Anamatic

Currrently being edited, will be put up asap.

Roles, Props and Organisation - By Amelia and Lorna.

The main roles in our group.

Emma - Editing.
Lorna - Storyboard/blog/filming.
Amelia - Planning/organization/filming.

Character roles.

Protagonist - "Lisa."
Antagonist - "Emily."
We currently haven't secured actors but plan on asking friends to help out. For the majority of the opening identities wont be revealed; excluding the ECU shot on the treadmill and establishing shot at the end.


Props.

• Gym bag (Dance studio scene)
  
• Bracelet (Antagonist)
  
• Coffee cups (Cafe scene)
  
• Running machine (Gym)
  

-edit-
Our initial plan for the opening included a dialogue scene at the end. However due to time management Andy suggested we cut some shots down and only show from the knee down. We've simplified it by cutting out the ending dialogue scene however we'll still use the idea of a cafe and emphasis on the bracelet to reveal the antagonists true identity.

Synopsis and the film narrative. By Lorna and Amelia.

Synopsis
She didn't think today would be any different, but the truth has to come out some time.


Narrative & What will happen next
Our thriller opening is going to based on two female characters who used to be friends with each other, the protagonist is pursued by an anonymous antagonist after confrontation between the two.

In the opening of our thriller film, we will be filming one of the characters taking part in a normal everyday activity. The first shot is going to be a flash forward into the end result, this will last for only about 3-5 seconds.

This is then followed by the protagonist carrying out a mundane activity of being at the gym, this is going to be showed in an extreme close up shot of the characters face, giving the impression of a chase. This is an establishing shot which zooms out to reveal the character just on a running machine.

Next will be three cutaway shots of the fast forward. The following shot is of the character at the gym packing away, this will be in a medium shot.

We're then going to add a match on action shot of the protagonist leaving the running machine to collect her bag, then the match on action will take her to the dance studio where there will be a large mirror. Then a long shot and shallow depth of field focusing on the mirror and the antagonists figure shown behind the protagonist, slowly zoom in to reveal the significant bracelet.

Following that will then be a flashback of the protagonist and another character talking in depth over coffee -(we will include reverse shot in this scene.) Focus on the second characters wrist to show the significant bracelet and reveal the identity of the antagonist.

The rest of the film would be about the events and conflict that lead to this evolving.

Initial thriller opening ideas. By Amelia and Lorna.

• Flashforward of end result.
• As photographs - capture sound effect.
• Establishing shot - building false tension, "normal" activity protagonist at gym on running machine. Close up on face - (deep breathing etc.) - audience presume from something - zoom out.
• P.O.V shot of someone actually running away (through woods)
• Shots of protagonist running - different camera angles behind trees.
• Gym - mirrors, shallow depth of field of character and figure in the mirror behind protagonist.
• Flashback of antagonist and protagonist when they were friends, significant piece of jewellery (braclet) on antagonist, close up of it later so audience knows they know each other.

• Final Idea.
• Flashforward of the protagonist - end result/conclusion. Cornered - camera acting as antagonist. (Wood.)
• Establishing shot. (Gym.) Close up of face (deep breathing etc) audience presume running from antagonist. Zooms out to reveal shes on a running machine.
• Cut away; P.O.V shot of protagnist running through wood (hand held camera.)
• Cut away; camera angles behind trees, quick flashes. (wood.)
• Returns to gym, protagonist putting things in bag/leaning in front of mirror. Shallow depth of field - of protagonist and antagonist shown in mirror - wearing significant braclet.
• Match on action of protagonist leaving gym and walking down the street.
• Flashbacks of protagonist and character talking. Reverse shot of conversation inside, camera looking through cafe window. Focus on characters wrist, sees significant braclet; revealing the identity of the antagonist.

• Locations.
• College gym.
• Dolphin gym.
• Cafe.
• Woods.
• Dance studio.
  

Kill Bill - Emma

• Blackness- Off screen wimpering. What's going on?

• Cut's to a BCU of a woman's face, apparently covered in blood, all in black and white.

• Off screen slow, menacing footsteps make you fear for the woman as she's obviously in no fit state to defend herself against anyone.

• Cut's to a tracking shot of a close up of the antagonists cowboy boots, walking along slowly, purposefully.

• Off screen voice, "Do you find me sadistic?", the antagonists hand reaces down with a hankercheif inscribed with 'Bill'. He wipes her face in a seemingly loving way, which juxta poses with his words.

• The protaganist refer's to her as 'Kiddo' suggesting his age. It also contrasts greatly with the diagetic but off screen sound of a gun being loaded/cocked. this causes the audience to worry about the woman.

• just before the gun goes off (off screen causing shock and mystery) the protagonist just has time to say "Bill, it's your baby". This leaves the audience wondering, is it an ex? bad breakup? Why were they both there? and who was he?

• In this sequence there is no non-diagetic sound, adding to the elements of restricted narrative and keeping the film suspenceful.

Donnie Darko - Emma

• Stormy sound, changes to bird song as the veiw progresse

• Dawn/ dusk, shown by cool colouring

• As you begin to see a person in the middle of the road, eerie non-diagetic music begins to play.

• The audience begins to wonder at this point as to weather the charecter is dead or alive, important or not, and who they are and how they got there. The protaganist then begins to wake up and look around. The bike thrown on the side of the road gives the audince a clue as to his means of transport.

• When the audince discovers that the protagonist is fine, the non-diagetic sound changes from eerie to somewhat cheerful.

• There's a cut to a long shot of some mountains, panning across the landscape. This emulates a peaceful feeling to the audience.

• The Last shot is a straight pan across the landscape. when the camera movement stops however, Donnie springs up out of nowhere, adding an element of suprise. In this shot he seems out of place with the landscape, especially in his costume- pjama's.
  

Joyride - Emma

Three Stages of Narrative

Set-Up - Arrival of main charecter at pylon
Complication - 'Injured' man lying in the road, kidnapp

Resoloution - Police pulling over the car

That's where the three stages of narrative should conclude, but with Joyride it's a different story

Complication - implied death of Police

Resoloution - Crash, escape from boot
I like the way sound bridging was used in this scene, creating the effrct of a crash without the cost of actually showing it.

Complication - Hostage situation

Resoloution - Car alarm, knockes out kidnapper.

The irony of this peice is that he comes up with all of these ways to save himself from the kidnappers, but seems to die anyway, due to his own lazyness. I think it was good to come full circle, concluding the film at the place of the initial set up.

Restricted narration

• Close ups of the protagonist in the boot, emphasising the sense of fear and clostraphobia.
• Off screen sound helps us to understand what's going on outside
• Blood splatters re-inforce what the sound suggests, the injury/death of the police.

Un-restricted narration

• Large depth of field, show's the audience that one antagonist is still concious and about to do some damage. This creates suspence.

Research Task 5 Thriller Openings - Lorna Wilson

Deadline one. bullet point textual analysis of at least 5 thriller openings, from film or TV. Consider the blog format - text, screen grabs, embedded video and hyper links. Clearly headed "Research Task".

1. "Seven" - Research task 1
The opening sequence of this Thriller film bases on introducing the protagonist, character construction and forming enigma codes enticing the audience into mystery and to question the film.

• Mise en scene provides information about the protagonist, his orderly and precise fashion of picking up objects, owning a metronome and questioning the other characters, build up a construction of his character. These enigma codes make the audience react and ask questions about the film, the characters and plot. Where are they? The city isn't named. Why's the murder significant? etc.
  
• The mood of the opening sequence provides a mystery set-up of death and crime.
  
• Sound - There's no music, just background noises of constant rain, radios and police sirens giving the impression that the neighbourhood isn't very safe. There's alot of silence when Sommerset is alone, giving suggesting he's an isolated character.
  

2. "Memento" - Research Task 2

• The first opening shot, the set up, is an ECU of the protagonists face, with added shadow to disclose identity. "awake. Where am I? Some anonymous hotel room" - restricted narration. The protagonist is asking and answering the questions, also prompting the audience to think and ask similar questions - Audience involvement, makes the audience think and work things out for themselves - part of a complex plot.,

• Sound - sound effect of camera taking a photograph. Voice over of the protagonist explaining the story to the audience.
  

3. "Gamer" - Research Task 3

• The opening sequence of Gamer is fast paced, and launches straight into action. Titling "Some years from this exact moment" appears on the screen followed by the Camerawork centering on a puddle with a outlined reflection of a male, then swoops up into action. Time passing is shown through a fast forward view of a city street and traffic, clouds etc. Within these locations there are visible drawings and recruiting posters of a mans face in each different location, in different medians - thus introducing the protagonist.
• Sound - throughout the opening sequence Marilyn Manson- Sweet Dreams is played, fitting into the action.
  The music dies down for a split second as we hear deep breathing and a somebody loading a gun, this sound is non diagetic. Followed by a police siren is an explosion into game play a whole different location. Constant noise of guns and explosions are played with frantic camera movement.
  
• The scene changes from real life to game play this is shown by the different point of view shots also used in game play as well as a gaming screen. (see below)

4. "District 9" - Research Task 4
The opening sequence to District 9 is in a documentary format with background non-diagetic sound as the screen remains black with titling.

• The documentary format has non edited cuts within the interviews, and the camerawork is that of a handheld camera, noticeable as it shakes and has recording times running at the bottom. The beginning sequence of the film continues using home video with a voice over, explaining the subjective narration of the story so far.
• Titling "alien affairs" introduces the idea of the abnormality, the disruption. This then cuts to a extreme long shot of the cityscape and an alien ship hovering over the top. The prompts questions to the audience, what is it? how did it get there? why is it there? - restricted narration.
  
• Sound - engaging tribal music emerges slowly into the background of the documentary and voice over, the music is unfitting to the scene yet helps to create the (contrasting sound) . In the final establishing shot the tribal music gets louder, prominent and more consistent, as if a warning of events to come.
  

5. "The Dark Knight" Research Task 5

The Dark Knight goes straight from the establishing shot to action, of a robbery scene, which subtly introduces the main antagonist, the joker through clever use of masks and opinions.

• Sound- Throughout the establishing shot there is a music bridge of intense music -played at a very low volume. This is shattered by diagetic sound effects of a window breaking and equipment being used, the music intensifies and becomes louder and continues for the duration of the sequence.
• The establishing shot zooms in on a building, followed by a window being smashed from the inside and cuts straight to a medium close up of a character masked as a clown, this transaction creates an illusion of the antagonist which is later to be revealed. The next shot reveals the hole in the window to show where the character is heading, their goal.
• The screen grab below of a man holding an identical clown mask suggests he is a bad guy foreshadowing character types and themes of the main antagonist. Whereas suggestions of the main protagonist are still unknown. The second screen grab shows two of the criminals turning on each other communicating that whilst each character is masked they continue to turn on each other, making it impossible for the audience to grow attached to any character.
  

Thriller research - "Daybreakers" Lorna Wilson

Over the weekend I went to the cinema with some friends to see Daybreakers, also a Thriller. It's a great film full of action, suspense and thrills that had us jumping off our seats.

Outline of the beginning sequence

• Silence then bat flies at screen making loud screechy noise, making audience jump building unexpected tension.
• Starts with birds eye view of character, odd lighting suggests something extra ordinary close up of photographs of the small girl, eerie and cynical. sound – silence, sounds of pencil to paper , leaves note on her bed
  
• Dark room she opens door, light from outside creates sihloette of the girl. establishing shot of house and sunset, still silent.
  
• Audience see girls face, eyes prove theres something different about her, flashes back to letter. intense eerie music fades in getting louder building tension. close up on letter “never grow up!” “cant go on” music gets louder as sun appears non diagetic sound of girl screaming flashes back to character as she bursts into flames and disintergrates cut into darkness.
  

Joyride thriller - Amelia King.

Enigma Codes.
I found the short thriller film Joyride really effective, there were questions you wanted to find the answers to, for example;

• Who were the two antagonists?
• What did they want?

Narrative.
Throughout this film it was mainly restricted narrative, but there was a scene where it was unrestricted, this was were the protagonist thought he had escaped but we could see the antagonist behind him.

Sound.
I really liked the way they used sound-bridges in this film, the one I found worked the best was where their car crashed into a tree but the audience didn't see it you could just hear it. This left you wanting to know what had happened to them.

Set - up.
The establishing shot was of the protagonist presumably out doing a job for work, I thought it was good that this setting was also how the film ended.

Seven - Emma

Seven

Enigma Codes

These are used effectively to make the audience ask questions about what's happening.

• How was the person murdered?


• Why did the Police Man want Somerset to leave?


• Why did Somerset want to leave?


• Why was he so organised and precise?

• Why the metronome?
  


• Where were they? Which city?

These questions were raised by Leaving things out. Shot's of the first dead man didn't actually show how he was murdered, only a pool of blood next to him.

The tone in which the Policeman said that they couldn't wait for Somerset to leave was cold and hostile, making the audience wonder why.

His precision with his clothes and the metronome are very telling character traits.

Although they spoke about a city, they never specifically mentioned which one, leaving the audience wondering.


Character Construction

The characters are very well, but very subtly introduced in this opening.

Somerset

• Neat


• Tidy


• Passes easily through the crowd


• Walks with an air of authority


• Masculine house


• Old 'Used' switch knife

Mills

• Scruffy


• Battered/Worn leather jacket


• Crumpled tie


• Battered by the crowd


• Late


• Chewing gum


• Unshaven

All of these qualities suggest charecter traits that will help the audience to relate more easily.