Continuity Task - First Cut & Analysis

When making our first cut for our continuity task we realised there were quite a lot of problems wrong with it. Therefore we decided to make this our first cut where we could analyse and then build upon the analysis to see our strengths and weaknesses and then of course build on them to improve the continuity task. By analysing a first cut of our continuity tasks it allows us to realise where we went wrong and how we can improve our techniques, ideas, camera work, editing and more to make the overall product more professional. We expected that this would't be amazing as it is our first attempt at making or using any of the camera or editing work that we research and learn about. Therefore we aren't too disheartened about our first cut due to us realising we can improve and its our first attempt. However we want to do better and analysing this first cut will help us massively.

In the following images it show the layout for the software we used to construct and edit the clip. This program is called Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. This is an extremely professional piece of software that the high end of the marketing, film making and advertising industry use. The following images also show the timeline which the clips were placed on in a certain order to create the clip as well as the tools such as the razor tool and the toolbar. However so far all we have used is the razor tool to cut down certain parts of the clips. Furthermore, I luckily already knew a few things about Premiere Pro and all round Adobe as I like editing, graphics and I also do Photography so I therefore knew the basics of what to do which helped our group.

Premiere Pro timeline, constructs the order of the individual clips for the actual whole clip to presented in the order shown, as well as this can create layers in other clips, media and sound.

The preview screen tile in Premiere Pro of the main clip being edited.

PIcture of the entire Premier Pro layout.

Premiere Pro tool bar with the razor tool highlighted.

Picture of imported media section where it stores the media that we use in the clip.

Analysis of First Cut - Problems & What we're going to do:
Some of the main problems we faced when looking back on our first cut was the fact how we didn't include low or high angles shots to show the dominance and the protagonist in the shots. This is a very important part of filming as if you don't have high or low angles in the clip then you cannot establish who the main protagonist or whether someone is superior or inferior to someone else in the scene. Furthermore we also realised that our recording quality was very bad as the camera was never perfectly still and every now and then was slightly nudged or it wasn't completely level. This made our clip look extremely tacky and home made because it just looked as if it was taken on a home recorder by a friend at Christmas as to say. This is no the look we want. We want professional still shots that are level and composed well. As well as this we made a stupid mistake of crossing the 180 degree rule after studying this rule for a long time. This was a very idiotic mistake that we should be getting right. This crossing of the 180 degree rule happens when Hannah runs into the cafe and is seen seating on the right hand side of Georgia. However when filming the shot reverse shot Hannah is then seen on the left hand side of Georgia which ruins the atmosphere of the film as well as the scenes of the audience as they are now seeing the actors from a different angle that shouldn't be shown as it ruins the viewers understanding of positioning on the scene. On the other hand we also had a seen of one girl (Sarah) walking into the cafe which takes way too long and makes the seen boring. This is because nothing really happens and we're just seen watching her walk in and then sit down. We then realised that this should have been broken down into a match on action shot, breaking it down into 3 separate shots of walking in, maybe using high angles to show how she is inferior t the two other girls. This should be presented with a contrasting shot of the girls laughing with a low angle shot to show how they are superior to the girl walking in, with a cut back shot to her going to sit on her own as she is depressed and lonely. This would have improved the clip considerably and made it much more professional as well as making it clearer to the audience what is actually happening in the sound. Sound was also a problem as we realised we could hear others in the background and the noise of cafe, however there wasn't much we could do about this. Therefore we now realise we need to be more careful planning when and where to film as the surrounding sound or lighting cold ruin a scene. Furthermore our teacher then picked out a very important aspect of our filming that we needed to change. We were recording each of the shots but when we were recording we kept trying to zoom in and out of the scene to try and track the character and keep them as the main focus. This looked incredibly tacky and unprofessional, not only because you shouldn't do this, but also because it was done terribly with it jolting and not a smooth gradient zoom. As well as this zooming made the clip very unprofessional and lazy as we should have positioned the camera correctly first and therefore having no need to zoom in or out. We tried to zoom in to keep the character as the main focus, however we now realise we just need to get our margins of the shooting area that is seen on screen as well as where we should place the camera. Finally I noticed that some of the scenes were very jumpy and didn't run smoothly into each other to create a real time clip that looked legitimate. this is something that need to be sorted in the editing stages.

After analysing the first and looking at what was wrong with it as well as what we can and will do to improve; this therefore allows us a group to highlight our weaknesses and stay away from them. As well as this we can now see what not to do and what we should've done and now that we will go and re shoot the shots again we can stay away from these errors and make sure we make a better clip with all the things we need to do in mind and therefore make sure it is acceptable for viewers. By analysing this I have also learnt how hard filming and editng is of a clip especially because this is not even 1 minute and films are hours long so it just shows how magnified it really is and how hard it is. As well as this I now know more technical terms and shots that I can incorporate within our clip to make it more professional. This task has helped a lot with the understanding of editing and what we need to do to improve. Which we will show our improvements in or re shoot of our continuity task.

Continuity Task - Day 2

Day 2 - Re-Filming:
Today we went out having to re-film scenes that weren't up to a good enough quality whether it be bad filming, sound or acting. As well as this we still had some scenes we had to shoot. This went very well and we got the shots we needed. We then put this up on to computer and added to our Premiere Pro saved file. This was a much more efficient day with more progress and better quality. I think this is because we knew what we had to do and how to do it. As well as knowing how to use the equipment correctly.

Problems We Faced

Some of the problems we faced:

• We realised that a lot of scenes were mis-shot with heads being cut off in shots and the camera shaking at certain points.
• We also realised some scenes were shot with the actors wearing different clothes
• Furthermore we realised the overall quality of the previous shots and clips were not good enough

Solutions

Our solutions to our problems:

• To resolve these problems we then go the actors and team together to re-shoot the scenes as then fit them into our timeline of editing.
• We also took more time into planning how we were going to shoot scenes and spent more time on the shooting.

Continuity Task - Day 1

Day 1 - First Filming Session:

The other day we had our first go at filming and getting to grips with the cameras, technology and tri-pods. We had to get used to the equipment and learn how to use it all before we went ahead in our first task of filming our continuity editing tasks. This was because none of us knew how to setup the camera or the tri-pod. After this we then went on to filming our scenes using what we know about editing and filming. Furthermore after we finished filming we then had to be shown how to take the raw footage off the camera and put on to the computer ready to edit in Premiere Pro. We then looked back at our footage and realised a lot of it wasn't what we expected as we now knew it was much harder than we thought it would be. We then knew we would have to re shoot a lot of the scenes or in fact the entire movie as what we had filmed was not up to a good enough standard. This made us realise how hard it really was and how much effort we would have to put into completing this task at a high standard to meet the target grades.

Problems We Faced
Some of the problems we faced during our first shoot were:

• availability of actors and location - this was hard as we had to film our scenes in the school and we wanted to base our scene in the cafe, however this was a very busy place and luckily it wasn't too busy at the time and we luckily manages to acquire some willing actors to take part.
• gathering of actors - we had to find people willing to take part in our filming as some people were shy and some people were busy at the time.
• lighting, due to our time schedule in the day - for example on the day it was especially bright and we had our scene based by one of the tables which was by the window and we then had to put down the blinds to stop the sun from getting in to our shots, however this still didn't provide the best lighting
• noise, because was set in a busy cafe in our school - this was extremely annoying and impossible to control as it was a public cafe in the school where there were other people in their leisure talking etc. and this was leaked into the clips.
• our knowledge of use of the equipment. e.g. zooming, positioning, tripod set up etc. - this we found hard as we didn't have any knowledge on the use of any of the technology

Solutions

Some of the ways we got past our problems:

•  We managed to find willing actors that were free and could participate in our task, and we managed to re-shoot scenes that we needed around their schedule and meet up when they were free to get the shots we needed.
• For the lighting we decided to put the blinds down to reduce the light which helped the lighting however we couldn't control it well.
• Noise level was impossible to control and we couldn't do much about it but we tried to film at times when there wasn't much talking.
• We then found out how to use the equipment properly and slowly learnt what was the proper things to do by getting shown and getting used to the technology.

Continuity Task - Brainstorms and Shot List

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.

We decided our idea was going to be a group of girls sitting in the cafe and then one of the girls out of the group runs over to them to meet them, the girl that runs over then tells them some shocking news about another girl in the school. They then get really shocked about it and see her coming into the cafe. They then turn around to look and she walks in and sits on her own because she's depressed about everybody finding out. The girls start to laugh at him and it then ends there.

I thought this was a good scenario to reenact due to it being a short story and it has action in it which would add to the fact of it being a thriller. Furthermore this scenario can inherit a lot of shots to be used as of the heir achy in the group and the other girl.

Continuity Task - What To Do

In media we started to plan for our continuity editing task. The continuity editing task is to storyboard and script with a range of different shots from a shot list - aiming for a completed piece approximately 60 seconds in length.

For this we had to come up with a shot list, ideas, locations and actors, shoot the film, edit it, re-shoot and re-edit if necessary as well as blog the activity of the research, planning and evaluation throughout.

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. 

How Is Evilness Represented In This Scene?

In this clip of Star Wars we see evilness represented in many ways. For example through the way Anakin develops through the scene. When we first see Anakin enter the scene its a shot of his aircraft landing in with an extremely low angle shot to make him look superior. This shot has been used to make him seem heoric and as if he is there to save the day. Just before Anakin enters there is loud dramatic symphonies as well as digetic lightsabre noises; this loud audio immediately stops when Anakin is seen landing into the scene to emphasize his entrance. Following this loud trumpets start up and the tempo slowly increases to suggest that the tension is increasing. This could also infer that the evil is rising within Anakin as he progresses from being heroic to then turning evil. The loud roar of the aircraft's engines accompany this with the increasing parallel sound as it gets closer to signify his arrival and the start of his downfall to evil.

This entrance is very contrasting with the end shot of Anakin on his knees and the old evil man leaning over. This highlights how evil is now controlling him and this is shown through the fact he is on his knees begging to evil as the old evil man can be seen as an icon to evil or the devil - as if he represents the peak of evil.The fact we see Anakin in the end of the scene on his knees begging to evil proves to us how evil is being represented as bad as before he was seen as heroic and bold entering the scene and now we see him in a completely different light as we are now looking down on him and we realise that evil has done this to him. This is odd as at the beginning the old protagonist is seen as a respectful man sitting at the table over the city with the natural light behind him lighting up the scene. This then contrasts with he same end scene as he is seen with a long shot with him standing over Anakin as well as the city as it is in the background with only artificial light lighting up the scenery. This is to emphasize the change in character and how evilness has progressed through the clip. The fact he was the old protagonist and scenery was once lit by the natural light and now by the artificial lighting in the room suggests how he has now become fake and even more how evil is a bad thing as if it is fake, as nature is good and something you need in life so the fact this fake artificial light is what comes out on top proves evil to be bad.

Anakin again enlightens us on evil within the clip and how it is represented as he progresses through the clip. we can see this in the way he is presented at the start and end. For example he is at start portrayed to be heroic and good as his hair is light and his face is lit up with expressions of distress when he reacts to the conflict as if he is against it. However as the scene progresses the light dims and the darkness increases as the light sources get destroyed in the fight which makes Anakins appearance darker with his hair and darkness across his body. This shows the spread of evil. This is then reinforced with the loud non-digetic sound building up as the darkness and fight increases as if it is reaching its climax as the plot thickens. Anakins face then changes and becomes eviler as he reacts to the conflict with a angry expression. Anakin then gives in to evil and the pressure as evil is seen throughout slowly taking over Anakin until he gave in and saved the old protagonist. Evil is therefore shown to be very persuasive, sinister and sly. After Anakin gives in he completely sacrifices himself to evil which emphasizes my previous point of evil. When Anakin then sacrifices himself to evil he completely changes mood. He then gets down on his knees. This imagery of him on his knees with the old protagonist leaning over him and darkness pervading the scene highlights how much Anakin has changed and the effects evil has on him to cause his state to change so much, we can see this through his body language, the dark lighting, long shot to capture the scenery and the destruction of the conflict and furthermore what evil has done.

Evil is therefore presented as a bad influence that is a pervading theme throughout the clip which becomes more powerful as it progresses as if good was first on top and then in the end evil wins and causes complete destruction. The scenery, mise-en-scene, make-up and lighting in the ending scene prove this to us and shows the contrast from the start of the clip where evil was not present. Evil is almost seen as a presence as the clip progresses as it is represented through the old protagonist and Anakin.

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 center of the screen; this could suggest how he is the main protagonist. We then see the bike i 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 center 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 center 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 pajama 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.

Mark Scheme

By looking at the mark scheme it can give our group a good understanding of what we need to aim for and achieve as well as what we need to do to get those bands. I think this is a good thing to do .as it allows us to realise what we need to do and give us a clear sight of a our goals.

British Thrillers - History of Alfred Hitchcock

1920-1930's

A man called Alfred Hitchcock made his first thriller (the third silent film in 1926) this film was called 'Lodger'. It was one of the first thrillers to be made and is about a landlady who suspects her new lodger is a madman killing women in London. 

His next thriller in 1929 was a film called 'Black mail' this was notable for being his and Britain's first sound film. From this point Alfred Hitchcock was known for producing thrillers.

There were also many other notable British directors who produced thriller films such as Walter Forde, Victor Saville,  George A. Cooper and the young Michael  Powell up to the years 1940.

1940's

Alfred Hitchcock went on to direct more suspense thrillers, in this year he produced two films in which one was oscar winning. These films were 'Foreign Correspondent' and 'Rebecca'. Rebecca being the oscar winning film. In 1941 he went on to release a film called 'Suspicion' and then released a film called 'saboteur' in 1942 and 'Shadow of a doubt' in 1943 which was one of Hitchcocks own personal favorite.

1950's
In the 1950's was when Hitchcock started adding technicolor to his thrillers, as the time changes you can see the development. Strangers on a train, made in 1951 is about a psychotic socialite who confronts a tennis star on how two complete strangers can get away with a murder, a theory that he plans to follow through.

1960's

In the 1960's the film Psycho was released. This film was one of the most well known thriller film ever directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is recognised and praised as a piece of cinematic art by international film critics.

Modern Day Thrillers
Most thrillers now borrow themes and elements from those in the past, but to avoid repetition they often use ideas and aspects from other genres such as horror where they add things in such as sadistic violence/gore etc which is why some people mistake thrillers for horrors. This is when we get sub genres and hybrids.

From reading this research done by a member of my group I now know more of Alfred Hitchock and his history throughout film making, British film industry and the thriller genre. As well as this I now realise the impact the British film industry had on the thriller genre as well as Hitchcock himself.

Summary of Questionnaire

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16jhLZsNIGKDPn-d8wotbGSSxFaCTFccNs8RcYlomqQU/viewanalytics

From the summary of our target audience questionnaire I have learnt that our target audience consists of: Male, 16-18 year olds, who are white, British, students, who watch thrillers that excite them and create suspense and involve action. They expect to see the following in a title sequence: The title, music, actors names, name of the production, makers of the film names such as directors, animation and clips related to the film. The top colours related to thrillers are: Red, Black, White and Blue.

Questionnaire

Please fill in the questionnaire if you get the chance, thank you.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16jhLZsNIGKDPn-d8wotbGSSxFaCTFccNs8RcYlomqQU/viewform

Thriller Sub-Genres

When thinking about doing a thriller opening we have to consider what type of thriller we are going to us as over the years they have become more developed and more types and variations have been created.

Conspiracy Thriller - The conspiracy thriller is a sub-genre of thriller fiction. The protagonists of conspiracy thrillers are often journalists or amateur investigators who find themselves pulling on a small thread which unravels a vast conspiracy that ultimately goes "all the way to the top. 'Edge Of Darkness'

Political Thriller - In a political thriller, there's usually a problem where the whole government is at stake and the protagonist is hired by the government to stop the decline, an example of a political thriller: 'The Interpreter'

Crime Thriller - Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies. 'The Bourne Ultimatum' Action Thriller Includes normal conventions of the thriller genre but focuses on action and usually includes explosions/violence etc, an example of an action thriller: 'The Dark Knight Rises'

Mystery Thriller - Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective,private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The plot often centers on the deductive ability, prowess, confidence, or diligence of the detective as they attempt to unravel the crime or situation by piecing together clues and circumstances, seeking evidence, interrogating witnesses, and tracking down a criminal.

Psychological Thriller - A distinguishing characteristic of a psychological thriller is a marked emphasis on the mental states of its characters: their perceptions, thoughts, distortions, and general struggle to grasp reality. Psychological thrillers are suspenseful by exploiting uncertainty over characters' motives, honesty, and how they see the world. 'Silence Of The Lambs'

From reading this research done by a group member I can now see the difference in some of the main sub-genres within the genre Thriller. This therefore will add to my research and knowledge on thrillers and help me to add to our group when deciding what genre of thriller we should have for our personal thriller title sequence. Furthermore I now know the codes and conventions of these particular sub-genres and what is typical of them, as well as some examples of them.