Mood Board: 29th September 2011

This is a mood board that shows the different aspects of a thriller film which i think are important. I used comic to do my mood board.

  

Shot Reverse shot: 26th september 2011

Today in our groups we looked at:

• Match on Action
• Shot reverse shot
• 180 degree rule

We each picked one we wanted to research in more detail.

Andrea looked at Match on Action. The definition of this is: Where you get the same shot of actions but from more than one angle, but when doing this you have to make sure everything is exactly how it was before. Eg. walked in out the the door with the same hand opening it and leading the same foot the first shot came in on.

I looked at Shot reverse shot, it is where the characters in the shot are filmed separately looking like they are looking at each other but there actually looking somewhere completely different. 

Sophie looked at 180 degree shot, that is where there camera is only aloud to shoot 180 degree (1 side) of someone or something.

Usual suspects: 22nd September 2011

For our first task we had to look at a scene from a thriller and look closely at certain aspects of it.

We look at:

·         What creates suspense?

·         How the camera (shot types) tell the story to create mystery?

·         Genre conventions of mise-an-scene

The thriller we looked at was ‘The Usual suspect’

1.       What creates suspense:

When the guy drops the match after lighting his cigarette it sets a light a trail of fumes on the floor, the following of the fire creates suspense especially when it goes past the dead body. It makes you think where does it lead to and why is there a man dead next to it. Also when you just see some liquid drop from above causing the fire to burn out you wonder what is that.  The sound effects help set the mood throughout the scene.

The music which goes with the clip also creates suspect because it’s all dark and freighting, this is done by using organs and musical instruments.

2.       How the camera (shot types) tell  the story to create mystery:

The tracking shots show the scene from a low point of view, and then suddenly there is a long shot from the floor showing a tall dark man on the balcony. Using the over the shoulder shots of the other man creates mystery because you think who the other guy, because you never see his face only waist down.

3.       Genre conventions of mise-an-scene:

Dark lighting is used though out the scene. The men in the clip are wearing dark cloths nothing that stands out, also they speak with monotone voice to make them sound more scary and mysterious.  
There are some good close ups of the props like the gun and the matches.  

Memento: 19/9/201

Memento
When watching Memento i look at the things that made in stand out in the opening sequence. In the opening sequence you don't see anyone's faces. Everything is rewound back, brief glimpse of hat might happen at the end of the film.
Titles: They are faded in and out.
Camera: In the opening sequence they use one camera shots mainly that is extreme close up on both characters.
Music:The music comes in half way though the credits, it is slow classical music which sets the mood because it depressing and upset. I think the music matches the beginning of the film.
The props they have used in this sequence are a photograph, bullet and a gun.
When looking at the character which who is holding the photo, has a cuts and bruises over him so he looks like he has been in a fight.

The name of the film

Tax Driver: 19/9/2011

Taxi Driver
In class we watched the opening sequence of taxi driver. We has to look at different accepts of it and pick part out that made it look like a griping thriller film.
Music: Starts of very quite then getting louder, then quite again. At the beginning classical music was played but then when they go to the extreme close up of his eye it changes to smooth jazz music. Then studiedly changes back to heart clenching classic music. Jazz: The saxophone is played mainly when the Jazz parts are played, it give the atmosphere a calm, relaxing mood. By using the music it creates many different mood throughout the opening sequence.
Camera shots:Though out the opening sequence many camera shots have been used like a extreme close up if the actors eyes, which gets us thinking who is this man and what is he's doing, also it gives us a kinda idea of what facial expression he has. You have some long shot of the road though a car window.
Visual elements: They use mist when the taxi is being drover though the scene which gives it a mysterious effect to it. The use different colour lighting is good, that is used when the jazz music is playing.

the Tittle of the people

The Tittle of the film

The extreme close up of the actors eyes.

Mind Map: 13/9/2011

 Over the past weeks i have been looking very closely at many thriller film. I have broken them down in the the bits which i have thought were important to making a good thriller film. Some of my examples as you can see are: Taxi driver and The hole, Frozen.
I will be looking at 2 of these in more detail and explaining how they make a good open sequence of a thriller film.