Thriller Blog, Lamar Fergus-Palmer

Week Beginning Monday 8th December 2008

This week we began with creating a plot for a practice thriller. My group, consisting of myself, Kai, Karel and (Temi)Tope, had to begin thinking about the qualities of a Thriller and what would make the thriller interesting. We were given the subject of a card game.

We also had camera Tutorial with Micky the technician.
We were shown how to use the College video camera's, Casio XM1 and XM2. The functions were basically the same although there were some slight differences.
We were given tasks to...

. Insert the battery
. Enter the tape
. Open and close the camcorder
. Record
. Playback

My group was given the XM1

We were also shown how to use a Tripod .

. Put it up
. Set different levels
. Attach the camcorder.

Each of the groups were a given turn to use the equipment and set it up.

After this, we were allowed to start filming our practice thriller.
The practice thriller task was to film a card game, Tope came up with the idea to use a library study room as our setting. we used lighting in order to make the film more thrilling dramatic.

The basic themes were using different angles to create uncertianty, we didn't show the faces of the actors until the middle of the scene to create suspense.


Week Beginning Monday 5th of January


This week we began with watching the Shining



This is one of the most prolicic thrillers ever made.

Through watching this film, I saw that a film is not always all about the acting, but the technical alspects too. the camera angles , the misc en scene, the diegetic and non diegetic sound.

The film had several scenes which showed the importance of cinematography.

The scene when the Father tries to break into the bathroom.

The use of Shot reverse shot through the door itensified the suspence of the moment and the escalating fear of the wife. The non diegetic sounds also add to the atmosphere giving the feeling of impending death and violence.

Also the several cut-scenes with the Twins and the blood splattered corridor.

These are beautifully choreographed scenes with the minamalistic approach, they only made what needed to be in the scene be in it, making the Twins and the blood stand out. perfection.

With the reverb on the twins voices adds to the thrilling factor and also gives spookiness to the scenes whilst the gushing sound of the blood in the corridor adds to the atmosphere perfectly with the dynamics of the sounds.

Lastly the maze scene.

The use of a dolly to get a steady-cam shot whislt the boy is running is sheer class for its time and gives the idea of someone running with him, keeping the theme of the audience being a silent witness. The clearness of the shot allows us to see the expressions of everyone in the shots.

A deliberate decision made by the team:

Due to the fact that our opening is not 2minutes long, as a group we decided that at the end of our opening when the title comes up; we should have twelve seconds of the music playing until it fades out whilst the title is stationary. we decided to do this becasue it would give the audience time to reflect and grasp what they saw and also it also gives them time to meditate on why our opening is called "The Night Before".

A guide of how to use the camera

In this lesson in which we had Andrew as our teacher; micky (the technician) came in our class room to give us a demonstration of how to use a camera and the sort of things that we should avoid doing when filming.

For Example:

• we were told to avoid getting the camera wet as it could damage the camera and our filming.
• We were also told how to open the camera and also how to insert and eject the cassette.
• Another good advice that we were told was that when zooming in, we should always focus the lense in order to get a good zoom.
• we were told how to make attach the camera oto the tripod and we were also told a good way of checking if the tripod was safely attached to the tripod. If we were able to lift the camera by holding the handle at the top whils it is on the tripod then we wpuld know that it was securely attached.

These tips were very helpful especially for those such as myself that wasn't good at doing things without a manual.

setting and location for our opening

Thriller final edit

Evaluation

We have finally completed  our thriller. The title of the thriller is the night before.

Looking back on our work I can say that I am happy with what has been produced.

We decided that the thriller would be marked as 15+  because people from that age may be able to relate to the film e.g.  partying. Also I think it is better because have a wider audience. The opening is not too gory and does not contain any inappropriate scenes so there is no need to mark it as an 18.

Some adjustments I would make are:

-

I do not feel as though everyone in my group put in an equal amount of effort into making this thriller. I feel as though some members put more into the making of the thriller than others which is not fair.

getting started: filming

After the 20th of January, as a group we decided on what location would suit our storyline. We came up with the idea of filming at Alexandra Palace because of the fact that there use to be a fun fair that always took place and the fun fair was always deserted. However due to the fact that the fun fair was no longer available we had to change location. we decided that we would film at the ally way that is 5 minutes from angel station.

On tuesday the 28th January Lamar, Tope and i Started filming. we started filming at 5 pm due to the fact that it was dark and it would be relevant for our storyline. We filmed various shots such as low angle and high angle which was very effective. Due to the fact that it was dark and Andrew (our media teacher) told us that we should always use the light so that it doesn't come out too dark on screen. However i consistently reminder Lamar to do two version of a shot with light and a shot without light. I told him to do this so that we had more than one shot incase the lightning didn't come out as good as he said it would. After filming every shot we went to the editing suite to edit, however there was a major problem. the shots that we filmed were too dark therefore we was unable to see the shots clearly. O the other hand there were good shots that we were able to use as flashbacks.

Due to the fact that our filming didn't turn out as we expected it, we had o film again. we decided that we would film in daylight so that we wouldn't make the same mistake as last time. However, I was slightly worried because i thought that it wouldn't be as effective as it would be if it was dark.

New filming

On tuesday 10th February we started our new filming. However Lamar was not present because he had rehearsals for the pay rock Apocalypse; this meant that Kai, Tope and i Had to work extremely hard. we filmed at the same location which was an ally, it was really cold so it was hard for Tope and I to stay in role. Despite these obstacles we were determined to finish on the same day so that we had enough time to edit and make our opening as best as it could be. we were determined to do this because we all wanted the best grade that we could possibly get.

our aim on this day was to finish all filming and we achieved our goal which we were extremely proud of. w

Second editing

on wednesaday 11th i decide to go to the editing suite to edit due to the fact that i finished college half day. I was very determined to most of the editing on this day because i was worried that we would fall behind. By thursday the 12th all the editing was done with the help of tope during our 2hour break. On this day i used my lunch time wisely by putting together a soundtrack for our opening sequence, i was very pleased and proud of myself because the soundtrack blended very well with out opening and it added a more freaky atmosphere. within wednesday and friday, we made credits that would suite our opening. we decided to make the blackgrounfd black and have white writing that makes the background stand out.

on monday 16th February Tope decided to use her time wisely by comming into college to make slight adjustments. I didn't come becasue i thought it was a great chance for her to get more involved in the group work and also the adjustemnts only needed to be done by one person. we did all of the editing on final cut pro , however i had to do the soundtrack seperately which was done on soundtrackpro pro. After doing this we had to import the sound track to final cut pro so that everything was all together.

In today's lesson (24th February) we watched our opening together as a group to see if there were any needed adjusments. Fortunately there was only one slight adjustment that we had to make. we had to increase the timing of the credits so that they wern't too quick and hard to grasp by the audience. The credits were made on live type which enabled us to changed the speend, colour , font and background.After making this adjusments i was very happy because we finished everything on time and it was of good standard.

Team production roles:

• Tope helped to put together the storyline for our opening she also took responsibility to bring in props such as heels, jewellery, bags, and hats. she also helped with editiing our opening on final cut. she also willing volunteered to star in our opening. she also helped out with filming and direction various shots.

• I decided to be a character for our opening because there was no one else available that wanted to do it. My roles were to film,edit,direct and make the sound track for our opening sequence. I was very happy to do these because it was a great chance for me to gain experience and i enjoyed everything. Tope and i also decided on the location that we think would be relevant for our piece.

• kai was responsible for bringing props also such as blood. she kindly help to carry some of the equipments such as the camera, tripod and an umbrella. she also came up with suggestions that we took into consideration.

• Lamar came up with the idea of the schizoprhenia. He also took the responsibility to do a story board despite the fact that he is not a great drawer. He also made the pitch for our group.

Thriller Editing

During the half term the college held a workshop for media students. I managed to use some of my time to come in to add the finishing touches to our thriller. Although I was alone I managed to finish the thriller completely.

I had to create more credits and insert them into the footage. I also made sure that putting the credits in did not create any changes with the sound, if they did I adjusted it.

To create a soundtrack we used Soundtrack Pro. There are a range of sounds available to use.

Thriller

Since we had to film again we decided to film during the day. We already had our flashbacks so we just had to film the day after the incident. We filmed many different shots so we had a variety to choose from. We first filmed an close up of the establishing shot (the name of the street) and then we moved on to introducing the character. We shot a high angle shot/wide shot which showed the character and then shot a close up shot. The camera then tilted up the character. 

I managed to bring props such as heels and jewellery to show that the characters went partying the night before.
Once we finished filming we went back to college and began to log and capture our footage.

Karel managed to make a soundtrack during her spare time which helped us a lot. The soundtrack creates a sense of suspense it fades in and out of the film. There is also some diegetic sound within the footage. It later goes into the sound of a heartbeat which creates more suspense.

Our thriller opening is very simple. We have only two characters.
We had to create the credits using livetype and insert it into final cut pro.

Filming&Editing

Thursday 29th January2009

we carried on filming, however becuase we chose to film the thriller in a dark key, so we had to wait until it was 5 o'clock. During that time we decided to start editing on what we previously filmed the week before (however i was not there when the filming was taking place, as i had to finish off another piece off coursework which was due in the next day.) We also started on our credits, which we decided to have a black background and white writing. We also decided on what are production team which is TLKK. This stands for Tope, Lamar, Karel and Kai.. it also stands for talk, which can connate that as TLKK productions are normally good for making films, it we be well known as people would 'talk' about it.

When college had finished, we then went to go and film... we was filming the part when Tope (the friend) wakes up in the middle of no where and starts to stagger down a hill where she finds her friend dead..flashbacks would also be included in this scene. we used a different varitey of shots within the. For example, we used Extreme Long Shot, Close ups, Medium Close Up etc. We used the light however when me or Karel would shine the light on Tope or the wall and different objects, it would just look like a spot light which is not helpful as we wanted the light to be natural even though it was dark.

Thursday 5th february 2009

We decieded to change our filming time and do it in light key instead of waiting for the sun to set and film in the dark...however we are going to keep our flashbacks to show what has happened the night before, so it would be able to help the audience to gather a sense on what the film will be about. we also changed the time because none of us would be able to stay that late after college to continue with the filming.

We alo finished of our credits, so we atleast have one piece of the editing process that we dont need to worry about, we also added on an affect onto our credits to make it unique and not just basic...

we edited abit of the scenes however beacuse we have not finished with the filming we was not able to do anymore ...after Lamar started to play around with the effects and added a cartoon affect to it...after this he left the lesson half way and did not return.

We decided to carry off the filming during our double lesson on Tuesday and to finish the rest of the Filming on Wednesday after 12:15, however Lamar is unable to help us film as he has to go to rehersal for Rock Apocalypse.

Tuesday 10th February 2009

During todays double lesson, Me, Tope and Karel managed to finish off our filming and start to edit our Thriller. We managed to re-film everything so our chnages would be able to occur like the dark lighting to the light lighting.

We also included different camera shots. For example, Long shot- birds-eye view, close up, extreme close- up and more. This helps to give a different sense of feeling for each and every one of these shots. For example, the use of the extreme close-up of Tope eyes allows the audience to gather a feel of suspense and terror.

After we had finished filming our thriller, we went to the back to the college and into the editing room, where we logged and captured every clip from our tape. After that we started to put the scenes into order, but also including the thought for where to put our flashbacks. On thursday we would carry on witht the editing process.

Thursday 12th February 2009

In Karels spare time she managed to come up with a soundtrack for our thriller which was really helpfull for the group...within the lesson we managed to blend in the soundtrack to suit our Thriller ....also later on we added in a heartbeat soundtrack to our thriller to help add in more tension so the audience would be able to get a fill of suspense and to feel scared. We also finished of our crdits on livetype and imported then into final cut where we placed them into certain parts of our thriller.....however we still need to put the soundtrack with the thriller nd then i believe we are done...with the editing .

Tuesday 24th Febryary 2009

In this lesson we looked over our Thriller to check to see if it needed any improvements. We decided to change a bit of the sound effects and our credits as some where shorter then the others.

When editing the music we had to change the ending of the music because we wanted the main sound to play after the title instead of hearing the heartbeat play on, so the music goes straight back to the main sound after the heartbeat. We also faded in the noise of the shoes within the main sound to make it flow with eachother.

When it came to the credits, however the process took longer then we expected due to little mistakes in which we made.

When we finished making the corrections we had to import the soundtrack from Soundtrack Pro to Final Cut as our final editing towards our Thrille, we was able to do this, however it took sometime as we was unable to find where our Thriller was.

The Pitch

Before a new film is made and once a writer has developed and idea for a new film, they would present the idea to the producers in hope that they be given the money to make the film.. This is what our media class done in their groups. We had to pitch our idea to the whole class including our teacher.

20th January 2009...
We decided what our plot development is going to be for our opening squence for our Thriller. During this lesson me, Karel, Lamar and Tope came up with individual ideas and after we finished we tried to come up with a plot that we was going to do next. However we wasnt able to decied on a plot. Andrew then came to our group and read what he saw on the paper. Andrew suggested that we should use Lamars plot and use my location (Ally Pally-FunFair). We decided that on friday after college has finished we was going to go to Alexandra Palace to cheack to see if the FunFair was still up and working. When seeing the FunFair we would then be able to decide on the camera work we should use and why and what effect would it bring. We decided to use Ally Pally FunFair because it is mostly deserted and it would therfore give a creepy, scary effect.

Within the Pitch we answer questions like, ' Who is the film aimed at? the choice of camerwork we will use... describing the key features like describe the setting and locations that we are going to be filming around and also the lighting which we are goin to use. For example, Dark Key.'

At the end of our pitch...the classed ask us a couple of questions as well as our teacher...in which i think we answered them very well...as we gave them the answer that they wanted to hear....Overall i think our pitch went really well as we mentioned everything that we was suppose to.

Missed lesson and Match Cut Exercise

On Thursday 8th and 15th we was palnning for our thrillers however i was not in for these lesson i also missed Tuesday 6th, where we watched the A2 thrillers which helped the rest of my class and my group as it would be able to give them a ruff picture of what to use and what not to use as there was a variety of good and bad thrillers.

On Tuesday the 13th we done a match cut exercise where we had to go out and film. As i was not in the last lesson on how to do a match cut and what a match cut is i had to learn everything on the 13th of January 2009 when filming.

when filming we chose to film in a different location instead of the typical college setting. So as a group we decided to film in the N1 centre. Before filming in the N1 centre we decided to do a long shot of Tope walking towards the N1 centre. This shoot took place at the M&S next to the market. Once we got inside the N1 centre we had to sign ourselves in for the fact that if anything happenes they would know who we are, safetly reasons. When filming we all contributed. For example, we would help with the camera work and give suggests on how to make a certain scene better. This was an advantage towards our group because no one was left along to handle every detail of making of the match cut exercise.

After we had finished filming we came back to college to start editing our final piece of the match cut exercise. When we finished editing the 1st draft, Mickey said to shorten a couple of shots as they are too long and the audience may lose interest after a while od watchin it. So we took his advice and shortened them. We also muted the digectic sound, however when the coverstaion was taking place, we un muted it soo the audience could hear the dialogue.

The shining

Before we started to make our film, we as a class watched The shining, to help us gather an idea on what a thriller is based on and it also helped us with what camera angles we would expect when makin a thriller. so that was very interesting for us to watch.

The use of camerwork helped to create tension and dramatic moments within the film. For example, the use of sudden zooms and pons brings unexpected focus on the audience in which the effect allows the audience to ' jump out of their sits'.

Also the use of close-ups, helps to show emotions and traces...

this picture helps to show hwo effective the use is of the close-up includin on the axe...as it is a symbol of death and violence and when looking at wife facial expersion the audience can clearly see how scared she is. As well as the the long edits within the film without shot cuts, builds tension because we are in one place for a long time.

Within the film there is use of diegetic and non- diegetic sound throughout the film. There is uses of sounds from a party however it builds up to orchestral climax of strings and drums. This drowns out dialogue ans shouting of the actors. There is also a high contrast between loud music and silence. This allows the audience to be shocked in a certain way due to the tension in which the sound brings to the film and the effect that it has behind it.