General Film Opening Analaysis

Before analysing film openings, my group and I aimed to narrow down the genre's we could use for our main task. Taking inspiration from our favourite directors (including the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Quentin Tarantino) and our continuity editing task we concluded that we wanted to head down the route of Thrillers (possibly Crime-Thriller) enabling us to gather classic conventions used in thriller openings (as seen below) and try and implement those into our own work or even diverge from those/breaking those stereotypes. Camerawork and mise on scene are key components to this task and so we also gathered ideas from some dramas as well to gain some expertise in the build up to the filming. 

The Usual Suspects (Thriller)

Bryan Singer, 1995

Usual Suspects DVD Cover
again continues this recurring
theme of shadows (often used
in thriller

Representation

Shadows (as the face of the supposed protagonist (victim) has shadows over half his face) have connotations of a sinister past and mystery. Only showing the body of the ‘antagonist’ hides the identity of the character whilst keeping a sense of secrecy and intrigue to the introduction as the audience want to know what relevance he has to the dead bodies (enigma). Making links to a deeper meaning and the classic conventions of thrillers. They are often dominated by males and when a woman/women do feature they are often in vulnerable positions.

Mise en scene

The black coat worn by the antagonist has connotations possibly to their character which is dark and sinister and possibly trying to hide something. In terms of the setting we can see low key lighting has used and with that matched with the opening sequence being set on a boat of some sort creates a menacing atmosphere. Stereotypically docks are used in films, especially crimes and thrillers, to create an ambiance. They are often used to isolate people, hide or smuggle things. 

Use of Camera

Initially we see an extreme close up on a box of matches. At first glance it may seem like this is just a seemingly everyday object filling up the screen but it is later symbolic through the fire created on the ship that small objects can have a big effect and highlights how every object matters in a scene. We also see the use of slow motion (camera editing) of the flames engulfing everything in it's path and this is used to emphasise the drama 

Sound

As used in our preliminary exercise and a common occurrence in many thrillers we don't see the murder itself in this film as we are only informed of the murder through the use of asynchronous/off-screen sound. Suspense grew throughout the scene as well through the sharp non-diegetic sound of a single violin, creating an eerie atmosphere, which parallel to the action got louder as the film proceeded. Foreshadowing of ones death is used as well through the dripping of oil which was the fuel for the fire. This ghostly sounds like a ticking clock and a warning that someones life is about to come to an end. The idea of superiority and inferiority is also present in the opening sequence. The antagonist refers to the victim as 'kid' not only showing some history between the two but also how the protagonist is extremely vulnerable. 

Narration & Form

The opening sequence of 'The Usual Suspects' is extremely restricted. We are only introduced to two characters, the victim and the murderer, and even then the audience knows less than the characters. We are unaware of the history these two characters have and what the antagonist even looks like. All of the story is confined to one area, the boat. Therefore the audience are forced to focus heavily on the characters and the fire. Both of which follow one line of action

Sub Genres and Target Audience

The opening sequence to this thriller is one that could be easily mistaken for a crime drama due to the use of sirens at the end of the opening and the clothes worn by the antagonist the long coat especially, often symbolise hidden secrets and a sinister past and the norm is for this to be uncovered in a crime thriller. In addition due to the heavy explosions and industrial remote area this itself could also be mistaken for an action film. I think this film is targeted at young adults. This thriller requires the audience to think on their feet as the plot isn't immediately handed to you on a plate. A younger audience may struggle to understand or unpick the maturity of the conventions and due to the strong language later used in the film and relevance to drugs it therefore would suit a mature audience, 18+.

Pulp Fiction (Crime/Drama)
Quentin Tarantino, 1994

Representation & Mise en Scene

The opening sequence to 'Pulp Fiction' doesn't really give much away. The behaviour of the male and the female within the couple are different. The man comes across agitated and excited as he’s leaning back and forward in his chair and constantly fidgeting. He shows rebel like attitude yet relaxed behaviour, the use of the cigarette in his hand backs up this point as it has a stigma of people occupied by other things and acting against the norm, It can also be good for allowing characters to take a pause, causing effect and suspense. In comparison to the woman who is sitting up straight, sounding innocently happy and politely accepts coffee. They are both wearing normal, relaxed clothing, with messed up hair and tired looking faces. It is only as the scene develops that you realise that they are experienced criminals, leading the audience to anticipate what is about to happen next.In this scene the man is seen as the dominant figure and leader of the act as he instigates the robbery and it implies that the woman is ducking away once he climbs on the table, implying that she’s taking cover, the scene then peaks as the ideas are put into action. Her innocent reaction to killing someone shows that they are not conventional gangsters as it doesn’t live up to the expectations of an ordinary crime thriller, giving the impression that they’re only doing it for the money. Once the plan has concluded, the woman goes from being calm and innocent to excited to commit a crime, the seriousness of the anticipated crime is shown once the gun is placed on the table. The kiss and loving words that the couple exchange before they rob the diner is almost a good luck kiss for what is about to happen, the calm before the storm. 

Sound

Again Quentin Tarantino has used the element of surprise to enhance the drama unfolding. In the background of the diner we can hear asynchronous contrapuntal diegetic calm music matched with chatter one would assume that the scene unfolding is a calm one. However this is then subverted as the music screeches to a halt and Mia Wallace starts screaming and pulls out a gun.

Camera and Form

The opening sequence is unrestricted. The two characters talk of their past and what their plans are for the future and it becomes very clear that they are criminals and only follows those 2 lines of actions. The same can be said for the Camera work used. Throughout the whole opening sequence the camera only focuses on the two characters. Through the use of 2 shots and shot-reverse-shots we are forced to focus on what the characters are saying. Even when the waitress arrives she is either seen with an extreme close up almost from a point of view shot to show she has some relevance to Mia and Pumpkin's thoughts and then she is blocked of completely where we only see the back of her. This highlights the intensity of the conversation and again really forces the audience to listen in on what the couple are saying and doing. 

Titles

This intensity is again reiterated in the opening titles. The font colour is a simple yellow wiping up the screen and the name 'Pulp Fiction' appears very quickly. This allows the action to unfold very quickly and we are drawn immediately to what is taking place in the diner.

Target Audience and Sub-Genres

One would initially think this film is a romantic one due to the deep red seats provoking connotations of love and the strong chemistry between the two characters on screen. Therefore meaning this film would in most cases be appropriate to a younger audience. However as soon as the plot switches and we see Mia use some swearwords, within the opening 3 minutes, and she pulls out a gun we can see that this is not a romantic story but a violent and crime driven story which has relevance to drugs and murder, the norm in Tarantino films. Therefore it would be inappropriate for younger viewers and deserves its 18 rating. 

Sixth Sense (Thriller/Drama)
M. Night Shyamalan, 1999

Representation 

We can see a different in class in the opening sequence. Child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is dressed formally after receiving an award for his work. His wife is dressed similarly. However when the story goes upstairs we can see a young man without any clothes on. This symbolises raw emotion and how disabled people are vulnerable and under appreciated compared to those more able bodied.  

Mise en Scene

Throughout the opening sequence Shyamalan toys with our emotions. The married couple are lured into a false sense of security. The scene starts off when Olivia Williams' character is collecting wine from the basement. The basement provokes connotations of a  horror film or a dark and clutter thriller. However as she goes upstairs we see a lavish living room with extravagant paintings and furnishings surround the couple. So as the audience gather that this film is going to be quite dark the couple are lured into a false sense of security.

Camera

Just as it was in 'The Usual Suspects' we don't see the death of Vincent. Whether to hide some sort of secret or some other reason a slow pan partnered with slow motion is used during the shooting scene, emphasising the drama that has unfolded. In addition Bruce Willis' character who appears to be powerful through his formal dressing is pushed into an inferior position by Vincent as a high angle shot is used.

Sound 

Often in thrillers no sound at all can create an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere and this has been applied in this opening sequence. The audience is forced to listen intently to the conversation Olivia Williams and Bruce Williams are having due to the silence around them. In parts when there is no talking suspense grows as you expect something to happen suddenly. This sense of warning and on edgeness is later reiterated as the couple go upstairs Olivia Williams sees that the phone is off the hook. Not only can we see that someone has broken into the house due to shadow that sweeps across the room but prior to that the audience gather that the suspense is about to come to it's climax. This because the phone (a seemingly everyday object) is creating a beeping noise, like an alarm, foreshadowing danger. 

Narration and Form

The plot itself is relatively unrestricted. We gather that there is a married couple in which the male is a renowned doctor of some sort. Despite us not knowing what is really going on we can assume that he has done some work in the past that hasn't been successful as Vincent (the man with the gun) refers to him being a patient to Bruce Willis. However it is hard to really grasp the story as the atmosphere switches from basement to a relaxed setting and then to a crime scene.

Titles, Sub-genres and Target Audience

The title sequence invokes connotations of ghosts or fog as it has a pure black background with fading white text appearing then disappearing. Partnered with the break in and the constant use of low key lighting one would assume that this is a horror film or a psycocological drama due to persona of Vincent. Being based around psycology this a subject that young audiences often find it hard to grasp yet due to the lack of genuine gore this would be suitable for viewers aged 15+.

Se7en (Thriller)
David Fincher, 1995

Representation and Mise en Scene

From the off a sinister mood is created. The apparent antagonist covers words such as heterosexual, transsexual, pregnant symbolising or foreshadowing someone losing their identity or that the antagonist has an extremely secretive past. The pictures in the opening sequence could be similar to that of a police investigation linking the sequence to a crime of some sort. Furthermore the antagonist has dirty hands and bandages clearly visible creating an uncomfortable atmosphere for the viewer.

Sound and Camera

Non-diegetic dramatic repetitive music matched with parallel noises of a chainsaw and children crying creates an extremely sinister mood. This is reiterated through the camera as we see a lot of high angle extreme close up. This gives of the impression that we are looking into the life of an antagonist who is very dominant and the victims vulnerable. A tilt is constantly used as to distort the viewing and make the audience apprehensive. 

Narration & Form

The storyline is extremely restricted. We don't know who the antagonist is or what relevance the pictures have and we can only see the hands of one person and their tools. It's very secretive without any structure at all. 

Sub-Genres and Target Audience

Without knowing the story one could easily assume that this is a horror, more specifically a body horror, due to the pick in the back of one head and the apparent victimisation of what could be a serial killer. Being such a dark film it would be inappropriate for a younger audience and would appeal to those who are used to scary films. A mature audience would be able to see beneath the threat and understand the story to a greater extent.

Titles

The opening titles look very similar to that of a child's scribble. The white font on a black background, simplicity, allows the audience to focus on the distorted fading writing, parallel to the story possibly (distorted). 

Similar to the Usual Suspects an extreme close up has been used and we can see low key lighting to create a shadow effect on the face of Leanardo Di Caprio (Teddy Daniels). We also see an establishing shot in the background partnered with low key lighting and dark tones to create a sinister feel from the off. 

Shutter Island (Thriller) 
Martin Scorsese, 1995

Representation

The opening scene after the opening title have rolled through is that of an island which appears in the middle of nowhere. At the time of filming the weather is dark and gloomy adding to the uncanny atmosphere. The audience is then introduced to the main character played by Leonardo Di Caprio. I think his name however is an oxymoron. He is called Teddy Daniels. A teddy is something a child would hug or hold and something that is soft and sparks happiness. This I think has been used to represent the distorted island as 'Shutter Island' is very harsh looking with large jagged rocks and accompanied by low key lighting doesn't match with the name 'Teddy'. The opening sequence is jam packed with little representations that underline what the film itself is all about, for example as you can see in the picture on the left hand side there is a foot stepping on a gun, this image possibly suggests that there is crime involved and deep mystery as only a foot is visible and not the persons face who possesses the gun, thriller films are full of this so the opening image makes sense.

Mise en Scene

Initially we are introduced to Leanardo Di Caprio he and his partner (Mark Ruffalo) are wearing dark grey overalls classic. The opening of the credits shows the audience a cage at the end of the corridor with a bed in it. This presents the setting as very dangerous as people are being imprisoned the question is why? The titles then cut to a spiralling staircase which creates a sense of mental entrapment and the descent into fear/ paranoia/madness as there seems to be no end to the staircase. The audience is then shown a room with water dripping from the ceiling this is found commonly in thrillers because it mirrors the way the story will be told, drip by drip, and how the audience will have to piece these small parts of information together. At the end of the opening credits there is a shot of the island from the title. It is surrounded by water and so is isolated which mirrors how the characters in this story feel and how their madness has caused them to be detached from the rest of the world. 
Low key lighting is used through out the opening credits which creates a sense of mystery which is typical of the thriller genre. 

Sound

Before we have seen any acting displayed, we hear a very subtle but intriguing piece of classical orchestral music being played whilst the main credits are being displayed on screen. This is non-diegetic sound. This, from the very beginning of the opening sequence captures the audience's attention by the mellow, slow tempo and high pitched tone to it, it sets the atmosphere for what we are about to see. We then hear the gradual and subtle introduction of Foley sound, when the sea water and boat horns are introduced - before the first shot of DiCaprio (Teddy). The boat then appears through the mist. The use of the boat horn is one that is unexpected and acts as a warning/alarm for future scenes. The soundtrack throughout the entire opening title sequence is mysterious and is not loud but gradually builds up, this suggests to the audience that just like the genre and film it will surprise you when your not expecting it. Thrillers are well known for starting slowly but gradually gaining pace until they have the audiences full attention and begin, to twist their minds, shock them and grasp their attention in a flash. In a cinema environment the instruments chosen to play the song would at times seem boring but when their tone quickly increases with the pitch it may scare the audience preparing them for whats about to happen.

Camera

Our first glimpse of character is a distressed looking DiCaprio (Teddy) who appears to have sea sickness. We know this because of 2 major points: 1) his words - he says "pull yourself together...it's only water" and 2) his facial expression. In this close up you can see the emotion in his eyes and the look on his face tells you that he is distressed. Close ups are used to reveal details in the scene and is used here to not only reveal 'Teddy's' emotion but also the fact that he has water on his face. The fact his shirt is undone and the top suggest a stressed/laid back man who at this present moment at time is trying to get through this boat ride, foreshadowing how uncomfortable his time at 'Shutter Island will be' subsequently sparking questions such as why is he is going and what is going to happen at the island. In terms of camera shots and angles, the opening scene is very much full of establishing shots, as this is an opening title sequence the producers will aim to get the audience captivated and used to the setting of the film, hence why long shots and establishing shots are used to make sure the audience understand exactly where the film is set. This doesn't sound as if its a convention of a Thriller, however what the audience are yet to know is that they are being shown around a hospitalised prison for the criminally insane, a dark and chilling twist on a normal establishing shot, there are however some more chilling camera angles, for example the shot of the fire burning, which creates a sense of suspense and death.


Opening Titles

Through out the opening titles the audience is shown parts of a man but never the full body which creates a sense of mystery and secrecy. it also creates a sense of unknown evil or threat leaving the audience guessing the identity of the antagonist. The viewer is left with the question who or what is lurking in the shadows. The use of the 360 degree pan is used to disorientate the viewer. Colour is kept minimal in order to build suspense due to surroundings being obstructed due to how dark it is. Only colour on screen is red text showing actors names. Red represents colour of blood suggesting thriller genre.


Narration and Form 

The opening sequence to 'Shutter Island' is surprisingly unrestricted, opposite to the norm in a conventional thriller opening. Whilst we are introduced to the setting, who the main characters are and what sort of story will unfold, one that is a crime drama due to prevalence of police and images of dungeons prisons. However it is hard to understand what the point of the island is and therefore in the respect of the island and not the characters it is relatively unrestricted. In addition it follows 2 or 3 lines of action. In the opening titles we see only the hands of a probable antagonist and this raises questions of their presence. The focus is then drawn to Teddy and his sea sickness and finally through the use of an establishing shot the audience's attention is then switched to the island. 

Target Audience and Sub Genre

From the opening sequence alone the storyline only really follows that of a classic thriller. Low key lighting and build up in suspense being the common conventions. There are hints of a crime drama with the prevalence of police officers and links to dungeons and prisoners as well. After watching the whole film it is hard for one to get ones head around the plot. Their are many twists and possibly only a matured mind can not only cope with some of the violence and blood but also understand the deeper meaning. 

Good Fellas (Drama)
Martin Scorsese, 1990

Mise en scene and Representation

Goodfellas takes place in Queens in New York City. It beings during the 1950s and ends in the 1980s. Historically, New York City is a known place for the Italian mob. By having the setting in this area, the viewer would believe that mob related activities take place there. Two other aspects are costumes and the behaviour of the characters. In many gangster films, the Italian mobster is usually well dressed. They typically wear nice clothes such as a shirt and tie. Scorsese went along with this notion in Goodfellas. All of the characters where fancy clothes and look like they are Italian so they could be depicted as Italian mobsters. They have an Italian accent and many of their conversations are about illegal activities that they would partake in. They give off a hard and fierce attitude to those who do not know them.  Lighting is also an aspect of mise-en-scene. In the beginning scene of the movie, the three main characters are shown murdering a high-ranking Italian mobster. There is a red light in the scene, which has an underlying significance. The red light appears to almost look like a flashlight. The lighting resembles a blood like colour and it does not allow the viewer to see the blood that is covering the characters. The red light gives off a notion of death. In addition the lighting and setting, aside from the smart suits and haircuts, supports the secretive nature of the events that are taking place. The lighting is minimal, with only the car headlights to light the murder scene, and presumably streetlamps that light up the inside of the car at points. The lighting is deliberately dark because as I have said, the characters are trying to hide their criminal activities and do not want to be seen. However, use of a torch by the men or any other lighting device would have an inappropriate and unrealistic prop given the circumstances. The weapon props however are realistic and are used to define the brutality and the ruthlessness of criminals of that level. The carving knife, the shovel and the gun all appear in this scene to show that whatever is in making noise in the boot will die very painfully,

Camera

In the opening shots a tracking shot is used to pan left around the side of the car driving. By using this shot it makes the viewer feel as if they are driving alongside next to the car and give the feel that they are on the road with them. A tracking shot is used as the camera speeds up and passes the car again connoting that the audience will be watching a realistic portrayal of the gangster genre. A tracking shot is a type of shot often used by Scorsese and in this instance is used to establish the scene; we know that the focus is on a car and our attention should probably be on those in the car; it also gives the sense of movement and therefore excitement.When the film then cuts into the car a medium close up shot is used to show the three characters within the car. This shot enables the viewer to clearly see all three of the characters and what they are wearing and what the inside of the car is like. It is important to be able to show both of these things as they can both be significant to creating this image of the characters. As the viewer can see what the characters are wearing, all three of them wearing suits, they can start to build this picture of what these characters are like and can already recognise these men are most probably gangsters. 

Sound

In the opening scene of "Goodfellas", diegetic and non-diegetic sound is used. In the opening credits, we hear a non-diegetic sound that sounds like a car engine undergoing the Doppler effect as it drives past (the frequency of the sound changes) and this corresponds to the text moving on the screen. Although no image has appeared on the screen yet, the noise of the car makes the audience think that cars will be involved. As the actors names scroll past a strange, low frequency non-diegetic sound begins to build in timbre, around 0:19, then fade away until the text reads, "This film was based on a true story." Here, the sound fades for a brief moment, to enhance the effect of the text on the audience, then the car engine noise resumes as a car appears in the frame. We hear nothing but the noise of the car for several seconds, building tension, especially when the frame changes to show the men in the car, the silence over the noise of the engine creates a very tense atmosphere.

As the men start talking and conferring with one another, a muffled thumping sound can be heard over the speech - although the speech indicates that this sound is in the scene, we don't know where it is coming from ("Did I hit something?", "Is it a flat?.. No.."). We then very clearly hear the sound of the car doors closing as the men walk out, and the faint noise of crickets and other bugs are very typical of a scene at night, and help emphasise how quiet it is elsewhere. The muffled noise continued, but this time it is diegetic as the camera focuses on the car boot when we can hear it [1:18]. No words are spoken, and the lack of noise further builds the tension in this scene - the noise is eventually broken by the man brandishing a large knife and the sound of the keys to unlock the boot moving against each other. Every small noise is emphasised due to the complete silence to create tension and build suspense to what will happen when the boot is opened. When it is eventually opened, we see a very bloody man mumbling hard to distinguish phrases, it sounds like he says "no.." repeatedly. Then we hear the noise of the man as he thrusts the knife into the man in the boot, and then the silence is pierced by the sound of several gunshots, that we can clearly associate with the action in the scene. We then hear the sound of another car driving past, but we do not see it, and the characters do not seem to react to this so we assume that it is not important, but that there was a risk of the characters being seen.

Finally we hear the a monologue; the character does not talk in the scene but the camera focuses on him so we assume it is his voice, and as he reaches the end of his sentence ("..gangster"), as "Rags To Riches" by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross fades in for the title sequence. This Jazz-like song helps to set portray the culture of era in which the film was set, which was already mentioned to be 1970.

Titles and Form

The first shot of the film is of a black background with the credits. Minimal wording appears on the screen, and the words quickly slide across the screen from the right in a large white font. The word that has just slid across the screen then reappears in a smaller white font, and stays still until it is replaced by the next larger word sliding across. The sound, that goes with the word transitions is presumably diegetic traffic noise, and gives the viewer an idea of the setting. The final sentence that the audience see on this background is “This film is based on a true story” this is used to get the viewer instantly believing of the story and the characters portrayed within it. The opening sequence introduces the audience straight into the gangster life adding to the realism of the harsh and violent way of living. The opening sequence only follows one line of action. That of the the gangsters in the car with someone in the boot. They then go on to kill the victim in the boot so in that respect it is restricted as we don't know who these characters are or the man in the boot. All in all though the opening sequence is one that is unrestricted. The genre has been established, we know who has killed someone and that they dub themselves as gangsters. 

Within the first two minutes of this film one man had been brutally murdered visibly. We see him being stabbed on multiple occasions and then shot three times in the heart and whilst the plot doesn't seem that hard to follow this film would still be too violent for a younger audience and therefore justifying its 18 age rating. It could easily be mistaken for a crime, thriller or action due to the intensity and pace of the crime scene but would suit more for a drama due to unrestricted events and the sense of realism. 

Sub Genres and Age Rating

Conventions

• often a protagonist and antagonist
• symbolism and representation is key for every object in the scene
• lack of dialogue and more about the visuals
• atmosphere created very early on
• stereotypes can be applied or broken
• elements of surprise and suspense are constant
• opening titles invoke different connotations 

An Introduction: Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task

Before filming the two minute thriller introduction we were set a continuity editing task. The preliminary task requires an understanding of continuity, a key component in moving image production which makes the whole video look natural and flow without any jumps within the scene. The brief for the task, involving filming and editing, should encompass 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 line of dialogue. Match on action, shot-reverse shot and the 180-degree rule should all be applied to this task.

The task pushed us to work as a collaborative unit, focus on the different camera techniques which could then be applied to the main coursework and get used to transferring ideas from our mind into something visual (from the fictional world to real life, valuable for the main task).

Match on Action

Match on action (or cutting on action) is an editing technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot. This creates the impression of a sense of continuity – the action carrying through creates a “visual bridge” which draws the viewer’s attention away from slight cutting or continuity issues. This is not a graphic match or match cut, it portrays a continuous sense of the same action rather than matching two separate things.

As you can see from the YouTube clip from above analysing the use of match on action in an extract from 'Friends' and below some more visual examples are shown;

180 Degree Rule

Visual description of the 180 degree rule

The 180° rule is a filming guideline that participants in a scene should have the same left-right relationship to each other, with filming only taking place within the 180° angle in which this is maintained in a conversation, for example. This allows the audience to have a greater sense of location in the scene in terms of what may be off-screen in some shots, for example in shot reverse shots.

Examples;

180 degree rule in 'My Gal Friday'. Keeping to this rule allows for a flowing film and prevents confusion on the whereabouts of characters.

Shot-reverse-shot 

Shot reverse shot is a continuity editing technique used in conversations or simply characters looking at each other or objects. A shot showing what the character is supposedly looking at (either a point of view or over the shoulder shot) is followed by a reverse angle shot of the character themselves looking at it, or of the other character looking back at them, for example. Shot reverse shot often ties in with the 180° rule to retain continuity by not distorting the audience’s sense of location of the characters in the shots.

Example;

Storyboarding for our Preliminary Task

Drawing inspiration from Shane Meadows' "Dead Man's Shoes" we wanted to go down a route which would provide some sense of drama and some violence to entice the supposed audience but also a twist at the end. Luke appears to be the antagonist with his violent nature and a growing rage throughout the short film. However to the audience's surprise, foreshadowed by her constant reaching for her pocket, Maria goes on to kill Luke as she did to their father just as the suspense had reached it's climax. Similarly to the revenge driven film 'Dead Man's Shoes', where it becomes apparent that Anthony (Toby Kebbell) was murdered by the gang, the role of victim has been subverted, with  the antagonists, protagonists and superiority had been subverted in the film and we aimed to achieve this at the end of our short film. We also took into account stereotypes by breaking that of men being superior both in wealth and in power. This has itself been subverted. In the short film Luke is a poor farmer who has come to meet his sister to question her authority. Evident in the script, Maria makes frequent links to her wealth from the way she is dressed and looks to her place of work. 

The Setup

Our finished set up. The two camera to the left and right of this screen would not only capture a match on action later on when the film came to it's climax but also shot-reverse-shots of Luke and Maria's conversation. 

One strength of having the cameras laid out in this fashion is that the footage seemed smooth and professional. Whilst sticking to the 180 degree rule we managed to use our camera skills and know how to make the most of the 3 cameras provided to us. We managed to get a 2 shot of Luke and Maria's conversation and when it came to heated arguments we were able to create a shot-reverse-shot technique allowing the audience to see the responses made by the actors (Evan Fieldhouse and Izzi Harrison). In addition Candice Feddis has had some history in media projetcs. She was a GCSE Media students and told the group she felt confident enough to dolly zoom.The dolly zoom effect depends on the direction of camera movement. If the camera moves closer, the background seems to grow and become dominant. If the camera moves further away, the foreground subject is emphasized and becomes dominant. 

SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE POST FOR SOME OF THE ISSUES.

Candice Feddis setting up the camera which would capture the two-shot of Luke and Maria. 

The Script

We all worked on the following script with Luke being played by myself, Evan Fieldhouse, and Maria played by Izzi Harrison filmed by Katie Finch and Candice Feddis and then a joint effort for the editing...

The Summers’ Winter

Haven’t seen each other in years, an event tore them apart. Maria is well-to-do, dressed nicely and wearing makeup. She is quiet and reserved. Luke is wearing a white shirt rolled to his elbows and simple slacks. He is aggressive and increases in violent behaviour.

[Camera stays still, Luke walks down the corridor, away from the camera. Camera shows him talking to himself.]

Luke: (Whispers) come on, come on, come on.

[Clenches fist. Close up of Luke’s face, full of anger and fear.]

Luke: You’re such a coward (breathes out heavily)

[He opens the door. Door hits the wall and he sees Maria, hunched over her papers working. When she sees him she does a double take.]

Maria: You shouldn’t be here.

[POV camera tilts up to show angry Luke breathing heavily]

[There is a long silence. Shot-reverse-shot with Luke mid / close up, Maria low angle of her putting her work aside.]

[Maria reaches slowly for her pocket. Suspense. Applies lipstick – fake out. Camera focuses on pocket for a moment.]

[Luke aggressively pulls chair towards Maria]

Maria: I haven’t seen you since—

Luke: —You killed him.

Maria: That’s nothing to do with me.

Luke: That’s nothing to do with you?! (incredulous) It was your thieving that forced him down the coal mines.

Maria: Did I cause the blast? Was it me that trapped them down there? You should’ve told me, I might’ve felt guilty.

[Luke slams fists on table, grits teeth, jaw clenched. Maria remains completely unfazed.]

[Maria reaches in pocket, pulls out a mirror, rubs lips together. Focus push to Luke who’s even angrier]

Luke: You’ve always been heartless but this is a new low, even for you. [looks her up and down in disgust] You can’t even look at me.

Maria: Why would I want to?

Luke: You kill our father, run away with Peter Jones, and abandon the family to live in poverty… and you can’t even show some basic respect.

Maria: Respect? You’re the one judging me for wanting to live… to survive! (pause) Look at you! (sweeps arms around room) Look at what I’ve built for myself and look at you – a twenty year old farmhand with no money to your name and no future to speak of. Father would be rolling in his grave.

Luke: (practically shaking with anger, rage even) You’ll pay for this! (stands up, tosses his chair away) I’ll make you pay!

[comes towards Maria]

[gunshot rings out. Dolly zoom shows Maria holding a gun.]

[Luke falls down, camera switches to a false POV of Luke led on ground, looking up at Maria.]

[Audience hears rustling and Maria walks by, holding her bag. She stops next to him.]

Maria: We’re done here.

[Same POV shot shows her walk off frame – fade to black]

Editing

Once we had finished filming the Summer's Winter we then moved onto the Apple Mac's and uploaded and edited the footage we had collected. We aimed to make a seamless edit whilst sustaining a level of drama.

The whole team working on the editing process and providing ideas to improve the film.

The Summer's Winter Video (accessible via YouTube as well)

What did we learn from the preliminary task?

From film get preliminary task me and my team established key convention applicable to our main task. Focusing on the 180 degree rule would prove invaluable to us to create a thriller film introduction which is based around visuals rather than dialogue. In addition mise en scene, especially clothing and setting, are extremely important to add to the flowing movements on the screen and I feel that if we didn't focus on the continuity aspect with the match on action and the continuity then jagged visuals would go under the radar and differ the audience's attention away from the plot. For example in our main task the antagonist (played by Ben Nixon) has the bottom of his trousers underneath his foot. This was not planned but for the benefit of continuity we used this "accident" and looking back on what we had filmed this abnormality is representative of the antagonists abnormal nature.

Issues faced during filming

We filmed the preliminary task over two filming sessions and as we had to share the equipment with another group from our small class. This initially caused some issues as the amount of time we had to set up the cameras and act was severely damaged and we had to go over time to complete the task. In addition the first filming session was completed 2 weeks prior to the final filming session. Of course within that time the weather would change, two of the actors had a haircut in that period and we had to try and retrace our positions as we ended the first filming session with Luke sat on the chair at the desk and then we started the next session in the an estimated same position. To make matters worse the cameras were low on battery and often shut down and to meet the required need for match on action we had used three cameras. To resolve this we had to locate an extendable cable, further eating into the time we had available, and limiting the positions we could put the 2 side cameras in, affecting the quality of our preliminary task. However despite all of these issues we managed to film and edit our preliminary task and it is available on YouTube (at https://youtu.be/s-vYPsHUMko) and on this blog. 

Some of these issues can be seen in the blooper sequence....