Christmas!

Sorry, it's the christmas holidays and I won't be blogging for the next 2 weeks!

It's nothing personal...

Honest...

Editing

Over the past few weeks, I've been doing a LOT of work on the edit suite.

One of the things I like best about our sequence so far is the first few shots we see of Rob waking up. In this bit, Rob wakes up slowly in 2 different shots, one a CU and one a BCU. I then cross-faded them over eachother while reducing the opacity of one of them at intervals. This makes the whole sequence really disorientating and confusing, similar to how Rob is supposed to feel. We also took a tilt from his feet chained up, all the way up his body but this was too long to fit over the top and also ruined the disorientating effect and made the editing really obvious. So we decided it wouldn't be a good idea to use it. We also took some sound effects of chains clanging. This was put over the top but it just detracted from the original shots. I actually feel the music by itself accentuates the effect. Also, with our opening credit 'A film by' 'Live Wire', we put an glow on the writing and then used the 'Solarize' effect on and off to make it flash then put some electricity sounds beneath it to anchor the meaning. This was over the clip of the light turning on which also anchors the meaning.

After looking at a large selection of fonts, on http://www.1001freefonts.com/ , we narrowed down our options to:

We chose these because they all seemed fairly sinister with 'Barbed Type' being similar to the 'Twisted Pictures' logo who make the 'Saw' films. In the end though, we decided we didnt want to be too similar to saw as our film is more of a thriller than an all-out gorey horror movie. The font we decided to go with in the end was '1942 Report' as this font look sort of old and dingey, much like the set for our sequence. It's also quite out-of-line with parts seeming to be uneven which accentuates the unnerving feel of the sequence altogether.

Actual Shoot Reflections

After the first real shoot, we discovered a few things that will need to be foxed on the next shoot

• We have got to keep track of the shooting script and storyboard and not just decide on random shots - This could have saved us a lot of time that we spent just milling around and deciding there and then what the next shot should be.
  
• We need to use the whiteboard more effectively. We struggled when we were trying to edit the clips to find which was the best take. This is also due to not using the shot log as much as we should have!
  
• Stop messing around and wasting so much time! This was a MASSIVE problem. We had too many distractions there and we could have gotten so much more footage if we'd just been a bit more focused.
  
• Have less helpers. This was really the main distraction. They really helped when we were moving the stuff in the basement at the beginning and end but during the shoot they didn't have much to do so tended to muck around which made us less focused.
• We really need to make sure when we can move the stuff in the basement. We did it without asking and this resulted in some very angry caretakers! So we ended up having to move it back and then move it again later for the shoot.
• We also managed to break a light filter. This was due to a combination of carelessness and stupidity. We ended up leaving the lights on unnecessarily for too long then when packing up, the filter was too hot to handle and its easy to tell what happened next...
  
• OVERALL make much better use of the time we have and be a bit more careful with equipment.
  

Indy Mogul

I was doing some research on how to create realistic wound effects on the internet and I found the site www.indymogul.com it's really helpful with trying to make convincing effects on a low budget. It's easy to get hold of the materials they use too. Some of the tutorials on this site are very big-scale like making a 'swamp monster' costume or doing things for Sci-Fi movies so it takes a while to sift through that but there is a lot of interesting things to do such as decpitating someone or ripping their heart out if we were creating an extremely gorey horror movie.

Test Shoot - 24th November 2008

After filming the test shoot, the initial idea of having the killer having a very childish mind with not a lot of creepy habits etc. we looked at the footage and thought this seemed like a real cliche with it being exactly what the audience expect. We decided to change the killer and make him seem as normal as possible so he'd come in and be really friendly to the victim and treat him kinda like he'd in a hotel but then he'll have an evil streak and suddenly switch to being violent and aggressive... I personally really liked the location. The school basement was a perfect place for the shoot. It has a small window to the outside and can easily be made into pitch darkness. This is really helpful as, although we have limited space available there, the darkness is really easy to disorientate the audience so it can seem bigger and we can have more victims in different places. I also really liked the door to the basement, it was conveniently very dusty which gave a really nice effect with the blue light behind it. It made the door glow blue whichset it up really well for the shot with the hand banging against the window (above).

We originally saw our opening as being similar to the Saw films, being kinda gruesome with someone trapped knowing they are in a bad situation. I think it is still quite similar but the killer is much more accessible and easy to relate someone to. It seems as though it could be anyone that has a killer streak, you just dont know... So rather than having a distinctive characteristic like a mask or something, he is more like 'Dexter' from the TV series. Where noone ever suspects him of being a killer...

Preliminary Exercise Group 1 12E Stroppy Media Student

Scripting - Oceans 11

RUSTY
I need a reason. And don't say
money.

(beat)

Why do this?

DANNY
Why not do it?

Rusty stares at him: enough bullshitting around.

DANNY
Because yesterday I walked out of
the joint wearing my entire
wardrobe and you're colddecking
TeenBeat coverboys.

(beat)

Because the house always wins.
You play long enough, never
changing stakes, the house takes
you. Unless, when that special
hand comes around, you bet big.
And then you take the house.

(beat)

Rusty smiles.

RUSTY
You're been practicing that
speech, haven't you?

DANNY
A little. Did I rush it? It felt
like I rushed it.

RUSTY
No, it was good.

RUSTY
I wonder what Reuben will say?

I like this portion of the script of Oceans 11 (Steven Soderbergh, 2001) between Rusty and Danny. This is where they seem to be having a very serious conversation where it seems as though Rusty is doubting Danny. The first line 'and don't say money' shows they have a long history together and that they are obviously good friends as he can tell what Danny is going to say. This gives the audience an insight into their relationship. In the film they tend to finish eachothers sentences such as in here and tend to use eachothers words 'why do it?' 'why not do it?'. This really shows how they are so closely connected. The tension begins to build up at this point where Danny begins his speech about why they should do it. He begins by attempting to make Rusty feel sorry for him 'wearing my entire wardrobe', he then continues to say about the 'house' always winning. This is using language specific to the film as it is entirely about the casino robbery. This shows they are in the know about gambling and this kind of thing. This gives the audience some insight into how detailed the plan may be too. This bit, where Danny talks very seriously seems to slow down the pace slightly, as though he is making a real motivating speech but then this is all ruined when Rusty says 'You've been practicing that speech, haven't you?' obviously knowing him so well that he wouldn't come up with that off the top of his head. This creates some humour in the scene and shows the audience how these 2 characters are incredbily close and it'll take a lot more than that to come between them. When Danny replies with 'A little. Did I rush it? It felt like I rushed it.' he knew Rusty was going to say that and seemed to have been trying it out on him so as a way to convince all the rest of the team. This scene, being right at the beginning of the film, gives the audience a real insight into their relationship and just how close they are and why they are likely to succeed.

Costumes and Makeup

In horror films, costume and make-up is a necessity to make it convincing and continuing the suspension of disbelief long enough to create a shock for the audience. Most of the iconic horror movies have a very distinctive costume for the main character. In films 'The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)' and 'Friday the 13th (Sean S. Cunningham, 1980)', the characters being so distinctive is what makes the film unique and different from other films. This gives the characters individuality in a genre that has the potential to have a lot of very similar storylines revolving around things like murderers, ghosts, zombies etc. Also, if in a film such as 'Dawn of the Dead (George A. Romero, 1978) where there a a large number of zombies, the audience wouldn't be nearly as terrfied as if they were just plain people acting in that way. The makeup and costume reinforces the impact the character is supposed to make along with the actual acting itself. There are some cases where costume and makeup is so extreme in a horror movie, just to create a terrifying effect. Although, these films are likely to cross over with sci-fi such as 'Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979)' or 'Predator (John McTiernan, 1987)'. There are some films, however, where such dramatic use of makeup or costume isn't needed, inc ases where a character 'turns' bad or is supposed to look ordinary, an example of this is films such as 'The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)' or 'Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)' In horror films, there is usually a lot of gore

Preliminary Exercise Evaluation

1. Who did you work with and how did you manage the task between you?

In my group, I had Bisma, Charlotte, Mary and Nisha. We split the task up into the different jobs people had to do such as acting, directing, sound and PA. I was sound, Bisma was directing, Mary was PA and Charlotte and Nisha were acting. The main reason we did this and didn't split up is because we had a set amount of time and it would have taken a lot of time to switch over roles in between shots. This way we got more shots done in the amount of time we had allocated than we could have if we had done it by swapping round. Also, it was difficult to find shots for each of the actors to direct/do sound/be PA as there were very few individual shots of them. I felt our group worked fairly well as after every shot, we all stood round the camera and analysed it and discussed whether it should be shot again and what should be done differently, such as highlighted a problem with the sound, the framing of the shot or what the actors should do differently.

2. How did youn plan your sequence? What processes did you use?

In our planning time, we produced an easily understandable storyboard showing each of the shots. We also produced a shooting script. This allowed us to allocate our time much more specifically and enabled us to see clearly which actors were needed at certain points, where we needed to shoot and the logical order in which they should be done. When we were filming, we found that the place we wanted to shoot our initial shots (the corridor) was also being used by other groups. When we found this, our shooting script enabled us to move on swiftly to where the next shots should take place and we took all of these until the corridor was free. We also had a walkthrough of what we were going to do in the place we were going to do it, if there were any, this would have highlighted some immediate problems and would have let us change our location early on, not while we were shooting.

3. What technology did you use yo complete the task, and how did you use it?

When shooting, we used a Canon HDV30 camcorder with Mini DV, a tripod, an external mic and Sennheiser headphones. The use of an external mic enabled us to get better quality sound, while at the same time, allowing us to better focus on the direction the sound is coming from and not just have the action in front of the camera. The headphones we used to clearly hear exactly the sound that was being captured so we could reshoot if there was some unsuitable background noise such as a door closing, noise from behind the camera or someone talking elsewhere. The Canon HDV30 camcorder we used to shoot the entire sequence. The Mini DV made it easy to rewind and check our shots and then fast forward again to where we wanted to shoot from. When editing, we used Adobe Premiere. This makes non-linear editing possible. The program allows us to import our footage, take the shots and reorder them so they make sense. It also allows us to pick from a number of takes if some of the ones we thought weren't as good turn out to be better than the ones we originally liked.

4. What factors did you have to take into account when planning, shooting and editing?

When we were planning, we used storyboarding to construct an outline for what shots we needed and a rough idea of how it would look when it was finished. We also used it when editing so we knew what order the shots came in and how they would look next to eachother. We also had a shooting script. As we were able to use non-linear editing, we managed to shoot the shots in the most convenient order rather than chronolgically. We used this to plan what actors we needed when, what rooms we needed and how easy it would be to do these things. Also, with reference to the rooms, we had to make sure there was very little outside noise in the rooms so when we were filming in the classroom, we had a light on telling people how not to come in and tried not to catch anyone walking past outside the room. With this light, we had to keep it on when we took our shots in the hallway to keep in with the continuity. The hallway was another thing we had to organise. With there being a lot of groups filming in the same place, we had to organise who was going to film there and when.

5. How successful was your sequence? Please identify what worked well, and with hindsight, what would you improve/do differently?

I this overall, it was very successful with very few small errors. I feel the actual conversation itself was well shot and made sense with the right amount of gap between each person talking. The only things I can see that are wrong is that when she leaves the room, inone shot she tucks the chair in but in the next, the chair is out. We couldn't avoid this as we only realised this once we were editing and the alternate shots we had had bad sound and this happened to be the one that worked best. Another problem is the computer screen, in one shot there is a window open, the next there isn't and then there is. This is because for the conversation we used 3 different shots, an MS of the teacher talking, then an OTS then back to the MS. The very last thing I recognised was that as she walks into the room, from the outsoide, she pushes the door but from the inside, she has grasped the handle. This couldn't be edited any other way as this was the best shot we had of her walking into the room as it fitted well with the next shot of her sitting down.

6. What have you learnt from completing this task? Looking ahead, how will this learning be significant when completing the rest of your foundation coursework, do you think?

I think when we film our actual project, from this, I have learnt that finding an available location that other people aren't likely to be is vital as we wasted a lot of time we could have been filming, waiting for other groups to finish using the hallway. Although I feel we did well when it came to having enough shots, we could have given ourselves even more options if we had taken them again. I feel that the shooting script and storyboard were very helpful and in future, they can't be overlooked for the actual project.

Research Reading - Genre

I recently read a book titled 'How to make your own Hollywood Movie' by Ed Gaskett.

In the book, there is a lot of detailed writing on genre signifiers and how a director and a writer would look at them. For action, he explains how it is very easy for a writer as the film will be very visual driven but for a director, it is much more difficult as shooting these sequences requires a lot of forward planning and storyboarding is a necessity. He explains that for a successful action sequence, characters have to be even more connected to the audience and act the way many people would with instincts, such as trying to escape somewhere or survive something. They are never suicidal or apathetic unless given a good reason which the audience may understand. He also continues to say that with action films, the audience despises an unsatisfying ending and cheating. As if, the protagonist accidentally achieves his/her goal, it is considered unsatisfying. For creating suspense, he begins by saying that time is the real antagonist, either by being completely literal i.e. a time bomb or by being something less obvious such as a car not starting with someone chasing. It require the protagonist to act in a certain period of time. For horror, he explains that the odds are stacked unbelievably against the protagonist. It is based around basic instincts and natural fears. Horror movies only work if it is based around normal people and a normal world, his example is 'even a gory body horror movie won't be shocking with cardboard people in a cardboard world. With comedy, he explains there are a number of sub-genres such as slapstick (Happy Gilmore - Dennis Dugan, 1996), it is ludicrous with extreme visual gags. The next is taste-free (Anchorman - Adam McKay, 2004) which is when the comedy becomes totally politically incorrect with no restraint. Gentle comedy is the type of comedy found in rom-coms (50 first dates - Peter Segal, 2004). There often aren't many visual gags but it relies heavily on scripting to make it funny with likeable characters. Off-beat comedy is less obvious with characters being much less amusing straight away (Shaun of the Dead - Edgar Wright, 2004). It tends to defy typical genre stereotypes. It serves as more of a 'real-world' to audiences, in this way it is similar to gentle comedy but offers an opposite view. Black comedy goes ones step further, it is usually based around a particularly unpleasant storyline (In Bruges - Martin McDonnagh, 2008). It s very script central, this is about the audience seeing the 'taste-free' humour without gags but the humour comes from the vulgarity or brutality. The next genre he goes on to talk about is romance. He describes it as very simple 'boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl'. He says that audiences love to believe in the idea that we are all destined to love and be loved. He explains that this doesn't need to always have a happy ending, an unhappy romantic can be just as satisfying if the story requires it or if it is more realistic. This is true for other elements in the story such as the conflict. Conflict in romances is created usually by other characters the example Ed Gaskett gives is 'her Dad doesn't approve, he's getting married or there are class differences. Characters need to be believable too so they often have flaws and strengths i.e. shy but intelligent, bold but clumsy. In romance though, too much of the couple on screen together is a bit lethargic and can bore the audience he says 'conflict = drama' so they can have conflict between them which is the job of a good script. He mentions the conversations in Oceans Eleven (Steven Soderbergh, 2001) between Danny George Clooney) and Tess (Julia Roberts) 'Does he make you laugh?' 'He doesn't make me cry' or 'I'm not joking' 'I'm not laughing'. This conflict shows the emotion between the characters and with the way they deliver it, you know it must be love!

I found this entire book a very interesting read with lots of tips on how to create certain effects, write scripts, shoot and plan a film from start to finish.

Location Reccie - School Corridor

Location Reccie - School Corridor

After staying late at school one night, i was heading outside and looked to my left and saw this. It immediately inspired me for a horror movie set. It is a very dark scene with what seems like a small light at the end of the tunnel leading outside but seems a long way away. The reflection of the light on the shiny floor also makes it seem a bit creepier. Makes it seem slightly more accessible although it really isn't. The obstruction in the middle of the door also looks fairly ominous. I saw this as a POV shot of a character, hearing a noise, quickly turning round to see what it is and seeing this huge obstruction on the floor and noone there. To me, this sack of bin bags as they actually were, could be seen as a body in a bag or something equally disturbing and thus frightening to the character. This could be being dragged by the evil party in the movie or something else that is likely to frighten the audience. The character could then go to investigate what it is that is so disturbing and find something or see something that could warrant a shocking reaction. I did slightly edit this shot by making it sepia rather than keeping it in colour. I feel that by removing what WAS green outside the door, the scene has become more more scary with much less familiarity. I also feel the sepia gives it a more creepy feel, making it much darker. Also, being sepia, could possibly seem like the past and that this has been going on for a long time. This could possibly be the opening of the film, showing something that has been going on for a long time and that this evil is still around when the film could skip to modern times after the opening titles.

Film Review - Psycho

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960): Review



The film begins quite slowly with Marion Crane who appears to be the main character running away from home with stolen $40,000 in cash. The first part of the film is mainly her driving around, being followed by a mysterious looking policeman who, in the end, turns out to be what drives her to the Bates Motel because of Marions fear of being caught. Norman Bates, the motel owner at first seems very quiet and shy so doesn't give anything away. Later on, during the night, which makes the scene scarier, Normans 'mother' kills Marion very early in the film. This then completely unravels the story, now the main character role being switched to Marion's sister Lila and her boyfriend Sam. The owner of the $40,000 dollars hires a private investigator to investigate the stolen cash where he traces Marion to the Bates Motel. The P.I. gets suspicious of the mother and breaks into the house, again at night, the next killing triggers more suspicions, now involving Sam and Lila going to the motel. At this point, the tension begins to build with Lila agreeing to go to the house by herself while Sam distracts Norman. I feel this builds the most tension in the film as you now know what the 'mother' is capable of and how kills people, i.e. in dark places, when they're by themselves. Lila puts herself in this situation when she travels down to the basement. She finds the body of the dead mother there then Norman bursts in, weilding a knife, wearing his mothers clothes. At this point, the audience think that Lila is surely going to be killed but Sam manages to take down Norman before anything can happen. It is then explained how Norman is schizophrenic and has a 'mother' part to his brain which forces him to kill. I feel that this, although being an abnormal situation helps with the horror film as any stranger could be schizophrenic, although not dangerous, they may seem normal but have an 'alter ego. I also think, the first murder, Marion, is very influential as a horror scene as it is an everyday situation and it could happen to anyone. It can affect the audience by making them remember to lock the bathroom door 'just in case' when obviously nothing is going to happen. Overall, I think the film is incredibly influential and the way it keeps the secret or Norman and his mother being the same person right until the very end of the film is what makes it so entertaining as it is a dramatic twist which noone expects.

Plots - Choosing Actors

1. The Rectifier

Everyone deserve a second chance.



'A sci-fi thriller based in modern day New York, the film follows a middle-aged man sufering from total amnesia as he attempts to retrace his life, relying fully on an official government badge stating only his name. The man discovers he was part of a secret government organisation whilst finding his way inside a government building, but when found unrecognised, he is interrogated and misjudged to have forged his badge (the only way of entering the building) using the name of an existing employee of the organisation. After lengthy prosecution, the man and employee are discovered to be the same person through genetic testing, and little by little, the hlpe of the agency, the mans existance is uncovered to strangely br the future version of the current employee. In a shocking resolution, the man is forced to recapture his memories revealing a stunning truth - that he was sent back 2 decades in time to deliver a message to the present world and prevent the future from happening. The man is 'the rectifier', and holds all the answers the world needs to help maintain the existance of the human race.'

For this plot, I chose Bruce Willis to play the part of 'the rectifier'. I thought this because out of the choices we were given, he was the right age and seemingly most suited to the genre. He usually does action/sci fi films and therefore I feel he was a good choice. Also, Bruce Willis seems to attract a certain type of audience i.e. fans of films such as Die Hard or The Sixth Sense which revolves around a similar issue. Other options I considered were using Denzel Washington although also middle aged, I feel he would better suit a gangster or usual action/thriller. I don't feel he would have attracted the appropriate audience for the film. I also considered using Will Smith but felt he wasn't old enough. The tagline I came up with 'Everyone deserves a second chance' was inspired by the fact that he is travelling back in time to change the future i.e. giving the world a second chance. It is also about how he is let back into the organisation after being rejected as a forgery when he originally tries to findout who he is.

2. Dying to Know

You can't prevent the inevitable



'The film is about a woman in her twenties who is studying at university. She is very cynical about psychic powers, gypsies and anything associated with it. Her friend forces her to go and see a psychic lady. The lady predicts her death but she ignores this. The lady gets angry because of her cynical attitude and attempts to put a curse on her, but instead ends up transferring her psychic powers to the woman. At first she doesnt believe that she can see into the future but eventually comes to terms with the fact that she can. She finds it useful in preventing bad things from happening in her life. Then one day she gets a premonition of what she believes to be her friends death and does everything in her power to stop it and right at the end realises it was a premonition of her own death.'

For this film, I chose Angelina Jolie to play the part of the cynical woman. Although, admittedly, she is too old be a university student, I feel that a small plot change could work i.e. her being out of uni and at work. I can see this film being slightly thriller and slightly mystery orientated whereby the audience are shown the premonitions and she foresees her death in the end and then all the inevitable moments leading up to this. Angelina Jolie would be good for this as I feel she has played some mysterious characters i.e. Grendels mother in Beowulf. I feel as this character, she could make the character seem mysterious but whilst still being able to relate enough to the audience that they feel sympathy for her and are on the edge of their seats willing her not to be drawn to her death. The tagline 'You can't prevent the inevitable', I chose because it is what the entire film is about, things leading up to her death, although she foresaw them, she can't do anything to change it no-matter how hard she tries.

Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004): Transitions Analysis/Ellipsis

Shaun of the Dead (Edgar Wright, 2004): Transitions/Ellipsis

This isn't a clip from Shaun of the Dead but it shows what I want to talk about. I really like this type of transition, the short, cuts and the ECU's of the items and actions are very effective and I feel it really helps with ellipsis and to prevent continuity errors. Instead of entirely missing out parts of the film, it shows the parts but only those that are slightly worthwhile seeing and those which could make a difference. In the film (the clip I'm talking about is at 4:09 and again at 5:35 in this video, instead of pouring a glass of water, these shots depict coming in, putting flowers in the sink, picking up the phone and looking in the yellow pages then in the second instance he is putting the phone down, picking up the flowers, leaving the house and getting into a cab. I feel that this is a very good technique as it involves the audience a lot in what the characters are actually doing and makes them relate to , even the mundane tasks and removes the potential for continuity errors such as why, in the next scene he is not holding the flowers and who he is phoning. I think the fact that there is a large number of very short clips in a row really emphasises the urgency of the situation as the way the cuts are short shows there isn't much time to do things and he is being very decisive and determined. The fact that the really sharp, quick, diegetic sound effects really emphasise the urgency without the need for fast, panicky music to build tension. The sounds are the ones that you wouldnt neccessarily associated with the acitons such as picking up the phone is quite a loud grab with a sort of crunching noise. This makes the whole scene seem like Shaun is being quite quick and restless which makes the audience think he is in a panic.

Character Analysis - John McLane

Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988): John McLane

John McLane is often seen as one of the typical 'action heroes'. He is a very arrogant, big headed, stubborn, chain-smoking New York cop. This is reflected in what we see of his personal life in the Die Hard films where he can never seem to get things right with his wife due to him not being able to give in. He is often in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' such as in the first Die Hard where he is only in Nakatomi Plaza on a passing visit. The audience get very familiar with him very quickly as the first scene in Die Hard is of him carrying a giant bear whilst also showing off his gun, therefore showing he does have a soft side as well as being a tough guy. His signature catch phrase 'yippee-ki-yay, motherf****r' shows he can also be quite comical and isn't entirely the aggressive, relentless killer he would seem to be if judged by his actions. He is also very intelligent, which is what seems to be looked for in an action hero as well as bravery. He shows this by knowing how it is possible to alert police of the terrorists in the Nakatomi building in Die Hard 1. He is also aware of how to unnerve the terrorists shown by when he kills the first guard, he writes 'Ho, ho, ho, now I have a machine gun' on his shirt. The sense of humour shown here is unnerving to the terrorists and it shows his confidence. The main reason why he is one of the ultimate action hero is shown by his bravery (or sometimes called stupidity!). In Die Hard 3, he has countless opportunities to escape and blame someone else but he decides to take 'Simons' challenges to desperately prevent any of the public being harmed by any of the bombs. Which he readily handles to try to dispose of without a second thought for his own safety. In Die Hard 3, he also shows incredible intelligence when he figures out 'Simons' plot to rod the federal reserve and instead of waiting for backup, decides to take all the guards on by himself. His overall fault seems to be unfortunately being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being completely outnumbered. His incredible resilience is why I feel many people admire him as even after being severely injured, he still continues to fight. This is why I feel he is seen as one of the 'ultimate' action heroes.

Ghostbusters - Continuity Techniques Research

Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman, 1984): Attack of The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man



The first shot shows a CU of Egon shouting 'Look!' and pointing at something in the distance, this is then followed by a cut to a VLS of the entire team of Ghostbusters reacting to the previous shot and moving into position. The next shot is a CU of Ray looking into the distance at the monster, which then implies a motivated cut to an obscured shot following pan of the marshmallow man's head. It then cuts to an MCU reaction shot of Peter glancing round at Ray which then leads again to a motivated cut to see Rays expression in another CU where he announces what it is. The scene then cuts to the Marshamallow man turning a corner in the distance, to face a large crossroads where a lot of cars start crashing. There is then a few matched cuts of the cars crashing to show different angles. It then cuts from a VLS of the marshamallow man to an MCU, although breaking the rule of not jumping across large amounts of space, I feel this is justified as it creates an impact as this is where the audience see the marshmallow man face to face for the first time. In this shot, the marshmallow man looks down, where there is yet again another motivated cut to see what he is looking down at. Which is a few quick cuts of shots of people running away and cars crashing. These quick cuts are used to create the tension as though there is a large panic to get away from the marshmallow man. It then cuts from an MCU of the marshmallow man to the VLS again. Then to an CU reaction shot of Peter Venkman saying 'Well, there's something you don't see everyday!'. There is then another reaction shot of Ray trying to explain why he thought of the marshmallow man which is a long take as he lists all the reasons why. It then cuts back to a reaction shot of Peter Venkman showing his reaction to Rays decision and then cuts to a VLS insert shot of the group to show Egon and Winston moving forward. Then it cuts back to the CU of Ray. The next is an MS of Peter and Egon, obeying the continuity rule of going from close, to slightly further out. It then reverses the shot to show a VLS of the ghostbusters looking down to the street at the marshmallow man and then 2 cutaway shots of people running around at street level sreaming then back up to a HA of the marshmallow man as though looking at him from the ghostbusters point of view.

BLK feedback

Very impressive work Jack

Excellent analysis and reflections on your horror shot.

And a great choice of film clip for analysis, high quality notes too.

Your blog is looking great in all respects - keep up the good work! Well done.

Launch Films Clips

1. Release of a film

Who is the audience the film is aimed at? Then develop HOW it will best communicate with that audience. But MUST keep an eye on the budget for marketing which is given by what they THINK the movie will gross in the box office. Find out about working with 3rd party promotions, media partners, are the stars willing to travel and do interviews, etc. Also need to think about WHERE the marketing money will be spent i.e. posters, tv, radio etc. Which routes is it best to use to appeal to them in the most effective way.

2. Target audience

WHY identify a clear target audience. Past comparison show us how to do it. Who HAS succeeded, where the audience go to get involved with film. Can't ever be 100% sure. Always a gamble, only a certain amount of money. Audience will only see it in a particular place, i.e. 40+ watching tv and take a week or so to decide to go and see. 15 or 16 may turn up and see what's on there and then. Different decision making process.

3. P&A Budget

Includes ALL print costs, techincal etc. Then the advertising costs which include designing posters, press ads, tv spots, trailers. Then WHERE and how best to use the money. What is the target market for the film, banners on the internet? TV advertising is very expensive, radio is much cheaper and can reach a large audience up and down te country.

4. Marketing Plan

Advertising is the most expensive but most effective. Use TV, Radio, internet etc. The 'free' advertising using certain directors/cast place features in magazines etc. Interviews with directors/actors. Outdoor advertising, billboards, buses, bus shelters. Word of mouth use screening shows. BEST form of free advertising. Viral campaigns in email. Film in subject. Word of mouth can make or break a film. If a film plays very well. Specialised films use this a lot due to lower budget. Friends are much more likely to go to see it/buy it on DVD.

5. Link Between

Convince cinemas to take the film. Independent films must be SOLD to the cinemas first and find somewhere for people to see the film.

6. Test screenings

Research comes into play a LOT. Research can be done well in advance for posters/visuals etc. Delivers to the audience you want to. Test screenings of target audience to see the film and fill in questionnaires and do 'focus groups' and may alter the film accordingly.

7. Opening Weekend

VERY important. Exhibitors work on 3-day figure (always a friday) Friday, saturday, sunday - monday is make or break. The film HAS to have made more money over the weekend which determines how long the film is in the cinema and if they play the film again.

8. Positioning and Audiences

The most important thing is to define WHO the audience is, does it have a specific genre, does it appeal to a specific group? Who directed, independent films will appeal to people much more with industry knowledge.

9. Competition

ALL about compeition. Films must stand above to make it noticed. WHY do they want to see YOUR movie, why is your poster more appealing to yours. October is usually a good time for cinema. Holidays and weather are instrumental. Not a lot of TV advertising in July/August due to good weather. Outdoor posters are more likely to see them over the summer.

10. Word of Mouth

CRITICAL. Some, word of mouth will be strong from the start. Depends on when marketing gets it. Media partners are often used and use advanced screening programs which are free using compeitions in mags/newspapers. poeple will leave and tell their friends what a good movie it is if 100 people like is then they tell 10 people, VERY quick publicity. If friends really like the movie, they are much more credible than magazines. Idf they get the movie late then they must rely on the general public and use normal advertising.

11. Trailers

Trailer is the most important key, generally first and only exposure. In the same environment and situation. Trailer must have the right impact and right message. The way in which the overall CONCEPT of the film is portrayed.

12. Digital Marketing

Viral marketing is simple. Creating an element i.e. game, video, quiz. Which because of its nature it is good enough and gets sent on - based on word of mouth. Means MUCH more than any piece of press ever could, you value their opinions much more.

13. Persuading Cinemas

The first step is to convince cinemas to take the film. Films are more difficult than products, especially with independent films.

14. Piracy

Piracy has escalated recently and is 20% of all DVD sales in the UK. British consumer feel they are getting a bargain but they are being ripped off and their money is going to criminal elements but they do not realise.

The Blues Brothers - Framing Research

The Blues Brothers (John Landis, 1980): Illinois Nazis


This blues brothers scene shows a large range of shot types...

One of the first shots is a CU of a man in some kind of uniform who is currently being shouted at by a large mob of angry people. This man seems to be standing very still and seems to be calm yet seemingly strong. This type of shot allows the audience to see this expression while not allow them to see the reason WHY he is being shouted at. The shot then pans across a few other members of the group showing he is not the only one that has that expression, it then leads onto a member who is seemingly the boss and using a loudhailer to talk to the mob. It then cuts to a VLS of the entire group and the mob just as the man with the loudhailer mentions the swastika and you can clearly see it being held up by the large group. This shot, as well as suddenly revealing why the crowd are angry with the group also shows the distance between the 2 groups. The next shot is a MLS of a police barrier holding back the crowd. This allows the audience to see the raw ferocity that the crowd is portraying and how the police are desperately attempting to keep the peace. The next shot is a MCU of the leader of the Nazis which pans to follow him as he patrols from left to right in front of his troop of Nazis. This allows the audience to begin to recognise this character as the leader and how he may become a more marjor part later in the film. A couple of shots after that there is another MLS, this is mainly used to show the actions made by on of the crowd members towards the police where he punches him. The reason for this is to show WHY the crowd is being kept so far away from the Nazis and how they are beginning to become violent. Soon after is a MCU of a member of the crowd. The reason an MCU is used as it is far enough away to show enough of the other people in the crowd and close enough that it is possible to see the expression on his face and how angry he is. The shots then keep switching from CU's and MCU'S of the crowd to an MCU tracking shot of the Nazi leader while he says more of his speech. It then cuts to a CU of the leader when he says his ard-hitting last line. After this there is then a crane coming back from a VLS of the Nazi's on the bridge to a queue of cars lining up and a VLS of a policeman walking alongside the blues brothers car. It then cuts to a MCU/MS 2 shot of the blues brothers. This is to show their body language and how fed up they are of being stuck in the queue. The blues brothers then drive out of the shot while the camera stays still it then cuts to a POV shot of inside the car so as to see where the blues brothers are going. The next cut is to a MCU of the Nazi leader who seems to look worried at the sound of an engine as the audience can see by the use of an MCU. Soon after is an OTS of 2 of the Nazis showing the blues brothers driving towards them. The next is a cut to an MCU of the leader who attempts to look brave but chickens out and dives out of the shot. the next is a LS of the car which then drives toward the camera so it becomes a CU. This shows the imminent danger to the Nazis who are seemingly playing chicken with a car and this shot shows how he is getting ever closer with no sign of stopping.

Practise Shoot

Practice Shoot





















Describe your shot and identify in what way it could be seen as representing 'horror'.

The shot is a long shot of a girl being hung in front of a very large window. The outside is quite bright and the inside is dark, making the girl into a silhouette. The silhouette makes the girl look much more 'horror-like' as you cannot see clearly who it is and if this was a still from a film I would imagine her swinging into the light to show her identity to the audience and the next shot would be a close up of her face. It can also be seen as horror due to her actual situation, she has been hung which is a fairly gruesome death as opposed to it being a quick, quiet death such as in a thriller.

What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

To achieve the silhouette, we went into a very dark room where it was easy to control the lighting. We close all the curtains and turned the light off. We then stood our character on the windowsill where the natural daylight then created a silhouette of her. The curtains on either side we pulled shut just enough to create a frame in the shot of the hanging girl.

What is successful about your shot?

I think we were successful in creating the silhouette effect. The daylight was just enough light to create the silhouette and the room was dark enough to create it. I also think we framed the shot quite well as the girl is in the middle and framed by the curtains.

What would you do differently in hindsight?

I think we should have improved the noose as it is currently on a slant which doesn't make it seem as threatening. I also think the pose the character is in is quite ambiguous and it isn't clear whether the character is the villain or the victim. If I were to do it again, her head would be more slumped onto one side. I also think that we could have been at a lower angle so the things outside the window couldn't be seen and would make it look more scary and imposing.

Shot Sequence Analysis

Shot 1:

Framing: HA, MCU

The use of an MCU allows the audience to really see the man's expression where he looks very threatened and worried but still confident as though he is hiding something. The way the shot is top-lit makes his face look much more accentuated with his eyes looking very large and dark which makes him look quite evil and decietful. The gun pointing close to the camera doesn't make the audience feel quite as involved as though they were in the situation although it looks to be pointing lower, possibly towards the heart which makes the audience seem somewhat more involved. The way the character is holding his ear makes him seem vulnerable an injured.

Shot 2:

Framing: HA LS

This shot leads on from the last as it shows the situation the man lying on the ground is in and WHO he is pointing the gun at. This shot, being from over the shoulder of the attacker makes the attacker seem very dominant and powerful. The way he is wearing light-coloured clothes makes him seem less evil than the man lying on the floor and he somehow seems like a hero. The low-key lighting in the shot makes the entire situation seem scary and ominous, as though noone is around. The frame of the jetty around the man lying on the floor directs the eye to him and the way he cannot escape and creates a claustrphobic situation for him.

Shot 3:

Framing: VLS Side-view

This shot shows 3 men on a small jetty, it leads on from the last shot as it has zoomed out even more, showing the man lying on the floor, his attacker and another man in the shot, creeping up behind him. This type of shot also gives a better view of the surroundings and how empty the area is. This gives the audience the impression that they are alone and help wouldn't get there very easily which also builds the tension. This new man is introduced and makes the audience wonder what he's doing there. The fact that he is wearing similar colours to the man lying on the floor makes the audience think he is on his side and that the man in the middle is outnumbered. It can also show 3 different levels, one man is lying, another is crouch and one is standing, creating a kind of sequence showing how things may have occured or may be about to occur.

Shot 4:

Framing: LS Side-view
In this shot, the man on the left looks incredibly dominant. This is because he is standing and the other is lying. The dominance is accentuated by the billowing of the mans coat, this makes him look much bigger in the frame whereas the man lying down looks much smaller as his pose makes him look like he is squirming. This leads on from the last shot as it no longer shows the man sneaking up behind, this makes the audience wonder where he has gone and what he may be doing. This build the tension further. The lighting also seems to be accentuating the standing man. The light in the background seems to be pointed towards him, making him look much more like a good-guy and though he is doing the right thing. The girl crouching in the corner looks very vulnerable, this is because she is made to look very small due to being placed right in the corner and being in the same shot as 2 large men.

Shot 5:











Framing: HA MCU
This shot leads on from the last as it takes the focus off of the men and onto the girl who has seemed insignificant now but the audience now realises that this is the reason the 2 men are fighting. The girl is not comforting or attempting to protect the man on the floor and the fact that she is a child makes her seem innocent as accentuated by the use of a high-angle. This means the man who is currently seeming to be dominant is the hero. The fact that an MCU is used to make the audience focus on her emotions. She is clearly scared and the use of the high-angle makes her seem even more vulnerable.


Shot 6:











Framing: LS LA
This shot seems to be making the audience focus on the man lying on the floor. This makes the other 2 men seem much more imposing. This shot leads on from the last as it zooms out from the girl possibly to see why she is so upset as her saviour has now been injured and cannot do anything about it. The fact that all 3 men are at different distances make the audience sympathise with the man that is closest whose pose suggests he is in pain. The audience can now see his emotions more than they can the other man in the shot. The man in the foreground being in the light clothes seems to still be the good-guy and and man standing back, although brightly lit which suggests he may have good intentions, is wearing black which makes the audience feel as though he is the bad guy. The wooden posts of the jetty seem to frame the entire scene making it seem very narrow and there isn't anywhere to escape from.