CONSTRUCTION: PHOTOS FROM FILMING FISH SCENE

In today's lesson Elliot, Andy and I continued to film our thriller opening. The first scene we filmed involved myself and Amber walking along the road infront of waitrose together. While at Waitrose we requested permission to film the fish counter. The manager of the store kindly gave us permission so we did a left to right pan of the fish counter. Also while there we bought fish and the workers kindly gave us extra ice to help us set up our next scene. The next scene we filmed involved Elliot behind a fish counter. This was difficult to stage so it looked realistic. We returned to the classroom and we made a set that looked similar to a fish counter, with trays and ice, with the real fish on top. Elliot was dressed in a white coat with a trilby hat. He had a large silver knife to use on the fish. We did several shots of this scene including a close up of the fish, the knife and tilt pans up revealing Elliots face. These are some pictures from the shoot we did in todays lesson.

PLANNING: ARGO TENSION

I have recently watched Argo as the film shows the process of distribution and I thought this would be helpful as I am currently doing my evaluation question on distribution. The film also creates a high level of tension which is created and maintained through the camera work and editing.  This technique may be used in my film as I need to create tension in my thriller opening.

Argo is about helping 6 American embassy workers escape from Iran. They do this by making the Iranian revolution believe they are looking for locations in Iran for a new movie. In order to make this movie believable the idea of the film is distributed as if it were a real film. The fake film had posters created, newspaper articles written and a publicized script reading with all the characters in costume.
In the last 10 minutes high levels of tension are created as the 6 escaping Americans try to get through security at the airport and onto the plain. The tension is created by the use of camera work, editing and music.

PLANNING: LOCATION PLANNING

In today's lesson we went to Waitrose to plan and walk through one of our scenes. This enabled us to visualize how the scene would take place and blocked the shots and positions of the characters.

Outside waitrose to allow the audience to know where Bryn works

Location outside of Waitrose

.... and Celine saying goodbye outside Waitrose

Close up of fish at the fish counter

We visited the fish counter so we could get an idea of what fish we should use for our filming

CONSTRUCTION: CLOSING SCENE

• Discovery of a dead body by a detective
• Over the shoulder shot of detective looking in the file
• Mid shot of board of pictures relating to the murder

PLANNING: CALL SHEET

AS Media Studies Thriller film opening - An Eye For Danger 

• Murder finding scene
• 20th January 2014
• Food Tech doorway
• IMAGE:
  
• Crew: [Elliot Hogan, 07789463786, elliothogankeogh@hotmail.com]
• Crew: [Bryn Williams, 07231774659, brynisdabomb@yahoo.co.uk]
• Crew: [Andrew Bownes, 07364889003, bownesisdaboy@gmail.com] etc..
• Camera equipment (Cannon 600D, Tripod)
• Lighting equipment (1x stage light)
• Props (Fake blood)
• Wardrobe [Celine]

CALL SHEET: MURDER VICTM ANALYSED

AS Media Studies
Thriller film opening 
Murder victim analysed

• Shoot date - tbd.
• Location - Food tech corridor opening

 

• Crew: [Elliot Hogan, 07874638282, elliothogankeogh@hotmail.com]
• Crew: [Bryn Williams, 07835472039, brynisdabomb@yahoo.co.uk]
• Crew: [Andy Bownes, 07899395933, bownesisdaboy@gmail.com] 
• Crew: [Amber Saville, 07839049290, ambersaville@gmail.com]
• Camera equipment (Canon 600D, plus tripod)
• Lighting equipment (1 x portable stage lights)
• Props (Amber)

CALL SHEET: CELINE FANTASY SEQUENCE

AS Media Studies
Thriller film openingCeline Fantasy Sequence

• Shoot date - Monday 20th January
• Location - School gym

 

• Crew: [Elliot Hogan, 07874638282, elliothogankeogh@hotmail.com]
• Crew: [Bryn Williams, 07835472039, brynisdabomb@yahoo.co.uk]
• Crew: [Andy Bownes, 07899395933, bownesisdaboy@gmail.com] 
• Crew: [Amber Saville, 07839049290, ambersaville@gmail.com]
• Camera equipment (Canon 600D, plus tripod)
• Lighting equipment (2 x portable stage lights)
• Props (Amber/Connie)

CALL SHEET: FISH SCENE

AS Media Studies
Thriller film opening

• Location - Claremont Fan court School

• Crew: [Elliot Hogan, 07874638282, elliothogankeogh@hotmail.com]
• Crew: [Bryn Williams, 07835472039, brynisdabomb@yahoo.co.uk]
• Crew: [Andy Bownes, 07899395933, bownesisdaboy@gmail.com] 
• Camera equipment (Canon 600D, plus tripod)
• Lighting equipment (Portable stage lights)
• Props (fish knife x2, fish x4, white aprons x2, white trilby hats x2)
• Wardrobe [white apron and white trilby hat]
• Wardrobe [white apron and white trilby hat]

CONSTRUCTION: COMPOSITION OF TITLES

We story boarded the sequence where the two main characters are introduced and decided what order the titles would be in our framing and composition of our shots we know that we need to leave appropriate spaces for these titles to come up. We are currently researching the title of our film.

Order of titles as seen on the screen:
Elliot Hogan as Oles
Bryn Williams as Alex
Amber Saville as Celine

The name Oles has connotations of Eastern Europe (most crime being around these parts)
We chose this name as it is simple, easy to pronounce and a Ukrainian name.
The name Alex is very simple and short for Alexander, Alex is less posh. We chose this name because it is British and very simplistic.
The name Celine has connotations of beauty. We chose this name as it isn't a common or normal name and catches attention.

CONSTRUCTION: FILM TITLE

We spent time deciding on the name of our film title.

• We want to signal the thriller/crime genre clearly.
• One key moment in our opening is when Oles, who works behind the supermarket fish counter, is brooding about the beautiful Celine and slams down his knife in frustration. We plan to make a connection between the fish that he is filleting and his thoughts about the girl. To achieve this, we intend to make a match cut between the fish's eye and Celine's eye.
• Therefore, we started exploring names which included references to eyes, with our first choice being A Watchful Eye but we found this was already being used. 
• We have chosen to name the film An Eye For Danger

CONSTRUCTION: MURDER SEQUENCE

This is a location recce shot: the security light is currently faulty and flashes on and off in a very disconcerting way. Thanks to this fault, this creates an appropriate mood and atmosphere as to where we are going to find our murdered victim.

CONSTRUCTION: FANTASY SEQUENCE

• The still image above is our inspiration for the treatment of our fantasy sequence. We are trying to achieve a visual expression of the murderer's obsession with a girl who is not interested in him.
• We have decided how to film and display this scene where the girl is fantasized about. 
• We've chosen to use the white wall in the school gym so we have been down to book to use the gym with the PE department. 
• We will use strong lighting to cast a shadow of the girl on the back wall. 
• We intend to edit it in black and white.

CONSTRUCTION: REFINING OUR STORYBOARD

We have refined our story board in order to increase the sense of menace. In this sequence we now have a more fully developed montage in which the older dark haired man is constructed as a brooding, repressed figure who is obsessed with a young woman. We intend to signal his frustrations through a dreamlike insight into his fantasies about the girl. We intend to convey his latent violence through the way he handles the fish knife. A match cut between the fish's eye in ECU and the girl's eye hints at future violence.