Individual edit of The Red Caller

This is my individual edit, I have used final cut pro to do the basic edit, and After effects to colour grade and apply titles (motion tracking). I put some cross fade transitions in the edit, so the Red Caller appeared slowly. I didn't do this too much, because it is a thriller. I decided to colour grade the piece, rather than do the Pleasantville effect, so I could develop my skills further in colour grading. I will continue to do the Pleasantville effect on the group edit, as planned. 

I used the curve effect on After effects, to give my opening sequence a blue tone, like most thrillers have. I have also used the brightness and contrast effect, and decreased the brightness slightly and increased the contrast. This makes the footage look darker and more intense, like a thriller. Vibrance was also used, so I could make the red stand out more, and be vibrant. 

I have motion tracked the text, so It looks apart of the footage, as well as decreasing the opacity, so the titles didn't take focus from the footage. I have also created a mask so the text appeared behind certain places, the car, bus, hair and lamp post. There are 18-22 title slates in a thriller, with the most important first (apart from the director). I have kept the title slates all similar, apart from the title of ''The Red Caller'', this is on it's own background. I have added some smoke effects in the background, this creates a feeling of a thriller.

I created the soundtrack on garage band, I created multiple layers, so the soundtrack was intense and as it would be in a thriller film. I have made the music at the begging get louder and more intense, and then the train cuts that and the soundtrack continues at a different tone. I have also added foley, to make the sequence more realistic. I have matched the foley with the footage, and the soundtrack with the footage.

I decided to not use the, weak and innocent mother character, shots, because I thought they didn't fit in with the story. It also had a different style to both of the other characters shots, I think the sequence makes more sense without these shots.

BFI Trip

Last week I visited the British Film Institute, their was a talk form a senior examiner, Peter Frasers explaining how exactly to get an A and what we should not do. There was also two people who work within the film industry, who were interviewed by the examiner. This talk helped us know what he expects an A students film sequence opening to be, and how we can achieve that.

The examiner explained what should be included in our work. I must make some general research in the start but then concentrate of research that will help my thriller opening specifically. This will show the development of ideas, and help with my group, and I's opening sequence. The examiner said it would be a good idea to present nine key frames from my opening sequence titles (once I have my final edit), this will explain the sequence quickly, and will look professional.

The examiner then went on to explain some key tips. I have learnt a lot from these tips. I have learnt that the smaller research, and developments gives better grades, rather than bigger, which won't be as detailed or as helpful. I must plan, when I am going and out filming, by planning what I will be doing and how long that will take. This will allow me to keep track of my time, to get all of my film before editing. The same must be done with editing, by planning how long each part of editing will take, and also finding locations, props and costumes.

I have also learnt that I need to take into account what equipment I actually have, have I got the correct equipment to achieve what I want, am I using the equipment to its fullest potential. I could research into things, for example some of the effects I want to use, on after effects and final cut pro. I have also learnt that I must research into the titles as well as genre etc. Because it is important I spend as much time on the titles as the plot, because they are asked for in the brief.

The examiner also explained that having the correct skills, will benefit the project. So I should expand my skills of editing, camera work and other elements. I could also add foley sound, as the examiner mentioned to do. This will make the opening more professional, and at an A grade. This is done by taking away all of the sound to the shots, and then adding non diegetic sound. I could research into how to make different sounds, and try a few so when It comes to the editing my group and will not waste any time.

Keeping record of all of the research and process I do is also important, as the examiner stated, this will then count as research and give me a better grade. I could do this by taking screenshots, and explaining how I have done things. All of the group must have a voice during the process, making sure we all take part equally. After the rough cut has been completed we have to look at it and analysis it, giving our selfs constructive criticism, we can also ask others. My self and my group must pay attention to detail, to ensure we can achieve an A.

We were also shown examples of students work, some at level one, and another at two, then three then a level four. Four being the higher grade (A grade), and one being the lowest grade (D or lower grade). This helped me know what not to do, for example, use low key lighting, remove any unnecessary noise and use actors that fit the characters and rehearse their lines to prepare them.

As well as being told about this valuable information, there was also interviews with industry people. One of which was Paul McDonnell, he is a title sequence designer and director. Because his work mainly consists of titles, he showed us some of his work from Da Vinci's Demons, which he layerd and then painted on to get the effect. We then saw Jake Hume being interviewed, who is a young producer. This showed that even if your young you can still make a film. He explained to become a producer you must make films. The day was really beneficial, and I now know what to improve on.

Target grade and end of module grade

End of module one grade -

A

End of year target grade -

A

Opening Sequence Idea

Our idea is to have a Women walking through London past landmarks, and well known places. Then six people will answer phones being worried and frightened, then at the end the audience will find out that the women we are seeing is the person on the other end of the phone. The whole opening sequence will be black and white, and we will try to have our protagonist the only person in colour (red).

A video explaining our idea:

Alfred Hitchcock - Case study

Alfred Hitchcock was a film director and producer. Many think that Hitchcock's films makes him the best English direction/producer in history, in his famous silence films and talkies otherwise known as sound film. Some of his most well known thriller films include Vertigo, The man who knew too much a and Psycho. These films are all black and white, because at that point film wasn't as developed as now days. I think this adds more mystery and makes the focus all on the plot.

Opening sequence of Vertigo and Psycho Hitchcock directed:

Vertigo

Designed by Saul Bass.

Psycho
Designed by Saul Bass.

The Butterfly Effect - Spoiler Review

This film was a really exciting and mysterious thriller. It has a non linear plot, not having a clear begging, middle and end. The Protagonist  Ashton Kutcher's, character starts to re create his past, trying to make his and other characters life's better. For example he goes back to his past to make himself save a mother and child from being injured from an inevitable explosion. But this then results in him being insured and loosing limbs. This change of events from present to past, happens again and again until the end in which he changes one event for the better.

The mystery in this thriller is largely present, leaving the audience posing questions. The enigma code is the constant black outs Kutcher's character has.This film a restricted narrative, because the audience know something bad will happen but the audience do not know exactly how, where or why. It turns out to be the love interest of Kutcher's character, ends up to be non existent.

This film is a psychological thriller because it plays with the mind of Kutcher's character, leaving him clueless after blackouts, and going slightly out of control creating more conflict than there was originally. Because this film is under the sub genre of psychological the main focus is the characters rather than the plot, and it created lots of suspense which kept me second guessing myself. I really enjoyed this thriller, because it was constantly revealing the truth about what happened in the blackouts the main character had. 

Star ratings of the thriller out of 5:

Trailer:

Thriller Audience Research

Audience research of Thriller Films:

I went onto www.imdb.com, and found user ratings showing the ratings from certain age groups.

Shutter Island:

Shutter Island audience are largely a Male audience, rather than a female audience. And the people who have watched Shutter Island who are 18 - 29 is larger than the other categories. With males and females aged 45 and higher at the lowest number who have watched this film. This film could have a higher audience of males because, the film may relate to males more. It could be the low key lighting, the sense of mystery or maybe the build up of suspense. This film is also exciting, and not easy to follow, so that could be because the 18 - 29 audience enjoy that more. These user ratings suggests that the target audience for this film is 18 - 29. The men may find the male actors act as their role models, because they are all in their late 20's. This film could appeal to males because it is stereotypical of males to like action, and the thrill almost fear of a thriller. Whereas it is not stereotypical of women to like that, it is stereotypical of women to like romance's. 
Shutter island target audience:
Men 18-29
Trailer:



Fight Club:
The audience for Males is again the highest amount of audience, and the 18 -29 have the most audience which is same as Shutter Island. The user rating are very similar, which shows me that my target audience should be similar. This film has a high male rating, this could be because the fighting appeals to males more than females. As for all 3 films the main characters are all men, so women could watch because of the famous actors, and they find them good looking.  The under 18 age group are the most likely to illegally watch films online, so this could be why the vote is their high for under 18's, but because it is not very easily to follow the under 18's could loose interest unlike the 18-29.
Target audience:
Men 18 - 29
Trailer:


The Butterfly Effect:

This thriller again has males as the highest audiences votes, and the 18 -29 rating. This film would appeal to to 18 - 29 age group because it is hard to follow, because it is a restricted (narrative) film with a non linear plot. The age cert of 15, but not many under 18's have watched it, compared to the 18 -29 age group. This could be because it is not an easy watch, and under 18's could get bored. There is a some romanse in this film, and Ashton Kutcher both could be the reason why some women watched this film. 
Target Audience:
18 - 29
Trailer:


Inception:

Inception again has the highest votes from males aged 18 -29. This film is a non linear film so might be too confusing for under 18's, so that could be why it has a low vote score. The female votes for the 18 - 29 age group isn't has far behind as other user ratings for other films. This could be because of Leonardo DiCaprio.
Target Audience:
Males 18 - 29
Trailer:


Salt:

Males who are 18 -29 are again the highest voter. The male votes could be because of Angelina Jolie, and because is a action thriller. This film is action packed, which is stereotype of what males like to watch along with crime.
Target Audience:
Males 18 - 29
Trailer:



Sophie Gordon and I interviewed our target audience, these are the interviews:




I have learnt that the target audience for thriller are males who are 18 - 29. I have learnt this from the trend within these thriller ratings, it seem males 18 - 29 enjoy the action, crime, and the general aspects of a thriller. I should make sure my audience to my opening should appeal to the target audience if a thriller.