Expanding Ideas

I wanted to expand our idea, and begin planning, so i thought of this and send an email to my fellow peers to see what they thought, and told them we needed to start thinking more ideas, and to get a contrete storyline. Our Storyline is still in progress.

Media Planning – name n/a ?
Storyline: Teenagers receive an email, which contains a nursery rhyme which is missing the last two rhymes. Once spoken, the antagonist kills them.

The Email
The nursery rhyme: Orange and Lemons
Oranges and lemons", say the bells of St. Clement's
"You owe me five farthings", say the bells of St. Martin's
"When will you pay me?" say the bells of Old Bailey
"When I grow rich", say the bells of Shoreditch
"When will that be?" say the bells of Stepney
"I do not know", says the great bell of Bow

Please tell me what the next two lines are?

(Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head)

If we get like a person, to be the antagonists, they could be like sitting in a chair, with a black cloak, hiding their face and they say each line. However, after each line, we could like fade to black, and then like we have the name of people and stuff. Or, we could do jump cuts to the person sitting in the chair. The last two lines won’t be said by antagonist. And then we go to like a person reading the email, in their bedroom with all the lights off, and they say the last two lines, and then it could like fade to black and we hear screams and stuff. But like when she says “Here comes a candle to light you to bed”, the antagonist could be sitting on the bed and then suddenly we could see the candle behind them. And then we could have a close up of the person dead face. And then we could do the whole thing we said about split shots of others and stuff.

Preliminary Exercise

This a 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 dialogue.
This exercise should demonstrate:

Continuity - is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer. Most productions have a script supervisor on hand whose job is to pay attention to and attempt to maintain continuity across the chaotic and typically non-linear production shoot. Errors could include items of clothing change colours, shadows get longer or shorter, items within a scene change place or disappear.

Match on action - It is a cut in film editing from one scene to another, in which the two camera shots' compositional elements match, helping to establish a strong continuity of action.

Shot/reverse shot - film technique wherein one character is shown looking (often off-screen) at another character, and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

The 180-degree rule - is a basic film editing guideline that states that two characters (or other elements) in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other. If the camera passes over the imaginary axis connecting the two subjects, it is called crossing the line. The new shot, from the opposite side, is known as a reverse angle. Example: In the example of an action scene, such as a car chase, if a vehicle leaves the right side of the frame in one shot, it should enter from the left side of the frame in the next shot. Leaving from the right and entering from the right will create a similar sense of disorientation as in the dialogue example.

Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_degree_rule
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match_cut
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_Reverse_Shot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_(fiction)

Se7en Opening Titles

This opening titles of Se7en uses this oppuntinity to show the antagoinst state of mind. The music uses high pitched sweaks and the edgy titles never stay still. This shows the antagonist is always thinking of something or that he/she like shaking with ideas and thoughts. The editing is very quick and alot of jump cuts are used to shows how mad the antagonist is. There are shots that overlap shots, to show that the person is very ditrubed and also the actions being showed show this aswell. Moreover, the shots are very fast, and there are lots of flashes to shows how busy and how mad the mind of the antagonist is.

I think this is extremely effect and is a great example of the start of this thriller.

Rear Window - Hitchcock

Although I missed this lesson, I’ve already watched this film by Alfred Hitchcock, so I decided to analysis like my peers did in the lesson I missed.



As always, Hitchcock tells his story visually, and when we are first shown of our protagonist, we understand that he is extremely hot, by the use of montage. We see a close up of his faces, with beads of sweat falling off his face, and we are then shown the thermometer which shows a very high temperature of over 90°. We are then shown that his leg is in a cast with has written on it “Here lies the broken bones of L. B. Jefferies, therefore we now know the man’s name. He is therefore unable to walk as he is in a wheelchair. We understand that he is a photographer whose, like his broken bones, camera is broken, which implies he may have been involved in an accident, when doing his job, resulting in his broken leg. We also understand that he photographs action in dangerous environment. Moreover, we see magazine, and also understand that he photographs women for a magazine. The use of Point of View shots explains to use that this is what Jefferies does all day as this film mainly uses this effect, which is called voyeurism. Therefore, Jefferies is the voyeur, a person who watches or spies on people who are engaged in something.

Psycho

I watched Psycho, which started at 11pm last night, and i was in awe about how amazing the film actually was! I was actually terrified when i finished watching it about 12:50am. It was just outstanding and i really enjoyed it. The suspense of the music by Bernard Hermann really made the movie for me. It was dramatic and suspenseful, and really made the movie. Alfred Hitchcock has really done some amazing work creating Psycho and i now understand why this film is voted one of the BEST Thrillers ever made.

The Shower Scene "runs 3 minutes and includes 50 cuts." Most of the shots are extreme close-ups, except for medium shots in the shower directly before and directly after the murder. The combination of the close shots with the short duration between cuts makes the sequence feel longer, more subjective, more uncontrolled, and more violent than would the images if they presented alone or in a wider angle. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psycho_(1960_film)#Production)

Moreover, the use of graphic match is effective in providing a graphic continuity. The plug whole and the woman's eye was the graphic match.

I also watched a bit of Rear Window, but began to grow bored as it took a while to get into the situation. I also tried to watch The Birds, it was okay, but then it got silly with the birds attacking. I've noticed that films made by Hitchcock, tend to, at the beginning, be very long, before actually getting into the plot. This is to create suspense, i think, and so that the audience understand the characters and get enough information to understand the situation.

Hitchcock Day

No today isn't Hitchcock day. It was just i found it rather spooky, that when i came home from school today I flicked through the movie channels on SkyMovies, and Topaz, and Alfred Hitchcock movie was on. I decided to see what else will appear on SkyMovies: Classics, and three of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous films will be broadcasts. "The Rear Window", "The Birds" and "Psycho"! I shall attempt to watch them if I'm not too busy. But, i was like amazed that i had researched into him and then this.

The Saboteur was on Channel 4 whilst Topaz was on SkyMovies, but i got bored of Topaz and watched Saboteur, which i really like...but i fell asleep like half way through it. Not that is was boring, cause it was really good and i wanted to watch it and i want to know what happens and what Fry is doing. But, i fell asleep.

Vertigo - Opening Titles & Sequence

Vertigo – Title Sequence



"Hitchcock's film is about obsession, which means that it's about circling back to the same moment, again and again ... And the music is also built around spirals and circles, fulfilment and despair. Herrmann really understood what Hitchcock was going for — he wanted to penetrate to the heart of obsession.” – Martin Scorsese, Sight and Sound, 2004

We see the face of a woman, and as we move to her lips, we hear dramatic music, by Bernard Hermann. Again we move to her eyes and the music becomes strong and powerful, but at each of these moments, the credits of actors come up. The camera then moves to her right eye, and suddenly the whole screen turns red. This is a connotation, and we automatically think of danger, and her eye widens to emphasise this. However, it could also indicate lust; but overall, it gives us an idea of what the film many include.

Then there is the use of graphic match, with the eye and the swirls, with gradually what we follow. The opening credits continue using this effect of swirl patterns, to reflect to the feeling of vertigo, making the audience dizzy (well certain people. Hannah was sitting next to me and she said it made her dizzy, and I heard others as well. It had no affect on me, but after a while, I realised it did). The swirls change colour, supporting the vertigo feel, of faintness and giddiness. This was created by Saul Bass, employing kinetic typography.

The shot of the woman’s face/eye, with the screen totally red, re-appears reinforcing the danger, and lust of this film. It then fades to black and we are then shown the opening sequence.

Vertigo – Open Sequence



The sequence if of a action chase scene as we see the close up shot of a man’s hand, which is followed by his body; we understand later when the police officer and detective John “Scottie” Ferguson, played by James Stewart. The sound of the music is extremely of a fast pace, as well as suspenseful and dramatic. The greatest effect used in the sequence is the use of ‘reverse zoom’. When the detective falls off the roof and hold on to the bar, and looks down, the effect is use to show us his fear of heights: vertigo.

The shots at the beginning are very long, so that we can obtain the information we need to understand what is going on. As well as this, long shot and panning is used, so that again, we obtain enough information and so we can see what is going on. The shots don’t become fast until the detective falls, and the music become of a faster pace. The music become more dramatic when the police man falls trying to save the detective, as we see him plummet to his death. The detective’s expression becomes more fearful, whilst hanging on for dear life, to convey the effects of vertigo.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

(Please note that I’ve only analysed the first 7:30 minutes)

"Shadow of a Doubt” starts with a posh ballroom setting with people dancing; the soundtrack (non-digetic sound) is “The Merry Widow”, which later is symbolic to the film. Sound bridge and a dissolve editing are used to give a smooth transfer into an industrial, run down long shot scene. We then see many dissolve editing as we move closer into the industrial scene, and then go closer into a long shot of the poor and messy neighbourhood. We then experience more dissolves as we move closer to the window, this is a familiar editing Alfred Hitchcock does – as seen in “Psycho”. We then see a man lying on a bed, and therefore assume that he is in the room via the window that we were being dissolved closer too.

The way the man is lying on the bed and his surroundings tell us a lot about the character – mise en scene. Firstly, the man appears as if he is dead, with his eyes close, however his hand is moving. He wears black clothing with is extremely well made, and he is smartly dressed, which shows he is powerful and gives him sophistication, as well the cigarette adds to his character. As the camera pans, we see money, showing that he is rich, although, as well as this there is money on the floor which shows that he not bothered about money. Moreover, the lack of facial expression shows he is not bothered, when the maid speaks to him.

The lighting in the room is low key lighting, causing shadows, making him appear dark and mysterious. When the maid puts the blind down and the room becomes darker, the man, Uncle Charlie, comes to life, stating his is like a creature of the night. This is all told by Hitchcock visually, without the use of dialogue telling us his character.

The music becomes suspenseful and gradually builds dramatically as Uncle Charlie smashes his glass on the floor. This shows he is very angry and a violent character. We hear, again, the Merry Widow music, which is foreshadowing, meaning to hint that there is trouble or something bad is going to happen, either now or later in the film. Moreover, Uncle Charlie comes out of the house, and the house number is “13” and very superstitious number for a bad omen.

As the two men follow Uncle Charlie, they move to the sound of music played by a piano to create tension. Further on, the silhouette of Uncle Charlie on the roof gives a powerful image to him and a mysterious feel, as he looks down at the two men who were following him making them appear small and weak.

Mirroring

“Mirroring is a human behavior characterized by copying someone else while communicating with them. It is often observed in people exhibiting similar postures, gestures, or tone of voice. It may include miming gestures, movements, body language, muscle tensions, expressions, tones, eye movements, breathing, tempo, accent, attitude, choice of words, metaphors, or other features discernible in communication.” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirroring_(psychology)

In the scene, when we met Charlie, Uncle Charlie’s niece. We see the perfect suburban life and city; Santa Rosa, which is posh, sophisticated, pleasant and a happy, cheerful and joyful people. A contrast to the industrial scene, which is shown in the same way, through dissolve editing. This is, therefore, mirroring. As well, the music is much more pleasant to enhance this visually, the contrast between the two places. The same as when we are dissolved via window into Uncle Charlie room, the same process happens into the girl, Charlie, room. She is positioned exactly like Uncle Charlie was, lying on the bed, however, moving more and alive. This shows they are very much similar but also very different. It is as if Uncle Charlie represents the dark and Charlie represents the light. As well as this, light falls on her face, and the room if much more lighter than that of Uncle Charlie, which enhances the idea.

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock - The Thriller Man

Alfred Hitchcock, I think, is an amazing filmmaker and I’ve seen ‘Rebecca’, and I never knew it was a Hitchcock film, and was utterly astonished because it is a very great film. And I often look at teacher’s poster in class of ‘Rebecca’ and think of the woman, burning the mansion, and I think; that is one good thriller. After seeing other works produced by Hitchcock, I was amazed and hold aspiration for him. He had produced amazing thriller, his genre, including: North by Northwest (1590), Psycho (1960) and The Birds (1963).

Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone, London in 1899 and around the 1920s and became well known in England with films such as: The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1926), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938).

He then moved to Hollywood a made 52 films, Rebecca (1940) being his first American movie. His movies became dissever, including a romantic comedy Mr and Mrs Smith (1941), courtroom drama The Paradise Case (1947) and his dark and disturbing film Shadow of a Doubt (1943).

Hitchcock uses familiar and different range of techniques in his films, which are cleverly used to tell his story visually. In Vertigo the uses of reverse zoom, visually expresses to us the man’s fear of heights, causing us to feel this dizzy. The use of mirroring in Shadow of a Doubt is extremely effective in showing that Uncle Charlie and Charlie (his niece) are extremely similar, however, they are different that one if of a dark nature and the other of a light nature.

Hitchcock often appeared in his films in the beginning, making a brief appearance, which is called a cameos role. His last film was Family Plot (1976), before he died of renal failure in 1980.