Final Peer Feedback

Note: Some quotes have been edited to a legible standard.

U2 -55:

1) 'Wide variety of shots such as wide shots, mid shots, long shots, establishing shots and panning shots and tilt shots. these shots were effectively used to create a dark element of suspense we would expect from a thriller.'

2) 'Lots of diegetic sound used such as screams and heavy breathing which creates a dark and unsettling mood.'

3) 'The black and white colour scheme was effective in creating the more depressing mood of the film.'

4) 'There was several fades used which worked effectively and if the shots were a bit shorter the thriller would have more of a suspense element to it.'

5) The most effective element was the camera work. '


U2 - 57:

1) 'Close up - hands touching
     Over the shoulder shot,
     Long shot of walking,
     PoV.'

2) 'Swings squeaking - creepy,
    Dreaming character breathing - PoV.'

3) 'Deserted park and road - helpless.'

4) 'Slow motion, black and white, heavy breathing. Two clips on top of one another - swings. Foggy filter - dream effect.'

5) 'Breathing came in too suddenly, should be more gradual. Use a multitude of  breathing sound whenever the dreamer is walking.'

6) 'Swings and the squeaks.'

U2-58:


1) 'Variety, establishing, close up, PoV. Effective - showed the significance of obects, i.e. teddy bear.'

2) 'Creepy, eerie - worked well with the thriller genre.'

3) 'Realistic night wear. Child's cloths too 'old looking'. Man all in black worked well.'

4) 'Good fades in and out. The swinging of the swing added realism to the dream. Black and white was effective at indicating the dream environment. Slow motion used effectively.'

5) 'Girl not young enough. Sleeping in daylight.'

6) 'Editing made it a very effective production.'

U2-59:


1) 'Long shots,
     Close up,
     Point of View.'

2) 'Eerie music, sounds like swings. Heavy breathing. Worked well because it sounded threatening.'

3) 'Empty playground and desolate street linked into the theme and genre.'

4) 'Double vision on swings.'

5) 'The dreaming man seems too much like an antagonist - appose to a protagonist.'

6) 'The effect on the swings.'

Final Version -- Playground!

Our film idea

Overall Plot
We decided to make our film project into a crime thriller sub genre. Our idea took a while to decide on and much discussion took place over what to make it about.
Our idea for our film was that our main protagonist has a dream about a young girl who he has never met before who gets stolen by a mysterious man who he has also never seen before. He follows them throughout the dream able to see everything but not able to help. He sees them holding hands and turning a corner where they go out of view. He follows behind them only to hear a scream and when he sees the young girl she has been killed. At this point the guy wakes up panting in bed and the film fades out.

Characters
Our main protagonist in the film is called Steve.
The mysterious man and young girls names and identity are not revealed at all in the entire film.

Title
We decided to name our film 'Playground' as it goes against the view that most thriller films are named after a disorder that the protagonist has such as Insomnia etc. The name 'Playground' also went along and linked in with the young girls innocence and the setting we used.

Location
We will film all our footage in and around a park area in a quiet area of cambridge. There is also one shot which will be filmed in Mitchell's bedroom.

Light/Colour/mood
Filming will take place in a open area in the daytime as this will mean we have the use of natural lighting. we also need it to be slightly dark and raining when we are filming to help create a certain eerie mood for our project. Our actual project will be completely in Black and White apart from the scenes in Mitchell's bedroom. We decided this created the look of a dream rather than having it all in colour. It also helps distinguish between real life and the dream.

Costumes
protagonist - will be wearing normal casual clothing.
antagonist - will be wearing dark clothing and we won't see his face.
Girl - young children's clothes to create a sense of youth and innocence also never see her face.

Music/Sound
We will use an original piece of music that will run through the whole of our project sequence.

Editing within 'Playground'

The editing of 'Playground' has been carried out to comply to the conforms of the genre, and covey an eerie atmosphere during the sequence. We did this through a number of aspects:

1. Firstly, we set the pace of the shots to reflect the on-screen footage, for example, during the playground scene, we had slow transition shots. However, when the young girl was abducted, we began to reduce the shot duration, to increase the pace of the scene, and build tension.
2. Next, we added black and white with dark edges to the shots to give a distorted dream compared to the normal everyday life of what would normally be going on this is confusing and different.
3. Finally, we corrected the shots and sections, putting them in order, so that it made continual sense and didn't confuse the viewer.

The difference between horror and thriller conventions

Horror: 

• A horror movie is often predictable and you can usually tell who is going to die next. 
• The death happens almost immediately. 
• The women are normally the main victims, but are also usually the only survivors .
• If the main characters are groups they are, more often than not, killed off one by one. 
• Horror is usually in a suburban setting.
• The cast normally consists of younger groups.
• Adults and authorities are often absent or unhelpful but not always.
• Horror often contains more gore.

Thriller:

• A thriller tries to get into your head.
• They are often more psychological and cause you to think. 
• A thriller often leaves the audience with unanswered questions.
• There is almost always a Protagonist and an antagonist.
• Often more mature
• More likely to star well-known and expensive actors.
• The answers are normally explained at the end but not always.

Marking Criteria

Video - 60 marks. 

Level one - up to 23 marks.

Level two - 24 - 35 marks. Basic ability.

Level three - 36 - 47 marks. Proficient ability.

Level four - 48 - 60 marks. Excellence ability.

• 1. Where appropriate use a steady shot to avoid confusion for the audience.
• 1. Framing a shot including and excluding elements.
• 1. Using a variety of shot distances, angles and types.
• 1. Shooting material appropriate to the task.
• 1. No swearing.
• 1. No young children.
• 1. Selecting the mise-en-scene.
• 1. Editing so that the meaning of the piece is apparent and clear to the audience.
• 1. Using various shot transitions and effects to add to add emphasis where needed.
• 1. Clear dialogue.
• 1. Using titles appropriately - film credits, title - make it interesting and to the point. 

Problems with the Shooting schedule

      Due to the problems we had with finding a location we had to change our shooting schedule as it was arranged for filming in Sawston. We were originally going to film at the weekend giving us the entire day to film, unfortunately a member of our group was unable to attend at this weekend so we couldn't film when intended. However, this problem was easily overcome as we simply decided to film during lessons as the location we had chosen was close enough to walk to and from with plenty of time to spare.

Feedback on Final Thriller Project

Thriller Feedback

Sound

• Eerie music
• Breathing/panting made the dream realistic 
• Possible change of sound throughout dream
• Becomes monotonous after a while
• Scream was done well - loud

Mise - en - Scene

• Props - teddy-bear showed she was young
• Location - playground related to film 
• Next to motor-way made it less dramatic
• Costume - little girl costume looked too old 
• Costume in bed made it realistic

Editing 

• Good use of fading in and out
• Vignette effect created good sense of a dream
• When swing shook created a sense of drama
• Credits went well with sequence and genre 

Camerawork

• Good choice of shots 
• Seeing objects understand the location
• Close-ups used well
• POV created a sense that he was in a dream
• You don't see her face - creates questions

Best point

• Good editing created a real sense of a dream
• Ending of sequence created questions

Improvements 

• He is asleep in daylight
• Traffic - took away 'spookiness'
• Sounds become a bit boring as the tune goes on through whole film. 

Problems encountered with Selecting a location

      One of the major problems our group encountered before we even started filming was choosing a location to film in. We were originally going to film in Sawston as it had a park and a street which were both ideal to film in as they suited the proposed locations our film was going to be based in. However, our group was unable to meet in Sawston as we couldn't all meet at the same time, and it would have been a struggle for some members of the groups to get there. We then decided to film in cambridge, but, due to the nature of our film, we felt that cambridge would have been to busy to get the shots we needed as our film was supposed to be quite isolated. We eventually found a nearby park which we could film in and a street nearby that we could film on.

Film Titles

      The title of a film is very important, as it is one of the first pieces of information that commonly reflects the film's narrative, characters and/or location.
      It is an important piece of information which must be thoroughly considered. We therefore chose a varied selection of titles, and presented them to a focus group for detailed responses.

      As our thriller's sub genre is crime, we needed to encapsulate this, such that it is immediately recognizable to the audience.

Our original title ideas were the following:

• Playground Mafia
• Sleepless
• Restless
• Playground

      After several hours of elaborate discussion we concluded that the title of our film shall hence forth be known as 'Playground'. We felt it was suitably eerie, as well as being representative of a our setting. It also reflects childhood innocence which merged in well with the portray of the young girl's character.

Atmospheric Background Music

     We needed background music that would add to the atmosphere, while not overwhelming the on-screen action with excessive melodic features. We therefore concluded to use ambient music, to add to the eerie atmosphere -- free from the subconscious judgements of key.
      The music is originally from a pre-set theme on the Nexus plugin. We then proceeded to record several bars, convert it to an mp3 format, then upload it to final cut and our visual footage.  

Changes made due to feedback (Rough Cut 2)

      After the feedback we were given, we made some minor changes to our work to conform to the criticism, these changes included things such as dividing the first shot into multiple shots, this was achieved through adding different angled shots to further emphasise Steve's tossing and turning. Next, we added short flashes of the dream, during the shots of Steve's restless sleep. This was effective in creating a smoother and more gradual transition into the dream.

      Also, successfully added filters to the shots within the dream sequence, to give a more dream look, this is done through fading the edges of the shots, giving them a dark tinge. And by distorting the image, it assists in creating the surreal and abnormal environment of a dream.

Rough Cut two

Armar's Feedback on Rough Cut Two

Edit in swing shots, during the opening sleeping man sequence -- To develop a more gradual transition into the dream environment. For example, a brief shot of the swing before the actual dream begins.

Add customisable filters (effects) per shot to emphasis the distinction between the 'real' sleeping man sequence, and the dream sequence.

Add shots of running during the longer running sequence to keep it exciting and keep the energy in the build up of the moment to keep the audience in suspense.

Overall Armar said it was a good piece of work and only these minor changes had to be made. He also said we could play around with transitions used in shots

Rough Cut -- Feedback (57-U2)

       There are many different interesting shots but the scene the shots are showing drag on a bit and could use a bit more variety or action.

We couldn’t really tell what genre it was but as an opening sequence it really sets the scene for what the audience should expect for the rest of the film.

       There was so much ambient noise and some clips were louder than others which doesn’t show consistency. When the gate shuts it makes the audience jump but it could close quietly showing that the person who took the girl is quiet and doesn’t want to be seen? Also the swing shot after the gate is silent to be given a shot with loud ambient noise.

       There isn’t really any transition between the shots it just goes straight from one to the other.

       We really liked when the sings looked double, it was a really good effect and also when the girl drops the bear. The scenes leading up to this though drags on and we felt a bit board. 

Antagonist and protagonist analysis

Protagonist
The protagonist of a thriller sequence is the main character around whom the film revolves. Often seen as the 'hero', the protagonist often has some kind of problem to overcome or ends up in a situation from which he must get out. These problems, more often than not, and instigated by the antagonist.
The protagonist in our thriller was the main character who was having the nightmare. He follows the girl around his nightmare and whiteness the antagonist take her away, he then follows.

Antagonist
The antagonist is usually the 'arch enemy' of the protagonist. This is usually and most often another person but it can also be a group of people or something else, depending on the situation but in any case they will oppose the protagonist.
The antagonist in our project was the man in the dream who kidnaps the girl. He is the antagonist as he is taking the child from the main character and then he murders her, obviously having a negative effect on the main character.

Rough Cut

What we learnt from Amar

The Script
We learnt that a script was not purely dialogue and included basic instructional information about what to film, as well as how to film it. Consequently, were able to produce a script as well as an annotated version - also prompted by Amar.


Location Recce
We learnt about the importance of experience in the location, and through this we can gain a greater understanding of potential difficulties and risks.


Digital Storyboard
Through producing a Digital Story board, we gained a clearer picture and greater apprehension of our production.


Shot List
In creating a shot list, we gained increased organization at the time of shooting.


Shooting Schedule
Our shooting schedule enabled us to focus on the essential components, rather than spending excessive time on trivial matters.

Mise on Scene

Costume

Young girl
- Bright coloured clothing to suggest purism,
- Simple clothes to suggest her social economic bracket.
- Hair in bunches, conforming to sterotype, portraying innocence.

Stranger
- Dark, mysterious clothing.
- Long black jacket, black boots and hunched posture to reflect his sinister personality.

Steve
- 'Normal' daytime clothes
- Smart-casual dress, suggesting a professional occupation.

Camera Work


Inside bedroom
-High angle shot to portray weakness.

Park
-Long shot for establishment.
-Extreme close-ups for disorientation - reflective of the dream environment.

Street
-Long shot for establishment of new location.
-Panning shot to enhance movement.

Location Recce

List of possible locations:
-Deal grove park
-Nearby street
-Mitchell's bedroom


Problem with these location:
  - Other people could possibly end up in the shot, or could cause unwanted shadows.
  - If it's raining we will be unable to film.
  - There could possibly be traffic on the street which could interfere with sound and/or shooting.
  - In Mitchell's room the lighting may be poor making it hard to film as visibility will be low. The same
    problem applies for the other locations if we were to film at night so we are making sure to film during
    the day.
  - Ambient sound could interfere with our sound in all locations so shots may have to be shot repeatedly.

Why Thrillers Thrive

      A 'thrill' can be defined as a emotional disturbance. The audience, in their nature enjoy, and to some extent, need these 'thrills' in order to reassure meaning and interest in their often mundane lifestyles.

      'The cinema can leave the spectator with a subconscious assurance of absolute safety, and yet surprise his imagination into playing tricks on him.' The true power of successful cinema is to postpone reality and submerse the audience in its content - whether it be fictional or not.

       The cinema is a more effective way of portraying 'thrills' than the theater due to the increased ease of one projecting oneself into their consciousness - the viewer is no longer a spectator, but a participant.

       'The audience thrives of thrills, the cinema thrives on the audience, the director thrives on the cinema, and everybody is happy.' It is the consumer that creates the demand, and the industry is more than willing to supply if the market proves lucrative enough. The film industry producing films of a Thriller genre is no exception.

Thriller project shooting schedule

Friday Night:

4.10pm - Pick up equipment for weekend - Mitchell's House

7.00pm - Start filming: Frame 1, 9 - Mitchell's bedroom

Saturday:

12.00 - Rendezvous at Matt's house in Sawston

12.15 - Leave Matt's house and go to LOCATION 1 - The Park

12.25 - 1.25 - Film little girl in park (Shot 3)
record sound of squeaking swing


1.25 - Go to LOCATION 2 - alleyway/back streets 

1.25 - 2.05 - LUNCH

2.05 3.05- Shoot down alleyway down road (Shots 3 4 5 6)


3.05 - Go to LOCATION 3 - Road

3.05 - 4.05 - Shoot road scene (Shots 7 8)

4.05 - 5.00 - rendezvous back at Matt's house for bacon sandwiches.   

Digital Storyboard

These are rough examples of our shots:

      In the first shot we see the character sleeping about to enter a dream, in the actual piece he would be in a bed.
      Next, there is an over the shoulder shot of the dreaming man watching the young girl on a swing, this will be set in a park.
      Then, there are two consecutive shots of the girl being lead away by the stranger. This will be filmed along a street in the film.

      The dreaming man can then be seen in pursuit as he rapidly chases after them.
      In the following shot, he pauses as he sees the leg of the young girl sticking out from around the courner.
      After, the dreaming man slowly approaches and the next three frames convey his movement and a gradual zoom.
      Finally have a reaction shot of the main character when he wakes up from the dream.

Mise en Scene Mindmap

Shot List

Risk Assesment

Final Drafted Storyboard

Thriller Opening: Annotated Script

      A man is sleeping in his bed. He is restless and is dreaming.
      (1. High angle shot of man & bed)                                        
      He 'tosses and turns'.
      (2. The frame fades away)

      The same man is seen observing a young girl on a swing.
      (3. Long shot / Over the shoulder of man)
       As she swings back and forth, the sound of the swing squeaking can be heard.

      (Sound 1.: Edited in sound of squeaking swing)

      A man is then seen leading the same young girl down a solitary street, they walk further down the street - into the distance and turn the corner.

      (4. Long shot) 

      Just before the young girl is completely out of sight, a sharp, loud scream is heard. 

      (Sound 2.: Edited in sound of scream)

      The man is then seen rapidly running down the street in the direction that the couple had previously gone. He gets to the crossroads at the end of the street and stops. 

      (5. Low altitude shot of running man)

      At the end of the street, the leg of the young girl can be seen.
      (6. High angle long shot of man - leg in corner of screen)
      The man slowly approaches in horror as he begins to realise what has happened.

      (7. Panning long shot - extension of previous)

      As he inches closer, more of the young girl can slowly be seen until.

      (8. Slow zoom of girl's lower body)

     
       The sleeping man suddenly wakes up in a sweat.

       (9. Fast zoom out from man's face - as he suddenly awakes)

Thriller Opening: Script

      A man is sleeping in his bed. He is restless and is dreaming. As he 'tosses and turns', the frame fades away.

      The same man is seen observing a young girl on a swing. As she swings back and forth, the sound of the swing squeaking can be heard.

      A man is then seen leading the same young girl down a solitary street, they walk further down the street - into the distance and turn the corner.

      Just before the young girl is completely out of sight, a sharp, loud scream is heard. 

      The man is then seen rapidly running down the street in the direction that the couple had previously gone. He gets to the crossroads at the end of the street and stops. 

      At the end of the street, the leg of the young girl can be seen. The man slowly approaches in horror as he begins to realise what has happened.

      As he inches closer, more of the young girl can slowly be seen until .

      The sleeping man suddenly wakes up in a sweat.

Political Thriller Conventions

Political thriller Conventions:

• We are referring to movies that are set agaisnt the background of a political power struggle.
• Various Plots can be used.
• They very rarely use legal plots.
• They are normally there to try and give political power to someone.
• The antaganist in this sub genre are usually trying to the protaganist from reaching this power/goal.
• Sometimes either or both international or national political scenarios are used.
• Some favourite political scenarios are World War 2 and presidential elections.
• Some examples of the political thriller sub genre are The contender, Agency, The man from Majorca, All the presidents men and JFK.

Crime and Action sub-genres

Conventions of a Crime sub genre:

      Crime thrillers are a popular type of thriller, these thrillers include dramatic crimes, failed or successful, that have been committed.
      They normally always include, car chases, murders, robberies and shootouts.
      These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasise action over psychological aspects.
      Popular crime thrillers are: No Country for Old Men, Reservoir Dogs, and Hostage.






No Country for Old Men
was a extremely successful
crime thriller and was directed
by Joel and Ethan Coen,
it grossed $74,283,000 and
95% of reviews given by
critics were positive.





Action thriller:

      The Action genre is regularly accompanied with Thrillers to create an very exciting, dramatic and heart racing film. The fact that there is a story line with twists and thrills throughout - along with action packed fights, car chases and explosions create the perfect "thrill".

      One example of a Action Thriller is James Bond: Quantum of Solace.
This is another very high grossing and popular action thriller film, James Bond films have been legendarily famous for its opening sequences that separate it from other films of the same sub genre.

Thriller Opening Plan: Feedback

How to make 'Steve' transparent.
      -Editing technique - reduced opaqueness post-production.

Location of park.
      -Park in Sawston.

Location of house.
      -Matt's - coincided with other filming.

Risk Assessment.
      -Complete a risk assessment evaluation.

Establishment of reality and dream.
      -Colouring, black and white? Blurring. (Through editing post-production)

Original Planning for Thriller

Film Production Company Logo (Final)

      This is our film production company logo. It is called purity films and includes a painting like picture of the northern lights. Our company's inspiration is the northern lights and their seamless beauty. This gave us the idea for the company's name: 'Purity Films', as the northern lights are a natural phenomenon.
      We didn't base our ideas off of other logos. We came across the idea by thinking of natural settings and happenings that are portrayed to be beautiful and rare which give them a 'special' quality, thereby increasing their memorablility. This is effective because we are trying to convey the values and philosify of Purity Films through its logo, and we see the northern lights as a perfect example.

Much the same to the northern lights, you don't watch a Purity Film -- you experience it.

Film Production logo (Idea)

This is an idea for our film production logo. we thought it was too sinister for the intended purpose.

Example Thriller Opening Soundtrack

     Our example soundtrack is a mediumly tempoed in order to convey a dramatic feel. We have incorporated strings, as through our research of thriller films' soundtracks, we have observed that it is somewhat of a convention. Strings are a feminine group of instruments and excel in portraying a romantic, an atmospheric feel.
      Specifically instrumented percussion is used - consisting of the 'shaker' and 'chimes'. We wanted to use soft percussion, as it can easily become overpower, and overshadow the melodic elements.
      The acoustic guitar is used both for rhythmical accompaniment, as well as melody. This choice of instrumentation gives the composition a 'folkish' vibe, which is used to gain authenticity.

Thriller Opening Sequences: Sound

Catch me if you can:
      The soundtrack used was of orchestral instrumentation, it was a jazzy theme in which the main melody includes a saxophone and bassoon. The tempo adapted and synchronised with what was going on in the cinematography. There was no percussion used, which gave the soundtrack a empty unfulfilled feel, reflecting the narrative of the film.

Face off:
      The Face off soundtrack was powerful and compelling, that gave a dramatic feel to a opening scene. It was mainly orchestral and included clarinet and strings, the glockenspiel provided a rhythmic accompaniment.

Panic room:
      The low sinister tune gives a dark dingy feel to the soundtrack and is already helping to give a idea of the film theme.
      It also gives a fast and powerful tempo that fits with the background images in new York to show the powerful fast moving city.
      It is mainly orchestral and includes strings and percussion.

Analysis of past student thriller projects Q1-07

VIDEO 

What they included:

• Holding a steady shot where appropriate - basic, they had some unsteady shots during moments where it seemed they shouldn't.
• Framing a shot, including and excluded elements as appropriate - basic level, due to limited use of effective mise en scene.
• Use a variety of shot distances as appropriate - creative use, variety of shot distance during the chase and chess game.
• Shooting material appropriate to the task set - creative, material within the film are suitable to the thriller genre.
• Selecting mise en scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting - creative, use of black and white shots and colour in the editing, use of props such as: guns, and chess board. They were effective in giveing good understanding of what's happening.
• Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer - basic, multiple jump cuts parallel with each over to portray a sense or urgency to the viewer. 
• Using varied shot transition and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set - creative,  at the beginning they used animated credits which were effective as they give a professional 'look' to the opening.
• Using sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set - basic, use of eerie music to give sense of danger and mystery, voice over suggests an over watching feel to the opening.
• Using titles appropriately - basic, use of credits show all the basic information needed including production company etc.

 Planning and Research.

• Research into similar products and potential target audience - proficient, large number of varying examples.
• Organisation of actors, locations, costumes and props - proficient, a good amount of organisation orientated blogs.
• Work on shot lists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboard - basic, don't include as much detail as they could of, however, they do include a basic amount of planning information on what they do or have done.
• Care in the presentation of the research and planning - minimal, blog is shallow in information and un-organised into stages used before filming and post production work.

Overall Level -- 33 marks -- High level 2

BBFC Classifications - '15', '18'

'15' Classification

      A piece of media classified with a rating of '15' suggests it's suitability is for that of a person 15 years of age and over, and may only be viewed by people of this age or above. In terms of strong language, the British Board of Film Classification states that '...there may be frequent use of strong language. The strongest  terms may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.'
      Drug usage is acceptable in '15' films, however, the use of drugs may not be promoted and the use of harder drugs may be unacceptable depending on the circumstances. Sex and nudity is acceptable but full frontal nudity is not permitted in a '15'.

'18' Classification

      No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ rated film in a cinema nor may they rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video/DVD. An '18' can contain almost anything providing it is not a breach of law. Nudity, sex, drugs and violence are permitted within an '18' because, as the BBFC state '...adults should be free to choose their own entertainment.' and they are capable of making their own judgement.

Comparison Between Opening Sequences

Catch Me if You Can

      This opening sequence lasts approximately 2 and a half minutes.
During this time, extensive credits are shown, accompanied with a uniquely styled animation.

      The animation in essence, gives a crude outline of the narrative, focusing on the frequent schemes of deception, constant pursuit and disguise. This is an effective prognostic of the film to follow, and in turn, portrays a narrative consolidated around crime and transgression.

      The theme of identity is strongly suggested through animation of a character frequently changing outfits, reflecting his identity, or perhaps in this case - lack of.

Quantum of Solace

      This opening sequence lasts approximately 3 and a half minutes.
During this time, extensive credits are shown, accompanied by a blend of 3D CGI animation and landscape photography.

      The animation has intricate layers of CGI, photography and seamless transitions. This was done in order to mirror the level complexity and sophistication in the film to follow.

      The content of the animation is disorientating and mysterious with an underlying theme of action, crime and sex. This again foreshadows the events of the film to come. Identity is a major theme in the introductory sequence as well, and again is suggestive of  the protagonists lack of identity. This is achieved through the minimalist detail on the face of the character within the animation - with his suit, being more distinguishable.

Comparison 


      Both films use (albeit differently styled) animation as their medium during the introductory opening sequence. This suggests a convention in the action-thriller genre.

      Both films have clear identity orientated themes, and specificity focused on a absence of identity. Therefore both films in the this respect conform to the conventions of the thriller genre.

      Differences arise however in the duration of the opening sequences, with a 60 second time contrariety.

Opening Sequence Analysis

Memento opening scene

Preliminary Task and Evaluation

What did we learn?
-We learnt the importance of consistent continuity throughout our short film.
-We learnt about the effectiveness of high-angled shots in order to create a 'weaker' image of 'P.Nus'.

Were there any difficulties?
Due to shortage of staff, filming proved difficult, however we were able to overcome this problem through teamwork and organization.
Our raw footage was over the specification's requirements, we overcame this problem through high amounts of cutting, and increasing the speed of certain sequences.

How we constructed our prelim 'Microareas'.