Codes and Conventions

Codes and Conventions 

Conventions of a thriller can include:

-Quick cuts

-Low key lighting 

-Shadows 

-Changes in angle of shots

-Black and white shots

-Tension music

The codes in a film are systems on signs which create meaning. The codes can be divided into two categories, technical and symbolic. 


Symbolic codes shows the audience what is beatnik the surface of what we see in the frame. For example a character's actions shows the audience how that character might be feeling. 

Technical codes are the way in which the equipment is used to help convey the story.  

Animatic

Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task 

This is our preliminary task, the reason why we have made this is for us to experience what it is like to make a short video and to learn about different techniques that we like and prefer so we can include them in our final opening sequence and from making this I have learnt about a lot of things that I had not previously known about.

 Firstly, something that I have learnt in this process of making a video is how time consuming it is. Therefore, when it comes to our own opening sequence I need to keep this in mind to ensure that I leave myself enough time for me and my group for editing and sound because it is a long process.

Furthermore, we also had a lot of problems with putting the clips together and editing. We used premier pro but this software did not seem to working for us and we kept having to force quit the window. Therefore, we edited this film on imovie, this is the reason why we can hear the director's ques  and sounds that we did not want to be on there for example, you can hear the turning from the tripod.

However, I think that this is a good thing because it has made us aware that we need to be organised and film early in case this happens again so we will have plenty of time to edited even if we have to use a different software.

Sion Roe lesson

Sion Roe Lesson

In this lesson an ex student of the king's school came into my lesson to show us how to compose titles on our videos. 

I am very grateful that we had the chance to learn from somebody who was in our position at the same school, taking the same course and now he has succeeded in this line of work and it was very inspirational to see this. 

After this lesson I feel more comfortable using premiere pro (cs4) because I feel like I have developed my editing skills and that I am now use to the programme more. Even though I am doing sound I can still apply what Sion has taught us and keep the editing in mind because of the important relationship between the sound and editing for example using a J- cut, this is when the sound and editing works together to create a smooth flow between the transactions of different shots.

Editing Techniques

Preliminary task

Preliminary Task Preparation

We have chosen our groups that we'll be working with and have conversed different ideas and scenarios for our task. Our final idea is going to be of a couple who have conflict and one of the people is intoxicated which does not help the conflict. We also thought by including this aspect it might enhance the dramatic effect because people being drunk can sometimes be associated with danger.  

Equipment 

The equipment that we need for this task are as follows:

- A go pro camera and strap 

- A camera

- Tripod

- mic

The props that we are going to need for this task are as follows:

- A glass beer bottle (for the sidewalk shot) 

- Another beer can which the male gets from the fridge.

- A plate of food that the woman is eating from. 

The usual suspects opening scene

The Usual Suspects

Camera movements
They used a mid shot for the first character. This was enough to show the audience the face of the character and the action he was doing which was lighting a cigarette. 

After the climax of the gunshot they then used establishing shots after this could have been to show the audience that they were in a secluded place therefore, it justifies why nobody else might not have heard the shot. 

Mise En Scene
Initially, the first thing that the audience might notice is the darkness of this scene. Because of this and the unusual location this could immediately imply that something bad is going to happen and the fire in the background helps to emphasise this point because fire signifies danger.

When the second man allegedly shot the first man he held his gun sideways which could show that he is not professional since that pose is normally associated with street gangs. 

Sound 
The music is introduced when the second man is which could imply that the second character that appears is more significant. 

The sound of his heavy footsteps are also empathised which gives off an intimidating impression. 

When there is an explosion of the fire the music is amplified which makes it more dramatic and draws the audience's attention to the fire. 

Blade opening scene

Camera Movements
Hand- held shot- emphasises the speed they were travelling at because it seemed more chaotic and has the connotations of danger due to the fast movement of the vehicle. 

Tracking shot- showed the audience the fast pace which the characters were travelling at. 

Low angle shot of women walking through crowd showed her significance.

Tilt shot of the man portrayed him as powerful and significant.

Editing 
Writing is red/ pink which is prominent compared to monochrome colours of the club and linked to the vampire figures at end of clip.

Sound 
Sound effects of machinery at the butcher like place.
Dietetic sound was played at the club scene. 

Mise en-scene
Walking through butchers- dead animals- death might be a recurring aspect in film. The animals could represent the humans because in fiction they are slaughtered by vampire like the pigs are slaughtered by humans.

Enigma- no establishing shot so location was unknown.

Man figure at the end wearing a heavily armored black outfit. The colour makes him seem bold and powerful and the high quality outfit made him seem wealthy.  

Overall AS Course

AS Practical Assessment
Our practical coursework or 'Foundation Project' and blog makes up at total of 50% of my AS Media Studies grade. The task is to film an opening sequence to a genre of film of our choice. This is happening through the duration of September to Easter. 

Written examinations 
The other 50% of my AS grade comes from the written examinations. One of these exams will be a textual analysis of an unseen TV drama. Whereas, the other exam will be a case study on star wars focusing on audiences and institutions.  

AS media students film openings

Student film openings

I looked on to youtube to look at other film openings that have been uploaded by other students that have taken this course.

Whilst watching this clip I focused on their use of mise en scene, camera movements, editing and sound.

I have chosen this clip to analyse because I think the genre fits well with the genre we will choose for our opening sequence. 

Firstly, I like how they emphasized the breathing of the man, I think that this created a more panicked atmospheric effect. 

Also I think the mise-en-scene was made very well with the low key natural lighting and the bland walls with the blood gives the surroundings a more dangerous vibe. 

The editing at the begging with the clock in the eye was very effective. The fact that it just started with that gave us the audience little information however it was still intriguing and would want the audience to keep watching because they would want to find out the relevance of the clock. Therefore, this makes me think that enigmas would be very good to use in our opening sequences so hopefully it will make audience more intrigued in our piece like this opening sequence has done for me. 

Match on Action

Match on action refers to the editing technique for continuity editing.

By having a subject start to make an action in one shot and carry it through to completion in the next, the director creates a visual bridge which distracts the viewer from noticing the cut or any slight continuity errors between the two shots.

Art of the Title

Art of the Title 

The shining 

 

Personally, I think that The Shining deserves a lot of credit for it's opening/ art of the title. I think that the composition of the music used fits perfectly well with the genre of the horror/ thriller movie. It creates an eerie atmosphere and yet it is visually deceptively simple. 

Mise en scene

Mise-en-scene

In my theory lesson today I learned about Mise-en-scene, which refers to the visual theme and everything that is seen on the film including stage design and cinematography.

One key aspect of Mise-en-scene is setting and props. It is important to visually show the connotation of the setting and it can also manipulate the audience by creating specific expectations and then spontaneously taking a different turn. Making film sets can be very time-consuming but it can be very convenient if the setting already exists if it's being filmed in a more mundane realistic place e.g a generic park or street.


Another important aspect of Mise-en-scene is costume, hair and make up. This is important because it is a visual signifier that could portray the character's personality, status and role in society. Costume and make up is especially important because these can instantly be a signifier for people which the audience can recognize quickly. For example:

 How 'The Joker' from Batman has distinct make up around the eyes and mouth which is instantly recognizable even in the most sparse portraits. 

























Facial expression and body language also has a very significant part to play in Mise-en-scene. These can be easily denoted by the audience and can be an indicator or how a character is feeling.

 For example, in this picture the man has his arms crossed which could suggest that he is feeling closed off to others and is not approachable. His facial expression also represents sadness. His body language is also hunched over and he is leaning on something which could suggest that he is tired or could reinforce the sadness emotion.  

However, in contrast, this man is showing a happy facial expression which portrays him as a light-hearted character at this moment in time. His body language is also relaxed which shows that he is in a comfortable situation.



Positioning of character and objects is an important part of Mise-en-scene as well. It can direct the audience's attention to a certain object or obvious distance between two characters. 

In this image the distance between the character's are very close. This shows that the characters are close and that they are both fighting together. 

Camera movements

Camera Movements 


Deep Focus
Deep focus is a technique of cinematography and staging which uses a great depth of field. This shot is usually composed using  relatively wide angle lenses and small lense aperture to create a sharp focus with the close and distance subjects simultaneously. This shot includes the foreground, middle-ground and extreme background objects, which are all in focus.

Establishing Shot

Is a a long shot at the start of a sequence that shows the location from a distance, it is usually an aerial shot. It is intended to help identify and orient the location and also to show the relationship between the characters and location.

Hand-held shot

It is a shot when the cameraman/ women holds the camera instead of using a tripod and moves though space whilst filming. And then this is used because it makes the audience feel like the scene is more realistic and makes the audience feel involved. The film Paranomal Activity is a great exmple of using this shot since it's used throughout the film. 

Head-on Shot

a head on shot is when the character is moving towards the audience it intensifies the scene and enhances the audiences excitement and involvement. 

High Angle

A high angle shot is when the camera is above the subjects in the shot. This is used to demean the subject and make them seem, smaller, vulnerable and powerless. 

Long Shot

Is from a distance a long way away from where the subject is. The effect of this shot is to establish the relationship between the character and surroundings. 

  

Camera angles

Camera Angles

Big/Extreme close up

Big/Extreme close up is used to show the facial expression clearly. It can also be used to increase intensity. The eyes are very visible and they are considered to be ‘the windows to the soul’ therefore, we get a more in-depth view of the character/person.

Close up

This angle may be used to identify the character and what they’re thinking and feeling. It is commonly used in the romantic genre.

Medium Close Up 

This shot can be used to put the character into context because some of the location/surrounding is also visible. It also shows some of what the character is wearing.

Mid shot

This angle is usually used in a dramatic genre. It makes the surroundings even clearer and if a prop is being used then it is usually revealed in this shot.

Medium Long Shot

This shot usually alternates with a mid shot. At this angle the viewers get to see the body posture that the character has. However, it doesn’t show the whole of the character yet but more of the background is revealed.

Long shot/wide shot

This shot is usually used at the beginning of a film/video. The whole of the character is shown therefore, we see every part of the person and from this we can deduct things about them for example what their clothes say about them, their body posture and how far away they might be from any other characters.

Two shot

In this shot between two character the viewer’s are able to see who is more prominent and the type of relationship that is being portrayed between them. It also introduces another character.

Three shot

This shot is between three characters and like the two shot the viewer's are able to see clearly the dialog that is being shared within the group.  

High angle shot

A high angle shot is used to make the character look smaller and vulnerable. This makes the character seem more submissive and also removes the significance of the character. 

Low angle shot 

A low angle shot is when the camera is looking up to the character. This intensely makes them seem more significant and also makes them seem more dominant and threatening.

Over the shoulder 

An over the shoulder shot is used to see the dialog that is being exchanged between the two characters. It also allows the audience to see the facial expression and the reaction to the other character.