To the moderators of G324
8 years ago
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Creating the scene
We have been busy creating ideas for our opening scene. I have been helping generate ideas for the storyboarding process. We created a wide variety of shots and ideas. One of the ideas i thought of was the idea of having blood splattered missing notices pinned to the back of the sign. This shows the audience that the cyclists are heading towards trouble but they don't know it. I also helped with the development of several other key features.
Storyline of task
We have finished developing our storyline.
The storyline involves four friends who decide to go bike riding in the woods. These four friends, despite being close have conflicting personalities and views, especially when they fnd themselves lost in the woods. The story starts with these friends meeting ouside a pub and leaving in high hopes. However the impetuous and rather selfish nature of one of the bikers means that the team leaves their basic survival gear behind, including phones, maps and other gear. The bikers, oblivious to the danger they are in, enter the woods. We soon realise that they are not alone and that they are in fact being followed by a mysterious individual. Matters only get worse when one of the bikers falls behind. The impetuous biker persuades the others to leave the struggling one behind. We can see the villain single out this lone biker and when the others are gone he strikes and traps the biker. The pandemonium that results leads to a horrific succession of events untill the bikers find themselves in the twisted web of the stalker. Their friendships are tested as they blame each other for what has happened. The resultant chaos will lead to more death as they try to uncover the mystery of the villain and escape.
The storyline involves four friends who decide to go bike riding in the woods. These four friends, despite being close have conflicting personalities and views, especially when they fnd themselves lost in the woods. The story starts with these friends meeting ouside a pub and leaving in high hopes. However the impetuous and rather selfish nature of one of the bikers means that the team leaves their basic survival gear behind, including phones, maps and other gear. The bikers, oblivious to the danger they are in, enter the woods. We soon realise that they are not alone and that they are in fact being followed by a mysterious individual. Matters only get worse when one of the bikers falls behind. The impetuous biker persuades the others to leave the struggling one behind. We can see the villain single out this lone biker and when the others are gone he strikes and traps the biker. The pandemonium that results leads to a horrific succession of events untill the bikers find themselves in the twisted web of the stalker. Their friendships are tested as they blame each other for what has happened. The resultant chaos will lead to more death as they try to uncover the mystery of the villain and escape.
Predator 2 analysis
Analysing the opening sequence of ‘Predator’
Predator 2 is a horror/action/sci-fi film. As such it combines many of the features of the aforementioned genres to, in my opinion, great effect.
The cinematography used in the opening Predator 2 creates themes recurrent in both action and horror films. The first shot is a birds eye view of a jungle done from a helicopter as it passes over the jungle. This creates a feeling of motion, like the Predator is nearing its target. The camera then faces upwards to show a long shot of Los Angeles were the rest of the film is set. This shot establishes the environment and mood of the opening scene as fast paced. Then there is a succession of shots, done from a crane, of the city to further establish the setting. The combination of Mise En Scene ,sound and cinematography makes you feel like you are the Predator, scanning the city for victims. This fits in with the horror genre as you can feel that the Predator is nearing his victim which builds up the suspense common in a horror genre. Soon the camera is brought to another birds eye view of a gunfight. This creates the impression that the Predator has been getting closer to the fight throughout the opening scene and it has now found the fight and is watching. There is then an explosion shot from the Predators perspective (birds eye view) but then the shot changes to a mid shot from the same level as the fire. This creates the feeling that the perspective has now changed to the people fighting on the street. Following this shot there is a shot taken from a camera on a smaller crane height than before. The shot rises from the ground up as the villainous gangsters take position at their barricade, giving the viewer the feeling that he has emerged from cover into the fire fight. Following this there is a sequence of mid shots of the cops and gangsters firing at each other. These shots show the balance of power as both sides try to shoot the opposition. These shots are more common in action films but they function to grab the audiences attention earlier on so that the director can focus on creating the more sedate but scary scenes later on. Finally the camera imitates one used for a news program to make the viewer seem like he is watching a live news broadcast on the events of the opening sequence. This makes the events seem more realistic to the viewer, as if they could occur in real life. This is common in many genres so can be used in either an action or horror film. The points listed above show how the cinematography in Predator captures the audiences’ attention and establish Predator 2 as an horror/action film.
Sound is used to capture the audiences’ attention as well. At the start there is a multitude of non diegetic animal noises that the viewer would associate with the jungle. Shortly after this a sort of tribal drumming track enters. The music continues as Los Angeles appears, perhaps showing that Los Angeles is nothing more than a dangerous jungle. As soon as the Main title appears (PREDATOR) the jungle music is replaced by a much more serious and threatening classical piece. This creates an instant effect that whenever the Predator appears the mood changes to a much darker and more serious one. This is common within the horror genre to establish the villain and/or monster. After this there is no more music, creating the impression that the arrival of the predator has changed everything. There is however still non-diegetic voices and distant gunfire. The voices are warped to give the impression that the Predator is listening to the people go about their lives. Also the Predator makes its trademark clicking noise (you would have to see Predator to know what I mean). This spells out to the audience that the Predator is back and adds suspense and atmosphere. Also there is sort of high tech zapping noises between each shot (again you would have to see Predator to know what I mean) which introduces a more sci fi nature to the film. The gunshots become more predominant as the shots move on, giving the impression that the Predator is closing in on the gunfight. These sounds, despite having a couple of sci fi influences are predominantly horror related as we gain an impression that the Predator is closing in, a commonly used feature in many horror films where a villain is stalking someone.
Another feature used is the various aspects of Mise En Scene in Predator 2. The use of the jungle at the start has many deeper meanings that can be taken from it. For people who had seen the first film the jungle was perhaps put there to tie the two films together, as Predator 1 was set in the jungle. Also it may send a message to the audience that the events of the first film are far from over. In addition it shows the previously mentioned point that perhaps the city is no different to a jungle and the people are no better than animals. The special camera effects used contribute greatly to the mood of the opening sequence. Firstly a sort of Purple Aura/tube accompanies the main title, perhaps representing the Predator landing in the city. Whilst this happens and throughout the crane mounted long shots the camera uses a thermal vision impersonation that Predator fans would recognise from the first film. This is used to make the viewer feel as if he is the Predator, scanning the city for a new victim. This ends after the birds eye view of the explosion, showing that the perspective has changed. The explosions themselves in the fight scene grab the viewers attention. The Mise En Scene in this film sets the mood of horror and action in different places.
The editing also contributes to the overall effect of the movie. Generally the shots get shorter as the opening sequence progresses as the opening starts with a lengthy shot of the jungle and city followed by several other long establishing shots. Then as the action begins the shots become a lot shorter. This creates an increasing pace running up to the action. The short shots of the police and gangsters shooting create a fast paced, action packed sequence. There is limited effects use on the shots, apart from the aforementioned zapping, to keep the main subject of the shot in focus for longer and to make the action seem more realistic. These shots have more in common with the action genre but the overall gathering of pace in the shots is common with horror movies.
To a lesser extent the titles also fit Predator 2 into the horror/action genre. There are very few titles, only the date and name of the city are shown as well as the main title. The date and name of the city are presented in plain white text at the two bottom corners of the screen. The main title (PREDATOR) is presented in the middle of the screen in bold red to foreshadow the blood and violence that the Predator will bring. This fits it into the horror genre as many titles represent themes in the film (like titles being spelt with a goo like substance).
In conclusion Predator 2 uses a variety of techniques to establish the horror/action genre to the audience. The use of cinematography creates many themes recurrent in horror/action movies through use of varying shots and angles. The sound also creates mood, emphasis on key events and deeper meaning within the film. Mise En Scene adds attention grabbing devices, genre defining effects and links to the previous film. The editing creates pace whilst the titles foreshadow violent events in the film. These devices contribute to the presentation of Predator 2 as a horror film.
Predator 2 is a horror/action/sci-fi film. As such it combines many of the features of the aforementioned genres to, in my opinion, great effect.
The cinematography used in the opening Predator 2 creates themes recurrent in both action and horror films. The first shot is a birds eye view of a jungle done from a helicopter as it passes over the jungle. This creates a feeling of motion, like the Predator is nearing its target. The camera then faces upwards to show a long shot of Los Angeles were the rest of the film is set. This shot establishes the environment and mood of the opening scene as fast paced. Then there is a succession of shots, done from a crane, of the city to further establish the setting. The combination of Mise En Scene ,sound and cinematography makes you feel like you are the Predator, scanning the city for victims. This fits in with the horror genre as you can feel that the Predator is nearing his victim which builds up the suspense common in a horror genre. Soon the camera is brought to another birds eye view of a gunfight. This creates the impression that the Predator has been getting closer to the fight throughout the opening scene and it has now found the fight and is watching. There is then an explosion shot from the Predators perspective (birds eye view) but then the shot changes to a mid shot from the same level as the fire. This creates the feeling that the perspective has now changed to the people fighting on the street. Following this shot there is a shot taken from a camera on a smaller crane height than before. The shot rises from the ground up as the villainous gangsters take position at their barricade, giving the viewer the feeling that he has emerged from cover into the fire fight. Following this there is a sequence of mid shots of the cops and gangsters firing at each other. These shots show the balance of power as both sides try to shoot the opposition. These shots are more common in action films but they function to grab the audiences attention earlier on so that the director can focus on creating the more sedate but scary scenes later on. Finally the camera imitates one used for a news program to make the viewer seem like he is watching a live news broadcast on the events of the opening sequence. This makes the events seem more realistic to the viewer, as if they could occur in real life. This is common in many genres so can be used in either an action or horror film. The points listed above show how the cinematography in Predator captures the audiences’ attention and establish Predator 2 as an horror/action film.
Sound is used to capture the audiences’ attention as well. At the start there is a multitude of non diegetic animal noises that the viewer would associate with the jungle. Shortly after this a sort of tribal drumming track enters. The music continues as Los Angeles appears, perhaps showing that Los Angeles is nothing more than a dangerous jungle. As soon as the Main title appears (PREDATOR) the jungle music is replaced by a much more serious and threatening classical piece. This creates an instant effect that whenever the Predator appears the mood changes to a much darker and more serious one. This is common within the horror genre to establish the villain and/or monster. After this there is no more music, creating the impression that the arrival of the predator has changed everything. There is however still non-diegetic voices and distant gunfire. The voices are warped to give the impression that the Predator is listening to the people go about their lives. Also the Predator makes its trademark clicking noise (you would have to see Predator to know what I mean). This spells out to the audience that the Predator is back and adds suspense and atmosphere. Also there is sort of high tech zapping noises between each shot (again you would have to see Predator to know what I mean) which introduces a more sci fi nature to the film. The gunshots become more predominant as the shots move on, giving the impression that the Predator is closing in on the gunfight. These sounds, despite having a couple of sci fi influences are predominantly horror related as we gain an impression that the Predator is closing in, a commonly used feature in many horror films where a villain is stalking someone.
Another feature used is the various aspects of Mise En Scene in Predator 2. The use of the jungle at the start has many deeper meanings that can be taken from it. For people who had seen the first film the jungle was perhaps put there to tie the two films together, as Predator 1 was set in the jungle. Also it may send a message to the audience that the events of the first film are far from over. In addition it shows the previously mentioned point that perhaps the city is no different to a jungle and the people are no better than animals. The special camera effects used contribute greatly to the mood of the opening sequence. Firstly a sort of Purple Aura/tube accompanies the main title, perhaps representing the Predator landing in the city. Whilst this happens and throughout the crane mounted long shots the camera uses a thermal vision impersonation that Predator fans would recognise from the first film. This is used to make the viewer feel as if he is the Predator, scanning the city for a new victim. This ends after the birds eye view of the explosion, showing that the perspective has changed. The explosions themselves in the fight scene grab the viewers attention. The Mise En Scene in this film sets the mood of horror and action in different places.
The editing also contributes to the overall effect of the movie. Generally the shots get shorter as the opening sequence progresses as the opening starts with a lengthy shot of the jungle and city followed by several other long establishing shots. Then as the action begins the shots become a lot shorter. This creates an increasing pace running up to the action. The short shots of the police and gangsters shooting create a fast paced, action packed sequence. There is limited effects use on the shots, apart from the aforementioned zapping, to keep the main subject of the shot in focus for longer and to make the action seem more realistic. These shots have more in common with the action genre but the overall gathering of pace in the shots is common with horror movies.
To a lesser extent the titles also fit Predator 2 into the horror/action genre. There are very few titles, only the date and name of the city are shown as well as the main title. The date and name of the city are presented in plain white text at the two bottom corners of the screen. The main title (PREDATOR) is presented in the middle of the screen in bold red to foreshadow the blood and violence that the Predator will bring. This fits it into the horror genre as many titles represent themes in the film (like titles being spelt with a goo like substance).
In conclusion Predator 2 uses a variety of techniques to establish the horror/action genre to the audience. The use of cinematography creates many themes recurrent in horror/action movies through use of varying shots and angles. The sound also creates mood, emphasis on key events and deeper meaning within the film. Mise En Scene adds attention grabbing devices, genre defining effects and links to the previous film. The editing creates pace whilst the titles foreshadow violent events in the film. These devices contribute to the presentation of Predator 2 as a horror film.
Monday, 6 October 2008
Evaluating The Preliminary Task
We were asked to film a scene were a character opens a door,crosses a room and sits down in a chair oposite another character, then there is a brief dialogue between them.
We prepared by putting all our ideas on a piece of paper. When we put together what we thought were the best ones we began to storyboard.
We decided on an horror/kidnapping scene with one actor as a bound victim and one as the evil torturer. As such we opted for some dark and mysterious opening shots. As such we used medium and close up shots. This gave the effect of creating an ambuguity about the film as when you watch it you wander who the villain is and why he has another man captive. Also the generall lighting was very dark and dingy, with an almost musty light. This created suspense and added to the horror. However in some cases it did seem too dark and had a negative effect on the picture.
My role in the film was to play the mysterious baddie. To capture the mystery of my character we used many close up shots but no full body shots. This meant that the identity of the villain remained a mystery throughout. I also helped with the lighting when i was not in the shot.
We positioned Redmir centrally in the opening shots. This was done deliberately as we wanted to draw the attention to him and nothing else. This was necessary for shots like the one were we see that Redmir is tied up as it makes the audience aware of his situation better. However in the shots of me i am almost always on one side of the screen and not the center. This is done in shots where my objective or intent needs to be displayed. For example there is a shot were my arm, which is clutching a weapon of some sort, is on the left hand side of the screen with Redmir just right of the center. We can deduce from this shot that i intend to use this weapon on Redmir as the only main items the audience can see is my arm, my weapon and the hostage (Redmir).
I was very pleased with our final result. We sucsesfully created a scene which could be developed into a good film. We created a storyline that could have been developed into a feature film as we still did not know the villains identity or motives and there was scope to turn it into any genre. It could become a psycologicical thriller, a mysterious horror film or even an action film with fights between the villain and cops or vigillantes of some sort. There were some scenes which were a bit dark but with some editing in imovie we rectified it to a more viewable standard so i don't view that as a problem.
I think the group worked well together. Everyone chipped in their bit, whether it was shooting, acting or editing which was great. The team as a whole was on the same wavelength and we came up with some great ideas and how to film them. Basically I don't think anyone let the team down.
I feel more confident with imovie and camerawork. I feel i can create lighting, sound and effects to a higher standard thatn i previously could. I also know several hotkeys now which is always good. I feel more confident with the camera because i feel that i can now judge, to a basic level, what shots will work well and which ones won't.
We prepared by putting all our ideas on a piece of paper. When we put together what we thought were the best ones we began to storyboard.
We decided on an horror/kidnapping scene with one actor as a bound victim and one as the evil torturer. As such we opted for some dark and mysterious opening shots. As such we used medium and close up shots. This gave the effect of creating an ambuguity about the film as when you watch it you wander who the villain is and why he has another man captive. Also the generall lighting was very dark and dingy, with an almost musty light. This created suspense and added to the horror. However in some cases it did seem too dark and had a negative effect on the picture.
My role in the film was to play the mysterious baddie. To capture the mystery of my character we used many close up shots but no full body shots. This meant that the identity of the villain remained a mystery throughout. I also helped with the lighting when i was not in the shot.
We positioned Redmir centrally in the opening shots. This was done deliberately as we wanted to draw the attention to him and nothing else. This was necessary for shots like the one were we see that Redmir is tied up as it makes the audience aware of his situation better. However in the shots of me i am almost always on one side of the screen and not the center. This is done in shots where my objective or intent needs to be displayed. For example there is a shot were my arm, which is clutching a weapon of some sort, is on the left hand side of the screen with Redmir just right of the center. We can deduce from this shot that i intend to use this weapon on Redmir as the only main items the audience can see is my arm, my weapon and the hostage (Redmir).
I was very pleased with our final result. We sucsesfully created a scene which could be developed into a good film. We created a storyline that could have been developed into a feature film as we still did not know the villains identity or motives and there was scope to turn it into any genre. It could become a psycologicical thriller, a mysterious horror film or even an action film with fights between the villain and cops or vigillantes of some sort. There were some scenes which were a bit dark but with some editing in imovie we rectified it to a more viewable standard so i don't view that as a problem.
I think the group worked well together. Everyone chipped in their bit, whether it was shooting, acting or editing which was great. The team as a whole was on the same wavelength and we came up with some great ideas and how to film them. Basically I don't think anyone let the team down.
I feel more confident with imovie and camerawork. I feel i can create lighting, sound and effects to a higher standard thatn i previously could. I also know several hotkeys now which is always good. I feel more confident with the camera because i feel that i can now judge, to a basic level, what shots will work well and which ones won't.
Film Research
I have chosen to research Aliens (the sequel to Alien)
Following the first film, The main character, Ellen Ripley, wakes up 50 years after the previous movies events. She then finds herself trying to explain the existance of the alien to the corporation whose ship she destroyed in the previous film. Her warnings fall on deaf ears but soon the signs of an alien attack are apparent in a new human city. Ripley is sent, with a team of soldiers to find out what is going on and put a stop to it. However the soldiers are soon attacked and find themselves on the run from the aliens. When their airship is destroyed it becomes apparent that they have no option but to fight their way out. The sci fi nature of it is similar to star wars.
The Main character is played by Sigourney Weaver. She is traumatised by the loss of her crew and the horrors she has seen but she is the only person who fully understands the threat of the alien. There are several soldiers but most of them are killed off. Also Lance Henriksen plays a cyborg who Ripley instantly mistrusts because the cyborg in Alien tried to kill her.
The film has not much wider meaning but it does take a stab at the corporate world. The corporations are always against what the viewer knows to be right which may be the filmakers view on the corporate world.
You would expect to see crampt claustrophobic environments in aliens as that creates an instant atmoshphere.
Following the first film, The main character, Ellen Ripley, wakes up 50 years after the previous movies events. She then finds herself trying to explain the existance of the alien to the corporation whose ship she destroyed in the previous film. Her warnings fall on deaf ears but soon the signs of an alien attack are apparent in a new human city. Ripley is sent, with a team of soldiers to find out what is going on and put a stop to it. However the soldiers are soon attacked and find themselves on the run from the aliens. When their airship is destroyed it becomes apparent that they have no option but to fight their way out. The sci fi nature of it is similar to star wars.
The Main character is played by Sigourney Weaver. She is traumatised by the loss of her crew and the horrors she has seen but she is the only person who fully understands the threat of the alien. There are several soldiers but most of them are killed off. Also Lance Henriksen plays a cyborg who Ripley instantly mistrusts because the cyborg in Alien tried to kill her.
The film has not much wider meaning but it does take a stab at the corporate world. The corporations are always against what the viewer knows to be right which may be the filmakers view on the corporate world.
You would expect to see crampt claustrophobic environments in aliens as that creates an instant atmoshphere.
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