Research into Generic TextsFor our first ideas we had a basic idea of plot lines. Our Russian/Robot sequence ---we are yet to find a video to take inspiration from... BUT for our second idea of a Venetian masked ball, I found many videos on You Tube that pointed us in the right direction... Eyes Wide Shut (masked ball) -
https://bac.hurtwood.net/owa/redir.aspx?C=9edeceded4f84ce0a83448933074538b&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dTHNzuF33tZo
- this video sends our idea down a more religious route... but the basic idea of someone looking for another person stays with our initial thoughts. Phantom of the Opera-
https://bac.hurtwood.net/owa/redir.aspx?C=9edeceded4f84ce0a83448933074538b&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dRxKjDUrmecA
- this video is purely to show the sort of atmosphere we want, but we are undecided as something as extravagant as this may be difficult to achieve. But these ideas are not as strong as our final idea; we really liked the way L.A. CONFIDENTIAL was shot, highlighting greens and reds. We also liked the idea of having an attractive woman being the focus of our enigma possibly dressed in a burlesque inspired outfit-. - We also wanted this sequence to have similarities in the way in which Quentin Tarantino works, he uses the basis of Film Noir, but changes it slightly making it unclear which time period the film is being set. He uses quirky images to create an enigma.
PLANET TERROR- https://bac.hurtwood.net/owa/redir.aspx?C=9edeceded4f84ce0a83448933074538b&URL=http%3a%2f%2fuk.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3d3-Xh0iafCCY
When researching for the thriller, we discovered some of the specific conventions and functions of opening sequences. The mode-of-address is often edgy and mysterious, or completely random with a balanced equilibrium so the shock of the negative force often has more impact on the audience. The lighting is generally low key to create voyeurism and add to the tension. The font for the titles is always white and small, on a black background. The music is often slow, a mixture of high and low notes with piercing, tingling noises that create uneasiness and suspense. The pace is often slow and there is often a brave choice of editing such as a voyeuristic long shot. The opening sequence has to give us an idea of time and place and introduce a psychological setting and mood and introduce the characters. In our text, our psychological aspect is sexual taboos and violence and these two themes sit very competently together. We wanted to touch on gangsters and prostitution in England in the 1950s.
Thriller Shoot Planning
Location and Set
We had to find somewhere that was realistically 50s looking, or simple enough that we could use clever props to make it look 50s. We first decided that we would use Cornhill Manor but the paneled woodwork on the walls would not work to create our shadows. So, we decided on Ewhurst, as it looked 50s had easy to black out windows, bare walls perfect for projections/shadows and a door in the place we had planned on our storyboard. It was also close by and made it easy to transport the props and equipment there without fuss. The set was constructed purely using props.
CastingBurlesque Dancer- Hannah Templeton-CoxClub Owner - Jason Gilford
It took us a long time to decide who we wanted for our burlesque dancer, we didn’t want to use a student as they looked too young but we didn’t want to use someone who looked too old. There was also the slight factor of looks and we tried to get someone who looked from the 50s, especially someone who was comfortable in a corset and lingerie. Hannah is my AS Theatre Studies teacher and at the last minute I thought she would fit it perfectly and could not believe I hadn’t thought of her before. She agreed immediately and looked great in costume and as she has done professional work before, she worked really well and easily on our amateur production set.
Jason looks quite 50s and had experience acting in thrillers before and as he is our class teacher he knew exactly what we wanted from him.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Inspiration and rejection
Inspiration and rejection
We each had specific ideas about what we wanted from our thriller, but for me it was always a gangster, Sin City type storyline with typical Frank Miller/Tarantino direction styles and enigmas; stories that do not appear to have a specific story line straightaway and are carried by the characters and audiences questions. We rejected ideas about Russian communist robots as we thought the idea would be too complicated to get across in 2 minutes without money and good props/costumes. Our next idea was a sort of Tropic Thunder style (well, in as much as filming a film during the film) and having a ballroom full of masked people (think Phantom of the Opera and Eyes Wide Shut), with a director and camera man on set, them someone is murdered during the break. But again, location, complexity and money stopped us from this idea. But, we did like the idea of a twisted relationship between people and we watched Planet Terror and liked the idea of a stripper/dancer. So we came together and mixed all our ideas and came up with a gangster/burlesque club in Britain in the 1950s and we’ve made brave choices with long shots and shadow use and we think it works.
We each had specific ideas about what we wanted from our thriller, but for me it was always a gangster, Sin City type storyline with typical Frank Miller/Tarantino direction styles and enigmas; stories that do not appear to have a specific story line straightaway and are carried by the characters and audiences questions. We rejected ideas about Russian communist robots as we thought the idea would be too complicated to get across in 2 minutes without money and good props/costumes. Our next idea was a sort of Tropic Thunder style (well, in as much as filming a film during the film) and having a ballroom full of masked people (think Phantom of the Opera and Eyes Wide Shut), with a director and camera man on set, them someone is murdered during the break. But again, location, complexity and money stopped us from this idea. But, we did like the idea of a twisted relationship between people and we watched Planet Terror and liked the idea of a stripper/dancer. So we came together and mixed all our ideas and came up with a gangster/burlesque club in Britain in the 1950s and we’ve made brave choices with long shots and shadow use and we think it works.
Thriller Research - Clips and analysis
Thriller research
Here are some links to a few clips of generic texts that are research for our opening sequence.
LA Confiential: We wanted to capture the style of this piece and have used ideas for costumes and characters for our opening. We've also set our piece in a similar time period in America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XfRdagD7Tw
Pulp Fiction: We want our opening to be in the style of Quentin Tarantino and re-create the way he uses quirky ideas and images to throw the audience and create enigma.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAULRFV5-AM
Planet Terror: The colours and the dancing from the opening sequnce. Tarantino connotes his time period by props and costumes and we are never sure of the time period. It is a more contemporary film noir.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgPnvAZoTx4
Sin City: For the style, the characters and the setting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5BwnPJ0sos
The Godfather: Operatic Grandeur. Respect, gangsters. Murder (head in suitcase, with blood dripping out), smoky rooms, cigars, societies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNMDi0JByK0
Chinatown (1974): Crime, Mystery, time period, colours, characters, enigma and human relationships. Darkest of film noirs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yJJWXhXbuI
Fargo (1996)
In the opening sequence of Fargo, there is use of long takes, wide shots and a dramatic metaphorical mise-en-scene.Fargo opening shots create a sense of isolation. This is a psychological concept that disturbs and makes the mind feel uneasy. It also creates a sense of great hardship, due to the weather conditions. Lots of things shoot into the mind subconsciously, such as being buried in the snow, freezing to death or getting lost. In American movies, landscape is very important, as it shows us the vast open expanses of land.There is a juxtaposition with the colour as we have gone from black to a complete white -out.Thrillers often use this to add to the suspense. The sleet adds to the enigma You can't see anything so questions are posed in the mind of the audience, who's in the car? What type of car is it? Where is the person in the car going?The long take creates tension and anticipation. The slow driving and the choice of music, gives the car real importance, as if it was on a procession.Link to opening sequence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEYPIO8DlY4
Cape Fear (1991)Strong and simple imagery is used in this opening, for example the use of water (lake) shot with chiaroscuro lighting. The psychological fears such as drowning are raised and dark, deep water creates a lot of primal fears. Instead of cutting to a scene or a character, dissolves are used which makes people and objects very ominous. This creates enigma as we cannot see them properly. The eye that dissolves in and out creates voyeurism.Link to opening sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwhVBVcQfpE
Here are some links to a few clips of generic texts that are research for our opening sequence.
LA Confiential: We wanted to capture the style of this piece and have used ideas for costumes and characters for our opening. We've also set our piece in a similar time period in America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XfRdagD7Tw
Pulp Fiction: We want our opening to be in the style of Quentin Tarantino and re-create the way he uses quirky ideas and images to throw the audience and create enigma.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAULRFV5-AM
Planet Terror: The colours and the dancing from the opening sequnce. Tarantino connotes his time period by props and costumes and we are never sure of the time period. It is a more contemporary film noir.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgPnvAZoTx4
Sin City: For the style, the characters and the setting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5BwnPJ0sos
The Godfather: Operatic Grandeur. Respect, gangsters. Murder (head in suitcase, with blood dripping out), smoky rooms, cigars, societies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNMDi0JByK0
Chinatown (1974): Crime, Mystery, time period, colours, characters, enigma and human relationships. Darkest of film noirs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yJJWXhXbuI
Fargo (1996)
In the opening sequence of Fargo, there is use of long takes, wide shots and a dramatic metaphorical mise-en-scene.Fargo opening shots create a sense of isolation. This is a psychological concept that disturbs and makes the mind feel uneasy. It also creates a sense of great hardship, due to the weather conditions. Lots of things shoot into the mind subconsciously, such as being buried in the snow, freezing to death or getting lost. In American movies, landscape is very important, as it shows us the vast open expanses of land.There is a juxtaposition with the colour as we have gone from black to a complete white -out.Thrillers often use this to add to the suspense. The sleet adds to the enigma You can't see anything so questions are posed in the mind of the audience, who's in the car? What type of car is it? Where is the person in the car going?The long take creates tension and anticipation. The slow driving and the choice of music, gives the car real importance, as if it was on a procession.Link to opening sequence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEYPIO8DlY4
Cape Fear (1991)Strong and simple imagery is used in this opening, for example the use of water (lake) shot with chiaroscuro lighting. The psychological fears such as drowning are raised and dark, deep water creates a lot of primal fears. Instead of cutting to a scene or a character, dissolves are used which makes people and objects very ominous. This creates enigma as we cannot see them properly. The eye that dissolves in and out creates voyeurism.Link to opening sequence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwhVBVcQfpE
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