Collateral

Collateral was the first high budget blockbuster film to be filmed with digital cameras in a high definition format.
This is a trailer from the film, it is a good trailer as it gives us a small insight to the story and clips of the high octane scenes but does not give away too much of the story.
There are some scenes in the film where you can see digital cameras were used such as when you see the Los Angeles skyline.
There was a scene in the film when coyotes were running in the road and thanks to the digital cameras ability to film in low level light they were able to capture the moment and put it into the film.
The director used similar techniques in the television show Miami vice.
There was also some scenes of the film where the traditional 35mm film was used, an example of this is in the nightclub scene.


Above is the nightclub scene where traditional 35mm fil was used.
The film Collateral was co-produced by dreamworks and paramount pictures however the film was distributed by Universal. Also in 2006 Paramount pictures purchased dreamworks.
Originally Russel Crowe was set to play the role of Vincent however when the film was actually made Tom Cruise got the role.
Also Robert De Niro was set to play the role of Max but again once filming started they used Travis Bickle.
The film launched in August 2006 and grossed $24.7 million in its opening weekend.

Alfred hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock way born on the 13th August 1899 and is famous for such films as Shadow of doubt and the Saboteur. He made his most famous film in 1960 called psycho which caused much controversy with film critics as they though they saw strong bloody violence however this was not true as it was edited so well you only ever saw a knife and blood.

Near the end of his life, Hitchcock had worked on the script for a projected spy thriller, The Short Night. This was never filmed as Hitchcock s health was deteriorating Hitchcock then died in his home on 29 April 1980. 


Hitchcock was also famously known for starring in most of his own films though usually just for a brief moment.
He used so much detail with his storyboard that when editing he didn't even need a viewfinder to edit his film as he already knew the precise location of each shot, although he was pictures using a viewfinder on occasions.

Use of the camera.

There are a number of camera techniques used in modern films today, these include; Long shot, medium shot, close up, extreme close up, point of view, low angle and high angle.
A medium shot is where you can see the head and shoulders of a person.

A long shot is where you can see the whole picture.

A close up is where you can see the face of a person.

An extreme close up is where the camera goes close up on a persons features e.g. eyes.

A point of view is where you can see what the person sees.

A low angle shot makes people look big and powerful.

A high angle shot makes people looks small and weak.

There are other camera techniques too which include; Pan, tilt, crane shot, tracking shot, rolling shot and stedicam.
Pan is a view from a fixed axis moving across.
A tilt is used to show the size of something e.g. a building.
Crane shot is a view from high above.
A tracking shot is where the camera follows the action.
A rolling shot is where the camera moves from side to side.
A stedicam is where the camera stays still no matter how much the camera man moves it does this by having a gyro sensor fitted to the camera.

Editing

Editing is the process of looking at all of the footage shot during a film then placing it in the desired order and joining it together.
There are tow key areas of editing. The first is speed of editing, this means how long is each shot.
The second is style of editing, this means how the shots are joined together.
Speed of editing; In a film each scene may last seconds, to minutes the length of the scene establishes the pace of the fim moving the action along.
The seed of editing will determine the mood of what is taking place on screen.
If the editing is quick the audience will feel anxiety and suspense.
If the editing is slow there will be a relaxed mood, and example of this will be in a romantic comedy.
Some films contain no editing at all, it could just be one continuous scene which last the entire length of a film, an example of this is in RussianArk.
In trailers the editing will be very fast as they need to pack as much detail from the film into a short period of time. An example of this is the trailer form The Man in irom mask trailer.




Scenes at the beginning of a film must be long enough for us to understand what is going on and so the characters can be introduced. As the film progresses the length of the scenes can be shortened as the action picks up.
Style of editing; This is how the shots are linked together, the movement from one shot to the next is known as a transition.
Types of transition;
Straight cut, this is the most basic form of transition, it is an invisible form of transition. One shot moves in instantaneously without attraction the audiences attention. These help keep the scenes realistic.
Dissolves; These fade out one shot from the scene and fades in a new one, at the mid point the audience will be able to see two shots on screen at one time. This can be used to show a connection between two characters.
Fades; This is the gradual darkening or lightening of an image until it become either black or white.
It can be used to indicate the end of a particular section in the narrative.
Wipes; This is when one image is pushed off screen for another, this can be used to show movement between different locations that are happening at the same time.
Jump cut, this is when the audiences attention is brought to focus on something suddenly, this is created by breaking continuity editing, it looks as if a section of film has been removed.
Graphic match; This is a gap in action and can be used to startle the viewer or bring their attention to something.
Graphic match; This is when the creator places shots in an order to create smooth visual transfer from one shot to the next, two shots are matched together in the way that they look.

Mise En Sense

Mise en sense is a french term meaning in the scene or frame. It refers to; Settings, props, costume, hair, make up, performance, lighting, colour and the positioning of characters or objects.
The setting is where a media text takes place.
Props are the objects that we see on the setting.
Different types of mise en sense
This is a western, here the character will wear a cowboy hat, a waistcoat, there will be horses and old buildings, and will be in a ghost town.
This is a villain, he will wear a costume and stand aut from all of the characters in a film, it will be clear who the villain is.
Facial expressions and body language is very important in media and text, it is shown with the close up and extreme close up.
This is an angry person, a close up is used.
This is a frightened person, an extreme close up is used.

Sound techniques

Diagetic sound refers to the world of the texr e.g. knocking on a door.
Non diagetic sound refers to everything outside of the world of the text e.g. sirens
Sound; On and Off screen.
On screen sound is when the audience can see the source of the sound on screen.
off screen sound is when the audience cannot see the source of the sound., this extends the diagetic world.
Sound; parallel and contrapuntal.
Parallel sound is when the sound matches the action we see.
contrapuntal sound is when the sound we hear doesnt math the action that is going on on screen.
Sound; sound bridge.
Sound bridge This is when the sound creates a smooth transition between shots, it acts like a bridge between two scenes.

Continuity editing

Continuity editing is when scenes follow on from each other, this gives us the effect that time is moving forward realistically.
Eye line match is when the character looks at something off screen and then it cuts to a shot of what the character was looking at.
A match on action is when we see a character start an action in one shot and then finish it off in the next shot.
Graphic match is when two shots are linked together which creates a smooth visual transfer between shots, this make it nice for the viewer to watch.
the 180 degree rule is when two characters or objects should have the same left and right relationship if this rule is broken it looks as if the two people or objects have changed sides. example below.



The shot reverse shot is where the camera switches between the people that are speaking, this technique is usually used when filming an argument.

No country for old men

Above is a trailer for No country for old men, it is effective as it gives us a small insight to the story, shows us action shots and characters and leaves the viewer craving for more.
Its target audience is for people who like a good, deep story and those who like fast paced action too. There is a perfect balance between story telling and action.
The film is a crime thriller where a man finds a fortune which is not his, he is then hunted for it which nearly costs him his and his wife's lives. The film is like a big cat and mouse chase and the villain is extremely intelligent.


Above is an opening for the film. The setting is in the middle of nowhere and makes the audience feel as if the film is going to be a dark gritty film.
The characters are dressed in western clothing.
In this film we see the villain immediately which is good as we see this as no ordinary villain we know that he is fast to act and switched on at all times.
Anton Chigurgh is the villain, he is a hired hitman who shows no mercy to anybody and no remorse.
He seems to take satisfaction has he comes up with creative ways to kill his victims.
He is a mysterious man which makes the audience want to know more about his dark background.

The Birds

Above is the trailer to The Birds, the aspects of a typical thriller that this contains is fast paced actions and regular edits. It appeals to the audience as it makes the film look exciting and makes them feel asif they want to go and see more, this is because the trailer shows us just enough of the story to get us hooked and want to see more instantly.
The Birds was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starred Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren and Suzanne Pleshette.
In this thriller the external threat is from nature which is different to many other thrillers of the time, I think in that respect this film is years ahead of its time.
In Hitchcock's thrillers there is nowhere for the characters to hide in safety e.g. Bodega Bay in The Birds.
"Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing and frequent action." This is very true in The Birds as the birds often attack often and there is very little down time in the film where there is very little going on.
In this film the hero isnt well equipped and doesn't defeat the threat from nature and by the end of the film we actually see how they are over ran with the birds and are helpless, everybody looks weak except the birds.
In this film dramatic irony is used as Tippi Hendren doesn't know that the birds are gathering behind her to attack be the audience does, this makes the audience feel  smarter and one step ahead of the character.
In the school yard scene there are children singing this highlights the fact that the children are innocent and that the birds show no mercy in who they attack. In the cafe scene there is a high camera angle to show the view of a pitiless god who doesnt want to intervene.
Usually in a thriller the hero overcomes the threat however in the birds the hero is actually beated by the birds and we see the hero drive away in defeat.
In The Birds the hero will risk his own life in order to beat the threat and save everybody, however by the end it seems as if the hro has given up as the birds are so powerful.
At the end of the film where Tippi Hendren was attacked the birds were attached to her by strings so they could not get away, she had years of counseling to get over the effects that this film had left her with.The film consists of 32  separately filmed elements.
Hitchcock made thrillers so that the audience could get a feeling of what it would be like to live in the life of the character and give them a little taster of what it would be like without actually experiencing it.
Hendren was actually cut in the face by the birds multiple times.
Below is a contriversial scene from the birds where Hendren says she was actually ployed in to the room to be unknowingly attacked by birds for real.

Source code

Source code is a action thriller about a soldier who wakes up in a body that is not his own. He later discovers that he has been selected as part of a mission that gives him the job of finding a Chicago bomber.
The budget for source code was $32,000,000 and in total the film grossed $54,696,902 in the USA alone.
One review of the source code said "The story line keeps you on the edge of your seat and adds humor to make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience." I agree with this review as I found the film very exciting and funny at times, there is a right balance between seriousness and comedy.


Above is the trailer to Source code.
This trailer is effective as it gives us a little insight to the story without giving away too much. It also shows us how thrilling and exciting the film is and will make the audience want to see the full movie. The trailer has been edited in short frames, this shows us that the film will be a very fast paced film which is high in action. The trailer is targeted at people who like action movies but also those who like a good story as it gives us a little insight to the characters that will be in the film.


Above is an emotional scene between the main character and his father, this scene captivates the audience and shows us a softer side to Colter Stephens as we see him throughout the film being ruthless and in this scene we see his showing his emotions and love towards his father who he didn't get to say a proper goodbye when he died.
Above is the final scene from the film source code, this scene is important as it shows us how the main character is informs the Source code facility how much the source code works in that it creates a parallel universe and we see how nice he can be by telling them to tell him everything will be okay when he wakes.

Psyco

Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock.
The story line of psycho shows us a woman called Marion running away with money that she stole as she is fed up of her life. She wants to get married to her new lover called Sam who she cannot marry as he has to pay out all of his money away in alimony. This is the maguffin as it is part of the story but it isn't the most important or recognized part of the film.
The main part of the story is where Marion decides to stay at The Bates Motel where she is killed by Mrs Bates who we later find out is Mr Bates dressed up as his dead mother.
This film starts with a red herring straight away as we are initially let to believe that the story is about Marion stealing the money and showing her escape and bring the money to Sam to start their new lives. It doesn't look like a thriller when the film begins.

In this film there is a lot of suspense as the audience know there will be a murder but they do not know how or when it will occur.

Thrillers are known for their fast paced and frequent action, the car shower scene is a good example of this.

In Psycho there is no hero, there is just a villain who is unsuspected throughout the whole film, during the film the dead mother is the suspected villain who no body ever sees. Hitchcock chose Norman Bates as the villain as he wanted to avoid cliche and chose an unlikely villain living in the most unlikely of places. There are many different devices used in this film such as multiple Red Herrings an example of this is the shower scene and the final revelation about the mother, who is really Norman. The viewer would be shocked the first time they see the film as they expect Marion to be the main character throughout the scene and do not expect her early departure. When Marion is killed it is apparent that the main character is actually Norman Bates, this seemed strange early on in the film as Mr. Bates seemed an uninteresting character but suspicion builds as the story line continues.

Suspense is built up in the film by using long terms of low paced action and low level violence shown on screen so the audience are always expecting something to happen. Psycho is a very villain driven plot as much of the film is trying to figure out who the real villain is, at first it seems to be the mother but as the film progresses we finally realize that the villain is actually Mr Bates.

Film Language

Genre is the way in which we classify a film, films in the same genre are considered to be similar in form and and type.


Narrative is the story/ sequence of events, often referred to as the plot. Narrative structure is the way in which the story is presented to the audience. The most popular form of narrative is Linear.

Linear structure is when the story is shown to the audience in the order that they took place.

Non linear narrative is when the sequence of events is shown in a jumbled way, so it will go back and forth to different parts of the story.

Micro sounds include setting, props, clothing and movement.

Micro elements include editing techniques and narrative.

Media A level North By Northwest

Media A Level North By Northwest
The hero in this film is played by Carry Grant who was a very famous and well known actor throughout the 1950's.
This trailer will appeal to the audience because it gives us an insight to the story without giving everything away but it also shows the high amount of fast paced action that is in the film. The audience will feel that this is an exciting and genuinely thrilling film.
The story shows a man who's identity is mistaken for a government spy and he is chased across the country as he looks for safety and new ways to evade his pursuers.
In North By NorthWest the hero is up against villains who are much better equipped than he is so he must use his intelligence to outsmart his pursuers.
In North By NorthWest devices like suspense, red herrings and cliffhangers are used a lot. A Red herring is used when the woman shoots the man so it looks like he is killed however later on in the film we learn that she shot a blank and that he didn't really die. A Cliffhanger is used right at the end of the film where the two main characters are trying to escape the villains on mount rush more and the film ends just as it looks like the woman is going to fall and die.
The crop duster scene is iconic as nothing as big as that had ever been seen before and it is such a big impact on the way action scenes were filmed in the future, many people from all over the world will recognise the famous crop duster scene.

“A thriller is a villain driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles the hero must overcome.” This is true with North By NorthWest because we see the very smart villains out smart the hero in many occasions but then you see the hero come up with new ways to overcome the challenges that the villains have thrown at him, however the villains and the hero are evenly matched as  at the end they're both at the same place and they are both pretty evenly matched.

“Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action” This is true in North By NorthWest as the auction scene shows when there is lots of commotion and the hero finds a smart escape plan.