Monday, 26 January 2009
Thriller Poster Analysis
Fargo was directed by the Coen Brothers (1996), below is the poster for the film and the analysed/annotated version beneath it.
Thriller Poster Analysis
This poster is of the thriller "Vertigo" by Alfred Hitchcock. I have analysed the main points that are attracting the audiences attention and the possible meanings of the design.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Monday, 19 January 2009
Film Classification Activity 3.3
Have you watched films classified as 18 when you were below this age?
I have watched films that are classified 18 but only at home and round friends. I have never seen 18's at the cinema as one of the reasons is that I have never bothered trying to get in for an 18, as cinemas are usually very strict with age restrictions. Also, another reason is that a lot of 18's are violent, disturbing, upsetting, offensive and so on. For example, the film: This is England contains violence and racial offensive language which would upset people too young. Further more, many 18's are horrors which I am not keen on, just because how gruesome they are.
Does classification work for home viewing (DVD, TV broadcast, online, YouTube)?
It does depend on what you view the films on as certain ways have restrictions and limitations. One example is online sites, like YouTube have messages come up when a film is certificated as an 18. To watch the video, you have to sign up for an account but the problem with this is that people can easily fake their age so they can watch the video. This is very simple to do as you can put a different date depending on how old you need to be to view the video.
Another example is on TV, it is quite easy for viewers to watch a film that they shouldn't be allowed to see. Channels which broadcast films are Film Four and there are plenty of choice on Sky. There is an advantage however because, films that have higher certificates are commonly on at the 9 o'clock watershed and later, for instance on "Bad Lieutenant" is going to be on at 11.05 on 26th January as its an 18.
Can parents/guardians/supervising adults be trusted to monitor what children/youths are viewing? Should they have this responsibility?
Home viewing films is hard for parents to monitor as films are easily available to most home owners. If viewers do not have extra and digital channels then there are less films on, for instance, the normal channels are more along the lines of: BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five.
It is parents/guardians responsibility to monitor their child at a young age because the child is unlikely to know exactly what they are watching and probably wouldn't understand it. When i was younger, I remember wanting to watch things I couldn't because my parents didn't think the programmes were suitable. This is a restriction that can be useful when trying to stop children watching something they shouldn't. This does change as children grow up and become more mature, which thus makes their parents have more flexibility. My parents now let me watch films of my chose as it is usually for (education- English and Media studies) but then for entertainment too.
For this reason, it is difficult to say whether it is the parent's of a child's full responsibility but the question that has made me think is "Who else is going to take responsibility?". The Government?
We do have to trust parents monitoring what their children view because once they have access to films, there is nothing that we can really do. Locks on Sky and other restrictions may help rise the problem of under-age viewing but it more difficult once the viewer can access them to stop them. It is more about ones conscience- like whether a teenage can see whether or not that they shouldn't be watching a film that is an 18 when they are only 15. It may be the case, that they only watch their films with their parents or their parents insist on them watching the film with them so they can restrict them from seeing things. When I was about 14, I watched a film with my parents on TV and there was a murder taking place, my mother told me to look away, so I did. This is an example of how my parents helped me from seeing things that might have upset me.
Some parents are bound to think that their child will see upsetting and disturbing things in there life, but then as a child, they are more vulnerable and obviously too young to see these things happen. When is the age when they could possibly understand or take-in these things..?
Overall, parents do have to be trusted and do have a responsibility for what their child watches as there is none other restriction that children can have, to stop them from watching higher classified films.
I have watched films that are classified 18 but only at home and round friends. I have never seen 18's at the cinema as one of the reasons is that I have never bothered trying to get in for an 18, as cinemas are usually very strict with age restrictions. Also, another reason is that a lot of 18's are violent, disturbing, upsetting, offensive and so on. For example, the film: This is England contains violence and racial offensive language which would upset people too young. Further more, many 18's are horrors which I am not keen on, just because how gruesome they are.
Does classification work for home viewing (DVD, TV broadcast, online, YouTube)?
It does depend on what you view the films on as certain ways have restrictions and limitations. One example is online sites, like YouTube have messages come up when a film is certificated as an 18. To watch the video, you have to sign up for an account but the problem with this is that people can easily fake their age so they can watch the video. This is very simple to do as you can put a different date depending on how old you need to be to view the video.
Another example is on TV, it is quite easy for viewers to watch a film that they shouldn't be allowed to see. Channels which broadcast films are Film Four and there are plenty of choice on Sky. There is an advantage however because, films that have higher certificates are commonly on at the 9 o'clock watershed and later, for instance on "Bad Lieutenant" is going to be on at 11.05 on 26th January as its an 18.
Can parents/guardians/supervising adults be trusted to monitor what children/youths are viewing? Should they have this responsibility?
Home viewing films is hard for parents to monitor as films are easily available to most home owners. If viewers do not have extra and digital channels then there are less films on, for instance, the normal channels are more along the lines of: BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Five.
It is parents/guardians responsibility to monitor their child at a young age because the child is unlikely to know exactly what they are watching and probably wouldn't understand it. When i was younger, I remember wanting to watch things I couldn't because my parents didn't think the programmes were suitable. This is a restriction that can be useful when trying to stop children watching something they shouldn't. This does change as children grow up and become more mature, which thus makes their parents have more flexibility. My parents now let me watch films of my chose as it is usually for (education- English and Media studies) but then for entertainment too.
For this reason, it is difficult to say whether it is the parent's of a child's full responsibility but the question that has made me think is "Who else is going to take responsibility?". The Government?
We do have to trust parents monitoring what their children view because once they have access to films, there is nothing that we can really do. Locks on Sky and other restrictions may help rise the problem of under-age viewing but it more difficult once the viewer can access them to stop them. It is more about ones conscience- like whether a teenage can see whether or not that they shouldn't be watching a film that is an 18 when they are only 15. It may be the case, that they only watch their films with their parents or their parents insist on them watching the film with them so they can restrict them from seeing things. When I was about 14, I watched a film with my parents on TV and there was a murder taking place, my mother told me to look away, so I did. This is an example of how my parents helped me from seeing things that might have upset me.
Some parents are bound to think that their child will see upsetting and disturbing things in there life, but then as a child, they are more vulnerable and obviously too young to see these things happen. When is the age when they could possibly understand or take-in these things..?
Overall, parents do have to be trusted and do have a responsibility for what their child watches as there is none other restriction that children can have, to stop them from watching higher classified films.
Essex Boys intro
Essex Boys was written by Jeff Pope and Terry Winsor whom also directed the film, 2000. The film is classified an 18 and is in the crime and thriller genre. I especially looked out for any thriller signifiers, how they were used and why the director chose to use certain things. The credits of Essex Boys were scratched lines whilst the film started and we were introduced to the first scene.
The first thriller signifiers that I noticed were chiaroscuro lighting which helped cast shadows and created mystery. The shot is of a garage which seems very claustrophobic and is a classic shot to use. The garage is very dim lit with only street lamps casting light into the garage and onto the car. The shot shows how the garage appears neglected and the car inside looks old and not used that much. There were also spider webs hanging down from the garage door and around the room. This gives it a gothic feel.
The young man in the shot appears to be the main character as he is the voice over and therefore we see the film in his perspective. The director could have done this because he would have wanted to show how the young man is getting into something dangerous; showing his innocent and naive understanding. The young man also seems to be doing it for the money despite not having any guilty conscience about what the boss is doing or plans to do.
The mise-en-scene makes the film seem obviously British because of the following. The recognizable British cockney accent was one of the most noticeable. There was a voice over, non- deigetic which helped the audience get an idea of who's perspective the narrative would be told in. Following the story, we find that we do not see what goes on with the boss unless the main character is taken along with them. At the start, he is the driver who takes them to places the boss wishes to go. I have seen many thrillers where there have been shots taken in a car, so you see different characters at the same time. It is a clever way to see what they discuss on the way to somewhere, what they are planning and so on. Another example of recognizable British mise-en-scene is the left side of the road in which the characters drive on. In foreign countries, drivers drive on the right side of the road.
The location of the film is in Essex and the mise-en-scene consists of thriller signifiers as there are wet streets, there is a shot taken through a tunnel, the location is urban city landscape which looks incredibly unglamorous. More locations in the film include a warehouse/factory building which is dull and bleak. Another location used, is a vast open beach. The men drive into nearer the city centre at night, which adds mystery and intrigue. The young man takes them to clubs, which have neon lights and typical clubbing appearances. There is young people around and going into the club- unaware of what the men are going to do. The music is non- diegetic which makes the film more realistic and it seems like we are there. As we are with the young man, we see how he waits for the men, quite anxious and cautious, as he looks around the road. The audience feel quite sorry for him as we know that it is going to end bad if he does not stop working for his boss. Even more, we see how nervous and worried his girlfriend is getting as he flaunts his mysterious money around in front of her. He ensures her that he will only do it for a little while longer but this does not reassure her.
The shots in the film look almost to be monochromatic as the shots are black and white, and a lot of the mise-en-scene is depressing and dreary. There are places where it looks increasingly miserable, the tunnel which they drive through, which could connote a barrel of a gun. There is also reflections cast on the windscreen from the ceiling of the tunnel, which look like bars of a prison cell. This could connote how the men may get caught and sent to jail for their actions. Furthermore, the tunnel is almost a spiral which is a common thriller signifier, the idea of the narrative being turned and played around with is created.
The music in Essex Boys that makes the most impact is the string music used. This created a menacing atmosphere and sounds perhaps sinister. It creates tension which could be linked to what the men are going to do.Thriller Prop List
Woolly Hat
The hat will help cover the characters face as we do not want them to be seen by the camera too much as they are breaking into a house. It will help cover some of the head, so it will be harder for them to be recognized and identified, which is what a burglar would want to prevent.
Winter coat, with a hood so it can be used to hide their faces if needed. The coat is relatively cheap looking as the guys aren't very professional and are not able to spend a lot. The dark colour of the coat will be good as they will not be as noticeable as if they were wearing lighter, more colourful colours. However, our film is being shot at night so it wouldn't really matter anyway. The coat also needs pockets so the guys can stuff as much as they can in them, instead of carrying a bag.
The trilby hat will be worn by the house owner as we want to leave the man anonymous and not to be recognized by anyone. The mystery is then created and increased as we don't know who anyone is. Many questions are created as a result of this, which is a good way to start a film, especially the thriller as themes of thrillers include: mystery and intrigue.
The tracksuit bottoms will need to black or navy blue so they are dark and like the rest of the outfit of the two guys, unnoticeable. This will help disguise their figures and make them less easy to identify. The tracksuit bottoms are to show how the two young guys are not very professional- in the way they work and look.
The hat will help cover the characters face as we do not want them to be seen by the camera too much as they are breaking into a house. It will help cover some of the head, so it will be harder for them to be recognized and identified, which is what a burglar would want to prevent. 
Winter coat, with a hood so it can be used to hide their faces if needed. The coat is relatively cheap looking as the guys aren't very professional and are not able to spend a lot. The dark colour of the coat will be good as they will not be as noticeable as if they were wearing lighter, more colourful colours. However, our film is being shot at night so it wouldn't really matter anyway. The coat also needs pockets so the guys can stuff as much as they can in them, instead of carrying a bag.
These trainers are quite like the ones that we have found the characters to wear (the two guys breaking into the house). They are going to wear trainers, as they are usually worn by men and they can relatively cheap. They will probably be black (the pairs that the men wear) as they will be less noticeable on the idea of them being less identifiable.
The trilby hat will be worn by the house owner as we want to leave the man anonymous and not to be recognized by anyone. The mystery is then created and increased as we don't know who anyone is. Many questions are created as a result of this, which is a good way to start a film, especially the thriller as themes of thrillers include: mystery and intrigue.
The tracksuit bottoms will need to black or navy blue so they are dark and like the rest of the outfit of the two guys, unnoticeable. This will help disguise their figures and make them less easy to identify. The tracksuit bottoms are to show how the two young guys are not very professional- in the way they work and look.The trench coat that the guy who's house is being burgled, as it looks a lot more sophisticated compared to the puffy coats the younger men wear. The trench coat that we have found and are going to use is black, which is keeping in with the mysterious look and the identity of the man is hard to work out. The coat is the typical wear for a male character in a thriller is to wear a detectives coat. The collar of the trench coat will be used to prop up to hide the neck of the character.
The trousers and shoes are also black as they are very appropriate for the look of our character. We want to make the character look like he has a good job- therefore he can afford to buy expensive and classy clothes. The size of his house will also be reflected in this as the house is relatively big.
The objects that will be included in our thriller are mostly guns. The home owner will own a classic gun, similar to the one below. The less-professional men will have a simple black gun, like the example also below. 
The look of the one on the left, looks rather old, in the film we are planning to show the this gun to the audience when the guy gets it out and then as he goes around to find the intruder.
The look of the one on the left, looks rather old, in the film we are planning to show the this gun to the audience when the guy gets it out and then as he goes around to find the intruder.
Filming Process
Notes on our filming process:
(Tues. 16th December)
Our first attempt at shooting our film went accordingly, however when we had captured it on the editing software and began to watch it back, we noticed a few problems. These included: either the camera or computer had made the film blurry (more in other places) and the camera movements weren't smooth. The film seemed to be jumping making the flow of the film disrupted, which affected the overall piece. Even more, we discussed how "Simon's" outfit didn't look quite right but we rose above this by finding more suitable props for the character to wear. The next shooting of filming was more successful than the last, as we had another chance to re-think and improve our ideas (for shots and so on).
(Late December & Early January)
There was another more serious problem that arouse, a fatal error occured with the main pc we had our thriller filming on the hard drive malfunctioned cuasing us to lose a vast amount of filming. We attempted to retrieve the work we lost, but unfortunately our attempts were unsuccessful, consequently we had to start all of our work from the start, this included filming and editing. Although this put us behind, our teacher gave us an extension to complete our filming editing and the final evalution; this gave us the chance to improve our ideas and learn from our mistakes and hopefully using our experience create a better quality of film.
(Tues. 16th December)
Our first attempt at shooting our film went accordingly, however when we had captured it on the editing software and began to watch it back, we noticed a few problems. These included: either the camera or computer had made the film blurry (more in other places) and the camera movements weren't smooth. The film seemed to be jumping making the flow of the film disrupted, which affected the overall piece. Even more, we discussed how "Simon's" outfit didn't look quite right but we rose above this by finding more suitable props for the character to wear. The next shooting of filming was more successful than the last, as we had another chance to re-think and improve our ideas (for shots and so on).
(Late December & Early January)
There was another more serious problem that arouse, a fatal error occured with the main pc we had our thriller filming on the hard drive malfunctioned cuasing us to lose a vast amount of filming. We attempted to retrieve the work we lost, but unfortunately our attempts were unsuccessful, consequently we had to start all of our work from the start, this included filming and editing. Although this put us behind, our teacher gave us an extension to complete our filming editing and the final evalution; this gave us the chance to improve our ideas and learn from our mistakes and hopefully using our experience create a better quality of film.
Continuity Task
Original Brief:
"Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180- degree rule."
Script:
Ben opens the door, the shot is from behind.
Walks through towards the camera, and over to a desk where DR. Achmed is sitting. He sits down.
Over Dr. Achmed’s shoulder shot, viewing Ben as he starts to talk.
BEN: I need your help. It’s my fish.
DR. ACHMED: What’s wrong with it?
BEN: Well I’ve had him for 5 years now, and I’ve grown really attached to him, but he’s ill. I think he is going to die.
Over Ben’s shoulder shot, viewing Dr. Achmed as he suggests a remedy.
DR. ACHMED: I think I can help you with this. We’re making a type of plastic surgery for fish, which allows them to have a fake plastic fin put on.
It returns back to an over the shoulder shot, viewing Ben, as he ponders the idea of a plastic fin.
BEN: A fake plastic fin? It will probably be able to swim a bit easier, and it will probably be able to eat a lot more.
DR. ACHMED: But it may get bullied by the bigger fish.
Returns to over Ben’s shoulder again as Dr. Achmed doesn’t take Ben seriously.
DR. ACHMED: The only problem is, when this fish gets this plastic fin…
Dr. Achmed starts laughing.
BEN: Are you laughing at me? At my fish? Because he’ll get a plastic fin? He might die! He was my best friend for five f**king years!
Ben angrily stands up and shoves papers off Dr. Achmed’s desk.The camera follows Ben as he starts to walk out, and as he leaves the room, Dr Achmed Speaks:
DR. ACHMED: I’m sorry!
Ben slams the door shut, after turning round and yelling:
BEN: F**k you!
STORYBOARD:
Shot 1: Shot just outside of the room, where Ben comes into shot. He opens the door and enters the room.
Shot 2: Shot from inside the room, pans around as Ben walks around towards and past the camera, to the desk where Dr. Achmed is sitting.
Shot 3: Over the shoulder shot where we see Ben beginning to explain his problems to Dr. Achmed.
Shot 4: Shot reverse shot- to Dr. Achmed- over the shoulder shot.
Shot 5: When Dr. Achmed doesn't take Ben seriously, the camera zooms every so slightly towards Ben's back and then stays still whilst watching Ben storm angrily out of room.
Below is the YouTube video for our continuity task:
The camera techniques which we used in our film mainly included: shot types- mid shots and long shots amongst over the shoulder shots and match on action. We also had to use the 180- degree rule which makes the audience understand what is going on a lot more simpler. The varied shots would have made it more interesting for the audience in the sense, of seeing the shots through different shots and angles. The over the shoulder shots help the audience see who is talking. The way the camera moves with the characters movement is also very smooth, thanks to the sturdy tripod. This smoothness prevents shakiness and unsteadiness, making the shots clean. The 180-degree rule would have made it easier for the audience in the sense of preventing them from getting confused. The yellow line on the storyboards (above) show how the imaginary 180-degree rule line crosses the room, showing the camera positions too. The line would carry on from inside the room to near the door to the bottom right corner. This therefore allowed the shot to be taken firstly outside then continued from inside the room.
The use of new technologies in my group's construction consisted of: digital cameras; non-linear editing software- Adobe Premiere; YouTube and our blogs. As I had not used a digital camera and the editing software before, it was a challenge. However, I was quick to learn the basic use and then developed more skills after continuing the develop the final outcome.
I think the strengths that are shown through our film are that we held the camera steadily creating a shot that was clean and smooth. The variety of shots we used help us gain knowledge in how we can create different atmospheres and emotions. For example, by slowly zooming into Ben's back whilst he realized Dr. Achmed was laughing at him, makes the audience think that Ben was going to get up and leave... which does happen.
I think our final product met the brief successfully as we involved all the points that the brief named. To be more specific, we had the character open a door, cross the room, sit in a chair opposite another character and have a conversation. Further more, we did use match on action- at the beginning when Ben enters the room, we switch to a shot actually in the room still showing him walking to the desk. Secondly, we used shot/reverse shot quite a number of times to show the conversation the characters were having. Then lastly, we used the 180-degree rule in order to prevent the audience from getting confused and keeping the film shots fluent. Therefore, I am very pleased with the outcome we produced.
"Continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue. This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180- degree rule."
Script:
Ben opens the door, the shot is from behind.
Walks through towards the camera, and over to a desk where DR. Achmed is sitting. He sits down.
Over Dr. Achmed’s shoulder shot, viewing Ben as he starts to talk.
BEN: I need your help. It’s my fish.
DR. ACHMED: What’s wrong with it?
BEN: Well I’ve had him for 5 years now, and I’ve grown really attached to him, but he’s ill. I think he is going to die.
Over Ben’s shoulder shot, viewing Dr. Achmed as he suggests a remedy.
DR. ACHMED: I think I can help you with this. We’re making a type of plastic surgery for fish, which allows them to have a fake plastic fin put on.
It returns back to an over the shoulder shot, viewing Ben, as he ponders the idea of a plastic fin.
BEN: A fake plastic fin? It will probably be able to swim a bit easier, and it will probably be able to eat a lot more.
DR. ACHMED: But it may get bullied by the bigger fish.
Returns to over Ben’s shoulder again as Dr. Achmed doesn’t take Ben seriously.
DR. ACHMED: The only problem is, when this fish gets this plastic fin…
Dr. Achmed starts laughing.
BEN: Are you laughing at me? At my fish? Because he’ll get a plastic fin? He might die! He was my best friend for five f**king years!
Ben angrily stands up and shoves papers off Dr. Achmed’s desk.The camera follows Ben as he starts to walk out, and as he leaves the room, Dr Achmed Speaks:
DR. ACHMED: I’m sorry!
Ben slams the door shut, after turning round and yelling:
BEN: F**k you!
STORYBOARD:
Shot 1: Shot just outside of the room, where Ben comes into shot. He opens the door and enters the room.
Shot 2: Shot from inside the room, pans around as Ben walks around towards and past the camera, to the desk where Dr. Achmed is sitting.
Shot 3: Over the shoulder shot where we see Ben beginning to explain his problems to Dr. Achmed.
Shot 4: Shot reverse shot- to Dr. Achmed- over the shoulder shot.
Shot 5: When Dr. Achmed doesn't take Ben seriously, the camera zooms every so slightly towards Ben's back and then stays still whilst watching Ben storm angrily out of room.
Below is the YouTube video for our continuity task:
The camera techniques which we used in our film mainly included: shot types- mid shots and long shots amongst over the shoulder shots and match on action. We also had to use the 180- degree rule which makes the audience understand what is going on a lot more simpler. The varied shots would have made it more interesting for the audience in the sense, of seeing the shots through different shots and angles. The over the shoulder shots help the audience see who is talking. The way the camera moves with the characters movement is also very smooth, thanks to the sturdy tripod. This smoothness prevents shakiness and unsteadiness, making the shots clean. The 180-degree rule would have made it easier for the audience in the sense of preventing them from getting confused. The yellow line on the storyboards (above) show how the imaginary 180-degree rule line crosses the room, showing the camera positions too. The line would carry on from inside the room to near the door to the bottom right corner. This therefore allowed the shot to be taken firstly outside then continued from inside the room.
The use of new technologies in my group's construction consisted of: digital cameras; non-linear editing software- Adobe Premiere; YouTube and our blogs. As I had not used a digital camera and the editing software before, it was a challenge. However, I was quick to learn the basic use and then developed more skills after continuing the develop the final outcome.
I think the strengths that are shown through our film are that we held the camera steadily creating a shot that was clean and smooth. The variety of shots we used help us gain knowledge in how we can create different atmospheres and emotions. For example, by slowly zooming into Ben's back whilst he realized Dr. Achmed was laughing at him, makes the audience think that Ben was going to get up and leave... which does happen.
I think our final product met the brief successfully as we involved all the points that the brief named. To be more specific, we had the character open a door, cross the room, sit in a chair opposite another character and have a conversation. Further more, we did use match on action- at the beginning when Ben enters the room, we switch to a shot actually in the room still showing him walking to the desk. Secondly, we used shot/reverse shot quite a number of times to show the conversation the characters were having. Then lastly, we used the 180-degree rule in order to prevent the audience from getting confused and keeping the film shots fluent. Therefore, I am very pleased with the outcome we produced.
Millers Crossing
Millers Crossing was written and directed by the Coen Brothers, 1990. It suggests how gangsterism in the United States influenced many con-men and killers. The Coen Brother’s film is a combination of the crime, gangster and thriller genres as many thriller signifiers can be identified.
To begin with, the mise-en-scene used gives the film a thriller style as the interior of many of the places and locations in the film have thriller aspects. For example, Leo’s office has a very gangster style, with the dark brown decor and wooden furniture, there are also red, leather sofas which look expensive and classy. The windows were covered in slattered blinds and I noticed that at the start they were all drawn, keeping any light from coming in. This also created claustrophobia as the only light brightening the room were the small and dim lamps around the room. The fact that the door was far away from Leo’s desk too, gave the sense of it being hard to escape. Leo’s desk looked very clean and organized with the odd objects, which seemed to have their place.
Leo seems to have a very high- opinion of himself as he just sits there, looking extremely laid back with an expressionless face whilst Johnny Casper opposite him sweats away. Casper's henchman stands very formally and uptight. Leo’s body language suggested that he did not have the time to listen to this man. The contrast between Johnny and Leo look very noticeable as Johnny does not look cut out to be as high in status at Leo. His suit is a brown colour which makes him nearly sink into the boring decor- nothing special- whilst Leo’s grey suit makes him look a lot more sophisticated. The stares that the men share are very stern and threatening. Leo has his assistant Tom standing by him, casually leaning against a wooden cupboard drinking from a glass.
A shot that I have seen a lot whilst watching thrillers, is how the camera looks into a mirror showing the characters movements and expressions. For instance, Tom is in an apartment and is shown through a mirror with a man sitting in the shot too. Some more examples from Vertigo and Chinatown are where the shot is in the cars wheel or the side mirrors of a car. It is an interesting shot to use as it is different from simpler shots. The idea of something being shown in a different perspective could also come across whilst looking at someone’s reflexion.
Tom’s apartment is shown in at least three times in the film and he is commonly talking on his telephone. One shot shows a simple dining chair at a small, round table, with the telephone upon it. The telephone is ringing, quite loud and it almost sounds like it is echoing, which could be because of how empty and spacious his apartment is. He walks to the telephone and picks it up. The camera moves extremely slowly, zooming in till we come to Tom’s body. This creates a build up of suspension as many questions arise as we do not know who is on the other line, why he got a loan and so on.
The use of shallow focus is also used many times when a character is given more importance than others. By putting more emphasis on the objects it helps make the audience realize- in Miller Crossing- who is talking and essentially listen to what they are saying more carefully. For instance, the shot where the Major and Police Chief are in Leo's office, Tom walks across from the mini bar to the table, he is out of focus, whilst the Major and Police Chief are in focus. This could be so we remember and can recognize their faces as they are appear in the film later on. Another example, is right at the start, just after the credits have been shown, a black hat is on the leafy grounds of what looks like a wood. Shallow focus is used so the audience ignores the background and focuses on the black hat. Many questions are created, for example, who does the hat belong to? and why is it actually in the woods. The hat then blows off into the distance, giving a sense of depth in the woods, almost creating a vanishing point.
One of my favourite shots in Miller Crossing is when two unknown men intrude Leo's house. They go up the stairs with their rifle-looking guns at their sides. We follow the men up, just behind their feet. This adds to the suspense and tension, which is already being increased as the diegetic music is played. For my own group's thriller, we have considered using a similar shot as it will look very effective and different to the other shots.
The themes that are based in the story seem to be made up of the following. Corruption is a main theme as the film, as many things are carried out, such as murder for other people to gain. The police are involved in committing crimes but as they are told by Leo to do so, they have to follow orders. This suggests how moral ambiguity is confused in this story. For one thing, it is hard to say where the morals lie, as the police are beating up people, just so Tom is safe. This is due to Leo's orders and nowadays, this would be very uncommon to see.
Another thriller signifier is that the story includes a femme fatale, Verna, who sleeps with Tom but is with Leo. Leo is unaware of Tom and her affair but as soon as he finds out the truth, he is not happy. The deceit behind this is another thriller theme. It seems that the femme fatale is very seductive as she smokes, glamorous dress sense and wears red lipstick. The way she also plays Tom's strings shows how she does not really care about morals and other people. When Tom arrives at her flat, she slams the door, then he knocks and she lets him in. It is the true characteristics of a femme fatale as she sends mixed signals which would confuse Tom. She is shown as a sex object as many times, she is shown naked in bed and then only in underwear and a see-through dressing gown.
The theme that is shown the most that could be linked with deceit is the conflict of loyalty. The fact that Tom betrays Leo by one, sleeping with his girlfriend, and second of all, he gets involved with Casper. As Tom feels guilty after sleeping with Leo's girlfriend, it is then accentuated as Leo asks what Tom thinks of asking Verna to marry him. The look on his face shows it all, as he just sits there, expressionless, most probably shocked.
The violence in Millers Crossing is very disruptive and cruel, it is also confusing when the police beat up Casper's men. Even more it is quite comical in parts, as the result of the music played. When Leo defends himself and ends up killing the men who try to kill him, the music that he plays on his vinyl player, is played throughout this scene. It is almost like the song is Leo's theme tune but only because he has control over the situation. If it was visa versa, then the song would most probably be the opposite. The fact that Leo is wearing pyjamas, a posh dressing gown and slippers makes the scene even more amusing as he still looks comfortable even though he was under attack. This scene is then drawn to a close as Leo has a very smug look on his face and draws his cigar from his pocket, up to his mouth, and continues to smoke as if nothing had just happened.
To begin with, the mise-en-scene used gives the film a thriller style as the interior of many of the places and locations in the film have thriller aspects. For example, Leo’s office has a very gangster style, with the dark brown decor and wooden furniture, there are also red, leather sofas which look expensive and classy. The windows were covered in slattered blinds and I noticed that at the start they were all drawn, keeping any light from coming in. This also created claustrophobia as the only light brightening the room were the small and dim lamps around the room. The fact that the door was far away from Leo’s desk too, gave the sense of it being hard to escape. Leo’s desk looked very clean and organized with the odd objects, which seemed to have their place.
Leo seems to have a very high- opinion of himself as he just sits there, looking extremely laid back with an expressionless face whilst Johnny Casper opposite him sweats away. Casper's henchman stands very formally and uptight. Leo’s body language suggested that he did not have the time to listen to this man. The contrast between Johnny and Leo look very noticeable as Johnny does not look cut out to be as high in status at Leo. His suit is a brown colour which makes him nearly sink into the boring decor- nothing special- whilst Leo’s grey suit makes him look a lot more sophisticated. The stares that the men share are very stern and threatening. Leo has his assistant Tom standing by him, casually leaning against a wooden cupboard drinking from a glass.
A shot that I have seen a lot whilst watching thrillers, is how the camera looks into a mirror showing the characters movements and expressions. For instance, Tom is in an apartment and is shown through a mirror with a man sitting in the shot too. Some more examples from Vertigo and Chinatown are where the shot is in the cars wheel or the side mirrors of a car. It is an interesting shot to use as it is different from simpler shots. The idea of something being shown in a different perspective could also come across whilst looking at someone’s reflexion.
Tom’s apartment is shown in at least three times in the film and he is commonly talking on his telephone. One shot shows a simple dining chair at a small, round table, with the telephone upon it. The telephone is ringing, quite loud and it almost sounds like it is echoing, which could be because of how empty and spacious his apartment is. He walks to the telephone and picks it up. The camera moves extremely slowly, zooming in till we come to Tom’s body. This creates a build up of suspension as many questions arise as we do not know who is on the other line, why he got a loan and so on.
The use of shallow focus is also used many times when a character is given more importance than others. By putting more emphasis on the objects it helps make the audience realize- in Miller Crossing- who is talking and essentially listen to what they are saying more carefully. For instance, the shot where the Major and Police Chief are in Leo's office, Tom walks across from the mini bar to the table, he is out of focus, whilst the Major and Police Chief are in focus. This could be so we remember and can recognize their faces as they are appear in the film later on. Another example, is right at the start, just after the credits have been shown, a black hat is on the leafy grounds of what looks like a wood. Shallow focus is used so the audience ignores the background and focuses on the black hat. Many questions are created, for example, who does the hat belong to? and why is it actually in the woods. The hat then blows off into the distance, giving a sense of depth in the woods, almost creating a vanishing point.
One of my favourite shots in Miller Crossing is when two unknown men intrude Leo's house. They go up the stairs with their rifle-looking guns at their sides. We follow the men up, just behind their feet. This adds to the suspense and tension, which is already being increased as the diegetic music is played. For my own group's thriller, we have considered using a similar shot as it will look very effective and different to the other shots.
The themes that are based in the story seem to be made up of the following. Corruption is a main theme as the film, as many things are carried out, such as murder for other people to gain. The police are involved in committing crimes but as they are told by Leo to do so, they have to follow orders. This suggests how moral ambiguity is confused in this story. For one thing, it is hard to say where the morals lie, as the police are beating up people, just so Tom is safe. This is due to Leo's orders and nowadays, this would be very uncommon to see.
Another thriller signifier is that the story includes a femme fatale, Verna, who sleeps with Tom but is with Leo. Leo is unaware of Tom and her affair but as soon as he finds out the truth, he is not happy. The deceit behind this is another thriller theme. It seems that the femme fatale is very seductive as she smokes, glamorous dress sense and wears red lipstick. The way she also plays Tom's strings shows how she does not really care about morals and other people. When Tom arrives at her flat, she slams the door, then he knocks and she lets him in. It is the true characteristics of a femme fatale as she sends mixed signals which would confuse Tom. She is shown as a sex object as many times, she is shown naked in bed and then only in underwear and a see-through dressing gown.
The theme that is shown the most that could be linked with deceit is the conflict of loyalty. The fact that Tom betrays Leo by one, sleeping with his girlfriend, and second of all, he gets involved with Casper. As Tom feels guilty after sleeping with Leo's girlfriend, it is then accentuated as Leo asks what Tom thinks of asking Verna to marry him. The look on his face shows it all, as he just sits there, expressionless, most probably shocked.
The violence in Millers Crossing is very disruptive and cruel, it is also confusing when the police beat up Casper's men. Even more it is quite comical in parts, as the result of the music played. When Leo defends himself and ends up killing the men who try to kill him, the music that he plays on his vinyl player, is played throughout this scene. It is almost like the song is Leo's theme tune but only because he has control over the situation. If it was visa versa, then the song would most probably be the opposite. The fact that Leo is wearing pyjamas, a posh dressing gown and slippers makes the scene even more amusing as he still looks comfortable even though he was under attack. This scene is then drawn to a close as Leo has a very smug look on his face and draws his cigar from his pocket, up to his mouth, and continues to smoke as if nothing had just happened.
Friday, 16 January 2009
'Casablanca'
Another example of a film noir was 'Casablanca', directed by Michael Curt
iz, 1942. The film was set in the early years of World War II and is a romantic drama. It follows the story of a man called Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), an American expatriate, who owns a night club in Casablanca, Morocco.
The film begins with a man- Urgate who has come into the possession of transit letters after killing two Germans. Later that evening, Urgate is arrested by police. Urgate leaves the letters with Rick and the story unfolds based around the letters. Following the story, a surprise reunion occurs when his 'only love' walks into his club. The woman is Ilsa Lund (a possible femme fatale) and has come with her husband to buy the letters. The tension between Rick and Ilsa rises as he is bitter towards her after she left him in Paris. We are shown flash backs to when they were together, and an establishing shot helps us realise where they were. She does her best to try to explain to Rick why she left him, as there is a valid reason. The romantic times that Rick and Ilsa shared were shown to the audience as they both asked the club's pianist, Sam to play a song they loved, "As Time Goes By". As the song is played, close ups show the expressions on their faces as certain emotions are triggered.
During 'Casablanca' we are shown very film noir mise-en-scene. The places in which are the settings and locations appear to always be busy and crowded. A sense of claustrophobia is created, which gives the idea that they can never talk in private. Also, the interruptions and sudden appearances of the police (Official- Renault) and Germans (a Major Strasser) make the characters and audience on edge.
The settings were very classic film noir, as the exteriors were urban, dimly-lit in a big city. The nightclub was also a film noir theme as there were flashing neon lights.
iz, 1942. The film was set in the early years of World War II and is a romantic drama. It follows the story of a man called Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), an American expatriate, who owns a night club in Casablanca, Morocco.The film begins with a man- Urgate who has come into the possession of transit letters after killing two Germans. Later that evening, Urgate is arrested by police. Urgate leaves the letters with Rick and the story unfolds based around the letters. Following the story, a surprise reunion occurs when his 'only love' walks into his club. The woman is Ilsa Lund (a possible femme fatale) and has come with her husband to buy the letters. The tension between Rick and Ilsa rises as he is bitter towards her after she left him in Paris. We are shown flash backs to when they were together, and an establishing shot helps us realise where they were. She does her best to try to explain to Rick why she left him, as there is a valid reason. The romantic times that Rick and Ilsa shared were shown to the audience as they both asked the club's pianist, Sam to play a song they loved, "As Time Goes By". As the song is played, close ups show the expressions on their faces as certain emotions are triggered.
During 'Casablanca' we are shown very film noir mise-en-scene. The places in which are the settings and locations appear to always be busy and crowded. A sense of claustrophobia is created, which gives the idea that they can never talk in private. Also, the interruptions and sudden appearances of the police (Official- Renault) and Germans (a Major Strasser) make the characters and audience on edge.
The settings were very classic film noir, as the exteriors were urban, dimly-lit in a big city. The nightclub was also a film noir theme as there were flashing neon lights.
Quite a few thriller signifiers were used too, such as, the characters smoking and drinking which are the usual flaws of a hero-like character, Ilsa could be classed as a femme fatale, as she wears clothes which accentuate her figure and we later find that she has a gun. The club and apartment where Ilsa waits for Rick is quite bleak and has deep shadows due to the chiaroscuro lighting. The gun appears when Rick has refused to give the documents to Ilsa but that does not weaken his decision. The femme fatale is a stronger picture here as she appears to be dangerous. This image is destroyed however as she cannot bring herself to pull the trigger, this point is evident as she- instead- confesses that she still loves him. Whether or not she is a femme fatale is debatable but there are aspects of her that make her seem one. A combination of being a trustworthy and loving woman against, a woman who wants to get anything at any cost. This idea can be supported by how she wants to help her husband get out of Europe- showing her loving side, whilst she hopes that a gun will make Rick decide to help her. A tough-sweet image is put across too as his decisions are confused by her confession of how much she still loves him.
The story unfolds with more twists and turns as Lazlo is in prison, but Rick decides to help him but actually is very deceitful. He promises the Official of police that he will set Lazlo up for a more serious crime although he does not intend to do that. He double crosses the Official of the police by forcing him at gunpoint to assist in the escape. Rick makes Ilsa and Lazlo get on the plane to Lisbon after telling her that she will regret it if she doesn't. The ending draws into a close, with the German Major being shot, Renault saving Rick's life by not telling his fellow partners that Rick shot him, and then recommends they both leave Casablanca. The famous final exit quotation is: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." as they disappear into the fog, leaving it at a slight cliff hanger.
The story unfolds with more twists and turns as Lazlo is in prison, but Rick decides to help him but actually is very deceitful. He promises the Official of police that he will set Lazlo up for a more serious crime although he does not intend to do that. He double crosses the Official of the police by forcing him at gunpoint to assist in the escape. Rick makes Ilsa and Lazlo get on the plane to Lisbon after telling her that she will regret it if she doesn't. The ending draws into a close, with the German Major being shot, Renault saving Rick's life by not telling his fellow partners that Rick shot him, and then recommends they both leave Casablanca. The famous final exit quotation is: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." as they disappear into the fog, leaving it at a slight cliff hanger.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Thriller Location
Here are some pictures of where the setting and location is for our thriller. Both pictures below show the mysterious-middle-aged guy's bedroom. One (to the left) shows a chest of drawers and more drawers in the desk-like table. The furniture in the room was quite minimalistic so it was already suitable to be the characters room. The red walls give it quite a tense atmosphere. The picture on the right shows the bed in which Simon (the main character) will sit on and hide under when he realises the owner has arrived home. The window is in an appropriate position too- one of the reasons we decided to go with this house. In one of the shots, Simon is going to look out onto the road, where the gang should supposedly be. The curtains will be drawn whilst he does look out, hiding any possible light. Again, more of the features shown are quite minimalistic which is more suitable for a man's taste. The bed should maybe be made to look a bit more scruffy when it comes to the actual filming. Despite this, there is some unorganized items in the corner which could give it away as a man's house.
The stairs to the left are going to be shown in our thriller as the banisters are a good thriller signifier. Banisters can often give a sense of being in prison - a lot like how in Essex Boys, the reflections on the car windscreen look like prison rails.
The stairs to the left are going to be shown in our thriller as the banisters are a good thriller signifier. Banisters can often give a sense of being in prison - a lot like how in Essex Boys, the reflections on the car windscreen look like prison rails.
The picture of the hallway is where the older guy will walk through, from returning home and then going up the stairs. There were a couple of mise-en-scene problems which were: the fish mobile and the family photos to the right. However, we took the fish mobile done and then thought the pictures would show a contrast to how innocent people can be against the dangerous and cruel side of people.
From on the top of the stairs, it looks an interesting shot, as we're looking down, almost a birds' eye view but more of a high angle shot. This could be used to show the man coming back home and going through to the kitchen.
This picture shows the kitchen shot which we are planning to use for the shot when the man finds that someone has let themselves in. It may come to the audiences' attention that surely the intruders would close the window before them and tidy the things they've knocked, BUT the characters/intruders are not experienced, therefore leaving signs of the invasion. Also, they would want the man to go upstairs to find them...
This is the front door from the outside which will be in the shot when the man is arriving home. I think the front door is a good feature of the house to show. It looks quite important and seems to draw the attention in- which I think is due to the light. 
This shows the house from further away, showing the bedroom - the left room with the two windows.The final pictures are of the street outside the house which was perfect for the guys to gather on.
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