An Introduction to My Blog

Music and Sound within Our Production

The soundtrack to our Final Production, without dubbing from other sound clips later incorporated. This is the standard song which plays during the backing of our film, lasting 2:01 minutes, and created using Audacity, with contributions and samples from www.freesoundproject.com. The keyboard is extracted from Garageband and the high notes are from a keyboard which I possess at home and recorded. Everything was remixed on Audacity, the two tracks (piano and ghostly ambience) joined together and turned into our backing track. The track took just over an hour for me to make, and I personally feel that it does a good job at expressing the mysterious and sinister nature of our piece, as well as emphasising the idea that our lead character is 'Not alone'. Here is the track:



The White Noise used within our Final Production. Though we only used individual samples on a short time listing of the track during the actual finished piece, I originally recorded the track as 40+ seconds long, mainly as we were unsure as to how long the credits (where the White Noise generally plays) would last. The White Noise was created from a sample found on www.freesoundproject.com, with an over-dub of me making noises with me breathing out through my teeth over the top. Cue much time spend on Audacity editting the sound into something good, which you will hopefully be able to see here:

Final Production Storyboards and Response

We showed our storyboards to several people, and generally feedback was positive. We spent a long period of time choosing names for our production, asking people to rate which name they thought worked best in the context of the piece. Whilst we initially chose 'Revenant' as the name for our thriller, we decided that the name, though possibly reflective of later scenes within the film, did not reflect the intentions of the opening. We renamed the production 'Not alone', playing on the idea that the detective is not alone in the house, and that the murderer is nearby. Other possible names for the production were 'The Glass Prison', 'The True Mirror' and 'Vacant', but we settled upon 'Not alone', as we feel it best expresses what our thriller entails. The feedback generated was useful in defining specific aspects of our shooting schedule; we will work on the feedback to create our final production.

People stated that the story idea was good, and that they would be interested in watching (eight out of eight people surveyed admitted to being interested), yet they also said that we may struggle to fit everything that we have planned into a two minute piece. We plan on filming more than two minutes of footage, and then editing and cutting it down until it fits the brief, though we will have to be aware of time passage, and how much work we are going to be able to keep from the filming. We do not wish to leave out any of the important scenes, for example the flashbacks and the finalising scene in the shower, and so time will be something we must consider.

People credited our choice of musical highlights too. We told those involved that we intend to use slow, quiet non-diegetic sound, with emphasis on specific points of the filming, such as sudden bursts and booms when critical events occur. We plan on finishing with white noise, which people said was a good idea, though they also said that it has been seen before, and if we are to incorporate white noise, we will have to try and use it to the best of our capabilities. Generally however, people were pleased with our initial idea, and the only criticism that we received was that our film may over-run, and that we might have to spend some time during editing working on the implementing credits and cutting down shots to fit the brief. However, the over conclusion was that people were glad with what we have achieved, and they seemed very enthusiastic about our production, even saying that some of our ideas they should have used themselves. Our differentiating camera angles and shots were credited, as was the general narrative of our storyline, and now we are just, as usual, looking forward to making our final production.

How we plan to use existing productions to better our Final Production

I have learnt a lot from the films that we have watched in Media, and from the past films that we have made. Our initial filming in year 12 Media Studies was a rather poor example of our abilities, and it was merely a show that we could use the camera. It was a very linear exercise, based around using a mobile phone, and re-enacting a phonecall between two people. We did not have much freedom during this piece, but it did secure our knowledge of camera angles and shots from the year before. We were able to cut between shots effectively, and we learn not to zoom in unless it was absolutely necessarily, as the effect is often jerky motion that does not compliment the film.

The second piece that we made we had much greater freedom over, and I perhaps prefer it to our Preliminary Task. We were asked to advertise something, to design a TV advert to express a particular need to buy or witness the product within. We as a group, (Ian, Ellis, John and myself) put our all into this production, and we made the product Internet Paedophilia, and how not to be a victim of it. We used all of the camera angles that we were asked to, yet gave the piece our own unique flair by using posters dotted around the classroom as the reaction shots to what was going on. We created a mock MSN Messenger conversation, with the Paedophile represented by Ian, who has become one of the main actors within our productions. From this piece, we learnt what we could achieve with the camera and with freedom to go our own way with what we made. We learn that music could make or break a film, and that we have to choose the right sound effects at the right time to make a production worth having.

The Preliminary task has been spoken of already, and we learn from our last-but-one piece that we could incorporate good humour within our filming, if it was done tastefully. We keep to the briefs, but expand upon them, trying to incorporate our own unique take on things to make the narrative flow well. We tightened up our camera angles and shots from the previous piece, with more variety over what we could accomplish. We utilised over-the-shoulder shots, reverse angle shots, and even a low-angle shot when I leave the room. As well as profile shots and medium shots used throughout, mainly focusing on Ian, slightly off centre, we managed to create our best production yet, even if the idea of the advert I myself prefered. However, in terms of mastery, we have learnt much since our initial piece.

From the Bourne Ultamatum, we have decided to use flashbacks in our final product. I enjoyed the fast-paced look of this film, though we have decided that our thriller opening will be slower and require more thought. How it plays out at the moment is not yet clarified, but we will try and keep to the low-key lighting incorporated in the Bourne Ultamatum, and the gritty realism established to create an almost Film Noir set-up.

From Double Indemnity, we will focus ona monologue in our final production. We have learnt a lot from this film, and will base a lot of our final piece over conventions used within Double Indemnity. The main point that we will express here is that for much of the opening of the film, there is no speech, and merely actions being shown. We will incorporate this into our final piece, with little to no talking during the beginning parts, leading into conversation after the credits show, to make our final piece an opening rather than a trailer. From I Walked with a Zombie, we will recognise a need for a good soundtrack, with diegetic sound taking control of the atmosphere of our production. Anything from heavy breathing, to footsteps walking, to doors closing, we will add over the top of the soundtrack if needs be, to make a chilling sense of disturbance for the audience.

We will use the information that we have gathered from the films we have seen, in conjuction to the work that we have done in terms of production, in order to make a collaboration of all techniques learnt during our final production. At this point in time, we are just looking forward to getting out there and filming it!

What is Film Noir?

Film Noir is a term to describe dark, gritty Hollywood movies, mostly conceived between the early 1940's and the late 1950's. Film Noir originally started in France (Noir being 'black', in French), and was adapted shortly after for an American audience. A lot of the time, low-key lighting is incorporated, as well as black and white imagery to create a distorted tension to the cinematic. Film Noir is difficult to define, as there are a broad spectrum of tendencies within Film Noir productions to make them so. Often these stray into other genres, and they are not concrete to Film Noir, and so describing a film that fits this trait is not an easy task. However, Film Noir does generally feature crime fiction, based upon real scenarios that could in fact happen in real life. Double Indemnity, for example, did not happen in real life as a case study, but probably has happened sometime in the past. Often Film Noir pieces are realistic and could potentially be real, which draws the audience into the piece more fluidly. However, this is not always the case, as 'I walked with a Zombie' is rather unrealistic, especially as the title character of the piece, the 'Zombie', is impossible to account for in real life. Nevertheless, there are several points, similar to Vladimir Propp's proposal of the structure of narrative, that can be affiliated with the Film Noir convention. Most Film Noir productions contain:

A crime - Often true to life, perhaps with slight exaggeration, but often a Film Noir piece will begin, or result, in a crime that could be committed by real people in a real life situation. This crime is usually the undoing of the characters, as they struggle to deal with what they have done. In early Film Noir productions, the criminal always had to be caught in the end, else the audience would be made to believe that they could get away with conducting these crimes themselves.

The perspective of the criminals, and reversed roles - Often in Film Noir productions, the criminals point of view is taken. All of a sudden, the criminal is seen as the character to sympathise with, whilst the police assume the role of villain, at least to the cause that the audience is supposed to relate to. In Film Noir, the antagonist becomes the protagonist, the characters swapping roles. There is also the inclusion, if police are present, of the 'Good cop, Bad cop' effect, wherein one of the police or law enforcers will receive more sympathy than the other. Due to the reversed roles, when the criminals are found out and caught, the audience feel sympathy for them, perhaps wishing that they had gotten away with their crime. The police are expressed as the villains of the piece, and can often be seen as corrupt in the eyes of the audience, creating an inverted view on existing roles in society.


Unstable alliances - A lot of the time in Film Noir productions, the main character finds people that he once confided in slowly turning against him, even if they are not initially aware of it. For example, in 'Double Indemnity', Keye's starts off as Neff's friend and collegue, though he eventually susses out what he's trying to do, and the two of them become enemies. In Film Noir, no relationship is absolute, and there is a lot of betrayal and false allegiance present in the narrative.


The Femme Fatale - A real nasty piece of work, the Femme Fatale character is prominant in most Film Noir productions, and they are almost always the cause of the crime, the storyline, and the subsequent death of the lead character. They use their good looks and sexuality to entice the men of the narrative, and after taking them under their spell, they use the men to commit crimes on their behalf. The Femme Fatale usually plays the role of the lead heroine, though they are still villainous in approach. They are beautiful and sexual, and have the ability to control men within the piece. Often in Film Noir, the men initially start out as innocent and simply doing a job, such as Postman (The Postman always rings Twice) or Insurance Salesman (Double Indemnity). However, they soon fall under the Femme Fatale's trap, and are corrupted and made to carry out their bidding. Often the Femme Fatale's sympathy comes from them being trapped in loveless marriages, and often, the men are employed to kill off the husbands, with the reward of being with the Femme Fatale afterwards. However, their intentions are usually unclear and dishonest, and many play around with many men, and simply abuse their power. Ultimately, they are often killed or imprisoned, usually by the men that they enslave, but it does show women as in control, and able to dominate men to their will.


Brutal violence - Often violence is heavy within Film Noir pieces, especially for the time. There are a lot of sadistic deaths involved, that often dismiss conventional methods. For example, though guns are used, often people are brutally murdered with weaponry that would not be seen to be used for such a purpose. Shovels, for example, or even machinery can be used to kill people off. In Double Indemnity, there is a large portion of the storyline devoted to the killing of Phyllis' husband, but greater emphasis on how they deal with his body. In Film Noir productions, it's not always how they kill the person that's shocking, but how the body is then dealt with. For example, in Double Indemnity, the body is thrown onto a railway track, after an elaborate ploy to make it look as if he fell of the observation deck. However, deaths are often misinterpretated by others within in the narrative, and the usual reason for the criminals to be found out is due to the recovery of the body, and the evidence presented. However, the gritty atmosphere and realism of Film Noir definately creates dark and often sinister violence to the production.

Preliminary Exercise Evaluation

Our Preliminary Piece Overview:

Who was involved?

Alex: Actor/Sound Effects

Ian: Actor

Ellis: Actor/Editor

John: Actor/Writer


We were asked to produce a conversational piece between two people, with a variety of camera angles to be incorporated. Other than the initial linearity, we had great freedom in the final production that we would produce. We settled upon a comedy-based piece, wherein my character would meet a celebrity, realise that it's not a real celebrity, and then humour would ensue. We started off outside one of the classrooms within the college, and I noticed a poster on the door. It read that I could meet a celebrity for £50 a minute, but the drive was that any celebrity could be met. So I entered the room and paid the fine, approaching the table and meeting my first guest. Both Angelina and Tony Blair were played by Ian, and he did a great job in keeping to the script and not laughing during scenes. He remained far more collected than the rest of us, even when he had to climb through the cupboard. The effect that we used here was my favourite part of the piece, followed closely by Nelson Mandela at the end. When Ian entered the cupboard, we removed everything inside, so that it was possible for him to climb through. Interestingly, the cupboard scene where he enters one way and leaves another is one continuous shot, right until Ian is leaving the door. We had to incorporate another shot at this point to allow Ian to change masks to Tony Blair.

We made a couple of mistakes on our preliminary piece, which we would have to deal with during our final production. For one, there was a lack of continuity at two key points. During one scene, after Ian leaves the cupboard and is returning to the desk, I had to move out of the shot, which means that for a brief couple of second interval, I was not present in the shot, and the tripod was in my place as we performed an over-the-shoulder shot on Ian. I don't exist in this shot, yet when Ian sits back down, I magically reappear. This is only obvious after a couple of viewings, and upon showing our production to other members of our class, nobody realised until we told them that I wasn't in the shot.

The other lack of continuity came from a change in rooms near the end of the piece; we were given one lesson to film our preliminary task, and we found that near the end of the production, we ran out of time when a class needed to use the room we were in. Therefore, during the scene where Ian speaks of meeting his friends, and Lassy and Nelson Mandela are shown (John and Ellis respectively), we were actually in a different room to the original one. This is only really an issue when I storm out of the room at a low-angle shot, as I leave through a different door to the one I entered from. This is quite noticeable, but doesn't really detract from the humour of the piece.

Another minor issue was sound, where we did not place a voiced track over the top of the piece. We feel that the only place where this makes a real difference is during a couple of scenes where a faint sound of laughter can be heard (mainly the cupboard scene spoken of before), and where I storm off, as it's quite difficult to hear what I say. Nevertheless, we do also achieve a successful finish, we feel, and all music placed upon the film is from a copyright free resource CD, given to us by our teacher.

There are several points that we feel were good about our preliminary piece, however. For one, the idea is quite original, at least for the extent of the brief we met. It wasn't just a regular conversation between two people; instead we gave a surreal twist to the piece that makes it more engaging. We also think that the production itself was rather good, especially when Nelson was dancing at the end to the music. The pictures and credits were all edited in afterwards by Ellis, and he did a great job of making the credits last for the duration of the images. We also feel that the music cuts in at very appropriate times and fades out when it should, and ultimately we achieved what we set out to do; to meet the brief, and to generate humour in our production.

We're happy with how the preliminary piece turned out, and we will use some of the response we have received during our final production. For one, we will try and add any audio on afterwards, so that we don't pick up distortion or have any sort of interference. We will also make sure that everything is continous, and as we plan on filming our final production over a three day period, we'll keep everything in place as it was. As the rooms we are filming in will be used, we'll make a note of how everything was positioned between days, so that we can return them to their original state during filming on later days. We will also wear the same clothing and such to continue with the continuity. Our thriller opening will also be far more focused, having more time to edit and play around with effects, and hopefully we will create something special at the end of our filming.

Prop List, Continuity and Locations during Final Production

The final production will feature several props that will be used to add realism to the piece. All props will be real, but the more dangerous ones will be monitored carefully. Anything seen, no matter how damaging it looks, is not representative of the filming.

. Torch
. Knives
. Sheet
. Bloody cloth (red food dye)
. Various kitchen appliances
. Henry Hoover
. Hat, suit

Due to the nature in which the filming will occur (over three days estimated), possible continuity issues will arise. However, due to the fact that we only have one primary actor, who will most likely be wearing a suit, (the detective), the suit can be placed over existing clothing to avoid having different attire during filming. The other actors will wear similar suits for same effect, and so no real continuity issues exist, bar the clothing issue that can be dealt with. Whether we wear the same clothes, and get changed afterwards, or whether we place the suit over the top is not yet known, but we will be of the same appearance across the three days of filming.

The film will primarily be recorded at Ellis' house, with the kitchen, hallway, stairway, bedroom and bathroom all used in the filming. We do not as of yet have any plans to film any scenes away from the specified location, though our blog will be suitably updated if during filming we add a shot or two. But for now, all filming will occur at Ellis' house under the supervision of responsible adults.

Risk Assessment/Health Hazards of Final Production

. Slipping or hurting ourselves in the shower. Water will be able to escape down the plug hole, but the risk still remains.

. Handling raw meat, if we re-enact a killing scene with the knife going into meat through a shirt. Our hands will be thoroughly washed if meat is used.

. Handling knives. Greatest care will be used, and we will be supervised by an adult during the filming process to avoid injury.

. Hurting selves on stairs; body is being dragged up, but will be placed on a sheet and pulled by the sheet, with just the legs visable on the camera, to avoid injury.

. Psychological damage; filming late at night could affect us mentally, but we won't do anything that can cause long-term damage.

Shooting Schedule for Final Production

List of Shots in proposed order:

1. Opening credits - Editing
2. Medium shot - Day 1
3. Point of view - Day 1
4. Low angle - Day 1
5. Over-the-shoulder - Day 1
6. Point of view - Day 1
7. Close up\Point o view - Day 1
8. Close up - Day 1
9. Point of view - Day 1
10. Close up - Day 1
11. Close up - Day 2
12. Medium long - Day 2
13. Point of view - Day 2
14. Medium shot - Day 2
15. Side-on shot - Day 2
16. High angle - Day 2
17. Medium shot - Day 2
18. Profile shot - Day 2
19. Medium shot - Day 2
20. Reverse shot - Day 2
21. Low angle shot - Day 3
22. Over-the-shoulder - Day 3
23. Medium shot - Day 3
24. Mediumshot - Day 3
25. Point of view shot - Day 3
26. Close up - Day 3
27. Reaction shot - Day 3
28. Point of view - Day 3
29. Side on shot - Day 3
30. Credits once more - Day 3
31. Medium shot - Day 3
32. Close up - Day 3
33. Fade out, end - Editing

Possibility of an extra day if delays in filming. Possibility of fewer days if filming goes smoothly.

The Bourne Ultimatum

The Bourne Ultimatum
2007
Director: Paul Greengrass



The Opening:

The film starts off with instant action, enticing and drawing the viewer into the plot. We see the lead character, Jason Bourne, running through the streets, with low-key lighting and fast paced shots to represent the speed in which events are occuring. We see Russian soldiers chasing after him, with cars pulling up atop bridges looking down at him running. Diegetic sound is incorporated and emphasised as his boots hit the pavement, and he continues running from the soldiers. The camera is panning as he watch him run, the action side on to show his legs moving in quick succession. We as viewers wonder why he is running, and the 'Stop!' remarks of the Russian soldiers compound this fact. We see subtitles representing what the Russian's are saying, and it's very much apparent that the lead character is in grave danger. Eventually, the almost surreal greyness of the caste leads the main character to a building, where he pushes through the doorway to the building within. Guards pull up outside in armoured vehicles, and follow him inside.

All the while, flashbacks are showing up whilst he's in the building, showing clinically white labs where experiments are being conducted on him. We hear shouting, as if something bad has happened, and Jason is sweating, showing her nervousness. The audience is meant to feel confused with what's going on, and drawn in in equal measure, and it's clear that the plot will be revealed later on in the film. At this point, no credits are shown at all, and the film jumps straight into the action without a single piece of text. The guards chase him into the building, and we see Jason washing his hands in a sink at the toilet of the room, obviously distressed. Two guards enter the room as the next flashback ends, and they point guns at Jason. He keeps his back to them as they walk closer, and though the guards are clearly his enemy, they seem more intent on capturing him than killing him. Low-key lighting in incorporated, as well as medium shots showing the action. The guard steps forwards in a close-up, his face framed as he nears Jason in an over-the-shoulder shot, the viewer seeing Jason from behind. Then in one quick movement a burst of non-diegetic sound (creating a euphoric boom), Jason swings around, hits the gun from the guards hand and knocks him unconscious on the floor.

The second guard, lacking a weapon, begs not to be harmed as Jason recovers the first guards gun, pointing it at the guard. During the guard's speech, Jason is blurred out, though when Jason speak, the guard fades out of focus, to show his dominance over his opponent. The soldier asks not to be hurt, subtitles showing in Russian that he has a child and a wife. Jason replies in English, saying ''It's not you I'm after.'', and then he runs off, the scene ending, the name of the film coming up in big, silver bold lettering. The Opening ends on a mystery, with little explained, yet enough given to entice the viewer into finding out more.

Our TV Advert

This was our second production, after the mobile phone advert. I believe that the overall production went well, and though we encountered a few problems, we managed to create an effective piece of advertising to express the importance of internet safety. During our production, I believe that we made a piece of work which was both fast-paced and effective, and though we perhaps ran for too long, we met out brief with a variety of camera angles and shots. Overall, bar a few minor issues, which we learnt to work on in our following pieces, our TV advert was a success, and we used it as a basis of which to improve upon our Preliminary Task.

The Good Points:

We managed to fit song to video well. Not only does the song fit the mood of the piece, but it also changes tempo and pitch in accordance with our production. Getting the sound in the right position took a little bit of editing, but once we had finished the filming, it was a simple matter of cutting shots to fit with the song, which worked well as we had purposely ran our filming longer than we should have. It has become a staple object of our productions to film several more minutes of footage than we need to meet the brief, so that during editing we can keep the best parts and narrow down and pinpoint the necessary footage to be used. If we film exactly to the brief, editing and cutting may cause us to go under the limit, and so we always film more than we need. The song added on during editing was suitable for what we were trying to achieve, and so on that level we deem our TV Advert to be a success.

Another good point is the short amount of time that was required to film our piece. It only took two lessons worth of filming before we were ready to edit, and it was interesting to note that most of the time went into the work seen on the computer. We designed a fake MSN Messenger conversation, which we believe works rather effectively, with it's sweeping, cutting shots between one message to the response, and we created a slideshow to show what our TV Advert was trying to show. These areas of the filming took a long time to make, in terms of filming, as we had to make each part, then film it, then add more, and then film another little amount, and so on. However the overall effect we feel works well, and though we could have advertised a product, we believe that our safety awareness idea works well in the context as well. We were also happy with how the reaction shots came out, with the posters upon the wall showing the reactions of different people to what the internet stalker was doing; asking a young girl to meet up with him, adopting the identity of a young boy, when he could actually just as easily be an adult.

Furthermore, we used our TV Advert as a catalyst to accelerate our future production. We learnt from the existing material that we had filmed which areas worked and which did not. The following list of points that did not run as smoothly as we had hoped are as follows:

The Bad Points:

There were several points with our production that did not go as well as we had hoped, though we decided to leave them in, so that we had something to improve upon during our next task. There were areas where we were perhaps too ambitious, and because of this, and the fact that we are still learning how to use the cameras, we did not quite achieve what we had set out to do.

For example with the production, we tried to incorporate some shots of Ian on the computer, talking over MSN. Though this worked in theory, and it was an idea that we wanted to explore, after filming we found that the frame rate upon the camera could not compete with the frame rate upon the computer and the screen, which resulting in the black lines falling across it. We have yet to find a way to prevent this on standard screens, though LCD screens on the Apple Macs seem to be free from this problem, and so if we re-filmed the piece, we would try and use a Mac instead. The blue line effect isn't too damaging to the piece, but it does ruin some of the charm and gives it an amateurish look, something that we will certainly take into account during later filming. We will try not to film any screens in later productions, unless we find a way around the problem as the effect is undesirable and taxing upon the production.

We also found that some of our shots could have been improved upon. There was continuity, but it could have been incorporated in a better way. For example, when Ian opens his bag before turning the computer on, he has it in a slightly different position during the over-the-shoulder shot to the following medium shot. We feel that some of our shots worked well, for example the low angle shot when we placed the camera within the bag, but some shots lacked continuity that we could now remedy after filming another production. There are also a couple of minor blunders during filming; during one scene, Ian is seen talking, with his mouth moving, but no words are released as we lowered the tracks volume. However, the audience can still see Ian talking, which could have been handled in a better way by re-filming the shot, with Ian focusing entirely on the bag he is opening. There was also a typing effort near the end of the production, where we missed a vital causal connective - 'A'. During the slideshow, we wrote ''The Internet can be dangerous place', which needs an 'a' placed between 'be' and 'dangerous' to be grammatically correct. it is minor, but it is a blunder that we could remedy, and it is something that we will look out for in later productions, should we use any form of writing.

Finally, there was a shot that did not work as well as we had hoped, where John is seen looking up at Ian, near the beginning of the production. This scene is slightly extreneous, as we only incorporated it to meet the brief (the shot was necessary in the film), but then it had not relevance to the plot. We do not see John again at all, and so the shot is somewhat pointless, yet needed all the same. On reflection, we could have better used John in the piece, rather than having him in the shot for a brief period of time for no apparent reason. In further productions, we will make sure that all decisions made have value and use, rather than just meeting the brief. We will make our further productions work well for the brief, to create a successful and worthwhile piece.

In the production however, we are very pleased with how the film came out overall. Though it could have been better, it was most certainly a more involved and efficient production than our first year 12 film, and we learnt a lot of techniques that we would later incorporate into further productions. We know not that not only is filming screens a bad idea, but also that shots need continuity to be accurate and to give a more professional look. Everything that we filmed, we could improve upon during later filming, and so we have successfully achieved what we set out to do - we have made a production that tested us, but also allowed us to improve for our Preliminary and Final Productions.

Important Points to remember from Filming

Filming: Do's and Do Not's.

1. Don't cross the 180 degree line; keep all shots and camera angles at a sensible vector and positioning. Simple shots are often the best, and so elaborate camera useage is not always required.

2. Don't zoom in when recording audio; frame the shot by getting closer into the active event within. Also to note with zooming, try and make movements fluid rather than jerky. Hold the camera still within the tripod, and zoom in slowly but consistently to avoiding jumping.

3. Do make sure recorded speech is audible and coming across when filming. There's nothing worse than incoherant wording on a production. If it requires it, add a voice track over the top of the diegetic audio during editting, if it will make things sound clearer. Narrative is an extremely important part of filming, and it doesn't matter how good a film is if the speech is not matched in quality.

4. Do check wind direction when filming outside. Film with your back to the wind if possible, to avoid the crunching affect when recording audio. This isn't so important if tracks are being put over the top of the original audio, but if the plan is to directly film the sound, definately take wind direction into consideration, as it can seriously hinder the sound of the voice.

5. Do observe health and safety; it's there for a reason, after all. Be careful when filming that you're not doing something dangerous, and make sure that health awareness checks are performed and accepted by teachers before filming. Injury occuring during filming will look bad on many people, especially the teacher, if these checks are not made, and so making a simple plan highlighting the dangers, and then going to extents to avoid them, are quite easily done, and work effectively.

6. Do contain consistency with shots. Too many varied shots and camera angles over a small period of time can ruin the flow and fluidity of your piece. You need to make sure that you keep shots at a suitable time frame, with a sensible amount of alternating shots keeping the general feel of the piece alive. For example, in a horror film or a thriller, short shots work IF they are creating tension. If they fail to do this, however, and do not add to the atmosphere of the piece, the result will be a mess.

Editing: Do's and Do Not's.

1. Do use conventions of continuiety editting - cut between shots effectively to establish scene, narrative and/or dialogue. Make sure that shots are focusing on what they are supposed to focus on, and cut shots if they run for too long. Make sure that the camera was held under regulated support during filming, to avoid shaking or distruptions of the camera.

2. Don't ignore the pacing of the shot. Pacing is very important when filming, and it should not be overlooked. If your brief is to create a two minute film, don't go filming exactly two minutes worth of footage, as you will most likely have to delete some during editting, which will leave you short. Aim to film over the limit by some margin, perhaps a minute or two more, and then during editting keep the shots that best represent the piece.

3. Don't focus too much on sound...initially. If adding a soundtrack, do not try and base your film around the song in question, whether it is an existing piece, or a custom made product using Freesoundproject.com or Audacity and such. Make your film first, and get all of the shots sorted, and then incorporate music afterwards. Music is very important in a production, but is second to the picture and image quality.

Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur

Val Lewton - Born Vladimir Ivan Leventon, in 1904. Died 1951.

Role: Producer and Screenwriter.
Born in Ukraine. Moved to New York in 1909.
Famous for brooding horror films with supernatural undertones.
Working at RKO picture since 1942.
Helped pioneer B-movies, making them more well-known and influencing, broadcasting them across greater masses of people through the quality of his work.
Started as a Journalist, though lost his job, soon becoming a filmwriter in a turn of events.
Has been given the name 'Head of Horror' for his many works including 'Bedlam' and 'Cat people', the latter being his first film.
He was also a published author, writing a book entitle 'No bed of her own', which retained the horrific imagery of his filmworks.
Other noticeable films are 'Ghostship' and 'Seventh Victim'.



Jacques Tourneur - November 12, 1904, Died December 19th, 1977.

Born in Paris, and the son of a director, Maurice Tourneur.
Directed three of Val Lewton's productions: 'Cat people', 'I walked with a Zombie' and 'Leopard man'.
He created 'Night of the Demon' in 1957, often thought of as one of the greatest horror films of all time, an adaptation of M. R. James' 'Casting the Runes', written in 1911.
Recognised globally for his contribution acts in theatre and cinema.
Retired in the late 1960's, following in his fathers footsteps for his entire life.

Target Audience and Audience Study

Media Institutions - The individuals or organisation that create the media project.

Media Institutions must aim their product at a specific group or division, ranging from different social and political stances, to the certificate rating of the film. For example, 'This is England', directed by Shane Meadows, is unlikely to have the same effect on an American audience as it does on a British one, as it focuses mainly on Skinhead culture, which American has never experienced in the way that England has. Furthermore, certificate ratings vary across the globe; America is far more restrictive of some content over others, and what one nation deems offensive, another manyt see as tolerable. The certificate ratings in American differ drastically from our own, with R signifying Restricted, meaning that the film is unable to be shown to under 17 year olds without an adult present, whilst various other rankings exist, such as SMA (Suggested for Mature Audiences). England on the other hand differs in that our ratings are somewhat less mandatory, and less restrictive than those in America; it is very much possible to enter a film designed for people older than the individual is, without any reprimanding at all. Certificate ratings are more linear, based upon age boundaries over content within. Whereas America focuses on their audience, and how they will be affected by the film, stating that the films may not be suitable for certain audiences (for example, Mel's Gibon's The Passion of Christ, which deals several blows to Jewish society, and thus may not be suitable for said religious individuals to see, in relation to members of another faith). England on the other hand bands everything into age ratings, without taking into consideration the psychological affects that the films may have. U, PG, 12, 12A, 15 and 18 are the bands placed upon British films, which is somewhat accurate for the films themselves, but does have problems; one film may be rated 18 for having explicit sex and nudity, which may not offend the viewer. However, another film may have extreme violence and murder, which could psychologically affect the individual, and it would still have the same rating. Several words when said in films instantly boost the ranking, and a film may be pushed up to a 15, or even an 18, purely based upon the utterance of one phrase. Following this, British films are ranked in a way that makes some viewers miss out, as a film may be rated with an 18 band without being too offensive at all.

Audience study is an essential aspect of the subject. Certificate rating, gender, social class, persona demographic are are different groups that can be targeted by films. A films appeal will not be to everyone's taste, and so catering to a certain group or trend is a tactic often employed, especially during low-budget films where a huge audience is not always available. It is in this way that some low-budget films act in the way of an indie band in the music industry, gaining followers and support through the media by starting off small and steadily gaining popularity. Specific companies will target a defined group with their product, a tactic employed in all areas of advertising to appeal the brand to a specific market. In this way, when making a film, the effects of the media, how well the people are influenced by said piece, and the controversal nature of the convention are all necessary to take into consideration.

Representation is also a mandatory consideration during the making of a film. The film has to express a certain point, and it must do so with accuracy; there is little point targeting a certain group if the information is wrong. Or how about a hospital-based film that gives false medical information? Everything must be pre-emptively studied during these pieces to achieve a desirable final product, and to hit home and relate to the given audience. Representation is the study of how a media text represents the world to the viewer, and in this way, media product, forms and conventions, camera angles and shots are all required for the synopsis and close analysis of the film. If we're filming a bridge, that's fair enough, but the question is why are we filming said bridge? There must be reason and purpose behind all elements of a media piece, and everything will be storyboarded beforehand to ensure this.

Working practices in an institution are significant in terms of decisions about the end results. Often during storyboarding, and even filming, pieces of film will be disbanded or deleted completely in favour of new ones. The original and initial idea is often just a road to the final conclusion, not the finishing specification itself. The owner of the distribution, and distribution companies must be entailed (Paramount, Universal Pictures etc), as well as any convergeances made, or affiliations with other companies and distribution labels. If a film is released in more than one country for example, there will often be several different marketeers to distribute the film in their home countries.

Psycho

Psycho, perhaps Alfred Hitchcock's finest and most well known work, has been studied for a great deal of time during our lessons. The whole film was a brilliant thriller, and an excellent narrative to depict the inner workings of Norman Bates' fragmented mind. The film has received much praise among the industry, and Alfred Hitchcock's ascension to greatness was greatly influenced by Psycho. I have chosen to talk in depth about one of the particular scenes in Hitchcock's film, and to evaluate everything within it, from Mise-en-Scen conventions, sound both diegetic and non-diegetic, and camera angles from alternating perspectives.

The Setting: The motel, particularly the lobby.

The Plot: Marrian has escaped from town with $70,000 worth of cash. She spends the night in a motel, where she is offered dinner by the owner of the establishment, Norman Bates. Norman enters his house to make her some food, where he is reprimanded by his 'mother' for feeding strangers. Marrian waits just outside her room, awkwardly hearing the ensuing scene.

Diagetic sound is used from the very beginning of this scene, with the voice-over of Norman's mother clearly heard shouting from the window, though the track itself is obviously placed over the existing score. Marrian feels awkward as she stands in the doorway, darkness outside and light within her room, as if her last chance to enter the salvation of her abode is established. There is a long-shot of the house, and Marrian is stood stroking her arm and looking around, clearly uncomfortable with the scene. The darkness of the night creates a foreboding sense, emphasised by the shadow of the car on the wall, which Norman moves into when he returns to her with food. The old fashioned look theme of the house creates a sinister tone, and from this we can see Norman owns an old building that may harbour secrets best left untouched. Dead tree silhouettes are upon the wall, emphasising death within the narrative. Scary music plays on string violin as he leaves the house, approaching her as the music dramatises. Tension is built from this, showing that something unfortunate may be about to happen.

Low-key lighting is incorporated, and the dim lighting of the lamps in the rooms shows potential safety. The camera shows both the characters from the side, both in the shot, with quick shots between the two of them. The camera is mostly a point-of-view shot from Marrian's perspective, watching Norman and his reaction. The audience is positioned behind Marian, seeing things from her point of view. The camera pans to show them both from the side once more, Norma stood in the darkness before Marrian. Camera zooms out to show the room, as Marrian invites him in. Norman seems nervous and reluctant to enter.

Marian has experience with men, and controls this scene. She steals most of the camera time, and she is clearly in control, for now. The two characters observe one another, and Marrian laughs kindly at Norman's attempts to compliment her. They eventually decide that, through Norman's invitation, eating in the parlour is a better idea, and he leads her into his lair. A low-angle shot shows them both walking into the room, as Norman disappears into the darkness, Marrian still in the light. Norman soon takes control of the situation, receiving more camera time. Norman turns the parlour light on, and we see Marrian with her arms crossed to show nervousness. A stuffed owl is shown in the parlour as the camera performs a close-up shot. The owl is a bird of prey, representing things that Norman may do during this scene. Taxidermy, Norman's hobby, is a rare and bizarre hobby, reflective of his personality.

Marrian is clearly disturbed by the situation, but remains composed. A shot of a raven ready to strike is shown above, and the shadow hangs across much of the wall, acting a symbol of death. A low-angle shot of Norman is used, with him usurping dominance over the scene by filling and being above most of the camera. The shadow of the owl wings on the wall behind him spread out behind his head like horns of the devil, showing murderous and wicked intentions to his character. The shadows show his alter-ego and dark side, his eyes dark to reflect his past.

Marrian sits in front of him, eating quietly to herself. Norman is seen looking nervous, stating that she 'eats like a bird'. Surrounding Norman are pictures and candles. He is nervous and struggles with words, particularly 'falsety', which takes him several moments to distinguish. He sits in the dark whilst Marrian is in the light, the two contrasting forces showing their roles in the scene. There is a telephone on the table behind her, symbolising that she may need to call for help. Surrounding Norman are hard and straight objects, whilst dainty and round objects immerse Marrian. She has feminist items surrounding her, such as mirrors and pillows, incongruent to those around Norman. She seems to humour him, remaining secret around her past and pretending to take an interest in what he says, at this point asking all of the right questions. Norman sits back in his chair, caressing an object with his free hand, which under much speculation, could represent a phallic object and the implement to which he extends and emphasises his sexual desire for Marrian.

Norman potentially has an Oedipus Complex as his mind unravels, his Freudian stance adopted when talk turns to his mother. The camera pans between the both of them in a medium shot as they discuss their pasts. ''What are you running from?'', he asks, and he speaks of private traps and imagines himself being trapped in a prison. Marrian slowly falls out of main-charactisation, instead falling behind Norman in terms of speech and camera time. He expresses his superiority over her through this. The camera zooms in upon his face, the dark shadow behind showing that his mother is watching his movements and words against her. He shows a defiance to her and a need to break free, something that Marrian can relate to. He uses blunt mannerisms and words, 'cold and damp' and 'grave' when he speaks of her room if he were to leave her. There is a parenthesis after he says this, leading into a dark tone adopted in the narrative.

Marrian speaks of putting her in a home. He moves forwards in his chair, shocked, and Marrian backs away. The music resumes to show fear and foreboding. His view is a profile shot, his face the main caption of the camera. The mood changes, Norman challenging Marrian when she tells him to put his mother 'away someplace'. The birds are in the background, his allies in his fell swoop. He speaks as if he has been to a mental institution before, and he starts becoming hysterical, calling his mother as 'harmless' as the stuffed birds, references to later in the story where she herself is stuffed and preserved after he murders her. There appears to be an inner conflict occuring in Norman's mind, as if Marrian is no longer present in the room, as he argues with his mother's mentality. Eye contact is made severely at this point, showing that Marrian may follow the same fate as Norman's mother.

Thriller Opening - A Comparison of Duel and Speed

Duel
Director - Steven Spielberg
Year - 1972

The Opening:

Shown from the perspective of a car driving on the road. A radio voice over plays over the top of the car driving, the sound diegetic and coming from the cars interior. The radio station keeps switching between presenters and commentaries, speaking about various news of the day, including weather and a crime in the local area. The car continues driving as the image crossfades, credits showing as the car continues on the road. We see the camera from the cars perspective at several points, as if a hint of things to come; somebody may see the car from behind, and this is reflected in the driving of the car. Panning shots are also incorporated in order to show the car travelling a long distance.

Credits are shown rising across the screen between cross-fading shots, the font yellow and eye-catching, to show the cast and crew of the piece. Steven Spielberg is the last name to appear, the director being seen as the most important character of the piece. We see the man driving the car from behind, with no passenger present, to create a foreboding sense that something will come up behind and attack him. A long car journey ensues, with the camera dissolving into the film, the opening creating a dark and sinister tone.




Speed
Director - Jon de Bont
1994

The Opening:

Scary music showing the lowering of an elevator, with little else occuring, showing the descent of the elevator in the shaft. The music is exciting and fast paced, and the introduction up to the credits relies entirely on the quick successive music to drive the narrative, with the credits appearing upon the screen, moving in time with the movements of the lift. This same scene continues for a couple of minutes, the lift gaining speed and flashing lights shooting by, until the lift comes to a grinding halt, 'Speed' bursting across the scene with non-diagetic sound representing a boom, shooting the words across the screen.


Comparisons

Many comparisons can be drawn between the two films, and these are all mediated by the impact on the audience. It is interesting to note that, whilst Speed's opening is a far simpler design, the overall affect is more engaging for the viewer. Speed's primary focus is upon the music to drive the introduction, which is essentially just a panning down shot of an elevator shaft. Our teacher even muted the volume whilst we were watching it, and it was interesting to see how people's attention and focus was broken and how quickly it happened. Without sound, the atmospheric and quick-paced music to drive the opening, Speed has little to keep it going. Duel on the other hand relies upon complex narrative to drive the film, with no music as such, and instead a serious of radio stations being broadcast throughout the car. In terms of openings, Duel is a far more complex affair, featuring not only a variety of shots and camera angles, but also different locations and different media conventions. Whether it's placing the camera upon a car bonnet to film what's ahead, or having a non-existant passenger in the back watching the driver of the car, Duel relies on engaging the viewer in a far different manner. It's fitting that the more modern film caters to a more modern audience; those that like in-your-face action and quick, booming music to set the scene. To a modern audience, Duel does not hold up quite as well as it would have during the making of, as it focuses on a much slower build, gradually creating the atmosphere, rather than throwing us in at the deep end. From the initial offset, Speed is clearly a fast, action-packed thrill ride. Duel on the other hand loses out on this classification, but works well with a wittier and more thought out script, especially for the opening. Both engage the viewer, but as a modern audience myself, I must say that Speed had the most immediate appeal to me. However, I appreciate and respect that Duel is an elaborate and twisting story that requires a lengthy viewing, and maybe several after, to truly take it all in. Speed lacks this, but focuses on a sharper, more energetic edge.

Other comparisons may also be drawn; Speed focuses on low-key lighting and quick images. Duel on the other hand has bright sequences that show the audience what is happening clearly and with ease. It is easy at first glance to tell that Speed is going to be a thriller, yet stumbling into the opening of Duel, it could just as well be a documentary. The genre is not as obvious until later on in the film during Duel, the opening sequence designed to set the scene, as opposed to Speed's quick depth of charge to entice the viewer. All in all, both films are good representatives of the genre, though Speed is the most accessible to a modern audience, who have grown up with computers, mobile phones and fast living.

Final Destination

Year - 2000
Director - James Wong
Genre - Supernatural Thriller

Final Destination is a brilliant concept for a film, and one that I personally find to be a very good example of the Thriller genre. It's a Supernatural Thriller, based in real life with a fictitous undertone, centering around a group of students at University, who are being watched by 'Death'. When they escape a burning plane, when Alex (Devon Sawa) has a premonition of its' malfunction, they watch in fear as his vision comes true, the plane exploding before their very eyes. As they were supposedely 'meant' to have died upon the plane, they are persued by death throughout the film, one by one dying in the order that they would have on the plane. What entails is fate intervening with the characters, and some gruesome deaths occuring as they slowly get killed off.

The film itself is well made, in that attachments to the characters are made, so that their deaths have meaning; these are not just mindless drones being killed, but real people that the viewer can sympathise with. The low-key lighting and falsetto arrangements that occur just before the characters deaths, with particular implements focused on by the camera creates a thrilling since of disturbia. For example, at one point, we hear a whisper of wind, and a metallic piece of shrapnel is shown blowing upon a train track. We know that this metal IS going to kill one of the students, but we don't know how, which is part of the mystery behind Final Destination; often the deaths themselves are predictable, but the way in which they occur breaks the obvious mould. When the train eventually passes over the track, the group all look safe, standing by the roadside and talking. Then all of a sudden, deaths plan comes into action, the metal is flung up as the underside of the train strikes it, and it hereby decapitates one of the characters. The deaths are theatrisiced aptly, and seem genuinely chilling. The film itself is a good example of a modern and unique take on death and the Thriller genre. As much of the film incorporates low-key lighting, we often have a distorted look at what's going on. There are things easily missed this way and further watchings can reveal far more to the film than an initial viewing.

One of the best set pieces is how death seems to not only kill the characters, but torture them sadistically as well. At one point, the teacher of the students, who was also on the trip with them when the plane exploded and has thus been marked for death, is drinking coffee from a mug. We see the mug crack, and water starts dripping out. She places the mug upon her computer monitor, and the water leaks into the electrics. The screen explodes, and glass flies into her neck. This could have easily killed her, but instead we watch her bleeding and clutching her neck, gasping for air. The mise-en-scene here shows continuous ways for her to help herself, with rugs and mats that could have soaked up the blood, yet in her panic we watch death arduously and tauntingly abusing her, making her run for help in a nearby room. Her house catches fire as she rushes into the kitchen, slipping over on some of the spilt water from the mug earlier. The way that everything plans out to fit together has integral continuity to the storyline, and on this level Final Destination succeeds, with it's macabre density and gritty realism. She finally reaches up for the towel on the kitchen counter, which slips down far enough to just be in her reach, her throat still bleeding and impaled with glass. However, a knife rack is resting on top of the towel, and as she pulls the towel over the edge of the counter, the knives fall, stabbing her in numerous places. Final Destination is clearly aimed at an audience that can tolerate cringe-worthy moments, and is certificated 15 in the United Kingdom, with good reason. The violence isn't inherantly brutal, but it is deceitfully wicked.

Another reason that made me pick Final Destination as my featured Thriller, is the characters names. It sounds bizarre, but the many of the surnames of the characters are designed to be tributes to existing film directors, particularly for the Film Noir and Thriller Genres. The characters in the film are as follows, paired with their historic counterparts:

Billy Hitchcock: Named after Alfred Hitchcock (Psycho, The Birds)

Ms. Valerie Lewton: Named after Val Lewton in first and surname (I walked with a Zombie, Cat People)

Tod Waggner: Named after George Waggner, an American Film Director, Actor and Producer (Phantom of the Opera, The Wolf Man)

The idea was to provide a homage to inspirational directors who influenced the filming of Final Destination. We can clearly see the Psycho tendencies running through the production, and there is a definitive Film Noir edge, particularly in the low-key lighting and characterisations employed. We see the excelled bombast of classics of George Waggner, and the theatrical labeling of the film provides us with a production in Final Destination that combines much of the appeal of past films made by the respective directors listed above. In this way, Final Destination not only captivates the imagination with it's prolific darkness and psuedo-realism, but also expresses the Thriller genre delightfully.

Media Conventions - Vladimir Propp

Vladimir Propp had a view on narrative structure that was different to almost any conceived at the time. In short, he saw all prose, novelistic or otherwise, to have the same basic outline of structure, which he represented in eight different key archtypes. He analyzed over one hundred texts to try and highlight his studies, and he was rewarded with the basic principles in which he established. He found that all narrative contained:


1. The Villain — Designed to struggle against the hero, and to fall in the final, usually climactic duel.
2. The Donor — Offers preparation to the hero, and often gives them advice or information, or a magical implement used to help them. In all cases, The Doner gives the hero an item to help in their quest.
3.The Helper — Usually a secondary character who accompanies the hero, The Helper aids in the quest directly.
4.The Princess - Often the prize awaiting the hero at the end of the narrative, mostly through promise of marriage. Usually lacks refinement in character, and designed to be the object of the heroes desire.
5. The Father — Often gives the task to the hero, to rescure his daughter, for example, usually with the promise of something in return, for example marriage to said daughter, or land or wealth.
6. The Dispatcher — The character who sends the hero off on his quest. Usually the initial giver of information, and can be linked to The Father.
7. The Victim — An often used character type who carries the weight of the narrative and recieves the most sympathy, The Victim is usually killed by the lead Villain, before being defeated by the Hero.
8. The Traitor - Often the false hero, and can usually be found trying to steal the glory of the hero, for example taking the Princess as his own, or betraying the Hero in a way that directly affects the storyline.

Criticism to Vladimir's work does exist, with some stating that his simple take is reductionistic, putting things in their simplest form without taking into consideration the subtle consistencies of the narrative. However, Propp's idealogy does hold a sturdy basis in most situations in the theme, and narrative structure does often follow his outline.

The Ambient Soundscape

Yay! Finally got music on here. HTML is confusing...but ah! This should hopefully jazz the Blog up a bit, and I should be adding a few more tunes over the coming weeks to make my blog that little bit more engaging. This first one up is my favourite instrumental: Hells Kitchen, by Dream Theater.

If you'd like to turn the music off at any point, just simply press the 'stop' button on the music panel.

Our Final Production - Planning

The Initial Idea:

The Usual Suspects

Director - Bryan Singer
Genre - Neo-Noir
Year - 1995

The Usual Suspects is a neo-noir based film, reviving the film noir of the early 20th century with an engaging storyline, a cast of characters that immediately appeal to their given audience, and a creative flair that leads the viewer into a puzzle that they must solve. The story follows that of five professional criminals, getting back together for one more job, though things take a turn for the worse, and they slowly start getting killed off by the mysterious 'Keyser Söze', a terrifying enigma whose identity remains unknown until the finishing segment of the film. The introduction to the film places the most emphasis on the film noir genre, by playing the rest of the film out as a flashback, a similar tactic deployed in both 'Double Indemnity' and 'I walked with a Zombie'. The opening is present day, with much of the film working as a monologue from one of the five criminals (and the only one to survive; Verbal), and he occasionally delves back into the current situation, where he is being interogated by the police. When he explaining what happened to his companions, the film works as a past experience, though the narrator may be unreliable in his commentary, leading the audience to not necessarily believe everything that Verbal has to say, and making us make our own assumptions over the identity of the mysterious murderer.

The opening to the film is different to many modern day films, in that it has a slow beginning designed to haunt the viewer with chilling, soaring soundscapes of violins an string instruments, the faint sound of piano notes echoing through to create an atmospheric feel. The camera during the opening spans across a mass of water, potentially a river or the sea, with lights from large skyscrapers ahead reflecting onto it during the night. We see the water moving delicately as the lights ripple upon it, the moon clearly visable through the panning shot. For most of the opening, we see the actors names, with the director (Bryan Singer) being shown last, to show his control over the piece, as if all others are under him in terms of the film. The credits appear on the screen and fade out as the camera spans, the names of those involved appearing just above the water.

Eventually, after this initial opening sequence, we see flames, with crates stacked around, and a fire clearly burning around them. The sequence is at a dockyard at this point, the ominous violins' creating tension as we see the lead character of the piece, Keaton, sitting hunched up against the box, wounded and finding it hard to breath. He has a trail of gunpowder leading to his body, and the camera pans up to reveal his face, entering a profile shot, slightly off centre. We hear diegetic sound as the footsteps of Keyser Söze appearing over the top of the quiet, melodic track, as the mysterious figure's boots are all that we see of his figure. Keaton is shown laughing, and then he speaks, the gravelly, dark voice of Keyser Söze answering him. Keaton is shown with sweat upon his forehead as the flames grow around him. The two of them engage in conversation for a little longer, and then Keyser Söze produces a gun and shoots Keaton. He then walks away, lighting a match and dropping it on the gunpowder, to eliminate any trace of evidence. An explosion is then seen as the entire shipyard goes up, and then the film begins with Verbal's monologue.

The scene at the dockyard is a scene used far later in the film, but one that immediately raises questions. We want to know who Keyser Söze is, why Keaton was injured, and what the two of them were doing at the harbour. The questions are answered across the course of the film, and this opening sequence acts as a way to draw the viewer in, and offering an insight into what the film will entail.

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity, made in 1944 by Billy Wilder follows the story of a young insurance man, being roped into the femme fatal's trap in a plot to kill her husband, using accident insurance to earn her money from his demise. What unfolds is a tainted love story between the two star crossed characters, with the ultimate eventuality being their death. The film is designed to emphasise that film noir dark undertone, with the moral issue being raised that murder cannot be gotten away with.



''Keys' asking Neff for spare change''

Opening:

The film opens with a speeding car jumping through the lights. It is dark and there is rain upon the ground. The introduction acts as a fluent caste to present the characters, as well as to set the tone for the Film Noir thriller. The night-scene is typical of the Film Noir genre, and it serves as a perfect introduction to what turns out to be a sinister story of betrayel and murder. We see Neff getting out of the car, at this point un-named and enigmatic, and in terms of mise-en-scene, his coat is carried over his shoulder in an informal fashion, perhaps expressing his callous attitude and mysterious tendencies. Low-key lighting keeps us into the dark as Neff moves into the darkness, with sinister music placed in the background on a low dub, as to not distract from the movie; the music is serviceable as a method of carrying the film along, not dominating it.

The opening narrative in the lift shows that he's not only working late, but also reveals his profession as an insurance broker. The lift-worker seems to look up to him, which is shown in Neff's tallness compared to his, as he towers over him. This represents Neff's higher rank, and his dominating persona. In his office, there is low-key lighting, and there are shadows written across the walls and flooring. Ominous music featuring string instruments can be heard in the background. As he enters the room, we see the silhuotte of his body through the doorway. As he turns a desk-lamp on, his face is illuminated in a frightening way, and his turning on of the lamp, and becoming bringer of the light shows his control over the story. We know that this character is going to be the main focus of the story purely by his perception and presentation, and from this we learn to understand Neff as more than just a fictional creation; he becomes a harbinger of our own emotions across the storyline, and many of the thoughts and feelings that he has are perfectly rational.

The depth of field during the opening varies. Generally, central items are the main focus, with the outside blurred. Occasionally, for example when he dials the phone, the phone becomes the main centre of attention, and Neff himself becomes blurred. There is a narrow depth of field throughout much of the opening, with Neff clearly dominating the scene. We see a long, static shot where he withdraws a pack of cigarettes and begins to smoke one, lighting the match in a particular fashion that is seen throughout the movie at several points, usually during dangerous scenario's, or after something climactic has occured. The initial scene is a flashback, yet set in present time, with a monologue spoken over the top of the ensuing scenes. The opening scene is in fact the same as the ending of the movie, with everything in between a flashback of the last few days, showing how he ended up in his initial situation. He makes references whilst on the phone to Key's, his assistant and close friend, to '[the case]' being 'wrapped up in tissue paper', which is expressed throughout the movie several times, introducing our secondary character, and showing that Key's will be featured throughout the movie as a source of confession to Neff.

The Scene at the House:

There are almost instantly sexual references made when Neff arrives at Phyllis' house. She says ''Is there anything [she] can do for [him]?'', which instantly creates a flirtatious tone to her voice. She is at once presented as the Femme Fatale character within the piece, and we know not to trust her from the very start. The fact that she's wrapped in a towel, having been sun bathing, shows her self-indulgent and flirtatious side, and Neff has no choice but to be captivated by her. She seems to drift between professional and laid back, and she clearly takes control of the situation, knowing exactly what she wants to use Neff for.

As Neff enters the living room, blinds are used with light flashing through, to creates darkened lines on all of the objects within the room, an idea used in other such Film Noir creations, such as 'The Postman always rings twice''. We see Mr. Diedrichson, Phyllis' husband, in one of the photo's upon the mantel piece, and the viewer see's from Neff's perspective, taking his side over the stern, harsh-looking Mr. Diedrichson. As Phyllis strolls down the stairs, there is increased emphasis put opn her legs, slowing panning up to her body, focusing an extra second or two on her chest, showing her intentions with Neff. She is still buttoning her top up as she walks into the living room, showing her flirtatious nature, and as she enters the living room, ready to discuss the plans for her husbands accident insurance, she stands in the darkness, a reflection of what is to come during the rest of the film.

''Is that a Film Noir plot device in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?''

I Walked with a Zombie

We watched 'I walked with a Zombie' on the 21st of October 2008, and the film was made in 1943; a collaberation between Val Lewton and Jaques Turnier. The premise of the film:

Plot: A young Canadian nurse (Betsy) comes to the West Indies to care for Jessica, the wife of a plantation manager (Paul Holland). Jessica seems to be suffering from a kind of mental paralysis as a result of fever. When she falls in love with Paul, Betsy determines to cure Jessica even if she needs to use a voodoo ceremony, to give Paul what she thinks he wants. - Adapted from IMDB.COM.

The atmosphere induces low-key lighting to create a tense environment. The boat scene at the start makes references to diegetic sound in narrative, and non-diegetic in the sound of the arteficial rain. The scene in the jungle feature a shot from the first person view, showing the two characters walking through the reeds, with a rustling wind clearly added for dramatic effect. Music is added when appropriate, with the drums and conch of the congo present.

Character is established in I Walked with a Zombie effectively, as each of the many characters have a surreal twist to their involvement in the plot. Whether it's the paralysed Jessica, who always looks like a blank slate in need of illustrating, to the African guardian whose eyes are pure white, the characters are all equally bizarre and dream-like, to create a sense of mystery to the plot, and the progression of the characters within it. In terms of mise-en-scene, the female characters wear long dresses, and the casting is centered around popular actors of the era. The men are attired in suits and posh clothing, to enforce their wealth and power in the story, though the women are the main characters of the piece. Betsy and Jessica come off as the strongest and most independant, even if Jessica is unable to speak, and therefore intially seems vulnerable. Camera angles are shown close-up, to highlight the events of the movie, and low-key lighting, particularly in the tower scene where Jessica is first introduced, is used fluently. We see low-key lighting especially in the jungle as well, with shadows playing a key role in setting the scene. There is diegetic sound in that the wind seems overly raucous, yet it creates a sinister tone, enforced by the drums of the congo.

The introduction shows the lead character giving a monologue, almost joking with the viewer that '[she] walked with a Zombie', as if it's the most farfetched thing imaginable. There are archaic chants in the background, with a clear, warm palette serving as the backdrop as the sky is seen. The pleasant background leads the viewer into a false sense of security, and is not representative of the rest of the film. The story acts as a personal recount of the lead characters adventure as a nurse on the island, and her voice-over is non diegetic. She is well-dressed, and clearly of a high standard, as she is going for a well paid job, and is willing to move to a different country for it.

As she is on the ship to the island, there is atmospheric singing from the crew, creating a tense, swashbuckling mood. As she arrives at the compound, there are blinds with shadows seeping through, similarly seen in 'Double Indemnity', and these show her almost to be trapped within a cage. Music tenses up as she moves towards the tower where she can hear crying. The lights cut out around her, though the window blinds remain illuminated, showing their important in setting the scene. Shadows are cast across the leads face, and we can see her obvious fear from the crying in the night. A point-of-view shot is incorporated to show what she see's through the window. The patient is in the forbidden tower, and as she moves up the stairs anxiously, the slow-pace of the film builds, as does the tension of what might happen to her. To the viewer, it is difficult to see what is going on within the tower, and as Jessica walks towards her, the whiteness of her dress makes her appear as a revenant, and the ghost of the piece. This scene is accompanied by string instruments at a quick pace, creating a scary sense of terror as the 'Zombie' moves towards Betsy. Supernatural occurances happen frequently at the compound, and as the country was once in slavery, it is said that the 'women still weep'. The sound of the crying during the night is terrifying to behold, and it creates a darker tone of emotional dread.

The locals are seen singing whilst Betsy is at a restaurant, and the sheriff asks them to stop, finding their words to be frightening and inappropriate. The singing local acts as a narrator, moving closer to the main character through the darkness, his eyes wide and transfixed upon her, as he prophesises what will happen to her. As Jessica's husband, Paul, begins to confess his inner emotions to her, the music grows meloncholy and melodic, in a typically old-fashioned way portraying sentiment. He then becomes hard-shelled again, and the violins create a moody atmosphere. The film ensues with contrasting emotions, and much of 'I Walked with a Zombie's' appeal comes from character development, and well-thought out plot progression over fast-paced action. 'I Walked with a Zombie' is subtle and brooding; a foreboding insight into the darker corners of Film Noir.




'I walked with a Zombie' contains some chilling scenes, for example this shot of the Zombie with the lead heroine.


RKO pictures made this film.