My Camera Script for Thriller

[Setting: Man sitting on bed in dark child's room, outside landing light is on so a very small amount of light is seeping in around and underneath the door]
[Sound: Very silent, the only noises in the whole scene are the music box, the man struggling with the bag over his head, the dog barking and sound effect and the end]

Shot one is a panning shot sweeping across the floor looking at pictures of children playing etc... It continues to pan across to mans feet and then up his body, you see him holding a picture in his hand (audience can't see it), then keeps panning until camera settles on a close up of the mans face. You can see the man is very distraught and has been crying.

Cuts to a close up of the music box playing.

It then cuts to a mid shot of him sitting on the bed, you can see the door behind the man but the camera is focused on him. Then the door begins to open slowly in the same shot, see more light creep into the room, man doesn't notice at first.

Then it cuts to a close up on his face as the light from the hall starts sweeping across it, then he looks over his shoulder.

Cuts to pov shot looking at the dog coming into the room. A mid shot watches the dog go up to the man, then a pov shot from the dog, like he is expecing to be fussed over, as he doesn't get stroked it cuts back to a mid shot of the dog curling up at the mans feet.

Then back to a close up on the mans face that is half illuminated from the hallway light, then suddenly the light cuts out like something or someone is blocking the light. still on the close up of the man begins to slowly turn to look but then a bag is wrapped over his head. Still on the close up see him struggle for a bit.

Then see a close up of the dog barking at the mystery killer, don't know who its is, very dark against outside light, almost a silhouette. Then it cuts out with load damatic sound.

Possible Movie Locations

We might be filming the thriller in my little sisters bedroom, but the room is a bit small for filming in so we are trying to find another possible shooting location, we are asking our friends if they would mind us filming at their houses and we might put up a notice in the sixth form room asking if wwe would be able to use anyone elses room to shoot the movie.

After presenting our three pitches to our teachers, we received feedback from our class as well as the teachers.

We have decided to go with Bexs' pitch which involves a man sitting on a child's bed looking at photos then someone comes into the room and suffocates him with a plastic bag. We are going to alter a few elements from the original pitch. For example, the dog should come in once to give that false sense of the killer coming into the room. They thought the music box idea was great as it gave that creepy eery sound. I though of using a plastic bag because using a knife has been used too many times and is not original. Many ideas were diucared such as cheese wire wrapping around the victims neck or a dog lead and suffocating him with a stuffed toy.

Now we nead to develop a storyboard and camera script for the movie, plus we need to start thinking about a filming location and props we will need to find or buy.

Results

From our survey we found out that the age demographic we should be focusing our movie at is the mid-teen to middle aged audience, around the 15-35 age bracket.
We have also found that the sub-genre that the public like in a thriller is the action thriller while the least popular was the medical triller.
















We also sked how they would like the opening trailer to end. The most popular ending was to end with a problem that has to be solved. Closely followed by a cliffhanger and a mystery ending.

Questionaire

Thriller Questionnaire-

Please tick the following boxes:
1)What gender are you?

Male

Female

2)What age range do you fit in?

-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 51+




3)What sub-genre do you expect from a thriller?

Action Thriller Supernatural

Conspiracy Legal

Disaster Crime

Drama Horror

Legal Medical

Psychological Spy


4)Would you want a thriller to be believable?
………………………………………………………….

5)Where would you like your thriller to be set? (Please be specific about details to the set)
………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………

6)Do you like your thriller’s opening to end at a ..........? (if other please state)

Cliffhanger Problem Mystery Other……………………

Please answer this last question as fully as possible.
7)How would you like your thriller to begin? What do you expect from a thriller?

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………..


8)Where you disappointed be any thriller film recently?
………………………………………………………………………………………

Pitching thriller opening sequences-

My idea that I am going to pitch starts off with a man walking his dog down the edge of a field with long grass/corn. Then he lets it off its lean and it goes running in the grass. The cuts here are quite slow, with a few mid shots, close ups on the mans face and point of view shots from his looking at the top of the grass shake as the dog runs about in it. Not much sound can be heard just the rustling of the grass, this silence and the close ups of the mans face make him seem very alone and defenceless. Then suddenly the grass movements stop. He waits a moment staring at the grass and calls out a few times for his dog. Then a point of view shot from the grass could be used here to make it seem like there is something in the grass, adds to the tension. He waits a few more moments, you can see he is becoming worried and he starts to wade through the grass towards where his dog was. Lots of close ups would be used here to add to the claustrophobic feel of the grass all around him, gives impression hes walking into a trap. Then point of view shot as he parts the grass to the place his dog stopped, but you don't see anything, then it cuts to a close up on the mans face to show his reaction.

From my research with age certificates I think this movie will be a 12 as you don't see much violence and gore, its just mostly shot by the peoples reactions. But it wouldn't be a lowwer age range as it would be too scarey for younger viewers.

British Board of Film Classification

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the organisation responsible for film, DVD and some video game classification within the United Kingdom. Local authorities do have the power to decide under what circumstances films are shown in cinemas, but they nearly always choose to follow the advice of the BBFC.

Under the Video Recordings Act 1984, all video releases under the Act must be classified, it being illegal to supply any recording that has not been certified. Certificates can restrict release to any age of 18 or under, or to only licensed sex-shops. The Act requires the certificate to be displayed on the packaging and media labels of the movie, only UK releases can be legally sold or hired in the UK, even if a foreign release has identical content.

Universal Children- Suitable for all, but especially made for children under 7 years of age.

Universal- All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children.

Parental Guidance- All ages admitted, but parents are advised that certain scenes may be unsuitable for children under 13

12 Accompanied- Suitable for those aged 12 and over. Those aged under 12 are only admitted if accompanied by an adult at all times during the performance (replaced the standard 12 certificate for cinema releases in 2002)

12- Suitable for those aged 12 and over. No-one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated VHS, DVD or game (home media only since 2002)

15- Suitable for those aged 15 and over. Nobody younger than 15 may see a 15 film in a cinema. No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a 15 rated VHS, DVD or game.

18- Suitable for those aged 18 and over. Nobody younger than 18 may see an 18 film in a cinema. No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an 18 rated VHS, DVD or game.

Restricted 18- Suitable for those aged 18 and over. May only be shown at licensed cinemas or sold at sex shops, and only to people aged 18 or over.

The BBFC can also advise cuts for a less-restrictive rating. This generally occurs in borderline cases where distributors have requested a certificate and the BBFC has rated the work at a more-restrictive level. This is increasingly rare, with comparatively few cuts made nowadays. The final certificate then depends on the distributor's decision on whether or not to make the suggested cuts.

All videos and games rated by the BBFC receive a certificate, along with "consumer advice" detailing references to sex, violence and coarse language.

Peliminary Task- Editing

Monday 24th was our editing day. We spent two hours with an editing intructor, learnig how to do various different things from simple time line basics to more complex fade transions between shots. We nearly finished editing the film and I feel pretty confident in my abillitys using the software. Everyone took part in editing secionts of the film and we just need to do a few more things and we will have completed our peliminary task.

Peliminary Task- Filiming

Firstly, when we filmed a panning shot of Sean walking down the corridor I noticed that he was to tall for the camera shot, his head was cut of the top of the screen. So we replaced him for Laura as she is shorter so she managed to stay in the shot. Another issue we had was that we filmed Sean against a window so the lighting behind him was very bright which in parts slightly blurred the camera and made him appear very dark, although this was not necessarily a bad thing because he was playing a strange, creepy character so the effect of him being in a bit of shadow lends itself to the character.

The script was altered many times during the filming as we changed parts we weren't fully happy with and we expanded on other ideas to give the film a quirkier edge. I also made a movie cut board that we held up infront of the camera before each scene so it would be easier to piece together when we edited the movie.

Peliminary Task

After choosing the groups we then decided which lessons we would do our group work in other than our media lessons, my group consists of Nathan Reeves, Stuart Hill and Rebecca Brown. We decided thursday period two was the best time to get together as a group and do any extra work media work. After learning various camera shots and other filming techniques we started planning our preliminary task, we drew up a story board and script that we will use to help film the task.

Waner Bros.-

Warner Bros, Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world's largest producers of film and television entertainment. Founded in 1918 by Jewish immigrants from Poland, Warner Bros. is the third-oldest American movie studio, behind Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios.

Through 1925 and 1935 Warner Bros. pioneered films whic included synchronized sound (then known as "talking pictures" or "talkies").

In 1936, the company made a string of cartoons, starring Porky Pig, which established the character as the studio's first major star. In addition to Porky Pig, Warner Bros. cartoon characters Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny also achieved star power and became one of the main figure heads for the company. By 1942, the studio had surpassed Walt Disney Studios as the most successful producer of cartoons in the United States.

Some well known Warner Bros. Movies:
-The Harry Potter Movies (2001-)
-300 (2007)
-I am Legend (2007)
-Free Willy (1993)
-The Dark Knight (2008)
-The Never Ending Story (1984)
-Leathal Weapon (1987)
-The Matrix (1999)

In 1996 Waner Bros took over and merged with New Line Cinema. Howver, the company continues to operate its financing, producing, marketing and distributing operations of its own films with the New Line logo, but now does so now as a part of Warner Bros. and is a smaller studio, releasing a smaller number of films than in past years.

Thriller opening sequences

Dead Calm-


The quiet music builds loader through the opening titles that creates a tension that is kept through the fists scene in the opening.
The opening credits fade trough a plain black screen.
The music then turns into the digetic sound of the train and peoples voices.
The camera is in a fixed mid shot while the train continues to move and then finally comes to a stop and the main character steps out and is dressed as a navy officer.
Then there is a tracing camera on him as he enters the station.
You here people saying 'Merry Christmas' and meeting up with there families. You wonder where his family is as being in the navy probably doesn't get much time to see his family so they should be greeting him at the station.
A camera circles the man as he looks around the station which then switches to a point of view shot continuing the circling until it stops on two police men.
By it stopping on the police we initially think he has done something bad, but then you see a close up on the mans face and realise he is looking at them in a concerned manor.
It then cuts to an aerial shot to confirm he is walking towards the police men. The police men and main characters stand out from the crowd because everyone else is moving quickly and looking busy whilst they go against the flow of traffic.
It then cuts to the next scene and a tracing camera follows the man through the hospital.
The next camera angle switch between point of view shots from the man and his wife lying in the hospital bed.
However, the point of view shot from his wife is slightly blurred which gives us a sense of her damaged physical state and the light grows stronger and more blurred until the whole screen fades to white.
The next scene fades through the white to a flashback, while accompanied by a woman signing a nursery rhyme in an enhanced echo style which fades out to her normal singing voice. This adds to the illusion that this scene is a flashback.
You know that the flash back didn't happen that long ago because you see a sign saying 'railway station 2 miles' and it was raining like it was when her husband was being taken to the hospital by the police.
The camera changes between close ups of the womans face and mid shots of the baby as it gets out of its car seat.
Then followed by a point of view shot from her as she crashes the car.
Finally a mid shot as the baby flies through the front window.



No Country for Old Men-


Starts with numerous stills of wide, open Texas landscapes during sunset. The landscape is very dark against the golden sunset almost like a silouet. Whilst these images are being shown a mans voice is being played, no musical background is acompaning it. This is a powerfull start and establishes the movie to be a dark, brooding, slowpaced thriller.
It then cuts to a panning camera following a man getting arrested and being put into the back of a police car.
There is a close up on the gas canister as it gets put into the police car, this makes you think its important but you don’t know why.
A low angle camera changes to an aerial shot as we see the car drive down the long open road.
When we see the murderer strangling the police guard to death in the station the camera switches between a high angle shot directly above the struggle and a close up on the murderers face.
Then we see a point of view shot from the front of the stolen police car as it follows another car down the road, this shot makes it seem like he is hunting this man down.
Then the murderer calmly kills the man from the car, no emotion on his face, he kills him with no hesitation. He is a man that is used to killing people; moreover, his killing method is very effective and clever as it doesn’t leave any evidence in the body like a bullet.
Then the movie switches to the next character with a close up on his face.
He says ‘you hold still’ which is a link back to the last scene when the killer said the same thing to the man from the car before he killed him.
Lots of long shots are used in this scene which shows the wide open spaces of the country side a character would usually look vulnerable but the clothes he wears, his attitude and knowledge of the area make the character seem at home and powerful in this environment.
Zoomed in, point of view shots are used when the character looks through the rifle scope or binoculars.
We see a point of view panning shots as he follows the animal tracks and blood.
When he walks between the cars and the dead people it is a very low tracking shot following his feet so we can see the dead bodies on the floor from their level.

The Mummy-

Haunting, violin music is played at the star of the movie as the first shot fades through black.
The first shot is an aerial shot that is zooming out from the sun and pans across an ancient Egyptian landscape and then into a close up of a mans face.
A tracking shot follows a woman through the hall ways of a grand house.
No Natural light is in these shots, it is all candle lighting and added to the golden aura in the scene. I believe this is done to add to the effect that this opening sequence is set before the rest of the movie.
A voice over is explaining the characters and storyline while through out this scene. Whereas the characters themselves talk in Egyptian so subtitles are used.
A two shot of the man and woman is used, then, close up shots switch between the man and woman as they exchange dialogue.
When they stab the King close ups are used on their faces to show there emotion.
The camera zooms in on the door and it is broken open and the guards enter.
As the man escapes he looks back and a shot of her silhouette shows her kill herself.
Followed by a shot showing him escaping in chariots but a close up of his face its still semi visible in the centre of the screen. This shows he is very emotional about her death and it is all he can think about.
Aerial camera then shows the man performing a ceremony to try to bring his wife back from the dead, this shot is used to show you the ritual circle he is a part of.
A sweeping camera follows the rail of the woman's ghost as it moves up and flows into her body.
Point of view camera looks down onto the woman.
But then the ritual is stopped by the guards and the woman doesn't get resurrected.
The next few camera shot are point of view shots from the guards mummifying him and sealing him in his coffin.
The camera then pulls out of his grave and pans upwards then zooms in on head of the statue. The title of the movie then fades in. Camera then rotates 90 degrees around the statue as it ages rapidly and brings the time upto the present day the movie is set it.
Another indicator that time has changed is that the lighting is all natural now.

Mise en scene homework- From the movie Dodgeball

The messy sate of this mans house, (old papers stacked up, uncleaned mugs and plates, etc...), immediately shows the audience that he is a very laid back, lazy character who doesn't care what people might think of him. This is furthered by him dressed in pajamas still when you can tell by the light from the window that it is quite late in the morning. And he sleeps on a sofa not a bed.


His office space mirrors his home in being a mess, there is even a bed in the corner of the room, normally a bed in someones office means that they work so late they are too tired to go home; but with this character you feel as though he would use it to have a nap instead of working. There is a contrast between the two characters in the room the man looks very casual, whilst the woman is very smart and looks like she works for some sort of banking company.


In this image we can see that this man has loads of pictures of himself up on the walls which shows us that this guy loves himself and the weights and gym suit he is wearing reinforces that fact. The marble statue and the expensive looking tables gives the impression that he is a wealthy character his office is exactly opposite to the mans from the earlier still. His inflatable crotch pouch, however revels that he is actually quite an insecure person.


In this image we see the main characters enter his gym from the upper right. There size shows the grandness and expense of his gym, emphasized by the many different machines, lots of big logos and the metal globe at the centre. And we see his big- headedness again as we can see a large video screen continually playing images of himself.

Music Video- Shot transition analysis Muse- Invincible (best band ever)

When the band first enters the ride the shot fades into the back of the tunnel, and then fades out to a front view of the band coming threw it. Normally fades into black suggest elapsed time but in this case you know no time has passed because they are in the same position as before just from a different angle.

The next series of transitions between shots are long and short dissolves between the band members and the ride. This creates a calming slow atmosphere.

Though as the song increases in tempo these transitions change to straight cuts. This makes the video become faster paced.

When the song reaches its climax at 3:14 the video cuts come extremely quickly, before then settling back down again. This really exaggerates the frenzy and excitement of the moment.

And finally the video ends with a classic fade out into black.

Media Studies Homework: Analysis

Camera Shots used and why:

1) Over the shoulder view from the Zombie near the start. Shows the groups reaction to the threat and how they are united as a team.
2) When the jukebox starts up the camera zooms into it. The quick cut to this camera shot exaggerates the sudden suprise to the nosie and is almost a point of view shot because we know the group would have suddenly looked towards the source of the noise as well, it makes you feel as though you are there.
3)When they mention using the rifel to kill the zombie the camera cuts to a close up of the gun and it is done with a hand held camera effect which again makes it seem more realistic and like you are there looking at the gun.
4) When shawn and co. are discussing ways they could kill the zombie the camera quickly pans left to right between the characters talking which makes it seem through the eyes of the zombie reacting to whoever is talking.
5)When Shawn and co. are circleing and beating the zombie with the pool sticks the camera is rotating around the zombie also which adds to the feeling you are there and it also enhances the idea that while trying to kill the zombie they are having a dance and a bit of fun with the music.
6)When the outside lights of the pub are flickering there is a low angle point of view shot from in amongst the horde of zombies to show that the lights are attracting all of the zombiesa attension, which we know is something the people inside the pub don't want.
7)Then there is another shot from outside the pub but this time it is a high angle point of view shot from around the pub lights area. This shot shows you the vast aomunts of zombies that have been attracked.
8)When the darts are being thrown at the zombie the camera tracks them aross the room, this shows you the speed and power at which these darts are travelling so when Shawn gets one stuck in his head we feel greater empathy for him as you know it would really hurt.
9)Finally, the last shot I will mension is a high angle point of view shot of the zombie with its head smashed into the jukebox. The camera remains in this shot for a while and this gives the impression that we are looking at it from Shawns view and he is taking a breather and waiting to make sure the zombie is finally dead. This creates a drop in tension in the movie which then begins to rise again as the gun goes off and soon after this clip the zombies begin to break into the pub.

Tester blog

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