and lots of different pictures that look hand drawn. These pictures create a lot of suspense as they are not normal and raises many questions, such as 'What is this person doing?' and it draws in the audience. It also builds up the character to be strange so the audience would want to see his face and learn about him and what he is trying to do. Also in the opening sequence of this film, the colours are very limited. The main colours are very dark and mysterious, such as blacks, browns and some orange and red, which i think is also effective because red is a sign of danger. On the whole, the title sequence of Seven creates a dark, disturbing and cold atmosphere.

Examples of Thrillers

Cloverfield

KNOWING

When watching the opening scene of Knowing, a lot of atmosphere is created with the sounds used. There are a lot of sudden bangs and the music in the background makes you feel as if something bad is going to happen. At first, it starts of with a happy atmosphere, until the boy find the numbers on the paper in the ground. after this everything starts to get tense, with the music changing from delicate to intense. As the boy finds the list of dates, it changes to slow motion. when this happens, you know that something bad will happen. As the disasters start to appear, there are many pictures of various disasters that appear on the screen and the colour used starts to darken giving even more atmosphere.

What is a Thriller?

From research i have done a Thriller is-

A book or film which is designed to keep the reader or viewer on edge with suspenseful and sensational action. Thrillers have also been produced in the radio, theater, and television media. This genre is incredibly large, and thrillers often overlap with pieces of work produced in other genres; mysteries, for example, are often thrillers. Many people find thrillers very enjoyable, and they appreciate the fast pacing and complex plots associated with this genre.

Several characteristics help to define a thriller. Thrillers typically involve sudden plot twists and lots of red herrings, for example, keeping people unsure about what is going to happen. This suspense can get almost unbearable, especially in a long piece or a television series. Thrillers also have a lot of action, which is often chaotic, and they typically feature resourceful heroes and exotic settings.

The plots of thrillers can vary widely. Some are supernatural, for example, centering around mystical antagonists. Others are scientific or medical in nature, forcing their protagonists to contend with biological agents or mysterious scientific happenings. Some are simply straight mysteries with clever, horrific, or intriguing antagonists, while others be focused on the inner workings of the legal system, environmental threats, technology, or natural disasters. One long-established thriller genre is the spy thriller, featuring an often heroic and dashing spy who must confront whichever enemy happens to be popular at the moment.

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