Match on action

In a group we made a video showing different types of video techniques. This includes over the shoulder shot, extreme close up, close up, medium shot, long shot and 180 degree shot.

The video below is our final video, edited to make a short story.

After making the video we saw that there was many good and bad features about our short video. So we annotated it in a voice over.

Group Animation

From my research on the Four Narratives, The Enigma Code and Thriller Sub-Genres I created an animation in a group about them.

Narratives

There are four different types of narratives found in Thrillers; Linear, Non-linear, Restricted and Omniscient.
These four different types all have different effects on thrillers and is used to apply certain effect to different Thriller sub-genres.

Linear
-The Linear narrative is the classical, stereotypical storyline that is shown in chronological order.
-It has a beginning, middle and end, building the suspense of the Thriller as it goes.
-It is usually Paired with Omniscient
-An example of a Linear being used in a thriller is Taken.

Non-Linear

-Non-Linear is designed to throw the audience off track of the film when they finally think they are beginning to understand what is happening.
-This is usually done with flashbacks, as new information comes into light for both the Protagonist and the audience.
-Or the film could start at the end scene backtrack to the beginning to see how that all came into play.
-Non-Linear is usually paired with Restricted.
-An example of Non-Linear being used in a Thriller is Shutter Island.



Restricted
-The Restrictive narrative shows the audience only what the Protagonist knows.
-It keeps them in the dark and when something is revealed to the main character it is revealed to the
audience, building suspense.
-Also the mystery that everyone else knows more than the Protagonist.
-An example of this is the sixth sense.




Omniscient
-The Omniscient narrative is when the audiences knows everything about the characters.
-The audience knows who the killer is throughout the whole thing building the tension as the story unravels for the detectives.
-The whole thing is based around the suspense of if they find out who the real killer is or if there too late.
-An example of a film that uses Omniscient is silence of the lambs.

Conclusion

When making my Planning my Opening scene for my Thriller I will have to consider what type of narrative I will use and also if I will be pairing two together. 

The Enigma Code

The Basis of the Engima Code

-The Enigma code was created by Barthe.
-The Enigma Codes aim is to draw the audience in.
-It draws the audience in by making the audience feel as it they are discovering something throughout the duration of the film which keeps them always asking questions, which is the basis of the Enigma code; what question does the director want the audience to ask themselves?
-This builds the suspense and drama of the title sequence throughout the whole film giving the audience clues slowly drawing them in and making them come up with there own conclusions.
-Even in the films trailers the enigma code is present as the questions can only be answered when watching the film drawing in the target audience and maybe even more

The Enigma Code in Thrillers

-Enigma codes are almost always in thrillers. This is mostly because thrillers are surrounded by
 suspense and mystery, this being the perfect combination for an Enigma Code.
-An example of a commonly asked question in the Enigma Code is 'who is the murder?', with the clues and the constant mystery surround the Enigma code more questions are asked especially due to the basis of thrillers.
-The Enigma code Establishes the problem that is usually what the film is about then, it solves it based on the clues given. The solving is always a twist, especially as it is a thriller, which means all the piecing together the audience would have done throughout the entire film wouldn't mean anything.
-The audience would feel as though they have achieved something at the end of the film when the Enigma Code ends and there questions that would have popped up in the end would have been answered.

Example - Red Pill or Blue Pill

-This scene is from the first film of the Matrix trilogy.
-It is the famous scene when Morpheus and Neon have a meeting and Morpheus asks Neon to take the red or blue pill depending on if he wants to find out more about the iron curtain pulled over there eyes or continue his every day life.
-The Engima in this scene is 'what is the matrix?'.
-There is low key lighting, which builds up the suspense in this scene. The suspense builds up the Enigma.

Conclusion

This page is important as when making my Opening Scene I will have to remember to include at least one Enigma Code, to make it better and also Thriller are Enigma Code themselves so without it, it my Opening Scene wouldn't be a Thriller.

Moodboard - Individual Collage of Iconography

Dexter Opening Scene - Analysis and Remake

With my group we remade the opening scene for Dexter.
But in order to do this we first analyzed the original opening scene, prepared for it with;planning, props, actors etc.
This is in preparation for our final piece to show us how preparation will be better for the final piece.



In order to understand the Dexter opening scene further, I have analyzed the original opening scene -

What does it tell you about the character?
- the character looks like can average man but things that made you suspicious

-Not normal man,but sadistic 

What symbolism in the sequence?

-They looked like different ways for people to die, e.g;
 -Strangling
 -Chocking
 -Banging someone across the head
 -Cutting someones neck
 -Stabbing someone
 -Suffocation
 -Cutting someone up

-Twisted way of a normal routine.

-Mystery and suspense in the title sequence as it makes you wonder if he has ever done it before but also is he doing it now?

-Is the character a murder? Who has he murdered? is the Enigma Code

Dexter Opening Scene Remake

This is our Final Remake Video. It has been edited, and added to youtube.
The making of the video went very well, we found that some parts were hard to do though. The blood dripping into the sink either came out like lines or didn't get in the camera view and as it was a closeup we couldn't zoom out but that was resolved. Also are extreme close ups turned into just normal closeups otherwise the camera turned out too blurry.
When it came to editing we found that we came to a few dilemmas. The clips had to be shortened dramatically as they were too long and the music wouldn't go in sync. When shortening the clips and figuring out timing we found that everything we in sync, but others slightly out of sync but it is only quick and isn't noticed easily.
If I had to do this again I would say that I would make sure the shots were closer in order to make the effect more dramatic much like the original opening sequence.

Conclusion

This page will be helpful further on, as when looking back onto it I will remember the importance of extreme closeups and making sure everything stayed in sync.

Saul Bass

Saul Bass was a famous graphic designer in the 20th Century. He was also well know for his title sequences, film posters and corporate logos. Some of his most famous work in title sequences is 'Anatomy of a Murder', 'The Man with the Golden Arm' and many Alfred Hitchcock films

This title sequence is a good as it makes the audience think about the film as it gives away enough, but not too much, giving it the mystery effect that you find in thrillers right away. But more importantly it keeps the audience thinking about what they are seeing. He created his title sequences so that they matched the film but also had alot more depth to them. He was said to be a innovative, dynamic, legendary and revolutionary designer. His work can still be seen today as his title sequences have inspired other films in the modern age, for example; 'Catch me if you can' and 'X-men First Class'. Here are a few example of his work -