Birds

The trailer shows a sense of disarray as the film is saying one bird is lovely however the title of the film is "the birds" replicating that its not one or two birds but several thousands of birds that attack innocent people however the reason to which is unknown. this theory is linked in with Roman Barthe theory of an enigma code therefore the film is left with an open end as we do not even know if they will survive but also why the birds are attacking the mcguffin of the film is the love bird which was delivered by the lady from the shop in New York to the man however that doesn't become apparent it just sets the story up. 

However this is not a typical Alfred Hitchcock film as the external threat is not that of a person or people but it's from nature. there is also no where to hide therefore the birds can attack them at any time leaving suspense among everyone as the attacks become more and more vicious but also every time there becomes more and more birds.

before this scene below the dramatic irony is presented as we know the birds are gathering however they do not as a result this leads to them being attacked where if they left as they was gathering they wouldn't of got attacked by as many birds as they did.

this clip shows despair and abysmal anxiety from the birds attacking plus the velocity of which this is occurring creates high tension  also showing frequent action this scene is key as there is many key aspects amongst this scene alone for example this sets a typical film for Hitchcock as there is no where to go they are running to no where however they were just in a more safer place therefore now they're vulnerable. Furthermore the wind is a non diegetic sound as it's been added in because the birds are attacking that quick and verociously the wind is being created.

In Schoolyard scene the underlying score of the innocent child’s song is in contrast to the evil in nature. Tippi Hendren’s character is only guilty of taking nature for granted. In “The Birds” scene outside the café – the high camera angle is like the gaze of a pitiless God who cannot be bothered to intervene.

Towards the end of the film a scene was filmed via The scene where Tippi Hedren is ravaged by birds near the end of the movie took a week to Film. The birds were attached to her clothes by long nylon threads so they could not get away.

Some of the shots within the film are filmed in great detail therefore have taken several elements of different angles for shots to compose the one scene all together an example of this is the final shot has 32 separately filmed elements.

Preliminary task editing

Match on action - This was used when Ben was filmed form the outside of the door walking through and then filmed coming through the inside of the door. This is to show him coming through the door but both in one continuous movement with a cut between each side. 

Eye line match - This was used when Ben was standing in the class room, and then the camera goes too Aklima, this is to show that he is looking at Aklima without actually showing it within one shot. 

Shot, reverse shot - The shot, reverse shot was used when Ben and Aklima was speaking to each other, the reason this was used to give the effect that they was speaking to each other and to show the audience that they was having a conversation with each other. 

180 degree angle - This was used throughout the video to make sure that it followed the same sequence and so that it looked like that was walking in the right directions at all time, therefore, making the film look better and more realistic. 

Overall i feel that within the film it was filmed to a high standard however there is aspects of which could be improved upon for the future as everything can always be improved. What i feel could be improved was the quality of each shot as its not as steady as it would be if you used a steady-cam but also the prohibitance of background noise does not help this therefore replicating a sound which shouldn't be included within the film.

On the other hand there was good aspects which included being able to edit all of the clips to put into a sequence which thoroughly flowed throughout therefore producing a clip meeting all the required aspects of shots within the short film.

past student thrillers

After Eight

After eight is a thriller film by Laura Bankole staring Michael Rhodes and Stacey Talbot. The thriller is very mysterious as we haven't actually got any evidence of anyone doing anything wrong however we know something bad is happening. 

Camera 

The camera shot begins with a long shot of the garden giving us a clear view of the emptiness. we then see a man walk into the camera. The scene changes into a close up of a woman washing the dishes. then back to the man walking forward. during the whole scene of the long shot of the man walking up to the shed the camera alters to the close up of the woman, which creates effect as it is almost an distraction to what the man can be doing. then there is a close up of the man, the camera angle is low showing us his power. the camera is then put on the ground and we see him walk across and then goes back to how it was in the beginning except this time it is a long shot of him waling towards us yet still the woman washing the dishes.

After this the scene moves into the house were we have a close up of the woman cooking creating a calm atmosphere as she is doing something normal. there is then a shot, reverse shot of the two characters while they were talking. there is then a close up of the chopping board, the ax and knife and the blood. this creates effect as it is the first warning we get to something bad that is going to happen. which creates suspense as it is a abrupt change from the calmness of her cooking as we thought there couldn't have been anything that could have gone wrong in the moment. then there is a close up and we only see the woman back as she pours the milk as if it is hiding her identity from us. the camera then zooms in into the weapon, once again giving us another warning, enhancing our thought to something that is going to go terribly wrong.

Editing

The film begins with many transitions of the two scene in the film of him walking up to the shed to the woman washing the dishes. there are many jump cuts between the scenes until the both meet. there is also a lot of overlapping editing as the camera keeps showing her washing the dishes as he goes into the shed and comes back to the house. when both of the characters are talking there is a shot, reverse shot. the opening begins with a slower pace, it slowly builds up as the music and scene gets more tense. this creates effect as we expect something bad to happen making the audience feel scared.

Sound 

In the title we her rain and thunder which tells us the kind of mood the film is. throughout the beginning of the trailer there is this high pitched sinister music which is very high pitched. above the non diegetic music there was the diegetic music of her washing the plates. we hear the kettle and there was also the sound of the nature in the background when the man is outside. we can hear barking which gives a realistic feel to the film. there is also the sound of her chopping the vegetables which calms us down from whatever is happening outside as what she is doing is a normal thing.  the sound jumps from the nature to the sounds indoor which enhance the different scenarios e.g form the good to the bad.

There is dialogue in the film towards the ending. when the man enters the room we hear them talking with the chopping at the back ground. "are you ready for this" when the male character says this we wonder what they're ready for and this creates fear and tension and makes us wonder if they're both villains. there is a non diegetic sound of piano keys playing as the high pitched sound gets louder and deeper building up the tension making us expect something bad to happen. All together the sounds are very chaotic which is resembling how we feel as we are confused to what is happening.

Mis-en-scene

The scene begins with a man who is dressed in a smart wear, he looks like he just came from work. he is carrying a bag which is quite big. this looks mysterious as we would expect him to be carrying a briefcase instead. we wonder why he would need such a huge bag and what is inside it. we think that maybe he is a serial killer and he may be carrying a dead body in there as he looked so suspicious and kept looking back for assurance that no one was there watching him. the scene then cuts to the woman who is washing the dishes, the plait she is washing is heart shaped and red, indicating love and calmness inside the house whereas in comparison outside there could be bad things happening. the love heart plait could mean that she is with him or someone else. the scenery is located in a garden inside a shed. whereas the woman is located inside a house in the kitchen.

The woman is making him dinner, this creates effect as it is trying to make the scene look as normal and calm as it can, as if it is trying to fool us into thinking that there is nothing bad happening. however during the whole scene we don't see the woman's face a lot as if the film is trying to hide her identity, probably warning us that she has something to hide that the film doesn't want us to know.. we wait for some sort of warning however it is fine until the very end when we see the chopping board covered in blood which on top of it was an ax and a knife. this creates effect as during the whole opening we thought that the man was probably a serial killer who was going to kill his wife, however things changed when we saw the blood and the ax making us rethink the whole situation believing that she may be the bad person after all.

The Catalyst

Introduction

The catalyst is a thriller about a man who looks like an assassin who is out to kill. the guy manages to kill 3 men leaving behind a young child. We are left clueless to why he assassinated the 3 men however kept in suspense. The main actor in this film is Michael Banahene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmPjL7k9y8Q

Camera

The film began with an extreme close up of the key hole. we witnessed the assassin opening the lock with a knife. after he entered the house the camera angle was low. we only saw his legs as he was walking up the stairs and into the room. we only then see his fully body when he kneels down and there was a close up op of him. there was a deep focus, allowing us to either look at him or the gun which he placed on the bed.

Then there was a close up of the gun, the camera then focused on him putting on the gloves showing us the importance of him wearing the gloves. as he holds the gun we have another extreme close up of him looking through the gun. then we get a camera view through the gun, this created effect as we felt like we were aiming at the guy. this made us feel guilty as the sad music came on making us think we were doing something wrong.

The camera then tracks the man who ran away, this creates effect as it felt as if we were chasing him however we were hoping he will be able to run fast enough to get away. we then experienced a point of view shot from the man and felt like we had to escape as we felt the fear he felt. then there was another close up in the car of the dead man, we then get a close up of the assassin killing the guy with a rope. the car scene ends with a close up of a frightened boy and him exiting the car. the film opening ended with a close up of a battery which the man picked up. this created effect as it enhanced the importance the battery could have.

Editing

The editing was very slow paced which created effect as this film was sad. we wasn't really on the assassins side as we didn't know why he was killing the men so we felt sorry for the men. The slow motion scene gave us a feel of the other characters as that moment was probably the longest moment in their life which the slow pace of the film was exaggerating.

Sound

The introduction music was calming as it wasn't scary and made us feel like we was watching a comedy or another happy genre film. after the introduction finished the sad music kicked in, this created suspense as at this moment we  knew something bad is going to happen. there was diegetic sounds which the man made as he entered the house, for example when he opened the door.

However the film is drowned in non diegetic music as we experienced the sad music. This is evident when the assassin killed the man. we heard a long high pitch sound which made it feel like they were at war. immediately we sympathized for the man as the sad music confused our mind to think the assassin is a bad guy. the sad music gave us a feel of being in a war zone as the music is slow and matched the death of the man. 

Mise-en-scene

We first see a man dressed in a smart attire, he wore a black suit. however was carrying a knife which contradicts the way he was dressed. we didn't expect him to be breaking and entering into a house. the scene was set in a quite neighborhood. there is no one around and it and the scenery is bright as this scene was shot during the day. this also opposes the use of the weapon as we wouldn't expect him to be breaking into someones house in bright daylight. when he enters the house everything is dark which compliments the bad things he is doing. As he is the only character we see we are forced to be on his side and hope that no one comes and finds him. we feel the urge to protect him as if we are in his position and don't want to be caught.

He then enters a room where it is much brighter and drops a bag to the bed. At this point we are confused to what is in the bag as there is no dialogue. He opens the bag and inside was another weapon, a gun and a pair of gloves. this creates suspense as we don't know what he is going to do with the gun. This then indicated that he could be an assassin as assassins usually wear black clothes which are smart. the gloves proved that he thought the crime out before doing it and was prepared to get out of trouble after he was done.

He kills a man in a field area. there was a long high pitched sound and everything went slow motion. this made us feel like they were in a war zone. this created effect as even though at first we were forced to be on the assassins side, now the sadness made us feel sorry for the men. when the other man ran we wanted him to get away as the feeling of the war zone made us feel sympathy for the men and showed us how innocent they looked. the men were dressed in casual clothes which enhanced our sorrow for the men as they looked like normal innocent people who wasn't ready for death. as the area was isolated we knew that there was no hope for the men as there was no one to save them.

The next scene was in the car. we felt as if there was hope however the man was dead. this created effect as we felt the anger and fear of the character who was running away. the car all of a sudden felt like a dead end as there was no way out and no where to go. the assassin used a rope to kill the man who was running. this created effect as it felt like that we lost the fight and didn't get away. we then see a little boy who looked innocent as he was very young and we hoped he wouldn't get hurt. the assassin then left the car a picked up a battery which made us wonder what it was and why he wanted it. 

Hunter

Introduction

Hunter was a thriller made in Eastbrook staring Kamie Rothan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE2WepgBX4k about a detective trying to find out a murder case. This leads him to talking to one of the teachers who ends up killing the detective too.

Camera

The camera begins with a wide shot of the detective walking up to the school door. There is then a close up of the office lady. After  this there is then a tracking shot of the  the detective walking up to the class room.  then there was a close up of the teacher and of the detective. the camera has a over the should shot of the teacher, this creates effect as it is like we are watching the teacher through the detectives eyes and thinking through his mind as we are also curious to what has happened and why the detective is there. then there is a shot, reverse shot of their conversation. 

When the doctor hits him across the head with a bat there is a high angle shot and an establishing shot of the detective. there is then a jump cut where the screen goes blank and then back to him as we see he is dead. this creates effect as the blank blacked out screen creates unconsciousness of the character as he is slowly dying. when the detective pulls him into the room the camera slowly focuses onto the dead bodies. This creates effect as it creates suspense and it seems as if we are slowly entering a nightmare.

Editing

The editing began slow paced and gradually got faster during the end. there was a lot of jump cuts which created effect as it showed the tension in the school. also the fact that the detective didn't have a clue to who the murderer could be, the jump cuts complimented his confusion as the murderer could be anywhere and just like the camera work his mind was jumping around to who the murderer could be. there was indents throughout the film which told us who the actors and directors were.

Sound

The film started off with two loud sounds which wakes up and catches the attention of the viewer. the film consisted of a lot of non diegetic sound which was loud and fast. The non diegetic music halts when there is dialogue which there was a lot of during the time the detective was talking to the teacher. The music after this then increases as the detective gets murdered which creates effect as the music is almost covering the murder just like how the teacher is hiding the body in the room.

Mise- en- scene

The film is set in a school. the film includes a detective, secretary and a teacher. the detective  walks up to the reception and the walks around the school corridors looking for the classroom. This creates effect as he doesn't know where to go just like his detective work as he doesn't know what has happened yet and is confused. Then the detective walks into the classroom and meets the teacher, the teacher was wearing a physical education uniform which has the school name written on the back. He was dressed casual for a teacher however this created an realistic effect as we know P.E teachers wear that type of uniform.

The detective was holding a notepad and pen which indicated that he was a detective and came prepared for the situation. when the teacher kills the detective he is holding a bat which links in to his job which creates effect as the teacher will not get in trouble for holding a bat as it is usual for him to have one. this can cause the teacher to get away with the murders. the body is stored in a small room which is cramped and dark where no one will enter. 

Colour

The first use of colour was within films such as Voyage of Travers L'Impossible by the pioneer George Mellies in 1904. the colour was fake therefore for it to be produced each frame had to be hand painted therefore frames are 24 per second so this was a long process and took a long time.




The next development was the introduction of two strip technicolor using only red & green for example The Mystery Of The Wax Museum (1933). The first full three strip of technicolor was Becky Sharp (1935) which included Red, Blue & Green also technicolor is not natural illustrating that it does not look real.

From the 1930's to 1940's black & white was used to represent the difference therefore reality was black & white however fantasy was in colour this was greatly shown within the Wizard Of Oz but today this is the other way round.

Denotation: The literal description of an idea, concept or object.

Connotation: What we associate with a particular idea, concept or object.

Colour works on the subconscious mind to create mood.

Red: 1st part of the visible electromagnetic spectrum
Red also represents: Anger, blood, Man Utd, heart, romance & danger

Blue: is a part of the visible electromagnetic spectrum.
Blue can represent such things as: Sky, Sea, sad, cold & empty

Green: is a part of the visible electromagnetic spectrum.
Green can represent such things including: Go, nature & sickness.

Eyes wide shut shows meanings through colours representing that their marriage is in shambles, the room he just come from was warm represented through a orange colour however the bedroom is showed as blue therefore cold also showing that their is no life between them or their marriage.

Furthermore in comparison We Need To Talk About  Kevin shows something bad is going to occur in the film this is replicated through the colour red being present throughout the opening however the colour red does not disappear in the film it is always present. This means that something bad will happen throughout the film.

Rope

the trailer of rope is effective as it draws the audience in therefore leaving them with suspense to want to find out what happened and why nobody had seen him. It's a typical Alfred Hitchcock film where you do not find out what occured until the end even more so the hero is resourceful to be able to thawt the plans of the villains who are better equipped as they have a gun concluding the typical aspect of a Hitchcock thriller as the villains drive the plot along. Also the aspect of the film is inviting everyone round for a party to celebrate getting a job however nobody cares about that everyone is concerned with the disappearance of their class mate David who they murdered and is within the same room as everyone else they are trying to commit the perfect murder.

some background information shows; Rope’ is adapted from Patrick Hamilton's 1929 Play which itself was said to be based on the grisly Leopold and Loeb case of 1924. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were upper-class Chicago law students who murdered of a teenage boy. Like snobbish Brandon and Philip in the Hitchcock film, the real-life murderers considered themselves Nietzschean supermen whose superiority of intellect exempted them from laws that govern the rest of us. "Good and evil, right and wrong were invented for the ordinary average man, the inferior man, because he needs them," claims Brandon, the deluded mastermind of the murder.

within this film because it's a thriller it's always fast paced and filmed with frequent action but also the whole film occurs within one apartment in which they lay the food upon the top of the chest where the body is laying underneath to behold them as being superior if they are able to pull it of without anybody knowing it was them. Suspense is used several times in Rope when the guess leaves and James Stewart purposely leaves his coat for an excuse to go back up their when everyone has gone therefore the weaker one o the 2 starts to panic when he buzzes saying he wants to come back up. Throughout the film contains dramatic irony they don't know what has happened to David however we knows he is in the room dead in the chest. Hitchcock wanted to film it in one sequence however the reels came in 10 minutes therefore he filmed continuously for 10 minutes this was effective however if u made one mistake you have to retake the whole 10 minutes again therefore wasting the reel and also taking alot of time to therefore film. to hide behind characters to move from scene to scene is a brilliant idea as it's very unique and usual therefore timing has to be precise and perfect therefore being able to pull that of is phenomenal. The film brings a sense of the audience and actors are trapped within a confined space adding tension. a main exciting factor is at any minute anyone of the actors could open the trunk therefore foiling their plan of committing the perfect murder. 

One innovative part of the film was the studio skyline-backdrop, with fibreglass clouds, a travelling sun and neon lights that blinked a garish red and green as the film reached its climax.