Opening of a Thriller- The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises

In The Dark Knight rises the opening scene is set on a plane. This alone shows power because to own or control an aeroplane you need to have a lot of money and money stereotypically shows power, also many people are scared of heights therefore suggesting that the suggested protagonist is trying to scare his prisoners.

A mid-shot is used within this clip to show the impact of the masked man. Despite him being the only one talking his mask is quite disturbing, this costume idea makes him look quite evil as the mask design is of two claws going into each other. The claws suggest they fight back and like the position of the hand rip things apart, this makes the character look evil and looks as if they would play the 'villain' role, this however is a stereotype. The hidden identity behind the mask makes him look very secretive and mysterious, from the unknown curiosity the audience are aware the film is a thriller genre therefore when creating my thriller it may be an idea to use a mask to create a mystery.

The accent of the voice of the prisoner is very deep and slow this again adheres the stereotype of a villain, even though he is tied up it is suggested it was part of the plan or something is about to happen. His deep tone makes him sound powerful and confident as to is also very clear, this suggests he is about to do something to get himself free because of his bold voice.

An establishing shot is used at the beginning of the scene, the image is of the mountains and a small white aeroplane drifting between them. This shot is used because it creates the impact of the distance from the plan to the edge of the mountain which creates the suspense in the next clip when the prisoners heads are out the aeroplane door. This makes the audience feel sympathetic to the prisons straight away, this subverts the stereotypical villain because normal there hate towards them however they've been put in the wrong role at this stage of the film.  

Continuity editing is used throughout the scene because it shows the story of what is happening. This whole scene itself is 2 minuets however within this short period a man has died and a bass quest has been et by on of the characters. The continuity editing shows how quickly this happens. When creating my film I need to remember that even though I need to include titles I could possible pack in quite a lot of depth in term of the characters story within this time period. This term of editing means that the scene flows continuously without fast forwarding or rewinding the scene. 

Scenes which create suspense- Black Swan

Black Swan

In the film 'Black Swan' suspense is created to make it look like the main character (Nina) the chosen black swan is going insane and can’t control herself. 

In one scene a hand held camera is used when other members of the dance community are hugging Nina in congratulations on her position. This camera technique is used because it shows her being pushed from one pupil to the other and creates suspense that she is losing control because the camera shoot was very chaotic.  The girl now looks very venerable because she is unable to control herself. The camera shot is constantly moving therefore suggesting the girl is over welled with the news or very disappointed and she now could be hallucinating creating the effect that she is weak. A weak character is stereotypically an easier target for a criminal therefore creating the suspense that something could shortly happen to her because of her timid character. When Nina is informing her Mum on her role the expression and atmosphere is very settled however a sudden loud 'boom' is let off as Nina opens the toilet door. This sudden noise juxuposes the before atmosphere therefore creating suspense on the audience as they are unaware on what has happened. This contrast in sound also makes the audience a bit edgy as it could have made them jump, it is very common in thriller films that when something bad is occurring or is about to happen the tempo and loudness of the music becomes quick and deep to big the suspense, this technique is used in this certain scene. This sudden change of music follows this contention of a thriller as the camera then uses a panelling shot to show the word written on the mirror 'whore' in red lipstick. Where Nina is in a venerable positions at this set of mind she is very scared about what has just happened however it creates suspense on the audience because they are unaware on who had done this and why. It is suggested that because she had got the main part there would be many other girls in the dance school which would be jealous for not getting the main role therefore it could be another one. However this scene is at the beginning of the film therefore only a few characters which have been introduced therefore it narrows down the options. The actual word 'whore' is quite offensive especially to a virgin therefore it makes her even more venerable but also creates the suspense that people are out to get her making the suspense grow as Nina is being marginalised. 

The second scene was shown in the middle of the film. In this scene another close up is used however in this shot the image Nina is shown ripping the skin around her nail, this then leads into the whole finger skin bleeding. The close up creates suspense because the audience can see the graphic image of the skin. This allows the audience to show her pain as having loose skin around your nail is quite a common but painful thing, when blood is shown in any circumstance then it shows pain, blood and death. Pain is a common theme within this film because Nina is in pain within her actions and choses. As this image is so graphic the audience will feel uncomfortable and some maybe feeling a bit ill however the editing technique of quick cutting is used as the finger is moved under the running water from the tap. The shot if the bleeding finger is held for approximately 3 seconds then it quickly cuts to it being under the pure water, this is to relax the audience however it creates suspense because the water under her finger is running clear where as if her finger was bleeding it would have a tint of red in it. The purity of the water puts the audience at ease as the film in a thriller not a horror therefore the horrific images aren't meant to be a massive convention. This whole scene itself is set in the bathroom, Nina is wearing a white dress, this highlights that she had the lead role of being the swan, swans are mainly white therefore it foreshadows her having this swan role. The other female character in the toilets is wearing a black dress, this suggests to the audience that she is the dark character who could possibly be the black swan, this contrast within dress colours creates suspense. Throughout the film there is someone who is out to get Nina therefore because she is wearing a black dress it is suggestive to the audience that it is her now she is own her own she is more venerable as she now has no one to help her. Throughout this scene the soundtrack is played at a consistently throughout the scene with only additional high notes here and there. This high notes create suspense because every time one is present something bad happens therefore the audience will be waiting for the next high note to appear to commence the negative/ terrible thing. This technique is shown throughout the whole film.

The last scene was set on the stage near the end of the film, the power of her having the lead role is at its full and she is hallucinating the night before the premiere. It starts with her rehearsing in the mirrored room, when the lights go out a massive diegetic 'boom' is realised. This creates suspense because the audience are unaware of who done it and why did they do it if they were aware that someone was in there way would they. This confuses Nina and she becomes a bit sceptic and venerable the audience too feel quite scared and fidgety because the not knowing the unknown is quite agitating and confusing. Nina then goes onto the stage, here she sees through the wings her dance teacher becoming intimate with one of the dancers (the one she was talking to earlier on in the film). A close up is used on the teachers face as he transforms into the swan. This creates suspense because Nina has become so involved into her role she is starting to relate the play to reality, her hallucinating mind sees the teacher as the crow from the storyline, the way Nina has become so addictive to her role is almost scary to the audience because they can see she is becoming ill just from a dream she loves. A long shot is then used; the image within this shot is Nina stood singly on stage. The stage is her comfort zone because of her career however here she looks venerable and weak because of the proportion size between her and the stage. This long shot shows her looking small therefore increasing the amount of venerability put on her, this build suspense because the audience are becoming worried about her body language and her state of mind, they can see from this one shot she is looking lost and weak.  To show her mind becoming even more distracted a hand held shot it used while she runs off the stage away from the 'crow'. This hand held shot shows the chaotic atmosphere and the distress the female is going through because the image isn't fully clear, also it emphases the fact she is running. 

Film Opening Titles

Film Opening Titles

Looking at 3 different movies it is clearer to me now how titles are presented within different type of films.
We started with the film titled 'Begin Again'. At the very beginning of the film as like the majority of all films the ident's were presented, there were 4 ident's in this certain film. After that the audience were presented with a black screen, here the titles of the production companies dissolved in and out in white writing- the white writing allowing the information to stand out as it is a contrast to the background. The film begins, after 3 minuets into the opening scene the titles of the 2 main starts are presented to start off the sequence of credit titles. The titles of the main stars are normally presented at the beginning of the title sequence because it tends to go in order of payment, the highest paid going first. 4 minuets into the film the title was finally shown, however it was still in the same font and size as the titles this shows that for that production company, the title of the film isn't massively important, in fact it is the storyline/ narrative which is more important. Finally 6 minuets into the films the last title is shown. Despite being the sequence being put in highest payment the writer and director was placed last to conclude the sequence because it was central unlike the others it shows it's importance and status to the film production.  From this film it is clear that not all the titles if any will be shown within my 2 minuet opening as a small scene is sown first to settle the audience into the film.
The second film we looked at was called 'The Talented Mr Ripley' this film genre is a thriller therefore it is similar for something which will be created in the near future. Like the previous film discussed the film started with indents however in this film there are only 2. Again the black background and white writing is used to show the credit's, this technique is seeming to be quite popular. The back background slowly lose stripes which revealed the first image at 1 minuet 30 seconds. The other titles where then continued by colour stripes which would appear either across or long the main shot. The order of titles was again celebrities first however the director where before the celebrities in this case. From this film I can see titles can be added at the very start of the film however the title of the film was shown at the end therefore the titles were more important than the actual film name itself.
The final film we looked at was the famous 'The Hunger Games'. The titles of this film were no existence. First there were 2 indent's which weren't followed by titles but a brief narrative of the storyline in which the words 'The Hunger Games' were shown and the other words around it dissolved showing the title of the film. The actual footage of the film then became, after 10 minuets in there still were no sign of titles at all. Therefore when creating my opening of a film I don't actually have to include the titles at all, in fact I could argue that I would have all the titles as credits at the end of the film. The way the titles aren't shown allows the audience to get engrossed with the film straight away within the titles wasting time as not everyone like to read the titles and prefer to get straight into the storyline. This technique is becoming more common in today's modern films therefore this is something to consider when creating my film.
I'm still yet to decide what my film will be about however when creating a storyboard I will need to think about weather I want titles to be present and which ones or weather or not to even include these. I think however without going into to much depth some titles will be shown as it'll allow the audience to see the celebrities/ cast members and the most important members of the production company.

Conventions of a thriller- X-Men

Conventions of a Thriller

Within this clip from X-Men, there are elements which allows the audience to question the storyline as well as understand it is a thriller film.

A close up is used of the young boys hand, this is a powerful shot as it symbolises to the audience that something is very significant about this hand. His powers are suggested to be coming from this shot as it is a close up. If the shot was a mid-shot or a long shot it wouldn't be as clear to the audience what and where the action was coming from, as it is already the audience are confused on why and where these powers have suddenly come from. The boy is realising a magnetic field from his fingers which is shown through this camera frame and added non-diegetic sound. From this single shot the audience can see his hands are very small and fragile therefore emphasising he is young and pure, the boy is wearing fingerless gloves, this item of clothing is very significant. Where the fingers are missing they are opening the bare skinned fingers therefore when the close up is put in place it is suggested the power is coming from his finger tips other than he whole hand. The power shown from the child suggests he is evil as he contains this power he cannot control, this subverts the stereotype of a children as they are stereotypically seen as sweet and innocent.

The editing technique used in this scene is referring back to the power from the hand a slow motion technique is used. This is to create the effect that waves are coming from his fingers, the power from this slow motion shows how quickly something changes in such a short space of time. The boy is controlling the gate with his finger therefore the slow motion creates the effect he has strength.

When the young boy is using his power's diegetic sound is added to make the young boy to sound more powerful. This sound is edited on because it is louder and more pricing than how it actually would sound, this has the effect that he is stronger and exaggerates he is contorting the fence. The sound suggests his powers are some sort of a magnetic field. The piercing sound creates the effect that the gates are heavy and makes the audience feel awkward as the sound is uncomfortable this a convention of thriller because it makes the audience feel out of place and build's the tension. The sound shows the gates are being crunched up, when removing the sound the scene is very bland as the sound of rain is removed too. The rain effect is called pathetic fallacy as it sets the mood however with the additional sound of the gates the mood/ atmosphere is dramatic.

Within the scene the audience are shown a shot which contains a bunch of people within a very confined space. Due to the titles which were shown at the beginning of the film the audience are informed that they are in Poland therefore the mise-en- scene within this scene suggests that they are set in the concentration camps. This is an uncomfortable storyline to the audience as not many people like to talk about these discomforting stories and events, this technique of making the audience feel uncomfortable is an convention of thriller. The proxemics between each character is very close and they are being shouted out, not only are they close together but they are being order to move into an even more confined area which is contains wired walls and bared gates. This structure allows the audience to feel very confined and awkward because they cant help, they can only just sit there and watch.



Opening of a Thriller- Children of Men

Opening of a thriller

Children of Men

Within this clip we learn a lot about the local setting and surroundings. The audience are first introduced with the production companies name. First 'Universal's' symbolic logo appears this is because it is the bigger production company, like music record labels there are a bigger production companies which are higher up from the independent production company. 'Strike' is the independent production company for this film, a small sequence appears the logo however it isn't as recognisable as the 'Universal' logo which is known so well. After the production companies are established the titles appear- white writing with a black background. The contrast of colours are sufficient and allow the audience to clearly see the importance of the production team.

A black screen is shown to the audience whilst non-diegetic sound of a news report is heard over the top. This is a sound bridge as the camera flash cuts to a high angle shot which shows the community gathering round listening to the news. The high angle is used to represent 3 things: the TV itself is sat higher up on the wall, therefore shows the community are looking up to watch the TV; the camera is looking down at the people to show they are at a lower statutes and are very focused into what is going on; finally this angle allows us to see what the characters a wearing, the majority are wearing suits to suggest they have high work ethics, the proxemics between the characters are very close therefore it shows they are in a busy location. Busy locations are a high target for a thriller setting as what happens has a bigger effect on the environment around them as well as the individual. 

The news story is read by a female reporter who has a very stereotypical formal English accent, this suggests to the audience that they are England but more pacific London due to the population show in the first shot. The news report which was read is very emotional and heart breaking, it is the first elements of the film which suggests it's a thriller, 'The youngest boy on Earth died'. The news story is very peculiar because he died at the age of '18 years and 4 months', in reality people die every day and despite how old there are they aren't broadcasted on the news however this particular story is. Deago (the boy) was stab suggesting violence. With the title 'Children of Men' it is suggested that there aren't many children is in the area and if the 18 year old is the youngest child the generation of children are dying. This is quite a terrifying news story which is introduced straight away allowing the audience to create the genre of thriller, the scary storyline is a convention of a thriller film therefore it fits in with this genre. 

The suggestive main character is seen pushing through the big crowed of people, this suggests he doesn't care about the issue going on within his society. He is too shown wearing a suit suggesting he has a higher class job. As he wakes is way to the street a subtext reads 'London, 16th November, 2027' therefore setting the audience geographically. A long shot is used here to allow the audience to see the traffic and types of vehicles. As the film is set in the future it worries the audience as they are unknown weather this could actually happen in the future. The vehicle technology juxtaposes the impression of the future. Stereotypically society think there will be flying cars and hoover boards however in this scene we see they have gone back to the older ways of transport such as carts and vintage motorbikes, this subverts the stereotype of the future however adhere's the thriller conventions as stereotypically thriller films include elements of vintage run down objects such as cars and old houses as they look and sound creepy and are an easier target..      

A panelling shot is used as the camera adjusts before a bomb goes of behind the main character (ambient sound), this reinforces the elements of danger within the area. A hand held shot is used as if people where running to the scene to see what had happened, this hand held shot is also used to show chaos. In a thriller film it is vital to show chaos and distress as it allows the audience to connect to the storyline as well as create a busy but uncomfortable atmosphere.

The title of the film is then appeared. From this first scene as an audience we can see the conventions which are stereotypically found in a thriller film: danger, suspicious behaviour  and a negative atmosphere therefore allowing the audience to understand the genre of a film. Some thriller films could be a hybrid including other genres such as si-fi however I think I would like to keep the genre to just thriller as I could make the conventions very clear.  My thriller 2 minute opening will need to include the conventions found within this clip as well as other thriller conventions, in order to insure it looks like a thriller film I will need to look and study other thriller clips to get a full understanding of thriller openings.



What I hope to get out of studying media production?

What I hope to get out of studying media production?

Media production is the full-time work which has gone into making different communication, entertainment or information produces both within hardware and software materials. These could be the production of different items such as adverts, films, short documentaries, internet formats and videos. The media production has a set strategy which will allow them to achieve their goal: before even they start filming a pitch is created -which is helped supervised by a potential production company e.g. Warner Brothers; by doing questionnaires and asking their target audience about the film they then create any changes however some companies like to carry out market research before pitching as they know their exact audience and range.

Within media production my particular interest lies in the field of editing films, this admiration had begun from a young age. I  enjoyed watching all genres of films and being a dancer from a young I have had some experience behind scene to put on a staging performance; this interest had later lend me onto taking a Media GCSE course with the OCR Exam Board. From my knowledge I know there are several stages within the editing roles when creating a clip or film. The editing stages start by assembling all the shots; then a rough cut is made, which removes any unwanted scenes, after a fine cut which assembles each individual edited scene the final cut is produced. The clip below is from the film 'The Ring' editing is used within this scene to create a scary era. The girl climbs out of the TV which shouldn't happen naturalistically therefore they have used editing techniques to make her look as if she is coming out of the TV. A suggestive way this could have been done is using a video in the original long shot of the TV however the girl then climbs out of the TV when a side angle is used therefore it could be a built TV which she is climbing out of however due to the editing techniques of flash cutting it looks as if she has just climbed out of the video, also a green screen could be used to look as if she is in the TV. The video within the clip has the spooky effect as it flickers increasing the tension.

Whilst taking this course I would like to improve my knowledge within the editing process and experiment with different techniques to create my own 2 minute long opening of a film. Working with others will allow me to take in knowledge which they already know to improve my own work and vice versa.

Though being very organised-which will help whilst scheduling the work- I am very persisted when creating and editing any source of work therefore my time keeping will have to be very strict to keep on target as my perfectionism will take up a lot of time. From this course I want to have the basic knowledge within editing films which I can potentially take on with me into future education or even possibly a career. On the other hand the overall outcome I want from this course is a grade which I would be happy with alongside a new insight into the editing process.

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