Filming and Editing Our first video

Hey everyone :) 

This is my first video; my group mates were Ryan Juffs and Tom Middleditch. The first day we filmed multiple shot types these included: 

Long shot (LS) this is a shot that is taken from a distance away from the actor. 

Medium shot (MS) this is a shot that isn't far but isn't too close to the actor.

Close up (CU) this shot is close to the actor.

Extreme close up (ECU) this shot is when the camera is very close up to the actor for example it may focus on the actors face only. 

Point of view (POV) this shot is when the camera is in the view of the actor for example the camera would be perceived as the actors/characters eyes. 

Low angle shot this is when the camera is looking upwards or tilted upwards to see the actor or a certain object. 

High angle is when the camera is in a high angle, which allows the camera to look down on the actor. 

Pan is sideways (left and right).
Tilt is up and down.
Crane shot, this allows you to take a view from any angle this also allows the camera to have a sweeping motion  

Tracking shot this is when the camera follows the actor while they are walking away or running or anything else   

All these shots were caught successfully and we made a short sequence out of them, and then we moved on to the Editing part of film making. 
This was a great start to our course because it was able to give us a preview into the course but apart from that it gave us some examples of the software we will use such as final cut which is an editing program with different types of effects and it allows us to capture scenes and edit them with this program we changed the footage we captured into the clip above 
Also the filming and editing practices gave us an idea of how to improve the filming in the example of shots we could use and if we use them successfully, with editing it taught us the effects of editing and the feeling it may give to the clip for example fading or spinning.

Recipe for a thriller

Recipe for a thriller

In the week we have one lesson with Mr. Williamson this is on Tuesdays. The definition of a thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television that includes a numerous and often overlapping sub-genre for example, shutter island this is a psychological mystery thriller and many more films

A thriller is defined by having a fast pace storyline, frequent action, resourceful hero against powerful and better equipped villains. 
The Thriller genre is flexible and can engage the audience though a dramatic rendering of psychological for example the film Shutter Island ,social and political tensions for example the film Law Abiding Citizen 

We were told in that lesson that we would be watching one of the best and most famous thrillers of all time called North by northwest from a famous thriller maker called Alfred Hitchcock

Shutter Island is a Thriller/Drama set in 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is investigating the disappearance of a murderess that escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding nearby.

There is a link to the trailer of "Shutter Island" lower down, watch it you will not be disappointed its amazing.
:)

Then we looked at various heroes and villains such as: Batman Vs the Joker, Howl Vs Madam Suliman and The Fantastic 4 Vs Silver Surfer and there are many more 

After that we looked at devises used such as suspense that means a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety,suspense allows the viewer to feel like a character within the film it allows you to be an active participant for example a famous quote used from Hitchcock used was "To put there toe in the cold water of fear to see what it is like" this was Hitchcock s philosophy on thrillers. A Red Herring is something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand; a misleading clue,in the case of a thriller or in North by northwest Cary Grant’s character is a Red herring because he is supposedly the killer of the president and the enemy of the Mob but actually that identity belongs to nobody and finally there is Cliff hangers, Cliff hangers is a situation or contest of which the outcome is suspense-fully uncertain up to the very last moment for example in North by northwest the cliff hanger is when Eva Marie Saint is literally hanging off the cliff because we have no idea of the outcome and adds an air of suspense.

Cliff-hanger in North by northwest, this is when the character played by Cary Grant doesn't know whether or not his lover will fall down the cliff this adds suspense 

Initial thoughts on Brighton Rock (Thriller film)

11/9/2012

Today we continued watching Brighton Rock but focused on the Mis-en-Scene but first we talked about the key vocabulary we need to know for example:

Macro Elements, which include: Genre and Narrative, which we concentrated on the 10/9/2012 

And

Micro Elements, which include: Cinematography, Mis-en-Scene, Editing and Sound. 

As I said today we concentrated on the Mis-en-Scene, within the Mis-en-Scene there are a few subheadings these are: Costume, Props, Lighting, Sound.  

While watching the film we had to make notes on the separate headings and whether it gave us a message within then or whether it added effect in certain scenes. You can see this in the picture bellow.

The next post will have more detail and examples of the Mis-en-Scene.

This will help us when we make our own film and it will allow us to complete it successfully because it will make us think about what we are putting in the film a lot more for example costume is important because it characterizes the character e.g. in Brighton Rock Rose was innocent character therefore she wore pink and white colours to give her the air of innocence and good that also made us think that she is good/ heavenly i.e. the white stockings and the light pink dress. 

Mis-En-Scene of Brighton Rock

While watching the film Brighton Rock we had to take notes on the Mis-en-scene and the effects made by the

The Mis-en-scene in Brighton Rock adds allot of subliminal messages and clues to the film that we do not know about until you've actually watched the whole film and gotten to know characteristics of the characters

Within the Mis-en-scene you have to consider various areas for example there is Costume, Props, Lighting Sound and Location. In this post I am going to write about the aspects of the Mis-en-scene, which impressed us in the film.

The setting and location is a big factor when making a film if your location doesn’t set the mood of the film it will make viewers confused at what is meant to actually happen in the film or what there meant to feel throughout the film, In Brighton Rock the location was obviously Brighton which makes it relevant to the film, we found theses features were the most seen.

•               It was set in Brighton

•               We saw the pier a lot of times (below and above), when we looked into the reason of it we came up with that below the pier is hell and above is heaven which also links into the theme of religion that we see through out the movie  

•               We found that the pier also personified Pinkie and Rose at which is obvious as Pinkie is the bad person and Rose is the innocent type

As you can see the Top of the Pier is very bright where as the bottom of the pier dark 

The costumes within the film is very important aspect as it can show us the different personalities of the Actors characters  and what we can expect from them and it can give us an inkling on what roles the actors may be acting out.  In Brighton Rock costume was very impressive as it took the characters personalities full on that we could name the role they would be likely to have with with one glimpse of there costume at the start of the film.

Main characters

•               Rose would wear Pink and white colours this emphasized her innocence and in that way made us think that she will be a jumpy easy character which she was as you can see in the poster of Brighton rock bellow she is wearing a whitish cream coat on this also links the idea about the Pier that she is the light there fore Pinkie being dark. 

•               Pinkie would wear Navy, Black and all round dark colours this leads us to believe that he is a cold un-thoughtful character and it supports this theory because although he was very smart he didn't think of the consequences and his character was a very cold person as he didn't express any form of love to Rose.

•               Ida would wear Dark colours also but she would wear passionate colours such as red which gave us the idea that was she not only passionate that she was a loving person who could have been a liability this is proven as she is a danger to pinkie and when she is apparently asking for support from rose it is also a way to hurt pinkie and she's passionate because she wants justice and to know what happened to her friend.    

The final point I am going to make about the Mis-en-scene is the props, when making a film if you have to think of the different ways you can give hints to support what you are trying to achieve in the way of messages within the film or to give hints of what is to happen within the film. Props also help the costumes because it supports the view it is meant to give whether the character is dangerous or innocent 

•               We see Rose look into a 3 sided mirror this leads us to believe that Roses personality will change or that she is not as she seems in other words has a lack of truth or that god is watching  

•               There is also a scene where Pinkie is shooting a Doll at a carnival this gives the idea that he is going to hurt/ kill something doll like which is Rose as she is innocent and the fact that Pinkie handles a gun suggests that he is bad news  

Then we were told to write a couple of paragraphs on different Mis-en scene points

Narrative + Genre

Narrative + Genre 

10/9/2012

We started the course by talking about genres in the film industry for example : Drama,Romance,thrillers and comedy
Then we started talking about  that is in the films to make us categorise them in  that way for example for Romance we said that there is normally always a happy ending

Then we moved on to what narrative is and the types , during this we learnt the different meanings of words for example the story,plot, linear narrative and  fragmented narrative
for examples of the linear and fragmented narrative we drew our own story boards

Linear Narrative: this is a story line that is always in the right order in my drawing that is the first line it is in  the correct order I want my film to go in my film/story should go

Fragmented Narrative: this is when one scene is put in the front of the movie so it isn't in the right order this has the ability to change the mood and concepts that are made against the character from feeling sorry for a character or disliking them, in my sketch  this is the small scene on top of the main story line at the start

Then for the rest of the lesson we started watching the thriller film Brighton Rock.

My Brief

My Brief 


We have been asked to produce the title and opening sequence of a new fiction thriller film that should be:

The maximum length this clip can be is 2 minutes long and we have to be in a group of 2-4 people.

Luckily the acting isn't assessed which also means we can use actors from other classes or actors that are not from our group.

The film is worth 60% of our coursework grade and our blog with it is the remaining 40% but this is only for coursework all together it is 50% of our overall AS level.

Welcome !!!!

Welcome blog !!!!!!

Hello everyone,
I'm Funda Osman I'm a year 12 student at Robert Clack School.

This blog is to record all of my planning and preparation as I move forward to complete my AS foundation portfolio.
If I haven't finished a blog I will put in my title (TBC) which is to be continued this is to remind me that I have to finish these posts then you may see the occasional (TBW) which is To Be Written so I don't forget any main posts  from my book work

Hope everyone likes this blog
Thanks