Keeping up with Current Events

The inspiration for a thriller movie could come from anywhere but local and world news is always a fresh source of real drama, excitement and distress. So it's worth listening out and recording any news stories that could form the basis of our opening.

Saturday, January 30th: Woman killed in South Yorkshire flat 'drowned in bath'

A woman who was found murdered at her home in South Yorkshire was intentionally drowned in the bath, detectives believe.

What makes it a potential story?
♦ "I strongly believe she may have known her killer."
♦ "I believe the deceased let the killer or killers into her home. Her killer left after the attack, locking the door in the process."
♦ She was last seen leaving work at about 1800 GMT on Wednesday in her red Volkswagen Golf, which is missing.

Tuesday, february 2nd: Face-crook Jailed

Career burgular Roy Boodle, who stole £12 from a police station charity box and taunted officers via facebook, was jailed yesterday.

What makes it a potential story?

♦ He updated his facebook statuses while on the run, the image of him on the run makes for a good thriller moment.

♦ Also the image of him stealing from the police station in the first place, a scene that could be full os suspense.

Thursday, february 11th: Freed after using sword on intruder

A vigilante father who chopped off a dunken intruders ear with an ornamental samurai sword after they barged into his home and threatened to rape his wife, kill his two children and burn his house down has walked free from court.

What makes it a potential story?

♦ This is a dramatic story of heroism that comes from an ordinary man. This is perhaps the most effective kind of story. One second he was going about his daily routine and spending the evening at home with his family and the next he was defending his family against armed attackers (the report went on to say). It's a story that's a little bit more relatable to the viewer. In that if it could happen to him, they can imagine what it would be like if it happened to them, and the viewer get's drawn in. Not to mention that it must've been quite an adrenaline fueled moment, great for a thriller.

Skills Audit Editing - 'Final Cut Pro'

Todays lesson we were learning how to use the program 'final cut pro'. We did the 'Bait Tutorial' to get used to using this special 'editing programme' due to the fact its one of the programmes we will use in our project to edit our thriller openings. It allowed me to put together different scenes onto a timeline but also edit out parts that i didnt want in my sequence. I learnt how to put a small sequence together, once i opened final cut pro at first it took me a while to get used to it but after i got the hang of it it seemed very easy to use.

There were three separate windows. One of the windows was a browser window through this window i could browse through all the different clips that i could put onto my final sequence. From the browser window i could drag and drop the clip i wanted onto my time line and also edit the bits out what were no longer needed.

This image below shows what the browser window looked like. As you can see there where alot of different clips that i could use, i looked threw them and found the ones i thought would work well together.

The second window that i could see was for the clip itself where you could cut clips using 'inputs' and 'outputs' I did this by simply clicking 'I' on my keyboard where i wanted the edit to start and 'O' where i wanted the clip to end. After placing the input and output you should see two little blue arrows that points to where you started and stopped your edit. After you did that you grab it and drag ot to your timeline where you can view what you have in the other viewing screen.

Below the image you see shows what the second box looks like.


The next image i have inserted will show what the Inputs and Outputs looked like. The part i selected in red shows the amount of clip that i wanted to drag onto my timeline.



The 3rd box was the 2nd viewing screen. This window was to show what your final sequence would look like after you have edited the clips. After you press play on the time line at the bottom of the program it would run threw what you have put on the timeline and this would show up on the 2nd Viewing box.

Skills, Audit, Editing

Today we had a lesson using the editing software Final Cut Pro to familiarise ourselves with some of the tools and techniques we will be using to create the opening to our thriller film. We completed the Bait tutorial in which I was able to use a wide selection of clips and audio found in the browser to to create a sensible sequence on the timeline to playback in the canvas. Making appropriate in and out points to shorten and lengthen a clip when necessary, such as removing cry's of "action" or to cut up a clip into several sections to create back and forth shots and manipulate the story. One of the things i was able to make was an effective match cut and i feel i have a lot more confidence in my knowledge of how to put a film together and the importance of editing structure. I also put a few transitions effects into the timeline when i thought it might benefit the story. Such as a subtle dissolve from an establishing shot of the outside to the inside to show their relation, an audio transition to improve the soundtrack fluidity and so on.

Below in a screen capture of my timeline.

(click to enlarge)

Thriller Sub Genres

When we started to look at thrillers, we had to discuss and brain storm what type of film we thought was a thriller and name some and then the class disgusted what sub genre it would fall under. We come up with 6 sub genres Action thriller, Serial Killers, Political Thrillers, Innocent on the run, Super Natural 'Chillers' & Psychological Thrillers.

Action Thriller:

A mystery action some kind of adventure his is also one of the hardest sub genres of thriller to write because of the amount of action required. However we come up with these films that would fall under action. The films we said come under this genre were Jaws, Anaconda, Mission Impossible, Deep Blue Sea

Serial Killers:

Popular sub genre of thriller. This is basically about A serial killer who is making someone or a group of people very fearful also uses horrific violence. The detectives aim is to stop the killer before he goes to far and kills another victim. The films that i said come under this sub genre were: Silence of the lambs, Final Destination, Psycho, Seven

.

Political Thrillers:
This is a thriller which is against political background, Usually plots threw legal, political power to someone, however not that simple always someone trying to stop them getting this power. We come up with films like, Eastern Promises and Collateral, Law Abiding Citizen.

Innocent on the run:
This is almost like serial killer however it can be more mysterious. The films that we said fall under this genre where phone booth and The fugitive.

Super Natural:
under this sub genre super natural involved ghosts! super natural genre people normal get confused about. Examples the films that we come up with, The sixth Sense, The shining, The exorcist, The orphan, The Village



Psychological:
These involve people who are insane and don't really know what there doing they may have mental problems. Or simply a psychological thriller can contain flash backs. The films we said fit under this genre were Memento, 21 and Dollie Darko



Disaster Thriller:
i also thought about a disaster thriller being another sub genre this could involve any kind of disaster that can affect lots of people examples a dam bursting, a tornado sweeping through Los Angeles, a luxury cruise liner sinking.

Historical Thriller:
Thrillers set in the past usually combined with other sub genres.At the moment the sub genre that inspires me the most would have to be a action thriller its exciting to watch and makes you want to know more about the plot however i also like super natural thrillers they have suspense and unexpected moments. I have seen more super natural thrillers as well. The orphan i went to see i enjoyed it was not normal and i would have never of guess she was a full grown women out to get the ladies husband because she couldn't she would kill, she looked like a normal child with a strange twist the film did use a lot of grimy scene when she was killing and she was rather into the sexual nature although i thought this film was really good to watch it made me jump out my seat at moments and even cover my eyes when the gory parts where shown it sent shivers down my back as she killed.

Confused

Depression

Photography Task'

In this lesson we was given a sheet with a variety of words.We had to take pictures to represent some of these words. Me and my group took lots of pictures out of all of them i decided i would post the pictures representing Mysterious, Confussed, Anguished, Calm and Depressed.

mysterious:
This was the first word of the list i decided to use. However me and my group took many mysterious pictures down alleys, old buildings that looked a little odd, we even took one of a barrier on the stairs showing a mysterious effect. This picture to me looks asif there is something down that alley but what? we dont know because there would be no reason to be going down that alley it also looks a little mysterious with the stairs that we can slightly see and the metal bar across the sides that is connecting to the wall. it leads us thinking what is down this alley? where would it lead you to? and other various questions that comes to mind.

Confusion:
in this image me, holly and era are standing at the bottom looking a little confussed. There are two stair cases however what one should we use? holly is holding a paper what was meant to be representing a map to show we dont know how to get back to the top back. We also at first thought that this type of area and background was almost like a maze.

Anguished:
we got Fabian to act as if this was his bike and someone has taken his wheels. i think this image works well to represent anguished his facial expression looks as if he is shocked and the position he is standing in makes it more believable that someone has done this to his bike.



Calm:
This was a random shot that we took. However i think it fits with the word calm. if you look at the water it shows that it is flowing calmly and just looks relaxing. Water naturally looks soft and calm i feel that this image was a good idea to represent calm.

Depressed:
Era on the stall shows the representation of depression. Her hands in her face with her head slightly faced down shows she is not in a good mood the way she is sitting shows the idea of depression she looks as if she needs to be comforted.

Evoking the word, in photos.

Trapped

I liked this shot. It didn't quite fit as any of the keywords we were given but i think it very effectively represents a trapped individual. With the emotive expression and the light barely reaching them.

Mystery

We took many photos of dark alleys and old building that all gave off a mysterious feel but i thought this photo was the most intriguing. Without a sign or any information as to why all we know is that these stairs are off limits. The colours also work well as the dark red and black band contrasts with the blue wall and light behind, emphasising the denoted message. Also because the stairway looks just like any other stair in our building it leaves you wondering "why this section in particular?" and that question opens up all sorts of curious thoughts.

Happiness

It's not hard to see why i chose this picture to represent happiness. Aside from the beaming smile i like the image of a girl and her bicycle with basket, it's very reminiscent of many older films and cartoons portraying sweet content girls, one in particular that comes to mind is Dorothy happily cycling along with her dog Toto in the wizard of oz.

City

This smokey city skyline is a good view of our surrounding taken from higher ground, giving us a fuller picture of our city. What i like about this shot is the 'white space' (although grey would be more accurate!) included keeping it balanced and creating distance and scale.

Calm

An unusual picture, i think it was the straight line of the pipe that interested me about this one. But it's would be fair to say that running water is often portrayed as calming and i think it works well along side the grassy rocks behind. This little spot certainly seemed far from the bustling city that surrounded us.

Anguish

Anguish is a great word! Here describing the devastation young Fabian feels when he returns to find what is left of his trusty bike. This picture is focuses just on the figure, His whole body showing his horror, and the bike, making it a view into a personal experience.

Suspensful moments in Collateral.

I was lucky enough to catch the thriller movie Collateral which had many good examples of suspense. I made notes on some of the things i noticed..

So the setting: The cab driver is waiting patiently in his car having just been asked to help a young man make some visitations around town. In this scene the cabby and the viewer are still naive as to the smartly dressed assasins intentions but suspicions start to rise with the films first clear build up of suspense. The cab driver is bathed in artificial street light but it has a warm orange glow and a non-diegetic songs begin to play. The music is a little wistfull, perhaps reflecting the drivers own lifestyle. but none the less a delicate and relaxed piano piece. But the film is edited so that this footage is cut up by clips of the assasin on his way to murder someone. As the shot changes the music is cut and all the watcher can hear is the sharp crunch of Tom Cruise's feet as he marches along to his victim. The light is still artificial but it's a colder harsher blue that emphasises the assasins stony dangerous face and contrats with the gentile cab drivers as the shots cut back and forth. This all leaves the viewer with an eerrie feeling that something more sinister is about to happen that will change everything.

[Above, the piano music that plays during the cab driver - Nothing will show if accessing via a connection that blocks flash eg. the college internet, sorry can't be helped!]

Music and lighting are two thing most often use to create suspense in collateral, take the scene towards the end with the steady drum beat and frigtening guitar riffs helping to create the scary atmosphere in the dark room, where the figure of the assasin is silloheted against the city night, a monster in the darkness. But mise-en-scen and camera shots obviously play an import part to. Another part of the film where the user felt nervous and anxious for a character in the film was when one of the vitims answered a call from one of his people saying he had a visitor. Diegetic sounds, strings getting louder, a close-up on the business mans sweating brow. And as he decends down the stairs to meet his murderous visiter the camera lingers on the top of the staircase, the viewer is given the impression that the man will never be able to come back up those stairs of his again.

No Country For Old Men

In my media lesson with Annabell, me and my class watched a example of a thriller movie out of choice we all decided we would watch The Coen brothers 2007: No country for old men.
i felt that the film contained suspense throughout and was a good film overall. Everyone was dying to find out what happened next. We was asked to note down examples of suspense and here are mine.

Number One: Llewelyn finds all the dead bodies
Llewelyn is out in Texas a normal man just like are self out. However he comes across loads of dead bodies, 2 Million dollars in cash also lots of heroin.Like anyone would in the end he takes the 2million dollars. When we see him approaching all the dead bodies we begin to wonder what has actually happened. The suspense increases as he walks around looking around the place slowly opening car doors. We sit back and begin to wonder what will happen to him expecting people to jump out however he just discovers more and more dead bodies this built up lots of tension.

Number Two: Man Gets Arrested - Then Kills Officer
We see the police arrest a man, he gets cuffed. At the police station the officer is on the phone we see the man slightly move. At first i didn't think nothing of it and become unsure of what he is trying to do however we see him trying to escape from the handcuffs. He gets up and is silent, from that point it gets us to a climax and want to know what will happen next. We see some gore after that the guy gets the handcuffs and places them around the officers neck chocking him while pulling him down to the floor. I thought at first he was going to just get up try and escape i was not expecting him to do that. We then begin to wonder what will happen next and we place a image in our mind that this man must be some serious sick guy with mental issues leaves us drawn in on the film waiting for some more dramatic events to take place.

Number Three: Psycho With coin in Shop

he goes around with a coin, telling people to pick heads or tails. There life is on the line it is a suspense moment for both the actor against the psycho but also the audience we don't know if they will die or survive its a 50/50 chance. However the way he is killing people is with a gas canister rather gory. When he goes in the shop he asks him to do the coin toss however it lands on tails and he kept his life. if you refuse to pick he normally would just kill them with out warning this made me and the class jump.

Last moment of suspense: The Sheriff goes into the motel room
For use watching this we don't know what will happen. The psycho serial killer is hiding and the sheriff life is obviously at risk. As he is hesitating to go in it shows tension the audience can see cross cuts between the sheriff opening the door, and to the serial killer just behind it. this scene was very slow it built up a lot of tension with the audience. I knew what could happen to the sheriff if the psycho serial killer got hold of him and so did everyone else this builds up even more tension while watching the scene.

Definition Of Suspense'

Suspense is the creation of uncertainty, also the build up of tension. It creates a feeling of excitement within the viewer by the atmosphere of something unknown. It can also be created when something unexpected/unpredictable happens. One of the techniques used to create suspense is foreshadowing this is one of the most widely used techniques it is also know as forced plateau.

Suspense is created by withholding certain information from the viewers. This makes the viewers ask themselves various questions on the progress of the event. A specific point in a plot is where tension is mainly used which is created towards the audience. This makes the audience engaged also leads them to want to find out more. Suspense plays with the audience emotions, excitement is caused by the uncertainty of the anxious waiting of the dramatic event. This makes the audience engaged also more enjoyable to watch.

<<--- This image is good to represent suspense. You can see her walking up the stairs however nobody knows where she is going or what is going to happen. When i first looked at this image i straight away thought to my self what could be happening in the picture. As i asked my self questions it fitted in with suspense.

A Definition Of Suspense

Suspense is created by the anxiety and uncertainty in the lead up to a climatic event,
the feeling of anticipation engages the audience with a sense of pleasurable excitement.
A common technique used to create suspense is a "False plateau",this is an Omnious image that suggests there will be an undecided situation.

The Definition of Suspense

The definition of suspense is specifically, a state of uncertainty and expectation, with anxiety or apprehension; indetermination (the suspense of a person waiting for the verdict of a jury). A state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety.

A Definition of suspense:

Suspense (a vital aspect in any thriller) is created in the build up to a climatic event; tension and uncertainty give the viewer an apprehensive and anxious feeling that breeds excitement and can make for an enjoyable film experience, keeping the viewer engaged. A common technique used to create suspense in thriller movies is a "forced plateau", this is the film equivalent of "foreshadowing" in a book, It's an ominous image that suggests that a huge event is about to take place.

Screen captures from the opening of Deja vu

Amidst all the laughter and a joyous occasion a little girl drops her doll in the water and the camera lingers on this disturbing picture. It is a hint of what's to come and an excellent example of a forced plateau.