Preliminary task

Here you can see the preliminary task which me and some fellow students made before we started making our thriller opening. The reason behind this is to: introduce us to the equipment at hand, create a bond between me and fellow students which will help later on and final it also introduces us to the types of shots needed for our thriller opening and when we should use them to increase effectiveness.

Even though my preliminary task isn't amazing, this is a good thing.  This is because we can use this footage in comparison to our final thriller opening piece to see how far I have come (with my filming, editing and general media skills).


Here is a list of shots that I used for my preliminary task:

.low angle
.high angle
.over the shoulder shot

Here is some good points about my preliminary task:

.music was added for effect
.the titles were good
.the shots were cute down nicely

Here are some room for improvement points:

.some shots were shaky
.transitions could be added for future reference
.filters could be added

Location analysis

location analysis

The reasoning for a lot of my locations being placed in parks, is because it fits the criteria of what I need in order to get great shots (quiet, great natural lighting, secluded and gives a sense of mystery due to all the places to hide and go to). 

Here is a list of places we could go to in order to film parts of our opening sequence:

Harvington park:

In this picture you see a panoramic shot taken in Harvington park (near Harris Academy Beckenham). I personally like this particular area for filming because it has a lot of cover from the trees above which makes the area very eerie when its starts to get darker but it also allows enough natural light in to make shots visible once recorded/ whilst being filmed. Another reason why I like this area is because it has a lot of bushes and secretive areas that would be great for doing both the scene with the child and then we could go to a different part of the park to film the part of the opening sequence with the male protagonist as well. This particular area has a reasonably big variety from places to film and would be worth considering when filming out opening sequence.


 Kelsey park:

In this picture, you see a high angled shot taken of a bridge in Kelsey park (also near Harris Academy Beckenham). In this park there is an easy to access forest which is small but could really set the scene when we start filming. it also has a few great locations such as this bridge, a few huts randomly placed around the park and great scenery which is appealing to the eye. in my opinion it would also be a great place to film. However, in order to get a great shot you need a good amount of natural lighting and some areas (such as the forest) can become extremely dark which can make it hard to see what is going on in certain shots (I tried to take a photo of the forest but it was to dark to see on my phone.) Another possible problem is thee park is full of wildlife that may interfere with filming so that must also be taken into consideration.


Crystal palace park



In this park, there is multiple locations which are perfect for certain shots due to the iconic features such as the statues and the tower for an example. as well as this there are a few wooded areas as well as the maze which is perfect for a thriller opening title sequence because I could use these areas to represent how the protagonist could be lost and is struggling to find his way out and that is when he is abducted by the other protagonist. another positive point to note about this particular location is it looks very eerie when both/ either the appropriate filter is used and when it becomes a little darker as well.





I may possibly use all of these locations because they all seem to have very good points which I could use in my footage. I could combine all the pieces I have gathered and make it seem like all 3 of these parks are actually just one park. that way I can get all the mysterious parts of each to make a very good thriller opening sequence.

Inspiration

Inspiration

There are multiple pieces of work that I have looked at for guidance in order to get a good insight of what my group should be doing in order to get a successful video (title sequence) and blog.

One piece of work that inspired me would be 'Rhapsody of the moth'. This was made by A level students who had the same task as myself, and got full marks (A).

As you can see in the clip, the video shows a consistency in both good usage of props and camera angles which helps the clip stay relevant towards the genre which it is supposed to be based on (thriller). The settings/ locations as well as the filters used are also very good for creating a thriller vibe in their footage. In this, you can see that it has a form of mystery (who is that girl? What has happened?) But the footage hasn't revealed the entire story line. This makes the viewer want to watch the series/ movie in order to find out what is going on for themselves. I'm going to keep all of these points that I have noticed about this opening sequence in mind when I go to shoot my footage.

Another good example of a solid opening sequence would be 'true detective'. This is a T.V drama mini series which use imagery which relates to crime, scandals and mystery to give an effective opening for a thriller. There are images such as a cross for example which could relate to how their is mystery to do with religion which will later be discovered by the detectives or police later on in the series.



Another point to note in this opening sequence would be a good usage of actors. this is because so many different people were shown which makes you get a brief understanding of who is involved as well as what they do (their titles) which can be shown by what they are wearing (are they rich, poor, smart, scruffy). A final point which can be taken from this is the way in which they cover certain peoples faces in order to show how they are in the dark about something or they are a possible suspect! this is a very effective usage of lighting and will be something I may possibly use in my opening sequence.





Typography in thriller openings

Typography homework from charliemedia

Analysis of the film 'se7en'

'Seven' thriller homework from charliemedia

Lighting analysis

Lighting analysis from charliemedia

Analysis two spending titles

Analysis thriller homework from charliemedia

Costume and props

costume and props

costume: child

In our opening sequence, our aim is to have a combination of two different pieces of footage. One of which will be showing a boy before he went missing and the other will be showing a person who seems to be involved in his disappearance. My idea will be to have the young boy in very casual clothes such as jeans and preferably a white top. The reasoning for this choice in his clothing is because its generally what a young person would wear on a day out with their friends (linking to the age of the boy) and the white top is to represent innocents for the child (shows how he has done nothing wrong and makes the boy seem more like a victim the less wrong doing he has done).

costume: male protagonist (suspect)

The person who seems to be behind the child's disappearance will be wearing smart clothing like shoes, a presentable shirt and smart trousers as well as an apron (bearing in mind the sleeves on the shirt will be rolled up, top buttons undone and the apron will have blood on it). The reasoning behind this kind of costume choice is to show two sides to the suspect. In public this person is seen as a respectable person who wears fine clothes and may have a good job that pays well but secretly in his spare time (shown by his smart cloths being relaxed) he may just be a murderer/ abducts people.

props: child

Some props that the child will have may be a bag of some sort which contains all his personal belongs that a young man may carry (phone, wallet, aftershave etc.) another prop that could be used could be the child's shoe. In one of the shots, his shoe could be placed somewhere (not too obvious) to show that something has happened to the child or that the suspect may have a link to the case. Another prop which I'm undecided on would be a piece of jewelry like a chain. This could be what the child would wear like a part of is costume that has some meaning to it or could have a big link to the case (in one clip the boy might be wearing it, but in the next the man could have it on) that in itself could add mystery within the opening sequence (how did it get from the boy to the man?)

 

props: male protagonist (suspect)

The male could be wearing glasses to show precision in his work or whatever he is doing (e.g. disposing of the body) or/and he could be wearing a mask to hide his identity from the viewer (cannot give to much away up front or no one is going to want to watch the show!) Another set of props that would be effective would be a set of knives. this would make the viewers question what the suspect is up to (could he be cutting up the body?) a final main prop for the suspect would be the chain (discussed in previous paragraph).

props: on the set

In order to create a good theme/ atmosphere whilst filming, my group must ensure that the set has the appropriate location choice and props to go with its surroundings. some props I am hoping to obtain for the filming, would be; table (which the suspect will be standing behind and we will not be able to see what's on the table), a cover to go over the table (bloody and tattered), a board containing pictures and pieces of string as well as a map to add mystery like I old detective movies). Finally lights  (we want the set to be dark and the lights will then focus on key thins such as the table and the board).

 

None of the ideas are final but this is what I wish to achieve in my footage!



Analysis of music in thrillers

Analysis of music in thriller films from charliemedia

Conventions of a thriller

In this post, I shall be demonstrating the conventions of a thriller and how they can be useful to create the appropriate effects for a successful thriller movie. The following conventions consist of the main parts in order to make the thriller a success and not a bust!

Conventions:

.Low key lighting- This is using lighting to your advantage in order to create a perfect theme for a thriller! Low key lighting is when you are using the lighting in order to make a scene look gloomy or mundane/ bland. This makes the viewer feel like the movie has mystery and in turn the viewer will feel uneasy as well as feeling curious to why the scene is darker than a rom-com for example.

Here you can see the contrast between the light and darkness like good and bad.



.Suspense- This is when you make the viewer wait to find out all the answers by having a build up over the duration of the  film. This is very effective for a thriller because it makes the viewer want to find out the answers by watching the entire movie and they will have their own personal views on what might happen.

Who is that? Will we find out who done it?

.Tension music- This is when you use music to contribute to the suspense. This is done by having a gradual increase in tempo or/ and loudness to help with surprises or upcoming events in the thriller. This usually consists of an orchestra because it is  much more affective than other types of music.

The music is slowly getting louder and quicker! what's going to happen?



.Enigma- This is when you introduce a puzzle or mystery that needs to be solved as the basis of the story line. This could be a murder case or someone that has gone missing (usually in police/ detective stories). This is one of the main characteristics/ conventions for a thriller to be good.

The puzzle represents all the clues needed to be put together to get the final answer.

.Slow build up- The reasoning behind a slow realistic build up is for many reasons; to show how time goes by (some detective cases can take weeks), it helps the audience question the thriller for possible answers and to make sure that main plot points are not revealed too early on.

If everything is revealed at the beginning, what will be the point in watching the thriller? Let the viewer find out themselves!

.Action (sometimes)- The reasoning for action is some thrillers is to help the thriller gain some excitement for viewers and to help the movie run smoother because if the thriller had no consistency when it came to entertainment, it wouldn't be worth watching and would be tasteless.

Remember it isn't an action, however a little bit of action used correctly can help the  movie become more intriguing.  

.Isolation- This can relate to both the settings and how the character feels. If it is the setting, it is so it will be harder for the protagonist to get some help if they are stuck in an unfamiliar area or the middle of no where. Where as if the character feels isolated it could be because they are by themselves with no companions or no access to help (however some characters could feel emotionally isolated!)

HELP! *no response*

"No one an hear you scream..."

.Death (usually)- This is another way in which the thriller has some interest to it and makes the movie more entertaining for the viewer to watch this is another way the movie has a more story too it e.g. who killed them?)

The thriller may be due to a death at the begining of the movie?

Introduction

Hello, my name is Charlie-Ray Mitchell and this is my AS Media studies blog. I am 17 years old and attend Harris Academy Beckenham Sixth form.  Media has always been something that I have been interested about since a young age when i started to watch Youtube videos with my friends. As my school offered this course I knew it was something that I would love to do as it gives me an opportunity to let me experiment with something new and allow my true interests loose with a camera!

I hope you enjoy my blog!

-Charlie