Temporarily Resolved dilemma and Steaming Ahead

If you are wondering why i haven't updated this blog for quite a while, it is  because my home computer has (and indeed still is) plagued with issues regarding the operating system therefore i couldn't even start it up let alone use the internet to update my blog, but thanks to being able to use this borrowed computer for a few hours has enabled me to catch up again. (Thank goodness)

Also off  the topic of blogs our actual film production is underway, we have filmed some of the scenes (using drama student actors instead of me, obvious waste of talent hehe ;) ) also I have taken the liberty of taking shots of the location for use in our evaluation and in my case the storyboards as despite being off screen for the entire production I am still employed as the story-boarder, reccie, and in charge of safe guarding the film camera, its batteries and film cassettes (Though due to back issues and safety Lauren is in charge of keeping the tripod as cycling to and from location with the camera AND tripod is not only painful but a safety risk and I am far enough from being negligent to realize this.)
Despite this mind, we have had a few technical problems for instance the weather was often innapropriate and wet (typical of Wales.) also on another occasion Aaron Tuck (1 of our actors) was unable to turn up last Thursday so that postponed that days filming until this week.


Happy blogging,
All the best
Stephen :)

Opening scene analysis "The Secret Window" (V1)

The extract I am analysing is from 'The Secret Window' Directed by David Koepp, produced by Gavin Palone and Erza Swerdlow and starring Johnny Depp, Maria Bello, john Turturro and Timothy Hutton, it is a psychological thriller released in 2004 and it builds suspense using several enigma codes, an unusual and initially impossible work out starting location, also it uses monochromatic colours and spooky surroundings to create mystery and suspense.

            The film starts with the usual Columbia pictures logo being shown but a sound bridge is created with the presence of an uncertain sound (which turns out to be windscreen wipers.) The screen fades to black to reveal a close up shot of an annoyed looking man named Mort ( Johnny Depp) sitting in a car, to create an eerie feel it is dark, has low key lighting and monochromatic colours. This is an enigma code as it is impossible to work out where he is, then enigma carries on as we hear the non digetic sound of him thinking "Turn around, turn around, turn the car round and get the hell out of there, right now" this caries on the enigma as it makes us think that there is something really bad going to happen, wonder what on earth he is doing in such a place and wonder where he is.

He then revs the car’s engine and spins the car around, all that’s visible out of the rear window (a view partially obstructed by Mort's face, the wheel and the windscreen wipers) is blurred and distorted (and the camera shakes in a hand held fashion.) to create a sense of confusion and suspense. Adding to this is him thinking “Don't go back, do not go back there." The camera then takes you from the bonnet of the car looking through the wind screen to looking at it from the outside (long shot) a large red neon sign is now visible behind the car (the connotations are red signifies sleaze, a place where distasteful happenings such as murders or affairs occur and/ or danger.) The sign says MOTEL; we now know where the location is but the enigma code of why he is there still remains unclear.

            Mort then gets out of the car and grab a set of keys from the reception desk then leaps into his car and drives hastily away to 1 of the rooms, the brake sound is digitally amplified to make it seem he had to brake very hard as he was driving very fast.

Mort the bursts into the dimly lit room, to discover a couple in bed (his wife perhaps?) this shot is filmed using an Over the Shoulder so the viewer can see all 3 people at the same time. Mort shouts at the couple (the voices are muffled, distorted and drowned out by the howling wind so it is unclear what is said (another enigma code perhaps)

as Mort storms out te camera is shaky and hand held so to create a sense of confusion, tension and unrest.

After this the camera pans slowly out of the room, back into the car park as eerie music plays featuring he chilling sound of a cello- an instrument which often features in thriller and horror films as it is very effective in creating a spooky, eerie atmosphere and tension (so often so that cello music is a typical convention of a thriller film.)

            The scene then uses a dissolve edit to fade from the bleak monochromatic car park to a bright vibrant river, surrounded by trees and a large house. (the large house suggests that the occupant is quite well off.) The camera is tracking forward, across the river towards the house gradually sweeping upwards as if carried by a bird the chilling music continues as we jump-cut closer and closer, when we arrive on the river bank the camera pans steadily around the exterior of the house, slowly zooms in and floats through an open window to reveal the mise en scene to suggest that this is the dwelling of a writer. The mise en scene consists of ordinary things that most people have like furniture, a pet dog, but also a slightly cluttered desk, with paper and stationary taking up most of the space on it, (The clutter shows that that the occupant is a very busy person.) the camera zooms in on the screen of a laptop also residing on the desk with a blurred, half typed letter on it (This is another enigma code as it makes us wonder why its there and who its for, its likely to feature in the plot later on.)

A poster for the film picturing Mort (Jonny Depp)

            The camera glides slowly down the stairs to reveal a hideously unkempt Mort with torn pyjamas and freakishly wild hair fast asleep on an old, careworn sofa (Mort's disgraceful appearance is an indication h is depressed.), "6 months later" appears on the screen to show how long after the 1st scene this scene is set, this suggests that the affair's is the reason Mort is so lazy, lethargic and generally unbothered about anything now.

Our Continuity Video :)

As part of our course, we had tomake a short film as an excersise, in order to demonstrate that we were capable of filming and knew what we were doing.
so here it is :)

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The Lesson Today..

Today we were given some more detail about Mood-boards and how to create them, we we told about a website called www.olioboards.com which enables the user to make and produce mood-boards. We will be using olioboards.com to produce a mood-board for our Thriller film opening sequence.