"The music fitted in well with the story. It was a good choice as it was
calming yet creepy, and built in volume and pace as the action developed in your
piece.""I lulled into a full sense of security, and felt comfortable and settled at the beginning. You then get an uneasy feeling in your gut and feel concerned for the dancer when you see the plot begin to unravel. Once you realised there was more to the storyline that you initially thought, it made you want to continue watching."
"The dancer was a very believable and plausible character which allowed me to connect with her and wonder who she is, and what she is like. This automatically results in you being concerned for her safety once the shots of the photo wall evolve. The music adds to that sense of tension, and when the music builds your heart rate builds"
"The effects were used really well! The white flash and the camera shutter sound made me ask questions about what it was? and who was doing it? This gave a good initial atmosphere before the plot began to unravel some more"
"The overall feel of the piece was unique. You don't often seen such a calming start, but it really worked. The lack of violence/action was replaced by the feel of uneasyness and being uncomfortable when you watch. Kind of like a lump in your throat as you are not really sure what you are meant to be scared of. The whole construction of the piece really works"
I was very happy with the feedback we received, as they highlighted the key elements in which I was looking to produce. It made me more confident about our product and helped me to believe that we really did achieve what we set out to.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Final Feedback
We showed our final piece to our class as got a range of feedback. Some of the feedback we were given included:
Monday, 3 May 2010
Evaluation
I feel that the Thriller task, worked out really well.
I felt we achieved what we set out to and got the audience feeling the emotions and feelings that we constructed the product to do.
I have learnt a considerable amount from completing the preliminary exercise to completing the thriller task, from research and planning, to constructing and editing!
We got a good range of feedback and from this I know that our opening was a success and portrayed the atmosphere we wanted.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
By watching many thriller films and trailers, and using the trailer for 'One Hour Photo' as our main inspiration for our film it allowed us to research into the forms and conventions it used that made it so successful.
We took most of our inspiration from One Hour Photo as it was more psychological, and played with the audience, that being full of action and violence.
We took this and used the different techniques when creating our own product.
To begin with, we wanted to settle the audience, like many psychological thrillers do, and make the audience feel comfortable and connected with the lead character, which in our case was the dancer.
We used slow motion effects, to really slow down the shots, for the audience to be able to focus and connect with the dancer, and the slow pace of the beginning contrasted dramatically with the faster pace towards the end. We wanted to see a definite build within our piece.
Once we had settled the audience, with slow music, and slow pace shots and editing, we started to introduce moments where the audience would begin to feel uneasy and perhaps uncomfortable.
We used sounds effects (camera shutter) and lighting effects (white flash, similar to a camera flash) right from the beginning, to get the audience questioning. Even though this was happening, the audience could still connect with the dancer, and feel settled watching the piece. However when we introduced shots of the photo wall, the audience begin question more, and due to the uncertainty that the shots create, the uneasy feeling and atmosphere begins to build.
In our thriller we used lighting to our advantage in setting the mood and atmosphere. In the dance studio it was very high key lighting, which reflected the dancer’s vulnerability. This hugely contrasted the darkness in the rest of the film as we used low key lighting for the rest of the shots. The photo wall was lit by a very soft light, with a hint of red that came through covering the lamp with a sheet of paper. The red represented a form of danger, which added to the tense atmosphere, as the audience could feel a hint of danger through the red light, however the unknown of who was behind the photo wall proved unsettling.
The fact the audience does not see any violence or actual danger towards the dancer, but can still be worried and concerned for her, shows that psychological thrillers can be just as successful as other sub-genres of thriller.
A similar for of audience manipulation is used in 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Psycho' because the audience doesn't visibly see the violence, but it is edited in such a way by using shadows and sound clips that we believe a brutal attack has took place without having to witness all of the gory details. This appears to work very well, however we wanted to try and achieve the same tense atmosphere that thriller have, without indicating any violence at all.
We wanted to create a sort binary opposition between good and evil because in many thrillers we have watched there is always some sort of convention of good and evil etc being portrayed. I felt we achieved this with the contrast of high and low key lighting, and the mis-en-scene we used.
The soundtrack we used was an instrumental piece which grew in volume and pace. This reflected the mood and pace of our opening, as the build up in pace of the music, complimented the quicker shots and cuts.
Also the way the music reflected the mood and pace of the film was used in the 'One Hour Photo' trailer as the music increased in pace which increased intensity and volume of the music, which led to the final action climax. We used this convention in our film by timing particular poignant parts of the music in with key parts of the storyline, for example when the music built up, it linked with the fast shots of the photo wall and the fire, and when the music was at its highest peak, we are revealed to a brief shot of who could be assumed to be the person behind creating the photo wall of the dancer.
The editing was very important to us because we had identified this as being the main factor that makes a film successful. We used a variety of length shots because by quickening up the cuts it increased the pace of the film, this increased the intensity of the film and built up the tension ready for the final climax scene, this technique was found in many different thriller trailers that we watched including 'One Hour Photo'.
By cutting between the park location and the photo wall location it showed the contrast between light and dark, good and evil.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The particular social group we focused on were young teenagers and the changes they may or may not go through.
The representation of our dancer was the ‘normal’ view on young girl teenagers in today’s society. However the end reveals that the person behind the photo wall and obsession with the dancer was in fact another female, and this was shown by a simple bracelet on the wrist of the girl. This shows a representation of a young teenager going through emotional struggles and unexplainable feelings in which lead her to her obsession.
Teenagers today go through many changes, from physical to emotional and feelings. We took this is an extreme however it still appears to happen in young people as well as the older generation.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Any large film company would distribute our product. We researched into who distributed the film 'One Hour' because ours was similar to this, and targeted a similar type of audience. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a film division of 20th Century Fox distributed this film, so we believe this media institution would be the ideal company to distribute ours because it is a globally known name and would give out film huge credibility and make people inclined to watch it.
Because of the thriller genre we were using it immediately gave our film a certificate of 15+, so we would have to be careful how we advertised the film such as not putting the adverts onto children’s channels or before the 9 o'clock watershed in case it watched by children underage, as it would be inappropriate. However as our film is of a low budget and not produced by world famous producers and directors there may be little interest by big global distributors in distributing our film for us. So we may have to target the niche market of distributors such as Film Four as they aim for a more niche and highbrow market by showing a mixture of old and new independent, art house, British, foreign language and specialist cinema, along with some critically-acclaimed Hollywood films, this describes our film precisely so maybe Film Four would be the better option however it wouldn't make our film as mainstream. Some independent cinemas may also be interested in showing our film as they are keen to display products from new amateur talents.
Some smaller TV channels may be interested in a proposal from us, and allow us to show our film straight through TV.
I believe our film should be shown through mainstream multiplex cinemas at night because it would create the scary thought provoking atmosphere we were looking for.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for our media product would be people above the age of 15, because our film would be given the viewing certificate of 15+ by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).
Our film would initially target females, as both the characters in the opening are female, however as the film continued it would also cater for males.
I feel that any age or gender could be attracted to our film, however as the thriller genre is very specific and not all types of people like the genre we realise that it wouldn't be everybody’s favourite film, so the audience for our media product would be a fan of the thriller genre who enjoys unravelling a complicating and intriguing psychological plot.
How did you attract/address your audience?
We created our opening to attract our audience from the start. We used editing effects and sound clips to get the audience asking questions about the characters and the plot.
We ensured the representation of our character was plausible and believable as she is the main connector between the audience the film.
We settled the audience from the start to allow them to connect with the dancer and feel concerned for her safety as they are introduced to the shots of the photo wall. As the climax of the piece is a twist, as most people would expect it to be a male stalking the dancer, rather than a female, we hope that the audience are drawn in enough to want to watch the rest.
On a bigger scale we would attract our audience to gain interest in our film by showing a series of advertisements on all standard channels, BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, but they would have to be shown after the 9 o'clock watershed so they don't cause any distress to younger viewers.
I felt we addressed our audience well as our representation of our dancer was believable and realistic, for the audience to connect with. I felt when we modified our product in order to bring in the shots of the photo wall quicker, we keep the audience’s interest as they are not waiting too long before anything happens. The music builds up along with the editing to a satisfying climax which leaves the audience asking more questions and wanting to see the rest of the film, which is what anybody wants from the opening of any film.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt a great deal about the technologies used in constructing a media product.
I had very limited knowledge of using apple software on a MAC laptop before so I had to develop my skills considerably in order to create this product.
Initially we practiced using the technology by completing a short preliminary exercise that consisted of filming a short piece in the genre of your choice using the video cameras and equipment provided. By doing this exercise before going into our main Thriller task it allowed us to explore different camera techniques, angles and what worked on screen.
After we had collected all of our footage we then uploaded it onto the Apple Mac's, and then started the process of cutting all of the clips we had and editing them together to create a smooth professional looking sequence.
I learnt that you can never have too much footage because once editing you sometimes only need a few seconds worth of a particular clip, so if you have a variety of these then it can make your film more interesting. So when filming I learnt not to film just what you think you need, but to film more than you need in a variety of ways in order to have a good choice when it comes to editing.
Whilst editing our product I learnt;
• how to use transitions to make the cuts between clips smoother, add effects to clips to give a certain effect or create a particular atmosphere
• how to cut the clips so your left with the precise sections you want which can prove quite tricky to do
• how to put a clip into slow motion or alternatively quickening up a scene by changing the amount of frames per second
• how to add a soundtrack into your film for effect by fading in certain parts and emphasizing others.
However once we had played around with the apple software we got to grips with it and began to edit our product a lot quicker.
I learnt that the editing part was the section that made your film successful, created tension, and gave the overall atmosphere effect you desired, which you cannot achieve by filming alone.
Overall the technology involved in filming and editing our thriller was imperative but time consuming, but once we had practiced using the software it was simple to use.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Our preliminary task consisted of a few different camera shots, and movements, with a short amount of dialog spoken. It gave me a good insight into how to create short pieces that flow well continuity wise.
I have learnt how important the planning process is because on our preliminary task we did a brief storyboard of ideas and shot and that was it for our planning, but when doing our Thriller product we researched and planned in much more detail, for example we brainstormed possible ideas initially then had a meeting to develop our ideas and decide on a final storyline/plot.
We then completed brainstorms for things like location, props, wardrobe and make-up as well as character ideas. We used a brief storyboard of ideas to help us think of shots, the composition of our frames and the order sequence.
By completing all of this planning it allowed us to set deadlines and keep a track of what we needed at each filming session so we were organised and had plenty of time to edit and go back to film anything else we were missing, however we did not need to do this, but giving that extra time gave us something to lean back on if needed. By brainstorming our ideas together it allowed us to be creative and develop our ideas much further than the initial thoughts.
I feel as though I have learnt a huge amount in the progression from the preliminary task to the full product because I have learnt how to edit to create a certain atmosphere or effect by using editing effects such as slow motion.
I have also developed my camera skills, as during our preliminary task we only filmed what we thought we needed, and when we lost some footage our end product suffered. However during the Thriller task, I ensured more footage was filmed than we actually needed so when we came to edit we had a wide range of footage to choose from. This allowed us to create snappy and quick pace cuts towards the end to build the tension.
I believe through completing the preliminary exercise it allowed us to progress hugely because it gave us the experience with using the cameras to film and laptops for editing to create a certain atmosphere and to add tension, without doing the preliminary task it would have been a much longer process in completing our Thriller because we wouldn't have the skills needed to make our film successful and overcome obstacles and problems that occurred along the way.
I felt we achieved what we set out to and got the audience feeling the emotions and feelings that we constructed the product to do.
I have learnt a considerable amount from completing the preliminary exercise to completing the thriller task, from research and planning, to constructing and editing!
We got a good range of feedback and from this I know that our opening was a success and portrayed the atmosphere we wanted.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
By watching many thriller films and trailers, and using the trailer for 'One Hour Photo' as our main inspiration for our film it allowed us to research into the forms and conventions it used that made it so successful.
We took most of our inspiration from One Hour Photo as it was more psychological, and played with the audience, that being full of action and violence.
We took this and used the different techniques when creating our own product.
To begin with, we wanted to settle the audience, like many psychological thrillers do, and make the audience feel comfortable and connected with the lead character, which in our case was the dancer.
We used slow motion effects, to really slow down the shots, for the audience to be able to focus and connect with the dancer, and the slow pace of the beginning contrasted dramatically with the faster pace towards the end. We wanted to see a definite build within our piece.
Once we had settled the audience, with slow music, and slow pace shots and editing, we started to introduce moments where the audience would begin to feel uneasy and perhaps uncomfortable.
We used sounds effects (camera shutter) and lighting effects (white flash, similar to a camera flash) right from the beginning, to get the audience questioning. Even though this was happening, the audience could still connect with the dancer, and feel settled watching the piece. However when we introduced shots of the photo wall, the audience begin question more, and due to the uncertainty that the shots create, the uneasy feeling and atmosphere begins to build.
In our thriller we used lighting to our advantage in setting the mood and atmosphere. In the dance studio it was very high key lighting, which reflected the dancer’s vulnerability. This hugely contrasted the darkness in the rest of the film as we used low key lighting for the rest of the shots. The photo wall was lit by a very soft light, with a hint of red that came through covering the lamp with a sheet of paper. The red represented a form of danger, which added to the tense atmosphere, as the audience could feel a hint of danger through the red light, however the unknown of who was behind the photo wall proved unsettling.
The fact the audience does not see any violence or actual danger towards the dancer, but can still be worried and concerned for her, shows that psychological thrillers can be just as successful as other sub-genres of thriller.
A similar for of audience manipulation is used in 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Psycho' because the audience doesn't visibly see the violence, but it is edited in such a way by using shadows and sound clips that we believe a brutal attack has took place without having to witness all of the gory details. This appears to work very well, however we wanted to try and achieve the same tense atmosphere that thriller have, without indicating any violence at all.
We wanted to create a sort binary opposition between good and evil because in many thrillers we have watched there is always some sort of convention of good and evil etc being portrayed. I felt we achieved this with the contrast of high and low key lighting, and the mis-en-scene we used.
The soundtrack we used was an instrumental piece which grew in volume and pace. This reflected the mood and pace of our opening, as the build up in pace of the music, complimented the quicker shots and cuts.
Also the way the music reflected the mood and pace of the film was used in the 'One Hour Photo' trailer as the music increased in pace which increased intensity and volume of the music, which led to the final action climax. We used this convention in our film by timing particular poignant parts of the music in with key parts of the storyline, for example when the music built up, it linked with the fast shots of the photo wall and the fire, and when the music was at its highest peak, we are revealed to a brief shot of who could be assumed to be the person behind creating the photo wall of the dancer.
The editing was very important to us because we had identified this as being the main factor that makes a film successful. We used a variety of length shots because by quickening up the cuts it increased the pace of the film, this increased the intensity of the film and built up the tension ready for the final climax scene, this technique was found in many different thriller trailers that we watched including 'One Hour Photo'.
By cutting between the park location and the photo wall location it showed the contrast between light and dark, good and evil.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The particular social group we focused on were young teenagers and the changes they may or may not go through.
The representation of our dancer was the ‘normal’ view on young girl teenagers in today’s society. However the end reveals that the person behind the photo wall and obsession with the dancer was in fact another female, and this was shown by a simple bracelet on the wrist of the girl. This shows a representation of a young teenager going through emotional struggles and unexplainable feelings in which lead her to her obsession.
Teenagers today go through many changes, from physical to emotional and feelings. We took this is an extreme however it still appears to happen in young people as well as the older generation.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
Any large film company would distribute our product. We researched into who distributed the film 'One Hour' because ours was similar to this, and targeted a similar type of audience. Fox Searchlight Pictures is a film division of 20th Century Fox distributed this film, so we believe this media institution would be the ideal company to distribute ours because it is a globally known name and would give out film huge credibility and make people inclined to watch it.
Because of the thriller genre we were using it immediately gave our film a certificate of 15+, so we would have to be careful how we advertised the film such as not putting the adverts onto children’s channels or before the 9 o'clock watershed in case it watched by children underage, as it would be inappropriate. However as our film is of a low budget and not produced by world famous producers and directors there may be little interest by big global distributors in distributing our film for us. So we may have to target the niche market of distributors such as Film Four as they aim for a more niche and highbrow market by showing a mixture of old and new independent, art house, British, foreign language and specialist cinema, along with some critically-acclaimed Hollywood films, this describes our film precisely so maybe Film Four would be the better option however it wouldn't make our film as mainstream. Some independent cinemas may also be interested in showing our film as they are keen to display products from new amateur talents.
Some smaller TV channels may be interested in a proposal from us, and allow us to show our film straight through TV.
I believe our film should be shown through mainstream multiplex cinemas at night because it would create the scary thought provoking atmosphere we were looking for.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for our media product would be people above the age of 15, because our film would be given the viewing certificate of 15+ by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).
Our film would initially target females, as both the characters in the opening are female, however as the film continued it would also cater for males.
I feel that any age or gender could be attracted to our film, however as the thriller genre is very specific and not all types of people like the genre we realise that it wouldn't be everybody’s favourite film, so the audience for our media product would be a fan of the thriller genre who enjoys unravelling a complicating and intriguing psychological plot.
How did you attract/address your audience?
We created our opening to attract our audience from the start. We used editing effects and sound clips to get the audience asking questions about the characters and the plot.
We ensured the representation of our character was plausible and believable as she is the main connector between the audience the film.
We settled the audience from the start to allow them to connect with the dancer and feel concerned for her safety as they are introduced to the shots of the photo wall. As the climax of the piece is a twist, as most people would expect it to be a male stalking the dancer, rather than a female, we hope that the audience are drawn in enough to want to watch the rest.
On a bigger scale we would attract our audience to gain interest in our film by showing a series of advertisements on all standard channels, BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, but they would have to be shown after the 9 o'clock watershed so they don't cause any distress to younger viewers.
I felt we addressed our audience well as our representation of our dancer was believable and realistic, for the audience to connect with. I felt when we modified our product in order to bring in the shots of the photo wall quicker, we keep the audience’s interest as they are not waiting too long before anything happens. The music builds up along with the editing to a satisfying climax which leaves the audience asking more questions and wanting to see the rest of the film, which is what anybody wants from the opening of any film.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I have learnt a great deal about the technologies used in constructing a media product.
I had very limited knowledge of using apple software on a MAC laptop before so I had to develop my skills considerably in order to create this product.
Initially we practiced using the technology by completing a short preliminary exercise that consisted of filming a short piece in the genre of your choice using the video cameras and equipment provided. By doing this exercise before going into our main Thriller task it allowed us to explore different camera techniques, angles and what worked on screen.
After we had collected all of our footage we then uploaded it onto the Apple Mac's, and then started the process of cutting all of the clips we had and editing them together to create a smooth professional looking sequence.
I learnt that you can never have too much footage because once editing you sometimes only need a few seconds worth of a particular clip, so if you have a variety of these then it can make your film more interesting. So when filming I learnt not to film just what you think you need, but to film more than you need in a variety of ways in order to have a good choice when it comes to editing.
Whilst editing our product I learnt;
• how to use transitions to make the cuts between clips smoother, add effects to clips to give a certain effect or create a particular atmosphere
• how to cut the clips so your left with the precise sections you want which can prove quite tricky to do
• how to put a clip into slow motion or alternatively quickening up a scene by changing the amount of frames per second
• how to add a soundtrack into your film for effect by fading in certain parts and emphasizing others.
However once we had played around with the apple software we got to grips with it and began to edit our product a lot quicker.
I learnt that the editing part was the section that made your film successful, created tension, and gave the overall atmosphere effect you desired, which you cannot achieve by filming alone.
Overall the technology involved in filming and editing our thriller was imperative but time consuming, but once we had practiced using the software it was simple to use.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Our preliminary task consisted of a few different camera shots, and movements, with a short amount of dialog spoken. It gave me a good insight into how to create short pieces that flow well continuity wise.
I have learnt how important the planning process is because on our preliminary task we did a brief storyboard of ideas and shot and that was it for our planning, but when doing our Thriller product we researched and planned in much more detail, for example we brainstormed possible ideas initially then had a meeting to develop our ideas and decide on a final storyline/plot.
We then completed brainstorms for things like location, props, wardrobe and make-up as well as character ideas. We used a brief storyboard of ideas to help us think of shots, the composition of our frames and the order sequence.
By completing all of this planning it allowed us to set deadlines and keep a track of what we needed at each filming session so we were organised and had plenty of time to edit and go back to film anything else we were missing, however we did not need to do this, but giving that extra time gave us something to lean back on if needed. By brainstorming our ideas together it allowed us to be creative and develop our ideas much further than the initial thoughts.
I feel as though I have learnt a huge amount in the progression from the preliminary task to the full product because I have learnt how to edit to create a certain atmosphere or effect by using editing effects such as slow motion.
I have also developed my camera skills, as during our preliminary task we only filmed what we thought we needed, and when we lost some footage our end product suffered. However during the Thriller task, I ensured more footage was filmed than we actually needed so when we came to edit we had a wide range of footage to choose from. This allowed us to create snappy and quick pace cuts towards the end to build the tension.
I believe through completing the preliminary exercise it allowed us to progress hugely because it gave us the experience with using the cameras to film and laptops for editing to create a certain atmosphere and to add tension, without doing the preliminary task it would have been a much longer process in completing our Thriller because we wouldn't have the skills needed to make our film successful and overcome obstacles and problems that occurred along the way.
Saturday, 1 May 2010
Initial Feedback
After completing our piece we showed it to a number of people, looking for feedback.
We were hoping to get constructive criticism for where our piece could be improved, so that we could modify our opening and make it the best it can be.
We got feedback such as:
All of our feedback were similar to those stated above, and it became clear that we needed to modify the piece and bring the action in quicker, to draw the audience in from the start.
Once we did this, we were fully satisfied with our piece and feel we have achieved what we set out to, and created a piece that fits in with the forms and conventions of a thriller, but in a new, fresh and unique way.
We were hoping to get constructive criticism for where our piece could be improved, so that we could modify our opening and make it the best it can be.
We got feedback such as:
" The shots of the photowall should come in sooner, to create the sense of uneasiness earlier on, as there is too much footage of the dancer with little action happening "
"The music is a really good choice, as it creates a creepy mood and atmosphere to the piece"
"The slow pace of the piece works well, and the twist at the end draws you in to make you want to watch more. The slow pace fits in well the the feminine feel and the twist, however the action of the photowall should happen earlier"
All of our feedback were similar to those stated above, and it became clear that we needed to modify the piece and bring the action in quicker, to draw the audience in from the start.
Once we did this, we were fully satisfied with our piece and feel we have achieved what we set out to, and created a piece that fits in with the forms and conventions of a thriller, but in a new, fresh and unique way.
Film Classifications set by the BBFC
After discussing all of the Film Classification labels and researching what could and couldn't be shown on each one we decided to set our thriller opening to a 15 because even though no violence is shown in the opening, the film would lead onto more chilling and explicit viewing.
The way in which our opening chills the audience and creates an uneasy/unsettling feeling, we did not think it would be suitable for under 15's.
Generally most thrillers are classed as 15 or 18's so this would be in line with the type of audience we would be targeting and make it suitable for their viewing.
'15' – Suitable only for 15 years and over
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video or DVD.
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (eg 'fuck'). But the strongest terms (eg 'cunt') will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.
Violence
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.
Imitable techniques
Dangerous techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
'18' – Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC's public consultations, at '18' the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
Where material or treatment appears to the Board to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – e.g. any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which is likely to promote the activity. The Board may also intervene with portrayals of sexual violence which might, e.g. eroticise or endorse sexual assault.
The more explicit images of sexual activity – unless they can be exceptionally justified by context and the work is not a 'sex work' as defined below.
In the case of videos and DVDs, which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent. For the same reason, and because of the different way in which they are experienced, the Board may take a more precautionary approach in the case of those digital games which are covered by the Video Recordings Act.
The way in which our opening chills the audience and creates an uneasy/unsettling feeling, we did not think it would be suitable for under 15's.
Generally most thrillers are classed as 15 or 18's so this would be in line with the type of audience we would be targeting and make it suitable for their viewing.
'15' – Suitable only for 15 years and over
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video or DVD.
Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.
Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (eg 'fuck'). But the strongest terms (eg 'cunt') will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.
Nudity
Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.
Violence
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.
Imitable techniques
Dangerous techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.
Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.
Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
'18' – Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC's public consultations, at '18' the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
Where material or treatment appears to the Board to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – e.g. any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which is likely to promote the activity. The Board may also intervene with portrayals of sexual violence which might, e.g. eroticise or endorse sexual assault.
The more explicit images of sexual activity – unless they can be exceptionally justified by context and the work is not a 'sex work' as defined below.
In the case of videos and DVDs, which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent. For the same reason, and because of the different way in which they are experienced, the Board may take a more precautionary approach in the case of those digital games which are covered by the Video Recordings Act.
Naming The Piece
We thought of many different names for our piece, all to do with having an obsession.
We did not want to be obvious with our name, so we researched into different types of obsessions and naming for these.
We thought the best name for our piece was Infatuation;
The word can mean a variety of different type of obsession.
Infatuation
A noun
an object of extravagant short-lived passion
Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚cognition; knowledge; noesis
╚content; cognitive content; mental object
╚object
╚infatuation
2. Infatuation
foolish and usually extravagant passion or love or admiration
Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚feeling
╚passion; passionateness
╚infatuation
3. puppy love, calf love, crush, infatuation
temporary love of an adolescent
Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚feeling
╚emotion
╚love
╚puppy love, calf love, crush, infatuation
We did not want to be obvious with our name, so we researched into different types of obsessions and naming for these.
We thought the best name for our piece was Infatuation;
The word can mean a variety of different type of obsession.
Infatuation
A noun
an object of extravagant short-lived passion
Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚cognition; knowledge; noesis
╚content; cognitive content; mental object
╚object
╚infatuation
2. Infatuation
foolish and usually extravagant passion or love or admiration
Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚feeling
╚passion; passionateness
╚infatuation
3. puppy love, calf love, crush, infatuation
temporary love of an adolescent
Category Tree:
psychological feature
╚feeling
╚emotion
╚love
╚puppy love, calf love, crush, infatuation
Audio
Soundtrack:
We wanted our soundtrack to relate to the feminine feel of our piece, and fit well with the dancer.
We also wanted the track to build up, in order to help create the tension through our piece.
We wanted the piece of music to help create the atmosphere of our piece, and come across as subtly creepy. That can, along with the shots, create chills and an unsettling feel.
Criteria;
- Slow pace to begin with and then build up in pace
- Have a 'dance' feel, with a hint of feminine
- Instrumental piece
We listened to a number of soundtracks and shot listed some to listen to again.
We listened to the short list whilst watching some of our filmed footage, and some pieces of music had a too fast pace over all and others didn't have the right sense of tension.
We came to a conclusion to use the soundtrack: Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence
We felt it fits in with our criteria and seems to click with the storyline and the material we had filmed.
I cut and edited the music in order to fit with the piece, as the soundtrack was longer than our opening. I picked the best sections of the soundtrack, and ensured it still built up in pace and tension.
Camera Shutter
We want to use a camera shutter sound over some of our transactions/effects during our piece, to begin to raise mystery and questioning right from the start of our opening.
We researched many sound effects on the internet, and none sounded quite right.
In the end we recorded the sound from a digital camera, and imported the sound when editing.
We wanted our soundtrack to relate to the feminine feel of our piece, and fit well with the dancer.
We also wanted the track to build up, in order to help create the tension through our piece.
We wanted the piece of music to help create the atmosphere of our piece, and come across as subtly creepy. That can, along with the shots, create chills and an unsettling feel.
Criteria;
- Slow pace to begin with and then build up in pace
- Have a 'dance' feel, with a hint of feminine
- Instrumental piece
We listened to a number of soundtracks and shot listed some to listen to again.
We listened to the short list whilst watching some of our filmed footage, and some pieces of music had a too fast pace over all and others didn't have the right sense of tension.
We came to a conclusion to use the soundtrack: Merry Christmas Mr.Lawrence
We felt it fits in with our criteria and seems to click with the storyline and the material we had filmed.
I cut and edited the music in order to fit with the piece, as the soundtrack was longer than our opening. I picked the best sections of the soundtrack, and ensured it still built up in pace and tension.
Camera Shutter
We want to use a camera shutter sound over some of our transactions/effects during our piece, to begin to raise mystery and questioning right from the start of our opening.
We researched many sound effects on the internet, and none sounded quite right.
In the end we recorded the sound from a digital camera, and imported the sound when editing.
Filming - Day 3
Fire:
This was our final day of filming. It was important as it was for the climax of our piece, so we wanted to get it perfect.
Planning Sheet:
This shoot went well. The planning sheet made sure we got all the shots we needed for editing. Leaving the lighting as the natural light from the fire worked very well and was just enough for the shots.
This was our final day of filming. It was important as it was for the climax of our piece, so we wanted to get it perfect.
Planning Sheet:
This shoot went well. The planning sheet made sure we got all the shots we needed for editing. Leaving the lighting as the natural light from the fire worked very well and was just enough for the shots.
Filming - Day 2
Photowall:
The second lot of filming I did on my own, as it was only simple shots that needed to be filmed.
The planning sheet helped me remember everything I needed to get, in terms of shots and movement.
This filming session went well. I got a good range of material for editing. The lighting turned out to work very well and added a good and effective touch to the shots.
The second lot of filming I did on my own, as it was only simple shots that needed to be filmed.
The planning sheet helped me remember everything I needed to get, in terms of shots and movement.
This filming session went well. I got a good range of material for editing. The lighting turned out to work very well and added a good and effective touch to the shots.
Filming - Day 1
This day of filming was the most important when it came to planning. As we needed to ensure our female character (Rosie) was ready for filming.
I applied Rosie's make-up how we planned, and got her ready in wardrobe.
We ensured we had all our equipment and props for the shoot. I created planning sheets to keep us organised and to make sure we didn't forget anything;
The first day of filming went really well. We got a good range of shots, and camera movements. I feel we have enough material to work with when editing.
I applied Rosie's make-up how we planned, and got her ready in wardrobe.
We ensured we had all our equipment and props for the shoot. I created planning sheets to keep us organised and to make sure we didn't forget anything;
The first day of filming went really well. We got a good range of shots, and camera movements. I feel we have enough material to work with when editing.
Lighting Prep
Dance Studio:
The dance studio has high key lighting from the natural light that flows in through the sky lights. There is enough light to fill the dance studio, with enough to film and it come across as high key lighting.
Fire:
The fire scenes, we want to be low key lighting with just enough light to see the action taking place. We tested the fire in a dark room, and on camera, there was just enough light from the fire to light the shot natural. It looks effective as the fire's light creates a mysterious shadow to light the frame.
Photowall:
The photowall shots are the only shots that need artificial lighting. We wanted the lighting to be low key, but with a very soft lighting to light the photos, but also a soft red tint to the lighting. This hopefully will create symbolism for danger.
I tested different lighting effects on the photowall, and the best option was a simple table lamp, with a piece of paper over the bulb. This created very little light, but just enough to light the pictures on the camera.
This option also creates a soft red hint to the lighting, which created the perfect lighting for the atmosphere and look we want to create.
The dance studio has high key lighting from the natural light that flows in through the sky lights. There is enough light to fill the dance studio, with enough to film and it come across as high key lighting.
Fire:
The fire scenes, we want to be low key lighting with just enough light to see the action taking place. We tested the fire in a dark room, and on camera, there was just enough light from the fire to light the shot natural. It looks effective as the fire's light creates a mysterious shadow to light the frame.
Photowall:
The photowall shots are the only shots that need artificial lighting. We wanted the lighting to be low key, but with a very soft lighting to light the photos, but also a soft red tint to the lighting. This hopefully will create symbolism for danger.
I tested different lighting effects on the photowall, and the best option was a simple table lamp, with a piece of paper over the bulb. This created very little light, but just enough to light the pictures on the camera.
This option also creates a soft red hint to the lighting, which created the perfect lighting for the atmosphere and look we want to create.
Planning/Preparing the Photowall
The photowall is the key element within our piece that will trigger the uneasy feeling for the audience.
We know that this is the most important thing to get right in order for the piece to work and achieve what we want.
We decided that all of the pictures should be of our lead character on her own and with the other people, but we wanted the other people in the photos blurred out.
Once we had the location and the photos we could put them together for the overall look of the photowall. It turned out great and with the correct lighting, will be perfect for the filming of our thiller.
For an added touch, we decided to add post it notes, with the date and time of certain pictures. We hope this adds to the tension we want to build and get the audience asking questions about the stalker.
We know that this is the most important thing to get right in order for the piece to work and achieve what we want.
We decided that all of the pictures should be of our lead character on her own and with the other people, but we wanted the other people in the photos blurred out.
We also wanted a mix of photos, including ones that would appear to the audience that the 'stalker' had taken.
We feel this will give the right atmosphere, mystery and tension for the audience, hopefully making them feel uncomfortable.
We feel this will give the right atmosphere, mystery and tension for the audience, hopefully making them feel uncomfortable.
To prepare for this, we went out at night with a camera and took photos of our female character from a 'stalker' point of view.
We took many like this, to add into the collection of photos to use on the photowall.
We got each photo printed into photos, to give it a realistic look, rather than printing onto paper.
Location:
We needed to find an appropriate location for our photowall. We looked a many walls, and put up the pictures to look at the sizing. Many walls were too big, and with the amount of photos we had, made the photos look very small, and ruined the effect of there being a big wall full of photos.
We eventually found a wall in my bathroom, which was small and the photos fitted onto it nicely. With the wall being small, it made the photowall look bigger and fuller, giving the exact look we wanted to create that sense of obsession.
Once we had the location and the photos we could put them together for the overall look of the photowall. It turned out great and with the correct lighting, will be perfect for the filming of our thiller.
For an added touch, we decided to add post it notes, with the date and time of certain pictures. We hope this adds to the tension we want to build and get the audience asking questions about the stalker.
Props/Mis en Scene
Dance Studio:
Props:
We did not need any props accept what was in the dance studio. This included a large CD player in the bottom left hand corner of the studio by the mirrors.
We do not wish to move this when filming as we thought it gave a more natural and believe feel to the scenes, as you would expect to find this in a dance studio.
We decided we would add a couple of chairs a perhaps a bag, in which would be the dancers, in the background of some of the shots, again to make the setting more believable to our audience.
Mis en Scene:
We do not need to change anything in the dance studio for filming, as the mis en scene was perfect.
The high key, natural lighting and the big dance studio with the minimal props is all we need when shooting the scenes of the dancer.
Photowall:
Props: For the photowall, we need a lot of photos of our character. They need to be a range of different photos, and including ones in which the 'stalker' had taken. We wish for other people in the photos to be blurred out, and only our female character is in focus.
Mis en Scene:
As you do not see the location or any surroundings in which the photowall is set, the mis en scene is not vitally important. The only thing that would add to the mis en scene is the lighting, which was want to be soft but have a hint of red to it, to add that feel and sense of danger.
Fire:
Props: During these shots, you see a girl cutting a photo in half and burning half of the photo. For this to be filmed, we need;
- a pair of scissors
- one photo
- and a braclet for the female to wear in order to strike that sense of questioning from the audience as to why the stalker is wearing a braclet and then for them to realize it is a female.
Mis en Scene:
Again, in these shots you do not see much of the surrounding/location.
We want the natural light given off the fire to light our shots, as it is just enough to light the action of the shots, and give that mystery and tense atmosphere.
Props:
We did not need any props accept what was in the dance studio. This included a large CD player in the bottom left hand corner of the studio by the mirrors.
We do not wish to move this when filming as we thought it gave a more natural and believe feel to the scenes, as you would expect to find this in a dance studio.
We decided we would add a couple of chairs a perhaps a bag, in which would be the dancers, in the background of some of the shots, again to make the setting more believable to our audience.
Mis en Scene:
We do not need to change anything in the dance studio for filming, as the mis en scene was perfect.
The high key, natural lighting and the big dance studio with the minimal props is all we need when shooting the scenes of the dancer.
Photowall:
Props: For the photowall, we need a lot of photos of our character. They need to be a range of different photos, and including ones in which the 'stalker' had taken. We wish for other people in the photos to be blurred out, and only our female character is in focus.
Mis en Scene:
As you do not see the location or any surroundings in which the photowall is set, the mis en scene is not vitally important. The only thing that would add to the mis en scene is the lighting, which was want to be soft but have a hint of red to it, to add that feel and sense of danger.
Fire:
Props: During these shots, you see a girl cutting a photo in half and burning half of the photo. For this to be filmed, we need;
- a pair of scissors
- one photo
- and a braclet for the female to wear in order to strike that sense of questioning from the audience as to why the stalker is wearing a braclet and then for them to realize it is a female.
Mis en Scene:
Again, in these shots you do not see much of the surrounding/location.
We want the natural light given off the fire to light our shots, as it is just enough to light the action of the shots, and give that mystery and tense atmosphere.
Make-up
We wanted our make-up to represent vunerability as well as the costume did.
From my knowledge of costume and make-up I have received through years of theatre experience, I know that plain and simple make-up is best for the representation we wish to portray.
We did not want, big and bold make-up that would distract and create the wrong image or impression.
We felt that the overall look of our character, with costume and make-up represented her in the way we wanted and created a character that the audience could believe and connect with.
From my knowledge of costume and make-up I have received through years of theatre experience, I know that plain and simple make-up is best for the representation we wish to portray.
We did not want, big and bold make-up that would distract and create the wrong image or impression.
We felt that the overall look of our character, with costume and make-up represented her in the way we wanted and created a character that the audience could believe and connect with.
Wardrobe
As we only have one character we need to full costume, we wanted to ensure the representation of our character was perfect.
We wanted to represent our young teenage dancers, as your fairly average teenager with a passion for dance. But we also wanted that hint of venerability to come through to help the audience connect with her and allow them to feel for her and be concerned for her safety as she
appeared venerable.
We thought that basic nude colours would be best for the costume, rather than bold colours that stand out. We believe that the nude colours represent her venerability, as she will appear almost 'naked'.
We thought the white and black top was too bold with the bow on it, and the grey didn't give the level of venerability we hoped for. So we decided on the left hand side piece, as it was perfect for the representation we were hoping for.
It was a perfect colour, as it appeared skin colour, which allowed our dancer to appear more naked and vunerable. The fact the piece is not to tight will work well when filming, as it has movement.
We wanted to represent our young teenage dancers, as your fairly average teenager with a passion for dance. But we also wanted that hint of venerability to come through to help the audience connect with her and allow them to feel for her and be concerned for her safety as she
appeared venerable.
We thought that basic nude colours would be best for the costume, rather than bold colours that stand out. We believe that the nude colours represent her venerability, as she will appear almost 'naked'.
We thought the white and black top was too bold with the bow on it, and the grey didn't give the level of venerability we hoped for. So we decided on the left hand side piece, as it was perfect for the representation we were hoping for.
It was a perfect colour, as it appeared skin colour, which allowed our dancer to appear more naked and vunerable. The fact the piece is not to tight will work well when filming, as it has movement.
Storyboards
As my drawing skills are very limited, I used these storyboards to make notes and brief drawings on how we wanted our shots/frames to look and a rough idea on the order of the shots.
I made notes on the types of shots, lighting, and some editing notes. This gives us a good idea of a plan when it comes to filming the piece. As we had the bones of the piece to plan the types of shots and camera movements we needed to film.
An example of two frames we planned;
Overview of films and directors that influenced us;
We watched many thrillers in order to influence us, and get inspriation and ideas;
- Sev7en
- Taking Lives
- No Country for Old Men
- Phonebooth
- One Hour Photo
- Pyscho
and we also watched the opening to many others, to see how famous professional directors such as Hitchcock and the director of Taking lives, D.J Caruso, create tension and suspense in order to make the audience want to watch the rest of the film.
We also watched past student thrillers, who had the same brief as we do. This was really helpful as we could see how other students dealt with the brief and what they acheived.
Directors:
Alfred Hitchcock is the undisputed King of Suspense Thrillers and several of his movies appear in Couples Company’s Top 25 Suspense Films of All Time.
A new Hitchcock is on the horizon and he’s made his talent and presence known through The Sixth Sense and Signs.
M. Night Shyamalan shows Hitchcock’s uncanny ability to combine psychology, spirituality and intrigue into hair-raising, spine-chilling stories that tap into our deepest fears while peppering the plot with humor and common sense humanity.
Alfred Hitchcock
Total Movies: 58
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1920s - 11
1930s - 15
1940s - 14
1950s - 11
1960s - 5
1970s - 2
Top Movies:
1. Rear Window (1954)
2. Psycho (1960)
3. Vertigo (1958)
4. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Steven Spielberg
Number of Movies: 32
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1950s - 1
1960s - 3
1970s - 3
1980s - 7
1990s - 7
2000s - 9
Top Movies:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Jaws (1975)
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
James Cameron
Number of Movies: 13
Career Span (Number of movies by decade)
1970s - 1
1980s - 4
1990s - 4
2000s - 4
Top Movies:
1. Aliens (1986)
2. Terminator, The (1984)
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
4. Abyss, The (1989)
Quentin Tarantino
Number of Movies: 9
Career Span (Number of movies by decade)
1990s - 3
2000s - 4
Top Movies:
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
3. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
4. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Martin Scorsese
Number of Movies: 32
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1950s - 1
1960s - 1
1970s - 8
1980s - 5
1990s - 8
2000s - 8
Top Movies:
1. Taxi Driver (1976)
2. Departed, The (2006)
3. After Hours (1985)
4. Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Christopher Nolan
Number of Movies: 7
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1990s - 2
2000s - 5
Top Movies:
1. Dark Knight, The (2008)
2. Memento (2000)
3. Insomnia (2002)
4. Prestige, The (2006)
Roman Polanski
Number of Movies: 25
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1950s - 7
1960s - 6
1970s - 5
1980s - 2
1990s - 2
2000s - 2
Top Movies:
1. Chinatown (1974)
2. Repulsion (1965)
3. Ghost Writer, The (2010)
4. Cul-de-sac (1966)
David Fincher
Number of Movies: 6
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1990s - 3
2000s - 3
Top Movies:
1. Fight Club (1999)
2. Zodiac (2007)
3. Se7en (1995)
4. Game, The (1997)
John Carpenter
Number of Movies: 23
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1960s - 5
1970s - 3
1980s - 8
1990s - 5
2000s - 2
Top Movies:
1. Halloween (1978)
2. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
3. Dark Star (1974)
4. Escape from New York (1981)
David Cronenberg
Number Of Movies: 23
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1960s - 3
1970s - 5
1980s - 5
1990s - 4
2000s - 6
Top Movies:
1. Dead Zone, The (1983)
2. Fly, The (1986)
3. History of Violence, A (2005)
4. Eastern Promises (2007)
- Sev7en
- Taking Lives
- No Country for Old Men
- Phonebooth
- One Hour Photo
- Pyscho
and we also watched the opening to many others, to see how famous professional directors such as Hitchcock and the director of Taking lives, D.J Caruso, create tension and suspense in order to make the audience want to watch the rest of the film.
We also watched past student thrillers, who had the same brief as we do. This was really helpful as we could see how other students dealt with the brief and what they acheived.
Directors:
Alfred Hitchcock is the undisputed King of Suspense Thrillers and several of his movies appear in Couples Company’s Top 25 Suspense Films of All Time.
A new Hitchcock is on the horizon and he’s made his talent and presence known through The Sixth Sense and Signs.
M. Night Shyamalan shows Hitchcock’s uncanny ability to combine psychology, spirituality and intrigue into hair-raising, spine-chilling stories that tap into our deepest fears while peppering the plot with humor and common sense humanity.
Alfred Hitchcock
Total Movies: 58
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1920s - 11
1930s - 15
1940s - 14
1950s - 11
1960s - 5
1970s - 2
Top Movies:
1. Rear Window (1954)
2. Psycho (1960)
3. Vertigo (1958)
4. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Steven Spielberg
Number of Movies: 32
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1950s - 1
1960s - 3
1970s - 3
1980s - 7
1990s - 7
2000s - 9
Top Movies:
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
2. Jaws (1975)
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
James Cameron
Number of Movies: 13
Career Span (Number of movies by decade)
1970s - 1
1980s - 4
1990s - 4
2000s - 4
Top Movies:
1. Aliens (1986)
2. Terminator, The (1984)
3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
4. Abyss, The (1989)
Quentin Tarantino
Number of Movies: 9
Career Span (Number of movies by decade)
1990s - 3
2000s - 4
Top Movies:
1. Pulp Fiction (1994)
2. Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)
3. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
4. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Martin Scorsese
Number of Movies: 32
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1950s - 1
1960s - 1
1970s - 8
1980s - 5
1990s - 8
2000s - 8
Top Movies:
1. Taxi Driver (1976)
2. Departed, The (2006)
3. After Hours (1985)
4. Bringing Out the Dead (1999)
Christopher Nolan
Number of Movies: 7
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1990s - 2
2000s - 5
Top Movies:
1. Dark Knight, The (2008)
2. Memento (2000)
3. Insomnia (2002)
4. Prestige, The (2006)
Roman Polanski
Number of Movies: 25
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1950s - 7
1960s - 6
1970s - 5
1980s - 2
1990s - 2
2000s - 2
Top Movies:
1. Chinatown (1974)
2. Repulsion (1965)
3. Ghost Writer, The (2010)
4. Cul-de-sac (1966)
David Fincher
Number of Movies: 6
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1990s - 3
2000s - 3
Top Movies:
1. Fight Club (1999)
2. Zodiac (2007)
3. Se7en (1995)
4. Game, The (1997)
John Carpenter
Number of Movies: 23
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1960s - 5
1970s - 3
1980s - 8
1990s - 5
2000s - 2
Top Movies:
1. Halloween (1978)
2. Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
3. Dark Star (1974)
4. Escape from New York (1981)
David Cronenberg
Number Of Movies: 23
Career Span (Number of movies by decade):
1960s - 3
1970s - 5
1980s - 5
1990s - 4
2000s - 6
Top Movies:
1. Dead Zone, The (1983)
2. Fly, The (1986)
3. History of Violence, A (2005)
4. Eastern Promises (2007)
Friday, 30 April 2010
Phonebooth - Analysis/Inspiration
Another film we watched to draw inspiration from was 'Phonebooth'.
Phonebooth doesn't follow your typical thriller, as it is set in the same location throughout the duration of the film. This is a very clever idea because it gets you instantly associated with the characters and gradually builds the tension until the climax at the end of the film.
'Phonebooth' challenges the forms and conventions of typical thrillers, because not only is there only one location, but that location is a busy high street in New York and its set in broad daylight using high key lighting, so it doesn't use the cliche of darkness to set a scary atmosphere or a house in the middle of no where to create the idea of being solitary.
Also little visible violence is used, which is the same as 'no country for old men' and 'psycho', so this makes them similar.
A lot of diagetic sound such as cars passing by and horns is used throughout the whole film, which creates the busy New York street atmosphere. Usually thrillers use a soundtrack of intense and dramatic music to set an atmosphere.
However the sound of the snipers voice is used as a narrative into his killer mind all the way through, this gives the audience an insight into his motives to kill the man and it allows us to see what the mans life is like and why he deserves this, the audience is almost made to feel sympathetic towards him.
There is a point in the film, you think the sniper has been caught! But we are then shocked by the fact he wasn't and infact the real sniper had set somebody else up for the fall.
This is similar to Hitchcocks Psycho, as in this, the female, in which we think is the lead role, who we as an audience have connected with gets killed off very early on which throws the us an a audience and unsettles us. Hitchcock was the first director to have done something like this!
The fact we think the sniper has been caught early on, surprises us and makes us more unsettled about what is going to happen, and the fact we are revealed to the fact it was actually the sniper makes us even more nervous about what the sniper is actually capeable of.
Unlike most thrillers, the film ends with the sniper not being caught which leaves the audience on a cliff hanger and makes you analyse details of the film to see what you can draw from it to make your own mind up about the snipers fate. Most thrillers have a hero/heroin that solves the mystery and the 'evil' is caught.
Thursday, 29 April 2010
No country for old men - Analysis/Inspiration
No country for old men along with watching other thrillers, gave us more knowledge of the style, forms and conventions of a thriller.
The killer has previously just murdered a large amount of people, yet he appears unfazed by this, and has a calm, collected appearance.
The famous representation of the killer is extremely effective as you do not visibly see all of the murders. For example there is one particular scene where he is just about to kill a man in the shower, however he closes the shower curtain before shooting the man. This shows that the audience doesn't necessarily need to see all of the gory details of the murder to have a vivid picture in their heads of the violence, as other details such as the mis-en-scene and music contribute to the whole effect.
This is what we wish to do with our thriller, as we do not wish to see any violence, as we feel that psychological thrillers, that play with an audience minds, and make you feel uneasy and unsettled as you don't know what or who the danger is.
The editing of this clip is relatively simple, the camera uses two-shots, over the shoulder shots, reverse angles and medium shots which are all commonly used when filming a conversation where the dialogue is key to the film.
It shows the superiority of the killer, and how naive the shop assistant is because he doesn't know just how dangerous the man is he's serving, as he just presumes that he's just arrogant and rude. This gives the whole scene a tense atmosphere because the audience have already seen the man commit brutal murders so they know what he's capable of but the shop assistant is un-aware of this which adds to the intensity.
The killers superiority is shown further as he asks general questions about the closing time of the shop, and once the answer is given he has the audacity to tell him he's wrong. This creates a certain awkwardness in the conversation taking place between the two characters and this friction is portrayed via these lines, and puts the audience on edge as to whats going to happen next.
'No Country for Old Men' is quite similar to 'Psycho'in the way that some of the murderous scenes aren't shown explicitly, this is done purposefully for effect because it creates mystery and manipulates the audience into believing something violent and brutal has taken place.
If we were to carry on our piece into a full length film, we would want to carry on the theme of not seeing anything violent or brutal, very much like No country for old men, and Psycho.
One Hour Photo - Analysis/Inspiration
Sy Parrish, a blandly fastidious photo developer at the giant Savmart discount store, with pale skin and thinning cross-cropped blond hair, almost blends in with the decor and bright lighting of the establishment, where he prides himself on the exacting standards of his work.
His appearance would make you assume that he is just an innocent man who is helpful and polite. The representation of his character is hugely important within this film, as he is not automatically alarming as a danger, as you are settled and feel comfortable before the unsettling feeling comes.
Among his favorite customers are the Yorkins, who, to Sy, look like the ideal family: Nina is fashion-model gorgeous, Will could be a movie or rock star and 9-year-old Jake is a fine normal kid. Whenever they come in, Sy is solicitous to the edge of obsequiousness. But the weird nature of Sy's attachment to the Yorkins is revealed when, after dining alone in a coffee shop, he returns to his forlorn little downtown apartment, an entire wall of which is covered with hundreds of pictures of Nina, Will and Jake through the years, copies of which Sy has surreptitiously printed at work.
Without any personal life of his own, Sy has become an emotional, rather than voyeuristic, peeping Tom, willing himself figuratively into the Yorkin family. In a fantasy, he makes himself at home in their house when they're away, he visits Jake at soccer practice and offers the boy a present that Will won't buy for him. His attentions, while excessive, never really seem threatening, although there is obviously such a degree of loneliness and apartness about the man that it wouldn't be surprising if something unsavory were to one day come bubbling to the surface.
For our own thriller, we liked the idea of a more subtle type of danger. We dont want our peice to be full of action or violence, but to play with our audience mind and create that uneasy and uncomfortable feeling when watching.
And so it does come bubbling to the surface when Sy is abruptly fired from his beloved job. At nearly the story's halfway mark, Sy is let go when his supervisor discovers the huge discrepancy between the number of photos paid for and actually printed. At the same time, Sy's world is further shattered when photos left by a sexy customer suggest that she's having an affair with Will. Deeply distressed that "his" perfect family has been poisoned, Sy gives copies of the photos to Nina and begins spying on Will, thus initiating an increasingly sick form of revenge on the man who he feels has thrown away the most precious thing in the world, the sort of happiness that proves unattainable for so many people, Sy included.
As curious a character as Sy is, and as misguided as his eventual actions become, the story is saved from slipping off into the simply macabre by its emotional validity. At the very end, however, too explicit a point is made for Sy's deep-rooted psychological problems, as Romanek makes easy use of a pat explanation for aberrant behavior even as he leaves matters on an open note.
While remaining within a narrow expressive range as dictated by the circumscribed nature of his role, Williams keeps Sy interesting all the way and crucially resists playing for sympathy and sentimentality. Other significant cast members, including Nielsen, Vartan, Smith and Eriq La Salle as a police detective, are solid in an understated manner.
From a technical point of view, the film is nearly as fastidious as Sy himself. Cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth's clean and crisp compositions, Tom Foden's elegantly spare production design and Jeffrey Ford's no-fat editing all function like precision instruments in helping Romanek create a pristine-looking picture, and the outstanding electronic score by Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek helps channel the various moods in subtle ways.
We got a lot of inspiration from the thriller 'One Hour Photo'.
The idea of an obsession and looking at life through a lense fitted in well with our developed ideas.
Our developed idea of using a photowall within our thriller, to add that unsettling atmosphere was confirmed when we watched this thriller as we were convinced how well it worked to create a subtle sense of fear and danger.
I feel that psychological thriller are a lot more chilling and unsettling than action or violence based thrillers. I felt we could acheive a more psychological based thriller, settling the audience and creating an uncomfortable feeling when watching.
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Research of the Genre - Inspiration
After this research we were very drawn to the;
Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).
We did not wish to use violence in our piece, we simply wanted to use psychological effects to play with the audience.
We wish to settle the audience before introducing an unsettling feeling. We wanted the atmosphere to be calm but with a hint of an uneasy feeling.
The twist at the end of our opening, hopefully will leave the audience wanting to continue to watch the film.
Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).
We did not wish to use violence in our piece, we simply wanted to use psychological effects to play with the audience.
We wish to settle the audience before introducing an unsettling feeling. We wanted the atmosphere to be calm but with a hint of an uneasy feeling.
The twist at the end of our opening, hopefully will leave the audience wanting to continue to watch the film.
Research into the Thriller Genre
We decided to research into the thriller genre with more detail, looking for a type of thriller that we could draw inspiration from, and we found that there were many different types of sub-genre, which can also combine together to create a very diverse film.
This is the research we found;
Action thriller: In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. Notable examples are the James Bond Films, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne novels and films.
Conspiracy Thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlom fall into this category, as do films such as Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, and JFK.
Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven and The Godfather.
Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather by Carl Hiassen, Tremor by Winston Graham, and the 1974 film Earthquake.
Drama thriller: In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
Erotic Thriller: In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity_often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues.
In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill, Colour of Night, Eyes Wide Shut, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr.Goodbar and In the Cut.
Horror thriller: In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two recent examples of this include the Saw Series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs.
Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.
Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film Agency.
Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).
Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction): In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller).
Supernatural thriller: In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King, Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan, and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror oriented ingredients as ghosts, the occult, and psychic phenomenon; the supernatural thriller combines these with a frightening but often restrained film. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.
Techno-thriller: A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller".
Most thrillers are formed in some combination of the above, with horror, conspiracy, and psychological tricks used most commonly to heighten tension.
This is the research we found;
Action thriller: In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. Notable examples are the James Bond Films, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne novels and films.
Conspiracy Thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlom fall into this category, as do films such as Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, and JFK.
Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven and The Godfather.
Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather by Carl Hiassen, Tremor by Winston Graham, and the 1974 film Earthquake.
Drama thriller: In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
Erotic Thriller: In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity_often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues.
In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill, Colour of Night, Eyes Wide Shut, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr.Goodbar and In the Cut.
Horror thriller: In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two recent examples of this include the Saw Series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs.
Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.
Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film Agency.
Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).
Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction): In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller).
Supernatural thriller: In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King, Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan, and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror oriented ingredients as ghosts, the occult, and psychic phenomenon; the supernatural thriller combines these with a frightening but often restrained film. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.
Techno-thriller: A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller".
Most thrillers are formed in some combination of the above, with horror, conspiracy, and psychological tricks used most commonly to heighten tension.
Forms and Conventions of the Thriller Genre
Before starting to film our thriller, we researched the key forms and conventions of the thriller genre. We watched a number of thrillers in order to analyze and get inspiration from. some of these were:
-Psycho (1960)
-No Country for Old Men (2007)
-Phone booth (2002)
-One Hour Photo (2004)
-Taking lives (2004)
- Mr.Brooks (2007)
By looking closely at these films, we studied the forms and conventions that made them so effective and successful, and what we could use in our own film to make ours as persuasive and real.
-There is usually some kind of hero/heroine that the audience can sympathise with.
-Action and violence, usually on a grand scale as they emphasise all acts of violence to make the film more exciting.
-Cliff-hangers are used to create suspense and tension.
-Psychological reasons of the characters actions are explored, to let the audience understand possible motives.
-Twists in the plot, keeps the audience interested.
-Fast cuts, creates a fast past which conveys urgency or danger.
-Music is used primarily to convey a certain mood and create tension.
-Lighting , either high key or low key lighting is used to add effect and build an atmopshere that reflects the mood in the film.
These points appeared to link in well with our ideas.
As we have a good range of lighting, a twist in our plot, a focus character for the audience to connect with.
When coming to edit our piece we wish to use fast cuts and a good choice in music.
-Psycho (1960)
-No Country for Old Men (2007)
-Phone booth (2002)
-One Hour Photo (2004)
-Taking lives (2004)
- Mr.Brooks (2007)
By looking closely at these films, we studied the forms and conventions that made them so effective and successful, and what we could use in our own film to make ours as persuasive and real.
-There is usually some kind of hero/heroine that the audience can sympathise with.
-Action and violence, usually on a grand scale as they emphasise all acts of violence to make the film more exciting.
-Cliff-hangers are used to create suspense and tension.
-Psychological reasons of the characters actions are explored, to let the audience understand possible motives.
-Twists in the plot, keeps the audience interested.
-Fast cuts, creates a fast past which conveys urgency or danger.
-Music is used primarily to convey a certain mood and create tension.
-Lighting , either high key or low key lighting is used to add effect and build an atmopshere that reflects the mood in the film.
These points appeared to link in well with our ideas.
As we have a good range of lighting, a twist in our plot, a focus character for the audience to connect with.
When coming to edit our piece we wish to use fast cuts and a good choice in music.
Booking Location
In order to use the dance studio to film in, we had to undertake an hiring our application and pay a hiring fee.
From: Holly Addison [mailto:holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 17 February 2010 21:05
To: bsc
Subject: hiring out dance studio
Hi,
I am a student and currently studying a-level media at Walton High School.
For our coursework piece we have to film a short thriller and I am contacting with question to the prices of hiring out your dance studio for around an hour in order to film a section of our dance.
If you could reply asap that would be great,
thanks,
Holly Addison
Subject: RE: hiring out dance studio
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:15:42 +0000
From: bsc@staffs.ac.uk
To: holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk
Hi Holly
Thanks for your email.
The normal price to hire the dance studio is £22.50 per hour.
Occasionally the manager will offer discounts in special circumstances.
Regards
Karen
Beaconside Sports Centre
Staffordshire University
Stafford
01785-353286
www.staffs.ac.uk/bsc
From: Holly Addison [mailto:holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 20 February 2010 16:49
To: bsc
Subject: RE: hiring out dance studio
Thankyou for replying so soon.
How would i go about booking the dance studio?
What times are often free? as we have to schedule around school.
What would be classed as special circumstances for a discount?
Thanks again,
Holly Addison
Hi Holly
I have spoken to the Centre Manager and she has offered a 20% discount as your booking is for A level coursework. If you wish to book the Studio at this price you will need to contact the Bookings Manager, Rich Sinclair, who will let you know availability and enter your booking on the system. He can be contacted on 01785-353300 or bscbookings@staffs.ac.uk He will be on shift from 5.00-10.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday this week but then will not be available until Sunday from 3.30-9.30pm.
If you require more info please let me know
Regards
Karen
Beaconside Sports Centre
Staffordshire University
Stafford
01785-353286
www.staffs.ac.uk/bsc
I then e-mailed the booking manager;
From: Holly Addison [mailto:holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 24 February 2010 22:42
To: bscbookings
Subject: Hiring out dance studio!
I would like to book the dance studio sometime within the week commencing the 8th of March.
Sat the 13th would be ideal.
Could you please give me any time slots within this week that are available to book?
We have also been given a 20% discount from the manager, that was confirmed in a e-mail to me from Karen.
Thanks,
Holly Addison
Hi Holly,
It will probably be easier to sort out a specific day and time for your booking if you gave me a call at the Sports Centre rather than going backwards and forwards via email. For info, for the rest of this week I am working 10am-5pm on Wed, 2.30pm-10pm on Thurs and 2.30pm-10pm on Fri as well if you would like to give me a call between those hours at all on (01785)353286, then hopefully we will be able to sort something out.
Cheers,
Rich.
I then rang him to sort out an appropriate date and time for us to book the studio.
Eventually the studio was booked for;
Saturday 13 March - 2 - 3pm
From: Holly Addison [mailto:holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 17 February 2010 21:05
To: bsc
Subject: hiring out dance studio
Hi,
I am a student and currently studying a-level media at Walton High School.
For our coursework piece we have to film a short thriller and I am contacting with question to the prices of hiring out your dance studio for around an hour in order to film a section of our dance.
If you could reply asap that would be great,
thanks,
Holly Addison
Subject: RE: hiring out dance studio
Date: Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:15:42 +0000
From: bsc@staffs.ac.uk
To: holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk
Hi Holly
Thanks for your email.
The normal price to hire the dance studio is £22.50 per hour.
Occasionally the manager will offer discounts in special circumstances.
Regards
Karen
Beaconside Sports Centre
Staffordshire University
Stafford
01785-353286
www.staffs.ac.uk/bsc
From: Holly Addison [mailto:holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 20 February 2010 16:49
To: bsc
Subject: RE: hiring out dance studio
Thankyou for replying so soon.
How would i go about booking the dance studio?
What times are often free? as we have to schedule around school.
What would be classed as special circumstances for a discount?
Thanks again,
Holly Addison
Hi Holly
I have spoken to the Centre Manager and she has offered a 20% discount as your booking is for A level coursework. If you wish to book the Studio at this price you will need to contact the Bookings Manager, Rich Sinclair, who will let you know availability and enter your booking on the system. He can be contacted on 01785-353300 or bscbookings@staffs.ac.uk He will be on shift from 5.00-10.30pm on Tuesday and Wednesday this week but then will not be available until Sunday from 3.30-9.30pm.
If you require more info please let me know
Regards
Karen
Beaconside Sports Centre
Staffordshire University
Stafford
01785-353286
www.staffs.ac.uk/bsc
I then e-mailed the booking manager;
From: Holly Addison [mailto:holly_ox@hotmail.co.uk]
Sent: 24 February 2010 22:42
To: bscbookings
Subject: Hiring out dance studio!
I would like to book the dance studio sometime within the week commencing the 8th of March.
Sat the 13th would be ideal.
Could you please give me any time slots within this week that are available to book?
We have also been given a 20% discount from the manager, that was confirmed in a e-mail to me from Karen.
Thanks,
Holly Addison
Hi Holly,
It will probably be easier to sort out a specific day and time for your booking if you gave me a call at the Sports Centre rather than going backwards and forwards via email. For info, for the rest of this week I am working 10am-5pm on Wed, 2.30pm-10pm on Thurs and 2.30pm-10pm on Fri as well if you would like to give me a call between those hours at all on (01785)353286, then hopefully we will be able to sort something out.
Cheers,
Rich.
I then rang him to sort out an appropriate date and time for us to book the studio.
Eventually the studio was booked for;
Saturday 13 March - 2 - 3pm
Location Drawing
For the ending of our piece, we wanted the fire to be fairly small. Having a modern look to it, would bring our thriller into a modern day time, and the simple design would again give that feminine feeling we want to create. The surroundings around the fire does not matter as the shots we film will be close ups and the low key lighting we wish to use will cover any surroundings of the fire place.
For the photowall, we wanted the surroundings and location to be uncertain to the audience. Creating an unsettling atmosphere and feeling. We thought the small wall in my bath room would be perfect as the tiles below would give the audience an unsure feeling and question the location. The wall is plain, and the location, with low key soft lighting would turn out to work quite well.
For the dance studio, we wanted it to be big and have a natural high key lighting.
This would give us room to film, and the correct lighting for the atmosphere we wanted to create.
We visited a number of studios, but felt the dance studio above, was the best choice.
This would give us room to film, and the correct lighting for the atmosphere we wanted to create.
We visited a number of studios, but felt the dance studio above, was the best choice.
Developed Ideas
We created a new mind map in order to summarise our developed ideas.
Locations;
- Dance Studio
- Photowall
- Fire
Mis En Scene;
- Dance studio - Big, bright
- Photo wall - unsure surroundings/location (gives a sense of an uneasy feeling)
- Fire - Again a sense of uncertainty of where you are placed.
Lighting;
- Dance studio - High Key Lighting
- Photo wall - Low key lighting - a hint of soft red (represent danger)
- Fire - Low key lighting, the fire itself should give off enough light.
Character;
- Dancer
- Young teenager. 16/17 yrs
Costume + Make-up;
- Nude colours (sense of venerability, to connect with audience)
- loose clothing, able to move easily (sense of freedom?)
The danger/perceived threat;
- You are unable to see much of the potential 'threat', as an audience appear to be more scared of the 'unknown'
- only reference of the danger through out most of the piece is the photo wall, with only photos of the focused character with people around her blurred out. (again creates an unsettling atmosphere)
- Ending of the piece is unexpected as the 'stalker' is in fact a female
Audio;
- Slower, more feminine music,music builds and tension builds
- camera shutter sounds on transactions
Initial Ideas
We made a mind map of initial ideas and highlighted the ideas we liked and want to develop.
We liked the idea of taking a different approach in creating our opening to a thriller. We want to take it at a slow pace, and create a more feminine feeling, to create an uneasy feeling and atmosphere.
The idea of a young dancer being 'stalked' by another young girl became our favourite idea, as the slow pace, feminine feel to the piece will hint and link in with the twist at the end.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Representation
In our opening, we want the main focus to be on one character. We want the audience to connect and feel for our character in a short period of time. We want the representation of the character to be perfect in order to affect the audience in the way we wish, and create that sense of danger, and fear for the character. We want our opening to be believable in order for the audience to full connect with the piece.
I did some research into representation, and watched some stereotypical TV series, in order to analyise how a piece is put together in order to represent a character.
I completed this essay in order to summarise my research into representation and analyise some TV series.
Explain what you understand by the term representation and by reference to particular media texts show how representation is operating in those texts.
Representation refers to the construction in any medium, especially the mass media, of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, cultural identities and other concepts.
The media do not just offer us a transparent ‘window on the world’ but a mediated version of the world. They don’t just present reality, they re-present it.
For example, when asked, ‘did you watch the match last night’, you first instinct is to yes, but technically we should reply, ‘no, I watched a mediated, constructed re-presentation of the match through the medium of live television’. As when watching things ‘live’ we are always, a short time behind the actual live process, so certain things, like swearing or brand names can be blurred and blanked out.
The camera angles of the programme also limit us to what we actually see but being there physically allows us to choose for ourselves exactly what we see, without any mediation. When watching through a television, the things we see are chosen for us with no choice and the characters or contestants for example are re-presented in a particular way and we are lead to believe that is how things really are, how they are happening - the reality of it. When it’s not reality at all, it’s a mediated version of what is ‘chosen’ for us to see.
Even reality TV is not technically the reality. Take Big Brother for example, we are lead to believe everything we see is the whole truth, technically speaking it IS the truth, but on the whole scale of things we only see a small section of the truth. Again, the things we see are chosen for us, certain sections are shown but not others. This is how some of the characters are portrayed and represented as bad and others good.
It is not just the media who represent, every day we represent ourselves in the way we wish to be seen by others, by the clothes we wear, the things we own and the way we act.
Why is that, men wear ties for some occasions but not others? The most obvious answer we all think of, is they do it to look smart, professional and formal, when in more depth, they do it because they want to represent themselves that way, and want others to see them in that light. At most occasions there are people who you do not know, and you would rather them see you looking professional and smart, for a lasting impression, rather than you in a t-shirt and jeans, which leaves a slightly less approvable impression due to how our society has developed with preconceptions and judgements.
But why should pieces of material mean so much? And how has it come to represent a person, their personality and behaviour?
In our society, clothing such as the tie has come to represent formality. The tie is a sign or symbol. In itself it makes no difference but it carries cultural meaning, otherwise known as connotations.
The clothes we wear, use to only be there to keep us warm and dry, but now, due to the change in our society, heavily enhanced by the mass media, they mean so much more. They present an image of us as people and how we want or like to be seen by others. Even the jewellery we choose to wear, the cars we drive and the way our homes are decorated, all present signs and symbols that reinforce your identity.
This works in both reality and in the medium of television. In a TV series, for a character to be believable, he/she must wear the clothes in which you would expect that type of person to wear. For example, you wouldn’t expect, a stereotypical ‘chav’ to be wearing a formal suit or dress, just as you wouldn’t expect a so called ‘drug dealer’ to be dressed in a knitted jumper and jeans, as this wouldn’t represent the character in the way we would expect, they become unbelievable and may as well be wearing an Santa Claus costume. When we look at how a media text represents the world or our society, we are usually concerned with the representation it gives. For example, gender, race, cultural identities, social groups or time periods etc. This all adds up to the verisimilitude, the way the text is constructed to create a plausible, believable world.
However, the term representation, and the understanding, is ever changing. There is a claim that has arisen from an obvious aspect of the effects of digital technology. As it is becoming cheaper, easier and quicker for people to make videos and upload them to the internet, on sites such as youtube for example, for an ‘imagined audience’, then is it the case that the representation of people by the media is increasingly replaced by people representing themselves?
Skins, is one of the best TV series that has representation constantly operating throughout, and not with just one representation, but a wide range, that covers everyday aspects in society to do with teens - a typical teenage group with stereotypical images.
Episode 1, season 2.
In this episode we see how people are dealing with main character Tony’s disability. This is shown through people’s reactions, attitudes, preconceptions and opinions.
At the start of the episode, we are led to believe that a funeral is taking place due to the mis en scene, the diegetic organ music and a church setting. This is the first preconception of many throughout the episode, and series in fact, as the setting is actually a dance studio in a converted church. Whereas the organ music leads us to believe it is a working church. As the previous series ended with Tony’s accident, the audience assumes that it could be his funeral. However, this is not the case, as it is revealed it starts with another character, Maxxie and his dance friends, one is female, another is black and then there is Maxxie who is homosexual. In just a few shots, we are shown the versatility of people we have in our society.
The fast cuts, and actions of the dancers and their movements is significantly contrasted as we cut to the next shot of Tony sat in the shadows of his surroundings. He is isolated, staring blankly at the dancers. The low key lighting contrast with the bright light the dancers are performing in. The emphasised isolation from the action, emphasises Tony’s disability. We are shown some mid-shots, where he face is slightly lit, and the slight facial expressions communicates to us that he is not completely out of it, there is some reactions there. When Maxxie then enters the frame, he is lit by a bright light from the stain glass window behind him, which suggests a sense of humanity, hope, kindness and patience towards Tony.
Throughout the sequence we are shown subtle actions by Tony that communicates his disability and how he is struggling with day to day things, he use to be able to achieve without problems, but can no longer do so, and the striking contrast between the emotions can and cannot express with his new disability.
For example, on the bus journey home, a bus passes at high speed and Tony jumps in fright and grabs Maxxie’s hand – the only physical contact we have seen from Tony since the start of the episode. The slightest thing makes Tony react so vividly, however the intense and energetic performance of the dancers attracts no actions or communication from Tony at all.
When we cut to Maxxie’s home, it is decorated with dancing photos, awards and medals, showing he is clearly very talented in this area, however his father still wishes him to be a builder, even though Maxxie has no interest what so ever. We see this relationship, between Maxxie and his father in many ways throughout this episode, as it is clear his father does not want him to be a dancer, and almost wants to blank out the fact Maxxie is homosexual, yet he still sticks up for him when a group of lads are bullying him outside of his home.
When Maxxie’s mother greets Tony, there is a sense of familiarity towards Tony, even though Tony has no recollection of her after his accident. When we cut to Maxxie, His mother and Tony sat having dinner, Maxxie’s Mother reaches over to wipe some food from Tony’s face, he flinches which shows his discomfort. Whereas Maxxie acts very natural and the same as he did before Tony’s accident, by making Tony feeling as comfortable as possible, even when cutting up Tony’s food. Maxxie reveals his understanding towards Tony’s disability by helping, however using casual dialog, ‘there you go mate’, as he would talk to any friend, and how he did before Tony had his accident. This scene represents the two outcomes that have come from Tony’s accident, as makes us as the audience question how we would act around Tony and which is the best way to act?
Throughout the episode we are introduced to other characters, Tony’s friends. Each character represents a believable and relatable ‘stereotype’. Each character reacts differently towards Tony. A scene where Chris and Jal are walking Tony home, trying to disguise the fact they are going to a party that night, contrasts with Maxxie’s character we see throughout. They make out it is for Tony’s best interests, and are doing it to help Tony, when really, all that is being portrayed is that they don’t want to deal with the hassle of Tony going to the party as they believe he won’t be able to cope. Later on, we are shown they were right.
Tony’s family is very protective over Tony after his accident, his cushion him. It is clear that his father is finding it very hard to deal with Tony’s new disability and shows this quite clearly. However his mother is a little more reserved but earlier in the episode we see her, in a low key lighted bathroom, to represent her mood, and harp music is playing to represent her maybe dreaming of the past, and holding onto Tony’s new equipment, and eventually breaks into tears, showing how she maybe struggling to deal with Tony. When sat at the dinner table eating, she are shown more evidence of Tony’s slow thinking and reactions, as when joke is said by his mother, Tony replies by laughing at a joke previously said by one of his friends.
Later on Maxxie shows sympathy and compassion towards Tony as he rings Tony to get him to go to the party. Maxxie is different to the others, and believes he can handle it, and wants Tony there, almost like he is finding it hard to let go of the ‘old’ Tony.
Whilst on the phone a one line is delivered which is very effective, ‘I miss me’. With Tony saying this, it engages the audience incredibly and we are feeling and connecting with Tony, his frustration and also his sensitivity.
When Tony arrives at the party, he is disorientated and frightened by the large crowds, flashing lights, loud music and a casutraphobic atmosphere and begins to panic, how a young child would react.
As the episode continues, we learn that Sid his best friend, who went to visit Tony everyday in hospital, no longer, contacts him and Shell, Tony’s ex girlfriend doesn’t either. They reveal they are scared and miss Tony and no longer know how to handle him.
In this episode family is a strong element, between Maxxie and His Father, and Tony and his family. However the relationship between Tony and his Friends differs extremely, as Maxxie treats him like he use to be treated, and the others either don’t know how to act, or baby him like his family.
Maxxie and Tony share a bond as they are both fighting society, with Maxxie being homosexual and Tony having a disability.
Little lines of dialogue, for example when Tony is asked if he is mental, he casually replies; yes. Which allows us as an audience realize that Tony knows the factors of his disability, but as the episode goes on, he does not know what to do, or how to help himself and gets very frustrated with this.
We are made to think, how would we react to Tony? What is best for him?
Misfits is another TV series similar to skins in the way young teens are being portrayed from our modern day society. Misfits represents, oh a whole, ‘youth offenders’ but with a twist. Each youth offender is given a super power when a large storm strikes. However the representation of each character provides us a relatable and modern image, in which our society has become to recognise, acknowledge and understand. Without these being portrayed, the fact of them having super powers would be too unbelievable and the programme wouldn’t work.
Throughout the series we learn who each character is, there background and how they came to become where they are, as youth offenders.
A black teenager, called Curtis was a rising sports star whose goal was to compete in the 2012 Olympics. But his career is left in tatters after he’s caught with an illegal substance and is publicly shamed as he’s made an example under the eyes of the law.
Curtis is forced to trade his tracksuit for a jumpsuit and take part in Community Payback. Although he’s desperate to toe the line, Curtis hates being lumbered with a bunch of losers who can’t even paint a bench without getting into a fight.
After the storm, Curtis gets the gift of turning back time when he regrets something. With the heavy weight of regret on his shoulders he goes back in time to change those mistakes. Each time he comes back to the present day, things becomes worse. We see Curtis’s sensitive side, wanting to do what is best for everyone around him. Not the typical behaviour we think of today, when thinking of a youth offender.
A white, British girl called Kelly is, what your first impression of might be that she is your common or garden chav who wouldn’t look out of place on Jeremy Kyle. Kelly wades in fist first. Her attitude is her suit of armour, accessorised with enough gold jewellery to really do some harm, and acrilycs that could have your eyes out. Behind that veneer though, Kelly’s got a heart of gold and is fiercely loyal. Her appearance is what sells it to us immediately, her heavy eye make-up and big gold jewellery, is what everyone would class as a common ‘chav’.
When the supernatural storm hits, Kelly gets landed with a super power she could really work with; she can hear what people are thinking. And what they think of her. Stereotypical first impressions aside, Kelly also has to deal with hearing people’s thoughts in the most intimate of moments. As well as the secrets those around her would rather keep hidden. We see a side to Kelly which is compassionate and sensitive towards others, when hearing their thoughts. She does not shout their secrets out for all to hear, but uses them to help people for the good of things. This links in with Curtis, just doing what is believed to be best.
A mixed raced, teenage girl called Alisha is what you expect to be an attention, always wants to be the centre of everybodie’s world type of girl. All she cares about is being the girl all the guys want to be with, like she has been previously.
The ‘superficia’l and sassy stunner now stuck with the worst come down of all and not only is Alisha cut off from her mates, forced to associate with who she considers to be losers all day and has a curfew; she’s also got a power that could seriously damage her social life. Because when people touch Alisha’s skin, they’re going to be so filled with lust, they can’t think straight.
Alisha soon discovers it’s much more of a curse than a blessing as she has to adapt to life with her new power, forcing her to reassess her relationships with the opposite sex.
She realizes, being who she was is not all it cracked up to be and wants to change.
Simon is a very relatable and believable character, due to the stories we hear from the media. Despite a sharp, calculating mind, shy, unassuming Simon is a social outcast who looks more like a computer games addict than someone who would actually break the law. Nervous to speak up, but desperate to make friends, Simon tries his hardest to be heard and accepted by the others, which helps to fuel everyone else’s suspicion he’s a little odd. His offers to help fall on deaf ears, or are ridiculed by Nathan. Which is a shame, because what Simon would like more than anything is to feel noticed and valued by actual people, as opposed to just the subscribers of his YouTube channel.
Reeling from the storm, Simon discovers that when he’s ignored, he becomes invisible. For one of life’s voyeurs, things get very interesting, and he shows behaviour that should get him caught by the law, not like what got him there in the first place. Unlike the others, after the storm, his super power does not change him for the better, in fact, he becomes a lot worse.
Nathan is an Irish lad with an answer for everything, sarcastic wit (commonly what we associate with the Irish), and a fondness for pushing things too far; your first impression of Nathan could be that he's massively irritating, which is something he seems to revel in, So when Nathan’s lumbered with this bunch of extremities, he’s got so much to play with.
The thing is, Nathan may realise having actual friends when you’re out on your ear is a good thing. Because underneath the cocky quips and sarcasm, Nathan isn’t as unemotionally untouchable as he makes out, which Kelly soon discovers
Despite being caught in the storm with the rest of the gang, and much to his annoyance, Nathan doesn’t seem to have a super power, well not one that is as obvious as the rest. But it is soon revealed in later episodes. Throughout the series we see how Nathan begins to change, and like most of the others, for good.
The powerful group of the Law is represented by their Probation Officer, who initially is how we would expect. Has power over the youth offenders and would do all she can to benefit her society, but when she is lead to believe that they killed her husband, her attitude changes. She breaks the law herself, she invade their privacy, has an affair with Simon to gather information and the police force is represented in a completely different light as well as her individual character.
We are almost given a message throughout this series, that ‘we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover’. We are lead to judge the characters, by their costume, how they speak and their backgrounds, before actually getting to know their inner thoughts and personalities. We learn that no all youth offenders are as bad as we think. They have their own hopes a dream, whether it is to make friends or win gold in the Olympics.
The characters are a mix of Black, white, mixed race, British, Irish, but all are similar in many ways, and come together as a group as show us, that everyone is equal and we should not judge from exterior images.
The extreme representation throughout the series is extremely effective, as we can relate and believe each character enough to believe that they are living in a plausible and believe world.
I did some research into representation, and watched some stereotypical TV series, in order to analyise how a piece is put together in order to represent a character.
I completed this essay in order to summarise my research into representation and analyise some TV series.
Explain what you understand by the term representation and by reference to particular media texts show how representation is operating in those texts.
Representation refers to the construction in any medium, especially the mass media, of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, cultural identities and other concepts.
The media do not just offer us a transparent ‘window on the world’ but a mediated version of the world. They don’t just present reality, they re-present it.
For example, when asked, ‘did you watch the match last night’, you first instinct is to yes, but technically we should reply, ‘no, I watched a mediated, constructed re-presentation of the match through the medium of live television’. As when watching things ‘live’ we are always, a short time behind the actual live process, so certain things, like swearing or brand names can be blurred and blanked out.
The camera angles of the programme also limit us to what we actually see but being there physically allows us to choose for ourselves exactly what we see, without any mediation. When watching through a television, the things we see are chosen for us with no choice and the characters or contestants for example are re-presented in a particular way and we are lead to believe that is how things really are, how they are happening - the reality of it. When it’s not reality at all, it’s a mediated version of what is ‘chosen’ for us to see.
Even reality TV is not technically the reality. Take Big Brother for example, we are lead to believe everything we see is the whole truth, technically speaking it IS the truth, but on the whole scale of things we only see a small section of the truth. Again, the things we see are chosen for us, certain sections are shown but not others. This is how some of the characters are portrayed and represented as bad and others good.
It is not just the media who represent, every day we represent ourselves in the way we wish to be seen by others, by the clothes we wear, the things we own and the way we act.
Why is that, men wear ties for some occasions but not others? The most obvious answer we all think of, is they do it to look smart, professional and formal, when in more depth, they do it because they want to represent themselves that way, and want others to see them in that light. At most occasions there are people who you do not know, and you would rather them see you looking professional and smart, for a lasting impression, rather than you in a t-shirt and jeans, which leaves a slightly less approvable impression due to how our society has developed with preconceptions and judgements.
But why should pieces of material mean so much? And how has it come to represent a person, their personality and behaviour?
In our society, clothing such as the tie has come to represent formality. The tie is a sign or symbol. In itself it makes no difference but it carries cultural meaning, otherwise known as connotations.
The clothes we wear, use to only be there to keep us warm and dry, but now, due to the change in our society, heavily enhanced by the mass media, they mean so much more. They present an image of us as people and how we want or like to be seen by others. Even the jewellery we choose to wear, the cars we drive and the way our homes are decorated, all present signs and symbols that reinforce your identity.
This works in both reality and in the medium of television. In a TV series, for a character to be believable, he/she must wear the clothes in which you would expect that type of person to wear. For example, you wouldn’t expect, a stereotypical ‘chav’ to be wearing a formal suit or dress, just as you wouldn’t expect a so called ‘drug dealer’ to be dressed in a knitted jumper and jeans, as this wouldn’t represent the character in the way we would expect, they become unbelievable and may as well be wearing an Santa Claus costume. When we look at how a media text represents the world or our society, we are usually concerned with the representation it gives. For example, gender, race, cultural identities, social groups or time periods etc. This all adds up to the verisimilitude, the way the text is constructed to create a plausible, believable world.
However, the term representation, and the understanding, is ever changing. There is a claim that has arisen from an obvious aspect of the effects of digital technology. As it is becoming cheaper, easier and quicker for people to make videos and upload them to the internet, on sites such as youtube for example, for an ‘imagined audience’, then is it the case that the representation of people by the media is increasingly replaced by people representing themselves?
Skins, is one of the best TV series that has representation constantly operating throughout, and not with just one representation, but a wide range, that covers everyday aspects in society to do with teens - a typical teenage group with stereotypical images.
Episode 1, season 2.
In this episode we see how people are dealing with main character Tony’s disability. This is shown through people’s reactions, attitudes, preconceptions and opinions.
At the start of the episode, we are led to believe that a funeral is taking place due to the mis en scene, the diegetic organ music and a church setting. This is the first preconception of many throughout the episode, and series in fact, as the setting is actually a dance studio in a converted church. Whereas the organ music leads us to believe it is a working church. As the previous series ended with Tony’s accident, the audience assumes that it could be his funeral. However, this is not the case, as it is revealed it starts with another character, Maxxie and his dance friends, one is female, another is black and then there is Maxxie who is homosexual. In just a few shots, we are shown the versatility of people we have in our society.
The fast cuts, and actions of the dancers and their movements is significantly contrasted as we cut to the next shot of Tony sat in the shadows of his surroundings. He is isolated, staring blankly at the dancers. The low key lighting contrast with the bright light the dancers are performing in. The emphasised isolation from the action, emphasises Tony’s disability. We are shown some mid-shots, where he face is slightly lit, and the slight facial expressions communicates to us that he is not completely out of it, there is some reactions there. When Maxxie then enters the frame, he is lit by a bright light from the stain glass window behind him, which suggests a sense of humanity, hope, kindness and patience towards Tony.
Throughout the sequence we are shown subtle actions by Tony that communicates his disability and how he is struggling with day to day things, he use to be able to achieve without problems, but can no longer do so, and the striking contrast between the emotions can and cannot express with his new disability.
For example, on the bus journey home, a bus passes at high speed and Tony jumps in fright and grabs Maxxie’s hand – the only physical contact we have seen from Tony since the start of the episode. The slightest thing makes Tony react so vividly, however the intense and energetic performance of the dancers attracts no actions or communication from Tony at all.
When we cut to Maxxie’s home, it is decorated with dancing photos, awards and medals, showing he is clearly very talented in this area, however his father still wishes him to be a builder, even though Maxxie has no interest what so ever. We see this relationship, between Maxxie and his father in many ways throughout this episode, as it is clear his father does not want him to be a dancer, and almost wants to blank out the fact Maxxie is homosexual, yet he still sticks up for him when a group of lads are bullying him outside of his home.
When Maxxie’s mother greets Tony, there is a sense of familiarity towards Tony, even though Tony has no recollection of her after his accident. When we cut to Maxxie, His mother and Tony sat having dinner, Maxxie’s Mother reaches over to wipe some food from Tony’s face, he flinches which shows his discomfort. Whereas Maxxie acts very natural and the same as he did before Tony’s accident, by making Tony feeling as comfortable as possible, even when cutting up Tony’s food. Maxxie reveals his understanding towards Tony’s disability by helping, however using casual dialog, ‘there you go mate’, as he would talk to any friend, and how he did before Tony had his accident. This scene represents the two outcomes that have come from Tony’s accident, as makes us as the audience question how we would act around Tony and which is the best way to act?
Throughout the episode we are introduced to other characters, Tony’s friends. Each character represents a believable and relatable ‘stereotype’. Each character reacts differently towards Tony. A scene where Chris and Jal are walking Tony home, trying to disguise the fact they are going to a party that night, contrasts with Maxxie’s character we see throughout. They make out it is for Tony’s best interests, and are doing it to help Tony, when really, all that is being portrayed is that they don’t want to deal with the hassle of Tony going to the party as they believe he won’t be able to cope. Later on, we are shown they were right.
Tony’s family is very protective over Tony after his accident, his cushion him. It is clear that his father is finding it very hard to deal with Tony’s new disability and shows this quite clearly. However his mother is a little more reserved but earlier in the episode we see her, in a low key lighted bathroom, to represent her mood, and harp music is playing to represent her maybe dreaming of the past, and holding onto Tony’s new equipment, and eventually breaks into tears, showing how she maybe struggling to deal with Tony. When sat at the dinner table eating, she are shown more evidence of Tony’s slow thinking and reactions, as when joke is said by his mother, Tony replies by laughing at a joke previously said by one of his friends.
Later on Maxxie shows sympathy and compassion towards Tony as he rings Tony to get him to go to the party. Maxxie is different to the others, and believes he can handle it, and wants Tony there, almost like he is finding it hard to let go of the ‘old’ Tony.
Whilst on the phone a one line is delivered which is very effective, ‘I miss me’. With Tony saying this, it engages the audience incredibly and we are feeling and connecting with Tony, his frustration and also his sensitivity.
When Tony arrives at the party, he is disorientated and frightened by the large crowds, flashing lights, loud music and a casutraphobic atmosphere and begins to panic, how a young child would react.
As the episode continues, we learn that Sid his best friend, who went to visit Tony everyday in hospital, no longer, contacts him and Shell, Tony’s ex girlfriend doesn’t either. They reveal they are scared and miss Tony and no longer know how to handle him.
In this episode family is a strong element, between Maxxie and His Father, and Tony and his family. However the relationship between Tony and his Friends differs extremely, as Maxxie treats him like he use to be treated, and the others either don’t know how to act, or baby him like his family.
Maxxie and Tony share a bond as they are both fighting society, with Maxxie being homosexual and Tony having a disability.
Little lines of dialogue, for example when Tony is asked if he is mental, he casually replies; yes. Which allows us as an audience realize that Tony knows the factors of his disability, but as the episode goes on, he does not know what to do, or how to help himself and gets very frustrated with this.
We are made to think, how would we react to Tony? What is best for him?
Misfits is another TV series similar to skins in the way young teens are being portrayed from our modern day society. Misfits represents, oh a whole, ‘youth offenders’ but with a twist. Each youth offender is given a super power when a large storm strikes. However the representation of each character provides us a relatable and modern image, in which our society has become to recognise, acknowledge and understand. Without these being portrayed, the fact of them having super powers would be too unbelievable and the programme wouldn’t work.
Throughout the series we learn who each character is, there background and how they came to become where they are, as youth offenders.
A black teenager, called Curtis was a rising sports star whose goal was to compete in the 2012 Olympics. But his career is left in tatters after he’s caught with an illegal substance and is publicly shamed as he’s made an example under the eyes of the law.
Curtis is forced to trade his tracksuit for a jumpsuit and take part in Community Payback. Although he’s desperate to toe the line, Curtis hates being lumbered with a bunch of losers who can’t even paint a bench without getting into a fight.
After the storm, Curtis gets the gift of turning back time when he regrets something. With the heavy weight of regret on his shoulders he goes back in time to change those mistakes. Each time he comes back to the present day, things becomes worse. We see Curtis’s sensitive side, wanting to do what is best for everyone around him. Not the typical behaviour we think of today, when thinking of a youth offender.
A white, British girl called Kelly is, what your first impression of might be that she is your common or garden chav who wouldn’t look out of place on Jeremy Kyle. Kelly wades in fist first. Her attitude is her suit of armour, accessorised with enough gold jewellery to really do some harm, and acrilycs that could have your eyes out. Behind that veneer though, Kelly’s got a heart of gold and is fiercely loyal. Her appearance is what sells it to us immediately, her heavy eye make-up and big gold jewellery, is what everyone would class as a common ‘chav’.
When the supernatural storm hits, Kelly gets landed with a super power she could really work with; she can hear what people are thinking. And what they think of her. Stereotypical first impressions aside, Kelly also has to deal with hearing people’s thoughts in the most intimate of moments. As well as the secrets those around her would rather keep hidden. We see a side to Kelly which is compassionate and sensitive towards others, when hearing their thoughts. She does not shout their secrets out for all to hear, but uses them to help people for the good of things. This links in with Curtis, just doing what is believed to be best.
A mixed raced, teenage girl called Alisha is what you expect to be an attention, always wants to be the centre of everybodie’s world type of girl. All she cares about is being the girl all the guys want to be with, like she has been previously.
The ‘superficia’l and sassy stunner now stuck with the worst come down of all and not only is Alisha cut off from her mates, forced to associate with who she considers to be losers all day and has a curfew; she’s also got a power that could seriously damage her social life. Because when people touch Alisha’s skin, they’re going to be so filled with lust, they can’t think straight.
Alisha soon discovers it’s much more of a curse than a blessing as she has to adapt to life with her new power, forcing her to reassess her relationships with the opposite sex.
She realizes, being who she was is not all it cracked up to be and wants to change.
Simon is a very relatable and believable character, due to the stories we hear from the media. Despite a sharp, calculating mind, shy, unassuming Simon is a social outcast who looks more like a computer games addict than someone who would actually break the law. Nervous to speak up, but desperate to make friends, Simon tries his hardest to be heard and accepted by the others, which helps to fuel everyone else’s suspicion he’s a little odd. His offers to help fall on deaf ears, or are ridiculed by Nathan. Which is a shame, because what Simon would like more than anything is to feel noticed and valued by actual people, as opposed to just the subscribers of his YouTube channel.
Reeling from the storm, Simon discovers that when he’s ignored, he becomes invisible. For one of life’s voyeurs, things get very interesting, and he shows behaviour that should get him caught by the law, not like what got him there in the first place. Unlike the others, after the storm, his super power does not change him for the better, in fact, he becomes a lot worse.
Nathan is an Irish lad with an answer for everything, sarcastic wit (commonly what we associate with the Irish), and a fondness for pushing things too far; your first impression of Nathan could be that he's massively irritating, which is something he seems to revel in, So when Nathan’s lumbered with this bunch of extremities, he’s got so much to play with.
The thing is, Nathan may realise having actual friends when you’re out on your ear is a good thing. Because underneath the cocky quips and sarcasm, Nathan isn’t as unemotionally untouchable as he makes out, which Kelly soon discovers
Despite being caught in the storm with the rest of the gang, and much to his annoyance, Nathan doesn’t seem to have a super power, well not one that is as obvious as the rest. But it is soon revealed in later episodes. Throughout the series we see how Nathan begins to change, and like most of the others, for good.
The powerful group of the Law is represented by their Probation Officer, who initially is how we would expect. Has power over the youth offenders and would do all she can to benefit her society, but when she is lead to believe that they killed her husband, her attitude changes. She breaks the law herself, she invade their privacy, has an affair with Simon to gather information and the police force is represented in a completely different light as well as her individual character.
We are almost given a message throughout this series, that ‘we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover’. We are lead to judge the characters, by their costume, how they speak and their backgrounds, before actually getting to know their inner thoughts and personalities. We learn that no all youth offenders are as bad as we think. They have their own hopes a dream, whether it is to make friends or win gold in the Olympics.
The characters are a mix of Black, white, mixed race, British, Irish, but all are similar in many ways, and come together as a group as show us, that everyone is equal and we should not judge from exterior images.
The extreme representation throughout the series is extremely effective, as we can relate and believe each character enough to believe that they are living in a plausible and believe world.
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