Evaluation of Thriller Opening, Question Seven

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Overview:
My preliminary task used a wide range of camera angles and camera effects. Using the 180 degree rule to establish a constructed conversation. We experimented with birds eye shots and different views. Overall the final cut looked very random, too many different angles for such a small and basic production and I think this trial paid off for the thriller opening. For the thriller production I learnt not to over do it on random camera angles. We used different variations, but didn't go too extreme. It is safe to say that we planned out every shot, but then thinking about the first film, then re planned certain shots so that they didn't exhibit repetition or any aspects of unnecessaryness.
I also learnt a lot about planning. For the prelim task very little planning was done and I soon realised that it is not possible to produce a film without planning it. Many shots were randomly selected and by the end of the deadline we still didn't have finished footage - despite making a reasonable edit. So for the thriller production I learnt that I needed to plan everything carefully and steadily, and that deadlines are extremely important when making a big project like a short film.
Storyboarding:
For the preliminary task we only used one set of storyboards to plan out what shots we wanted and what we wanted to happen. This was a bad idea because it meant the shots that we couldn't film due to time or other reasons had to be done in some way as we had nothing else planned out. An example would be of a birds eye view shot we planned to include roughly halfway into the film. I was shot entering the building from above, unfortunately however we did not plan that there would be people sitting around the area. This didn't cause much inconvenience other than the fact that we had to mute the shot due to heavy amounts of background noise but it was a big enough problem for myself and the group to think 'ah we should have done that differently'. Hence forth we learnt from this mistake and for the thriller opening, not only did we go through the plans up to four times, but multiple storyboards with different chronological orders were made just in case. I learnt that to be a film maker you need to be prepared for anything.
Time Management:
Time is a tricky thing to work along side. We already knew this when filming the prelim task, however we still cut it close. Most of our filming was done in time, apart from the conversation which we had to film in our classroom as people began to arrive from their own shoots (mostly already finished). This was annoying because it added as an extra natural distraction whilst myself and my partner (Luke Keeler) were trying to act out an aggressive conversation. None the less we finished the conversation and managed to film a final worms eye view shot (despite the whole class now waiting for us). Knowing how foolish we were with time, before we had even finished the editing for the preliminary task we were already discussing how to manage our time better for the thriller film.
To ensure we didn't make the same mistake again for proper thriller production we set out specific times that we were to stick to for each part in film. For example three hours for the chase, two for the first shots and two for the final shots. As we filmed everything in one day it was essential we stuck to this plan. As it turned out, we actually finished ahead of schedule.
Progression:
Since the preliminary task I researched case studies in the thriller genre so that I had a better understanding of how to create a sense of thriller conventions in my own film opening.
The first film I looked into was Pulp Fiction, Directed by Quentin Tarantino and released on the 10th of September 1944. Pulp fiction has multiple storylines that cross over each other to give a complete picture in the final section of the film. Researching conventions in Pulp Fiction was useful because it gave me a better understanding of how to construct a conversation in film. There are many sequences of dialogue in this production that all incorporate the 180 degree rule (making sure the camera sticks to an outlined area of the set to avoid confusion in the audience when cutting from one character to the other). Another traditional dialogue technique used in Pulp Fiction is shot reverse shot. This technique can be used to show dominance between two parties in film. The first shot establishing the antagonist, the second for the protagonist and the third going back to whoever started the series - therefor showing who has more power. This particular technique was put in by Tarantino when Jules (the gangster) is conversing with a group of public flat owners in their own home). The camera begins with Jules, switches to the citizens reaction, then cuts back to Jules again at a low angle. The low angle emphasises even more how dominant Jules is in this sequence. Another example of shot reverse shot is in the Tv Drama Skins: in series 1 episode 1, the introductory clip shows Tony arguing with his father. The sequence begins with Tony, cuts to his Dad who is begging in an exhausted tone, then back to Tony he is relatively relaxed and calm. After learning about the productiveness of shot reverse shot, my group and I used it in our own production. In our film, during the chase scene- we begin with Eve running, then cut to Cha-Cha and Hazel using the same camera angle to show how close they are behind her, then back to Eve again but at a different angle so audiences can infer that she is getting away but also so they might realise that she isn't an easy target that the two hitmen previously thought. We decided to give Eve the dominance because we wanted audiences to think she gets away or at least stands a chance.
The second production I looked at, Essex Boys, taught me a lot about classic location and costume. Director Terry Winsor opens the film with a shot of a garage completely submerged in shadow and cobwebs - this setting is key for a thriller because it is dark, cramped and claustrophobic. This is where we first had the idea of using some kind of cramped area in our own thriller; eventually we settled with an abandoned barn. Winsor then introduces the character Jason Locke, who is dressed very unusually. Lockes costume represents mania and has an essence of psychotics. I inferred from this that costume can actually say a lot about a character even if the character says nothing themselves. This is why we chose to dress Eve completely in black, and the hitmen in suits. Eve was supposed to be seen as a relatively mysterious, and secretive character, whilst the hitmen are threatening and stern. Settings like tunnels and isolated causeways were later revealed in Essex Boys and myself and my group really liked the way Terry Winsors film looked, therefor we tried to recreate as many of his locations as possible. This is why we filmed our chase scene on the hillside of small dike.
Another film that taught me a lot about conventions, was Heavenly Creatures. This study helped me progress in terms of lighting, sound and camera action. Peter Jackson creates a disturbing sequence in this production where two girls murder their mother. This killing takes place in a public wood, during broad daylight, this made me realise that many unexpected variables can add to how shocking an action can be. Because the murder was in broad daylight, it makes it seem very desperate and very severe, and because it was in a public wood, it comes across as manic and spooky because it clearly wasn't planned that far ahead in advance. This use of setting gave me an idea about the setting and lighting in our own thriller. I really liked how desperate the murder scene appears, and I discussed it with my group, who then agreed that we should also shoot something similar with the daylight sun overhead. I also learnt a lot about sound from this film, during the preliminary task I was naive and thought that sounds should not be distorted or 'funny' because it can confuse your audience to the point of discomfort, but after viewing Heavenly Creatures I realised that this exact technique can be used as an advantage over audiences to create dramatic scenes and make them seem even more discomforting and disturbing.
Films that enhanced my understanding of the Thriller genre were KillBill and Jackie Brown. Jackie Brown is similar in some ways to Heavenly Creatures in the way it portrays unstable minds in criminals and mania in thought processes (as Loue shoots Melanie in broad daylight in a public car park whilst there are citizens around). But also because the main character is also a Female. I learnt from KillBill and Jackie Brown that female leads are a strong tangent to work on in the thriller genre because it is stereotypically unusual, therefor making it ideal to work on a good story. This is where our group had the idea for Eve as our main character.