Storyboard

Filming Schedule

Planning for storyboard

Kareem and Alex planning he storyboard. Taken by Luke.

audience interviews

What would you expect to happen in the film? 

Hacker should play with the hitman's mind as he tries to track him down.

What type of scenes and shots would you expect in the opening sequence?

Hacker should stay completely anonymous. There should be subtle ways to hide the hackers face. Also lots of close ups.

What costumes would you expect?

Hacker should wear fairly normal clothes and the hitman should have a trench coat and maybe sunglasses.

From these interviews we have learnt many things. One of these were what the audience members thought the acting style should be for both characters. We will now make sure that all characters will be acting in the way that the audience want them to. 

The other thing we got the audience's feedback on was the props they thought we needed. These included a gun and computer, with this we will make that we used both of these props in the OS.

Iconic sound effect that we will also be using in our OS

Overview of story

Video of planning for storyboard

Our props and their analysis

Collage and Mood Board of Thrillers

The different narratives theories

In film there are three different types of narrative theories, these are the Equilibrium theory, the Binary opposites theory and the Enigma code theory.
The three different theories were though of by three different men and these were Todorov (Equilibrium), Levi Strauss (Binary opposites) and Barthes (Enigma Code).

These three theories are very different to each other and this is because if we start with the Equilibrium theory, this is the idea of a universe where everything starts good, then goes bad and then back to good again.

Whereas the Binary opposites theory states that for every good thing there must be a bad thing. For example for every good guy there must always be a villain to counter act the film.

And finally, the Enigma Code. This theory might just be the most popular theory to be used in a film, this is because it states that in the film it is being used in, it must start off as the audience not understanding but finding out as the film goes on and fully understanding at the ending of the film.

Our opening sequence is going to be based around the Enigma code because we feel it would get us the best grade and work well with our ideas for the OS.

Powerpoint of different representations-Luke Burnip

Power point of different representations from St Peters RC Comprehensive

Font of titles analysis

When a thriller film is made they must all have different types of font in their film and the font in the film must more importantly match what the film is suggesting.
Here are some examples of fonts in different films.

 In Shutter Island, the opening credits are designed in a bold flashing font to try and generate a type of fear factor to the audience. The font is also in a bloody red colour, meaning the font may be relating to a feature in the film.

However in the opening titles of Se7en, the titles are designed to look very flashy and sketchy. This is because the font and writing in the opening sequence is never still which is also a lot of the time the same case in Shutter Island, this suggests that both films are going to have a twisted storyline and plot.

History of our film Genre

The Crime thriller film Genre is one of the most successful in the film industry. One of the most common reasons for this is that Thrillers generally keep the audience on the edge of their seats as plot builds towards a climax. Here are some other reasons why people watch thrillers.

1.) Tension which causes your heart to quicken and you become more alert.
2.) Being able to experience danger without actually being in danger. 3.) The unknown aspect of most thrillers is quite exciting. 4.) Often you feel a bond with the characters more. Than say you would a comedy movie.5.) Action, suspense, anxiety, drama all of these things are hard to turn away from.6.) Often (not always) they have complex story lines and can be challenging to follow, so as a viewer you are always guessing what is going to happen next.7.) Usually have clever endings that maybe you didn't see coming. If I don't figure out the ending of a movie before I am halfway thru especially right up to the end that's great and often times. Thrillers will have such endings. 8.) Often thrillers are about subject matters the average person would never experience so that is or can be exciting to watch.

Some examples of other Crime thrillers are, No Country for Old Men, The Usual Subjects and The Long Good Friday. 

Visit to Harry Potter World

 In This First photo from Harry Potter world we see Voldemort's snake about to pounce on the girl. This was used in the film alongside CGI to show the scene where this event happens. In the film series of Harry Potter, all props were built not created electronically, this added an extra bit of realism to the films as well as easier filming. Also in this photo you can see the table with the dolls sitting around it, the wigs on them are the ones that the actors would have used. This shows what the positioning would have been around the table.    

 This Photo shows Hogwarts Castle, this miniature castle was built after being modelled along with a lo of other props from the film from scratch. This piece in particular shows how much detail in terms of mise-en-scene the arts and editing departments of the film went to when creating the film. This is because they built a whole building out of stone instead of using CGI.

This final picture is of part of a working clock that was created for the film, this is yet another example of the non use of CGI for objects in the film. This was one of the biggest props in the studios and was designed in only a way that suited the film taking in mind the colours of the film and also the way it looks and sounds.

As well as these there are also some other photos that I took that show props for the film. These also clearly show the level of mise-en-scene.

Bullet Boy representation

In these first two shots from Spectre, the characters are planted just to the left of the middle of the shot. This has been done to allow some free movement to the cameramen. The shots are also coated with music and laud noises from the public, by this I mean that the shots are based in the day of the dead festival in Mexico so the characters are clearly hustling their way through busy talkative crowds. This would also back up why they are all wearing skull masks and clothing relative to death.

In this final shot from the film Spectre, the character James bond climbs towards a roof of a building, with this comes a stoppage in sound in the way that the crowds noises get more and more silent as he concentrates on his target and moves in. Now in this shot Bond is placed at the bottom of the shot to show that he is lying down to be able to take out the target (villain). What is also noticeable is that the air is a bit smokey this has been done to add a musky, dangerous feeling to the scene for the audience watching.

Prelim task evaluation

Momento storyboard comparison-Luke Burnip

In our groups we were tasked with making a storyboard for a scene in the film memento. After we made the storyboard we gave it to another group and they proceeded to film the scene by using our storyboard as a basis. I think it came out okay, the mock scene followed the storyboard very well and and it managed to get all of the shots we put in our storyboard. The only thing that i would change is to make the mock scene less blurry as sometimes it is hard to make out what is happening in the scene.
The point of this task was to see how clear our storyboard. If the result of it came out well then we know we are doing it right, alternatively it is a way for us to see what we are doing wrong and what we could change before our opening sequence. We can apply this into our opening sequence so our storyboard is clear and easy to follow when we are filming.

Representations of characters- Kareem Lyew-Sang

This is a screenshot from the opening scene of the dark knight (2008) of the joker played by Heath ledger. Here the joker is made to look abnormal, strange and insane to the audience. This is shown in the scene through the use of hair and make up. For example the black around his eyes adds a scene of darkness to his character and makes look more menacing if you look him in the eyes. Also the use of the red on his lips and over his scares as emphasis to the area on his face making the audience look and wonder why he has those scares. His hair also helps to do this as it is not pampered and looks messy and dirty which adds to the unhinged look also the green hair linking with the idea of clowns which links to his name as the joker. In this scene it is a close up of the jokers face which makes you really focus on how crazy he is.

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This is a screenshot of the banker that chooses to retaliate against the robbers. Here he is shown to be upper class and high up in his job through the clothing and is also shown to be someone who is willing to fight back. For example his suit is clean and looks as if it has been ironed which tells the audience that he is high up in his job and is a upper class citizen. He is positioned in the centre of the screen as if he is demanding attention from the audience and from the robbers in the room. Also the use of the shotgun suggests that he is ready to commit violent acts in order to protect what he owns. 

This is a screen shot of a pair of robbers who are apart of the crew of robbers that are robbing the bank. They are shown as average robbers in the way they are dressed and the way they act but the mask on their faces gives of a commical effect. Also the way they are positioned suggests that the robber behind has another agenda also the way his arm is raised ready as if he is about to the other robber. 

Momento storyboard - Alex Fox

This was 1 minute 58 seconds to 2 minutes 10 seconds of the opening of the moment. I feel that a good thing that there was with our storyboard was that it was well detailed and showed key events in the shots. The storyboard also showed a description f what happened in the shot and how to film it.

Harry Potter aspects of mine en scene- Luke Burnip

 The mise en scene for this set is very simplistic with lots of props being played out on the table to signify it is lunchtime for the school. There is a crest that notifies to the audience what house table it is. Also there is fairly bright lighting to show that it is a safe place and so the audience can see all of the props on the table no matter how small they are.

 In this picture there are lots of bright props that were placed on the table which is very eye catching and is made to catch the audience's attention. The contrast of the shiny, light objects and the dark table really makes the props stand out. This is also enhanced by the fact that there is bright lighting to make the props stand out even more.

 This is meant to depict a dark classroom with the teacher walking around the classroom. The lights are used to emphasise the props in the form of cauldrons  and it helps the audience know what the lesson is about. In the background there were lots of props that are bottles that further give the set the feeling that potions are being made. 

 This is a long shot of people sitting at the table, The set was made like this so it is easy to see all of the characters and the dark clothes that they are wearing. There is a prop of a snake in the middle of the table that is going for a floating woman. The prop of the scale is positioned so it looks like it is going to attack the woman and the woman is suspended in mid air to give across a sense of venerability from the set.

 This is a close up of the wallpaper that was covering a room. This was very good for the setting and it had a lot of hidden meaning that the audience could visually see if they looked at it in enough detail.

 This train station and the train itself is set so that it looks like it is a train in a station. The set was a long dark room to depict an old fashioned train station. The lighting was dark but the paining of the train really made it stand out from the set.

 This carriage is good because it is small enough to look like it is a little crammed like a real life train carriage but is big enough that all of the characters would have been made out. It is light to show that the train is in use and it provides a level of luxury to its passengers.

This final picture is to show the castle of Hogwarts. It shows the huge lengths of the whole set and it has all the details of the windows ect... there was lighting used to light up the important parts such as the main sections of the castle.

Brief

In AS media studies we have to create a a preliminary exercise. This is a continuity task which has filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting own in a chair opposite to another character. This person also exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task is made to demonstrate the match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.

Costume analysis Kareem Lyew-sang

This is a screenshot is of joker from the dark knight. This screenshot shows the sub genre as it shows the joker in criminal/anarchist type clothing. You can clearly see that he is the criminal by the dark clothing, dirty clothing that gives him a criminal look. In this case the criminal is more of anarchist so he stands out from the crowd with his colours.(use of purple and greens) This screenshot helps the narrative as this is early in the film. So it is a time show the joker personality and what he is about to the audience. The costume is a important part of that. This screenshot is creative because it shows the joker entering a room of mobsters with no care. The use of the purple and green suit and him walking into a grey area makes him stand out. Which says something about his personality.

 

 

 

 

This screenshot shows the sub genre of crime as it shows the criminal against the protagonist. The use of tattoos on the criminal shows the audience that he is a criminal also the use of the gun is a key prop in most crime thrillers. This screenshot helps the narrative as it shows that the protagonist is in combat with a potential high ranking criminal. The fact the criminal is not completely clothed suggests that he was perhaps relaxing before the protagonist entered and there for must be higher ranking as normally low rankers have to dress a certain way if hired. Also the protagonist is in dark colours which suggest he just infiltrated the area also the blood on the clothing shows that they have been in combat. This screenshot is creative as it shows a clear distinction between the two characters with the protagonist in all black and completely clothed and the criminal shirt less with an unbutton shirt and tattoos making him seem like scum. Making the audience dislike him. This could be used in are Opening sequence to have a clear separation of good and bad. The all black clothing would be useful for the assassin to seem as if he wants to go unnoticed.

This screenshot shows the sub genre of crime as it shows the character in a integration room and he has a suit and tie which comes quite common in crime thrillers. This screenshot helps the narrative as it shows that the character in question is not bothered by the fact he is interrogated and seems completely innocent. For example his clothes seem smart and completely clean suggesting he has not been involved in anything. I feel like this screenshot is creative because to someone who has not watched the full film it hides all sense of guiltiness from the character in the way he is dressed down to his expressions.

 

Locations- Kareem Lyew-Sang

This location would work for our opening sequence as it could be seen as a dodgy area in which the assassin might have to go to find a target. It links to our sub genre (crime thriller) because it looks like a location crime may be committed such as drug deals. Creatively I think it would work thanks to the graffiti displayed on the walls which would and a dark and gritty feel to the opening sequence.

 

This area would work for our opening sequence because it its a dark and secluded area where the assassin may want to bring a target to kill them. It links to the crime thriller sub genre as it has a dark effect like you see in most crime thrillers.

 

filming Locations-Alex Fox

This location shows the film is a crime thriller because the shot is in the middle of what looks like a desert. This is because the director is wanting the audience to not know why the shot or character is in the desert because it looks very silent and deserted, this might also be in the film as a location because the desert can be used for many different things such as meeting points, in this case murders but also mysterious events. We could use a location like this in our opening sequence to show where the assassin meets with the hacker to collect information or just were he places his victims.  

           This location shows the film is a crime thriller because the trucks that are down on the desert floor look abandoned, this makes the audience want to know what has happened to them to make them to end up where they are. This location is effective because it is abandoned like the first location. We could use a location like this as a crime scene. 

This location also shows the film to be a crime thriller, this is because the location has been made to look mysterious to the viewers. This scene is similar to the last one but was filmed in a different area of the desert. It shows that it is a crime thriller because the location looks suspicious and bleak. This would be able to be used in our OS as the way the cop finds a crime scene or victim.

 This Location shows the film being a crime/mystery thriller because the area of where it is shot is built up and made to look very intimidating. This is because in films with the crime thriller genre, the police or good guys are quite often made to look very powerful. We could use this type of location to be a base for the police/cops in our OS. 

This locations is showing the film to be a crime thriller because it shows the prospective of a getaway car. This location also suggests crime because of where and when it has been set, by this I mean that the shot has been taken at night in a location that looks 'dodgy'. We could use a location like this in our OS to show the prospective of either the hacker or the assassin.

 This location is showing that the film is a crime thriller because the character is standing outside a housing area while looking very suspicious. This also looks to be a criminal minded location because the character is looking to be waiting for someone in the night, which normally happens in many crime thrillers. We could use a location and shot like this in our OS to show the hacker and assassin exchanging information.   

Hair and Makeup-Luke Burnip

I think that these two screenshots are great at showing the crime thriller genre because each of the characters faces are done so it looks like they are criminals. Both these screenshots do this because the hair is done to give it a greasy sight to it, as if to show that the characters know that they are criminals and they do it intentionally. This shows the narrative because with the hair and makeup the characters are clearly defined as criminals so it is obvious that they are going to do something bad. This being said, all the characters are have very different hairstyles, with some having facial hair and some having stubble. This shows that they all have their separate characters even when they are together. I think that the hair would work in our opening sequence because it clearly shows the characters which is what we want in our opening.

 The hair and makeup in the film reservoir dogs is typical of that of what you'd expect from a crime thriller film. They have make up that makes them look like they spend a lot of time outside due to their criminal activities. Their hair is done in mainly a gelled back style that makes them look professional and intimidating in what they do. I think that that we can use the makeup in our opening sequence for the hacker to make him look pale to show he doesn't leave the house that much.

In no country for old men the hair and make up looks very average for the context of the film. Most notably (in relation to our narrative for the opening sequence to our film) is the hitman. He looks very normal. His hair is straight and long, possibly in an attempt to fit in. His make up makes him look like he has been outside for a long time (because of his job as a hitman). I think that this fits in very well with our opening sequence because of the fact that the hitman is so normal looking with dark clothes that makes him look very subtle, which is something we'd also like to get across.