Foundation Portfolio

Evaluation Video

2009-04-20T08:00:00.001-07:00

Top Rated Thriller Films

2009-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Rank	Rating	Title	Votes
1.	9.1	The Godfather (1972)	334,786
2.	9.0	The Godfather: Part II (1974)	192,625
3.	8.9	The Dark Knight (2008)	329,622
4.	8.8	Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)	227,532
5.	8.7	Rear Window (1954)	94,285
6.	8.7	Cidade de Deus (2002)	121,892
7.	8.7	The Usual Suspects (1994)	219,164
8.	8.7	Psycho (1960)	114,587
9.	8.7	Fight Club (1999)	296,529
10.	8.6	The Silence of the Lambs (1991)	196,228
11.	8.6	North by Northwest (1959)	75,253
12.	8.6	Memento (2000)	214,194
13.	8.6	The Matrix (1999)	306,888
14.	8.6	Se7en (1995)	217,120
15.	8.6	Léon (1994)	151,541
16.	8.6	Taxi Driver (1976)	121,144
17.	8.5	Vertigo (1958)	73,385
18.	8.5	M (1931)	31,032
19.	8.5	Double Indemnity (1944)	28,310
20.	8.5	The Third Man (1949)	40,846
21.	8.5	Chinatown (1974)	61,994
22.	8.5	The Departed (2006)	198,516
23.	8.5	Alien (1979)	143,233
24.	8.5	A Clockwork Orange (1971)	154,162
25.	8.5	The Shining (1980)	137,495

All information/sources from Imdb

My Genre Choice

2009-01-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

I chose thriller as a genre choice for my film because I personally do enjoy watching thriller films in my own time. As thriller is a genre that often merges or includes other themes it gives thriller films more diversity so there is a wide range of differences between each films. There is more choice as what type of thriller film to watch but the main codes and conventions do stay the same. Thriller is the most notifyable film to have sub - genres so audiences are usually not disappointed in what they view this also may include other themes that may be viewed in other genres too.. Supense is usually high and red herrings or cliff hangers used extensively this all adds to the tensions composed successfully in thriller films.

Role Allocation

2009-01-06T06:03:00.000-08:00

For my fiction film I am working on my own and so this means I will be doing all the roles and work for my production.

Writer/Director/Cameraperson/Editor = Shanola May - Fuller

Box Office Releases

2008-12-11T03:41:00.000-08:00

When accessing the all top USA box office films I found that the third top film of all time was "The Dark Knight" (2008). In this being an action thriller film for this genre this film did particularly well raking in $531,010,375.

Distributor: Warner Bros.	Release Date: July 18, 2008
Genre: Action / Adventure	Running Time: 2 hrs. 30 min.
MPAA Rating: PG-13	Production Budget: $185 million

Other successful top ten thriller films consist of: "The Godfather I and II", "The Usual Suspects", "Psycho" and "Fight Club".

Released	Movie Name	US Gross	Worldwide Gross	Budget
3/15/1972	The Godfather	$134,966,411	$268,500,000	$7,000,000
12/11/1974	The Godfather: Part II	$57,300,000	-	$13,000,000

Totals		$258,786,940	$392,320,529	$74,000,000
Averages		$86,262,313	$130,773,510	$24,666,667

Analysis of the opening scene of a Horror film

2008-12-09T06:19:00.001-08:00

Saw
(Directed and Produced by James Wan and Gregg Hoffman)

Saw is an American horror franchise that currently consists of five films, the first distributed in 2004 is the first installment of the Saw film series. The film's story revolves around two men who are kidnapped, trapped and locked in an industrial bathroom with a dead body between them and given instructions related to escaping. Police detectives investigate and attempt to apprehend the criminal responsible, the "Jigsaw Killer".

Saw begins with two male characters trapped and chained in a unknown room, or to what looks like a bathroom. An establishing shotn is used to give an insight in to what the room is like while at the same time familarising the audience with the current location. The films often uses flashbacks to tell the story during the duration in which the characters are trapped. This helps to introduce other characters as they have a significance for the main part of the film later on.

Saw Box Office

The production budget was totalled at $1, 200, 000. This was preceeded by a gross revenue of $102,917,772. It was distributed by Lionsgate for its release on October 29, 2004.

Analysis of the opening scene of a Romantic Comedy

2008-12-09T06:18:00.001-08:00

Hitch
(Directed and Produced by Andy Tennant and Alistair Finerty)

Hitch is a 2005 romantic comedy film starring Will Smith and Eva Mendes. Smith plays a professional matchmaker, who makes a living teaching men how to woo women. The film was released on February 11, 2005 by Columbia Pictures.

Hitch begins with an opening voiceover of the mind of a women when it comes to relationships. His face is not shown until characters are further introduced. The first shot shows a woman waking up in bed alone which shows its setting in the morning representing a new day or a new perspective on things. We can also tell this from the alarm clock. Other woman and men are further introduced as the voiceover continues revealing their thoughts and what they want from life. The camera cuts to each character giving point of view shots from each. The voiceover explains this as we find out Smith's character "Hitch" is what is known as a "love doctor" so the various unmamed characters are his "patients". The comedy element comes from the characters awkwardness in contrast to Hitch's smooth composure. The title appears in front of an establishing shot of Manhatten, New York.

Hitch Box Office

The production budget was $70,000,000. The film also ended up grossing $179,495,555 domestically, making it the tenth-highest grossing film of 2005. It also grossed $368,100,420 worldwide and broke Sony's record for best opening weekend for a romantic-comedy film.

Analysis of the opening scene of a Thriller

2008-12-09T06:17:00.000-08:00

Die Hard with a Vengeance
(Directed and Produced by John McTiernan)

Die Hard with a Vengeance is a 1995 action thriller film and the third sequel in the Die Hard series. It stars Bruce Willis as a NYPD detective John McClane and Samuel L. Jackson as his reluctant partner Zeus Carver.

Die Hard begins with an establishing shot of a New York morning with the sun beginning to rise in the background, this is used in contrast with the impression given off of New York as a bustling busy city. The impression is soon confirmed when the title film appears suddenly with a loud bang. The film begins to unfold as the music "Summer in the city" is heard. This fits with the New York city lifestyle as various shots of buildings and happy people partaking in various activities are shown. The film's flow is errupted after a bomb explodes at the Bonwit Teller store. The camera captures the blast as it appears in slow motion showing the blast's impact and the reaction of the New York residents. The camera then cuts to the police department where workers can be shown reeling from the effect of the bomb. The main chief can be shown answering the phone to a mysteriously voiced sinister male called "Simon". The camera continuously zooms in on the chief's face to convey facial expressions which are key as to what "Simon" says. Simon reveals to the chief that he is behind the bomb explosion and gives consequences as to what may happen again if his demands are not met. This leads in to the protaganist character being introduced which is quite unusual in being introduced so late into the films after the opening main event has already happened. The camera cuts to a moving van in which we can tell as characters included are unable to stay completely still. High angle and low angle shots are used when John McClane is shown lower down compared to the three other members of the police force. We soon find out that John is a recovering alcoholic and a mothering role is put in place as a woman gives him a drink and helps to dress him. This also links as to John's marriage as the audience realise in this sequel that it's not working out. John removes his clothing garments and then quotes: "You know, you're the first woman since Holly to see me do this."
John proceeds with the task he is set by Simon which is where we are introduced to Samuel L. Jackson's character "Zeus". John is made to wear a racist sign to black people which adds to the irony as Zeus who helps John is a black man. This begins the main theme throughout the film where John and Zeus have to overcome their fears and opinions of each other in order to out smart Simon.

Die Hard with a Vengeance Box Office

Die Hard With a Vengeance had a budget of an estimated $90,000,000. It had a wide release opening in 2,525 theaters, making $22,162,245 its opening weekend in the U.S. Die Hard With a Vengeance made $100,012,499 in the USA, and another $261,200,000 worldwide for a gross revenue of $361,212,499.

Genre in Films

2008-12-08T07:57:00.001-08:00

Genres
Genres are categories formed by a set of conventions, they are based on similarities in the narrative elements. Genre relies on setting, a theme or topic, mood and format in order to be categorized. Some genres are very identifiable by certain codes and conventions continually used in most different genre of films. It links to the development and history of the genre in order for it to be distinguished. All films have at least one main genre although not all films are very precise. This is because genre often differs as films do not just consist of one main theme but instead blend others or use minor themes to incorporate a new genre in itself, these are often called sub-genres. They may consist of three or four over-lapping main genres.

Sub - Genres
Sub-genres are sub classes of the larger genre of main film genres. They have no fixed boundaries as the multiple main genres used often cross and differentiate. For example romantic comedies are a classic example of a typical sub genre that can be easily recognised for it's codes and conventions. This is because the techniques are widely used in comedies and romantic films but successfully merged together. As sub-genres occur they can also arguably be classed as main genres and create new genres within themselves.

Christian Metz, a french theorist tried out this genre theory of semiotics to film. Metz focuses on narrative structure proposing that the reason film is popular as an art form lies in its ability to both be an imperfect reflection of reality and as a method to delve into the unconscious dream state. Metz used his theory to explain genre development within film.

Four Stages of Horror Genre

1. Experimental - contains generic codes and conventions
2. Classy/Classical - building on narrative = most successful define period
3. Parody - an affectionate skit, mocks, takes fun of original work
4. Deconstruction - generic elements of horror mixed with other genres

The Pitch

2008-12-08T07:27:00.000-08:00

Ideas for Film
As I am choosing thriller as the genre for my fiction film, I had to consider the codes and conventions of a thriller film when coming up with ideas. To begin with I thought of a setting in which would suit the genre and mood and ideas began to flow as to how I could use my surroundings to create my film and successfully incorporate all the right elements for a thriller film.

Mind Map - Ideas

Idea 1 - Drama Thriller
Girl is out having a drink with friends Girl becomes tired and suggests she wants to go home Begins to walk home by herself Man walks towards her - he watches her closely Man grabs girl - kidnaps her and locks her in house Girl trapped in house Man continually returns to house to check on girl Girl runs downstairs to try to escape - fails Man walks out of house leaving girl unattended Girl struggles and finally manages to escape.

Idea 2 - Gangster themed thriller
A transition is about to be carried out by two thugs - they have not planned successfully for the terrible events that occur later. The two thugs meet up in a secluded area and converse with each other. They are met by an unknown car which drives towards them stopping suddenly before a collision with the men. The two men recognise the third gentlemen and are given a briefcase of what they think is money as the third man drives away they soon open it an find it full of fingers and are left stunned...

Idea 3 - Drama Thriller
A voiceover of a young female begins while distorted images of a car crash is shown. The voiceover sets the story and gives an eerie, meloncholoy mood to the film. The girl gives details to her being the only survivor of her families car crash. Flash backs of a happy girl growing up are soon over as the screen fades to black to present time of an empty cemetry and dream like qualities.

Characters
As I am working by myself for my fiction film I decided to only include a maximum of two characters as a easy number to manage and still be able to carry out my ideas. I decided to include female characters in my ideas as they are percieved as more weak or vulnerable and I thought this was a good quality to include in a thriller film.

Codes and Conventions of a Thriller

2008-12-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

Codes and Conventions of a Thriller Film

Codes and Conventions of a thriller genre are conveyed through sound and editing to give a suspenseful effect. E.g quick cuts, camera angle changes and lighting. They often include numerous over – lapping of sub – genres and are characterised by fast pacing and frequent action. There are different kinds of sub – genre thrillers that incorporate other themes usually to heighten tension these include: action thriller, conspiracy thriller, crime thriller, disaster thriller, drama thriller, eco – thriller, erotic – thriller, horror thriller, legal thriller, medical thriller, political thriller, psychological thriller, spy thriller, supernatural thriller and techno – thriller.

o Credits title sequence that follow thriller theme – sinister credits, title movement, music that creates tension.
o Present day – dramatic event
o Insight into story of the film
o Story re – told through flashbacks and quick passed editing
o Villain partakes in deviant behaviour
o Usually 1 or 2 male protaganists e.g: detectives/police officers – represent heroes or saviour
o Heroes usually seen as “Hard Men”
o Villain’s identity hidden
o Story told from villains point of view
o Occasionally a psychological twist
o Use of shadow, mirrors and stairs – conventions
o Include a cliffhanger to continue sequels

Examples of Sub – Genres
Action Thriller – In which a time trial is often featured or a race against the clock. Contains lots of violence, an apparent antagonist, and large elaborate set pieces for action to take place. E.g: Transporter, James Bond films, etc.

Conspiracy Thriller – A hero usually confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent is only recognised by the person. E.g: The Chancellor Manuscript.

Crime Thriller – Hybrid of crime films and thrillers. They often focus on criminal behaviour or crimes rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. E.g: Reservoir Dogs, Seven, etc.

Disaster Thriller – Main theme incorporated due to a natural disaster, a nuclear disaster or an artificial disaster. These include floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. E.g Volcano, Stormy Weather and Earthquake.

Drama Thriller - In which the story consists of elements of drama and thriller film. These films are usually slow paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. E.g: The Illusionist, The Prestige and The Interpreter.

Eco – Thriller – In which the protagonist must alert or rectify an enviromental or biological calamity often in addition to dealing with the unusual enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This enviromental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. E.g: The Loop.

Horror Thriller – This includes conflict between the protaganists characters, it could mentally, emotionally or physically. Main character(s) are up against a superior force and soon become the victims themselves. E.g: Saw, 28 Days Later, etc.

Legal Thriller – Lawyer heroes confront enemies outside and inside the courtroom, danger of losing cases and lives. E.g The Innocent Man

Medical Thriller – Include doctors/medical personnel’s working to solve an expanding medical problem. E.g: The Hot Zone, Awake, etc.

Political Thriller – Main character must ensure the stability of the government. E.g: The Manchurian Candidate.

Psychological Thriller – Conflict between characters is mental or emotional (sometimes physical) E.g: Shadow of a Doubt.

Spy Thriller – This is also a subgenre of spy fiction, usually rival governments must take violent action against each other. E.g: Mission Impossible.

Supernatural Thriller – Conflict between main characters, usually one has
supernatural powers. This type of thriller combines tension from the
conventional thrillers with traces of horror elements e.g: ghosts.
E.g: Unbreakable.

Techno – Thriller – Focuses on military action, technology used to
understand the plot; it is also described in detail. E.g: The Hunt for Red
October.

Examples of Thriller Films
(1920’s)
o The Bat (1926)

(1930’s)
o The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) – Psychological
o Another Thin Man (1939) – Comedy

(1940’s)
o Among The Living (1941) – Crime

(1950’s)
o Dial M For Murder (1954)
o Vertigo (1958)

(1960’s)
o Psycho (1960)
o Cape Fear (1962)

(1970’s)
o Jaws (1975)
o Carrie (1976)
o Marathon Man (1976)

(1980’s)
o Thief (1981)
o Crimes Of Passion (1984) – Erotic
o Fatal Attraction (1987)
o Die Hard (1988)

(1990’s)
o The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
o Basic Instinct (1992)
o Bad Boys (1995) – Action
o Se7en (1995)

(2000’s)
o Vanilla Sky (2001)
o The Bourne Identity (2002) Action & Paranoid
o Phone Booth (2003)
o Sin City (2005)
o Eagle Eye (2008)
o Mirrors (2008) – Supernatural

Codes and Conventions of a Horror film

2008-12-02T06:50:00.001-08:00

Codes and Conventions of a Horror Film

This type of genre strives to educe fear and apprehension from their viewers by colliding supernatural into reality situations. Everything a normal society values is systematically destroyed throughout the film. It often can be completely paranormal without any reality whatsoever and are based on classic literature of the gothic/horror genre. They can also incorporate elements of other genres such as science fiction (sci-fi), fantasy, black comedies or thriller. Modernized horrors usually contain graphic violence or bloody gore. Horror films differentiate due to the years and so it is much harder to compare or group them largely and so contrasts between them become very clear.

o Preliminary introduction into ordinary lifestyle
o Type of bizarre murder/death – killer maybe known or unknown
o Credits follow horror theme – creepy font, title movement, image eg pumpkin, weapon, etc
o Main characters introduced – young/ youthful
o Teenage kids – easy target also vulnerable – home alone
o Teenagers usually a couple – football jock boyfriend and cheerleader blonde bimbo girlfriend.
o Mysterious phone calls – dubbed sinister voice “Who’s There…?”
o Family ties broken
o Sisters killed by brothers e.g: Halloween
o Sometimes unsuccessful acts of heroism
o Victim unprotected
o Superhuman killer – doesn’t die successfully = sequels

Examples of Horror Films
(Pre 1920)
o Frankenstein (1910)
o The Miser’s Doom (1899)
(1920’s)
o The Phantom of The Opera (1925)

(1930’s)
o Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
o The Tell – Tale Heart (1934)

(1940’s)
o The Body Snatcher (1945)

(1950’s)
o Night Of The Demon (Curse of The Demon) (1957)
o The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)

(1960’s)
o 13 Ghosts (1960)
o Psycho (1960)
o The Birds (1963)
o The Haunting (1963)

(1970’s)
o Tales From The Crypt (1972)
o Carrie (1976)

(1980’s)
o Friday The 13th (1980)
o A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
o Child’s Play (1988)

(1990’s)
o Candyman (1992)

(2000)
o Final Destination (2000)
o 28 Days Later (2002)
o The Grudge (2004)
o Saw (2004)
o Hostel (2005)
o The Happening (2008)
o Mirrors (2008)

Codes and Conventions of a Romantic Comedy

2008-12-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

Codes and Conventions of a Media Text

Codes and Conventions refers to the type of codes that can be seen within a media text and the types of codes that can be broken down and analysed. They can be separated into three dissimilar groups – technical codes which refer to the camera techniques and shots used, symbolic codes that are used for signified or conventional effect and written/audio codes that also add to the media text. These give the text meaning and determine the response of the viewer or audience.

Codes and Conventions of a Romantic Comedy Film

Colloquially known as “romcom” this is a cross genre in which a romance story generally emerges and is presented in a comedic way. The purpose is particularly aimed at a female audience and often ridiculed as a “chick flick” for this reason. They explore ideas of gender, relationships, sexuality and status.

o Prologue introduction into love theme – Occasionally voiceover
o Main characters introduced
o Credits continue love film – style of text e.g: hearts, flowers, wedding bells, etc
o “Boy Meets Girl”
o Two Protanganist Characters – Man and Woman hesitant to become romantically involved
o Hints that they may be a good love match
o Part ways due to some form of an argument or disagreement
o Ultimately reunite
o One of two makes the grand “gesture”
o Live Happily Ever After

Examples of Romantic Comedy Films

o 4 Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
o 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
o Notting Hill (1999)
o Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001)
o Love, Actually (2003)
o Pride and Prejudice (2005)

Target Audience - Questionnaire

2008-12-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

We were asked to conduct a questionnaire to determine our target audience and so I chose the type of questions that I thought would give me an insight in to my potential audience for the following genres: Thriller, Romantic Comedy and Horror Films.

1. How old are you?
7 - 14
15 - 17
18 - 30
30+

I chose these particular type of age brackets as they fit accordingly to British film classifications: U & PG, 12, 15 and 18.

2. What gender are you?
Male
Female

Gender is normally included in questionnaires and it was important to include this question to differentiate differences in male and female as it is significant and differs for different genres.

3. What is your current occupation?
Full - Time Employment
Part - Time Employment
Retired
Student
Unemployed

Knowing participants occupation also helps to determine their social background and as to what types of class watch different genres of films. I thought it may differ judging on different occupations so this was also important.

4. What would you describe as your current marital status?
Single
Married
Seperated
Divorced
In a relationship
Engaged
Widowed

Marital status describes the relationship between a person and a significant other. This is important to determine what different genres may be viewed by people either in relationships or if they were single.

5. How would you define your ethnicity?
(please state)
---------------------------------------------
I thought a question on ethnicity would help me to understand my target audience's sense of identity or how they percieve themselves which may be important according to what type of issues may be involved in a film they would normally view.

6. What is your typical preferred genre?
Thriller
Horror
Romantic Comedy

This question is based on purely audience preference, it links to the type of films my target audience would normally see or not see.

7. Define what you would expect to find in a...?

i) A romantic comedy
ii) A thriller film
iii) A horror film

By asking this question I thought it would allow me to see what my target audience is used to seeing and what they would like to view in these three genres. It also refers to gender as male and female preferences may differ.

8. How often do you visit a cinema?
Everyday
Once a week
More than once a week
Once a fortnight
Once a month
Every 6 months
Once a year
Every 2 years
Never

This type of question allows me to understand how my audience incorporates film socially. By visiting cinemas it is viewed as a pleasure and leads to an audiences passion for film.

9. Last film viewed
(please state)
---------------------------

I thought this would be a good question to end on as it allows the audience again to show their preferred type of genre or what they would typically enjoy more.

Preliminary Task

2008-12-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

Storyboards for Preliminary Task
For our preliminary task we were expected to create a short video clip showing techniques we've learnt and conveying the correct process of how to use a camera. It had to contain a person entering the room, crossing the room and exchanging small dialogue with a second person already in the room. There had to be an exchange of an item from the first person to the second. Different camera techniques had to be included such as: a shot reverse shot, match on action and if necessary stick to the 180 degree rule. To begin we thought and drew up a storyboard to use as a guideline for our movie clip. This was useful although ideas that we originally thought of weren't all used.

The movie clip began with a zooming in shot to a close up of the first person being observed in a chair. We then cut the camera to a high angle close up shot to show the emotion in the person's eyes. We struggled to get a correct shot where we originally wanted to show more than one different facial feature but due to lack of knowledge were limited to just conveying the eyes. The person can be seen sitting tensely looking through a blank folder which we wanted to use to draw the audience in as to what he was looking at which was part of our main idea. The camera then cut to a close up of the door being knocked, and then cut to the outside of the door of a hand turning the handle and the second person being introduced. This was our match on action shot which was quite successful, we used it to introduce the second person. We then incorporated an over the shoulder shot from the first person showing the second person still in the frame. The second person is welcomed to sit down as there is an exchange in dialogue...
First Person: "I thought I told you not to come!" - We showed the reaction of the first person's face as this type of welcome was used to seem quite sinister and snappy.
Second Person: "Sorry boss... it's urgent... she's escaped boss." After this dialogue shot we wanted to cut to an over the shoulder shot from the first person but ended up continuing the scene on.
1st Person: "Why do you continue to disappoint me?" When including this line we also wanted to use props such as a cigarette and a lighter. In the end we left this out of the scene as we weren't able to do it. We thought it would have been good to use as the first person is supposed to seem quite high up in status and this reflects his personality and actions. There is a pause as we continued with this shot as we wanted the mobile phone along side the 1st person to ring. The shot was done correctly but as the phone was about to ring this interfered with the camera.
1st Person: "Hendrix I thought I told you to handle it!" This originally was the line we wanted to use but it changed at the last minute due to time. It was spoken over the phone none the less which was what we wanted for our shot. We were then going to have a close up shot as the camera follows the person's movements as his hand picks up the phone with the camera still focusing on him until it reaches his ear. This was also hard to shoot so instead we just kept the camera still and continued the shot on.
1st Person: "Tony's let me down gather your men but... I want her alive, DONT disappoint me!" The final shot was an over the shoulder shot of the 1st person handing the second person the item. For this we used a folder containing the words "Assignment 1" as this was what we called our movie clip. We did this also shooting a final over the shoulder shot from the 1st person and zoomed in slowly on the folder until our movie clip ended. We didn't really encount any main problems when filming our task as it was quite simple in what were expected to do. We tried to keep to the rules of the task as much as possible and so the film was quite successful considering the limited out of time.

Preliminary Task

Action Plan

2008-12-01T07:31:00.000-08:00

Up to Christmas - Tasks 1 - 7

WC 12th Jan 09 - Filming/Evaluation
19th Jan 09 - Filming Continued
26th Jan 09 - Logging/Capturing
2nd Feb 09 - Draft Edit
9th Feb 09 - Draft/Final edit
16th Feb 09 - HALF TERM
23rd Feb 09 - Finalise Blog/Final Edit
27th Feb 09 - FINAL DEADLINE