Friday 11 March 2011

Rough Cut Thriller!!!

4 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed the way that you have used props in your film to give it a mysterious edge, the scene where it cuts between the character walking and him in the room where he is burning a picture, the picture is very important as we also see the main character having flashbacks of having a nice time with the girl yet he is now burning the pictures of them together, this clearly tells the viewer that they are no longer together. I really liked the use of the burning picture as it worked really well with the fast editing. Also the location in which he is burning the picture looks like quite a broken down room/home so it could be trouble that sparked from there that caused the break up, i think that the room links in really well with the whole idea of a thriller as it is quite mysterious and dark. Another location used well is the park, when the male character is walking down the path it is lit up really well and this is the only thing that the audience would focus on, the last location i liked was the back of the restaurant, this is a very dark place with little lighting so it makes the female character seem in trouble when the camera is behind her and the she is attacked due to the darkness in the location. The body language of the couple holding hands is really good as it gives an authenticity to the opening scene, it makes the couple seem like they are really together and i like it. The cigarette was a really well used prop for the female character as when she is smoking it she is strangled from behind by what we presume as her ex-lover, the reason that i like this prop is because it falls out of her and which is on the floor, this symbolises that she is either dead or unconcious. The titles are really good as they aren't on screen for too long and normally titles are left on the screen for too long but they should really only be on there for a few seconds as thats all it takes to read them.
    It uses the basic thriller conventions such as flashbacks which enable us too see into the main characters past to understand what is happening in the first scene where the girl is strangled. The eyes are also used in this opening scene as part of a 180 shot which either shows something that he wants to do or he suddenly decides he wants to do something hence the 180 degrees shot.
    Overall i think your thriller is really good and you've done a great job editing it together, i really like the locations and the body language of the characters, one thing i think you could improve on is the lighting in some of the scenes as it can be hard to make out what is going on.

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  2. Sound plays a big part within setting the scene and letting the audience know the atmosphere and feeling of the opening. I like that it builds up in intensity as more is going on in the scene. At the beginnning the music is more quiet and less dramatic, and the pace fits in well with the walking speed of the character and cuts to the room shots. There is no diegtic sound within the opening but i think this works well as it would make it too busy and the music adds more tension. When the music changes and the extreme closeup shot is used on the eye, i think it works really well as it helps the audience know that the character is on edge and the seriousness of what he has just done. Also this music is louder that the rest, which again works well as it is creates suspense - essential to a thriller.
    The best use of sound within the opening is when the female character drops the cigerette out of her hand then her whole arm drops to the floor, the music stops right in time with this and the final bit of the music is very dramatic and lets the audience know that something serious has happened.

    The opening overall is very good and has alot of the thriller conventions within it, however at some points i was confused on what was happening. I think the editing between the room and burning of the picture was the best of the opening as it was very well timed and fit in with the music.

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  3. There are a great variety of shots in this sequence. The first framing shot, with the black trees surrounding the figure as he walks through them really adds a sense of mystery to the opening. The panning shot around the room where he burns the picture is very well done and gives the audience a sense of the dark atmosphere of the opening. The zoom in and out of the eye was really effective, showing the protagonist/antagonist is an important character, and is also a good use of an important thriller convention. The majority of shots are long shots which shows the full action in the scene yet more variety could probably be used. The handheld jerky camera use at around 2:14, after he sees the new couple, is really effective and adds to the audience's view of his pain. The majority of long shots and panning shots are steady, and the tracking shots that follow the man are jerky yet this fits in with the idea of the film. The opening fits in with the thriller convention of revolving around a crime, which adds to the sense of mystery. The micro elements, especially the sound in this opening, all combine to create suspense, increasing the audience's "apprehension"!!!!!

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  4. Throughout the Thriller opening, there are numerous great uses of editing, many of which adds
    perfectly to the desired feel and emotion of the piece. Below is a short evaluation of the editing and
    effect given:

    Firstly, the transitions between the clips are all very smooth, and the transition effects are all perfect
    for the clips. For instance at 2:00 up to 2:10, there is a great string of clips, all linked using the fade
    transition, this gives the effect of a dream-like state, or the feeling of sorrow or regret. This links
    perfectly with the music as well to add a truly sombre mood.

    The titles and overlays are really well implemented into the clip. The group have chosen the perfect
    font for the clip, one which gives a somewhat shaky and uneasy feel, to add tension and a feeling of
    almost distress to the clip.

    All in all, I believe the use of editing to be brilliant in this clip, and I cannot find any faults to bring to
    attention.

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