Planning Sound- Miss Miller

Planning Sound

Sound is crucial to any genre of film as it creates a fitting atmosphere, in relation to the scene, with the use of a soundtrack, it helps convey important information with dialogue and to build a realistic or effective view with parallel sound effects that help to emphasize the narrative. Planning sound will enable me to distinguish the different types of sound and where such techniques can be applied to my thriller film. It is important I plan sound and expand my knowledge of each technique because, if I fail to do so, my thriller film will not achieve all of the classic thriller conventions such as, shock, suspense, surprise. The types of sound I will be analysis fall under the four categories explain below.

Diegetic Sound

This style refers to sound with a visible source on screen or a source implied to be present. This can be immediately linked to when, in my thriller, the two female protagonists are walking home and talking throughout. The diegetic dialogue is important for this scene as the two protagonists provide a basic context to the film. The naturalistic use of only dialogue forebodes an anomalous, sinister event is going to take place, as all the thriller films aim to shock an audience. This will provide a heightened sense of tension as the viewer anticipates the sudden break away from the normality. The dialogue's focal purpose is, to provide the audience with information which helps build their understanding of the narrative. Diegetic sounds such as dialogue also helps the audience accumulate an immediate judgment of character, in this case the two female protagonists. As well as this, another example of diegetic sound can be applied to my thriller, specifically when one of the protagonists are speaking on the phone. The conversation between the caller and protagonist also accentuates the familiarity of the situation. In turn, this provides the idea of something malicious taking place and creates a typical situation that an audience can easily relate to.

Non-Diegetic

Non diegetic sound is essentially the opposite to the diegetic sound ; soundtracks/music are a form of non diegetic sound, orchestra based music is typically conventional of thriller films. I have decided that an orchestral or classic style of music would be effective for the final chase scene, between the remaining protagonist and the antagonist. An orchestral style of music would create an intense tension and suspense ; the vast variety of instruments and elements are used to bombard the audience's senses, leaving them baffled, and vulnerable to sudden changes in the music, subsequently scaring the viewer.  I aim to use a piece of music with a prevalent call and response style to it. Meaning, there will be a consistent base and a high pitch tonality provided, typically by violins. This will create a metaphor for the antagonist, deep dark base notes, and the protagonist, high pitched shrills of a violin, mirroring the action within the scene, the protagonist trying to escape but always being caught by the antagonist. This emphasizes the protagonists desperation and struggle, causing the audience to build a stronger relationship with her character, as they sympathies for her futile attempts of escaping. In addition, I wish to include a sudden miscellaneous crashing and shock provoking sound. The particular moment I would include this would be, just as the antagonist suddenly opens his eyes and wakes from his flashback. I feel the unexpected sharp, crescendo style of sound will work to shock the audience, whilst bringing them abruptly into the action, enticing them as they anticipate the next sharp burst of sound. Also the unpleasant sound linked to the waking of the antagonist means the audience build a negative relationship with the antagonist, as they associate him with shock and fear. These sounds are highly conventional of a thriller film. This is due to their ability to make the audience fearful, but also intrigued into what will shock them next.

Parallel Sound

Parallel sound refers to sound that are expected to appear in the scene and they relate to the action. The first example of this in my thriller film will be the street noises, for example, cars, distant voices. This inclusion of these sound emphasize the setting the characters are currently featured. These noises help to build a clear and realistic street scene, making it extremely relateble for the audience and in turn, builds a close relationship between viewer and the two protagonists on screen. Building a relationship as a viewer is essential as it provokes a greater, emotive response, because they feel in some way connected to the protagonist. Another example of parallel sound in my thriller regarding setting would be the noise of footsteps, leaves crunching and twigs snapping during the chase scene. The forest hold connotations of hope and freedom as its grandeur offers the protagonist a safe haven and various places to escape through. However, the destruction of branches, under the protagonists feet represents how her previous hope of escaping is broken, much like the fragmented pieces of tree that lay on the ground. This sense of hopelessness portrayed by the protagonist leaves the audience extremely tense, something all thrillers conventionally achieve, as the audience realise much like the protagonist that, her outlook is not good, and witness her heightened vulnerability. In addition an instinctive response from the protagonist could be a parallel sound. For example, when one of the female protagonists are murdered and her friend witnesses the body, a parallel sound would be the screaming and crying that followed this moment. 

Off Screen Sound

Off screen sound simply refers to sound with a source outside of the frame. The first example of this technique in my thriller film is at the very beginning, during the flash back; a female calls, from out of the frame, for the supposed young antagonist, sitting on a swing set. This provides a brief insight into the childhood of the antagonist, without using a visual representation. This allows the audience to accumulate their own variety of opinions that aren't influence by the sue of imagery. By only including sound of the female voice it leaves a great sense of ambiguity as to what she looks like and what purpose she provides. As well as this, suspense and tension are created through the audience trying to figure out the identity of the women, is she a mother figure to the young antagonist. Another example in my thriller film of off screen sound is, a scream from one of the female protagonists as she is murdered. The scream off screen will prove effective because the audience wont be able to immediately see the reason behind the guttering out burst, this will cause them to create the reason in their own minds. The pain inferred by the scream leaves the audience picturing the protagonist expressing this, through her body language and facial features. This will promote a fearful tension from the viewer as they build an image of the pretense in their heads. A scream is highly conventional of a thriller film as it holds connotations of pain, despair, anger, subsequently creating apprehension for the viewer. Off screen dialogue is generally highly conventional of a thriller film. This is because it conveys the prevalent them of hidden identity. A hidden identity is usually sustained by an antagonist, therefore the viewer is left questioning the intentions of the unidentified speaker with the idea that, they are likely to be evil, highlighting the suspense for the audience. 

Planning sound helped me gather a clearer image of my thriller film as I focused on the little details, i.e, the sound of twigs breaking. It also helped me focus upon each sound that we planned to introduce and how they were effective for the audience. Distinguishing the reactions from the audience towards each style of sound allowed me and my group to confirm whether this is what we wanted the audience to feel and how effective it would be, leaving us with close to our end product. Whilst editing my thriller film I will refer back to this plan, making sure that we have checked all of elements  that will create and exciting and intriguing view for the audience. 

Planning Cinematography

Planning Cinematography

Our group planning notes of cinematography

Cinematography could be defined as the style and art of motion-picture photography. It is essential to films of all genres as it introduces the combination of, a variety of camera angles, shots and techniques, all of which are crucial to promote an emotive response from the audience. Planning cinematography allows me to explore my knowledge of each individual shot, whilst applying this knowledge to successfully apply them to my opening thriller film. I have taken a lot of consideration into the placement of different angles and shots, as to ensure that the action will: shock, create suspense and surprise. The three key words are fundamental for creating a classically conventional, and action packed, opening scene. This planning also helps me form a structural skeleton to refer back to and use during filming. In addition, this means that filming will be less time consuming, as we have a basic outline, thus providing myself and my group more time to analyse each shot and edit them effectively. 

Two shot

Two shot- 'The Shining'

Two shot simply refers to the representation of only two characters on screen, usually as they are having a conversation with each other. This shot helps to establish the relationship, the characters on screen share for each other. The image of both characters conveys an equality and coming together of the both people as they share the same input visually onscreen. By depicting just the conversation between two character, whether they are stationary or in transit, this allows the audience to devote their attention to what is being said, grasping some context of film, whilst not becoming distracted by the setting. As well as providing the viewer with contextual information, it also allows them to easily analyse both characters body language, facial expressions and how they influence and interact with each other. For example, above is a captured two shot from the famously acclaimed 'The Shining'. The image depict a conversation between a mother and son. The mother has lowered herself to the young boy's height, this conveys how she is trying to reach out and make him understand, easily presented through their use of levels. The young boy's rigid stance, paired with his perplexed facial expression, displays how his childlike naivety prevents him from understanding fully what his mother is telling him. Paradoxically, the young boy may be rigid with fear, scared of the sinister and certain foreboding he has been introduced to. In regards to my own thriller, a two shot will be first introduced when the two female protagonists are waiting at the bus stop. This is featured as the first scene and is used to engage the audience, as they analyse the conversation for important context. Furthermore, this allows the audience to immediately label the female protagonists as, extremely vulnerable and becoming aware that their vulnerability puts them in a very dangerous position. Thus providing a sudden suspense for the audience, a key convention of a film of the thriller genre. 

Panning

Example of Panning

Panning refers to the movement of the camera, from left to right, or vice-versa, as it follows a moving object. As the audience follows the object it enhances the realism of the scene and puts the audience in the action, as the the camera imitates the viewer also following the object. This shot usually means the camera is mounted onto a tripod. Within my thriller film I aim to include this shot as the two female protagonists walk home, down the the pavement. The slow pace of the shot creates a progressive tension and forebodes a sudden break that will leave the audience tense in anticipation. In addition, the viewer can easily put their selves in the position of the protagonist, this enhanced sense of empathy builds fear within the viewer as they realise that they could just as easily be the protagonists, in the same position as they are in. Panning also focuses on the setting not just the characters, for thriller I have chosen to use panning whilst the two female protagonists are walking home, and revealing the ill lit street at night whilst doing so. A sense of sympathy would be created by this shot as the complete focus on the two protagonists forebodes that they are in danger, leaving the audience tense, a convention all thriller films aim to achieve.

Handheld Shot

Handheld camera 

A handheld is when a camera is literally hold by hand, a pose to being mounted onto a tripod etc. This shot allows a great freedom of motion, meaning the shot can mirror the typical movement of the characters being portrayed. The jerked movement created is used to make the audience feel uncomfortable; the realistic movement captured pulls them straight into the action, as they are no longer viewing something in the same frozen camera angle. In my thriller film I am to include this shot when the protagonist is running through the forest, away from the antagonist. This will help to develop a strong bond between the audience and the protagonist, as they are taken into the scene with the use of the realistic camera shot, in turn building tension and suspense.

Extreme Close-up

Extreme close-up

Originally, as presented at the top of the post in the first image, we had planned and agreed upon exploring and including a closeup, in our opening thriller scene. However, we later decided that the use of an extreme close-up instead would be more effective. The reasons for this were that we felt an extreme close-up would provide a rapid, dramatic effect. Due to the limited time provided, for the duration of our thriller film, this shot provides the dramatic effect we aimed to include, in a shorter time frame. An extreme close-up refers to when an object or features of the face fill mostly all of the frame. Especially within thriller films, extreme close-up is usually used to present the face, in particular, the eyes. This sudden change in distance, from the audience and the character conveyed may make the viewer extremely uncomfortable, as the closeness creates a sense of suffocation for the viewer. Also, the close-up of a person aids the emphasis of their emotional state, building a clear idea of exactly what the characters, thoughts and feelings are. As well as presenting the protagonist, the antagonist is often conveyed through an extreme close-up.

Extreme close-up of 'Annabelle' 

The second image of the 'Annabelle' doll supports this idea. This style of shot would be used for the antagonist to make the audience uncomfortable, as the antagonist appears close in proximity to the viewer. This specific shot of 'Annabelle' presents the doll, not looking directly into the camera, but slightly above the camera lens. This subsequently builds suspense for the audience, as they analyse the eyes for a sudden shift to the conventional, direct glare into the camera, and shock as the frame abruptly changes. Furthermore, finding out the thoughts and feelings of the antagonist may scare the audience as they begin to create a bond with the supposed evil character, and may possibly come to find similarities between themselves and this character. The fixed glare often conveyed in thriller films creates a vast suspense. This is because the audience anticipates what will happen suddenly to shock the viewer, after the gaze is broken. In regards to my thriller film film, I will use an extreme close-up to present the antagonist opening his eyes and waking from his series of flash backs. Although the extreme close-up itself is highly effective, I will pair the depiction of their eyes opening with a loud, miscellaneous crash noise, to emphasise the sudden shock for the viewer. The artificial and magnified style of the shot will leave the viewer fearful and intimidated as the antagonist fills the entire frame. This shot is highly conventional for the reasons mentioned above, and also for its ability to entice and draw the audience into the focal point, and leave them anxious, as they scrutinise every fine detail.     

Point Of View Shot (POV)

Point of View Shot- 'The Silence of the Lambs'

A point of view shot simply means the shot mirrors what the subject can see from their own perspective. The use of this shot puts the audience in the character position and promotes an extremely effective reaction as the audience experience the action through the characters eyes. This means the viewer can build a relationship with the character and relate to them, meaning they will be more aware of what is going to happen next in the scene. The still image displayed captured from 'The Silence of the Lambs'. The point of view is displayed from the perspective of, forensic psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, 'Hannibal Lecter'. He is watching the character of 'Clarice Starling', an FBI agent, as she attempts to retrieve information from his character. The style of shot means we can analyse how Hannibal influences 'Clarice's body language and facial expressions. As well as this, it places the audience behind bars and allows them to put themselves in the eyes of a killer. The image shows 'Clarice' through her facial expression as quizzical and intrigued. However, her body language suggests she is extremely tense, as she sits in an upright, rigid position, possibly presenting connotations of the phrase, ' frozen with fear'. The tension in the characters body is then inflicted upon the audience as they anticipate what the killer will do next, much like the protagonist. In my thriller opening, I will use a point of view shot, from the antagonist's perspective when they are standing in front of the protagonist preventing her from moving or escaping. The female protagonist will be screaming, therefore the audience will be extremely sympathetic as they are put in the position of the antagonist and left to feel, some what responsible for her distress. In addition, this shot will be highly conventional of a thriller film due to its suspense created when the audience are left questioning what is making the protagonist so distressed, and more importantly, what is going to happen next. 

Long Shot

Long Shot- 'Se7en'

A long shot typically presents a character in their entirety or head to toe. Not only is there a strong focus on the character, but a vast amount of background is also presented. The image I have used is captured from the thriller film, 'se7en'.The long shot captures the psychotic antagonist being spotted and supposedly caught, by the two detectives on the other side of the hallway. The antagonist is typically presented as the character of greater power and authority, however, this shot makes the antagonist appear extremely small. This was included to trick the audience, as the camera angles display a weakening of the antagonist, suggesting that he has succumb to his inevitable fate and essentially given up. However, this later proves to be false as he cunningly escapes and goes on to commit many more brutal murders. A long shot, such as this example, has an unrealistic, abstract effect, leaving the character tiny in proportion, much like a doll in a dolls house. Therefore, the character captured through the long shot presents the idea of manipulation and how, like a doll, they are not responsible for their actions. With this in mind, I will be including a long shot from the protagonist's perspective, focusing on the antagonist as they stand in the way. I believe the idea of the antagonist being manipulated creates a sense of ambiguity and renders the audience quizzical, questioning if they should be in complete disgust with the antagonist, or sympathise as they wonder whether the boy may have been possessed or forced into these evil actions. The shot will appear suddenly, much like the extreme close-up, featured as the antagonist opens their eyes. Therefore, similar to the close-up, I will pair the sudden change of shot with a loud crash style sound effect. This will help to further emphasise the link between, the character standing in front of the protagonist and the character who awoke from a series of flashbacks. As well as this, it will effectively shock they audience. Furthermore, as the antagonist is shown, a reasonable distance from the camera, and a low key lighting is prevalent, the antagonist will appear to almost be a shadow. The lack of detail provided to the audience, in terms of the antagonist's appearance, enhances the suspense and builds the strong theme of ambiguity, used to specifically to entice the viewer, leaving them wanting to find out what happens next. In addition, the vast amount of forest background in my thriller film will create a juxtaposition; the forest holds connotations of a free spirit and the knowledge that there are endless paths or routes. This creates a paradox within the scene, as the girl is 'trapped' by the antagonist. More over, this leaves the audience in suspense as they urge the protagonist to break free from the antagonist, through the vast forest space displayed. 

Planning cinematography, within my group, allowed everyone to voice their own opinions, meaning I was able to collect and expand on ideas I had not previously even thought about. The shots we decided to use and analyse in further detail are extremely varied, from presenting a magnified view of a character, through the use of a close up, or presenting a vast amount of background, with a long shot. The contrast of numerous camera shots presents the clear divide between, antagonist and protagonist, or an overall portrayal of good and evil. Also, I feel our group has chosen numerous techniques that will provoke a conventional thriller response from our audience, i.e shock, suspense and surprise. Furthermore, I believe this plan of cinematography has proven highly effective as myself and my group now have this plan to work from and use when beginning the filming process. In addition, this means that the process of filming and creating our thriller film will run smoothly, as we already have a strong and in depth plan to work from, providing us with more time to look into the tiny details and perform any finishing touches that will make all the difference. 

Group Analysis

Group Analysis

My aim within this analysis is to convey the different types of narratives that have been created by my group and to determine which narrative is most suitable for our final opening thriller scene. Not one is one idea chosen but a variety of stylistic qualities and elements are extracted from each members narratives. By doing so this allows us to expand upon our ideas and explore ideas that may not have been brought to our attention. My group is made up of three girls, Ella (myself), Rishika and Jemimah; our over all goal as a group is to create a 2-3 minute long, opening thriller scene. 

Group Member 1- Rishika Sohal 

Rishika's narrative is based around a girl who is left home alone by her parents, whilst they go out for the evening. However, she is not as alone as we, as the audience and the girl, had once thought; a trapped soul within the very walls that encapsulate and trap the young girl. Progressive creaking and scratching noises alarm the girl of a more sinister presence. The noises are paired with unnaturally questionable events such as, flickering lights, objects clattering or falling from where they once were. These series of events are dramatically concluded as the young girl tentatively walks into the kitchen, only to be met by a supposed demonic presence that immediately snaps her next. Rishika's possible film titles include- Trapped, You're not alone, He's Here

This narrative contains many Advantages such as, the prevalent diegetic and non-diegetic, such as sounds of objects falling or a soundtrack helps to build suspense and shock conventional of a typical thriller. A female protagonist is used and made to appear innocent and vulnerable, whilst the antagonist is conveyed through a hidden identity, these are two elements extremely conventional of a thriller. This is because they help to create tension as the audience can witness how vulnerable the young girl is and conclude the inevitable in their heads, as the antagonist is introduced. Thus meaning the viewer is riddled with suspense as they scrutinise the action to witness if the inevitable is going to happen. Also, the hidden identity of antagonist intensifies the ambiguity and tension of the atmosphere the audience are encapsulated in. The setting of a typical house hold also follows the typical thriller conventions as it presents how the protagonist is isolated and therefore a perfect target.
The disadvantages of this narrative include the complexity of successfully portraying an unseen entity effectively. The time consuming element of building a well portrayed, realistic home like setting, whilst producing a variety of sound effects and suspicious events within the home may prove difficult due to the lack of advanced technology or time we have.

Group Member 2- Jemimah Ali

Jemimah's narrative is based upon an extremely disturbed boy, who is presented laying on the floor with a mask placed beside him. Whilst spread lifeless in the road, the boy is revisiting memories and moments of his life, in the style of a flash back. As this is taking place, two girls travel towards the direction of the boy after a night out. Suddenly one of the girls notices the boy on the road and walks up to him, ensuring he is not hurt or injured in any way. However, little does she know that this boy is psychotic and so far from being mentally stable. When she reaches the boy, he abruptly awakes from his flash backs and attacks her, although this event would not be captured on camera, simply implied. The other girl hears her friends shrill scream and when she swiftly turns back to see what has happened, she finds her friend, on the ground dead. In an intense panic the girl begins to run from the scene, but in the haze of her desperation she is lead through a ill lit forest, where a figure, identified as the boy in a mask stands in her way. Jemimah's possible film titles were- humanity off, switched off, emotions off

Advantages of this narrative include, the simplicity of the concept, meaning its easily accessible even for a group such as our selves with little knowledge of film making and basic technology to capture our vision. The Forrest setting is highly conventional of a thriller film because of the isolation it inhabits, especially during the night time. The mask creates a basic iconography, easily obtained and highly effective in masking the identity of the antagonist, a trait typical to most thriller films. As well as these the use of female protagonists also follows what is expected of a thriller film, as they are presented as weak and fragile, thus producing a widespread tension in the audience as they fear for the lives of the protagonist/s. I feel their are unique breaks from conventional thriller elements such as, abrupt change in eye colour and an initial introduction into a compilation of memories obtained by the boy. These may be included to shock the reader by breaking from what is initially assumed of the film.
The disadvantages of this narrative are that it may been seen as a supernatural style of film, through the swift changed in eye colour for example. A supernatural film would not be as accessible to our group, due to the basic technology. The narrative provides a lot of action within each scene, therefore this may cause a lack of enigma as the audience is already provided with a vast quantity of action. As well as this, the portrayal of the mask, if not done in a stylistic manner may be perceived as very amateur and unexplained.

Group Member 3- Ella Hutchins (Myself)

The thriller opening begins in the bedroom of a girl. This is because there will be a variety of camera angles watching and focusing upon the girl sleeping. She then begins to wake, as she does there is a figure standing over her, watching her sleep. In a husky, fatigued voice she calls out to her mum, questioning her presence. She then lazily closes her heavy eyelids only to open them and find that the person watching her sleep was not in fact her mother, but a stranger. Once the girl has finally absorbed the seriousness of the situation, through her sheer drowsiness and the dim light of the evening, she begins a prolonged struggle to get away from the stranger. Her struggle is futile and the stranger begins to drag her towards the forest. As he drags her deeper into the canopy of trees, the girls becomes closer to a pond. In an attempt to escape his grip she edges towards the pond and falls in. However, the killer falls in also and slowly swims whilst the protagonist frantically splashes. This underwater pond scene will feature a jump cut from the characters being on the edge of the pond, into an underwater struggle. Whilst in the pond the female victim will experience flash backs of happier times, whether it be the happy memories of the same forest she is being pursued in etc. This will create the idea of her life flashing before her eyes without providing the audience anything more of the opening.

The advantages of my narrative include, the hidden identity of the antagonist, an element that follows the conventions of a typical thriller film. The inclusion of a female protagonist is also extremely typical of this genre, as it make it easy to portray an innocent and vulnerable protagonist. The pond scene I believe creates a great sense of suspense, as the audience are not aware of what will happen to the protagonist. The viewer is then left with a lingering enigma when the opening scene does not show the fate of the protagonist.
The disadvantages are that the pond scene may prove challenging to successfully capture, also it may not be possible that we could film in the school pool. As well as this, their is a lot happening within the opening scene which could lead to a highly time consuming project, and risk giving too much away, thus meaning its sense of enigma would be lost slightly.

Final Group Narrative

As a collective we decided that Jemimah's narrative would be the most appropriate thriller opening. The reasons behind our decision are mainly based upon its simplicity; the narrative is extremely accessible in terms of setting, props etc. As well as this, the variety of conventional thriller elements are included, thus ensuring a portrayal of suspense, shock and tension, essential to this genre of film. To summarise, the opening will begin with a disturbed boy, laying in the road. When two girls returning from a drunken night out, one girl discovers the boy and is immediately killed. The second girl turns to find her friend, murdered. In sheer horror and panic she begins running through a forest, only to be met by the antagonist, wearing a mask. Personally I feel as though our final narrative follows many of the conventions of a typical thriller film. The low key lighting provokes an element of fear and works in conjunction with the ambiguous hidden identity of the antagonist. The forest setting helps to join all of the action together, whilst emphasising the vulnerability of the protagonist how isolated she is.

Narrative Theory

The narrative theory of Aristotle demonstrates a clear reliability to our groups final narrative. Aristotle believes that a narrative should include: a protagonist/antagonist, exciting incident, character goal, stakes, empathy/sympathy, resolution and dramatic question. The murder that takes place within the initial moments of the opening works as a significantly exciting incident for the viewer, whilst providing many dramatic questions. For example, why is the boy laying in the road in the first place? What made the boy feel the need to kill an innocent victim? A growing sense of sympathy is created in our opening scene, especially once the audience view the emotional pain inflicted, when the girl finds her friend brutally murdered. In addition, the flash backs of the boy may provoke a feeling of sympathy in the viewer, as his memories are exposed, thus making him appear vulnerable. The character goal, in regards to the antagonist will not be featured i our opening, merely left to the imagination of the viewer; the ambiguity around the boys goals enhancing the prevailing theme of an enigma our group intends to capture.

As for resolution, Aristotle is applying his theory to a complete film, as my group are only producing an opening we are not going to be including a resolution. By doing so it will increase the sense of enigma and leave the audience questioning whether there will be a resolution. Aristotle's theory provides an excellent reference and structural over view that myself and my group members can refer back to, in order to create a successful and effective opening thriller film. 

preliminary Task

Peliminary Task

Insert link.. 
The purpose of this task is to provide the group with a greater understanding of how the equipment i.e camera, can be used to create an effective film. Also, though this initial introduction to the equipment, it provides us with a clear understanding of what difficulties we may be faced with, allowing us to alter our over all narrative in order to suit our groups strengths and weaknesses.

We filmed a brief encounter between two characters in a music room. The characters played with the piano and then parted. The film was only required to be around a minute or under, this is because the activity is only a short burst of filming and editing, slowing exposing us to the challenges of filming. Once the we had finished filming all of our clips we then went on to use final cut, to edit and join of of the fragmented clips into one sustained short video. This proved easier than expected but this was mainly due to the lack of transitions needed, special effects or non diegetic sounds such as, music. Although the clips linked together easily we had to watch the clips as a whole back many times, searching for unnecessary content such as, verbal fillers (i.e. urm, or general hesitation) or moments in which the characters would look directly at the camera.

Within our clip we used a variety of camera angles in order to grasp a greater understanding of each one and what would be suited for us. A long shot was used to introduce the clip and close the clip. The repetition of the start and finish demonstrates a sustained tone, enhancing the normality of the situation by not shocking the viewer with a break in the prevalent everyday theme. The long shot displays the character entering the building, and the other character exiting. A tripod was used for the shot to maintain a steady flowing pace, as the camera follows the character casually walking from different locations. The tripod made it easy to control the camera and kept it in the same location. This is extremely helpful because, as we are amateurs in regards to filming, we are prone to mistakes, therefore the constant stance of the camera means that each take will be exactly the same image. Making it easy to analyse our mistakes and reproduce the same shot as many times as we need.

A close up shot was used during the conversation between the characters. The close up of the face was included because this angle is extremely conventional of a thriller film. It is therefore very important we explore this camera angle and familiarise ourselves with how an effective close up is achieved. When using this angle it can be difficult not become to close to the characters, causing the camera to briefly unfocus, ruining the sustained quality of the clip.

An over shoulder shot was also featured, during conversation between characters. This angle is used so that the audience can view the action,through the perspective or point of view of the character. This builds a relationship between character and audience which is essential when hoping to produce a film that an audience can immerse themselves in and become enticed by enough to make them want to watch more of the film.

Panning, another camera shot was used within the clip, which means the camera moves from side to side, usually capturing a moving object. In this case it followed the characters as they entered or exited the building. This is a good way of displaying a lot of the background and setting the scene for the viewer. Also this is a great angle to use for the chase scene. I found that the tripod not only makes this shot very easy, but the steady pace of the camera whilst following a character is extremely effective, especially whilst a characters is frantically running, in regards to a chase scene.


What went well was, the strong sense communication prevalent whilst filming, this created a ordered and controlled environment, ensuring that everyone was well aware of their tasks and where they would need to place themselves. The sharp conviction of the sustained clear image during filming was well displayed. However, I have learnt through a few mistakes during filming that, if at any point the camera becomes blurry and unfocused, a sheet of white paper can be placed in front of the camera lens, helping the camera to become focused. Evaluating and analysing all of the footage many times is crucial, in order for us to become completely satisfied with the final product. This helped me become aware of the main faults and successes of the clip, something I could not determine during filming, for example, slight glances into the camera lens and not at the character, a major fault as it ruins the illusion of the characters realistic conversation. I feel the clip as a whole withheld a good flow and, although a minor fault with the lines towards the end, threatened the simplistic stitching of shots, they all edited well together. The simplicity of the shots meant that, not a great deal of editing was needed and the finalised clip was joined well by, swift simple transitions. What I have gained from this task is the knowledge that, to create a successful clip the dialogue must be clear and precise. Towards the end of our clip it becomes mildly apparent that the scene wasn't as rehearsed as was necessary; upon revisiting filming I will ensure that the dialogue is well rehearsed and precise, allowing the shots to be easily edited together, with out the use of intricate trimming of snippets. As well as this, I found the location for filming, was perfect for dialogue as it is a partially sound proofed room, meaning that there is no unwanted background noise interfering with the quality of our clip. However, the room we used proved to be challenging; the small structure of the room meant there was not a lot of room for us to move around in, making it very hard when altering from different camera angles. I believe when we next begin filming, a larger room or spacious location would prove easier for filming; our chosen narration is mainly set outside/ within a forest, therefore we are provided with plenty of room to film, as well as simply stepping back from the action and making sure everything is in its rightful place.

In conclusion, this task enhanced my understanding of basic filming and the variety of shots that befall this. Also, my brief exposure to final cut has provided me with the confidence when editing clips; before this task I was extremely worried about the complexity of the software, but I was relieved to find that it was extremely accessible, even for an amateur such as myself. In addition, I have developed an appreciation for each individual camera shot, connecting each one to a particular character or emotion that may be featured in our opening scene. For example, a close up was used in the clip, simply to present the piano in more detail, with focus on the piano keys, but it could also be used in our opening scene to present the face of the killer. By doing so, it would immediately follow the main conventions of a thriller by leaving the audience in suspense, as they analyse the detailed and close image, for more information into the extremely ambiguous scene we are hoping to achieve. For future reference I will use this experience into filming and editing, as a basic guideline and inspiration for my opening thriller film, reminding me of the successes I should aim to include, and mistakes I have learnt from .