Researching Genre - Task 2

In my group we have discussed the different types of genre we could choose for our opening sequence to a film and we decided to use the genre of Psychological Thriller. We have chosen to work within this genre as it enables the audience to relate to the sequence as it addresses naturalistic aspects of life. This enables us to relate to the opening sequence and develop stronger ideas and put ourselves in the position of the viewers. The target audience of Psychological Thrillers is usually around the ages of 15-20 because they are at the age where they are learning that actions have consequences which is what this particular genre relates to.

Typical Aspects of the Thriller genre that we will be able to take into consideration when we plan our opening seqence are:

- Harsh/dark lighting (low lighting)

- Fast Paced

- High Budget (how we will create a good opening sequence with a low budget)

- High Tension

- Psycological

The conventions of a Thriller film may include are:

- Villain driven plot, presents obstacles for the hero to overcome. Much grander scale than murder mysteries: crimes that must be presented are serial or mass murder, terrorism, assassination or overthrow of the government.

- They often take place in exotic locations. (how will we overcome this to create a realistic psychological thriller?)

- Heroes in Thriller films are often 'hard men' accustomed to danger.

- Jump cute are used to disconnect the audience and intrude on the viewing.

We used these notes to decide on the theme we would use for our opening sequence. We will also be able to relate back to them in the future when we are planning, filming our sequence.

Researching Genre - Task 1

My group for the opening sequence coursework consists of:

Stephanie Ocampo - http://stephanieocampo.blogspot.co.uk/

and

Charlotte Boosey - http://charlotteboosey.blogspot.co.uk/

Evaluating the Preliminary Task

1)      For the preliminary task we had to film a short sequence involving character 1 opening a door, walking through it and coming out the other side then talking to character 2. We had to use match on action, shot reverse shot and abide by the 180-degree rule. We prepared for this by creating a story board of each shot we would use, ensuring that our camera was charged, and setting up the camera with a tape in it and sat on a tripod.

2)      We filmed each part of the task consistently checking that we were abiding by the 180-degree rule. We used match on action when switching from opening the door on one side and walking away from it on the other side. We used shot reverse shot in the conversation between Stephanie and I to enhance the conversation we were having. My role was to make sure that I was in the correct position in each scene from the last. This ensured that the continuity was smooth. We used a long shot to begin and then panned across the scene to end with a medium shot. We then used an over the shoulder shot in transition to a medium long shot once I had walked through the doorway. We concluded with a two shot paired with an over the shoulder shot. Stephanie and I sat at a table facing each other but turned slighting towards the camera to ensure that we could be seen clearly.

3)      I think that our final result was a clear response to our task however I believe that we could have ensure that the continuity was smoother by checking that any props were in the correct places between each shot to reduce the confusion of the viewer. I believe that our match on action was the strongest point of our final result as it included smooth transitions. The shot reverse shots were fit well as we used them in a conversation which allowed us to switch between character 1 and character 2 and allowed the dialogue to flow smoothly. I think we worked well as a group as we were able to put all our ideas of how we wanted to film our scenes and develop them to create a well-structured end product.

I feel confident using Imovie as I was able to play around with the editing of our sequence which allowed me to learn how to use it with ease. I feel confident on how to use the camera however I believe that I need to concentrate on the filming itself so that each piece of work I produce is of a high standard.

Analysing the semiotics in the film ‘Psycho’

The shower curtain in this scene is pulled across to represent the detachment of her life and how she won’t survive to cross the barrier back into her day to day life once she is trapped behind it. The haziness of the curtain is used to confirm the hazy hope of a future she plans to have fading away. Her grey silhouette connotes the dark and negative murder that is about to take place. The crinkles in the shower curtain add to the sense of reality in this scene and make the viewer’s realise that they too go through the day to day ritual of washing but don’t experience the murder she went through.

                The point of view shot is used to indicate to the viewer that the last thing the woman positively sees before she is brutally murdered is the pure and clean water pouring from the shower. This symbolises the innocence her character represents in the film and adds a sense of reality to the scene as it makes the viewer’s realise that they could easily find themselves in the same situation as her and staying alive or dying is purely down to luck. The point of view shot on the shower head also draws the attention away from the surrounding location to shock the viewer’s more when her shower is disturbed.

Christopher Nolan Interview

I have created an interview of Christopher Nolan talking about how he entered the film industry and worked his way up. It includes the Batman franchise and Inception.