Today we conducted our focus Group interview for our Target Audience Research , We had the week to get our ideas ready and questions, I asked people from our year if they'd be able to take the interview with my group but unfortunately they were unable to come as they also had a lesson at the time we did the interviews but fortunately there were the other students in our lesson and in turn I and my group members did there interviews.
We wanted to use a focus group as focus groups allow us to have the view of the public more easily and allow us to apply the information we get from the questions to the general public,from looking at various research types we can get a full idea of what the public prefer and it also allows our efforts to finding views and ideas a lot easier.
Questions we asked
These are the questions we originally going to ask in our interviews but in the video they have been worded in a different way or were included based on the answers we received:
Should the ideas we've presented be in the day or night?
What do you think the best idea is?
What do you think works in each idea?
Are there any shots or techniques that stand out in our ideas?
What do you think we could add into our ideas?
Could you suggest any good music or soundtracks to fit into our ideas?
Is there anything we should change?
What could make the plot of our idea more effective?
Within our group we thought of thinking of three ideas each then choosing the 3 best ideas within the 12 ideas, but I went a little overboard and made four even though one is really brief.
These are my better ideas that were negotiated within our group (None of the titles below are for certain):
1st Idea: Never Forgotten
Within our group we discussed that the title should be changed to memory or another option but initially my group liked this idea ~We also wrote plots for most of our idea : Seeking revenge and answers for the death of his father 10 years ago, obsessed man enters his unforgettable past and is shocked by his revelations
2nd picture (flash back)
2nd Idea: Deceit
Our group didn't really like this idea but we liked the concept and it is incorporated into other ideas and our final ideas.
In a Mental asylum referred to patient 206984, mistreated Rebecca uses her artistic side to calm her self in situations of high anxiety as she remembers her past noticing that what she recalls doesn't fit.
3rd picture (flash back)
1st picture
3rd Idea:Torture
This idea was considered the best and can be described as our final idea we really liked the concept and the shots and depth we could go into with this idea.
A man relives his past from being a child who lived throughout a harmful relationship making him progress to a a psychopathic child like state.
During the Preliminary task we had to successfully show that we could include and use:
Match on Action
Eye-line Match
Shot/Reverse Shot
180 Degree Rule
Attempt Graphic Match
And had to follow certain Guidelines when making the short film:
Character A walks toward a closed door.
Character A enters through the door and crosses the room to where Character B is seated.
Character A+B exchange a few lines or dialogue.
Either Character A or A exit the room.
While Filming we tried to add all the components of a thriller but also a bit of comedy so the examiner could see that even though a thriller is serious it can have a comical air
We filmed all of Tom's shots first as Ryan's Role/character comes later on but during toms we tried doing a fade from black to the image with the blinds although while editing we couldn't leave the opening just of Tom as we wanted Toms and Ryan's dialogue to be answering each other but you can still see it slightly.
Then we did a Graphic match with Toms watch and the Clock on Ryan's "Office"wall we think this was a good effect,not only because we had to use this filming technique,But because it shows an urgency that Ryan needs the Package Tom is in possession of and it hints to the Audience/viewer that the package is something important or how it is referred to and in that case already tells us that this is a thriller.
I also really like when Tom is walking down the hall this we used as a build up of tension.
At 1:34 we used a overhead shot to highlight what the package is and in this case trying to make the audience feel a anti-climax and make it laughable as they realise the package is a sandwich not any type of drug or anything illegal that we earlier hinted with words such as "It"and other references this is the comical aspect as well as Tom's reaction.
There are times when we must be critical of our own work within The Delivery Guy that can be highly criticised based on the camera shots, use of music and factors we could not of controlled:
The first criticism we see is at 0:27 in the clip we could say that this is a bad use of continuity as the wrist watch is unusually still as the actor has just moved it, this could be easily seen as a different shot but this is also not a major criticism in is more minor.
The second Criticism which is noticeable is in between 1:09 and 1:10 in this shot there is a foot that comes up behind the character in the corner this is something we couldn't edit out of the shot because we weren't able to film it again as we only realised the foot when editing otherwise we could have taken a another shot.
The third criticism we can find is with the diegetic sound within 1:28 and 1:30 of the clip it suddenly turns off but we don't see character B actually turn off the music this is again a minor detail but it is also a big detail as it is noticeable to the viewers it tests continuity of the film/ music
The forth criticism is that our actors / my group members started laughing at the start of the conversation this is unimportant as we are not being marked on the acting but we have to take into account that is this had happened in our thriller opening it would be unacceptable, unfortunately we couldn't edit that part out as it had our conversation within it.
The fifth and final criticism is my own camera skills with 1:58 and 2:12 the smooth tilt I was trying to achieve was actually done really poorly it was hard to move the camera and that is why it moves inconsistently but at the time we thought the shot was good but now watching over the clip I wish it was smoother
Today we talked about the recipe used when making a James Bond film like characteristics and effects.
James Bond is a fictional character name coded as 007 created from the writer Ian Fleming in 1953 who featured the character in 12 novels and 2 short stories, After Fleming's death in 1964 six other authors were authorised to write more James Bond novels. In the cinema world there has been 23 James Bond Films and 6 Bond actors.
Sean Connery 1st James Bond
Roger Moore 3rd James Bond
George Lazenby 2nd James Bond
Timothy Dalton 4th James Bond
Pierce Brosnan 5th James Bond
Daniel Craig 6th James Bond
The first characteristic that is used in all James Bond films is hero this is the character we look up to, Men and boys want to be him Women and girls want to be with him and every time this role is chosen they have a characteristics they need to incorporate into the film.
Within Every James Bond film there are consistent aspects of the film that are in the following others for example they are (you can see the 6 James Bonds above, they do fit all these characteristics):
A dashing, sexy, and heroic secret agent
An eccentric Villain of equal/greater strength
A number of gorgeous women Bond will be with
Exotic locations and Plot Devices
Exciting stunt-driven action (often absurd as it is mostly unlikely)
The John Barry music
A "pop song" that will promote the film
An opening action sequence
Bond being given his "mission" (this includes gadgets)
Fights and Car chases
Bond being trapped
The final scene is normally on a island but this is where Bond overcomes the odds and triumphs
Analysing James Bond Openings
"The opening Scenes which are often eye-popping, stunt-driven action from the top shelf bottle of absurdity."
When looking at the following James Bond openings we have to take into account the quote above and how it applies the following James Bond openings.
Casino Royale
This is the opening to "Casino Royale" which is the first Novel but the 21st film made in 2006 played by the current actor playing James Bond, Daniel Craig.
The opening to "Casino Royale" has all of the characteristics of the quote above, first you see that this scene is set in a exotic setting which makes it eye-popping as it is not only a good use of setting but also the dramatic norm for example you see a house/cabin and then its torn down this is very eye-popping as you don't expect something like that to happen in a normal day or even in a normal action scene. This scene is "stunt driven action" as it is thrilling for example you have the chase scene on the Scaffolding and this is a good example of the absurdity because realistically it is not possible for this scene to happen and in that case making it absurd but also full fills the ideals of a thriller and a James Bond agent as we want James Bond to change the the attempts and beat the enemy but also to do what his task asks of him.
Posters and Advertisement
Posters are used a lot in the advertisement of films, Casino Royale's posters have the theme of gambling for example the Dice and playing cards in the second picture which links into the title this represents and sells James bond to viewers and fans as when you think of a Casino you think of adventure and thrill the use of "Casino Royale" being in gold also represents the richness and the bated gambling scheme which is undoubtably what the film is about.Also in the first picture the actor has his fist on his heart and a side of his body has a read light shining on it I believe that the hand in red signifies his heart which also plays into the idea of gambling and this suggests that he is the king of hearts within playing card or just a man with loyalty.The use of red, black and white can also represent the casino aspect of the film but I also think it signifies the formality of James Bond and the charisma of James Bond and his role and to highlight the roles blatant manliness that is so attractive to the Fem fatale and female viewers.
The spy who loved me
"The spy who loved me" is the 10th novel in the series and is also the 10th film played by Roger Moore and was made in 1997. The spy who loved me is another over the top opening scene as you will see it just tests all common sense.
All the points above in the quote relate to the clip and the opening of this film, the opening a clip are indeed "eye-poping" as Roger Moore is in a bright yellow and red track suit which is used to draw our attention to him and to maybe make a contrast to him and the cabin the cabin is brown which is normally generalised with being boring and he is in Red and yellow that are both colours used to not only get your attention but can be construed as danger and warn you. As you can see in the clip from 0:33 onwards there is constant action and stunts, actions and stunts are designed to make you thrilled and excited for the character for example the flip from the mountain clip and within James Bond films the action is always absurd as you could imagine a normal person being able to do half of the stunts you see but this is also the reason these stunts are done in Bond films aim to take you out from the ordinary and aims to throw you into the extreme.
Posters and Advertisement
Posters are used a lot in the advertisement of films,The spy who loved me's Posters both integrate Danger and Seduction, on the left you have the later James Bond: Roger Moore with the gun and squinting this links with danger and a kind of seduction as he is obviously dangerous as he has a gun but the squinting makes him look mysterious and cryptic which can also be seductive to some people. The poster on the right is entirely seductive as its aim is to highlight the love interest in the film as red is identified as being an expressive colour and is normally expressed as love this is also supported by the woman on the poster being a Red haired lady it is sometimes said that women with Red hair are passionate, Also the Typography also suggests that there is going to be some form of seduction in the film or it can be perceived as a type of foreboding that maybe the cryptic spy will fall in love and be involved with a woman like the one on the poster.
Skyfall
"Skyfall" is the most Current James Bond Film although it is not a novel on its own it was based on Ian Flemings James Bond's, "Skyfall" is the 23rd film that has been made in 2012 played by the current actor playing James Bond, Daniel Craig.
"Skyfall" delivers the incredible action we come to expect from a Bond Film.It also has a layer of character, depth and scope that the half-centurey series has never seen before. Bond is more than just a comic book hero in this film.
Bond has always been about the same things, but now we also get a rich back story, In "Skyfall" Daniel Craig shatters the tongue-in-cheek stereotype, which has allowed many critics to believe and anoint "Skyfall" as the best James Bond film ever made.
I havent personally seen "Skyfall" or any James Bond film, but I haven't had the opportunity to not because I havent wanted to, I think they are very appealing and very interesting for everyone in any generation. "Skyfall" did very well by getting $1,108,348,855 in the Box office, On its opening weekend it earned $80.6 million in 25 different markets, which must mean it was very successful I think its success is due to it being a franchise and your need to watch all the James Bond films that come out also I believe James Bond is a type of Escapism that everyone Craves that that is why it viewed because it acts as some adventure and action for all genders, ages and social groups overall it hasn't really got a target audience as it is interesting and thrilling for everyone.
Title openings: Over the generation of Bond films
Over the generation of Bond films the title sequence grows more and more elaborate and relevant to the film, this highlights the development of James Bond films and the key themes of Bond which is the hint of danger and seduction.
In today's lesson we watched the most recent version of The Manchurian Candidate, for me this is one of the best thriller films we have seen as it is a psychological and political thriller , these types of thrillers are more appealing to me as it seems they have more depth,more of a plot, Psychological thrillers allow the viewers to ask questions and keep them guessing in this case its the only genre that is mentally fulfilling.
The novel and the two films have the same plot, A son of a prominent US political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for the Communist party. This plot sounds simple with pure action but it is actually very thoughtful and interesting.Overall this film is about power and the corruption of politics and how significant people of high society can manipulate and control people of lower social status with the promise of power when they are gaining the power themselves and being selfish.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The 1962 film was directed by John Frankenheimer, with major stars like Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh.
A former Korean War POW(Prisoner Of War) is brainwashed by Communist into becoming a political assassin.But another former prisoner may know how to save him.
The poster of this film gives no real clues to what happens but we have some hints for example the man in blue can be considered as being full of thought , then there are the characters in red all being either hit or in some act of violence or shock, just by the poster you know that there will be violence and action. Another clue from the poster is female dominance and power next to the title there is a badge with a picture of the "queen" from a pack of playing cards this could be signifying the power of the main characters mother and that she has a higher authority to the other people in the film including her hold on her son apart from the "king" which are the leaders of the right wing party who are currently and successfully manipulating and controlling her to do the same to her own son.
This clip above is the trailer to "The Manchurian Candidate" it is an effective trailer as it feels the viewer with curiosity this is achieved with multiple techniques.I think the most striking technique is the the music this has a strong effect on the viewer as if there is an impending doom to the film which makes the viewer even more interested and keen to see the film. The second technique is the clips that our shown from the film because they show you the peak time of the film but the effect of that is that you want to know what happened before you get to those scenes, since they are so eye catching they are the scenes that remain in your head and also admire. The third technique is the repeat that you wont get the film if you are late for it, this message is thoroughly emphasised when watching this trailer because the director wants the viewers to get the full effect of the film and just by seeing the more modern film I know the storyline is very complicated which also highlights the importance of the plot and makes viewers more interested. If I had seen this trailer I would feel obliged to go to the film very early so I do not miss anything and the trailer seems as if it is a challenge to watch the film so you are drawn to watch it.
Throughout this clip from the film you see the obvious power of the character (Raymond's) mother and the obvious manipulation of her son. Within the first 20 seconds you see Raymond's defiance toward his mother, this can give us a type of hope that maybe Raymond isn't as manipulated as he seems or that the power of the evil hasn't taken over him,that maybe he is stronger than he seems. Angela Lansbury plays Raymond's mother and a truly strong role throughout the clip you see that she plays the cool villain role for example her character being seated at a high leather chair smoking has an instant image of power and grace of some kind and then she coolly talks to Raymond in a questioning voice that instantly puts doubts into Raymond's mind so he quiets down which makes her successful for example when she says "Raymond,...sit down" he instantly stops talking and takes a seat, another thing Angela Lansbury does which allows us to perceive her character as powerful is her grace and slowness when she walks up to Raymond her slowness makes us sense her self confidence and the slow silent period is tense. Laurence Jordan plays Raymond Shaw in the film and in the clip at 1:24 we see that he is trying to block his mothers voice and that he is struggling with her truth and some how torment then we realise this is a memory or a kind of confession of the event since there is a fade to another scene.
In this version Raymond jumps in the lake- after hearing a person say this in a bar,there is a inharmonious and discordant soundtrack as he walks to the lake this echoes and parallels his confused and troubled state of mind and reflects his state of manipulation as he still robotically walks toward the lake and his lack of self control.
As you can see from this clip the older version, who starred Angela Lantsbury as Eleanor, has a very powerful role and is very eccentric and she's talking on to Raymond her speech is very forceful, she is also very sinister.
Through out the film there are freudian ideas,Oedipus Complex, to modern society this is very disgusting and unacceptable I'm sure it would be in the olden days as well but the film is a lot more graphic than the recent version, for example in the novel Eleanor uses her sons brainwashing to have sexual relations with him just before the climax,but this scene was not acted in either film but was substituted with a simple kiss on the lips to suggest her incestuous attraction to him as incest is a touchy subject that the filmmakers didn't want to get into.
The Manchurian candidate (2004)
The 2004 version of this film was directed by Jonathan Demme with stars like Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Meryl Streep and Kimberly Elise. The main difference in the plot with the 2004 version is that the War the former soldiers fought in is now the Gulf War which is significant as Jonathan Demme didn't just remake the film but wanted it to apply to the more current time.
The Poster of the 2004 film is more clearer and more direct than the cryptic approach that we see in 1962 version you can clearly see Meryl Streep in white with red around her which suggests to us that she is evil with the use of red reminding us of hell and cold hearted by being in a black/white filter this also reminds us of the corruption of the city which outline separates the good and evil, then there is Denzel Washington in the blue filter which reminds us of the colder side but I actually thing that this is trying to signify Denzel's characters state of mind, that he cannot forget the past and is forever in a freeze, frozen in his past.
The later 2004 version sets the initial battle in Kuwait which makes it more appropriate and immediate for the audience, the flash back to this scene is far more sophisticated and advanced than the 1962 version this may be just because there is a lot more you can do with film these days but I also believe Jonathan Demme also wanted an authenticity to the shot as if to clearly portray the turmoil of the soldiers had gone through.
The trailer is above is very different to the 1962 version as the current version has made the trailer more transparent to the plot and has told the viewers the facts to the film, although the other trailer limits the amount of information and clips from the film they both have the same effect where as you have curiosity with the other trailer there is more of a need to watch this film the clips make the film more adventurous. This more current trailer has a obvious highlight to the amount of power and the targeting of corporate companies where as the other trailer hasn't for example Meryl Streep's clips show her as the main reason the corporate company's are winning as she is allowing them to use her son (Raymond Shaw) as a pawn to power and introducing him to the heads of these companies. Having seen this trailer I don't find it has the same effect on the viewer but I do believe that it has the same draw to watch it and see the full film because although you know the basics you want to know the ending and what happens within the film.
When watching the clip above as a class we were truly shocked as we never expected such vile scenes but I think this scene is very important to the film as it shows us how brutal power can be on the victims and the violence upon the innocent, it also serves as an eye opener in the film not only do you want to know who did this but it also makes you more aware of the killer instinct before 0:17 we think that Denzel Washington's character (Major Ben Marco) has killed the man and we are shocked as we never expected him to be the person to do this, then we are shown the reality that this is an interrogation and his character is a suspect, you also see that the corruption as spread to the police as the only start recording the information about the "dreams" which suggests that they are being selective and collecting information for Manchurian Global. The police also take no notice of what he is trying to tell them until they seem like they are mocking him by calling him the "the real deal" and mock his past in the force this shows the lack of respect for the heroes of the world and how people are only considered normal when they are meek and do not stick up for what they believe in Denzel's character serves as a direct reality that suggests that you are never considered a priority then there is a higher powers hand in the matter also the other soldier who is dead show the result of power and the oppression of these high powered corporations on the people of low social status. There is low tone music in the clip which starts at 1:18 and slowly grows louder, this has an effect that makes us believe that there is a suspicious air in the room and as if there is a tension build as Denzel Washington's character tells the information he is certain of but is considered a "Psycho"and at 1:45 we have an indication that he is somewhat right from the silent woman who seems to be considering and doing nervous gestures when she hears of the implants. At the peck of the music and tension the character finally gives into the taunting and hits the police officer this suggests the cool can only stay composed until a final point where they finally loose it this also suggests that he may be capable of the violence he is suspected of, and yet again we see the woman again who is yet again silent but so observant of the goings on that seem wholly suspicious.
This is the advertisement for the film to be viewed on channel 4, the most noticeable effect of the clip is the build up of tension as the music is like the beating of a heart which in turn makes your own heart beat a little faster as the beat of the music builds the tension and curiosity of the film also builds, like the original trailer there are many snippets of the film and clips of them which makes the film more adventurous and obviously presented as a thriller giving you the basic idea of the plot but rather than it being perceived as a thriller it seems more like a action film. This is effective as it catches the viewers curiosity and you want to see what it is about I also believe that because it is a psychological thriller it has more depth to it which also makes the viewers of the advertisement want to see the adventure and the story of the film and the ending, the terror you get when you see this trailer is enough to make you want to see it. The use of props is very good and is good at making you curious because of the goings on and symbolism for example the prisoners carrying the mini TV's with there faces on it the shots taken from the film fit well and has a cryptic energy that makes you feel that you have to watch the film for example on the clip at the start to 0:06 because you originally see Major Marco is in an interrogation and his being denied with constant "No's" and then the man's voice raises until we have a new shot of the battle this has a good effect as it suggests the oppression of civilians leads to the battles or wars and that the people of a higher social hierarchy: the oppressors and company owners are who cause chaos and disruption.
Opening Scene
Instead of the leading actors on fake grassy mounds in a film studio like the original 1962 film the 2004 version has a more realistic battle scenes due to CGI which allows us to have realistic looking Explosion and Night vision scenes that make the attack within the film real and more believable,Personally I believe CGI is an amazing thing as Alfred Hitchcock wanted films are made to make the audience feel the adventure and CGI appropriately and successfully makes us the viewer believe what is happening in the film can happen in real life, we are able to dip our toes in the cold water of fear.
Production Values
It is seen from statistics that the production values of films today have increased, the 2004 version of this film, floods the screen with red in the "flashback" scene that suggests the subconscious mind and blood as blood and death is associated with war the colouring of red can also signify danger and this applies to the film because not only are they fighting for survival but Major Marco is fighting evil, also there is a background of non-diegetic music that sounds like blood pumping around the brain in the flashback that builds the tension of the scene. In the clip below there is meant to be a happy scene a type of reunion but with the use of Non-diegetic sound there is a tense almost restrained energy that its purely suggested just by the music, this shows the effects of music and how they can effect a scene.
The plot to this film is all about brainwashing but Brainwashing scenes are very difficult to film and different within the two versions.
Above is how the brainwashing scene was filmed in the 1962 version of the Manchurian Candidate, as you can see in this version you have the POW sitting on chairs in front of communist soldiers then the editing switches from the soldiers to ladies at a tea party which demonstrates the hypnosis and that looks may be deceiving the ladies look nice but actually they are the men who are experimenting on the soldiers and that you should be wary of everyone, you are also talked through what is happening by the experimenter. In this clip if you look at the backdrop you can see well known and common leaders of China and Russia who oppressed there people and are considered evil this clearly shows that these people from these corporations are not genuine people and they actually want the worst out of people. The Modern version has a slightly more obviously sinister with more graphic imagery and more slightly horrific scenes of brain implants with drills, also when Marco pulls the implant from between his shoulder blades and bites Raymond Shaw's shoulder to get the implant from him to, these scenes are very graphic and can be one of the most memorable parts of films in general the absurdity and the craziness of the scene can have a big effect on the audience.
The older version of the film had the press in one room which is simple and relatively cheap which was convenient as production values were a lot cheaper and less money than it is now.As you can see through the clip below :
Where as the modern version of the film has spliced real footage from party conventions to make the film and scene have a much more realistic effect this is a great effect as it allows you to understand that these type of things can happen in real life and it is our reality this is also projected with the imitation of real news programmes like "Fox".
Paranoid Thriller's
A paranoid thriller generally known as a conspiracy thriller is a sub genre of thriller fiction, most commonly the protagonist of paranoid thrillers are journalists or amateur investigators, In the Manchurian Candidate the protagonist is Major Marco, a former POW but is forced to take the role of a journalist to find out the truth this also makes him the resourceful hero, The protagonist often inadvertently pulls on a small thread which unravels a vast conspiracy that ultimately goes "all the way to the top" in the Manchurian Candidate Major Marco originally looks into the dreams the soldiers have been having which leads to the brainwashing conspiracy and the corporation behind it and revealing corruption.
The representation is a "hard/masculine man" who has the respect of other men in the 2004 version although this is displayed through the presentation Marco does it also displays the forgotten soldier as the children were uninterested. Major Marco is accustomed to danger and has a brave history in the army, although this is true in the latest version the leading characters do not act as if they have a violently challenging past and act very repressively and seem they are unstable which makes there sanity easy to challenge and be suspicious of.
In many paranoid thrillers there are strong women role models especially in the Manchurian Candidate such as Meryl Streep (Senator Elena Prentis Shaw) and Kimberly Elise (Eugenie Rose) characters, women were referred to as "broads" in the film this reference is a word a slang which is normally offensive and means a promiscuous woman, in some cases this fully applies to the women characters of the film as they use seduction and take advantage of the male characters to get what they need for example Eugenie forms a relationship with Marco to not only get information but keep an eye on him and Elena seduces her own son and there are hints of a sexual relationship. Both characters are promiscuous and sneaky but both intentions are entirely different Elena believes she is protecting her son but is actually damaging him more but Eugenie is genuinely protecting him.
"The director elaborates and makes the film bigger than life: sadder, darker and stranger than real life" I agree with this statement as the director, Johnathan Demme, makes the film very surreal and the furthest away from "real" life and in some ways although it is surreal it all makes sense, and as we find out that there have been real life assassinations and brainwashing which shocks the reality into us.
The prominent picture of Mount Rushmore on the backdrop in the final scene invites viewers to make comparisons and ask questions about the past and present political leaders and corruption.
Key Scenes
The assassination scenes are very important in the film and important to the plot:
Murder of Senator Jordan: The modern film differs from the original,drowning in the water creates a dream like state by the remote lake, drawing comparisons, also Johnathan Demme said he wanted the scene to symbolise the fact that the main characters were drowning also. the fog represents the lack of clarity with the characters as they experience information overload and their dreams are ambivalent. The use of non-diegetic music enhances the tension as Raymond approaches the lake to kill his next victim; this is key to the thriller genre, there is always another victim.simplicity in editing and close up camera shots reflect Raymond's hypnotism and his manipulated state.
Marco shoots Raymond and Eleanor(final scene):The film's climax comes to a head when Raymond realises his soul is corrupt, therefore he decides to sacrifice himself and his mother to eliminate the possibility of becoming owned or operated on again, this is a noble act in some ways as he sacrifices himself and has a conscious for what he has done.There is a undercurrent of freudian ideas with the inappropriate relationship between Raymond and Eleanor, the oedipus complex.
The Manchurian Candidate 1962 and 2004
Although there are many differences in the films such as the battles and general stereotypes to fit into the new times, there are still similarity's between the two films and the most important is the messages about society, both films refer to social and historical context with tension and threat, communism and the power of global companies and corporations and how they are a threat to democracy overall showing the corruption of politics and business.
Both films utilise a variety of genres for example it falls into psychological,paranoid and political thrillers which is good as it allows there to be a chance of more viewers.
Power is very important in both films as it is one of the main points throughout the film, the effect of power, in the older version of the film Raymond's mother Eleanor plays the main role of power as she manipulates Raymond but in the newer version the power is represented in a more global scale and is applied to our times for example by making the enemy global companies and corporations
The enemy in both films is peoples greed for power in the films its the companies and Eleanor as they both use there power against people and especially those who are vulnerable to them in forms of manipulation of the mind.
This can be applied to our reality as there have been real assassinations due to people having power and political reasons
Star power/ roles
In the modern film, Raymond's mother has a far larger role than in the older version, this is because Meryl Streep is an A-list star and is believed to sell more tickets and earn more for the film, whereas in the older film Frank Sinatra was the star and was believed to be the A-list star. Another difference is that the main role is shared between Denzel Washington and Meryl Streep
Interpretations and purpose of The Manchurian Candidate
You could name this film a film made purely for entertainment but I actually believe the Manchurian Candidate was made to enlighten some of the audience or to appeal to the people who actually believes in conspiracy's or secret organisations, I think there is a serious message within the film that is trying to put across and the message is that if you stay determined, look deep enough and believe in yourself the truth will come out sooner or later.
The film also refers to McCarthyism which is the practise of making accusations of disloyalty, or treason without proper regard for evidence, it also means "the practice of using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism" the term originates from the period in the united states that lasted roughly from the 1950-1956 and it is characterised by the increased fears of communist influence on American institutes and espionage by the soviet agents, this has a strong link to the plot of the film and is basically what the film is about that everyone isn't as they seem.
Evaluation
I personally preferred the recent version, I think this is because it was more dramatic and modernised, in some way I guess its a lot more thrilling as all the events that take place are made to seem as if they are actually happening in real life I also think that the 2004 version was more psychologically stimulating and actually makes you think whether the goings on in the film are possible which we find out it is and there are many conspiracies.The difference between Manchurian Candidate and other thrillers must be the sense of surrealism and reality at the same time which is very stimulating to the mind and I love psychological thrillers so I think that is why it has been better than most thrillers i've seen.
In today's lesson after looking at professional thriller openings we looked at Past student thrillers from Robert Clack, we had to note down the negatives and positive of each clip.We watched 6 different clips
Night Walker
Positives
There was a good use of shots
Framing - Feet/ High angle shot
The Pace and Music was appropriate to the scene taking place
Opening Titles Font was Mundane and the font was typical
The quality was low
The diegetic sound was incorrect, surely if you were being dragged away
The Night Walker
Positives
Acting was Convincing
You were really engaged and drawn to watch
Diegetic sound
Font was not typical and had a good effect
Opening Scene was really creative and unusual
It had a cool ident
We didn't really find any faults with this opening we believed it was really good.
The Betrayal
Positives
Really good use of Diegetic sound
Non linear narrative - includes a flash back
Negatives
Font was too big for the frame
Lighting- Was too dark
Camera handling was too shaky
The black in white effect didn't look good
Your Mine
Positives
Door Opening -creaking at the end
Camera Shots
Mirror shot
Non-diegetic music appropriate (not all the way through)
Negatives
Font mundane
Acting was unconvincing
Pan was jerky
Not much attention to detail
Non-diegetic sound
Finders Keepers
Positives
North by Northwest theme
Shot angles interesting
Acting
Man with phone
Idea of a threat
Non-diegetic sound
Comic
Free running
Negatives
Font was mundane- Ariel
As a Class our favourite was Finders Keepers because it was very engaging and worked at being a thriller by working outside of the guidelines it was very imaginative and convincing , some how it just works.
In today's lesson we started thinking about the start of our thrillers and the different ways we can make them effective thrillers we ended up talking about the techniques of professional films that were all classed as thrillers.We also started thinking of ideas but hadn't formally story boarded them.
Then we analysed why these thrillers were so effective and how the openings had an affect on us.
The professional films we looked at were Brick, Zodiac and a few more which varied in openings which lead us to believe there was terror from the beginning or that there was a suspicious element to the story or had the totally opposite view.
When analysing opening titles we were told to think and take notes of what made the openings good and what aspects of the start made good thriller openings and about the Idents that professional film makers use and what our ideas of one was
We were also told to consider and concentrate on these main things when making our own opening to a thriller and analysing the film clips we were going to watch:
Holding a shot steady
Framing a shot
Using a variety of shot distances
How is the shot material appropriate to the scene or film genre set
Using key conventions
1. A history of violence (2005) :
This is an crime thriller, it is an adaptation of the graphic novel "A History of Violence" by John Wagner and Vince Locke in 1997.The film stars Viggo Mortensen,Mark Bello, Ed Harris and William Hurt. The main character played by Viggo Mortenson is Tom Stall he is the innocent owner of a diner that is put into the spotlight after killing two robbers in self-defence.
This opening scene is has a very unsuspecting and unsettling beginning, I have never watched this film but have read the whole plot and it is very well done because you think that theses two men are going to have a big significance within the film but they do not.
Some effects of this opening title was:
Slow paced and long shot- this was a really good effect during the opening scene because it had a tense build up and everything just seemed too suspicious to be innocent two men staying in a motel together with little conversation or a oblivious out look,also the long shot just show the two characters which make us believe they are the main characters in the film. It carefully manages the audience focus and pulls our attention.
Contrast- It has a good use of contrast pulls a reaction from the false normalcy from the audience/viewer, we don't expect the ending of the opening scene in the part we watched I haven't been able to find a clip that shows everything we saw but as I have said throughout the title opening the acting is slow paced there is no music just continuity sound but then as the calm scene goes on we see that it is actually a murder scene and this is a contrast to the way they are acting and what has actually happened this has an effect on the viewer because we don't expect a murder although we know that the characters are suspicious.
2. Zodiac (2007)
Zodiac is a crime and mystery thriller, it is based on the true story of the Zodiac killer who was a serial killer during the late 1960's and the early 1970's leaving several victims and left letters taunting the police and the newspapers, using this symbol on every murder he committed.
With great film stars like Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downy Jr, the main character played by Jake Gyllenhaal as a San Francisco cartoonist who becomes a amateur detective as he becomes obsessed by the Zodiac killer and tracking him down.
Sadly I couldn't find the clip we watched to show the effects of the clip but I will say what was really good about the clip still:
Music and the Scene- This is the first thing we notice about the opening shot, first we hear pleasant up beat music and this gives us a happy atmosphere and just an all round happy theme then we have the shot that is very awkward and in some way creepy without the music as it is just showing the street from a car window and the journey the person is taking this has an aspect of mystery as you cannot see the driver and you are confronted with a unrealistic view of the street.Also another Scene is the part when the couple are getting shot by the Zodiac killer,there is a pop-rock music on the radio and this is contrapuntal sound because it doesn't match the scene and has a false representation.
Pacing and the settings- First of all at the start despite the music it is a very slow paced scene because it is as if the car is rolling down the street or about to stop which is more natural but can also lead us to the unsuspecting ending of the extract also the fact that the couple make there way to "lovers lane" which is also contradictory as this is meant to a romantic scene in a romantic setting with a couple a forbidden love but it is full of tension and it is deserted so you already sense a sense of doom and as we know this is true as the couple are also on edge in the scene.
We also analysed two other films that were also impressive,Brick and No Country for Old Men, Brick also had a slow paced start but No country for old men had a faster pace.
At the start of the Course we watched Alfred Hitchcock films as an introduction to Thriller films as Alfred Hitchcock is said to be the most successful English thriller film maker and described as a "Cultural icon", I believed it would be valuable to research Alfred Hitchcock for some background information :
Alfred Hitchcock
Name: Alfred Joseph Hitchcock
Nicknames: Hitch & The Master of Suspense.
Born: 13 August 1899, in Leytonstone, London(England)
Died: 29 April 1980, in Bel Air, California(United States) at 80 years old
Occupation and Years active: Film Producer and Director, Active from 1921-76
Main Genre Specialist: Suspense and Psychological thrillers
Finished Films
The 1st film we watched from
Alfred Hitchcock
The Pleasure Garden(1925)
The Mountain Eagle(1926) (lost)
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog(1927)
The Ring(1927)
Downhill(1927)
The Farmer's Wife(1928)
Easy Virtue(1928)
Champagne (1928)
The Manx-man (1929)
Blackmail(1929)
Juno and the Paycock(1930)
Murder!(1930)
Elstree Calling(1930)
The Skin Game(1931)
Mary(1931)
Rich and Strange(1931)
This was the third film we watched from
Alfred Hitcock.
Number Seventeen(1932)
Waltzes from Vienna(1933)
The Man Who Knew Too Much(1934)
The 39 Steps(1935)
Secret Agent(1936)
Sabotage(1936)
Young and Innocent(1937)
The Lady Vanishes(1938)
Jamaica Inn(1939)
Rebecca(1940)
Foreign Correspondent(1940)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith(1941)
Suspicion(1941)
Saboteur(1942)
Shadow of a Doubt(1943)
Lifeboat(1943)
Aventure Malgache (1944)
Bon Voyage(1944)
Spellbound(1945)
Psycho was the 2nd film we watched from
Alfred Hitchcock .
Notorious(1946)
The Paradine Case(1947)
Rope(1948)
Under Capricorn(1949)
Stage Fright(1950)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
I Confess(1953)
Dial M for Murder (1954)
Rear Window(1954)
To Catch a Thief(1955)
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956)
The Wrong Man(1956)
Vertigo(1958)
North by Northwest (1959)
Psycho(1960)
The Birds(1963)
Marnie(1964)
Torn Curtain(1966)
Topaz(1969)
Frenzy (1972)
Family Plot(1976)
The highlighted film names are the ones we watched in our lessons on Alfred Hitchcock
Themes and Plot Devices in Alfred Hitchcock Films
Hitchcock represents many cinematic devices but Hitchcock's main Genre/Device is suspense and thrillers, Alfred Hitchcock is mostly well-known for his MacGuffin but he is also known for being a successful and one of the best British Film director, even with his silent movies and his early "talkies".Hitchcock framed all his thriller films and film editing to maximise anxiety, fear and empathy.
Within the Plot there are normally fugitives on the run and encounters a normally "blonde" fem fatale, they normally have a twist in the ending that is also linked to Hitchcock's Psychological approach to thriller films which also allows us to understand why there is normally more in terms of analysis to the psychological health of Hitchcock's characters.
Television, Radio, and Books
Television: Hitchcock was among the first prominent motion picture producers along with Walt Disney to to imagine how television would become popular.Hitchcock also was the host of of a television series although associated with suspense the series portrayed Hitchcock as darkly humorous but yet again made him instantly recognised.
Books: As Hitchcock became so popular he appeared as a character in other well known detective book series, Also Hitchcock's name was licensed for a monthly magazine called "Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine". Hitchcock also wrote a mystery story for Look magazine in 194, the sequence encouraged the reader to piece the Murder/Mystery together.
Radio: Hitchcock also had a radio series called "The late Alfred Hitchcock presents" which was broadcast by BBC Radio 7 which ran for 15 minute sessions, but was actually an impersonation of Alfred Hitchcock.
In this lesson we watched another Thriller/Horror Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Birds was made in 1963 and it run for 119 minutes the original story was written by Daphne Du Maurier (picture 1) and the screenplay was written by Evan Hunter (picture 2)
The main stars of The Birds was Rod Taylor as Mitch brenner,Tippi Hendren as Melanie Daniels and Suzanne Pleshette as Annie Hayworth.
The plot of The Birds: A wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small northern Californian town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kind suddenly begin to attack people there in increasing numbers and with increasing viciousness.
The difference between The Birds and the two other Alfred Hitchcock films is because now the external threat is from nature and this is something we can definitely not prevent or stop this is a bigger effect because this is bigger than anything a normal human comprehend and as birds are normally admired in certain cases. The film allows you to accept the possibility of an actual attack and this may scar people as it is a thought that is out of our hands.
Thrillers are normally characterised by fast pacing and frequent action and although in The Birds there are parts where it is calm through out the film during the bird attacks it is fast paced and the fluttering of the birds add an not only a agitating but an irritated panicky sound making us aware that something is abnormal such as in the birthday scene or the school scene.
Thrillers are also seen with heroes that swart the efforts of the enemy and although in The Birds the towns people are unsuccessful they do try to protect one another and try to keep the birds out of there houses the person who puts the most effort in is Mitch Brenner as he tries to make people believe that what Melanie is saying is true and his efforts on securing the house from the birds although it only lasted a few seconds,also he is always quick to react allowing us to think that he is a hero because he dominant acting as a leader and knows what to do to lead people to safety.
A thriller has always had a a villain driven plot where they present obstacles for the hero to overcome in the case of The Birds it is a lot harder to identify but the obstacles we can see is to find safety from the birds and how they are to defeat them obviously the birds wouldn't think like this but this is what the towns people need and they are trying to gain control again some of the towns people try to cope with the events by denying that the birds are attacking oblivious to the harm they have already caused linking this to the MacGuffin Melanie's original thoughts were to secure a boyfriend this is what we believe is the original plot but as time within the film moves forward you see that the attacks are stopping the couple from being together although Mitch does look after Melanie and the whole point of the film is about the birds that are attacking humans although they are unsuspecting creatures. The whole point of a MacGuffin or the defining aspect of it is that the main characters are willing to do/ sacrifice almost anything to obtain an acquaintance and in this case Melanie sacrifices herself by telling Mitch not to come into the room to save her and she does this by actually travelling far enough to be with him.
The specific nature of the MacGuffin is to be ambiguous, undefined ,generic ,left to open interpretation or otherwise completely unimportant to the plot in this case survival is the MacGuffin as they are trying to live and escape from the attack but the plot was about finding love initially but the MacGuffin isn't be related to the plot also another example is that birds are not in the plot neither was the potential threat and the fact is that its open to interpretation therefore making it unexplainable and playing the MacGuffin card.
MacGuffins are most common in thrillers but are used in other genre of films and can not be used. MacGuffins decline in importance as the motivations of the characters can come through but then it can pick up again when there are scenes of high climax,Alfred Hitchcock defined the MacGuffin as the object around which the plot revolves,but, as to what that object specifically was he said "the audience don't care".
Some unrelated Knowledge
In the scene above where Melanie is attacked by the birds in the attic near the end of the film took a week to film, the birds were attached to her clothes so they could not get away and would constantly fly toward her to look like they were attacking her, this was done with the film featuring 370 effect shots and the final shot is a composite of 32 separately filmed elements.Also Tippi Hedren was cut in the face by a bird in one of the shots during the film and told people that Alfred Hitchcock never told her what she was to expect in the scene above and because of this she had a bird phobia.
The End
There were many alternative endings thought for the film one of them apart from the one actually featured was the Golden Gate Bridge completely covered by birds, I think this would be a good ending as it gives us a sense that humans do not dominate the word it is birds are everywhere grouping together becoming united against the human race.
At the end of the film Alfred Hitchcock did not put the customary "The End" because Alfred Hitchcock wanted the viewers to believe and give the impression of unending terror and as if the birds will follow where they go this also links to the alternative ending.
Music
Although there is no soundtrack/ musical score for this film there were sounds created on the mixtrautonium, which is a early electronic musical instrument, of the children singing in the school that also adds dry humour as we know something is definitely wrong but the children are oblivious and are singing a song.
To add further effect when audiences left the films UK premier they were greeted with the sound of screeching and bird wings fluttering commissioned by Alfred Hitchcock himself by putting loud speakers into the trees to scare the viewers further also supporting the fact that there is no "The End".
Alfred Hitchcock's aim in all his thriller is to be true to his words that thrillers are to allow the audience "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what its like".Alfred Hitchcock has succeeded as in any other of his he creates a threat but the most thrilling and horrifying aspect of this film is that in real life birds are everywhere we have just naturally expected them to calm animals that anger us but with this film we can imagine what the birds feel as we scare them the thrilling aspect is actually if birds retaliated we would have no control although we have weapons I don't personally believe that we would win against birds even though it seems fake you cannot doubt the possibility that it may actually happen.
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