AO1 - Analyze a film and a television production

se7en opening credits




Notes

music

effects like saw / chainsaw, clanging, screeching, door creek, static electricity, white noise, scream and synth give a very un-settleing feeling to the audience. these effects are over a simple drum beat which tempo increases near the end

Words

subliminal words such as 'pregnant' and 'intercourse' are crossed out in a book (1:07) and enigmas such as 'B25' randomly flash on the screen which intreagues the audience.

imagery

the whole sequence is in sepia which gives it an old effect, and alot of creepy imagery is used like the killer razor blading his finger prints off, scissors cutting disturbing images of torcherd people and film paper cut and put into a old looking scrap book sown together by a needle





Alfred Hitchcock - North by Northwest opening title sequence

North By Northwest - Title Sequence, Musical Score. Watch more top selected videos about: North by Northwest, Alfred Hitchcock

Visual

Hitchcock starts his film North by Northwest with a basic green screen. lines move onto the green screen by animation to make a grid shape giving a sense of perspective. Titles follow the grids slant as they move onto the screen to the centre. The title of the film North by Northwest moves onto the screen with arrows facing north from the N of North and a arrow facing west from the T of Northwest.
the animation of the grid the dissolves into a building, the buildings windows mirror the traffic below in the streets we assume to be New York as their are alot of yellow taxi's within the large amount of traffic. the shot of the building slowly dissolves (to relate to shots) into people on the street below leaving the building dressed in work clothes towards the subway so we assume they have just finished work also due to the fact that the streets are very busy (aka rush hour) we see alot of chaotic type things going on in the streets such as two wimen fighting over a taxi and Alfred Hitchcock staring in his own film missing his bus as it is too full.


Audio

the background music to this opening sequance is that of a classical orchastra type giveing you an unsettled feeling, the flute is high pitched raiseing your anixiety level, and the trumpet and other brass instruments represent the traffic and the busy New York streets. The music is fast paced representing the fast pace of New Yorks rush hour.




my own definition of a thriller

     A thriller is a movie genre with an extremely gripping story line, thrillers are full of suspense to keep the audience entertained and make them want to keep watching to find out what is about to happen. thrillers usually seem to contain action and crime as sub genres to make the film more exciting and entertaining. Alfred Hitchcock's movies are in my eyes the most popular and greatest thrillers ever made with his very clever ways to make a gripping story line and camera works such as the money in psycho when Marion steals the money the camera follows it so the audience know where it is to give of a strong emotional tension.

     Sound and editing are the main conventions for the thriller genre for example quick cuts and effective ranges of camera angles with a classical orchestra playing a suitable way to build tension




Popular thrillers of the last 20 years

Last 20 years

1. inception (2010)
2. pulp fiction (1994)
3. the dark night (2008)
4. fight club (1999)
5. the usual suspects (1995)
6. the silence of the lambs (1991)
7. memento (2000)
8. se7en (1995)
9. leon (1994)
10. terminator 2 (1991)
11. the lives of others (2006)
12. the departed (2006)
13. reservoir dogs (1992)
14. L.A confidential (1997)
15. the prestige (2006)
16. inglourious bastards (2009)
17. old boy (2003)
18. sin city (2005)
19. batman begins (2005)
20. hotel rwanda (2004)

Most popular 2010

1. the town
2. inception
3. machete
4. predators
5. let me in

6. devil

8. monsters

9. resident evil: afterlife

10. the expendables




Media homework: choose a thriller and research the storyline and production team

Alfred Hitchcock - psycho


storyline


Phoenix officeworker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother.


Production team

Produced by
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann		(music by)

Cinematography by
John L. Russell		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini

Casting by
Jere Henshaw		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Robert Clatworthy
Joseph Hurley

Set Decoration by
George Milo

Costume Design by
Rita Riggs		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Jack Barron	....	makeup supervisor
Florence Bush	....	hair stylist
Robert Dawn	....	makeup supervisor
Larry Germain	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lew Leary	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hilton A. Green	....	assistant director
Lester Wm. Berke	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Curtis Baessler	....	assistant props (uncredited)
Saul Bass	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Bob Bone	....	props (uncredited)
George Cook	....	assistant prop shop (uncredited)
Dave Lee	....	prop shop (uncredited)
Harold Wolf	....	leadman (uncredited)

Sound Department
William Russell	....	sound recordist
Waldon O. Watson	....	sound recordist
Robert R. Bertrand	....	mike technician (uncredited)
John Ruth	....	cable man (uncredited)
Harold Tucker	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Clarence Champagne	....	special effects
Walter Hammond	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Aldridge	....	grip: Phoenix (uncredited)
Jack Austin	....	grip: Phoenix (uncredited)
Eugene Barragy	....	key grip: Phoenix (uncredited)
Walter Bluemel	....	assistant camera: Phoenix (uncredited)
Robert Burkett	....	camera operator: Phoenix (uncredited)
Norman Cassidy	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
William N. Clark	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Eugene Cook	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Bill Craemer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Alan Davey	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Frank Harper	....	key grip (uncredited)
George H. Merhoff	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Saul Selznick	....	second company grip (uncredited)
Jim Sloan	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Richard Sutton	....	best boy grip (uncredited)
Tommy Wilson	....	electrician (uncredited)
Rex Wimpy	....	director of photography: Phoenix (uncredited)
Rex Wimpy	....	second camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Helen Colvig	....	costume supervisor
Theodore R. Parvin	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Other crew
Saul Bass	....	pictorial consultant
Saul Bass	....	title designer
Virginia Boyle	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Everett W. Brown	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
John 'Bud' Cardos	....	bird handler (uncredited)
Frank da Vinci	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Anne Dore	....	double: Anthony Perkins (uncredited)
John Drake	....	stand-in: Anthony Perkins (uncredited)
Margo Epper	....	body double: Mother in shower sequence (uncredited)
June Gleason	....	stand-in: Vera Miles (uncredited)
Charles S. Gould	....	location director (uncredited)
Melvin Hilgenfeld	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
William T. Hurtz	....	director: animated titles (uncredited)
Myra Jones	....	body double: Janet Leigh (uncredited)
Myra Jones	....	stand-in: Janet Leigh (uncredited)
Richard Kindelon	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Harold Lockwood	....	stand-in: Martin Balsam (uncredited)
Paul Mathews	....	stand-in: John Gavin (uncredited)
Jim Merrick	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Marli Renfro	....	shower scene double: Janet Leigh (uncredited)
Peggy Robertson	....	assistant: Mr. Hitchcock (uncredited)
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Herb Steinberg	....	publicity director: Paramount (uncredited)
Dolores Stockton	....	secretary: Mr. Hitchcock (uncredited)

sixth sense

The Sixth Sense

The movie, Sixth Sense is an American film filled with drama, mystery and thriller aspects. The story is about a troubled and lonely boy called Carl (Haley Joel Osment) who has the power to communicate with spirits. The spirits that he talks to are unaware of the fact that they are dead. Carl seeks the help of an equally troubled child psychologist, Dr Malcolm Crow who is played Bruce Willis. 

Sixth Sense was released on The 5^th of November 1999 with a story line that intrigued and captured  amazing story line and cast, that earned a gross of ‘$293,501,675 (USA) (14 May 2000) and a budget of estimated ‘$55,000,000’

The opening credits are very suspenseful and plain with effective orchestral music, white text is over a plain black screen fading in and stretching, the white text is very clear on the black background Fading into a light bulb in a cellar setting the scene as Anna, Malcolm’s wife gets a bottle of wine as they are celebrating a award Malcolm got for child psychology. The picture frame is red, this is important for later on in the film.

The movie starts with Donnie Wahlberg (Vincent Gray) breaking into Bruce Willis’s (Malcolm) apartment in just his underwear. We are told that Vincent is an ex patient of Dr Malcolm of a mood disorder who claims to be cursed. Dr Malcolm is said to of failed Vincent, Vincent shoots Dr Malcolm then himself in the head.

One of the director, M. Night Shyamalan’s common trade marks that follow this scene is that Films often use an event from the main character's past as a major connection to what is happening in the present (the Vincent Gray case in The Sixth Sense (1999), the car crash in Unbreakable (2000), the death of the wife in Signs (2002))

The screen fades and a high angled shot sets the scene ‘the next fall’ ‘south Philadelphia’ the camera then cuts to Malcolm, this camera cut is very effective following the codes and conventions of a thriller and making it a fast paced film. Malcolm is flicking through a note book about his child psychology about a boy, Carl who is just leaving his house, he puts on a big pair of glasses showing the audience he is a vulnerable child, he follows Carl without him being aware and Carl is rushing down the street entering a church with a big red door.

Malcolm enters the church and introduces himself to Carl telling him he is a doctor, Carl replies ‘are you a good doctor’ which gives u the idea it would take a good doctor to help him so Malcolm tells Carl about the award we saw him celebrate about winning at the beginning of the film off the mayor

Malcolm walks home late at night to find his wife asleep in a red blanket, he goes to the cellar looking through his books showing us the life of Dr M.

Morning comes and we see Carl having his breakfast before school. His mum leaves the room for a few seconds as all is going normal; she walks back in the room to find all the cupboard draws open, he doesn’t tell his mum the truth that we find out later on in the film. Carl has left a noticeable handprint on the table which his mum noticed showing us he was cold. Carl’s mum watches Carl walk around the corner with what she believes is his friend but is actually someone he bribes. As soon as they walk around the corner the boy calls Carl a freak and walks away.

After a day of school Carl speaks to Dr Malcolm, Malcolm is in the boys house as he walks in from school, Malcolm is sat directly opposite Carls mum however they do not speak and Carls mum doesnt mention to Carl he is even their. This scene is important because later on in the film we find out Malcolm is actually dead and Carl has the sixth sense.

After Malcolm forgets his and his wife’s anniversary and Carl says his school is a place where people used to be hung, his problems seem to be getting worse and Malcolm is starting to get isolated and he Is watching wedding videos of him ad his wife before his wife was asked out on a date by another man though his wife declined.


The films ending is amazing as we find out that Malcolm is actually dead, Malcolm died when he was shot in his home by Vincent Gray at the beginning of the film and had no idea. the only person that has been able to communicate with Malcolm throughout the film is Carl whom can see and talk to ghosts.


Sixth sense was produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Barry Mendal. Executive producer Sam Mercer.  A producer is responsible for raising funding, hiring key personnel, and arranging for distributors and an executive producer is A producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the filmmaking process, but who is still responsible for the overall production.


Tak Fujimoto was responsible for the cinematography, a cinematographer is A person with expertise in the art of capturing images either electronically or on film stock through the application of visual recording devices and the selection and arrangement of lighting.


all of the films editing was done by Andrew Mondshein, the original music was by James Newton Howard and directed by M. Night Shyamalan 

AO2 - Working in a team, produce material for a section of a film or television programme

Agenda for 1st meeting

Date: Tuesday 29th March 2011

Location: Wem town hall

Present: Tom Oswell, Tom Hyman, Sam Bishop

Apologies: None

Meeting agenda

• Location of filming
• Film Ideas

Links to frames from a range of thrillers explaining how an idea from them may appear in your opening

Pulp fiction

A mysterious briefcase will be featured in the opening sequence of the film. Just like the one in pulp fiction no one knows what is inside it. To add to the effect of the mysterious briefcase the camera is generally focused on it, this is adding to the ideas we will put into our opening sequence.

Chunking Express

We will purposely arrange in our production schedule that filming in the streets will be on busy days. This will add much more effect to the opening just like in the famous movie Chunking Express. for example i believe that the movie Chunking Express's opening would be no where near as effective in empty streets. also a larger amount of background noise.

Taken

                              

We will use ideas from the movie "Taken" during the phone call scene where the camera cuts (from Liam Neeson to Maggie Grace) during their phone conversation. We will use these ideas in our film as we don't want to have a Mysterious effect on the characters we want to introduce them, therefor showing them on camera.

Psycho 

The briefcase will be similar to the money in the movie Directed by Alfred Hitchcock due to the fact that the camera will regulary be focused on it to add effect. However the money is a Macguffin in the movie Psycho and the briefcase will not be a Macguffin in our Thriller.

recce shots

this will be the opening location in the cafe with a mysterious business man and brief case loads of action codes of the time and brief case will be shot and a variety of camera angles. 

these 3 shots our down Wem high street, this is the journey for one business man to meet the other

this is where the men will meet, an isolated bench in a park, long distance shots will be used and the camera will pan towards the men

Wem train station entrance is where the phone call will be made between the business men to arrange a meet

this is the platform where the other business man will leave the train

these are my recce photos of the locations around wem of which we will be filming

Questionaire

1. Male or Female?
Male
Female

2. Age Group?
16-18
19-23
24-28
29-35
35+

3. How many movies do you watch per month?
1-5
6-10
11-15
15+

4. What genre do you prefer in film?
Thriller
Horror
Comedy
Drama
Si-Fi
Romance

5.What themes do you prefer in a thriller?
Suspense
Tension
Crime
Physiological

6. Do you prefer Realistic or Supernatural Thrillers?

____________________

7. What is the best part about modern Thrillers today?

____________________

8. Whats the worst part about modern Thrillers today?

____________________

9. Who is your favourite film Director?

____________________

10. What is your favourite film to date?
____________________