Evaluation Activity 7

Looking back at my preliminary task, what do I feel I have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

Preliminary Video

In the preliminary video the task at hand wasn't that familiar so we were experimenting with different techniques. In the opening credits I have super-imposed text onto the screen. In reflection on the preliminary video the text alignment could have been structured better as it masks half of the screen in contrast to 'Fool Me Twice' when the decision was made to make the text look more submerged.

Final Video 'Fool Me Twice'

                                                                                 Match on Action...In the preliminary video 'Finding Derick' we created a match-on-action shot where the protagonist strikes the antagonist hurling him to the floor. This type of editing is vital for continuity, it shows the method of one shot cutting to another, portraying the action that was intended in the first shot.

Evaluation Activity 6

What have I learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Evaluation Activity 5

How did I attract/address my audience?

Evaluation Activity 4

Who would be the ideal audience for my media product?

Generically the film would have to be 18+ due to the violence, gangs and drug references. It is vital to give a film with this type of content a high age certificate because it would affect minors mentally short term and long term. Teamed with tense chilling music and recent reviews such as 'Twisted', without a certificate this is self-explanatory that the film will be very tense and not for younger viewers. That film contains only male actors (if the full film was made only very few female actresses would be casted) evidently appealing more to males, however this also depends on preference on the female perhaps some enjoy films with a protruded  male to female ratio. 'Fool Me Twice' would also gain the interest of males because the main themes are violence and drugs (both which men have a tendency to enjoy) as well the male audience may be able to relate to the characters in the film with it being contemporary.

  The photo I have is a modern nineteen year old male. Varied taste in clothing attire would shop at favorable stores such as...
 http://www.asos.com/?r=2
http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home/uk/en/
http://www.americanapparel.net/

Favorite T.V Programs would include...

Evaluation Activity 3

What kind of media institution might distribute my media product and why?

Evaluation Activity 2

How does my film represent different social groups?

On the left: Gordon Gray (actor in 'Fool Me Twice')
On the right: Gary Stretch (actor in 'Dead Mans Shoes')

Both films are contemporary thrillers.The story line and the role of both characters are similar in 'Fool Me Twice' and 'Dead Mans Shoes'. It's difficult to understand whether Gordon or Gary and his clan are protagonists or antagonists as they both have committed a crime in the past but then are punished for it by their adversaries. Both characters are wearing black, leather jackets teamed with a dark colored scheme attire. The dark colors represent loss and death, evidently this clothing is foregrounding of their pre-determined fate. The ethnicity of the characters is also a vital decision when choosing roles for a thriller film. Without being xenophobic it is the norm for a white Caucasian male to be casted as the victim in a thriller film. This focuses on the stereotypes of ethnicity in the media industry. 

Below are numerous thriller film's that include white, Caucasian's as the victims...

                                 Sleuth Jude Law                           Secret Window Johnny Depp

  
                                 Misery James Caan                                Phonebooth Colin Farrell


 

Evaluation 1 Continued

Camerawork and Editing

A variety of types of shots and angles were used in the process of completing our two minute opening film. The long establishing shots were important at the beginning of the film because it gives the audience a sense of the mise-en-scene and what to expect later in the film. After the opening credits both protagonists pursue into the wood. The start of the wood is masked by colossal tree's which adds to the mystique and the element of the unknown in the film. Films such as The Shining and Silence of the Lambs both start with establishing shots.







Title and Font

We pursued the same title font and style throughout the two minute film opening to reinforce the element of continuity evidently augmenting the sense of realism. Also including the superimposing technique as a lot of thriller films do (like above) for their opening credits.

 

 

Overall the opening credits of thriller films often seem to be superimposed on the screen in modern day however in the 20th century when technology wasn't as advanced or perhaps due to preference; an alternate title screen was made for the opening credits however I believe the contemporary method of superimposing enhances the 'cinematic experience'.

 

 

Story, Genre and How Characters are introduced

At the beginning of the opening the two protagonists naively walk into an isolated woodland area. The wood has numerous physical barriers such as the broken fences, derelict buildings and bad terrain that should initially make the two protagonist teens avoid the area however being the stereotypical Caucasian, vulnerable teenager, they are oblivious to all danger. Also due to the diegetic, ominous music, the audience will sense the negative energy portrayed by all the barriers and atmosphere evidently preparing themselves for a thriller/slasher.

The antagonist is not introduced into the clip until one minute into the film however his face is not shown until two minutes eighteen seconds. When the antagonist first appears he does so with a wrench in his right hand however there is a low angle close up on the hand with no wrench in it. The tracker releases the wrench from his sleeve and falls into his hand simultaneous to the ominous 'knife' music.

 

 

The Warriors

 

I gained inspiration from the scene from ''The Warriors'' where the 'Baseball Furies' face 'The Warriors' and the lead member drops a baseball bat from infront of his arm (out of the camera's view) however the camera catches the extreme close up of the release of the bat because there is an extreme close up of the hand region.

 

 

Effects Used

There were numerous effects used in the two minute film opening to enhance the aestethics of the clip and accentuate some necessary factors. We included a sepia filter to insinuate the trackers perception. Though exaggerated it was necessary as the colour connotes violence and it showed an insight to the deranged killers mind. Also altered the contrast and brightness of each clip to improve the quality.

 

 

 

Evaluation 1 Continued

Title of the Film

'Fool Me Twice' seemed very relevant to use for our thriller/slasher film opening. It plays on the idiom 'fool me once; shame on you, fool me twice; shame on me'. This type of title would seem quite generic of a thriller movie because it makes the audience question it. This technique is achieved by numerous pychological thrillers such as: Silence of the Lambs, Along Came a Spider and Se7en. The title itself represents victimisation before the film even begins and from an audience's perspective who are familiar with the thriller genre; bullying or victimisation generally leads to revenge.

Setting/Location

After viewing a number of locations and researching into different film openings, it seemed that most thriller/slasher films start in a desolate venue to connote isolation and solitarisim. We eventually found Hameldon wood which seemed fit for the film because it had a lot of vegetation which would be used as cover for the follower and a substantial amount of reckage and had a relic atmosphere.

Costumes and Props

For both protagonists we casted to white, teenage, caucasian males. Generally young caucasian characters tend to be extremley vulnerable in slasher movies. They don't seem to be aware of danger and totally oblivious to a troublesome situation. The stereotype of the white teenage behaviour in a slasher movie is; they seem to always leave the secure house, search islolated attics and bedrooms and quite often are quite lustful outside in plain sight of the killer.

Cabin in the woods

'Cabin in the Woods' is a satirical horror film that mocks and accentuates the generic features of a slasher movie. The picture on the left is where Chris Hemsworth leads his girlfriends in the woods to have sex. Shortly after they are intercepted by an undead red-neck and a bear trap.

Evaluation Activity 1

 

 

In what ways does my media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Opening Film Sequence Response's

Final Version 'Fool Me Twice'

                                              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiRusMkv3kU

Storyboard/Planning Process of 'Fool Me Twice'

Extended Character Persona

The previous picture of the antagonist Solomon shows the famous Stanley Kubrick 'Glare' shot. With the mouth slightly ajar, head tilted forward while the eyes press against the eyebrows giving a deranged look. This shot is to imply the character is not mentally stable or some supernatural force has taken over him.

Full Metal Jacket

Clockwork Orange

Here are a few films Kubrick has included the famous 'Glare' shot in.

Character Persona

Being exiled and isolated for a long period of time we tried to give the antagonist Solomon a relic'd look. A khaki trench coat and a white bob hat was to imply the clothes didn't match and were stolen. The inspiration that led us to deciding on Solomon's persona was a mix between the eccentric ukulele performer 'Tiny Tim' and also the american sing/song writer 'Tom Wait's' whom Heath Ledger analysed before starring as The Joker.

Tiny Tim

Tom Waits

Antagonist
Solomon

Film Opening Analysis

Editorial Decisions... During filming 'Fool Me Twice' we included a sepia mask effect on the camera. The purpose of this was to highlight the deranged follower's (antagonist) perspective. I thought this worked well because although exaggerating the sepia effect helped the audience truly empathize with the antagonist's damaged past and also the sepia is generally red which symbolizes blood and connotes violence. The handheld camerawork and the tracking editing through the tree's also augmented this affect.

Sepia Edit

Location Hunting

The Setting

While in the process of location hunting we came across a secluded woodland area that seemed fit for the film opening. Over flowing with withered tree bark and derelict buildings  this location stood out and appeared more relevant than the rest. The opening of 'Silence of the Lambs' is also shot in an empty park/wood. Any isolated or desolate ground is perfect for the opening of a thriller.

Hameldon Wood
(Our Location)

'Misty Wood'
Clay County, West Virginia.
(Silence of the Lambs)

Plot

Fool Me Twice

The Plot

The Film opens with two, young, Caucasian males walking through a woodland area. As the film progresses and the type of shots differ, it suggests they are being followed. The deranged tracker is eventually made visible wielding a combination spanner to reinforce the sense of realism in the clip, also teamed with a shot-reverse-shot sepia screen to highlight his point of view. Nevertheless the follower tracks one of the protagonists and an extreme close up shot show's the antagonist striking him. The story follows that of a generic thriller film opening with the tracker in pursuit of the only surviving protagonist. This scene is then interrupted with the end credits of the short film clip. Given a big budget and a longer time period, the film would have followed on as so... Anaphora would be a predominant theme throughout the film 'Fool Me Twice'. After the short two minute opening, the movie would flash back three years earlier where both the antagonist and protagonists where childhood friends. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that Gordon (the smaller protagonist with the black leather jacket) had taken a turn for the worse. With his father suddenly coming into a large sum of money  a vicious greed over took his once innocent mind. Unknowingly to Gordon his father was a wanted drug lord. Gordon began stealing small amounts of his fathers money day by day assuming he wouldn't notice. Nine months swiftly passed and the stolen blood money soon accumulated. It came to Gordon's father's attention of the missing money and he was outraged. Threatening him with his own life Gordon panicked and threw the blame onto the innocent orphan Solomon (the antagonist). Jamie by-standing this evil was as much to blame as Gordon. His father and his clan tracked down Solomon and took the law in to their own hands banishing him to a deserted prison in Mozambique where he was given scarce food and water and also tortured. After two years of this punishment Solomon became immune to the pain and was able to survive off the little supplements that he was given. One of night guards fell asleep and Solomon saw this as an opportunity to gain vengeance. Stripping him of his uniform and weapons, Solomon's disguise was sufficient enough for him to pass off as a guard and aboard ship back to the United Kingdom. Arriving back in his hometown Burnley, he gains background knowledge on his once best freinds and pursues them through their daily routine making them live in fear. The story then reverts back to the original two minute clip and follows on from there.

Film Opening Draft

The Lesser Key of Solomon

 This was our initial idea for the film opening. The film was based in the 1950's hence the attire and haircuts. We tried to include connotations of this era such as the vinyl player, a tobacco pipe and the old fashioned banister and stairway. Due to the time period of the opening we added an old film grain effect to the camera to solidify the vintage look. In reflection we understood there would be a few anomalies and errors in the full filming process so decided to progress with the present idea 'Fool Me Twice'.

Me with a camera filming actors Jamie Glasgow and Samuel Hartley
in the 'Lesser Key of Solomon'.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

This is where the old house first comes into shot. It's important because as one of the protagonist opens the door there is an establishing shot showing a full view of the door opened. The only light present is the natural light which is dispersing into the house. Regardless of the natural light the decrepit house remains dark as the the shadow dominates the light. The point of view of the camera is opposite adjacent the protagonist as if to suggest it is the view point who we know is 'Leatherface'.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

Two of the girls leave the van and go to buy a can of Coca Cola from the vending machine outside the dreary, isolated gas station. A two shot is then teamed with a panning technique with the camera. Again at eye level the panning insinuates there are being watched and the normal order of things is starting to look aberrant.

Before the above shot, a low-angle two shot is conformed to highlight the girls' vulnerability and also suggests a libidinous element which would make the audience slightly uncomfortable nevertheless adding to the chilling apprehension.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

In this scene the characters naively pick up a stranded hitchhiker. He is overly confident taking in to consideration he has just met the cousins. The physically impaired character converses with the stranger and asks him of the slaughter house. He shows the disabled man a photo montage of diced animals and follows this peculiar act with the reply:  'I used to be the killer'. The hitchhiker then snatches a survival knife out of his hand and stares at it menacingly. The red paint/blood on the hitchhikers face is also a connotation of violence as well as the knife. Already the audience aren't feeling at ease with the unwelcome hitchhiker climbing aboard, but this feeling of suspense is reinforced with an eye-level close up of the mysterious man. Natural lighting also illuminates the van from the outside because it's in the day however
this also augments the element of realism.

Film Opening Analysis Continued

Film Analysis Continued

After the opening credits the film begins with a group of white, Caucasian male and females approaching what looks to be a desolate field in a green camper van. En route to the destination there are numerous unnerving connotations of death such as strange models of decayed flesh and an armadillo lies dead in the middle of the road when the van passes. The music at the start of the opening credits has the diegetic sound of a series of gongs and percussion instruments suggesting violence. There is also a male speaking into an old police radio over the top of the instruments. Accordingly Tobe Hooper wanted the narration to sound like Orson Welles for an aspect of realism as the events are based on true ones. Immediately the audience know something bad is going to happen. When the van finally comes to a halt, a disabled man in a wheel chair is the first out however underestimates the terrain and when a lorry passes the van the wind coincidentally  forces the the man and his wheelchair taking a tumble through the reeds.The unfortunate happening to this disabled man suggests vulnerability will be a sustained theme in this film, also the harming of a disabled person in natural light also implies that the greater evil that is yet to appear has no moral boundaries and will stop at nothing. 

Film Opening Analysis

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

Theme: Horror

Sub Genre: Slasher

 The film opens and already anxiety is struck upon the audience. Suspense is formed before even seeing the character. This is due to the scrolling text in black and yellow which explains that the horror you are about to watch is based on real life events and therefore gives a sense of a realism element to the film which makes it ever the more terrifying.

Target Audience Continued

Shutter Island

Target Audience...

Shutter Island's genre is a thriller however it ties in with various sub-genre's such as crime thriller and romance thriller. I believe the target audience of this film is probably around 16-25. It would attract this age because it is a contemporary film with modern house-hold name actors such as Leonardo DiCaprio , Mark Ruffalo and Ted Levine. Both DiCaprio and Ruffalo would attract a male and female audience, they are both quite young, good looking and have made a name for themselves in previous projects. Emily Mortimer is also a house-hold name actress so she would also help the success of the film. As well Mortimer is an English actor in contrast to DiCaprio (the protangonist) and Ruffalo who are American. Because of her nationality English people would enjoy seeing an English actress in a holywood film therefore raising the end profit. The setting of the film is in the U.S in 1945 and the ending of the film has a mysterious twist, both of theses factors would widen the audience vastly because these aspects alone cover a lot generic connventions the public would like to see in a film evidently increasing the fan base. The film has been given a 15 certificate due to the language, violence, drug use and disturbing scenes. One of the scenes in Shutter Island show childrens corpses on the ground covered in blood which a lot of viewers would find disturbing.

Leonardo DiCaprio-Marshall Teddy Daniels

Film Genres Continued

Film Genres

Setting

Horror...films usually are set in an ominous location such as a graveyard, hospitals, churches, cellars, attics or any other isolated residence.  

Camera Effects

A variation of high and low camera angles are normally used, this is to suggest power (high angle) or suspense (low angle). The Jump cutting technique is quite popular in modern films, this effect is to show the quickening of time. The diegetic sound of ambiance is relevant to create a sense of realism to the film making it evermore terrifying. Obviously the non-diegetic sound of monsters, demons etc is also normally present in a modern day horror.

Iconography

The lighting is stereo-typically natural for a realism element however it is also normally low key. The lighting sometimes shifts to high-key to emphasize shadows. Religious symbols, blood and dark clothing are consistent in a successful horror movie.

  

Themes

. Depression

. Suicide

. Good vs Evil

. Religion

. Death

. Hate

Film Genres

Film Genres

When choosing a genre for my AS Media project, I had to consider a few different factors including my target audience; age range, gender and interests. I had to also acknowledge the setting, the narrative stance as well as the sub-genre. The film opening is a hybrid of genre's however the most pre-dominant theme or category is 'Thriller'.

Thriller...Now usually a film in this genre would have a target audience of 18+, however this would depend on the sub-category as 'Thriller' itself is an extremely broad category

''Thrillers provide such a rich literary feast''.-James Patterson

The Primary elements of a Thriller

1.) The protagonist(s) faces death or someone who is considerably close to the character. 

2.) Initially the antagonist(s) force must appear to be stronger of that of the protagonists.

3.) The main plot line focuses on a mystery that must be solved.

4.) The protagonist(s) and antagonist(s) will fight on a mental level as well as a physical one.

5.) All action and characters must be credibly realistic and natural in their representation of on-screen performance.

Silence of the Lambs-Sir Anthony Hopkins

 

Setting/Location

The most important factor about choosing a location to film is that to ensure the setting is relevant and is suitable for the genre. For example when shooting the opening to a thriller film choosing a light hearted, comedic background such as a fun fair wouldn't be that appropriate to the purpose unless it was for juxtapositioning purposes, in that case the scene would be suggestive of some sort of evil source and eventually build up to a darker, more ominous location. An ideal location for a thriller film would be in a desolate woodland area, in an isolated manor or something as accessible as a graveyard. It's also important to be prepared that your location can change and look totally different depending on the time of day/year so it's important to do a test run to check the light levels are suitable for this time. 

Nicole Kidman-The Others

The director of 'The Others' Alejandro Amenabar chose a darkened old house for the location of this film. This is perfect as Nicole Kidman's children are photosensitive therefore fazed by natural light so very little is seen in this film which is ideal for a horror/thriller film.

Preliminary Film Task

Preliminary Film Task

Finding Derek

Here I have devised a short example of different shots and camera angles to become familiar with the approaches and styles. This exercise was both entertaining and educational and has furthered my understanding in film shooting.
                                             http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66-TuusT_ZE

Target Audience

Target Audience

The stereotypical target audience for a Thriller film is 18+, obviously this can fluctuate according to the sub genre. The reason why a film of this type is suited for the more mature viewer is because they normally include a lot of violence, taboo and psychological issues that viewers of a younger age may find challenging and/or disturbing. As well as the suggested age certificate, warnings are usually on the back of the DVD cover e.g 'may contain scenes of extreme violence and sexual content'.

''It must always be remembered that the primary aim of pictures is to provide entertainment. To entertain people, one must first capture their interest.''

    This is a quote from the late, great Alfred Hitchcock. He had an eccentric taste for the mise-en-scene of his movies. He often chose mundane locations for his film openings. Hitchcock adopted this as somewhat of a juxtaposition in his signature thrillers.
'' In a light-hearted setting, th advent of drama is made all the more effective by it's unexpectedness...The more happy-go-lucky the setting, the greater kick you get from the sudden introduction of drama.''
A majority of his suspense film's opened in bright daylight accompanied by the diegetic sound of playful music.

  Quentin Tarantino is another director I have analysed. Tarantino has numerous traits however, the one trait I have concentrated one because I find it relative to my 'AS Media coursework' is the famous 'P.O.V Tarantino Trunk shot'.

  'The Trunk shot' is a camera angle used when one or more character need to retrieve something from a lower angle (i.e the trunk of a car). Even though Tarantino is renowned for this shot, he did not invent it. Although he did popularize the Trunk shot which is featured in; Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Jackie Brown and Reservoir Dogs. In Inglorious Basterds a 'Trunk shot' is used when Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt) crouches over a captured Nazi with the 'Bear Jew' and carves a swastika into his fore head. The point of view from the camera is supposed to be of the Nazi's vision.

Brad Pitt
Aldo Raine-Inglorious Basterds

Few film directors had a more stunning style then the late, great, Stanley Kubrick. The Kubrick Stare, sometimes referred to as the Kubrick Glare, is a common camera shot of an actor in most of Stanley Kubrick’s films. The Kubrick Glare has been called the “heavy-browed look of insanity”. Roger Ebert said he simply thought Kubrick found it an interesting angle with which to shoot the human face. Regardless, the actor is filmed by Kubrick at a specific angle with their head tilted slightly down, looking up, sometimes with the teeth exposed but always with a detached, menacing, angry, diabolical, evil or mad look in their eye.

Jack Nicholson Jack Torrance-The Shining
''Here's Johnny''

One of the directors I have looked at is Stanley Kubrick. What defines Kubrick as unique and divides him from other directors is how he is able to capture emotion with a camera. One of his signiture shots is ''The Glare''.    

Stanley Kubrick

AS Media Studies Coursework.

                                        ''Fool Me Twice''

Hello I'm Dean Molyneux and welcome to my blog.

This is an introduction to the short film clip I will be creating for my AS Media coursework. Here I will be discussing my aspirations that have lead and inspired me to use the methods I have chosen. I will break down the initial structure of the filming process, and make reference to certain actors, directors and producers to show the origin of my ideals.