In this task our aim was to research and compare a high budget Big6 film and a limited budget indie film. The high budget film I chose was ‘The Girl On The Train’ produced by Tate Taylor and for my limited budget indie I chose ‘Level Up’ produced by Heather Greenwood, Andrew OrrandDanny Potts. We compared the two films in a template which was given to us, this template once filled in revealed a big difference in how the two films were produced.
Films produced by the Big6 are often sequels to a film that has already done well in the box office, the Big6 rely heavily on sequels and popular ideas/story lines because they are almost guaranteed to have a large income. Indie films juxtapose Big6 films as they usually try to captivate their audience by introducing them to more original and creative ideas. The most noticeable difference between Indie films bad Big6 films is the budget, producers of Indie films often find it very difficult to generate funds to increase the budget of the film whereas the Big6 companies have lots of money at their disposal.
When it comes to making my own thriller I will try to come up with more creative and imaginative ideas that differ from the Big6; similar to how an Indie producer would. I would like to create captivating and enticing scenes that keep my audience on suspense.
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In this task we had to create a timeline of the life of a film from CONCEPTION TO RECEPTION. We had to include the subheadings – Development, Production, Post Production, Distribution, Marketing, Exhibition & Exchange. In each column of the timeline we had to include important factors that relate to the specific part of the production process.
Researching about the film making industry has made me realise that it can be extremely difficult for a producer of an independent film to release their film. There are many steps required to release a film, however these steps are much more difficult to an independent producer compared to the big Hollywood producers like the Big6, this is because the big Hollywood producers have a much larger skill set and budget which allows them to go through the stages of production much more efficiently.
This task will help me to answer Evaluation Question 3 ‘What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?’ this is because I now have a much clearer understanding of how the film making industry works and the difference between creating a high budget blockbuster and a limited budget indie.
The task was to look through a playlist of videos of previous students work and choose one which we thought meets the assessment criteria most successfully. I chose to analyse a thriller piece called Megan. When analysing Megan I will be assessing it using the level ladder.
Please click on the level ladder below to see it in better detail:
Holding A Steady Shot:
The camera shots used in Megan are very steady and smooth; specifically the tilt when the camera is looking through the round window at the person doing the dishes. It is clear a tripod is used to keep the shots in a fixed position to avoid any jolts in Megan. There were a couple of times where the camera jolted this however was not enough to mark ‘holding a steady shot’ anywhere below a lower level 4.
Framing A Shot:
In Megan the shots were framed in certain ways to add suspense and drama to the narrative. There is a shot in Megan where the lady is sweeping and the camera is panning, this shot shows great understanding of the rules of thirds and is very aesthetically pleasing to the audience. The use of the pan gives excellent space for the titles and gives us a nice view of the door which is slammed in an upcoming shot. I would give ‘framing a shot’ an upper level 4.
Variety Of Shot Distances:
Megan has a large range of different shot distances, some examples of these are; a close up of the girls face, a long shot of the girl looking through the glass window and a mid shot of the girl hanging the clothes. An example in Megan of a time shot distance was used well is in the close up of the girls face, it conveys emotions such as paranoia and discomfort which you may not be able to see in other types of camera shots e.g a extreme long shot. Megan also cuts smoothly from a mid shot of the girls face into a close up which gives us better attention to detail as it allows the audience to see her facial expressions in better detail. I would give the ‘variety of shot distances’ in Megan an upper level 4.
Appropriate To Task:
The theme of mystery and the unknown which you would usually expect to see in a thriller is clearly present throughout the entirety of Megan. The antagonist is clearly a mysterious figure who remains almost anonymous throughout, he remains mysterious due to the low key lighting and the all black clothing which he is displayed in. The protagonist is clearly vulnerable which is typical of a thriller film, the audience can easily engage with her and feel compassion and a want to help. I would give ‘appropriate to task’ an upper level 4.
Mise-En-Scene Selection:
The creators of Megan show clear understanding of how to present mise-en-scene through the use of costume and props, the mise-en-scene fits in well with the thriller genre. The protagonist is displayed in standard casual clothing to present her as just an normal day to day person. The antagonist is dressed in all black clothing which is quite intimidating and mysterious. The use of costume in Megan creates a divide between the two characters which in turn adds to the enigma. Props such as the candles on the staircase also helps to add to the narrative by creating a sinister and fateful surrounding. I would give the ‘mise-en-scene selection’ an upper level 4.
Editing For Meaning:
The editor of Megan used professional and well executed cross cutting to provide the audience with a short glimpse of a different situation which all builds up the narrative. The match on action is very well presented, shots were connected well specifically when the protagonist picks up the basket and takes it outside; it was very smooth and linked well. I would give the ‘editing for meaning’ an upper level 4.
Shot Transactions:
The shot transitions in Megan fit well with the thriller genre as they build up suspense and have a sense of urgency. The use of cross fading when the girl is in black&white and it changes to the scene of the girl doing the dishes shows us her at a different time, it shows us a possible connection between what the character is thinking. The scene with the blood covered hands transitioning over her hands doing the dishes could imply it was her at a different time and location. I would give ‘Shot transitions’ an upper level 4.
Sound With Images:
The sound with images in Megan is synced well and really fits the purpose to scare and allude the audience, it does this by using a steady beat similar to a heart beat. The music speeds up slightly towards the end which could leave the audience puzzled as to why this is happening. I would give ‘Sound with images’ a lower level 4.
Using Titles:
The titles in Megan overlay the clips well with good understating of the rule of thirds as it is not too distracting to look at. The letter ‘M’ is always in red which creates a sense of danger and has connotations such as blood and evilness it fits in well will the thriller genre. I would give ‘Using Titles’ an upper level 4.
We were set the task to film several short videos that display different camera angles and camera shots. I have also listed how certain shots could be used in different situations in the movie industry.
Some examples of the camera angles I used and why they are useful:
Close ups are often used in a thriller to create a sense of emotion or fear.
Aerial shots are taken from above, they are used to give a wide view of the scene/surroundings.
Pan shots are used to follow the movements of a character, e.g them walking from one side of the room to the other or walking up stairs.
For my second thriller I watched and analysed the opening sequence of ‘Seven’ 1995 directed by David Fincher. I looked at the macro and micro features of a thriller production specifically lighting, MES, camera shots, this will help in the production of my Thriller as it gives me a good idea on how to create a mysterious, enticing effects such as shadows, low key lighting and fast paced music.
We watched the opening sequence of ‘The Hole’ so we could analyse it and pick out any features that thriller films use to grab the audiences attention. The opening sequence of ‘The Hole’ has given me an insight into what features I would like to be included in my own thriller, such as the canted angles, whip pans and specific sound effects e.g flies buzzing and screams.
In a pair we were asked to make a thriller conventions mind map which specifically looked at the repertoire of elements . The two films we chose were The Silence Of The Lambs in 1991 directed by Jonathan Demme and Seven(sometimes styled as Se7en) made in 1995 and directed by David Fincher. We looked at repertoire of elements such as setting, protagonist, antagonist, themes, enigma, visual style, iconography.
Please click on the thumbnail below to see the document in more detail:
This task has helped by giving me a list of crucial elements and why they play an important part in a Thriller film. This task will specifically aid my thriller production as I now know what is necessary to make a good thriller, for example an interesting enigma or a standout protagonist/antagonist.
I watched the film Seven, starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman.
Seven sometimes styled as (Se7en) is a thriller film based on the seven deadly sins in the bible. There is a serial killer who keeps leaving one of the seven deadly sins on each murder he commits. The serial killer has an ultimate overall plan and succeeds in his mission to expose the sins of those that he has killed.
Seven had some conventional aspects of a thriller such as:
Detectives
House with no lighting other than handheld torches
Police sirens
Stormy night, huge amounts of rain
Barking dogs
This task is helpful and will give us an idea of what features we would like to include in our thriller films.
“A continuity task involving filming and editing a character opening a door, crossing a room and sitting down in a chair opposite another character, with whom she/he then exchanges a couple of lines of dialogue.
This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.”
I have used the following camera techniques: Low angle shot, zoom, mid shot, close up, pan, pan-zoom.
I used these techniques to create a sense of urgency and tension between the two characters. The close up of the clock was to show that time was of significance.
I have learnt to use the following continuity editing rules: 180 degree rule, shot reverse shot, match on action.
I used these rules so that the narrative has structure. The continuity rules allow for each shot sequence to flow smoothly.
I have learnt to use the following tools/techniques in Premiere Pro: Selection tool, Razor tool.
I used these tools to make sure the order of shots are correct for the purpose/meaning of the short clip. The razor tool was used to cut a shot so I could delete parts that I did not need.
If I was to do this project again I would like to film more footage so I had more to work with when it came to editing. Having more footage to edit with would be beneficial as it would mean I would have more choice therefore improving the quality of the clip overall.
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