Narrative Theory

The Fast and the Furious is a 2001 American-German street racing action film starring Paul Walker, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster and directed by Rob Cohen
Equilibrium:  LAPD officer Brian O'Conner
Disruption: he is sent undercover on a joint FBI-LAPD investigation to infiltrate the local L.A. illegal street racing scene
Recognition: Brian realises that Dominic is the hijacker and confesses to Mia his status as an undercover cop.
Restored order:  Brian and Dominic chase them, with Dom in his Charger. He forces Lance's motorcycle off the road, severely injuring him, while Brian, after a short chase, manages to shoot and kill Tran.
New Equilibrium: Dom assuming that he will be apprehended, but instead of arresting him, Brian hands over the keys to the Supra and lets him escape, making good on his promise to deliver a "ten-second car". Dom takes the car and drives away, and Brian walks away, knowing that he is now a fugitive.

Group update 29-01-13

Today we mainly started uploading our footage to the computer and began reviewing what footage we are going to re film, we also started re-naming each clip so that it will be quicker when editing. E.g we filmed the establishing shot two or three times and we chose the best one.

Group update 24/25-01-13

Over the past two days we filmed the majority of our sequence. We filmed in the lab and in the office. I thought that it went fairly well because we got all the shots that we planned to do and we had the right actors, however I think that we will need to re-film bits because some of the framing isn't right, like the one of the scenes on the lab because Theo's head is half cut off and I don't that that it  looks professional

Spooks sequence analysis

Sequence A

Firstly we are shown an establishing shot of the outside of the building and then we see a character in the office searching for profiles on the computer and the computer reads 'top secret' we see a shot of him typing and a side shot of his face. Then we cut to the warehouse and we see a box containing jewellery

We are given information on the screen of the computer and wear the office is also the side of the face of the character, we can see the jewellery being thrown into the box in the warehouse

But we don’t know why the character is searching for these specific people, we don’t know why they are in the warehouse or why they are taking jewellery and putting it into a box. We also can't see the full face of the character in the office

This sequence is important because it gives us as the audience a small insight into what the man is searching for on the computer and the fact that people are taking something but we don’t know why, or if the people are stealing. Also because the scene is intercut we know that it is all linked together but we don’t know how 

We need to see the in between scenes to show that it is all linked, the audience want to see the enigma of the scene. The order of the sequence increases the level of interest as it giving part of the story but not all of it. 

Sequence B 

They cut between the action at MI5 and the thieves to show that they are linked but also because at MI5 these could be the people that they are searching for on the computer

 When I first saw them I thought that they were taking jewellery for a certain purpose, but I didn’t think that they were stealing 

Screen shot K is crucial to knowing what the thieves are doing also screens D and L because then we can see the faces of the people that they are looking for.

We see less of the thieves because they want to create a mystery to them and, as they are thieves they don't want to give too much away, or this could indicate that we are not supposed to know too much about them

10 we know what they are doing towards the end of the sequence, it takes a long time because they want to leave the enigma there as long as possible to keep the audience interested 

Analysing opening sequences

1) Halloween 1963 
The opening sequence is generally spooky and shifty. We instantly know that the camera is representing the view of the character who we soon find out is the killer. It is set in a suburban area in a large house at night time this adds to the atmosphere as we usually associate large houses as creepy as they are usually empty. The camera movement is generally handheld and shaky this shows that

2) Juno 
The movie is aimed at teenagers as the main characters are teenagers and they instantly deal with 'teenage issues’ that are relationships. It starts off outside her house in the afternoon with an establishing shot then to a master shot then a close up of her facial expression and her reminiscing about the past and we see a flash back then her again outside her house then the sequence goes into a cartoon which is more appealing to teens then any other audience as she walks through the streets in we get a small sense of her personality and what she likes because we see different shops and certain places that she passes through. The music in the background is acoustic and uses a harmonica, which could suggest that it may be a little bit country; the lyrics also could be seen to be associated with her situation. 

3) The Fast And The Furious 

Firstly we see the universal logo then we see a reflection of a crate in the logo, which looks metallic, and a brownish goldish colour which could symbolise rust of the cars or it being expensive and co- ordinates with the current background of the scene against the blue and the colour of the crate, which is a similar colour.

We then see the crate being attached to the truck, we are then shown the inside of the truck with all the expensive Panasonic equipment this is an important scene for the audience because we are given an insight into what is going on and it is important information for later. 

Then we follow a character on the phone as he confirms that the truck has been sealed and where it is going, we then cut to the night and see the same truck and 3 of the same car drive by with green lights underneath and we hear the enhanced zoom sound to make them sound faster. 

The characters are all dressed in black suits with motorcycle helmets on the costume can symbolise that the characters are shifty and it is clear to the sudience of there intentions because there heads are covered an this usually means that they are trying to hide something 

Later We see an establishing shot of the city. We mainly see men and vehicles which makes it more appealing to men therefore making the move generally aimed at men £

Group update 22-01-13

Today we finished off filming our sequence in Kingston, we filmed by the river. We filmed at night so that there wouldn't be a continuity error with the daylight. Some problems we had were that people would go in front of the camera when we were trying to film so it may take the attention away from the main character, but when they went behind or to the side I thought it was good because it added to to making the sequence and location more natural.

Editing Sequences

East Enders - Who is Kats lover?
The editing in this sequence shows an enigma as the first shot is of Janine and her husband, we the audience can see that they are both awake, but Janine believes that her husband is asleep and the camera slowly zooms in. Then we cut to a more overview of the bed, using match on action and see her husband waking up and picking up his phone then we pan while watching him walk out of the room this is an important scene to the audience because we feel like we are given a special insight into what is going on and we can begin to start predicting what is going to happen.

Then we cut to Janine to see her turning over in the bed watching him walk out of the room. It has been edited in this way to show us the reaction of both characters, and so we know what is going on without them actually communicating. Janine then gets out of the bed and walks around the bed where her husband walked and stopped just in front of the camera the camera is, we then see a mid shot of her, they used a mid shot to show her body language and a clear view of her facial expression this a clear shot because now the audience can begin to understand wether the situation is going to be good or bad.

We then see Kat picking petals off a bunch of flowers and on the phone, this particular shot could make the audience link Kat being on the phone with Janine’s husband. Through out the rest of the sequence the scenes jump to different characters being on the phone.



Haven - (TV Show) - A conversation over dinner (chief)
We see an establishing shot of the outside building then we see a master shot of the inside of the restaurant then we cut to focus on a woman at the dinner table then dialogue begins and there are jump cut between the man and the woman showing that these are the main characters and emphasising the importance of this dialogue. The pace is fairly fast which shows the intensity.

Then it cuts between the chef and we cut between the different people talking, all the people in the restaurant are in formal clothing which could suggest that it is a fairly expensive restaurant. It is very secretive throughout because the main couple are mostly whispering to each other and there a lot of mid shots.

We see two people talking which is supposed to be private and we seen the couple looking over and eavesdropping as they are trying to gather evidence against the chef and the fact that they are trying to poison them. The mood is jolly and happy then is suddenly changes and people get sick and start to die. 


The Pelican Brief - Film - Will they be killed? (Car) Thriller 
Firstly we see two people walking away from the camera and because the camera is behind them we know that we are following them then we cut to another two people walking towards the camera from the building behind then we cut to see that they are following the first two people. 

Then we cut to them in a car park walking and because the camera is behind pillars and cars we know that camera is sort of hiding from them or it could signify that they are doing some secretive business getting into a car. Then we cut to see a different and he seems to be watching them we cut back to the first two and we see them in the car looking through papers and documents. 

We then see them get out of the car and the camera tracks them as they run for the door and we cut to the man looking at them from the other car then we cut back to them trying to open the door to get out and we track them as they run away from the man and there is a lot of match on action and we keep cutting back to the person that is casing them but from far away (long shot) so we know that he is there but we cant see his facial expression. 

Then the couple jump down on to a car and there is a little bit of slow motion to emphasis how far they jump. The cutting has slowed down as we track to see them sitting down breathing heavily this signifies the initial case is over and that they think that they are safe but not completely. Later in the sequence the chase starts again and there is a constant pan when they are going up the stairs. Then we see the man chasing them in the car and gunshots are fired then right at the end the car explodes

Final Pitch idea and my reflection on the pitch idea

Storyline

-inside a science laboratory, three scientists are working on a special formula
{wearing lab coats and lab goggles}

-scientist 1 writes up some calculations before saying  "I think I've cracked it" 

-retrieves a vial of black liquid from a the store room and adds a drop to the main formula vial.

-formula is finished. 

-sound of a car pulling up outside the laboratory causes the scientists to get into a panic

-scientists carefully put it into 3 vials and put those into a foam lined briefcase.

-close up of man getting out of car outside lab [close up of door opening, and feet hitting the floor]

-scientist 1 hands the guy the briefcase.

-exits via the rear of the building with the briefcase, leaving the scientists in the lab.

-shots of the guy walking calmly away from the building.

-cut away to the lab where two men proceed to detain the two scientists.
 a third man enters the building and says to the scientists  "where is it" 

-one of the scientists replies  "its gone" 

-third man whips out his mobile phone [with credits on screen]

-calls a number and says  "its not here" 

-cut away to guy on other end of phone (boss)  "well...you had better find it"  [shot of only the lower quarter of face and mobile phone]

-cut back to the lab. third man says "lets go. bring one with you, deal with the other" put potato sack on the first scientist head, 
 take him outside, and put him in the back of the car, then go back into the lab, shoot the other scientist
 then return to the car, and proceed to drive away.

-camera behind car as it turns the corner

-match on action of the briefcase guy coming round the corner [front view]

-fade back into the scientist walking down a street, mid-afternoon/ evening, with the briefcase in hand

-proceeds to turn down an alleyway and walks a few meters,
 at which point he looks behind him and sees the silhouette of a man in a hat behind him.

-he turns his head back and sees the silhouette of another man in a hat  {so he is effectively trapped}.

-he stops and begins to asses his options, at which point the two men begin to walk towards him.

-the scientist begins to panic, and drops the briefcase onto the floor, revealing the three vials.

-the men in suits and hats increase their pace towards the scientist as he desperately tries to pick up the vials 
 and place them back into the briefcase.

-final shot. an Ariel view of the two men in suits on either side of the scientist [one in front, one behind].

Personally I like our idea because it is new and innovative compared to a lot of the student films that I have already scene, it shouldn't be to hard to film as we know exactly what time of day we need to film each scene at and we have easy access to all of the locations 

Institution Research

A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for the marketing of a film. The distributor may set the release date of a film and the method by which a film is to be exhibited or made available for viewing: for example, directly to the public either theatrically or for home viewing

Kaleidoscope Film Distribution (KFD)

based in Soho, London. 

it has released more than 250 titles to date

Launched in November 2008, Kaleidoscope Entertainment (KHE) is an integrated audio‐visual content business, with worldwide physical and digital entertainment distribution capabilities. It is the UK’s fastest growing film distributor year on year.   It sells, markets and distributes its own portfolio alongside third party labels in the UK and Ireland making it a very strong player in the Home Entertainment, Digital, Video On Demand and Television sales arenas also. 

 Including the following thrillers

 

Log line
Based on a genuine Twitter account, iKllr is the real and shocking story of a young woman’s abduction, documented through a series of anonymous clips posted on the internet.
 














Log line A career criminal breaks free from his gangland life only to find himself the target of retaliation.

 

Thriller - Genre

Thriller - Genre
The thriller genre uses suspense tension and excitement this keeps the audience gripped to the film an example of this is panic room.
There is often a specific scene where it makes the audience feel uneasy and they are put on edge.
There is a lot of low key/Dim lighting which adds a lot of shadows this can add a lot of dark and scary atmosphere or it can show an inner darkness in certain characters
The editing usually uses quick cuts and specific camera angles 
The sound usually uses music that gives tension
Characters - soldiers spies law enforcement officers stalkers criminals psychotic characters innocent citizens that get dragged into danger
Themes - crime spies chase suspense assassination terrorism political conspiracy supernatural events psychological mind games
Iconography - cars weapons urban settings tension building music
Feelings - excitement anticipation nerve wracking tension anxiety uncertainty

Examples of Thrillers
Sin City, also known as Frank Miller's Sin City,^[2] is a 2005 American crime thriller film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez
Salt is a 2010 American action thriller spy film directed by Phillip Noyce

Audience Research

Recently I asked 10  people between the ages of 10 to 48 the following questions for my audience research

Are you Male of Female?
Male 6
Female 4

How old are you?
10-15 2
16-21 5
22-27 1
28-33 0
38 +  2

When do you usually watch films?
Mourning  0
Afternoon 2
Evening 6
Night 2

Where do you watch films?
T.V. 4
Smart phone 1
Games Console 2
Computer 1
Cinema 2
Other 0

What is your favourite genre of film?
Horror 1
Thriller 3
Romcom 3
Action 1
Scifi 1
Other 0

How often do you Watch Films?
Every day 2
2-3 times a Week 5
Once a month 2
Other - Depends what day of the week it is

Do you usually keep up with the latest films?
Yes 3
No 4
Sometimes 3

What is your favorite Hobby?
Listening to Music 5
Watching TV 2
Watching movies 3
Sports 0
Other 0

Do you prefer to watch films made by independent companies or major companies?
Independent 0
Major 2
Both 8

Fed The Fish - Preliminary sequence

To make the sequence we were firstly given a script and from that we had to create an idea and decide mainly what locations we were going to use and what costumes we would have. Some of the factors we would have to consider were that we would have a limited amount of daylight and if we filmed some of it in the daylight then some of it in the night there would be a continuity error and especially filming outside then it would be hard to see the film. Also whether we could use the locations like the sports hall at the time that we needed it as other people may be using it.

Class feedback
I think that our preliminary sequence was a success because I thought that the general idea and concept was innovative and different. The editing included lots of match on action and continuity editing. Some good points are the long shot to close up at the beginning of the sequence because we have an establishing shot to a mid-shot of the character showing her facial expression then

To improve the sequence I think that we could improve some of the cuts and make them longer so that the match on action is correct and to make sure that it 'looks right' in terms of not having 1 or 2 frames being cut off at the start or the end of the cut. Also definitely the dialogue could be improved because when I watch it back it seems like there is too much cut off the end of the cut.

Group Discussion 08-01-12

Today we discussed what our logo for our production company would look like and we looked at potential settings and what the costumes would look like. We thought about using suits and filming in in Kingston town centre

Oceans 12

Here we used our knowledge of continuity editing to change the way the original sequence was edited as it was staged edited and visually it looked boring and I didn't interest me as an audience member. We used jump cuts and match on action so we could show a clear image of the characters facial expressions and to show how the characters react.