15 December 2011
9 December 2011
Preliminary Task Conclusion - Audience Feedback
In this task, we have received multiple feedback comments about how well our group's work fits the criteria for this project. Both of these comments explain that our preliminary task meets all of the criteria, and includes a match on action, shot/reverse/shot and use of the 180° rule. Also, good and bad points have been presented which will be considered when we begin work on our practical task.
Both critics have stated that the use of camerawork and editing in the preliminary task is good, with the use of conventional editing techniques establishing a sense of continuity and a "natural style" in this scene. However, also recognized in the comments is the use of "imaginative" camera angles, which whilst conforming to the Thriller genre, show "what the audience is required to take in". An example of this is the close up of the latches of the case, with the use of focus clearly highlighting the action which the audience should know is happening, which helps the viewer's sense of the continuity in the scene.
On comment notes that the pace of editing in this clip is somewhat faster then the expected pace would be. Whilst this can be considered a good point creating what he describes as a "sense of urgency", I'm not sure that we intended to do this, and so pace of editing will be something to remember to consider in our next project.
Another topic covered by the feedback comments is the use of mise-en-scene. Unlike the feedback about camerawork and editing, some bad points are clearly presented. One of these was the use of set. The use of what appears to be an office is somewhat unusual, and whilst it does make the suited character seem powerful, it is also somewhat contrasting with his costume, with the use of dark clothes and a Trilby hat making him look 'shady', perhaps a different, darker environment should have been used.
To continue, the lighting of the scene could also be improved, again because of the contrast with my character's clothes with the setting. As recommended in the comment, low key lighting could be used as it would conform to the Thriller genre.
Feedback on the use of sound is scarce, however in my opinion the audio in our preliminary task could be greatly improved. This is due to the fairly rushed nature of our work on that key area in post.
To conclude, in our next task we will use our feedback form this task and be more conscious of pacing, set design and location, lighting and sound.
1 December 2011
Thriller Analysis - Suspense
Cape Fear
In Cape Fear suspense is created through the use of music and shot composition. Throughout the duration of the antagonist's presence in a scene, very ominous music plays. This is a clear sign to the viewer of this man's antagonistic presence within the plot and builds the level of suspense. Shot composition is utilised frequently to build the level of suspense, with use of shadow and fragmentation of characters to prevent the audience from constructing an omniscient understanding of the scene, creating suspense through their lack of knowledge of where/who the character is.
This is seen prominently in the scene in which the antagonist in the movie, Max Cady approaches the young schoolgirl. This scene is shown predominantly from her view, which allows for fragmented views of characters to be used, since she is shown hiding and peering out towards her supposed assailant. At the beginning of this scene, the girl sitting in a car looks through the windscreen, and the antagonist is singled out from the other people by being framed as dead central in the shot. This connotes that even though this scene is shown through the girl's perspective, the antagonist is still a more powerful figure. His slow approach towards the girl (and the camera) coupled with the way the shot is framed from within the car promotes the feeling of the girl being trapped builds up tension and suspense until it is somewhat released as she flees the car.
Silence of the Lambs
As opposed to Cape Fear, the more modern Silence of the Lambs builds up suspense through using the view of the antagonist. In the climactic scene, the protagonist is seen through the antagonist's view, rather than the other way around. This is due to the lights in the basement being switched off, and the room being completely dark. Whilst the protagonist is unable to see anything, the antagonist can clearly see her due to the use of night vision goggles. This builds up suspense as the audience can see for themselves how helpless the woman is and how much of an advantage the antagonist has over her, as well as his body is fragmented, we see his hands from first person, and a shot of his face is also present, with the upper part of it being blocked from view by his goggles. This fragmented image builds up suspense as the viewer is not able to clearly see the threat, causing him to be dehumanised to the point where he represents evil and danger, rather than a person.