Composition Challenge
To learn about the importance of composition in shots, we undertook a task to learn about the different techniques used to create meaningful shots. We started by taking photos based on a given topic, ours being "broken". We decided to take photos of broken objects in different places which were shown to the other groups. After taking the photos we did a workshop about different compositional techniques and how to utilise them. I learned about different techniques like space, the rule of thirds and leading lines. I also learned that my images were lacking fundamental techniques like depth of field and colour and little thought was put into how they were composed. When we were told to take more photos focusing on the techniques, the photos began to look more aesthetically appealing than the previous ones. The techniques used are listed next to the image. To improve my new ones, I should focus on blending multiple elements together to give deeper shot compositions. I would say the workshop has certainly been successful in making my shots look more thought out and interesting.
Before
After
Binary Opposition Theory
Binary opposition theory is an idea proposed by Claude Levi Strauss that suggests that all narratives are driven by two opposing forces as it is key to allowing the audience to understand the plot. Some key examples of binary opposition include: good vs evil, rich vs poor and dark vs light. Complex narratives often play around with these binary oppositions to either critique them or to layer different binaries on top of each other. Binary opposition theory was developed as a part of Strauss' structuralism methodology of thinking in which was influenced by the theory of semiotics. Structuralism suggests that all pieces of human culture are in some way related to the overall system/structure they are created in. A very simple and common example of binary opposition in media is the light vs dark trope found in Movies like Star Wars.
In Star Wars we see a binary established between the Jedi
(the light side of the force) and the Sith (the dark side of the
force). This all culminates in episode 6 in a clash between these
opposing forces when Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader
and The Emperor. This shot pictured here conveys the binary
opposition through the use of green (associated with good) and
red (associated with evil) weapons being used.
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From researching Strauss' binary opposition theory, I have learned how a typical plot is written and how I can apply that to my thriller opening and the rationale/pitch for the whole film.
Initial Ideas
We recorded our initial ideas for our Thriller opening which you can hear here:
Questionnaire
As you can see from the results on the right, our sample size was very limited. While the only age and gender groups we could ask were the 15-17 year old male demographic, we did find out from the results that there is a majority preference of psychologically thrillers (albeit taking into account that only 6 people responded). From this data I can conclude that the age range of 15-17 year old males are most likely to go and see a psychological thriller if picking between sub-genres.
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Thriller Conventions
From my research in thriller conventions, I have found that they usually focus on using many different techniques to build suspense and tension. Thriller films put an emphasis on violence though often mask direct violence with cuts and other editing techniques. The plot of thriller films often rely on the convention of having an equilibrium, which is later broken by the antagonist and restored again by the protagonist. When it comes to psychological thrillers, they often utilise low-key lighting, tense music, claustrophobic spaces for set, quick edits and camera movements and an emphasis on the the mental state and vulnerability of the protagonist. The plot of a psychological thriller can incorporate elements of multiple realities, crime and a dissolving sense of self to create a more psychologically tense experience. Often the very opening of a psychological thriller will contain the establishing of the equilibrium with hints of degradation to come littered through out. These hints will often be put in place to reward repeat viewings or foreshadow later plot elements.
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From researching the conventions of the thriller genre, I have learned what criteria I must meet to create a opening that is accurate to the psychological thriller codes and conventions.
Budget Plan
Regulations
Rationale
In this rationale, we will lay out the plans for the thriller opening we have been tasked to create. We have chosen the psychological thriller genre with elements of crime as the basis for our opening as we are both fans of the subgenre and our audience research shows it to be the most popular among our target demographic. We are hoping to fulfil the pre-production needs in order to create a successful opening with adequate planning and preparation. Additionally, we are excited to use this task as an opportunity to explore creative methodology in both production and narrative delivery.
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The audience research we carried out shows that our target audience consists of 17-18 year old males who have a preference for psychological thrillers. This means that we are able to incorporate elements and themes that are more suitable for a mature audience or at least utilise contemporary issues that this audience may face as a starting point for our themes. Our film will have themes of Isolation, Technology and transhumanism as we believe these are interesting paradigms of modern day life that our audience will relate to.
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Our opening will host 2-3 characters and will majorly focus on one of them. This character, Dan “Small Policeman” (working title), will be tormented and psychologically dissected throughout the film starting with his death at the film’s beginning. The film opens by drawing out of a computer in a cold, empty room. A light turns on and Dan enters through the right before sitting down at his computer. From the monitor emerges Devlin, a computer man, who proceeds to shoot at Dan. The Camera draws out of the room leaving behind a corpse with a bullet wound on the side of it’s temple. Time then continues as normal but in reverse, through a montage of street views we see time unwind, until situating us back about a month prior. Here we find Dan, again, in a passing car with his partner “Big Policeman” (working title) returning from a crime scene, loud music playing from the radio. This brings us into the car scene which establishes Dan’s relationship with his partner and superior, Big Policeman. Big Policeman is wearing his iconic hat and is angry at Dan for interfering with and in his eyes ruining the interviews carried out at the crime scene. Fuelled with rage he drives fast, eyes locked on the road. Dan meanwhile is feeling rather down, his eyes dart longingly. Seeming in response an angel appears, Devlin crawls from the cassette player. Immediately Dan reaches for his gun and sets off a few shots, destroying the radio and forcing Devlin to retreat.
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We have identified that a key aspect of a thriller opening is the first scene being seemingly unrelated and unexplainable before being contextualised as the narrative unfolds. For example, The Net features a wholly unrelated scene in its opening which is later explained as being part of the wider conspiracy element of the plot. Rather than have ours link into a wider conspiracy, it will link into the psychological elements of the plot and how we use the trope of the unreliable narrator.
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We are also very interested in using advanced creative techniques in our filmmaking process. We plan to use motion tracking to animate Devlin, a computer generated character, and then composite him within the scene. To achieve this goal we have acquired a Kinect capable of motion tracking, this in tandem with open-source software will allow us to animate a 3D scanned person. This will result in fluid, potentially realistic resizing of characters on screen as opposed to the use of green screen which may appear stiff and unrealistic. Drawing from another genre specific element We will accompany Devlin’s appearances will be a short musical motif; composed of static and harsh chimes.
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Overall, I hope we have piqued your interest in our proposal and are as enthusiastic about its creation as we are.
Pitch
SWOT Analysis
Thriller opener SWOT:
Strengths:
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We are knowledgeable in video editing
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Both of us have Sony Vegas and Blender on home computers
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We have motion capture technology (Microsoft Kinect)
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Knowledgeable in the conventions of the thriller genre
Weaknesses:
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Only one actor in our group
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Small group size
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No makeup and costume experience/knowledge
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Not much cinematography experience
Opportunities:
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Camera available from the media department
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Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects are available on the school computers
Threats:
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Scheduling conflicts (actors not being able to turn up)
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Coronavirus situation (self-quarantine at home is being advised by the government currently and groups of people outside are being banned)
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Inability to acquire the location needed for the film
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Travel may be a problem as we would have to arrange either public transport or parental travel
Idea: Psychological thriller opening where a man gets killed in the first scene and then we see detectives driving away from a crime scene.
SWOT:
Strengths:
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Has some inventive scenes like a few shots that show the regression of time
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Starts suspenseful to entice the viewer in the first minute
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Weaknesses:
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Might be too ambitious to do
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We do not know any capable actors and have to use amateur first time actors
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May cost quite a bit for props and costume
Opportunities:
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We can use locations already available to us
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Allows for experience in interesting editing and directing
Threats:
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Some scenes may be badly lit due to the environments they are contained in
Location Recce
Costume Plans
From this task I have learned how a location recce is conducted and what factors you need to account for in order to make sure a location is 100% available to use.
Our plans for costumes are:
Man in basement - Casual clothing. T-shirt and jeans or something along those lines.
Big Cop - Some kind of trench coat type jacket, a white shirt, a tie, a badge, (possibly) a hat and dark trousers. Conveys experience and seriousness.
Small Cop - Rugged casual shirt, dark trousers, a badge and a very loose tie. Conveys a lack of experience and a slight ineptitude to his work.
Police Chief - A white shirt, dark trousers, a badge, a tie and some extra accesories that emphasises their high ranking position.
Prop Plans
Our plans for props are:
A computer (already owned), a monitor (already owned), a keyboard (already owned), a fake gun prop (now owned) and police badges (not yet owned).
Equipment Plans
Our plans for equipment are:
A camera (borrowing from school), a motion tracking device (currently borrowing from a friend), adapter for motion tracking device (now owned), green screen (already owned), editing software (can borrow from school but also already own) and a computer to edit (can borrow from school but also already own).
Titles Analysis
Zodiac:
The titles that should appear in a opening: actor credits, film title, publisher name. The order they appear in is: publisher name, main actor credits, film title and then secondary actor credits. The first shot contains the name of the studio and publisher (Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures) in
the bottom left of the frame. The title
text is in a white typewriter font, denoting
that it takes place much earlier than
modern day. The font fades out and turns
into code as it does so, conveying to the
audience that there may be mystery
within the film. The titles avoid blending into the background of the shot by having a slightly transparent black shadow behind it.
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Se7en:
The order of titles here is: publisher credit, production company credit, director credit, lead actor credits, film title, secondary actor credits and then crew credits. The title text here moves all around the edges of the frame but never goes directly in the centre of frame. The text uses a white handwritten style which creates an atmosphere of suspense. The text comes in quite suddenly and jitters
while it is on screen which suggests to the
audience that there is an element of instability
in the rest of the film.
Title Design
From this task, I have learned the basics on how to create titles within Premiere Pro and have studied how effective titles are able to convey information to the audience, which will help us create a title that fits traditional thriller conventions.
Music and Sound Effect Research
For our film, I have undertaken the task of music production so we do not have to risk breaking any copyright infringement. To begin the composition process, I had to understand what kind of music would appear in a thriller film. Often slow tempo and tense ambient pieces make up the soundtracks to these films. I started the process by creating a 60 bpm project file in my DAW (digital audio workstation), FL Studio, and began by adjusting a synthesizer pad to create a sinister sounding main melody. I used a very simple drone (a common melody type for ambient pieces) for this pad. I then added percussion using various African drum samples to eventually take up more space in the mix in order to raise tension. I then added a reverse delay effect to these drums which created a more alien feel to the drums which fits into our themes of alienation in the first scene. I then layered stutters over the later section of the drums to create a glitchy sound which links into our use of computers as a driving factor in our plot. I then added a wide reverb to the pad to create a more ambient feel to it and added a phaser which comes in and out of the mix to add dynamics into the pad and to prevent tediousness. For our sound effects, I already have a pack of various royalty free sounds I can use for our post-production editing. Overall, from this task I have learned more about the way thriller films use ambient tracks to build tension and how to compose music for a broader film context rather than just as a song.
Shot List
From this task, I have learned what a shot list should look like and how to apply shot ideas into this list format.
Storyboards
From this task, I have learned the process of creating storyboards and how integral they are in visually planning shots for the final film.
Risk Assessment
From this task, I have learned that planning ahead with a risk assessment allows you to avoid any problems that otherwise could arise. It has also exposed a large problem for us with the current coronavirus lockdown situation preventing many scenes from being shot.