Changes

Thomas brown, Micheal mcgroarty, Tom Cox have reviewed the Script and Storyboard, and are making significant Alterations to it, Including a Split Screen Section.

Media Project

I've finished storyboarding, and have produced an animatic with the help of Andy. It is now at the bottom of our blog. The animatic was actually fairly easy to do, but I'm no technical guru, so luckily Andy was on hand. I have written the script, or at least a vague outline of what the script should feel like. I've tried to make it gritty, but I'm not sure if I've pulled it off. All our groups textual analysis is now on the blog, and Jo, Tom and Tom B went to location to take photos of the alleyway we're going to be using. The photos were great, and the phone box was also a good idea. I've just finished printing out the remainder of the work, so its all wrapped up nicely.

Meida Project Script

Media Studies – Script for the Production

Scene 1: Characters are Warren Gray and a henchman.

Warren Gray: (angry and frustrated)
‘Have you found him?!’
Henchman: (apologetic)
‘Don’t worry Sir; we got him trapped nice and cosy.’
WG: (even more livid)
‘Oh for Christ sake! Just get the little rat and kill him!!’

Scene 2: Characters are Dwaine and henchman 2.

Henchman 2: (after sparking one up to reveal his broken nose)
‘As you can see, I’m not the most handsome of fellas.’ (Laughs to himself)
Dwaine: (agitated and desperate)
‘Stay the hell away from me!’
H2: (composed)
‘Come on kid, just hand it over, before I get really nasty…’ (smiles)
D: (panicky)
‘You can’t do nothin’ to me, the cops crawl all over this place’
H2: (still calm)
‘For the right price, a cop is just a tool to people like me…and him’ (gestures towards henchman 1, smiles slightly)
D: (scared)
‘I ain’t handing it over, so go screw yourself.’
H2: (mildly frustrated)
‘Stop playing the hero kid and hand me the bag’
D: (masking fear with anger)
‘This ain’t his, and it never will be!
H2: (borderline anger)
‘Kid, you ain’t too young too die, and I’ll have no quarms about killing you and dropping you down the Back Bay.. now hand me… the bag.’
Dwaine hits henchman 2 and runs for it. Henchman 1 pursues.
H2: ‘Son of a…’ (spits blood)


This is just a first draft, we will all mull over it and change things if need be.


Written by Michael.

Thriller analysis

Explain how sound and editing are used to establish what the characters are doing in an opening two minute sequence of a thriller.


The opening scene I am going to discuss is about the Christopher Nolan thriller Memento’ this film uses music and sound that are usually included in most thriller movies.

The sequence starts with the credits, very dark dramatic music is used even before any characters are revealed to the audience. The director has done to already set the scene for what kind of movie this is going to be and lets the audience get a general feel to the film.
The first image the audience actually sees is a Polaroid picture of a man who has been shot in the head. It is a very graphic image, at first you can just see the characters hand holding the picture and him shaking it. The first reaction of the audience is that it appears as though he is drying but then the audience can see that the sequence is being played backwards.

The shot then changes to see the sequence of what ‘Guy Pearces’ character was doing. It shows the sequence backwards, the Polaroid goes back into the camera. Then the flash goes showing when the photo was taken, the camera then cuts to his facial expression. Simple cuts are used to cut between each part of the room where he is in, the camera then cuts to the blood of who he shot. The n there are a series of fast cuts showing the empty bullet shell, the bloody glasses and then the dead person lying on the floor.

The camera shot then changes again and it is still clear that the sequence is being played backwards as the characters arm reaches out and the gun then flies up to it. It then shows the character kneeling down, another series of fast cuts showing the bullet shell moving on the floor and then cuts to the glasses moving back to the dead persons head then cuts back to the bullet going in the gun and then the character shouting.

The whole sequence is played backwards but if it was played forward would show him kneeling down he shoots the character then shows glasses then the bullet. He then takes the Polaroid picture.

The way in which editing is used is very clever in capturing the audiences attention as the backward sequence interests them in to what the sequence is showing. The audience realizes that this character has killed someone but is unsure why and wants to find out more. The music at the beginning begins very dramatic and loud but then as it cuts to the actual characters situation then the there is still that quit drone of orchestral dark music. The music is Non diegetic, which means that it is not in the world of the film and cannot be heard by the characters. The film is put together in Non-chronological order this has been done by the way in which has been edited which is clever you can tell this by when the scene that comes in next starts it is in black and white. This is done in film to show something in the world of the film that is past tense.
Also throughout the sequence it is kept very quite even with the orchestral music there is no dialogue. The sound effects of the camera and gun are kept loud to make them obvious to the audience, this reinforces the situation.

After watching the opening sequence the audience really can get a feel for what the film is going to be about.

By Tom Cox

Analysis of the opening 2 minutes of the Usual Suspects, with references to mise-en-scene and editing

Analysis of the opening 2 minutes of the Usual Suspects, with references to mise-en-scene and editing

The opening shot of the Usual Suspects is an ECU of some matches being lit. Then it cuts to Gabriel Byrne’s character, lighting his cigarette from the matches. The lighting is very low key during that shot. The light is on Byrne’s face, with the background swathed in shadows. We can see that the setting is a boat instantly because of the ropes in the background and the rhythmic ship bell in the background. It then cuts to some oil drums spilling some clear liquid. At the time, the audience are unaware of the liquids properties, whether it is water or gasoline etc. However, it is apparent they are of some consequence to the story. Again, the setting is damp, dark and generally mystifying, which complements the shots prior to it. Then it cuts to Byrne’s character again, this time showing his whole body. We can now see that he is in a lazy stance, sitting defeated by some wooden boxes. His body language suggests he is resigned to his fate. He nonchalantly throws his lit matches into a trail of gasoline and watches it fire away from him. The background is shadowy and lit brightly by fire, with deck items such as ropes and nets lying behind him. The next shot sees the fire light the trail of gasoline. Here, the director, Bryan Singer, uses quick cuts to match the speed from which the fire lights its trail. This is a good use of sharp, intelligent editing. It then cuts to the fire coursing past a dead man, who is probably a victim of the events on the ship. There are specks of blood on his face, suggesting a shootout.

Then it cuts to the fire as it bends, and a new character urinating from on high, stopping the flow of fire. Then the camera goes up, to reveal the character, up to his face. The fire from beneath shows only his hands. The new character is wearing a black trench coat, and is hidden by deep black shadows, continuing the theme or a drab, mysterious environment. The camera then cuts to Byrne’s characters face, who is almost smiling as he bows his head in resignation. To the audience we assume the new character is dangerous, judging by Byrne’s facial expressions. It then cuts back to the new character as he walks from the top deck down to where Byrne’s character is. Again, no light shows up on his face, and the red light from behind him creates a sinister mood. As he walks past, we see another character with a knife in his back, and we the audience assume the new character killed him, as he doesn’t stop or seem to register him. It cuts back to Byrne’s character, who know is completely losing his battle of wills, and looks submissive amongst the smoky barrier he’s made with his cigarette.

This is where the cutting between Byrne’s character and the mysterious figure begins. During the whole conversation, the fire is still going, and the figure remains enveloped by shadow. We see him spark his lighter, and bring it to the top of the frame, and light a cigarette, but we don’t see because his face is out of frame. It then cuts back to the CU of Byrne’s character, as he laughs to himself. We can see behind him the flickering flames. It cuts back to ‘Kaiser’ as he closes his lighter, and by this time, both characters have a lit cigarette. It cuts back to Byrne’s character, who is still smiling to himself. It then cuts to the Kaisers watch, which is gold and seems expensive. Byrne’s character nods to himself, and we see Kaiser in the next shot switch which hand he’s holding his gun in. We then see Byrne’s character smile knowingly, as Kaiser takes a step towards him, hold up his gun, tilt it sideways and then it cuts. The whole conversation is shot at a steady pace, with emphasis on Byrne’s character as he reacts to Kaiser. It is not shot with a fast paced, ultra-thrilling manner, but a steady conduct, to create mystery and intensity.
Immediately following the gun shots are a series of shots of the boat, starting with a shot of the upper decks, then a shot from the dock, of a rope holding the ship in, mooring it to its place. It is followed by a shot of the back of the boat, then a closer shot of the rope. This repeated shot of the rope suggests it has a special importance, of which the audience is not yet aware of. This a good use of an enigma code.

Overall, the opening to the Usual Suspects is dark, intriguing, enigmatic and quietly thrilling. Its use of low key lighting and steady editing means its all their to be seen, but it still leaves rocks unturned.

Written by Michael

Location Photographs

These are the photographs of our location for the triller opening. As the thriller will be filmed later, the images are not representive of the time of day in the photographs.

We plan to film in Haywards Heath.

Posted by Jo.

The Synopsis

The Synopsis

Dwaine, a local thief decides to pull off a heist from one of the biggest and most dangerous criminals in the local area. After the notorious criminal retrieves his package, leaving Dwaine dead. What the notorious criminal known as warren grey doesn’t know is that Dwaine was the son of a highly respected police detective. Once his dad known as detective Morgan finds out he does everything in his power to bring down this notorious criminal enterprise. He has to push his own personal limits and infiltrate the criminal underworld.

By Tom, Tom B, Jo and Michael

List of roles

Tom .C. -Filming
Tom .B. – Filming
Michael - Filming
Jo – Filming
Actors will be used for the thriller opening. These have been asked to do so. And will be available for filming.
Tom .C. – Editing
Tom. B. – Editing
Michael – Editing
Jo – Editing
Synopsis of the whole film – Tom.C.
Storyboard and Script - Micheal and Tom.B.
Location photos – Tom.C. Tom .B. Jo
Uploading of the photo’s – Jo
Lighting – Jo
Prop decisions – Tom.C. Tom.B. Michael Jo
List of Roles written by Jo

Pictures of Props...

Prop Research & Descisions..

For our thriller opening we've decided that the main character is going to stay a mystry to the auidence, like in 'The Usual Suspects' the antanganist face is unknown to the auidence. So we've decided to have him dressed in black, with a trench coat and trilby style hat.

In the 2 minute opening the auidence will see the main character on the telephone, but they will only see him speaking and not his entire face.

Posted by Jo White.

Lighting and Location

As the location for our thriller opening is mainly going to take place in an alley way, hand held lighting will probably work best as the 'red head' lights need to be plugged in, and so we might have a problem trying to get power to the alley way.

Also low key lighting will add the effect we're looking for, as the scene is mystrious we want the lighting to represent that, and if we used high key lighting it wouldnt work or create the right mood.

We are going to take photo's of our location tomorrow and upload them to the blog.

Posted by: Jo White.

Explain how mise en scece and editing are used to establish the situation and the characters in the opening 2 miutes of What Lies Beneath

Explain how Mise en scene and editing are used to establish the situation and the characters in the opening 2 minutes of what Lies Beneath

In the opening two minutes of “what lies beneath” the first shot is low key lighting and very dark, this immediately makes the audience scared and wonder what’s going on. And straight away intrigues the audience and grabs their attention. As the women’s face emerges from the water a quick cut is used and the audience can now see the women’s face more clearly and the characters surroundings and it’s obvious that the women is in a bath, and then water was just bath water and not her drowning after all, as this is what it looks like from the beginning. The bathroom is easily recognisable to the audience through the use of props, such as the bath, the sink and the smaller props such as towels, all of these props add to the story and make it more believable. Low key lighting is also used to also add realism as the window in the bathroom is very small, so it wouldn’t be very bright in the room. Another main prop used is the steam on the mirror, and around the room, this is really effective as it makes the storyline more realistic.
As the character sits up from the bath, she seems out of breath and panicked as she’s been under the water for too long, the camera slowly tracks in towards the character, this use of a tracking shot brings the audience in closer to the character so the audience can see the women’s facial expression, she looks scared and shocked. Another quick cut is used to follow the next shot and the women’s out from the bath and standing by the mirror using a hairdryer, the camera moves in closer to the hairdryer, this show’s the audience that something might happen with the hairdryer, this is like an action code. As the audience realises before the character that something might happen. The women is using the hairdryer to demised the mirror and as she does this the hairdryer stops working the women’s facial expression looks confused at why its stopped working. Low key lighting is maintained throughout this scene and adds to the sense of mystery to the scene; this use of enigma keeps the audience intreiuged to what will happen next with this character.
The women’s hair is wet and tangled which creates a sense of realism and makes the scene believable as the audience knows she’s just come out of the bath. As the women notices that the hairdryer plug has slightly come out of the socket, so as she plugs it back in she gets an electric shock, and the plug sparks and the women screams and jumps back, this shocks the character as well as the audience. This makes the audience intrigued and ask questions, as a antagonist may of tampered with the electrics this will make the want to keep watching to find out more. The story so far uses linear sequencing as the story all seems to fit in order. The camera slowly pan’s back towards the mirror as if it has some sort of significance to the storyline, the women looks into the mirror and the audience can see her facial expression looking back, she’s scared about something, this intrigues the audience as they will want to find out what it is she’s scared about.
The next shot is a straight cut shot, and the women is now in a bedroom, this conforms the audience’s idea that the setting is in the characters home. The lighting is still low key, but brightens as the women opens the curtains, as you would expect this to happen, this aid’s realism as it looks as though natural light is coming in through the curtains. The women’s facial expression still looks worried and the audience know that something is really troubling this character, she also folds her arms which are like a defence from something. This shot ends quickly with a quick cut to her daughter lying on top of her bed dressed in nightwear, which maintains the sense of realism to the role. The women is just staring at her daughter this intrigues the audience and gives them a chance to ask questions, such as why is she just staring at her daughter, restricted narrative is used to keep the audience wondering what is going on. As the lighting streams through from the window this makes the audience more relaxed, and another quick cut is used to show the audience the daughter’s side of the bed and also the first real shot of the characters surroundings. The bookshelf, lamp and bed are all props that the audience can recognise to be in a bedroom, and this keeps the scene believable. The daughter’s room is brighter than the scene in the bathroom and may suggest symbolism, as the daughter may bring the women happiness and a reason to be happy. Another quick cut is used and continuity is maintained as the camera tilts up into the frame, and the women’s facial expression dramatically changes for the first time, she smiles, as she walks out of her daughter’s room.
In the next scene the audience can see the hallway; it’s realistic for a hall way with props used to aid realism, such as the pictures on the walls and a mat at the end of the hallway. The hallway is really dark and unwelcoming. Low key lighting is used to create this sense of darkness and shadows to create enigma. This continues to intrigue the audience. Even the women’s outfit is very plain and simple there is no colour to the scene, which the audience would expect as this setting is supposed to be their family home. This suggests that the characters situation may not be happy. As the women walks through to the living room the camera follows her rather than using a quick cut as in the other scenes. And follows her walking straight to the other room.
This room is brighter and more what a family home should look like, with a lot more props used contributing to realism and adds to the story such as chairs, plants and even a family dog. As the women straightens the lamp on the table she stops, and her facial expression drops once again and she looks as if she’s listening to something, the camera then follows her character towards the window in a point of view shot, and the audience can see her looking through the window at her neighbours in a puzzling way, which intrigues the audience as it adds mystery and enigma to the story.

Word count: 1, 103

Posted by Jo White 9/02/2009

A list of all the things that we MUST hand in by thursday the 12th

1) We all need to upload and print off our 2nd analysis for the thriller work.

2) The synopsis for the whole thriller film. (also needs to be printed and uploaded)

3) An animated storyboard, (we need to film the storyboard)

4) Location photographs.

5) A list of all of our roles within the group.

6) Lighting decisions (handheld lights? maybe?)

7) A script

8) Prop research

ALL needs to be uploaded and handed in.

Posted by Jo.

This is the first part of What lies beneath (2002) but for my analysis i've only written about the first 2 minutes of the film about the use of mise en scene and editing.

posted by: Jo White.