AS Media- Intro to thriller films

14th September 2010          Miss Lecionte

Things you need to consider when making a film:
- Location
- Sound
- Camera movements/ shots
- Characters
- Target audience/ reception
- Buget
- Lighting
- Genre
- Generic convections
- Editing
- Team work

Genre: The type or category of film the audience is waatching.
Generic Convection: What you expect to see in a film
Narrative: The storyline/ plot of the film

Cinematorgraphy Terminology
Is made of three elements:

Tracking: The camera itself is moved smoothly towards or away from the subject while the focus remains constant. This would allow the audience to feel like they are with the character. Tracking shots were originally called Cabiria shots after they were first used by Giovanni Pastrone in Cabiria (1914). I can use this shot in my Thriller film by adding it in a scene where someone is being followed. For example if a stalker was behind a young vulnerable girl and she didn't know, the audience will be able to see both of them in one shot and this would cause suspense as the girl doesn't know someone is following her.

Panning: The camera moves from left to right or right to left to follow a moving subject. a pan shot would usually be used when the characters is walking. I can use this in my Thriller film when i am showing a surrounding of a location. For example if i was to show a scary location of a thriller film, i would use a panning shot so the audience can view where the scene is being shoot.







Zooms: When zooming in the camera does not move and the lens is focused down from long shot to close up, whilst recording. This shot would help me in my Thriller film when i am showing a certain characters face expression. For example if someone had just died in someone's arms, the camera would zoom in to show the characters face expression. This would cause sympathy to the audience as they can see closely how the character is feeling.

Angle of shot: Conventionally subjects is framed at eye level and there are three categories
High: High angle (Looking down)
Low: Low angle (Looking up)
Straight: Straight (most common)

Positioning
Mid: This is when the camera frames the actor from the waist.
Close: This shows a fairly small part of the scene and emphasises on something, such as a characters face and neck in detail that it fills the screen.
Establising: This defines the location and gives the audience a perpective on the action that is to follow. Also they are often essential to defining a genre.

In this lesson i hav learnt what cinematography is and what makes up cinematography. This will help me in the making of my opening scene of thriller film because now i know what to call certain movemnts that cameras makes. This will also help me to explain and evaluate my work in more terminology which will gain me more marks.

Opening scene of Se7en



Opening scene of Panic Room

 Opening scene for Saw6

This was my homework that miss lecionte set for me. I had to evaluate the openings of some films. I then choose to evaluate saw 6. I did this because this is a thriller film and this will help me to evaluate my own work when i finish making the opening of my thriller film. This also gives me pratise to evaluate films.