Ah, the preliminary task. This was the first chance we had at filming and practising movie techniques such as the 180 degree rule, match on action and reverse angle shots. Enjoy.
The preliminary task was our first shot at camerawork. For the first time we couldn't get proper lighting and so we had to film in areas that were well lit already. This made it impossible to film some shots we had intended and so we had to change our preliminary task idea. Another difficulty we encountered was the annoyance of ambient sound. Since we did not plan the filming, we could not control the external variables which would cause a lot of sound when filming, rendering diegetic sound from the actual filming useless.
When we film next time we will ensure to schedule the correct place for a time tat will be appropriate sound and lighting wise. This will make it easier to film without footage that ends up being unusable.
Another key part in the creation of films, especially in thrillers, is the editing. Editing helps, determine the pace of the film, what the viewer associates certain events with and can place emphasis on certain objects, chracters or settings. Below, is the christening scene in the Godfather which is an example of great use of editing to convey multiple messages.
In the Godfather, parallel editing is used to convey to the audience Michael's character. It is used to show that despite his apparent decency with the christening, he is ultimately still evil due to his association the with the murders that occur. The juxtaposition between the scenes at the church and the preparation and occurrences of the murders is used to emphasise Michael's immorality, as he stays entirely calm renouncing evil while fully aware of the killings he ordered. This is empahsised even further by the use of binary opposition such as black and white, birth and death, to represent and somewhat reflect Michael's character.
Another note to make on the editing is the pace of the shots. At the beginning, the shot duration is quite lengthy but it begins to shorten and shorten as tension gets higher and higher, as it builds up towards the murders, increasing the pace. This has the effect of building suspense among viewers and increases their awareness of Michael's involvement with the murders.
Music in thrillers is essential in creating an atmosphere that induces fear, mystery, tension and suspense. In this post, you'll hear (literally) some points on how the features of some themes of thrillers used music and sound to its benefit.
PSYCHO
The Psycho theme uses various techniques in order to achieve a suspenseful atmosphere. The music seems to make use of the minor key, which connotes sadness. The composer uses mostly high pitched notes to create an eerie effect and induce suspense. The alternation between both high and low notes also disorients the listener and makes them uneasy, which is the aim of the music in this particular film. The music is also quite up-tempo which means it builds up to a climax faster and is possibly supposed to mirror the racing hearts of the audience. Violins are a major instrument in this theme and makes the song more sound more serious and tense.
VERTIGO
Vertigo's theme, like Psycho's, is quite high pitched which results in a creating a very tense atmosphere for the song, like something unexpected is about to happen. The 'ding-dong' sound that reappears throughout the song, also has a disorienting and hypnotic effect, linking to the title of the film, Vertigo, which is a condition which makes people dizzy at great heights. The up-tempo high pitched sounds also build up the pace of the music, which could be utilised in the film with quickened pace in editing, thereby increasing the tension and producing suspense. The use of trumpets in the music makes it sound grander and connotes the idea of victory which is an odd theme for a thriller film. However it could be because the dizziness from 'Vertigo' causes confusion.
Steven Universe, a 'children's' cartoon on cartoon network at it's surface seems like a normal kid's show. A young boy goes on adventures with his friends and saves the world from alien enemies with the help of the Crystal Gems. Simple enough I guess. But after getting used to the show's basic premise, it took four episodes, four 11 minute instalments, until the show surprised like never before. See I don't watch Steven Universe for cool fight scenes or because it's colourful, I watch it because it has nuanced storylines, with well developed (and developing) characters with frequently deep messages. In the fourth episode, the following conversation took place. I won't explain, I won't talk about it. Just watch.
Media-wise the lighting in this scene is very effective. It's a cartoon so it's hard to identify but here, it's low key to emphasise the Peedee's sorrow. This is used to the extent where the lights on the boardwalk are even turned off to make the scene seem even darker. The bright colours of Steven's costume are used to juxtapose Steven against Peedee's costume and the rest of the world. Steven's bright costume, reflects his character; excited, childish, blissfully ignorant. Meanwhile Peedee's dreary monochrome outfit represents his realist and somewhat depressing outlook on life and work. They made use of long shots comprising of either both Peedee's and Steven's facial expression or body language to once again to emphasise the contrast between their viewpoints of life. The close ups that are constantly used are used to intensify their emotion, especially the still shot of Peedee on the ride as he goes up and down, concealing his face below the camera allowing us to notice his expression change. This sets the tone for the scene and smoothly transitions the atmosphere from joyful to glum.
To go back to what I was talking about, when was the last time you heard a "kid's" show go for a message like that? And that was out of context. Most cartoon storylines usually involve some teenager's contrived attempt to stop their a family member from finding out about their involvement with the 'bad kids' or some crap. The idea of a cartoon trying (and succeeding) with a lesson like this, is that adults (or very childish teenagers...) can relate to it personally. And it doesn't stop here. Episodes don't have to be centred on the topic but these topics come up, and though it may only show up for 1 minute out of 11 minutes, it's still difficult to pull off as seamlessly as this show does sometimes; weaving them into storylines or cleverly planting them in bits of conversation. Messages about self-esteem issues, your sense of belonging or purpose and generally growing up, is entirely what the show is about. And of course fighting off aliens to protect the Earth. Also it's like won multiple Emmy's and stuff, sooo...
Note: The following episodes may bring you to tears. Watch at your own caution.
Lion 3: Straight to Video, The Test, On the Run, Rose's Scabbard, Maximum Capacity, Sworn to the Sword, We Need to Talk
Lighting in films can be used significantly to portray themes and even sometimes add to a story or character development. Lighting can even help foreshadow, conceal secrets or sometimes it just make a scene look brighter! But that's not what media's about! Read on further for enlightenment (ha, pun!) on how I will never be able to see certain films in the same light (ha, another pun!).
ATONEMENT
The shot above makes use of lighting very effectively by deploying an extra light in the background to draw focus from the girl's face alone. The light in the background also could represent a free of sin and a possible place of redemption as the colour white and lights are often associated with purity. The focal point of the frame is the girl's face and it might be that they only made use of a key light in order to emphasise that the girl is surrounded by darkness apart from the light behind, which may even be a backlight made to look like it is originating from within the world of the film. The overall scene can be considered as low key lighting and therefore we can assume that something dangerous may occur in the area. The low key lighting also leave some parts of the room seemingly empty but is rather just dark which could suggest something is being hidden.
ROAD TO PERDITION
The use of lighting in Road to Perdition as a whole is very entertaining. Utilisation of lighting for focal points and to cast shade on certain areas or characters, literally makes them look 'shady' or (in a less punny term), mysterious. In this frame the use of a light from straight above creates a clear focal point for the audience and casts shade on all around it. However, off to the left the use of a light create the effect of light emanating from a space giving the idea of a place of holiness or purity. The circle nature of the lighting also creates a focal point for the scene, making the reader focus on the man being interrogated rather than anything else.
MOULIN ROUGE
The lighting on this particular shot of Moulin Rouge really encapsulates the theme of the film. The lit up nature of Nicole Kidman's character shows how important and valued she is by all the people below looking up to her. That is why all the men below her can barely be seen; because they're insignificant. The high angle shot even further emphasises how little importance the men are compared to her whilst at the same time displaying how important she is to them. The glow that appears around her being also suggests that she is somewhat angelic and holier than they are.
The SE7EN title sequence includes several features in form of lightning and editing, camera angles and sound which makes it stand out as a brilliant thriller opening sequence. In terms of lighting, a lot of the sequence is filmed in low key lightning to create a mysterious atmosphere in order to peak interest in the character we are seeing. A lot of the shots also appear to be lack and white suggesting that what he is doing may be unethical or may contrast society's norms. Even the title cards appear as white words on a large black background, connoting that there is a lot "in the dark" about the person we are observing and what we know about him. The title cards are also seen glitching and blurring and a lot of the shots show scattered writing which brings the idea of schizophrenia to mind and maybe that this person is not mentally sound.
The camera angles used in the title sequence are usually close ups or extreme close ups, which may have been used to symbolise that we are getting a look at who he really is. Additionally the constant use of close ups brings to mind not only what is in the frame, but what has been cut out. This idea could suggest that there is something the director does not want us to know or see, and therefore adds to the mystery of the film because if there is more to hide, there is more to discover. These camera angles also purposely result in the face of the character being hidden, increasing the intrigue of the audience. This is because it implies that he may be guilty. The shots of the person developing photos and using X-ray gives the idea that he is searching or planning something. This also raises the level of mystery in the film. The fact that he also goes to the extreme of removing his own fingerprints, leading the viewer to believe he is hiding something.
The music in the title sequence also plays a very big role in the title sequence of SE7EN. The high pitched sounds constantly used throughout the sequence creates fear and worry to the audience by making them feel uncomfortable. Diegetic sounds of screaming are also heard in the title sequence once again suggesting fear and the idea that this person we are seeing is dangerous. It is also noticeable that music from the beginning of the sequence goes from a slow tempo to an increasingly faster one in order to ramp up the tension of the viewers and create suspense. Below is a video of the title sequence it all its glory, see if you can come up with any other points to talk about and maybe even comment below!
The opening of a film is considered by many as the most important part of a film. Gripping the attention of the audience early to keep them invested in a movie is vital in creating a film. An effective opening always leaves the audience asking questions and wanting to know more. This is essentially the use of the Hermeneutic code, which is the use of unanswered questions that the viewers want answered.
Many openings also establish the time period and setting of the movie to allow the viewer to settle into and get a grasp of the film. Film openings also in some instances introduce the main character with a anecdote or flashback to let the audience get a feel of the protagonist and maybe some of his issues or flaws. At the end of most effective openings there is also usually a shift in focus or revelation, on which the rest of the movie is propelled. Many opening scenes also finish with a title card, revealing the name of the film, usually after something significant has occurred in order to produce suspense.
Other essentials in opening scenes include studio title cards for companies such as Universal, 20th Century Fox or Sony. These are compulsory promotions to inform viewer of who made the movie.
