Planning: Micro-Elements (Mr. S)

Planning: Micro-Elements

In this post I am going to discuss the use of micro-elements within my opening. The main aspects within the 'micro' aspect are cinematography, sound & editing. These elements are all a part of any film production, which is the generic answer to why they are so relevant and important. 



CINEMATOGRAPHY
Using a collection of filming techniques, cinematography can act as a direct communication with the audience, or the feel of being 'inside' the movie. Smart and sophisticated camera tricks are distinguished greatly over the thriller genre.

Cinematography is split into three main sectors: shots, angles & movement. Cinematography is important in thrillers because depending on how it is established, the actual 'thrill' response can be created.

Our first camera movement will be a panning shot. We chose this to allow the audience an overview and first impression of the Professor's character before diving into the plot. To contradict that freedom of impression, the panning shot was selected to construct a certain kind. We'll do this by showing him sitting at a desk with coffee, pens/papers, and a laptop. On the wall behind him are photographs and notes, which are all based on the anti-hero. We can see him observing a laptop, scrutinizing facial expression. This immediately has positive connotations of his intentions because as he will be made to look like a well-educated Professor (glasses, lab coat) his purpose can only be research for the means of knowledge/understanding. If we were to give him the opposite imagery, he'd have scruffy hair and perhaps a messy desk of spilt coffee, torn papers in red ink signifying danger.

We are going to use an over-the-shoulder shot as the Professor is observing Lara through a laptop screen. The camera will be directed toward the laptop screen instead of a person, despite this shot generally being used for conversations. The use of over-the-shoulder exposes to the audience what exactly he's watching, and unravels a main theme in the plot - psychosis/psychological/vice versa. It's also important because the next frame is a zoom, which will flow the best if from over-the-shoulder we move the camera straight into the laptop as it's already focused on that subject. Zooming into the scene will make the audience think they're going to find out more about it, more than what the Professor will determine, as the point of view will be INSIDE the room during the event, whereas he's watching it back on footage without first hand experience.

A close up will be used on the anti-hero's angry reaction after the first flashback. This offers the audience the chance to connect with the character, as in the flashback she's shown as happy despite it being out of an affair. When shown currently she is no longer in that beneficial situation and therefore it makes sense for her to respond to the memory in a negative manner. It's also a sign to the audience that she does have mental instability and split personality; it should take something drastic to remember events that lead to feeling scarred however the memory sparks up out of the blue, and her response itself it drastic and fast. The audience are made to respond with sympathy for her response OR respond with anger toward her initial anger because of the idea that she ruined the relationship between herself and the lover, and the relationship between Ivy and the same lover. Much like she has multiple personalities, the audience has multiple choice as to how their response unfolds, too.

There will be a long shot used during the scene of the antagonist's arrival. This frame involves  a clear, full shot of the closed door; representing 'pathways', 'alternatives' - conventional to a thriller, as generally they are made to be interpreted in different ways by different members of the audience. The door will be opened revealing something new and bringing forth content to add to the plot. In the scene the door actually slowly opens, so is not a still frame of the closed door. This creates a further response because as we see the full door, we wonder who will walk through: will they be tall or short, big or small, human or supernatural? Will it be the Professor? A closed door sparks up the imagination that is key for audience engagement, because once they see the identity, the tension vanishes.

A point of view will be used to see things from the anti hero's perspective when she is aware of the antagonist's presence. I considered point of view not just being what 'you' see, but how you see it. This is why I aim for the camera to be held quite still to represent the anti-hero's shock. The only movement is of the antagonist walking toward her. What we see is plainly the antagonist's facial expression, which has no expression. Instead of making her look malicious or vengeful, we thought the most effective symbolism of her death would be to actually make her face look ridden of emotion. The point of view is conventional because the distinction between antagonist and victim is made clear because of the antagonist walking toward the camera, which the audience knows is a person in a vulnerable state. This direct targeting also sparks interest and reflection on the first flashback of the affair, and anticipation on what might happen now because of that event.

We've also included a high angle during the anti-hero's episode of insanity. As she is acting crazy, the camera will be slightly looking down on her. The most obvious meaning created by this is that she is vulnerable - but it links to authority, too. One being the Professor who is 'watching over' her by observing her behavior. He is obviously qualified to do so. And the second being the antagonist - the high angle foreshadows the low angle combined with P.O.V when we meet the antagonist. Both of these tricks are again a clear distinction of who is the bad and who is the good. This could be argued to not be true as the Professor's figure of authority is not intended to be perceived as a bad one.

An extreme long shot makes up the scene of the anti-hero shooting the antagonist. This allows the audience to visually witness the full crime scene and connotations attached to it such as darkness in an isolated road. 

SOUND

Using a collection of props and/or editing techniques, sound can assist the audience into following the story or plot. Sounds are a part of daily life and contribute to our feelings, instincts and emotions, the same effect can be achieved by using sound within a production. 

Sound is important in thrillers because, when considering onomatopoeia, there are many different kinds of sounds that are conventional to a typical scene in a thriller - for example a bunch of violin strings mashed together to create that 'huh?' effect when a character has just heard something ELSE, like a BANG! another kind of sound previously, that was shady. Sound has to flow for understanding to be kept. 

We will use digetic sound when the anti hero shoots the antagonist. During this flashback, their roles are completely different - the antagonist is made to be the victim. So, in correlation to the 'anti-hero's' actions, we need the sound of a gunshot when we see her pull the trigger. This may create shock, but I would rather say the audience would be frightened instead, because there will be no other mellow sounds to warm them up: the gun is abrupt. I think they would be more frightened, considering we see the gun in her hand BEFORE she shoots, which would be the actual point of shock and start-up of tension. 

We will use parallel sound when the anti hero and the lover are caught by the antagonist. In this scene she is not going to be portrayed as an antagonist, so the sounds we use need to match the idea of her feeling emotion such as shock, betrayal and hurt. She's going to react to what she's seen with gasps, which I think is the typical behaviour of someone who has just been cheated on. The audience will be able to sympathize with her situation, and have more understanding of the anti-hero too. It isn't made clear if they know each other personally, there's no expected dialogue, because we wanted the audience to ponder on this.

Within the anti-hero's present reality we're going to include on screen sound such as crying in response to the memory of the murder which gives off vibes like guilt and regret because of where she is today. This, along with other on screen sound, is important because it is proof to the audience that she is mentally disturbed as she will act in different ways in different times, an indication of insanity. The different sounds we actually see her performing will emphasize this as her facial expression and body language will be visible too.

Non diegetic sound is to be used through a soundtrack that sounds dark and is accompanied by a high tempo. This will be played when the antagonist is approaching the anti-hero; her response being to back away from her in a somewhat slow movement to exaggerate that tension created by the soundtrack. Audience will think that the climax of the plot is approaching but will be rewarded with a frustrating cliff hanger as the music stops on the last frame that looks like it ought to have more footage. This is why the non diegetic sound we've picked is really effective.

Our last significant aspect of sound is off screen sound. This is present during the first flashback and includes traffic, birds chirping, and any other natural but non-disruptive sounds. This clearly shows that the couple are in public and in danger of being caught Further, the birds chirping could signify the idea of gossip which leads to being exposed. And, the traffic could foreshadow the antagonists' death - although she dies by a bullet, not by a car. This is conventional to a thriller genre because modern romance films are set in urban locations so it is logical to incorporate that into the romance sector of our thriller. Audience may be able to relate to this event because of it's urban feel and the youth of the couple.


EDITING
Editing is important in the flow of a production. This means the transition from one shot into another without it being obvious or messy to the audience. It's a powerful tool, when combined with sound especially, to stir specific moods within the audience.

There's going to be a reaction shot when the antagonist catches the affair between the anti-hero and the lover. This allows the audience to see her reaction to the event, and create sympathy toward her character. These feelings will be stirred because her facial expression will look hurt. This is conventional to the thriller genre because within a thriller, themes such as shock and tragedy are very typical. 
A slow edit will be put in place when the antagonist enters the anti-hero's room. The audience will respond with the feeling of being chilled/creeped out due to the tension that, by the example of legendary iconic thrillers such as Psycho, so obviously indicates alarm bells as something serious is about to happen which will steal away the atmosphere of tension and replace it with shock, confusion, fear. The slow edit of Ivy approaching Lara is what creates that temporary suspense.
When the antagonist walks toward the anti-hero we're going to use shot reverse shot. This is really handy as it creates more intense suspense though it's the exact opposite technique of the slow editing, as shot reverse shot is commonly quite fast. This, unlike other things such as a close up, allows the audience to establish both character's feelings and emotions in a short space of time - without being confused. This is conventional to a thriller because the tension is circled around the two characters which is reflected in the way the camera works between them. 
To make the transition between the laptop screen and the empty room, we're going to use a wipe cut. We think this will be the smoothest option available because the shots literally have to merge from one to the other and the wipe cut seemed the closest to this professional looking edit as possible. This edit fascinates the audience and prepares them for their 'journey' into the room with the crazy lady. They may feel they're about to gain an insight into her situation, which the Professor won't, because he remains behind the laptop screen. 
A fade to white will be used three times - each being the switch from reality to flashback. The flashbacks will be in black and white, indicating a past time, so fading to white seems more appropriate to the grayscale in brightly lit situations. A contrast may seem painful to the audience eye. Essentially the white is also a symbolism of an outcome of each flashback. White is what the antagonist wears in present time. White is the color of the walls in the asylum room. White is what we see heaven as, which relates to the idea of the antagonists' death. These all contradict each other as she clearly doesn't go to heaven and is not pure, in the end. However it's effective in creating these illusions because the idea of purity cloaked around her skin while she has sinful intentions, to hurt, is thrilling. 


To conclude, I've identified and explained some of the important features in our opening of cinematography, sound and editing. When written there seems to be many connotations, but I am fully aware that these may not actually be established visually unless somebody actually analyses the scene. This is why I've stated the main purpose of the technique, referring to our production as closely as possible.

Planning: Character Representation (Miss. B)

Character Representation

Fatima | Ivy (named after poison Ivy, conventional as the is the antagonist),  wife/dead woman

character role: antagonist

age: 22/3

gender stereotype: alive = slim, British, good / dead = pale, slim, intimidating

costume: alive = formally casual / dead = ragged dirty white dress, barefoot

hair & makeup: alive = neat straight hair, plain natural makeup / dead = ragged messy hair, powdered face, contoured facial structure with blood contacts 

body language & facial expression: casual body language in flashback, then shocked e.g. shaking; facial expression traumatised  / intimidating and elegant body language when dead; no expression on face to indicate being dead

represented as: initially a victim, transitioning into a dead antagonist

role within the narrative: sees the affair, gets murdered by the offender, comes back for the woman, as a ghost

Lara | Lara, girlfriend/offender/criminal/pregnant insane woman

character role: anti-hero

age: 22/3

gender stereotype: slim, British, dark hair, split personality

costume: light neutral colours e.g. grey top

hair & makeup: frizzy hair and smudged makeup at the institution / straightened hair and light makeup in the flashbacks

body language & facial expression: casual happy body language and facial expressions in 1st flashback / overwhelming happiness in 2nd flashback / nervous body language and attempted expressionless face in 3rd flashback / crazy unpredictable behaviour in the mental ward

represented as: firstly good but an offender of the wife, then a criminal, then a mad woman

role within the narrative: demented woman in a mental institution being observed by a professor. her story is revealed in the flashbacks showing her as a home wrecker and a murderer

Mohidin | Professor, observer of Lara

character role: protagonist
age: 30-40
gender stereotype: British, 'smart', mature
costume: white shirt, striped tie, grey/black trousers, glasses
hair & makeup: neat hair, no makeup
body language & facial expression: straight posture, elbows on desk, calm yet intrigued facial expression
represented as: the intended decoder of Lara's behaviour, with good intentions, though he seems useless after the audience gain understanding and he still struggles
role within the narrative: he observes Lara to try determine why she is mentally unstable. His perspective is different from hers.




Max | Max (husband)


character role:
age: 22/3
gender stereotype: British, tall, intelligent, mature
costume: smart clothing e.g. white shirt and black tie
hair & makeup: neat, no product, no makeup
body language & facial expression: casual body language, happy facial expressions, clear ignorance of the presence of his wife
represented as: secret lover of the anti-hero and subject of her reasoning's for murder
role within the narrative: has a secret affair with the anti-hero
 

Planning: Mise En Scene (Mr. S)

Planning: Mise En Scene

Mise En Scene is made up of lighting/colour, costume/hair/makeup, body language/facial expression, setting & iconography.

It is important in films because everyone involved in the production needs to have a clear understanding on what is taking place, where - and why. What makes it conventional? Our opening is closely focused on the setting of an empty white insane asylum room, but why? Because it's significant toward our anti-hero character: she's insane. Everybody needs to know the same amount of detail (which should be precisely all of it). Everything shown or symbolized is a message to the audience, in which they will respond. Mise En Scene helps to capture the ideal response and transform it into action at the cinema. 

I think it is important to consider the Mise En Scene, especially in thrillers because everything included needs to be conventional to the genre, and create an appropriate response from the audience. the ultimate goal of a production is to make a profit, sourced from the consumers. If an opening/trailer of a movie doesn't seem appealing or good, they won't come to theatres. Anything and everything within MES should be carefully considered due to the audience you want, then what you want them to think/feel in response to the film. Typically the iconography blood, weapons and photographs perfectly suit the ideology of a psychological thriller containing a psycho stalker/killer. The audience will be able to make this link between other similar movies they have seen and begin to recognise what they should expect when they go to the cinema. 

SETTING | Our opening will consist of four settings:

1. an empty write room (Lara's mental institution ward). We have chosen the room to be empty, and the walls to be white, because the expression of her mental state is enough to psychologically fill the room with madness and colour the walls with her boiling blood due to the different emotions exhibited (anger, fear, despair, etc.).
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. a quiet suburban road (The scene of the crime). We have chosen the murder to take place on a quiet road because it represents the isolation that Lara intends for her new family - no-one to replace her or disrupt her future. Also, logically a crime should be done away from civilisation so as to not draw attention to herself.
3. a second quiet suburban road (The scene of the affair). We have chosen a similar setting to that of the murder, but it's conventions have completely changed. It represents the fact that they are dating in secret away from the wife. The road also symbolizes Lara's pathway or fate, which all changes on another road which is almost the same.
4. a bathroom (The scene of the 2nd flashback). We've chosen this because typically when looking at a pregnancy test you do it straight after carrying out the test, aka in a bathroom or public cubicle. 

ICONOGRAPHY | Our opening will consist of the following iconography:

• coffee/papers/pen/glasses/laptop/photographs - to assist Mohidin's role of a Professor by making it more realistic. The laptop is already needed due to the idea of his observations.
  
  

  
  

  

  
  
  
• chair/tray of food/whiteboard - for the empty white room. The food will be flung by Lara out of an outburst. The whiteboard will be displaying information such as her name, when she arrived and her current state. The chair will be her only option for comfort, but she ignores this.
• rose - for the 1st flashback. This rose is shown again during the scene of the dead woman.
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  pregnancy test - for the 2nd flashback. The test will be positive
  
• gun - for the 3rd flashback. Lara will use this to kill Elizabeth.
• blood - when we see the dead woman, she will have a gun wound on her dress which will be achieved with fake blood.

LIGHTING | Our opening will consist of the following lighting:

• top & under - for the Professor's theme, under from the laptop and top from a generic lamp
• under - for Elizabeth's theme, to highlight her bones and pale makeup, making her look scary and powerful
• top - for Lara's theme, light shining down on her to represent vulnerability and the source of light being out of her reach, much like her life slipping out of her fingers drastically
• natural - for the Professor's environment indicating a neutral character, for the quiet suburban road of affair due to the setting being outside
• low-key - for the Professor's environment (he has a combination of natural darkness and artificial highlights from above and below), for the second suburban road representing the crime at a fairly late hour 
• high-key - for the second flashback representing happiness due to bright positive lighting, for Lara's mental ward as the Professor will need to see her properly, also gives the impression that nothing supernatural is about to happen so audience are in for a shock.

COSTUME | Our opening will consist of the following wardrobe:

• Elizabeth (Fatima) - in the flashback she will be wearing casually smart clothing, allowing for the assumption that she's just been in a meeting or job. her age is 22 so the general clothing of the Oasis sixth formers seem appropriate for this effect. During the scene where she's dead, she will be wearing a long white cut-off dress exposing her bare feet. The dress will be ragged, ripped and dirty. We will also create a gun wound effect using fake blood to clearly show that this is indeed the wife.
• Lara (Lara) - in the mental ward, she will be wearing a grey top. This signifies the balance between black and white or 'good vs. evil', and in Lara's case she is battling herself with two personalities - the good which we see when protecting her family but the bad shown in how she does this (murdering Elizabeth). This balance also brings a Medium to mind, 

and our opening is mostly a psychological thriller. In the first and second flashback she is wearing casual, neutral colours - possibly a little brighter than ordinary because both of these scenes are a positive aspect within her life. in the third flashback she will wear a black hoodie to represent the 'bad' and the stereotypical corrupted young person of London. 

• Professor (Mohidin) - the Professor will be wearing what typical Professor's are seen in - a white top, grey or black smart pants, and a dark-ish plain or striped tie. We may include a lab coat as this Professor is one of psychology, being that he is observing Lara's mind, and we want to show this through his appearance. He'll also be wearing glasses to complete the look of a scholar. 

BODY LANGUAGE & FACIAL EXPRESSION | Our opening will consist of the following behaviours of our actors:

• Elizabeth (Fatima) - in the first flashback, as she walks, she will have a normal somewhat bored look on her face. She will be walking at a moderate pace, not too fast or slow, to show that her life is currently at ease and she's not expecting anything. She'll be on her phone, looking down toward it in her hands. As she looks up she sees the affair and stops walking; literally freezes in her spot. Her face is frozen too for a split second and then breaks out into a mixture of emotion that all wrap into tears. Primarily she will be shocked, this can be shown by her mouth open and a gasp while simultaneously raising her hand to her face.  When she's dead, she will walk in with her head bowed. Her posture will be straight and elegant. She will show no sign of characteristic in her walk, e.g. the way people swing their arms. This is to show that she is simply dead. When she raises her head and we see her face, that's emotionless too. Her expression is blank and she makes no attempt to scare Lara, even though she does go crazy nonetheless.
• Lara (Lara) - in the first flashback Lara will be looking and acting very happy; laughing and playing around with her boyfriend. In the second flashback she will be more obviously happy because of her smile and amazed expression at the pregnancy test. She will be very still to emphasize the shock. In the third flashback her character changes completely; she's nervous and apprehensive toward killing the wife. She shakes and hesitates a lot, and her eyes will be wide and lips pursed. Finally she toughens up, draws her eyebrows down, secures the hold on the gun and shoots. In the mental ward she is unpredictable and all over the place, for example one minute laughing and the next completely silent. She's violent at some point too, trying to hurt herself and the tray of food. 
• Professor (Mohidin) - The Professor will be sitting down with a straight posture to represent authority over Lara and her release/stay, what happens next etc. His elbows will be on the desk, granting him access to the objects on it (e.g. the coffee and the laptop). His face will be calm, because I think in general Mohidin looks like a calm person. But we want him to put on a seriously intrigued expression at Lara's behaviour. At times he should scratch his head and try making notes then scribbling them to show the confusion and frustration he has over not knowing what is going on. 

CONCLUSION | By now I am positive that everyone in my group, including myself, has a confident and clear understanding of what exactly is going to happen, and what exactly we need to do to make it all happen. I think all of our choices are very conventional, at times stereotypical but ultimately effective and bound to create expected and possibly unexpected responses from the audience. 

                

Planning: Storyboarding (Miss. B)

Storyboarding

Storyboards are drawings of the sequence of shots for a script. They inform on multiple things, including characters, story/plot, and extras such as sound/editing. This is useful because it allows the director to communicate specific ideas to members of the crew. For example, if the Lighting Operator is unsure on which lighting to use, the director can consult the story board, find the frame, and narrow down the detail specifically to 'lighting'. Storyboards also save time instead of making decisions on the spot; it's important to know the last ten steps you took, the one you're on now and the next ten in line to keep the work flowing and efficient. A story board avoids confusion, conflict, and reinforces clarity of the concept. The Story boarder (Mohidin) is responsible for creating our main storyboard - however we have all created a separate source of information to show our understanding of the final idea.

Advantages of storyboarding include:

• Knowing exactly what your plot consists of
• How to exhibit this practically, by use of the extra detail provided
• An aversion of confusion about what to do next
• A sense of order because of the frames
• Keeping watch on time with the seconds, because all productions have to last a certain amount of seconds/minutes/hours
• Information for all roles - lighting for the lighting operator, shots for the camera operator and so forth 

Storyboarding helps the editor in particular because once all aspects have been established through those details, all that is left is the details. However, information about lighting can be infused with editing - such as using an effect to create low-key.

Planning: Production Roles (Miss. B)

Production Roles

There are different role within a production which describes a member's job and importance within the production. Each role needs to be carried out by at least one person who is suited for the tasks ahead. For example, the director will need to be loud, confident and skilled in improvisation to make quick changes. In my group's opening we have distributed out nine roles between the four of us - and tried to assign them fairly. Giving one person two hard roles such as Sound and Editor may jeopardize their chances of doing well, in comparison to someone with easy roles such as Hair/Makeup and Lighting.  Each person has both levels of difficulty to consider. Most importantly we have made sure that everyone is comfortable with their positions.

• Camera Operator - This person is responsible for controlling camera shots, angles and movement. The purpose of this role is to film all of the shots so there is content for the other members - such as the Editor - to carry out their job successfully. Also to simply transform the storyboard into a visual motion picture. This requires taking into consideration risks such as breaking the 180 degree rule or breaking cameras.

Our Camera Operator is Fatma because she is confident in taking up this role and has previously done a GCSE on Media Studies.

• Producer - This person is responsible for assisting the Director in procedures such as the actors/actresses actions, regarding the storyboard. The Producer also checks that every member of the team is working to a high standard and creating the correct content. This requires maintaining and communicating respect within the group, making everybody feel comfortable to that their job is of a better quality, despite the differences on task difficulty.

Our Producer is me (Lara) because, having also done a GCSE on Media Studies, I know what I'm doing. Additionally I am a good leader so will work well with the Director.

• Director - This person is responsible for being in charge of the organisation of the production. The Director is very important as they make many choices that effect the whole outcome of the film. They work alongside the Producer. An example of their purpose is the directing of actors/actresses - where to go, how to go there, and what to do once they are there. They can also yell 'cut' to stop a scene if they wish to make changes. This requires communication between the Director and every member of the team, so they are in a comfortable position to take advice and guidance.

Our Director is Fatma because we believe her to be organized and outspoken. She is also fair despite striving for a powerful role, during group work she always ensures everyone is on an agreement before proceeding to make a final decision.

• Lighting Operator - This person is responsible for deciding which kind of lighting will suit each frame in every shot, determined by every factor such as location, time, and themes (e.g. romance). This role is important because the lighting needs to suit the scene, and if a happy scene is accompanied by a dark, dreary lighting, it won't make sense to the audience and stir up false grudges of something about to happen when it really won't. This requires careful consideration particularly when filming inside and at evening/night-time.

Our Lighting Operator is Suweda because she's quiet and calm and we thought those traits suited somebody who deals with the lighting as it's an easy, flexible task to do.

• Location Manager - This person is responsible for choosing the suitable location for a shot to be scene. The purpose of this role is, like a Lighting Operator, to match the setting to the scene. For instance, it makes sense to have school children shown inside of a classroom. The setting is also open doors to specific props, like in the classroom could be stationary used as weapons when in a thriller. This requires a logical mind and agreement between the members, particularly the actors as they are the ones being filmed in that location. If the area is owned, permission needs to be earned by the Location Manager from the person of interest.

Our location manager is Mohidin because our group noticed in his sketches the settings were drawn out very well so we think he could apply that appropriately to the real life situation.

• Costume, Hair & Make-up - This person is responsible for the appearance of all actors and actresses. This includes designing their costume, the style of their hair and how their make-up is set. It's important because the appearance helps the actor or actress to get into character and perform better. Required attributes include creativity and a steady hand for make-up/hair.

Our Costume, Hair & Make-up person is Suweda because she has a steady hand and an open mind on style.

• Story boarder - This person is responsible for the team's general idea of a plot, by creating detailed descriptions of every frame with a sketch of what it will look like. This role is really important because the storyboard is where all the ideas tie into such as a camera shots and the duration. It saves time, conflict, and in a real production a lot of money, to create a storyboard and follow the basis rather than making up decisions on set. This requires an agreement on details and the protection of the storyboard so it doesn't get lost. Somebody creative should take up the job as you have to imagine the scene you're writing/drawing about as if it's already been shot and edited.

Our Story Boarder is Mohidin because when creating his frames on paper, they were very detailed and the drawings were clear and labelled.

• Editor - This person is responsible for making the scene look professional by putting frames together and applying changes to the footage. This includes things like Fade To Black or dissolve. These are both types of transitions between one shot to another. Editing programmes are an advantage because if something during filming is wrong, you can cut it out through the process of editing. This requires creativity and IT skills as it's done on the computer.

Our editor is me (Lara) because I edited my own production for GCSE. I enjoyed it as well as excelled in it. I'm also very creative which is why I chose Media Studies initially so I think I could do this well, despite it being a hard role to take on.

• Sound Technician - This person is responsible for making the sounds to be edited into the content. This is important because we are not making a silent movie and there are aspects of the plot which 100% require sound. But also, sound combined with visual is very engaging for the audience; it creates effect. Like editing, this requires creativity and IT skills.

Our Sound Technician is Fatma because she wants to pursue a career in Media so I think giving her a wide range of tasks to fulfil would be beneficial to our group, as well as her having the ability to maintain it because of that passion for Media.

This planning has been - and will continue to be - beneficial to our group as we are now certain that each role will be fulfilled. They're all important, so somebody needs to take on at least one. Why are they important, though? Because it's exactly what a production is all about - a production is not just footage made fancy. It's all the people running around ensuring everything is perfect so that it is ABLE to be made fancy. Roles are also a sense of personal confidence as we have assigned them according to traits we believe each member of the group should be proud of.

Planning: Opening Scene Narration (Miss. B)

Planning: Opening Scene Narration

During the process of planning, our group were a little unclear on how to exhibit the middle concept and what even happens at the end. After taking into consideration what would/wouldn't be conventional to a thriller, what does/didn't relate to the overall plot, and the difficulty of certain aspects/tasks, we came up with a clear and logical structure (excluding the flashbacks as this is an example of an unstable time lapse) of what our narration will be. There is little dialogue included as most of the intake is based on what the audience sees visually. We've also come up with a lot of techniques that could symbolize the themes surrounding our plot. And most importantly, we are making an opening suitable for people of 15 years and older.

• The opening begins by showing a male dressed in smart-looking clothes with glasses, at a desk topped with a laptop, a cup of coffee and stationary. On the wall beside him is an array of photographs, scribbled on at times. His face is set into concentration, he is holding a pen and paper watching something on the laptop. The audience become aware that he is a Professor. (Protagonist)
• Audience are then shown what exactly he's watching on the laptop, which turns out to be footage of a delusional mentally disturbed pregnant female. She is shown as disturbed through her behavior, which includes childlike actions (jumping around, pulling silly faces), rocking back and forth, going through rapidly changing level of hormone - one second she's scared and quiet, the next she might be screaming out of that fear. Then she could just be laughing to herself. Now we can clearly see that the Professor is observing her to try and determine why this is happening. Also, it's clear that she is in a mental institution. We've thought to show this by using a door with a number on it, and isolating her in a plain room. (Victim/Antagonist) The audience will respond to this with a lack of understanding for her behaviour, followed on by instinctive fear, anticipation or apprehension toward what her next move will be. As she is clearly shown to be unpredictable, in real life situations this typically scares a normal person however we still find it interesting. So the audience are simultaneously rejecting and opening up to her (multiple) persona.
• In the middle, there is a greater focus on the woman and less of the Professor's observations. She starts to have flashbacks. She has three in total. Before the first flashback, she shows signs of being in another world - breathing hard and eyes rolling, face twisted in what seems to be loss, pain, or anything considering she is mentally unstable. Flashback one shows her - she is with a man intended to be her baby father, caught by his wife. The second flashback follow straight on from this looking at a positive pregnancy test in her home. Coming back to present time, she clutches her stomach and falls weak in despair or being overwhelmed by the memory.  Her reaction changes drastically, she laughs mercilessly which is explained by the third flashback of her killing the wife to prevent intrusion of her new family. After this she breaks out into what seems like a complete episode, then quietens down. The audience will have an initial opposite reaction to what the start of the opening provokes - now they have understanding, and may find a larger interest in the Professor as he's the one who is made out to 'decode' her behaviour. The audience will also form an opinion upon discovering that she is the victim AND the antagonist. This is why she will be wearing grey as the colour is in between black & white (good, evil). 'in between' could refer to a Medium which is a rare psychological trait. Our thriller largely revolves around the theme of mental illness and psychological.
• The door of the room opens, filtering some light into the dark. She looks up, she sees a woman in a dirty white dress and matted, messy dark hair. We then see this scene again from the laptop perspective, without the woman in white. In both shots, the victim (now understood as also the antagonist as she murdered this wife), becomes hysterical. The Professor cannot understand this new level of adrenaline as he can't see the woman  on the film - either because shes a ghost or the pregnant woman is imagining this all. The dead wife slowly moves toward the pregnant woman, and shots move back and forth between the two perspectives as the victim backs into a corner, screaming. The final shot is of the woman's perspective; a side view of the dead wife's hand outstretched toward the baby bump and the baby's response as a kick. It then stops, and the audience are left with a massive cliffhanger to consider their theories on what happens next. They may also be confused as to who exactly is the good and the bad. Again, the Professor is of significance because he seems to be the only one with clear intentions and characteristics.

Over time certain small aspects of our plot have changed - however, generally the intended responses remain the same. We want the audience to feel confused when the woman is acting illogically. We want the audience to feel as if they are making personal discoveries, separate from the Professor, as her flashbacks are revealed. This also opens them up to empathy and anger. We especially want them to feel frustrated at the massive cliffhanger ending the scene. It is after all supposed to be an opening, so we want to make it seem like one - this is just the beginning of the plot.

Planning: Final Idea (Mr. S)

Planning: Final Idea

Our final idea is very similar to Fatma's. This is because during the process of initial planning, we already had a vague notion on which idea would make a breakthrough. It is pretty much identical but in order to respect the thought that went into any other ideas, we asked each member of the group if our final project is okay. Everyone agreed, and so we are following through with this set-up:

"There is a professor in a dimly lit office area observing his laptop. Around him are photographs of a woman looking quite deranged. We are shown the laptop and the footage on it, by zooming in so far that the visual eventually transmits inside of the footage - which is discovered to be the same woman. She is acting crazy; pulling her hair, jumping around, rocking back and forth, whispering in unintelligible phrases. Ultimately the professor is trying to fragment her history as to why she has become like this. As time progresses she gets more hysterical, because she experiences three flashbacks: the first one showing a pregnancy test. The second one showing her lover's wife discovering them. The third one consisting of this pregnant woman killing the wife so she can't intrude in on her pregnancy and new love. She feels an emotional response to these flashbacks and her actions become more extreme and exaggerated. The plot then twists. She looks up because light is being filtered into the room - the dead wife has arrived. This will be made clear because we'll use the same woman acting as the wife and the ghost being. However, a new perspective forms; the professor and what he sees on the laptop. There will be two main shots, one of what the woman sees and one of what the laptop shows. The laptop shows the dead woman not really there, so the professor feels confused. To contrast, the woman's point of view includes the woman walking toward her with her hand outstretched. The pregnant woman is now out of control, backing into a corner, shivering, crying. The opening ends with a profile shot of the dead hand hovering in front of the stomach and the baby giving a kick in response to the presence. 

Title: Psycho-ology, Insanity
Subgenres: supernatural, psychological, mental health
Settings & Iconography: hospital/office/bathroom, weapon/pregnancy test/laptop/photographs/doll
MES: low lighting in office & hospital, top lighting for first two flashbacks, pregnant woman wearing neutral but ripped clothing, dead woman wearing a long white dirty gown, professor dressed neat and smart, wife and husband dressed neutrally
Cast: professor, husband, pregnant woman (protagonist), wife (victim because she dies, but also antagonist as a ghost?)"

With every plan there are some issues that need discussing though. A big issue with ours is timing. There is a lot going on for an opening of one minute, and we are not sure if we can pull it all off successfully in time while also taking the time to inform the audience of exactly what is happening. I think confusion is a key part of this idea, but things get revealed, and we want to draw the line between present time and flashback time. This could be achieved by camera effects, lighting, and the appearance of the character. Also, post-flashback she should already be reacting to what only she can see so that the audience is aware of something about to happen. And after, for example the pregnancy memory, she could clutch her stomach screaming in hysterics. In my head, all of this happens within 10 seconds. But a scene that takes 10 seconds to film may only be reduced to 5, or something else may be added in, affecting our time frame. This is why we need to work equally on each part of our production to ensure that problematic tasks are dealt with by everyone's consent. If someone thinks something is wrong, they have to be heard because that could be the difference from a B to a A.

Planning: Initial Ideas (Miss. B)

Planning: Initial Ideas

In media we were put into groups to carry out the coursework of putting all our research into action and filming an original opening. My group consists of Fatma, Suweda and Mohidin. We have all thought of individual ideas/plots, all of which were discussed. Some aspects of each are more favored than others. On a wider scale, some overall ideas were better appreciated and agreed upon. We made sure to keep our narrative conventional to a thriller so hopefully all ideas would have something to offer for our final product.

MY IDEA

One of the subjects I picked as GCSE was media studies. For the coursework I had to create a trailer of any genre. I came up with the plot of two friends. One dies due to a traumatic terminal illness, though this was not made clear in the trailer. Instead, I showed the remaining friend receiving a devastating phone call, and then a shot of the fallen friend on the floor. She comes back as another being, intended to be an angel but the audience's imagination will obviously run its own accord. The remaining friend is given a chance to change the outcome of their friendship in hopes of saving the life. It then shows the two friends together again, letting the audience know that we've gone back in time. The trailer ends with the 'being' walking down a dimly lit room as a soft piano piece plays, and then fades to white. Genres associated I picked as tragedy, friendship, supernatural.
I could transform this into a thriller by changing the role of the being - she was assassinated, and comes back as something psychotic and evil. Using blackmail, she forces the friend to kill that assassin before he commits murder. If this fails, the being will assign her friend to one of two fates (I have not yet decided), 1. haunted for the rest of her life | 2. stuck on the day  that her friend dies and having to witness it again and again. This is conventional to a thriller because there are elements of death, psychosis, tension.

Titles: Fateology, Psycho-ology, Reverse Psycho-ology
Subgenres: supernatural, psychology, tragedy
MES: low lighting as a theme for the 'being', top lighting for innocent friend, white dirty dress on being, neutral clothing on innocent friend, (will the assassin be shown?)
Cast: Friend (protagonist), Friend, Being/angel (2nd friend/antagonist), Assassin (antagonist)
Setting & Iconography: house/park/school/isolated road/dark room | dolls/gun/light/mobile phone/blood

I personally think that this idea is very strong, but very hard to pull off, especially when making time-travel clear. Generally, we as a group like my idea and have agreed to take some aspects toward the making of our final product. For example, the 'being' will now be a 'ghost'.



SUWEDA'S IDEA
A boy gets cursed with a secret that makes him find out why he has the curse. The plot involves him carrying out a journey down the road of other supernatural beings.

Title: Secret Involved, Cvrsed
Subgenres: Supernatural
MES: low lighting, neutral coloured clothing
Camera shots: straight cut from face to face, introducing supernatural characters / jump cut of the boy's discomfort and frustration of being cursed
Cast: innocent boy (victim)

As a group we agreed that this plan isn't very ideal toward a thriller because there was no extra detail of what comes after, because we have a whole minute to fill. I think this idea could work if it was planned thoroughly rather than thought of on the spot. Unfortunately I failed to understand the actual plot, so could not see the future of our thriller involving her idea. 


MOHIDIN'S IDEA:
An innocent girl of around teenage years is walking down a dark alleyway. Then, a vampire comes and bites her. Instead of dying or turning into a vampire, she gives birth to a child that is a vampire fused with psychotic problems and has to deal with a bloodthirsty son, a danger to society. Influences include Twilight: Eclipse, the act of Bella giving birth to a half vampire who feeds on blood, but unlike the other vampires, grows older.

Title: Vampiller
Subgenres: supernatural, horror
MES: low lighting alleyway, neutral coloured clothing on both girl and vampire antagonist as vampires as meant to blend in as humans, clothig of 'innocence' on the vampire child to create irony
Cast: innocent teenage girl (victim), vampire (antagonist), vampire son (disturbed/protagonist)

I think this idea is good, but not entirely original. To begin, vampires have been a symbol of cliche for decades. There are too many iconic vampire films to even begin to think that any idea hasn't been used before. It could be stronger with a mixture of other creates, but then might seem too much like Suweda's idea. And because it's just an opening, showing the 'danger to society' might be hard. We would most likely have to film lots of people in different places to represent that society, while also thinking about the demographics so we know how to represent a Western society, the one that we live in. Having said that, it's a good idea and a tiny aspect has been considered, ironically one that seemed to not fit with this plan. The idea of society in danger has transformed into a mentally disturbed pregnant woman locked up in a mental institution or hospital, which will be put forth for our final idea.


FATMA'S IDEA:

There is a professor in a dimly lit office area observing his laptop. Around him are photographs of a woman looking quite deranged. We are shown the laptop and the footage on it, by zooming in so far that the visual eventually transmits inside of the footage - which is discovered to be the same woman. She is acting crazy; pulling her hair, jumping around, rocking back and forth, whispering in unintelligible phrases. Ultimately the professor is trying to fragment her history as to why she has become like this. As time progresses she gets more hysterical, because she experiences three flashbacks: the first one showing a pregnancy test. The second one showing her lover's wife discovering them. The third one consisting of this pregnant woman killing the wife so she can't intrude in on her pregnancy and new love. She feels an emotional response to these flashbacks and her actions become more extreme and exaggerated. The plot then twists. She looks up because light is being filtered into the room - the dead wife has arrived. This will be made clear because we'll use the same woman acting as the wife and the ghost being. However, a new perspective forms; the professor and what he sees on the laptop. There will be two main shots, one of what the woman sees and one of what the laptop shows. The laptop shows the dead woman not really there, so the professor feels confused. To contrast, the woman's point of view includes the woman walking toward her with her hand outstretched. The pregnant woman is now out of control, backing into a corner, shivering, crying. The opening ends with a profile shot of the dead hand hovering in front of the stomach and the baby giving a kick in response to the presence. 

Title: Psycho-ology, Insanity
Subgenres: supernatural, psychological, mental health
Settings & Iconography: hospital/office/bathroom, weapon/pregnancy test/laptop/photographs/doll
MES: low lighting in office & hospital, top lighting for first two flashbacks, pregnant woman wearing neutral but ripped clothing, dead woman wearing a long white dirty gown, professor dressed neat and smart, wife and husband dressed neutrally
Cast: professor, husband, pregnant woman (protagonist), wife (victim because she dies, but also antagonist as a ghost?)

This idea is a mixture of different aspects. For one, the idea of the baby kicking abnormally was inspired by Twilight: Eclipse, like Mohidin's idea. I also saw a similar shot in American Horror Story: S1E11. The ghost/dead woman/fallen wife has been taken from my idea of the dead friend coming back as an angel. I think it's very complex and if carried out well, deserving of a good grade. The hardest part, in my opinion, will be making concepts clear to the audience. This largely revolves around the flashbacks because those are saturated in information. The rest of the opening is all to do with tension and cliffhangers and 'what's going on?'. Camera shots may also be hard because we plan to have the professor perspective from a camera facing the pregnant woman as well, which would mean acting out the same scene a few times so we can show it in all of those perspectives.