Group Narrative-Miss Georgiou

Group Narrative

Purpose of the narrative:

This is to provide the audience with a story line, so that they may connect with the characters in the film and engage them around the interesting plot.

Individual ideas:

Alex (Me) ideas:

Their are a group of people who are dared to spend the night in and old abandoned house, however there is actually a maniac who lives in the house who lock the group in and slowly hunts them down one by one. Using all the techniques that I have mentioned, about the group of people who are trapped in an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere at night. This all creates the conventions typical in a thriller genre, in my film I would also like to attempt to break the 180 rule which has been done in "Psycho" which I would like to replicate, this would give a 360 view of the setting which will draw the audience in and help them empathise with the characters.

Advantages-

• It is conventional
• Ideas are similar to other films that have made them work
• Simple

Disadvantages-

• Hard to find an abandoned location 
• To repetitive
• Need to find a group of people 

Noah ideas:

A couple go to a closed hotel. They didn't know this and they start to argue. The woman leaves the man stranded there over the winter and begins to lose his mind in the cold attic of the hotel. He then murders new guests in the summer with blunt objects while wearing a phantom of the opera mask that he had found. I got the location from the shining, the suspense of him killing from pet cemetery, the mysteriousness from v for vendetta, the isolation plot from misery and the iconography from Texas chainsaw. Hopefully these ideas create an element of shock, suspense and surprise amongst the audience.

Advantages-

• Easy to acquire iconography
• Small group
• Long story line 

Disadvantages-

• Hard to find location
• Hard to portray the weather 
• Not simple - To much going on

Lucy ideas:

To reach a first idea and plot for my opening sequence, I took my inspirations and thought about the main features, Characters and Location. Therefore these are my first ideas...

• Characters - 3 girls, Amy, Stacy, Hannah - 3 Boys, Sam, Jack, Mark - 2 killers
• Location - Woods
• Time - Halloween night
• Target Audience - Certificate 15 aimed at teenagers

Plot

A group of girls go camping on Halloween night. They start to hear strange sounds from outside, coming out of their tent the sounds start getting louder. The girls are scared and have no idea what to do. A group of boys jump out on them.

Once the boys go home, the girls plan to go to bed, however the sounds start again, they think its the boys, although this time it isn't...

Advantages-

• Easy to find location 
• Can be filmed at any times - don't require specific weather conditions
• Simple plot

Disadvantages-

• Large group
• To much dialogue 

Groups final narrative:

• The location that our group decided on was a mix between an abandoned location and a forest
• group of people
• maked killer
• knif and other wepons used

Research into the history of thriller films-MIss Georgiou

History of thriller films

Reference (from goggle)

40s Thriller films:-"Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde"

60s Thriller films:-"Psycho"

Reference (goggle images and wikipoiedia) 

80s Thriller films:-"Octopussy"

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopussy

90s films:"The Silence of the Lambs"

Reference link:-https://www.google.com/search/safe=vss&es_sm=91&q=the+silence+of+the+lambs+(1991)&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGOovnz8BQMDgxIHqxKHfq6-gXlyZY6RkKVBsUJJRlFmTk5qkUJaZk5usQODZ_QCxvVCWfHLxefLNb4o7eKwdaoGACTp50A_AAAA&npsic=0&sa=X&ei=t0BVUoiAGaWd0QWJ7oHABQ&ved=0CC0Q-BY

Modern day films:

Reference link:-http://screenrant.com/mama-movie-trailer-posters-2013/

Research into sound-Miss Miller

Research into sound

There is a variety of sound that used in all films to create effects, emphasise actions and manipulate the opinions of the audience. The film that I have chosen to evaluate is "Insidious 2" the scene that I have chosen has a mixture of different sound effects which show the mood of the scene.

The first sound that I noticed was the silence at the begging of the scene this was used when the old woman was speaking, this made her voice the only thing that the audience could hear. This meant that because her voice was the only thing that could be heard it builds tension and put emphasis on everything she says. This silence is conventional to the thriller genre because it is commonly used to build tension in preparation to the shock in the end.

The next point that I noticed was the use of the sound bridge technique, this was shown by a low rumble that slowly built up throughout the scene and was used over the top of most sounds. This is conventional to thriller as it is used to create and build tension in a scene where without the sound there may not be. This make the audience expect a shock and only once the audience think there will not be one the sound increases and the monster is revealed.

The next sound that I noticed which was the focus of the scene was the voice over technique, this was used throughout the scene and was an off screen as well as an on screen sound. This makes the audience listen to what the woman says and focuses on her voice, because of this the audience wait in anticipation as to what she will say next.

The final technique that I noticed int his scene was an on screen use of parallel sound, this was used when the door creaked open and when the monsters finger slowly clicked and pointed at the boy. This create emphasis on what is happening on screen and makes the audience focus on where the sound is coming from on screen.

This is the scene that I have reviewed:-

By Alexander Flanagan

Reserch into conventions of a thriller genre-Miss Miller

Conventions of a thriller

Conventions are things that are typically in most thriller films such as:

• A villain
• A murder weapon (Iconography)
• Low key lighting 
• Victim (female blond)
• Mystery story line
• Mystery location (secluded)
• Suspense and uncertainty
• Stalkers 
• Innocent people dragged into danger 
• fast paced editing 
• Slow paced editing 
• reaction shots
• Eerie music
• Blood

The film I have chosen to review is "The human centipede" there was many things that I noticed that are conventional in thrillers that was used in this movie clip. The first thing that I noticed was the low key lighting which makes the scene look dark and obscure to give a more eerie and ominous presence. This was used when the girl was running away from the doctor up the stairs and was used because it made the stairs seem as if they led to danger and the unknown.This is conventional to the thriller genre because most thrillers have dark lighting in there films to keep the audience in suspense. This tell the audience that going up the stairs is dangerous and will lead to a dead end and her eventual re-capture by the doctor.

The next convention that I noticed was the fast editing followed by the slow editing this was used when the girl was running down the hall trying to find some where to hide, and then when the doctor was looking for her. The fast editing makes the scene feel frantic and out of control which can make the audience emphasis with the characters danger. The slow editing creates a slower pace and gives a sense that the doctor is slowly creeping up on the girl and slowly making his was towards her, this makes the audience feel the tension the character is feeling and creates suspense as they do not know when the character will be caught. This is conventional because in most thrillers slow editing is used to build up tension and suspense for an eventual shock and fast editing is used during or after that shock.

Another convention that I noticed was the silence used when the girl ran and locked herself in the room waiting for the doctor to come after her. All the audience is able to hear in this section of the scene is a low hum, this low hum is used to give the audience consistency. This will make the audience listen out for a change in sound but if done for long enough then the audience will not expect anything and will be more shocked when the scare finally comes. This sort of silence is conventional to thrillers because all thrillers use it to build up tension and create suspense.




By Alexander Flanagan 

Individual ideas for a narative-Miss Georgiou

 

 

Narrative Ideas

 

 

My task in media studies is to create a thriller trailer but to do this I will need ideas especially as I do not have any experience with film making or editing. We as a class have been looking at a few films and i myself have now tries to watch more thrillers to gain ideas of things that have worked well in a film or a scene from a film that we could incorporate into our own trailers. The main things that I have been looking at are the cinematography, the setting, The diegetic and non-diegetic sound, the lighting and the theme of the films. From doing this research at home and at school I have found several things from different films I would like to incorporate into my trailer.

 

Inspirations:

 

•  Firstly, I wanted to find some inspiration for a location of my trailer and I wanted to find a film which used an abandoned and eerie element throughout the film, this meant finding a good example of an abandoned location. A film that I thought pulled this of very well was "Strangers" the setting for the majority of the film is an abandoned log cabin this is good because it has the homely feel of the house which the audience can relate to, but it also has an abandoned and excluded feel that I want to replicate in my trailer.
• Another inspiration of mine is "Saw V" because I like how the characters are trapped in run down buildings filled with dangerous traps dirt and blood. I like how in the beginning of the film the five characters are being held by chains this makes them seem like helpless victims which is conventional in thrillers.
• In a variety of thriller films I have seen the use of low key lighting  used which is conventional in thriller films and is often used to make tension and suspense.
• I have also noticed a camera angle in "Saw V" and other films that I would like to use which is a canted angle shot this is used when there is wild things happening on screen and is used to keep the audience in suspense.
• Like in "The Human Centipede" I would Like to use a mix of different shot speed like when the girl is running away then locks herself in the room and suddenly the music gets slower as the doctor gets closer and closer to her. The creates suspense which is conventional to thrillers.

My Narrative Idea:

 

 

Their are a group of people who are dared to spend the night in and old abandoned house, however there is actually a maniac who lives in the house who lock the group in and slowly hunts them down one by one. Using all the techniques that I have mentioned, about the group of people who are trapped in an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere at night. This all creates the conventions typical in a thriller genre, in my film I would also like to attempt to break the 180 rule which has been done in "Psycho" which I would like to replicate, this would give a 360 view of the setting which will draw the audience in and help them empathise with the characters.

By Alexander Flanagan