Animatic story board analysis, and filming techniques.

An animatic story board is a small scale film which helps you decide what type of shot angle you will use when actually filming. By doing this, you can see from what you originally thought was a good angle, is not that good and there are better ways to show a conversation for example. We used jelly babies for our preliminary piece, instead of people, small it was microscaled.

We were taught to film 5 seconds before and after everything we recorded, so you can edit out the best parts, and so the clip doesn't start so suddenly. This helped when we edited our final film because we had lots of slack to edit from because we filmed before we actually wanted to film from.

The 180 degree camera rule is where two people of objects in a room have to have the same left-right relationship with each other. Filming a scene from two opposite sides is known as a reverse angle.

Match cut is a cut of film editing, between two differemt objects, that links two objects together. Often used to link action in films.

Prelim Animatic

Rough Cut

Introduction to cameras

Today as a group we learned how to use the camera's properly. This included learning how to set up the camera, put the camera safely onto a tripod and using features such as zoom and focus. we were given a task to film someone reading a news paper but whe had to make it more dramatic, using a range of different camera techniques and shots.

Our Final Final Cut

pre final cut

Pics od Editing on Soundtrack pro

Risk assesment while filming

A risk assessment identifies any hazards that could occur while were doing filming, which we don't want, so doing a chart before we film helps prevent anything happening which is uneccesary and time wasting. We filmed very close to Finsbury park, we were on a steep hill walkway. Firstly we had to get to our location, so we'd have to get the bus. This meant crossing roads to get into the park, the method of preventation was looking left and right when crossing and always using the green man. Another risk was falling over, which could hurt our hands or knees. However the severity is lower than crossing a road. Tieing shoe laces and being catious what you walk on. Wearing comforatable shoes helps too. When we were on the bus travelling to our location, we were very careful with taking care of the camera and tri pod. We always knew where they were while we were filming. Our film didn't involve using too many weapons or props but when we did we were very careful not to hurt ourselves accidentily. We managed to film successfully without any risks we idenitfied occuring, and the risk assessment helped. 

Story board

Our idea came from a very simple idea of a killer inside college, which turned into the teacher being prejudice of her class and starts to kill off the people she doesn't like. Our story board starts with a basic classroom, and throughout you cannot see the teachers face, so its unknown to the audience it actually is a teacher until the end. The board says 'The perfect world' to give the audience a hint as to what the films about. The whole plot is very inconspicuous and subtle until the park scene.

The second part to our story board is where the student (Lashmi) is walking in the park and is very paranoid that somebody is following her. The next thing you know, she's on the floor dead without having done anything wrong. Our thriller is a psychological thriller, the teacher is a schizophrenic.

Thriller Audiences

The audiences for thrillers depend of the sub-genre of the film. Usually the audience will be for teenagers and adults. Between the ages of 16-25, as the majority of people who watch thrillers are students. Thrillers have clips with violence and crime, which men are more into. This would explain why the target audience for thriller is mainly male. However women like thrillers too, not necessarily for the violence but an additional story line in the film, often romantic. The choice of genre will change what is included in the film and the way things are filmed, so the genre is something which wil have to be decided right at the beginning.

Thrillers are never usually rated U, they are usually either a 15 or 18, depending on the content. This will vary by country to country too.

TItle sequence of Seven

The title sequence for Seven is very powerful. a combination of colours, clips and fonts create really dark thoughts about what this film is about. Throughout, you see clips of somebody making something, and you see what kinda of tools they use to make it. It looks like paper with lots of writing is being sewn together, but why? The fingers nails of this person are dirty and tattered which suggests brutality of some sort in this psychological thriller. There is no voice over what so ever in the title sequence but there is creepy sounding music, which sounds like static sometimes and creaking floor boards. This sets a mood of the film for the audience. The font and positioning of the font is eye-grabbing as it flickers and doesn't stay there for long, which catches your attention more so. The words come up like they are being turned on by a light switch. The pictures you see towards the end are disturbing with massive nails going through peoples head. This gives more of an idea what the film will be like. The beginning of a film tells a lot about the story line and reveals clues as to whats going to happen.

Preliminary story board

Font Analysis

My font analysis will be based upon the Rocky film cover and Pearl Harbors film cover.
They both have different looks to capture a different type of audience. The type of font used in Pearl Harbor is small in comparison to the size of Rockys. It is placed at the bottom on the picture, which suggest that the characters in the film are very important, who are directly above the title. The font is bold which makes it look larger even though its small. The font is old looking and pointy to show that the film is from a true story, during the Second World War in 1944.

Rockys font is really big bold and striking. The size of the text captures your sight at first and makes you think what this film could be about. Then you read the caption about it, 'His whole life was a million-to-one shot', which makes you think what could this shot be. Without seeing the peoples faces on the cover, who're blackened out, you know the film is based around them, this creates an audience already as the cover is suspucious and you dont learn a lot about the story line from it.

Pitch

How is suspense created in the Stepfather

The first time suspense is created in the stepfather is when David meets Michael, Susans son. The look Michael gives him when he shakes his hand seems awkward, like he already knows there something strange about him, Michaels eyes wander as if he feels uncomfortable. Although its the first time they meet, so he couldn't be curious about him already.
When the neighbour comes to the door and speaks to Susan about a crime watch programe she watched the night before, then Susan goes in to tell David the neighbour said there was a man who looked exactly like him on there but she laughs it off as if though it couldn't possibly be him. Michael meanwhile overhears this, which makes him question more who the man his mother is dating is. Suspense is created by David acting so cool and casual about it too, like its not him, glad he hasn't been sussed out yet.
Then by coincidence everybody apart from Michael thinks the lady across the street dies, who told Susan that David was a murderer. She was pushed down the stairs rather than fell, which makes you think that man killed an innocent lady to keep it quiet about a suspicion only she had, to begin with. Then Michael's suspicion grows as he assumes it was David who did it.
Finally it is odd how David will never give bank details or other information to the people he works for, where Susan got him a job. At first the friend assumes he is busy and is putting it off because he has other things to do, however, this continues which leads to her being more suspicious also. The friend asks Susan why he's acting like this, but she shuns it off as if though its unintentional. Suspense is created throughout the film, having you question David's character and what he's done.

Definitions of suspense

Suspense is when a tension is built up because you cannot tell whats going to happen. There is doubt but at the same time its pleasurable and exciting. Suspense can be created with a diegetic or non diegetic sound or  a sudden movement to create anticipation regarding an outcome. Sometimes in films suspense is made to make it seem like something is going to happen, but then doesn't, which confuses the audience but attracts their attention to when something will happen.

Our class watched the Jaws trailer in a lesson to see how the trailer created suspense which drew a large audience to see the film. The opening of the trailer creates suspense already by using music, deep drums, wind instruments which fluctuates pitch and violins which is made short and fast. All of these instruments put together make a very suspenseful and thrilling soundtrack. The voiceover has a very deep voice, which goes with the music well. Then the video shows the sharks view from underneath a lady swimming at night. You see her head get pulled under and she starts screaming but your not entirely sure what it is until the next shot has 'killer shark' on a game, then your suspicions are resolved. Half way through the clip you see a man who knows that their are sharks out their but the beach is not closed off, he's sitting on the beach distressed and keeps thinking he seems people who have been attacked by the shark. then the music starts up again and you see the sharks point of view from under the water, waiting for him to attack.
The final few words of the trailer really grab your attention. 'See it before you go swimming' makes you aware that there could potentially be a shark in the water and be very cautious and make you want to see the film.

Shot types and camera movement

There are four main ways a camera moves,
Panning, where the camera moves left or right but the base of the camera stays still, Panning can be good to slowly reveal a part of  a room.
Tracking, where the camera moves along sideways, following with action. the camera is moved on a set of rails, this allows the camera man to film while the actors are walking.
Tilting, is moving the camera up or down vertically, to show a tall building or female body to show sexual attraction, looking her up and down.
Handheld, is when the camera man holds the camera to create a more uneasy image, it is often used to communicate distress.

Shot types
Extreme close up, captures only their facial features

Close up, captures their whole head

Medium close up, captures their head and shoulders

Mid shot, captures above the waist

Long shot, captures the full body













Wide shot

Extreme wide shot

Cut away, a shot of something other than the current action

Cut in- a part of the action in detail

Two shot- with two people in the shot

Over the shoulder shot

Thriller Sub-Genres

A thriller is a film which uses suspense to create a thrill for the audience.

A sub-genre is a film that falls under the main genre category that has recognisable features that allow it to be classes as a sub-genre.

Psychological thriller

This sub-genre plays with your mind and is almost like a puzzle which you have to work out.

Romance Thriller

Usually include love triangles, affairs and murderous passions.

Policitcal Thriller

Include Government corruption, cooperate corruption and espionage 

Supernatural Thriller

Story line is Good vs. Evil 

Final preliminary piece

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