Planning

In media we started to plan for our continuity editing task. To begin the continuity editing task  we had to come up with a plan on what our idea was and create a shot list showing the different scenes and shots we were going to use - we are aiming for a completed piece approximately 60 seconds in length.
On the first day we started to come up with ideas, the plot, characters, and settings by brainstorming. Furthermore we then started to add these ideas into a shot list to create the story and how we would film it.





Our idea consisted of a group of girls talking about another girl.
We thought of locations on where we could do this, we decided to choose the café.

This is our shot list containing each scene we are going to film, and what camera angle/shoot we are going to use.

When writing the shot list up I found it quite hard visualising how we were going to film it and deciding what camera angle to use.

Continuity Task

This task was set to our group and focuses on camera angles and techniques. This task will take us next few weeks to complete. Our group will have to have to make a 60 second clip, that has to include the all the wanted requirements on the sheet, such as camera shots. This task will give us a understanding of all the camera angles and techniques that will help us in the making of our thriller opening sequence

 

• You must not break the 180 degree rule
• You must include a shot reverse shot
• You must include a variety of appropriate camera angles
• You must edit so that the continuity is apparent and clear
• You must include more than one location
• You must include some interaction between characters
• You must include some non-diegetic sounds

The 180 degree rule
When I first read the task list I didn't know what a 180 degree rule was. Therefor I looked online and found this picture and definition.

In film making the 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be framed right of the second character, who is then always framed on the left.



From this picture I now understand how a 180 degree works. If the camera crossed the axis it would disorient the audience who are watching.

Group members work

What is the Thriller Genre?

The thriller genre is the type of films that use intense excitement, suspense, high level of anticipation, anxiety and tension. Thriller and suspense films are literally the same types of films with the same features and categorizations as each other.
    The aim of a thriller film is to leave the audience constantly on the edge of their seat in suspense and anxiety with cliff hanging experiences as the plot builds up to a climax. Tension usually arises when the main character is dealing with a mysterious situation from which either he could be in trouble or escaping on some dangerous mission that seems impossible or shocking. When their life itself is threatened and they are in the unknown or not expecting something when in or potentially involved a dangerous situation or atmosphere. Thrillers usually involve characters that come into conflict with each other or with outside force.

Thrillers are often sub-genres of the genre ‘thriller’ as there are so many varieties that also fit into other genres. For example:

action-thrillers (Kill Bill - 2003)
sci-fi-thrillers (Donnie Darko - 2001)
psycho-thrillers (se7en - 1995)
romantic-thrillers (Live Flesh - 1997)
political-thrillers (Malcolm X - 1992)
psychological-thrillers (Requiem for a Dream - 2000)
Horrors are commonly closely related to thrillers. As the horror genre are designed in the same type of way - to provide the audience with intense suspension or tension, however horrors take their audiences through agony and fear. Suspense-thrillers come in many different ways: there are murder mysteries, chase thrillers, women-in-danger films, courtroom and atmospheric, plot-twisting psychodramas. Thrillers tend to stay away from crime, gangster and detective related plots and rather focus more on the suspense and thrill of the film.

Thrillers include such characters as convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassin, innocent victims, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include conflict, terrorism, conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder or danger.
      The reason there are so many different sub-genres of thriller is because within one thriller there may be other aspects of say a romance, horror, sci-fi or any others. This may be because of different directors intentions or their target audiences; furthermore even down to the evolution of genre or thrillers to be exact in which films are now being changed to set to the current time in which they are made or evolving to the new likes and dislikes of the mass.


Evolution:

The first thriller was made in the 1920’s with a film called ‘The Lodger’ by Alfred Hitchcock which was made in Britain. This therefore brought a new type of film to the world. HItchcock took influences from German expressionist techniques as well as murders by “Jack the Ripper”.
        Thrillers then in the 1940’s changed when director George Cukor in 1944 created a psychological thriller called ‘Gaslight’ which gave insight into the different sub-genres within the thriller genre itself. This film was about a scheming husband planning on making her wife go insane to gain the inheritance. Then in 1946 Robert Siodmak directed the film ‘The Spiral Staircase’, which was also a psychological thriller about a serial killer murdering disabled-young women in the local community.
       In the 1950’s Hitchcock went on to adding Technicolour to his films, which led to the classic film ‘Strangers on a Train’ in 1951, where two passengers join in a battle of wits and exchanged murders with one another.
       Cape Fear was then made in 1962 by director J.Lee Thompson which is a psychological thriller about an ex con seeking revenge on his attorney who holds responsible for his convictions. However this film had aspects of crime too which made it a crime-thriller and therefore emphasised the use in sub-genres within the thriller genre.
      The 1970’s of film were very different as Hitchcock hadn’t released anything for 2 decades. where he released the violent film ‘Frenzy’ which came about when films were now containing R rated scenes with viscous and explicit footage which Hitchcock therefore used in ‘Frenzy’.
      In the 1980’s Stanley Kubrick directed the film The Shining made in 1980 which was a psychological thriller as well as a horror, mystery and drama. This therefore emphasises the mix of genres and how thrillers evolved over time due to the change of other genres and audiences enjoying psychological films. The Shining is about a family going to an isolated hotel where the father gets influenced by a spiritual presence, while his psychic son sees horrific and violent memories of the past and future. This film can be debatebly a horror or a thriller.

The main theme throughout the thriller genre in the 1990’s was the psychological kind, of mental themes and character’s escape. For example Rob Reiner’s ‘Misery’ based on the book by Stephen King in which the character Annie whom is a unbalanced fan, terrorizes an immobile author, where in one scene she actually breaks his ankles. This shows just how much the thriller genre had evolved by then as before it would be too horrific for a thriller to even show such scenes let alone any movie.
      In modern day thrillers compared to earlier thrillers tend to divert from the traditions of a classic thriller towards the more horrific and gorey themes. This is because the mass audience have become so desensitized to the classic thriller scenes that they find it boring and therefore need something else to keep them intrigued and ‘on the edge of their seats’ with anticipation like thrillers should do. This is why thrillers and any other genres evolve as they need new aspects and ways of keeping their audience’s happy. Therefore this is why the thriller genre has evolved the way it has and how I have said turning from the classic thriller through psychological to a more horrific theme where it seems to be argued to cross over in cases.


Evaluation 
From my group members work it has developed my understanding of the thriller genre and what it is made up of through its codes and conventions such as: clips that use intense excitement, suspense, high level of anticipation, anxiety and tension. Characters as convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassin, innocent victims, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops. Alfred hitchcock also played a big part in creating the thriller genre as he created the first Thriller in 1920's with 'The lodger'. My group members research has also helped me see the constant change throughout the years and how thriller genre has evolved over many of years.

Group members work

 Analysis of Donnie Darko

The establishing shot is a dark scene of mountains and trees which fade in to the shot. This could connote to how it is a thriller as the scenery is very mysterious as its situated in the middle of nowhere causing the audience to feel curious and intrigued as to where the scene is. The camera then pans round to a shot of a boy lying in the middle of the road in the distance. The pan shot is used to show how vast the area is and how it is in the middle of nowhere. The long shot is used to emphasize how the boy is lonely. The fact the boy is still and laying there could imply he is hurt or maybe dead. This carries on the idea of curiosity and how this links into the films being a thriller. The camera then starts to get closer and closer to the boy with him constantly remaining in the centre of the screen; this could suggest how he is the main protagonist. We then see the bike in the shot and him struggling to get up which could connote how he has fallen off his bike or had some sort of accident. The camera then pans round the protagonist with a mid shot and him the centre of the screen, capturing the scenery in the background as well. As when it pans round him we see the scenery in the background showing how desolate the area is and how lonely he is. This pan of the protagonist then comes round to his face which reveals the main character that we were so intrigued to see. It then cuts to a POV shot of the scenery again panning around yet again top show how he is the centre of attention and how deserted he is to the rest of the world. yet again to emphasize how in the middle of nowhere he is and as if he the only one there. He then turns around to the camera to face the camera and blocking the scenery which could connote how is of an important role to the film. He then grins and starts smiling at the character and then walks out of the shot for the title of the film to then fade in. The fact that he grins and smiles at the camera could suggest a sinister tone to the film and create more curiosity to film as to what it is about or what is going on in this scene. The typography of the title that comes into the shot has a strong fantasy and magical theme to it with white against the scenery in the background to create a contrast in the light and dark. This typography gives the movie a mysterious and magical tone to it. With the unusual use of serif font in the thriller which goes against my research of typography in thrillers. The lighting of the film suggests the start of it as it is very mellow as if it is dawn and the day is just beginning. The fact the boy is also wearing pyjama like clothes it makes him come across as lazy or a typical adolescent that doesn't care. The bike reinforces this as a bike is something children use whereas men have cars stereo typically. His messy hair and casual appearance reinforces this to the audience. However the scenery juxtaposes this appearance as it is beautiful and something you would have to go out your way to get to or find. Making it a binary opposite. At the beginning of the film violins play quietly in the background which creates a uncertain start to the film with the edgy sound which began when the character came into view which reinforces the fact that he is the main character and is important as he signaled it. When the character starts getting up a piano softly begin to play which could imply a negative or depressing tone to the film.

Evaluation
From this analysis of the film Donnie Darko I have learnt that the directors have used  Pan shots to create a curious and mysterious feel,using the pan shot  allows the audience to see where the action takes place. For instance in this film the shot is  in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees and mountains creating that eerie feel for the audience.

Within this film opening the producers have used typography to create a mysterious magical tone to it and uses lighting to represent the time of day it its. When thinking about our opening for a thriller film thinking about the titles and typography will help bring a certain atmosphere and idea for the audience.

The music is also important within a Thriller film as it is used to heighten tension which we can see in this analysis where violins are used to create uncertainty for the audience and keep them on edge while what's on screen is in binary opposition with scenery that is seen to be beautiful and peaceful.