Themes

We have already established that we are going to create a film opening for our coursework. We haven't actually been given the specification yet but we have been thinking about some ideas.

• A Horror theme - Night time, mysterious characters, dark colours (eg, red, black, grey etc)
• A Romantic theme - Candle lit dinners, Romantic Setting (Countryside), nice and relaxing colours
• A Thriller theme - Cliffhanger, very mysterious, maybe makes the audience jump.
• A Mystery theme - Nothing to be exposed, scary to some extent.

Musical Inspiration

This music inspired me alot. For our film opening we want a suspence opening and we thought that some music like this would create the type of atmosphere that we want. The only thing with this music, is that we don't want it to be cheesy and with this it could be percieved that way. We also wouldn't be able to use this exact song because it would be copyrighted. We could though, get some music which resembles this.

Film Analysis

I think that this is a great example of a horror/thriller theme opening. It straight away makes the ordinary house look creepy and you can already start to get a sense of something bad happening. When the girls are talking it seems like a normal night but as soon as one of them tells the story of the video, we are automatically drawn into the film's main plot. We can already assume that the video will have a reoccurence later on and the fact that she says people have died, we are left wanting to know what will happen.
Also, the fact that it is two ordinary girls we realise that it is happening in everyday life which makes it a more realistic situation.

AS Coursework - Research Ideas

This film poster inspires us as it symbolises the unknown. We can't see the face of the person, giving it an air of mystery as we want to know who they are.
The words 'fear moves in' could also hint that the character looking into the window will be that fear.

Coursework Ideas

I have already established that I am going to create a film opening for my coursework. I will be working with Luke on this. We haven't been given a specification but we have been thinking about some ideas.

•A Horror Theme - Night time, mysterious characters, dark colours (e.g. red, black, grey).
•A Romantic Theme - Candle lit dinners, Romantic Setting (Countryside), nice and relaxing colours (e.g. pink, cream).
•A Thriller Theme - Cliffhanger, very mysterious, makes the audience jump.
•A Mystery Theme - Nothing to be exposed, scary to some extent.

Exhibition Within Independent & Mainstream Cinema

There is a large divide between independant and mainstream films. Independant are not as well known and do not have as wide audience as mainstream films. They will shown in cinemas like the Phoenix. Mainstream film is more well known and more largely advertised. They will be shown in cinemas like the Odeon and Cineworld.



Mainstream Cinemas

Types Of Film :
The Twilight Saga:New Moon, Sherlock Holmes, Transformers



Film Times :

They offer midnight showings of huge blockbuster films the day they come out.



Target Audience And How They Bring Them In :
They attract a wide audience, with different ages etc.

Cost :
They offer adult, student, child and OAP tickets.



Independent Cinemas

Types Of Film :

Dead Man's Shoes, This Is England, Let The Right One In


Film Times :
They usually only have film showings once or twice a day as it is a more limited audience.



Target Audience And How They Bring Them In :
They have a more limited audience fitting a specific group of people.


Cost :
Can be from as little as £1.50 and are usually cheaper than mainstream cinema prices.



The UK film council wants to make non mainstream films accesible in 3 ways. What are they?

• Creating independent cinemas


• Raising awareness

How Are UK Film's Regulated?

Camera Angles And Editing

Camera Angles

Long Shot
Shows the entire object or human body. The main focus is on the characters or the object but there should still be a good deal of background shown.

Medium Shot
Usually shows the object or characters from the waist up. It us used to show some sort of action taking place or some dialogue. The background detail is usually minimal because the setting is most likely to have been established earlier on in the scene.

Close Up
Focus is often on the face or a specific detail on the object. Background detail is kept to a minimum. Normally used to show the importance of something, almost like a hint to the audience.

Shot Reverse Shot
When one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking "back" at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

High Angle Shot
The camera is elevated above the action using a crane to give a general overview. High angles make the object photographed seem smaller, and less significant (or scary). The object or character often gets swallowed up by their setting - they become part of a wider picture.

Low Angle Shot
These increase height and give a sense of speeded motion. Low angles help give a sense of confusion to a viewer, of powerlessness within the action of a scene. The background of a low angle shot will tend to be just sky or ceiling, the lack of detail about the setting adding to the disorientation of the viewer. The added height of the object may make it inspire fear and insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by the figure on the screen.

Tracking Shot
Camera is placed on a moving vehicle, which enables it to move alongside the action.

Pan
A movement which scans a scene horizontally. The camera is placed on a tripod, which operates as a stationary axis point as the camera is turned, often to follow a moving object which is kept in the middle of the frame.

Tilt
A movement which scans a scene vertically, otherwise similar to a pan.


Continuity
This is the consistency in a film or tv programme of characters and plot etc. For example if in an episode of eastenders, they cut between two scenes. Both in the same place but in one scene it was raining, but the other was not. When they are in the same place and at the same time. This would be bad continuity. Good continiuity would be if the weather was the same in both places.

Montage
This consists of a sequence of shots that are put together to condence narrative.

Transitions
A transition is how you get one clip to the other. You must be careful on the continuity that you use. Wipes is a type of this.

Cross Cutting/Parallel Editing
A technique used in which shots of two or more separate, usually concurrent scenes are interwoven.

Dissolve
A gradual transition from one image to another.

Wipes
A gradual transition between two different shots.