Idea C: A Combination of Ideas A & B

Location: Bourne Town Cemetery, South Street, Bourne, an abandoned bridge near Lound, Bourne, and the East Coast Main Line near Helpston, Peterborough

Shot List

1) A shot of a gravestone in the cemetery, with piece of cardboard nearby that says 'Starring xxxxxxxx'
2) A shot of a train moving quickly, with piece of cardboard on the fence saying 'Directed by xxxxxxxx'
3) A shot of the girl being dragged by the killer down onto the railway line
4) Another shot of the train moving quickly
5) Shot of the girl pushed onto the railway line and being strapped down, with piece of cardboard nearby saying 'Filmed by xxxxxxx. Edited by xxxxxxx'
6) Shot of the killer securing the ropes and running away
7) Long shot shows that the girl is helpless on the tracks
8) Shot of a train, from on top of a bridge, indicating that the woman has now been killed.
9) Shot of someone coming up to the girls gravestone and laying flowers in mourning

Idea B: Cemetery Funeral

Location: Bourne Town Cemetery, South Road, Bourne

Shot List

1) Shot of gravestone pans upwards and left to show a low angle shot of mourners carrying a coffin. Piece of cardboard with words 'Starring xxxxxxxx' are next to gravestone
2) Shot of mourners and coffin walking through the gate
3) Cut away of the girl walking down a path at night
4) Shot of another gravestone with another piece of cardboard nearby with words saying 'Directed by xxxxxx'
5) Cut away to the girl walking down the path, with a man walking closeby behind.
6) Over the shoulder shot from the killers point of view, looking down, shows that the girl is typing the words 'Edited by xxxxxx' on her phone
7) Low angle shot shows both girl and killer, as man comes up behind her and stabbs girl in head, thus killing the girl.
8) Back to cemetery, as the mourners come to a stop on the path, turn, walk forward onto the grass, and put the coffin onto the ground
9) (Just coffin lid is placed onto the ground giving the impression that coffin has been buried into the ground) Shot from end of coffin shows mourners gathered round, as person at head of coffin says 'On one dark night, she met her end, brutally stabbed and murdered'
10) Long shot shows the burial taking place with mourners gathered round, and a man (the killer) sitting on a nearby bench observing.

Images from the Location

Above: the gravestone that could be used for shot 1, with the camera then panning round to the left almost 180 degrees to show the mourners walking up the path

Above: the mourners would then walk through this gate in shot 2, carrying the coffin

 

Above: the burial would take place on the grass just out of shot on the right (near the person's arm) in shot 10, the killer would be sitting on one of these benches.

Idea A: 'Track Death'

Location: an abandoned railway tunnel near Lound, and the East Coast Mainline near Helpston, Peterborough

Shot List

1) Shot of piece of cardboard on the floor, with words 'Directed by xxxxxxxx and xxxxx' pans upwards and right to show shot of the girl walking towards the camera in a wooded area.
2) Brief cut away shot of the train moving quickly
3) Shot of the girl walking towards the camera, texting on her phone, with man (killer) behind her
4) POV shot from the killer's view over girl's shoulder, showing words 'Starring xxxxxxx' being typed on the phone
5) Back to cut away of the train moving
6) Shot of the girl (with man very close behind) walking towards the camera, man comes up and ties rag around girl's mouth.
7) High angle shot shows man tying the girls hands up
8) Man drags girl off towards left of shot
9) Cut away shot of the train moving
10) Long shot from the end of the tunnel, shows girl being dragged in from right of shot, and pushed into tunnel towards centre of train track
11) Cut away shot of the train moving
12) Shot of the girl tied onto the railway tracks, fighting to get free
13) Cut away shot of the train moving, through fence with piece of cardboard cable tied on saying 'Filmed by xxxxxxx'
14) Shot shows the man running off
15) Cut away of the train moving
16) Long high angle shot shows the girl tied onto the tracks unable to escape
17) Final shot of train from on top of a bridge shows that the girl has been run over and killed
18) Shot fades to black, with words 'Track Death' on the screen.

Location Photos

Above: this is the tunnel that we could use for our project. 

Above: although the tunnel is not huge, we could frame our shots to make it seem that the tunnel is longer than it actually is. 

Above: this footpath runs alongside the railway line, and could be used in shots 1, 3, 4 & 6

The map above shows the layout of the railway, and how it could be filmed to show continuity.

 

Our Foundation Production Ideas

Our group have come up with three ideas for our Thriller opening. Our three best ideas are detailed below.

Thurlby Road

1) A disused road in Thurlby, Bourne, Lincolnshire. We have found a disused road in Thurlby which we think we could use for our Thriller production. We could have the protagonist driving down the road towards a barn, where the protagonist pulls up, gets out of the car, goes into the barn, looks around, finds a tramp that the protagonist kills. For the titles, we could put pieces of cardboard in the verge with the names and titles on as the protagonist is driving up, and then the camera could show a high angle shot looking down at the cardboard, which then pans to show the car moving. Pros: easy access to the site, and the road is next to some woodland allowing for flexibility. Cons: Perhaps idea is not very original, and would need some way of giving the plot a twist.

Bourne Cemetery

 2) Bourne Cemetery, South Road, Bourne. We have requested permission from Bourne Town Council to film in the cemetery. We could show a scene of a group of mourners carrying a coffin along a footpath, and resting it on the ground as if they were going to bury it. This scene could then flashback to a shot of a person walking along a footpath at night, with someone coming from behind the person to kill them, showing the audience why the person is dead. Pros: an original idea, which perhaps has not been explored before. Cons: permission may not be granted from Bourne Town Council, and we would need a lot of actors.

Abandoned House on Morton Fen

3) An abandoned house on Morton Fen, Bourne. We have found a house that is abandoned approximately 3 miles out of the village of Morton in Lincolnshire. In a similar way to idea 1, we could have someone walking up the footpath, entering the property, looking around and finding someone in there, who could be killed or is perhaps already dead. Pros: Good site, perfect for a thriller movie with broken glass etc. Cons: we do not know who owns the property, so gaining permission could be difficult. It is also a long way from civilisation, so getting there could be difficult.


4) From James Craig: Basically, my idea involves the use of 'makeshift' railway tracks. I know the owner of branch brothers and he has offered to lend me anything that we need in creation of this movie. So it may be possible that we could use some long pieces of wood to create railway tracks and go along with the idea of a villain capturing their victim and the hero coming to save them. Obviously the idea of someone being tied to a railway track while a train is coming has been used before but with the addition of the silence and the music that we use, it could make this unique and special to anyone watching it. We could go out and film some trains going past and stuff and incorporate the titles into a fast-moving train window perhaps? Or say we could start the film with someone being captured and taken through some trees and we could carve the woods 'Starring etc..' into the wood? We could use cross-cutting to switch between scenes of a moving train, the woman being tied to the tracks and the hero.

Feel free to comment below and let us know which one you like best!

Coen Brothers Factfile & Review of No Country for Old Men

Joel (born in 1954) and Ethan (1957) Coen are brothers who produce and direct Thriller films. Films produced by the brothers include Fargo, Blood Simple, The Big Lebowski, O Brother, Where Art Tho, No Country for Old Men & True Grit. 

The brothers often produce and direct the films jointly, combining their experience to create first class films admired around the world for their individuality and unique take on a the Thriller convention. 

Many films directed by the brothers are specific to individual regions. For example, Blood Simple is uniquely linked to Texas, where the film is set and Where Art Thou? also links to the social state of Mississippi, which was in a depression at the time the film was set. Joel and Ethan are renowned for their ability to create distinguished dialogue for the characters in their films, and in some films, such as Fargo, careful attention is paid to observe the dialect in the region where the film is set (Minnesota) 

Films produced by the Coen brothers accurately represent history. It is viewed the brothers accurately examine texts from the past, as a way of bridging the gap between the past and the present. 

Coming from a Jewish family background, the brothers often try to incorporate religion into their work. Some of their films, such as True Grit, have a special religious context, with parts of the film’s narration including passages from the Bible. 

Film Review – No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men, one of the latest films produced by the Coen brothers, breaks the boundaries of the conventions expected of a Thriller. Where most modern thriller movies are set in a city or urban area, No Country for Old Men is not, and is instead set in the countryside in America. 

The film starts with a narration, which is a feature I particularly like, as it gives the audience a glimpse of how the film may develop. Mystery is also created from the outset, as in most modern thrillers, as someone is killed very early on in the film. This leaves the audience very confused, and we want to find out more about why this person has died. The effective use of camera work also adds to the suspense of the scene.

Unusually for a thriller, however, not much dialogue is used in the opening of the film, and no non-diegetic music has been overlaid. This means that the audience can only use the vision to try and work out what is happening. Although this is an interesting effect to use, I personally found it quite hard to understand what is happening in the film, who the characters were, and what their role was within the plot.

In addition, the editing in the film is quite slow paced, which is in contrast to most modern thrillers, where shots are edited together in quick succession. This technique makes the film more realistic, as in reality, action occurs at this pace. 

A lot of the scenes have been set at night-time, which means that the audience cannot fully see what is going on. This further adds to the sense of mystery and confusion surrounding the plot of the film.

Personally, I dislike No Country for Old Men by the Coen Brothers. I feel that the lack of dialogue leaves the audience confused as to what is going on in the film, and the use of cut-away editing at the beginning of the film means that the audience is not given the chance to grasp the plot of the film, or to relate to the main protagonists. Overall, this means that I was left feeling unsure as to what was happening in the film, which ultimately served to spoil my enjoyment.

Peer Assessement of our Preliminary Task

Notes on Leon Mise-en-Scene

Costume 

• Leather jacket - symbolises danger and someone who is related to gangs
• At the beginning, Mathilda is wearing a dress. This makes her seem quite innocent and extracted from the voilence happening all around her.
• Mathilda's mother is wearing a leopard print tip - dresses quite inappropriately for a mother and suggests to the audience that this is an unconventional family
• Later on in the film, Mathilda is dressed in inappropriate clothing for her age - this suggests that she is forced to wear this sort of clothing by her family, and that she does not see much of life outside her home, which would make Mathilda think that this is normal.

Lighting

• Quite dull and low, especially in the corridor of the flats.
• Lots of artificial lighting used, makes the scene seem quite clinical
• Sometimes, for example when Mathilda went to the shop, bright daylight is used. This shows contrast to the world that Mathilda comes from.

Props

• Plant and water sprayer in Leon's flat. They appear in the centre of the shot which shows their importance. Plant also indicates life and innocence. Leon takes an awful lot of care over this plant, spraying each leaf individually. Almost suggests that this is a substitute for a child or a pet. This level of care is in contrast to Mathilda, who has nothing to look after and no-one to care for her
• Guns, knives and weapons used in the holster on Leon's belt. Suggests that he is wanted, and has to be armed at all times.
• Leon has a very basic kitchen, with an old fridge, and a messy, unclean work surface. Suggests that he does not have much time to take care of these things.
• Leon is seen drinking milk from two carton's, which is not normal for a grown man who is very voilent
• We often see fans at the windows of the property - these suggest that the weather is hot, perhaps giving a sense of location.
• A small photo of Mary is on Leon's table. This shows that he has some religious beliefs, and perhaps hopes for forgiveness. Also puts gun next to the photo, which is again, not normal.
• Leon has some odd looking sunglasses, which he puts on before turning off the light to go to sleep. Again, not normal, and shows he has to protect his identity at all times.
• In Mathilda's home, the telephone rings, interrupting the arguments and voilence occurring in the family home.
• Leon also gives a tissue to Mathilda to wipe her bleeding noes, which shows that he has a caring side to him.
• The shot of Mathilda's nose bleeding just before all of her family are shot dead signifies danger, subtly warning the audience of what is about to happen.

Setting

• Dull, dimly lit corridor, painted with bland colours - cream and bronw, which suggests harshness and danger.
• Leon's flat is much the same, with harsh panels of concrete and an untidy house.
• The home of Mathilda and her family is qyute ikd fashioned, with an old looking television and old furniture. Appears to also be quite grand, in contrast to the other flats we have seen.
• The sun and calm outside with a bright veranda is in contrast to the action inside.

Mise-en-Scene

Preliminary Task

Here's our Preliminary Task.

Can't see the video? View on Vimeo. 

Evaluating our Preliminary Task

Matthew Bostock, James Parronchi and Connor Marshall

Our preliminary task went fairly well, although there were some problems.

We managed to hold most of the shots in a steady position, using a tripod where minimal movement was required. However, some of our shots could have been less shaky, but this is something that we will improve upon for our main task.

The framing of most of our shots was good, especially when doing the match on action with James opening a door. However, the framing of the shot of our two characters removing the chocolate bars from their pockets could have been better, as it was perhaps not clear as to exactly what the characters were removing from their pockets. Again, if we were in a similar situation in our main task, we could use the experience we have to improve.

We used a variety of shots in our task, include a long shot, mid shot and extreme close up. I feel that this helped to make the action more interesting, and this is something that we will try and replicate in our main task.

Our movie covered the brief of the assignment, as it was quite short and included all of the shots that we needed to have in the task. The Mise-en-scene was also appropriate, as James was dressed in a suit, and we set it in a fairly dull corridor. However, for our main task, we could put a larger focus on Mise-en-scene.

We managed to edit our film so that it made sense to the viewer, making sure that continuity editing techniques were observed. This is also something that we should try and replicate in our main task.

We kept transitions to a minimal in our preliminary, using mainly straight cuts. However, we did use a few fade to blacks before the title sequence, which indicated to the audience that the main action had ended.

We used the soundtrack ‘Eye of the Tiger’ for our music. This did the job fairly well, although it has been used in many similar tasks before, meaning that it is perhaps a bit stereotypical. The timescale of the task meant that we did not have much time to think about this, but for our main task, we will focus on this element of the task more.

Title credits were used at the end of the sequence, which indicate the names of the actors and the crew, and also the candidate numbers, which are a requirement of this task. We feel that we used titles effectively in this task.

We also stuck to the 180^o rule when filming, although a lot of the shots were exactly on the line. This ensured that the audience were not confused by what is happening, and that the action made sense.

We also used a match on action when James was opening the door, which worked well. We then edited the shots together in fast succession, so that it is clear to the audience what is happening. This is something that we can do in our main task if appropriate.

In addition, a shot reverse shot was used in our task, to show a conversation between the two main characters. This worked well, although there was a slight low angle on the shot, which made the corridor seem twisted. This is something that we can work on for our main task.

In conclusion, when doing our main task, we could work on keeping the camera shot steady, perhaps by using a better tripod. Lighting is also something that we should consider in our main task, as at times the characters appeared a bit dark, meaning that the ambient selection should also be considered.

‘Leon perfectly fits the conventions of a Thriller. It does not try to Challenge the Conventions’. Explain how far you agree with this statement. ‘Leon perfectly fits the conventions of a Thriller. It does not try to Challenge the Conventions’. Explain how far you agree with this statement.

Leon is a thriller starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman.

The film begins with an aerial shot of some woodland, which appears to be quite serene and calm. However, the shot then tilts upwards to reveal a city skyscape, which deceives the audience, and makes them think that they may be surprised throughout the rest of the film. Both of these settings are quite typical of the thriller genre.

After this, a Point of View shot is used from a lorry or high up vehicle, driving through the middle of the city. The high buildings appear to be very imposing, and this gives the audience a sense of location. Again, this technique is quite common at the beginning of a Thriller film.

We are then taken to a scene where Leon and another Protagonist are talking about killing someone. The scene uses lots of extreme close ups, with one of them wearing sunglasses, which hides their identity, creating a sense of mystery. This is perhaps slightly unconventional of a Thriller, as we are usually given the opportunity to meet the main characters in more detail at the beginning of the film, which would allow us to relate to the main characters, and perhaps take sides with them.

The shots and scenes tend to be edited together very quickly, and the action that is happening in the scene, with people rushing out of their chairs and out of the room, is also quite fast-paced. This creates a feeling of tension, and fast-paced action, and is therefore very typical of a Thriller movie.

Non-diegetic music is also added at certain points of the film, which adds to the sense of tension and fear within the audience. High-pitched monotone string music is often added to Thriller movies at the point where someone’s life may be in danger, so this is definitely typical of a Thriller.

Another feature conventional for the Thriller genre is the use of a low angle shot, which is used at points in this film. The use of this shot makes the subject seem very powerful, and can make them seem quite intimidating. It is used in one scene of Leon to make the audience seem very small and insignificant.

Also, when Leon is about to kill one of his victims, a point of view shot shows him approaching from behind, with the victim completely unaware. With tension music reaching its climax, the shot pans to show us in front of the victim, and the music stops completely when the attacker’s knife is rested on the chin of the victim. The director may well have done this to make us feel scared for the characters in the scene, something that is done often in Thriller films.

 

The person the protagonists are hunting is, for his sort of role in a Thriller, quite old, perhaps being in his late 40’s, overweight and unfit. This is not the sort of person we would associate as having a main role in a Thriller, and is therefore unconventional for the genre.

It is also interesting to note that the film has a slight edge of whit and comedy about it, which again, is not expected in the Thriller genre. This makes the film stand out from other similar films, and would perhaps attract the film to a wider audience.

A young girl, Mathilda, also features in this film. When she is first introduced to the film, she is smoking, and so the audience immediately thinks that something is not right with this character, as she is far too young to be doing so. She is also introduced to us when sitting behind bars, which the audience typically associates with danger. The girl also has a bruise on her face, adding to the sense that this girl is dangerous. However, the Non-diegetic music added to the scene at the time makes the girl seem quite innocent and safe. All of this presents a confused image of the girl to the audience, creating a sense of mystery and wanting the audience to find out more. This is something that happens often in Thrillers, as it keeps the audience wanting to carry on watching and find out how the film develops.

When Mathilda’s Dad arrives, the girl replaces the cigarette for a lolly pop stick. This gives the audience the impression that she is trying to hide something from her Father, and that the girl has no-one she can share her troubles with. The dog leech around Mathilda’s neck also makes us feel sad for her, as it suggests that she is in danger.

Typically for a Thriller, one of the main characters is killed very early on in the film. This means the protagonist must find out why and how he was killed, which creates a quest and mystery that must be solved.

The main protagonist is also on a quest to kill other people, which is something that often happens in Thrillers. In all of the thrillers I have studied, the protagonist is usually either a detective or a killer, so in this way, the film very closely follows the conventions of the genre. The audience also want to find out why the protagonist’s victim is disliked, and why the killer wants to end his life, thus creating mystery.

The narrative of this film is very much based around the point of view of the protagonist. The first part of the film consists of many people, who are the protagonist’s victims, being killed, which shows how the narrative is affected by this person’s viewpoint.

When the drug addict is about to be killed, the person he has been sleeping with comes out of the bedroom. This person is innocent, and completely unrelated to the action, and shows how innocence is present in a corrupt setting. It is important that this factor is somehow present in a Thriller film.

In addition, when Leon is walking into the building, we are shown a security control room, where a CCTV monitor shows him walking in. This makes the action seem realistic and credible, as this is something that could happen in a similar real life situation.

In conclusion, I agree with the statement made that Leon follows the conventions of a typical thriller. However, the presence of comedy in the narrative adds an element that is not normally expected in films of this type.

Seven Anaylasis

The film Seven features Brad Pitt as Detective David Mills and Morgan Freeman as Detective Lieutenant William Somerset.

The film begins with an over the shoulder shot of William Somerset getting dressed in the mirror. This allows us to see that he is a very tidy man, who likes to keep things well ordered, with wearing a shirt and tie. This is in contrast to David Mills, who we see getting dressed later on in the film, just throwing a pre-tied tie over his neck, and sleeping in his shirt. This suggests that David Mills and Morgan Freeman could clash later on in the film.

Just 55 seconds into the film, we are shown the shot of a dead body. Although quite early on in the film, this follows the typical conventions of a thriller, as it creates mystery from the outset, with the audience wanting to know how the body got there. We are also shown the dead body in low lighting, suggesting that the victim has been murdered, as a murderer would usually close the curtains of the room before carrying out an attack.

After a short piece of dialogue between the two detectives, where one of the detectives has a gun holster, reconfirming to the audience that he is a detective, a cut away shot is used to take the action outside. This again creates mystery for the audience, as we still want to know what happened inside the building and why a dead body is lying on the floor. It also tells the audience that this film could be full of fast paced action.

When the two detectives are walking along outside, David Mills gets knocked quite a few times by passes by. This suggests to the audience that William Somerset is more respected in the area than David Mills, and that Mills has less experience at solving murder cases. A low angle shot is also used at this point, which makes the detectives seem powerful, and as though they command authority.

One of the detectives then mentions that he is only in the area for seven days. This links back to the film’s title, and suggests that the film could be to do with the link of something happening every day of the week.

After this scene, we are then shown a scene where William Somerset is sleeping in bed. We are shown him putting his glasses down, and starting a metronome on his bedside table. This appears to indicate that time is moving on, and further suggests that Somerset is someone who is very methodical and organised.

We are then shown the title sequence of the film, which begins with a side on shot of pages of a book turning. The sequence has been edited using a montage effect, with lots of shots edited together very quickly, which suggest that the film will be fast moving and full of action.

Lots of extreme close up shots are used, to show the character filing off the top layer of skin on his finger, removing his fingerprints. The scene appears to be set in a forensic lab, with magnifying glasses and detailed drawings used, which suggests that the character is preparing for a murder.

Shots are often shown of words being crossed out in a book or journal, which indicates that the murderer is trying to hide evidence of what he is doing. The words on the page of the book are not clear to the audience, again, adding mystery to the plot.

A red wash also keeps flashing onto the screen, which can represent danger, death, anger and love, all things that are represented in the film.

A sketch of the character is then shown, with the character’s eyes crossed out. This indicates to the audience that the identity of the character is trying to be hidden, suggesting that something bad has happened, and could happen in the film. The shot of him threading a needle around the spine of a book again indicates to us that the character likes to be very precise and careful with his work, and that he works very methodically.

After the title sequence, we are then shown a shot of David Mills in bed with his wife. This provides continuity for the audience, as before the title sequence, we saw a shot of William Somerset in bed in the evening, whereas we now have a shot of David Mills in the morning. The fact he is seen with a wife shows that he is a caring person, with a more ‘human’ side to him. The detective then gets up, puts on his tie and looks out the window before the telephone rings. When the phone rings, he answer it extremely quickly, which could suggest that he is very nervous that something might happen.

The action then moves from the bedroom to David Mills standing outside with two cups of coffee in his hands. When Somerset arrives, Mills offers him a cup of coffee, which he refuses. This shows that Somerset is very dedicated, and does not want to be distracted in any way. The graffiti, burnt out cars and barbed wire fencing suggest that the scene is taking place in not a very nice area, which could make the audience feel tense, as they may feel worried for the characters entering this unpleasant environment. As the two detectives then make their way to the building where a murder has taken place, the camera tracks them walking from the other side of the fence, which clearly separates the audience from the two detectives. The two detectives walk in a line, with William Somerset in front of David Mills, which suggests that Somerset is more important than Mills.

The start of some non-diegetic sound when the detectives enter the crime scene suggests to the audience that the detectives are in a place of danger, where a bad event has happened. This creates tension within the audience, and could make some audience members feel uncomfortable.

As they enter the crime scene, they are finding their way around the building using torches. We can see two televisions with one on top of another, each showing different images, which is not normal, and perhaps suggests that the owner of the house did not use the house for its normal purposes. When we finally get to see the dead body, we are shown a shot of the body sitting a chair from behind, allowing us to see that the person was morbidly obese. This suggests gluttony – one of the seven sins, again, linking back to the title of the film, and indicates how the film might develop.

Throughout their investigations, William Somerset says nothing, whereas David Mills is more animated, saying more, and perhaps more keen to jump to conclusions. This suggests that Somerset knows more about what he is doing that Mills does, and that he is more experienced. For example, when Mills discovers a bucket of vomit underneath the table, he laughs, and explains how horrible it is, whereas all Somerset is interested in knowing is if it had blood in it. This shows how committed Somerset is to the work he is doing.

Preliminary Task Storyboard

Storyboard - Page 1

 

Storyboard - Page 2

Title Sequence Analysation

Gold finger

The sequence from Goldfinger works very well. Effects are used so that images of others can be seen within the outline of other’s faces, bodies and hands. Shots fade slowly to black, and the shots only take up ½ of the screen, leaving space for the text of the credits.

The sound track has been especially composed for the film, which is a particularly nice feature, and the sequence starts in the way that it ends.

The title sequence is quite long, which could make the audience lose interest.

How We Built Britain

The title sequence from ‘How We Built Britain’ is very effective, as the producers have found buildings or structures in the shape of the letters that make up the word ‘Britain’. These buildings have then been filmed using an aerial shot, and then edited together in the correct order. The closing frame shows stills of the buildings cut together and placed side by side to make the word ‘Britain’.

In addition, the last few letters feature the same car driving through the scene, which adds continuity to the sequence. The only bad thing about this title sequence is the fact that each shot is shown for a very short period of time, so if someone started watching part way through, they may not fully understand the action.

Blue Valentine

The title sequence for this film begins with a black screen for 11 seconds, with just non-diegetic music playing, which adds a sense of mystery to the scene. The scene then explodes into life with a firework, and a still of two characters is overlaid onto the scene. The use of the fireworks onto a black screen adds to the sense of mystery.

The disadvantage of this sequence is that the non-diegetic music is quite boring, and does not capture the audience’s attention. I personally found this title sequence quite boring, and didn’t want to continue watching after half way through.

Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

The title sequence for Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is an animated sequence targeted at children. The scene begins with a fade from black, with the Director’s name in the centre of the shot in white text. Then, an animated scene of a boat on waves appears, with the name of someone involved edited onto each wave.

Continuity editing is used to take the audience through a scene, from a boat, into a hot air balloon and into the woods.

At 05:05, this sequence is very long, and the repetitive non-diegetic music makes the sequence very boring to watch.   

Lolita

The title sequence from Lolita features a black and white shot of a man painting a woman’s toenails. The titles appear overlaid over the woman’s foot in an italic font, and the next name appears before the one before has gone, which creates the impression of a slow moving, relaxed movie.

The fact that there is very little action on the shot draws the attention of the audience to the titles appearing on screen, and not the action occurring on screen. 

Terminator and The 6th Sense Comparison

The Tech Noir scene from Terminator 1 is set in a night club/bar. The lighting is very low, and predominantly red lighting is used, which symbolises danger, hate and anger, but also love, all of which are represented in the scene. 

In addition, the smoke effect used adds to the sense of things being out of control, almost masking the actions of people, and hiding what they are doing. The actors are wearing casual 1980’s clothing, and the female is wearing a leopard print top, symbolising animalism and danger. The Terminator is wearing a leather jacket, which again, is something that men commonly wore in the 1980’s. 

The presence of Alcohol in the scene suggests that people could be drunk, which again adds to the feeling that things could get out of hand in the scene. 

At one point, one woman, who is sitting at one of the tables on her own, giving the audience the impression that she is lonely, knocks over one of the bottles, and as she bends down to collect it, the attention of the terminator is drawn away from her.  

As the terminator walks in, the sequence is shot through fencing, from a low angle. This makes the character seem very dangerous, almost like a caged animal. The camera then pans as the character walks round the fencing, and out into the bar. The use of a mid-close up here allows us to see that everyone is watching the terminator in the background, watching from a distance, almost in ore of his presence.  The continued use of a low down angle makes the character seem very imposing. 

Before the shooting, a point of view shot from the victim’s perspective is used. The shot is filled with red from the gun’s laser aiming device, and this, along with the fact that the gun barrel is in the centre of the shot, would make the audience feel very scared, as they are put in the position of the victim. 

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When the film is showing the Terminator walking into the room, a cut-away shot is used to show people dancing on the dance floor. This shows the audience that everything is happening as normal, and that the other dancers in the scene have no idea the terminator is entering the room. 

Diegetic sound can be heard in this scene, and the audience can hear the song that is being played on the dance floor. The lyrics to the song include the words ‘prisoner’, ‘never let me go’ and ‘you got me burning’. All of these phrases refer to the action that is happening in the scene and the audio gives the audience an idea of what is about to happen before it actually does. The phrase ‘you got me burning’ is repeated often, and the phrase suggests anger and violence. 

At one point, slow motion editing is used, and the diegetic sound changes into non-diegetic sound. This gives the impression that the character shown on screen is distant from the current action, and that his mind is not on what he is doing currently. 

We are given the impression that the Terminator and another woman love each other in this sequence. This shows how the representation of gender is portrayed very traditionally and conventionally in the film, as this is something many members of the audience would be able to relate to.

The film ‘The 6^th Sense’ is very different from The Terminator. 

The shot begins with a conventional street scene, lit in broad daylight, showing cars, buildings and green spaces. The shot pans from the scene of an accident through the traffic, to the car the Son and his Mum are sitting in. This shot gives the audience a sense of distance, which becomes very important later on.

Towards the start of the film, we are shown a conventional Mother & Son relationship, with the Mum apologising to her son for not being at the school play, and explaining that she has to have two jobs, which indicates to the audience that they could be in financial difficulty. 

The conversation between the Mother and the son is filmed at first using a two shot, with a slightly upward angle, making the mother seem more dominant. The framing of the shot indicates to the audience that there is no way the son can see the  accident ahead of them, which is why, when he reveals that he knows someone has died in the crash, something must be wrong. In addition, this shot uses the Golden Mean, whereby the eyes of both characters fall onto the diagonal line across the shot. 

A Point of View shot from the mother is also used, to show that she can see the ‘ghost’ of the dead cyclist outside the car window. This perhaps indicates to the audience that the son is very mentally unstable, along with the fact that he is very scared. 

Straight cuts are used throughout the sequence, although they are edited together quite slowly. This gives the feeling of fear more than the feeling of adrenaline and fast paced action, which often happens in thriller movies. The slow editing allows the audience to feel that the boy is very scared to talk to his Mother, and that this is a difficult conversation for them to have. 

Every time the boy pauses his speech, the shot goes back to his mother. This, together with the use of a close up shot, allows the audience to see the Mother’s reaction to what he has said, which could make some members of the audience feel very emotional. 

In addition, depth of field is also often used, which focuses the attention of the audience onto the person who is speaking.

In summary, I feel that the scene from The Terminator and the scene from 6^th Sense are both very different. The Terminator follows more of the conventions of a modern Thriller, with quickly edited together shots, diegetic and non-diegetic sound, low lighting and violence, whereas 6^th Sense features none of these attributes. 

The film ‘The Terminator’ perhaps represents life more closely, as it is set in a night club, with low-lighting and alcohol. This is something many people can relate to, as many people may have been in similar situations. 

In contrast, ‘The 6^th Sense’ represents reality less, as the scene refers to the boy being able to see ghosts, particularly of his Grandma. This is something that is much less likely to happen in reality, although the conventional relationship between the boy and his Mother definitely adds a sense of realism to the scene. 

In conclusion, I feel that the film ‘The 6^th Sense’ is better, as although it does not meet many of the conventions present in a modern thriller, the fact that it does not makes it different, which is why it stands out for me. The film does not use any non-diegetic music, which allows the audience to focus on what is being said by the son. In addition, the sequence combines reality and fiction very well, with the son being obviously very scared, something that could happen in real life, combined with the illusion of the two characters seeing the ghost of the woman who has died, something that is less likely to happen in reality.

 

Terminator - Tech Noir Scene

 

The 6th Sense