Sunday 24 February 2013

Thriller - Rough Cut



The end product of the editing I am very much pleased with. Through the use of different angles/shots/editing transitions, the opening looks professional, smooth and very effective. Shots through the movie that I like are: 0:24 the close up of the eyes with the actors name works well as we're getting the reaction of the character of the movie as well as revealing the name at the same time; 0:43 this is the shot where we have a mid shot of Edward with an over the shoulder long shot of Steve, this is a lot like shots in The Bourne Ultimatum where we have revealed a second character chasing the first;


0:54 this is the tilt, blurred shot which is supposed to echo the vision that Edward has of Steve and not being able to see him is why we used the blurred effect. This is my favourite shot because it's the most symbolic of what we're trying to portray and as well as showing the character it also gives a sense of confusion and claustrophobia with the tightness of the shot and the tilt. 

1:11-1:26 this is the shadow sequence as I like to call it, this is where there is a very clear and sharp shadow across Edwards face adding moral ambiguity as well as across the floor. This is a very noir technique and could be identified in Harry's sewer scene in The Third Man. My last shot which I like is at 1:30, where again we have the strong shadows across the floor, however this time we have the character Edward in mid run with the name of Director and Editor (Joe Murray) on the left hand corner, this is effective as we have the whole setting, action as well as the name so that the audience don't know what to focus on or where to look adding to the confusion of the sequence. 


The two things that we decided needed drawing attention to were: The credits for Ollie and how they just appear on the screen and the length of time the character Edward takes to run up the stairs.
The issue with the credits is at the time of 1:39. This doesn't fit in well with the whole 'character revealing name' recurring theme we had within the thriller  however this unfortunately cannot be solved due to there being no room for there to be another action that reveals a credit. Through seeing this we also discovered that the shot was a bit too wide for our liking. Within editing we may try and make this shot look more closed and claustrophobic so that it compliments the rest of the shots that we had been using.
The other issue was the length of time that Edward takes to run up the stairs. This is at 0:56-0:59. The shots we have used are quick and sharp and almost to the point of the action, metaphorically speaking. This shot however just seems to linger a bit too long and therefore in the final cut this may be cut by just a second, or sped up just a little bit so that he isn't lingering on the steps for too long and the next shot can be placed.




Wednesday 13 February 2013

Possible Fonts

A range of fonts are used within thrillers varying from: bold, helvetica, arial etc. The chosen font can help identify the style of the movie, what genre the movie may be and even how the movie is going to fair (an awful font will ruin the movie at the outset). For example, Noir movies all have the same big, bold, defined font that when used instantly labels the movie to have the conventions of every stereotypical noir movie out there. For example in 2012, an advert was televised for a new movie 'Gangster Squad' and instantly from the font that was shown in the titles, without any of the action following you could identify it was a modern noir making. I have drawn a couple of examples from leading thrillers below to compare and take notes from for choosing the font for my own thriller.

In most of the titles (apart from 'The Impossible' and 'Da Vinci Code') the writing is styled in big, bold, clear lettering. This is effective in that it's not  making you focus more on the colours around it and the actions that may be going on, it's standing out among all these different aspects to the mise en scene and giving a clear, bold statement of the movie title. This in effect will make the audience remember the name as t's been brought out as clear as day for them to see. The two alternatives of more styled writing from 'The Impossible' and 'DaVinci Code' is used due to two things: 1. One of them is already an acclaimed novel and therefore the same font that was used on the book has been replicated for the motion picture and 2. The Impossible is based on true, gripping events that shook the world. In accordance to the movies, the title is perfect. However, these thrillers also differ from others because it has a harsh reality to the plot, and one that maybe has a deeper meaning, hense why the styled writing may work better.
In relation to colour codes, the colours used are all quite dark and dim. This is showing the events that may come in this movie isn't going to be the nicest. For 'The Dark Knight Rises' we already know the ins and outs of the storyline as it is one of many batman movies made over the many years. However, the use of black replicates the bat that the whole movies originated and focus around. By making a relation to the colours used and the characters, this creates a logo in which audiences can relate the movie too. 'The Impossible', contrastingly uses the opposite effect of black writing and a white background. This could be used for the harsh reality that the film portrays, the black and white represents the good and bad and by using the white in the background it forsees that the movie will have a happy ending, or as happy as you can get from a tsunami.

For my own thriller, the style of font is inspired very much like 'The Bourne Ultimatum' just as some of the filming techniques and ideas also originated from. It's a very classic font, simple, however when contrasted against a dark background the writing will become very sharp and defined and one that will catch the viewers eye. With the help of dafont.com I have chosen a few samples for the title of the movie as well as the credits to use within the thriller. Each have their strengths and weaknesses however there is a definite style that has occured through the process.


1. This is a font called 'Mouse Deco' by Steve Ferrera. It is bold, simple with the noir edge to it, with the styling of the B and the R in particular. A reason why we may end up not choosing this font is because of that noir style it brings to it, as by using this it could contrast a lot with the plot of the story. Also this font suggests a 1930's/40's style about it and our thriller is very much set in modern day society and therefore wouldn't fit right with it. However, I do like the tall, lean style of the writing and would look to use something similair but maybe with a less styled effect.

 
2. This font is called 'Belgrad' by Vinzent Britz. This, just as the previous font I showcased is very tall and bold which I like about it. The spacing between the letters in this font I don't like as much as the one before as it had a lot more space between and doesn't fit well with our thriller. I think with tight spacing we could use it for a metaphor for Edward and the tight awkward situation he is facing, and with close letters, it also gives the image of everything being very claustrophobic and tight. This will then be accompanied by the thrillers shots. The issue with the style on the B and R have occured again, however this one is very much mroe dramatised than the previous shown. This doesn't really fit with the thriller as like I said before, we aren't looking for a classic, vintage look; we are looking for a clear, plain, modern look that can compliment the characters and story that it's describing.


3. This font is called 'Bebas' by Flat-It. This font is not very different from the previous two however it does have some recognisable features that differentiate. The first, the spacing is very much closer than the other two, and I like this because it makes the writing look claustrophobic, in a metaphorical sense ofcourse. However, I would like the writing that we use to be closer together than this but ofcourse we can tweek if necessary. This font is very simple with the B and the R not styled in the slightest. This is giving a modern look and not styled like the previous two which suit the characters as well as the footage we have used. This would (if used) be used for the title of the thriller due to the spacing issues. As this is introducing the movie it is essential that it is perfect and giving the image of what we are looking for. This font will be put against the thriller to test and see whether this will work well with the contrasted background we were hoping to put it against.


4. This font is called 'Tall Dark and Handsome' by QuickStick. This is a suitable font for the thriller as it has all the aspects which we were looking for: Tall, letters spaced close together, no styling on the letters, simple, effective against a contrasting background. The only difficulty with this font that I would find is that the boxing on the B and the R doesn't look quite right, and I would want it to be more rounded as it seems more simple that way. The boxing makes it look like it should belong to a science fiction movie rather than a thriller. However the height of the letters works well with the spacing, they compliment each other to make the word seem quite overpowering and looming, with this sense of claustrophobia with the letters being so close together. This could be related to Edward, and even to Barry (the other character) in a sense that Barry is looming over Edward and watching his every move, whilst closing in on him at every second getting closer and closer creating this claustrophobic effect i've been talking about.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Shot list




Before we went out to shoot for the day for our final piece, we constructed a list of things to remember for the day. This included: shot types, equipment, costume etc. everything that in the list of 'Things that could go wrong' could be tackled through extra planning. This picture shows the notes we made about the different types of shots that we needed to include, the different scenes that we needed to depict and so on.
Through writing these extra notes, the day went far more smoothly due to us being able to tick away all the different shots as we went along.

Possible sounds/soundtrack

To go with our movie, the right soundtrack needed to be picked. The music within our thriller, has to go perfectly with the movement and acting otherwise it could give the effect of being tacky and unprofessional  Because of this, we created a list of criteria that the different sounds needed to meet, this consisted of: Heartbeat, ambient, metal across the floor, tension building and constant beat sounds. The idea for the music was to overlap the constant heartbeat sound to music that would in the end create an ambient mood for the entire thriller.  The music is one of the essential parts of the thriller, and one of the first things we are introduced to as we had planned.
In the storyboard we had decided to overlap the music with the opening titles so that we get the sound of cars passing by with the title of the thriller. This was to set the mood for the thriller, and to open up the scene before we actually see the actors so that the background noise could give us some background knowledge of the surroundings the actors are in.
The websites I used to find the different sounds were:
www.freesound.org
www.youtube.com
From these, I have split the sounds into different groups and collaborated them together to create a comparison to choose which would be the most suitable for our thriller, and whether the original sounds that we were hoping to use fit the concept of our movie at all.


Heartbeat sounds
The heartbeat sound will be used in context for Edwards heart. Through this sound it will help to represent the rise in tension within the actions that are taking place and also to act as a warning that something bad is going to happen. With a increasing heart rate it gives the whole setting and scene more drama and thrill to it. It could also be used for the character of Steve. For we could show the change in the calm beat that he has in seeing Edward, to the sudden increase he gets as a thrill goes through his body and he wants to get him and teach him a lesson.


This first sound that we have is a typical heartbeat sound. Not the first one that I came across, but quite effective. What I like about this sound is that it's quite a subtle heartbeat, its very quiet and therefore within our thriller would be easy to overlap with music but still be heard. It's a constant beat, however this sort of heartbeat may be too quiet for music to overlap and therefore may fade out without our original intention. Not only this but the heartbeat sounds too real, and we want maybe a more fake sounding heartbeat which sounds more like a beat so we get a metaphorical idea that Edward is anxious.


This is another classic heartbeat sound. A little faster than the one before and at a more constant speed than the other too. This could be a strength in accordance to the music we may overlap the heartbeat as we could have a speedier song to help the flow of the thriller. However, this beat could be a little too quick and with a constant flow throughout it doesn't portray the heart as well as we had hoped for as the heart isn't always constant, sometimes it is irregular and not perfect all the time. Taking the effect of the raising heart rate out of the character Edward. 




This piece of music sort of combines music with the heart beat sound. This is the sound that overall we want to be heading for, if not a bit different. The beat is good, as it is constant, however only slightly varies which portrays a heart beat very well and could be used in context with Edward and even Steve as well as his heart would also be racing at the prospect of giving Edward what he deserves. However, the backing track to the beat is a bit more science fiction than what we had hoped for. This doesn't really mesh well with the story line of our thriller or any thriller in general. This, if used, would hinder the image we have for the opening as it doesn't compliment the actions well enough.



Tension Building Music
This will be used to overlap the heartbeat sounds. It gives the movie a basis to which it could evolve on for the rest of the movie. It allows the action to be complimented and emphasised with the increasing beat of the track. Rather contrastingly, the constant beat could be a metaphor for the constant pressure that Edward seems to be under throughout the whole sequence. Music is a vital part and therefore this track will set the mood, tone, and atmosphere to the rest of the movie so we want low sounds, quite a constant loud beat that can increase and decrease and vary as we please. One that can be easily manipulated, so that we can cut and change it as we please to suit the cuts of our thriller. 


This song is quite famously used in the movie of Drive. A thriller all about a guy that is the drive guy for different criminal missions. This song is very useful for our thriller. As you can hear, it starts off with a very constant and quiet beat, this increasingly gets louder until it stops at a loud constant beat. This would work well with the start of our thriller when Edward is standing all alone, with the quiet constant beat and then as it increases he starts to see Steve and starts to run which is where the loud pace music comes into place. The actions that happen within these scenes would work in sync with the music as the running is very continuous and so is the beat. However, on top of a heart beat sound it wouldn't work too well as it already has a significant beat. In accordance to this, although the volume varies the beat doesn't get any faster or slower and therefore maybe won't be used for our thriller. However, something along the lines of this song would work well with the conventions of our story line.



This song is very famously used in a variety of thriller movies, drama movies, TV shows, very common in the use of a tense moment. This works fantastic with our thriller in the sense that we have a constant tension within the sequence as we don't know what's going to happen, will Edward survive etc. There is a constant beat within the music, which gets quicker as the song progresses. In relation to our thriller, the increase in beat just like the song before would work well with the running scene. As it's been used for so many other programmes it may make our thriller too common. The whole aspect of our thriller is for it to be unique and something other people haven't done and therefore maybe won't use this song.




Comparison to other Thrillers

Other thrillers that use the same sort of beat/music that we are looking to use for our thriller are: 'Bourne Ultimatum' and 'Collateral'. Already from the Bourne Ultimatum we have been influenced by the camera shots, the style of the movie and now the sound. The Bourne trilogy is a classic thriller showing lots of the conventions. Collateral on the other hand also has a similair plot, for in the opening we see a briefcase being pulled focus on and in our own thriller the focus is on a bag, and what may be in the bag.


The first clip I have is from The Bourne Ultimatum.


In this clip in the opening we see the use of a steady beat, increasing as the action does. We also have the rural music from the background, of trains, people talking etc. This is something we are looking to use in the start, so that the viewers can get a sense of the background and the setting. At the time of 1:05 we get the use of his breathing. This is an effective technique as you can get a sense of the situation. For example: if the breathing is very fast and paced, then we can tell that the situation is very tense. However if the breathing is slow and heavy then we can tell that it may be a more calm situation. For our thriller we are looking for a more tense and fast situation so the breathing will be more quick and sharp. At 0:57 we hear the sound of him ripping a bag, similair to this in our thriller we would like the sound of grabbing a bag as it makes the action a lot more dramatised. This then draws attention to the bag and helps to make it the main focus to the scene. At the time of 1:22-1:26 we hear the sound of a helicopter/heartbeat which helps give the sense of tension, this is a technique that we want to use in order to build the enigma and tension to our own opening.


The next clip is from the opening of Collateral.



At the start of this clip we hear the sounds of people walking and talking and just background noise of the environment. This is effective as it gives a sense of how busy the area is, what the character is surrounded by etc. This will be used within our thriller just as pointed out in the clip of 'Bourne Ultimatum' (see above). At the time of 0:11-0:17 we get the contrasting sounds of two footsteps. One, quite quick and paced with a sharp intake of breath with it and the other slow and confined with no breathing overlay. This helps us to get a feel of what the characters may be like: one cool and confined and the other quite uncomfortable about the situation he may be in. This could work well with the opening of our thriller as we also have two characters, Edward the uncomfortable scared individual who the quick steps and sharp breathing would work well with and the other, Steve is quite cool and confined at the prospect of catching Edward. This contrast of movement eccentuates the situation. At the time of 0:31, we here a quick sound of a heartbeat as the two characters meet eyes. This is quite a realistic heartbeat and definitely something that we will be using within our thriller.
From the time of 0:47 we then get constant beat overlayed with background music. The beat is something we will be using to help keep the tempo of the opening and by increasing the beat we can create an enigma around the situation and help to keep the interest up.