Match Cut Activity

During the 'match cut activity' we had certain rules to abide by. These rules were;

- Include over the shoulder shots

- Include shot reverse shot

- Obey the 180 rule


After spending time filming our piece, we went in to the editing room; where we were able to sucessfully and smoothly create a match cut. A vital piece of our clip is the over the shoulder shot, when Jessica is walking down the corridor. However, much to our regret, we later realised we didnt include a shot reverse shot. If we were to carry out the cativity again we would add one in during the time in which Jessica and I excahnge words in the toilet.

News and current affairs

BBC broadcaster smothers terminally ill partner

I noticed this article and thought it would make an interesting thriller. The article was about an ex bbc broadcaster who smootherd his partner due to him dying of aids. I thought the fact he worked for the bbc an interesting point to work on. It could be a thriller about a famous person whos had an a second ego who was a vicous murderer!!

Thriller sub-genres

Thriller films have many different types of genres. These are:

Psychological
Sci-Fi
Spy
Horror
Comedy
Romantic
political
religious
Fictional/Factual

Out of the above I feel the one way that inspires me most is psychological thrillers. In psychological thrillers the films revolve around mind games, and characters who try and make other characters feel as though they are going crazy. I think thsi works so well because people watching find it very uneasing very quickly.

How is suspense created in 'The Others'?

I watched the film 'The Others' starring Nicole Kidman. The film was about a woman, who believed her house was haunted; only to find that it was in fact her, her family and her servants who were the real ghosts that were haunting the house.

Throughout the film suspense is created by losts of dramatic music. There are eery renditions of classic paino peices, along with sudden blasts of high sounds. This heightens the nervousness felt by the audience, as they feel worried about what is coming.

Another way suspense is created is the use of snappy and short shots. These make the film seem as though it is going at an increasing rate. As the films' speed becomes faster so does the fear factor within the audience.

Throughout the film Kidman's character has an obsession with locking doors within the house. This also adds suspense, as the viewer wants to know whats going on behind closed doors.

Suspence is the condition of being insecure or uncertain.
Dun..Dun..Duuun...

Match Cut activity.

The match cut activity we performed was given as a task that had to be completed and consist of Match cuts, abide by the 180 degree rule, over the shoulder shot and a shot reverse shot. The purpose of this exercise was so that we could gain a greater confidence with using equipment and editing resources so that we are aware and competent when coming to our actual Thriller opening.

After completing our Match Cut activity and editing where we felt appropriate, i realised that we had failed to include a shot reverse shot in our sequence. If i were to do this exercise again i would ensure i'd use a shot reverse shot. I would use this shot when the two characters in the activity were passing the object to each other in the toilets, this would have created a better effect because it could have caught a better attention to the feelings trying to be put across in the scene.

Other shots and angles we used were things such match cuts, mainly being of me walking into the toilets from the corridors to me being inside the toilet. Also things such as long shots of me walking down the corridor, close ups of the object before being transferred and also mids shots of both characters in the toilets during the switch. We also stuck to the 180 degree rule to ensure a realistic effect.

In our sequence we used an over the shoulder shot right at the start of the scene to show the character walking down the corridor, this would allow for the audience to get a sense of where the character is and the Mise on scene around her. It also gave a sense of whom the audience if were to watch would know which character to follow in following events.

Match Cut Activity

The purpose of this was to include 'over the shoulder shots' 'shot reverse shots' and we had to obey the 180 rule.

We had successfully edited our clip by adding match cuts but also filming an over the shoulder shot. We used this when Jessica was walking down the corridor.

The Match cut was seen when Jessica was walking into the toilet and we saw a shot of her going into the toilet and coming into the toilet, therefore this made the scene look like a smooth process.

However, i acknowledge that we did not include a shot reverse shot.

What we should have done is shot an over the shoulder shot of Jessica talking to Liberty and vice versa.

Overall the match cut clip was good and is played smoothly.

Skills audit soundtrack

When I first opened the software I found it quite daunting, after exploring the software a little I found it easy to use. I clicked the search tab in the bottom right window, and began to play around with the features. I selected the "genre" option and chose the "electronic" selections. After listening to a few I dragged the ones I wanted in to the soundboard. I placed them accordingly to make a sequence. I let them overlap to create a smooth mix between the different pieces. I then went to "sound effects", selected the "people" option and chose three sound effects. I then dragged them over to the sound board and placed them randomly. I also chose a heartbeat to play throughout.

Skills Audit Soundtrack

At first it looked difficult to use this programme but the only tabs that i used was the search tab which consisted of the music clips which i then dragged to the sound board where my final music track would be.

I was able to change the length of time. For example i changed some to be shorter and some to be longer.

I was also able to choose from a range of sounds from the search tab that gave me a variety to pick. By listening to different sounds it gave me a clear idea of what i wanted to include in my sound track.

After I dragged everything i needed, I played it over and over it again to improve and produce a smooth soundtrack.

Skills audit: Live Type and Sound

SOUNDTRACK PRO:
I learnt various things after first using Soundtrack pro which i felt would be very useful for when we begin to create our actual Thriller opening. The first thing that we learnt how to use was the search tab, from this we entered the different sounds which are in files such as Genre files, Instrument files, sound effect files and more. Once i found a sound i wanted to place on the sound board i dragged the file for example Digital Piano loop 52. Once i gathered enough sounds on the soundboard i could listen to it all together as one collective sound.

When i first began to use Livetype i found it quite interesting but hard to maneuver, after my teacher taught me how to type in what i wanted to be said and change fonts and effects i found it much easier and created a practice title with a large uppercase font as i saw in the opening for the film Se7en and thought it would be a good way of displaying titles. I learned how to drag the titles created onto the time line and shorten or extend for however long i want it to be played for. I thought that for a opening sequence only up to 3 seconds they should be shown each.

Match Cut preliminary

Analysis of the Clip Collateral;

This film is an action-thriller, With main character Vincent wearing sunglasses this mese en sene and in smart clothes, we get a sence of importance from this character, and a serious mood is set straight away for this film.





The scene is set in what seems a aiport terminal, surrounded by people, helping us to set the scene and gives us a clue to what the film will be based on. With a busy area, alot of nose and commotion happens in the opening titles, creating a sense of action to this thriller. This helps us think something big will happen with all the buisyness and through out the loudness we stil hear his footsteps wich go at a slow pace, wich shows he will diffenetly by the centre of this supsense for the rest of the film.

How Did the film United 93, create suspense?

United 93, is a film based on true events relating to the famous 9/11 terrorists attacks in America, this films helps us to understand what actually happend on the high-jacked planes.


The film's suspense is shown obviously by building up the panic of a specific flight (United 93) and leaving the audience unknown to what will happen, and when!





As a pollitical thriller, the terrorists talk in arobic, and quote the Qur'an in their dialogue. With some words not being subtittled, it does give a sence of mystery. This language not being farmiliar makes it seem alot more suspicous, all suspected terrorists speak in a hushed tone in the lead up to the major events in the film. This makes them seem very suspicious.





Before the four main terrorists board the plane, the scene is made shorter with extreme close ups and scenes of them all calling their loved ones to tell them they love thim, this helps the audience to figure out whats going to happen.





Another way the director shows supsense, is the cross cut shots between control room, and the focussed plane, we hear in the control room that several planes crash, but we are kept in suspense not knowing if its the United 93 plane that has crashed. This mystery helped to keep us glued to the film, and a sense of panic to what is going to happen next.





The highest point of suspense for me, whilst i watched the film, was when the passangers on the plane decide to take action against the terrorist. A huge free frall of violence, blood and shouting happening so fast with hand held camera and creates a great deal of drama. We are kept in supsense into the final scene were we are not sure if the passangers will take over and survive. Until the end of the clip we realise that the plane crashed, and like true events...no one survived.





Over all the film creates great suspense considering its based on a true story and nearly everyone knows how its going to end, but we cant seem to want to watch it through till the end.

News and current affairs events.

1.

Tesco shopper, 24, forced to show ID... because she was 'too young to buy a slice of QUICHE.'

Usually the only thing you need to eat quiche is a hearty appetite but according to Tesco you should be over 21 too.

I found this article on the Daily Mail website and although i found it relatively amusing at first, i later began to realise the potential the humerus, light hearted article has to be transformed into a gripping Thriller Film.
My main idea's for this article was to change it into a Supernatural Thriller of which the lady attempting to buy the Quiche goes insane. In the Thriller, the woman will have a power which stops her from ever aging and so always remains looking in her late teens. Though, this power of youth she possesses only lasts if she makes sure to always do one thing. Eat quiche. This had never been a problem until this very minute in time, when for the first time she can see her demise. When the woman is unable to be served her quiche anywhere she begins to go insane and parts body of her slowly start to decay. She realises a alternative source needs to be found soon for her to survive. She begins to try anything that could possibly keep her alive. She doesn't care what the solution may be, at any cost she will live, even if it means killing others...

I feel that this type of plot for a Supernatural Thriller is very apt as it gives the audience everything they could ask for; suspense-- will she find a alternative to the quiche before she dies? and at whose cost will it be at? it also gives the supernatural feel and to start with a sense of escapism as it seems the woman is living the good life, being a 46 year old woman who never looks a day older than 18. I think that if this article was to be changed into a Thriller film it would engage the audience in many ways and captivate their attention to a type of Thriller that has never been done before.


2.
'I saw my blood in the water': teenage girl's amazing escape after fighting off shark with her bodyboard
In this article i found in The Daily Mirror online, i found that this 14 year old girl Lydia Ward fought off a shark which had her in his jaws. Lydia was at the time just casually treading water when she stepped on something she realised was 'living'. If it was not for the fact she remembered about hitting sharks on the nose, she may have suffered much more injury than a puncture in her thigh.


My idea i had for changing this story into a Thriller would be to shoot a film all leading up the the events of which the girl has to fight this shark, will she survive or not? This thriller would have much anticipation throughout creating much needed suspense. This will be done by making the audience aware of the shark in the water as the girl gets ever nearing without realising what will happen, or even the fact this shark is anywhere near her. This will be an effective way to help the audience engage in the film and stay interested during the entire film, with the wondering 'when will it attack?'.
The sound that will be heard mostly in the film will just be normal sounds that are heard on full, average beaches; children playing, people talking, birds and general sounds. However when the shark is being seen by the audience the noises from the beach will dwindle to a quiter volume and a beat symbolising a heart beat will be heard.