Production Log

Date:30/09/08
Achieved: evaluation two opening sequence
Amendments: the URL is not working
Future Revisions: work more on media term

Date: 03/10/08
Achieved: Phone Call Project
Amendments: Framing, loud location, holding the camera steady
Future Revisions: No Zooming, wait for a empty and quiet background, use a tripod

Date: 20/10/08
Achieved: Done Deal Short thriller opening sequence
Amendments: Didn't have enough cast members
Future Revisions: Plans cast more thoroughly

Date:23/10/08

Achieved: Se7en essay

Amendments: catch up/ deadline

Future Revisions: check spelling and write more detail

Date: 05/11/08
Achieved: Plan plot for our thriller
Amendments: Too many ideas
Future Revisions: No change, its better to work with a lot of ideas

Date: 24/11/08

Achieved: Paper work

Amendments: cast change according to the relationship and friendship status & the way their characters is represented in our thriller and their compatibility

Future revisions: think about cast earlier so they relate to the plot more.

Date:27/11/08

Achieved: Digital Storyboard

Amendments: Shot were re-filmed due to lighting and framing

Future revisions: Film shots more carefully to prevent re-filming

Date:28/11/08

Achieved: Fake blood made for our thriller

Amendments: Golden Syrup instead of corn syrup

Future revisions: research where to buy corn syrup and consider possible revisions

Date: 01/12/08

Achieved:Soundtrack and voiceovers

Amendments: unexpected voiceover character

Future revisions: Quieter surroundings and plan all characters needed for part

Date: 02/12/08

Achieved:Location Recce shots

Amendments: Date changed

Future revisions: Make sure location is accessible prior to planning

Date: 02/12/08

Achieved: Blog completed

Amendments: forgot about certain aspects

Future revisions: Make a checklist earlier so everything is more organised

Date: 03/12/08

Achieved: donwload a company logo for our thriller

Amendments: N/A

Future revsion: N/A

Date: 05/12/08

Achieved: Finish filming

Amendments: One of the character was late for the filming so the we delay.

Future revsion: tell the character that we chosen to be ontime or find an good timekeeper character.

Date: 08/12/08

Achieved: editing

Amendments:

Future revision:

Date: 12/12/08

Achieved: Re-film shot finish

Amendments: Our characters had clashes and on occasions forget their customs so the filming is delay twice. The filming in the living-room location was time consuming and the owner of the house wanted to use the living room. it was raining so the establishing shots were hard to film as the camera kept getting wet.

Future revision: Prepare for all weather conditions and give all household members a timeline foe expected filming duration.

Date: 15/12/08

Achieved: editing thriller

Amendments: try to finish the editing 

Future revision: N/A

Date: 16/12/08

Achieved: editing thriller/ editing blooper 

Amendments: editing the blooper and the soundtrack/ continue to editing our thriller

Future revision: N/A

Date: 17/12/08

Achieved: upload group blog

Amendments: improve!

Future revision: double check.

Se7en Essay

Click here for Se7en Essay 

Analysis of thriller opening

J.F.K



Sound:

• used of narration.
  
• soundtrack, military.

SFX:

• N/A

Camera:

• Mid shot of a real footage showing a man talking.
• ELS showing the area.

Mise-en-scene:

• using real footage in the news.
• typography is used black and white.

Editing :

• Montage editing showing different clip from old footage.
• cut.

Conventions:

• this film is about death, war and assassination etc.
• it used omniscient narrative.

Silence of the Lambs

Sound:

• soundtrack of orchestral

SFX:

• N/A

Camera:

• ELS 
• MS showing character running.
• close-up feet and face.
• tilting 
• tracking 

Mise-en-scene:

• the set is inside a wood
• is foggy and misty.

Editing:

• wipe
• cut
• continuity editing

Conventions:

• it have a red herring when the character running it look like some one tracing her.
• then we notice she is training in a FBI camp.

Code and Conventions of a thriller

                         Red Eye 2005 by Wes Craven



In this sequence it clearly shows how the antagonist look like. it used close-up to show his face expression and used shadow lighting on his face, to emphasize the dark side of this character.

This film contained non-diegetic sound is use to scare the audience when we see the antagonist outside the door, this build tension to the audience.

diegetic sound is used to show the movement and action code is used to emphasize victim trying to gasping for air and running away from the antagonist and this create tension to the viewer.

Omniscient narrative and continuity editing is used to show the action sense.

Close-up of victim face expression showing she suffering.

It have used 360 degree rule in this scene to show the movement between the two character. 

the mise-en-scene in this sequence we can see is take place inside a plan toilet and it have a low soundtrack in the background, the reason is because the both character is whisper in the toilet, so we can hear there dialogue.

The other conventions in this sequence it have used a cheap surprise when the victim open the door and see the antagonist.

In this thriller sequence the antagonist is represent as a working class white male and abnormally normal killer, this identify a element of a thriller.

The sub-genre in this sequence is include crime and action in this thriller.

The main editing is used cut, is because is in a invisible transition, to show is in a continue movement.

Then we have shot revers shot showing two characters talking.

Code and Conventions of a thriller

Zodiac 2007 by David Fincher



The first camera shot is used an establishing shot, showing the murder take place. In the mise en scene, we can see a shadow, dim lighting in the motorway, this give idea to the audience the character is in a deserted rural area, this create suspense on the audience, it give a feeling of loneliness.
It has used tracking to show the movement of the car moving.
In this thriller sequence, it has used an omniscient narration-showing victim driving in a car, but we do not have any shot showing the murder face, we called this restrictive shot, by not showing the face of the antagonist, it crate the theatre of the mind to the audience, therefore the audience will image how the character look like. The representation of the antagonist is represent as an American well-spoken white male, we know that by the way he talk and the used of language. The way the antagonist dress is causal, it may show the character is in a middle class and we can see his car is kind of an expensive car, but we cannot see it clearly.
The convention have used in this sequence were red herrings and cheap surprise. The red herring were we think the antagonist is a good person who helps the victim to fix the car and it came out his the murder.
Cheap surprise is used it by having a non-diegtice soundtrack when the woman stop the care and see the antagonist, this create tension on the audience, they think something goanna happened, but nothing happened until the antagonist gone then the car well came off.
It have used eye line shot to show what the victim see, therefore we do not know what the antagonist is doing to the car this give the audience an enigma code, ‘why he doing this?’ & ‘what his doing?’
This show element of a thriller.
It used a lot of closed-up in this sequence to show the face expression of character, show fears on the victim face, this may emphasize the fears on the audience.
Continuity editing, cut and fade is used in this sequence to show the murder take place and showing time is running.
The sub genre for this film it will be crime, biography, and drama, this may appeal to the audience because it content different genre.

Evaluation of past student production

The name of this production is P2-42 Proving Ground, it has a consistently excellent holding a shot steady, the framing in the sequence have a intreasting angle, it have a range of camra angle. the selecting mise-en-scene it include different type of lighting, the different between outside and inside.

the non-diegetic sound, soundtrack to create tension on the protagoinst face and when she looking at the tv. a really good editing skills show the diretor name and filmmaker name.

it have a no evidence to suggest is the opening of a film, it have a limited evidence to show codes and conventions of the thriller genre.

Opening sequence from The Stranger 2008 by Bryan Bertino

The Stranger 2008

In this opening sequence they start with a narrative, telling the audience about crimes happening in U.S. in each year.

we can see the typography is used orange the meaning for orange can be found in nature in the changing leaves of fall, the setting sun, and the skin and meat of citrus fruit. therefore it may mean the crimes have happened is a natural thing that always happen.

It start with a linear narration about the crime then we can hear a non-diegtice sound of turning on car, then we can see real footage showing house in America, a car passing by using a restrictive narration, tracking to show the movement and a long shot.

The way they show the house it give a enigma code to the audience, or may be is where the crimes happened.

We notice is a real footage by the colour and the quality of it.

Then a non-diegtice came in we can hear a victim speaking on the phone with the police, it give idea of what's the film about.

Then we have a extreme closed-up of a crash window in a car and showing two boy through the hull.

A low-angle shot showing the two boy walk in to a house, a montage editing is used, showing different in the house, knife with blood on it, rose around a ring case,a record player playing, a big splash of blood and gun, show it in close-up shot.

overall the editing is using fade.

The sub-genre of this film include crime, romance and horror.