Planning - Costumes

I have been trying to find information on different costumes for us to use in our opening however I found it very difficult to find different information about costumes without a story line.
We now know what we are doing and so now we have an idea for our costumes.


The male - Killer - The mise-en-scene of our two minute opening requires our characters to dress as if they're attending a wedding and therefore we have to dress the male character in a smart black and white suit in order to fit the wedding theme.


The female - Girls - We decided that we are going to shoot the girl in separate parts like the leg, arm and head. Because of this we only need to find a ring, vial and a shoe which will fit in with the idea of a wedding.


We hope that the items of clothing we have picked will match the mise-en-scene and therefore depict a wedding. Through research I discovered that there is not one specific style of outfits which is usually seen in a thriller but that isn't the outfits usually depict the story line and the roles the characters are meant to be playing within it. Therefore I believe that the costumes chosen will work well for our opening.

Planning - Our idea change.

After discussing with our teacher what we are planning on doing as our plot for our opening we discovered how it can be seen as very cliché and whilst we want to keep up the thriller conventions as well as the horror conventions throughout our opening we decided that we wanted to do this in a way which is less cliché as there has already been things like this which have been done. 


Our new idea is still going to be a young girl however we have now decided to go along with the idea of a wedding day. We are yet to complete the story board and understand fully what it is we wish to do exactly however so far we know that we are going to have the young girl dead and in different parts with her body kept in different places around the house. We decided that we are also going to keep the main character a male, we decided that we would stick with the usual idea of a male killer and a young girl, this has been done many times before however we decided that if we are wanting to do something which is less cliché we still have to keep up out conventions of a thriller in different aspects and I believe it is probably expected from the audience for the male to be killer as this is what they are use to seeing. 


We understand that it may be hard to shows only parts of the body around different areas of the house but this is something which we are going to tackle when it comes to shooting and we will start deciding how to hide different body parts whilst we create our story board for our new idea.

Planning - Our tasks:

Each member of our group has had tasks designated for them so that we each have an equal amount to do and we can each focus on something and this way our tasks will all get done sooner.


I am doing the story board for our group and that will be put up soon so that we can see how our opening will flow that will be done by the 10th of decemeber we have decided.


I believe that I will finish before then but once we have done that and are happy with the story board we are going to start with the animatic so that we can actually watch our opening; the good thing about the animatic is it will give us a good oppotunity to decide if anything needs changing within our story board as we will be able to watch how it goes.


I have also got the role of costumes and so I have to choose what to dress the characters in, I am finding this a challenge as we have yet to fully decide on how the male and female characters are going to be presented but I will dress them accordingly making sure they fit with the image we are trying to portay of the characters.

Planning - Our ideas:

We are going to go with the horror thrillier genre of film; we decided that we would go with this as we can fit the typical thriller conventions but also put in elements of horror so that we can add gore into the opening to make it seem scary as well as thrilling.


Our idea is to start with a typical opening of a thrillier with pictures of a girl all over a wall - we decided that we would go with this as the starting frame as it is expected of a thrillier to have a stalker/a phyco kind of character.
We then decided that to fit in with the horror genre the majority of our opening will go to a girl lying dead on the floor simply showing different parts of her body this will keep the opening ery and will leave the audience wanting to know what happened to her. Even though there will not be more to the film it will be a good opening and will leave the audience geussing and also by keeping an opening like this we wont have to have much of a story line which I believe works best within a thriller opening because it leaves room for anticipation and suspence.


We have decided on the setting of our opening: we are going to use a kitchen as the setting for our opening, by using a setting like a kitchen it will hopefully add a little to the suspence as a kitchen is not somehwere were you usally expect murder to take place. We have also decided on the gender of the murder and the victim, we have decided to stick to the original style of have the male as the stronger character whilst the female is the weaker character. We decided on have this as we believe that this will fit the conventions of both a thriller and a horror. We may however change the idea about gender and the way in which we represent the characters depending on how we wish to portry them.

Evaluating other groups continuity task.

When marking the other groups continuity task we had to use the brief we were first given with the directions for the task which informed us of the different things we needed to include as well as using the marking criteria.


For
Heather, Laura, Brogan and Sam: We gave them a level three. We thought that they were to good to be a high level two and therefore should be in the threes. There use of different shots and angles was good and they varied them throughout. They also followed the brief and did everything asked of them. There audio was also very clear and easy to understand. http://heathercaseymediacoursework.blogspot.com/2010/11/continuity-task_3657.html


Luke, Jess, Serenna and Hannah: For this group we gave them a low level two. This was mainly because there footage wasn't finished and therefore they had not even completed what they were told to. The audio was okay on there piece and they tired to use a different variety of camera angles within there shots which takes them off a level one.
http://imsocoolibakecakes.blogspot.com/2010/11/continuity-task-end-product.html


Callum, Tom and Ellie: For this we gave them a level two-three. This was because they did what they were told to do and followed the instructions. They also used different camera angles and the audio was good I thought on this piece.
http://elliebiddle.blogspot.com/2010/11/continuity-editing-task_15.html

Continuity task.

We were given the task of creating a continuity task which focused on producing a short clip of one minute which showed the ability to use the camera along with a range of different angles.

We were given a short of list of things which we would need to include like having a person walk in to a room through a door and exit from the same door, as well as having two people having a conversation. 

My group found it hard at first to think of an idea which would be easy to shoot in the day we were given to use the equipment provided. After some discussions about who would be needed to act in the task the ideas came to us and we were able to think of a simple idea which was able to include all the things asked from us. 

When filming our task we found it okay as we had the tri-pod to keep the camera still and we were able to develop techniques when using the camera which I believe will be very useful when filming our main coursework.  

Editing the film wasn't as hard as I had first anticipated and actually once you are able to learn the basics, editing the short piece is simple.
I think that for my group the role that we took when making the continuity task worked for us and we were able to get the task completed a few days before it was due which left us with more time to make sure it was the best we could make it with the footage we had taken.

I believe after studying the marking criteria and focusing on the video section that I would give our group a high level 2 to a low level 3 as I think we managed to do what fell under the level.
As for the audio this is something my group struggled with when having it on the mac. This was because of the sound of the music which we had chosen to accompany the sense, as I nor anyone else in the group was sure how to make one sound louder than an other and save it there so it wouldn't change the next time it was viewed and this was something that I think my group should of worked on. Because of the loudness of the music in some senses it was hard to hear what was being said. For this I would give our group a level 1 as I personally didn't think it was as clear as it should have been.
Overall I think our video probably scored a level two from the teacher.


From doing this task my group were able to under how the camera and mac worked and the different ways of using them. We also learnt the different things that need to be done when editing a piece of film. There are still things that need to be learnt but I believe that from what we have already learnt it will help us in our main production  of our film. We have also been able to learn the different strengths within the group and this therefore will help us in deciding who will do what when doing our final AS piece so we can be organised.

Research - What have I learnt from all of my research?

By researching different ways in which thrillers and presented and the different opinions and options there are when it comes to making a thriller I have been able to understand what makes a good thriller and the kind of things I will need to include in my thriller in order to make it the best it can be. I have learnt these things through gaining an understanding of codes and conventions, camera, sound, editing and mise-en-scene and then applying that in order to analyse not only real thriller films in order to understand how these things are used on a greater scale but also through analysing other students work I was able to understand how it is possible for students to apply these elements to the openings of their films and the different ways in which my group can do this too. 


Along with all of the good things I have learnt I have equally learnt how to avoid doing things which loose you marks when producing your final opening; for example the steadiness of the camera, the quality of sound, the use of mise-en-scene and the pace and style of editing. Because I have been able to learn both positive and negative points of openings I can make sure that the rest of my group also understands what we should be doing and then later apply this to our opening. 


Overall my research on a whole has allowed me to understand the importance of the different aspects of film and from gaining peoples opinions I now know what people expect from this genre of a film and through analysing others have started to gain knowledge on how to address these areas. Now my group needs to go and start brainstorming different ideas starting with genre and decide what type of film we are going to choose - hybrid or sub-genre - and then decide on the story line and then move on to taking into consideration everything that we have learnt through past students work and real thrillers and bring all of our knowledge together in order to try and come up with the best opening we can possibly produce.   

Research - Analysing past students work.

We were asked to evaluate past students work in order to gain an understand of what we should and should not be including in our openings. We also learnt how the work was judged and how certain aspects of camera, editing and sound gave the opening different levels and meant that overall the group achieved a good grade or not. By evaluating past students work you also gain an understanding of how something such as camera can effect the overall outcome of your opening; for example if the camera is shaky during a tilt when the camera should be still and simply scanning up and down.

We watched six different openings to get a different idea of what level we would give them. To do so we were given the mark scheme telling us the levels and what would need to be achieved in order to gain the highest level. At first the majority of the past openings that we watched seemed good and the errors went unnoticed. One we watched it once we were made to re-watch it but this time we were told to focus on a certain area of the filming; camera, editing, sounds and mise-en-scene. After about the third time of watching it the opinion which was made on the first viewing was usually changed quite drastically after noticing the mistakes that were made. Many of the openings consisted of many of the things which were needed however it was obvious that certain things like the smoothness of the camera or the pace of the editing was letting them down.  

Root cause was an example we watched that achieved a high grade unlike many of the other openings we saw and this was down to the use to skills they implied in their work and the evidence there was to suggest that the group had thought for a very long time how to position the camera, add a story line to the opening already and the ways in which they chose to edit there footage to a high level. This particular opening was a film noir and was set in the 1920's with the gangster genre evidently influencing their work

. They ensured that the music and mise-en-scene represented this time period and it was clear to see in their piece that it was well thought out. 

The common fault amongst many of the openings was the attempts of trying to look like a real thriller and however this is good to stick to the code and conventions some groups were trying to achieve things which weren't possible for an as-level piece of work and they shouldn't of tried anything to hard but still of come up with an original idea.  All of the ideas were good however some of them has flaws due to the lack of experience that they had and the way they tried to do things.

From analysing the work of past students it has helped me to understand the limitations which needs to be set on ideas so that my group can make the best opening with originality that it can rather than trying to be to complex and not being able to get good marks because the ideas were to hard to follow through. I have also learnt from the good things that certain groups did as well as the bad and have learnt how to perhaps co-operate different types of ideas into our brainstorms and hopefully come up with something better by working with the guide that past students have set from their work.

Research - Openings of thrillers: 3 Se7en.

Se7en:

Camera -

CU's and ECU's are the camera shots which are chosen be used by the director in the opening sequence of this film. The two different camera shots allow the audience to pay attention to detail and focus on what is being shown to you on screen and the different images in order to start connecting them together and gain an understand of the film.

Editing -

The speed of the images and transitions increases throughout the opening. The sound also increases along with it emphasizing the speed and the pace it is picking up. The images are all shown to dissolve and cut between each other and the different types of transitions allow the audience to piece the images together and start to gain an understand of the film. 

Sound -

Non-diegetic sound increases in pitch and volume throughout the sequence and it works parallel to both the camera work and the editing. The music increases in time with the editing and allows the audience to make connections.  

Mise-en-scene-  The opening sequence of the film focuses on the use of props and the ways in which they are used to portray the danger of the forthcoming events. The light font on a dark background allows the writing of the names to stand out whilst still presenting to the audience the darkness in the persona's life by keeping the scene dark.  The images which are shown to the audience denote that this thriller is perhaps a horror thriller and the director has taken a hybrid approach to the film by adding a sense of horror meaning that the film can have a much deeper meaning as there is more to change and this way the mise-en-sense is important in portraying this to the audience.

Research - Openings of thrillers: 2 Psycho.

Psycho: 

Camera- The camera is not used in the opening of this film. The film opens with simple graphics moving across the screen this gives the audience an unnerving feeling as the plot of the film is not revealed through the opening of the film.

Editing-  In the opening of Psycho, the film begins with a black screen, then it turns grey. It is then split by animated parallel  lines which enter from the right hand side of the screen. The colours and words which appear on screen afterwards are always split down the middle using the different colours apart from the directors name which is used in contrast and left on the screen for several seconds. The splitting of the colours in the opening title sequence connotes the idea of a split personality linking in with what is usually thought of to be a 'psycho'. This simple effect used by Hitchcock enforces the idea of the film without having to show any images or scenes of the film to start off with but simple introducing the cast. 

Sound-   The Music which is used in the opening of the film is parallel and allows the images on screen to move at a much faster pace and follow the music. The music has an harsh tone with connotes danger and panic. The music is able to do these things by the pace and the instruments which are used to create a certain tone to the music. The music fits the opening and fits in with the conventions of a thriller. 

Mis-en-scene - All that is shown are the graphics which have the connotations of split personalities. 

Research - Openings of thrillers: 1 Sin City.

Sin City: 
Camera - The scene first opens showing a shot of a female character. We are first shown this character using an extreme long shot which establishes the location and setting of the scene. Throughout the scene the camera using a combinations of mid-shots and close-ups provides to the audience connotations of feelings and relationships due to the closeness between the female character and a newly introduced male character who is shot in a long shot when entering the scene denoting his importance in the scene by allowing the audience to see all of him. When the two are talking the director uses close up, mid-shots and duel shots to represent the emotion and recognize the characters facial expressions which allows us to gain further understanding of the characters relationship and emotions towards each other. 

Editing - The director uses a mixture of red, white and black throughout the opening extract. The setting is all black and white which contrasts to the female protagonists' brightly coloured red dress which connotes a sense of importance. The director has used a bright light within the scene to draw attention to the male and the female standing on the balcony. The light is also used to highlight the city surrounding them.


Sound - The music in this scene is parallel to the happenings in the scene. It is slow and  calm and matches the atmosphere the director is creating through the use of camera, editing and lighting. There is also diagetic sound which adds a sense of realism to the scene with the noise from the lighter for example when it is lit.


Mise-en-scene - The director is trying to establish the importance of these two characters in this particular scene by not using many props, The cigarette both characters are smoking shows the type of people they are however the smoking in this scene is almost used to make the characters appear cool This might be in line with the time period in which this film is meant to be sent.  

Research - Certificate information.

"15: Suitable only for 15 years
and over No one younger than 15 may
see a ‘15’ film in a cinema.
No one younger than 15 may
rent or buy a ‘15’ rated
video work. "

The discrimination in the film must not include discriminatory language or behaviour. 


Any Drug taking may be shown in the film but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable. The horror within the film may include strong threat and menace unless it's seen as sadistic or sexualised. Dangerous behaving for example hanging, suicide and self-harming shouldn't dwell in a great detail which is easily copied by the audience. Weapons which are easily accessible should not be glamorised. The language expected in a film with a certificate 15 can be frequently strong however the strongest terms are only acceptable if justified by the context. Agressive and repeated use of really strong language is unlikey to be acceptable. Nudity may be allowed within a sexual context however this should not be in strong detail. There aren't any constriants on nudity in a non-sexual or education context.  Sexual activity can be portrayed as long as there is not strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour however the strongest references are unlikely to acceptable unless they are being jusitifed within the context of the film. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal is very unlikely to be acceptable. No Themes are prohibited as long as the other parts of the film fit in with the appropirateness for 15 years old. The violdence within the film may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest images are unlikely to be acceptable for the film; Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also prohibeted. There may be detalied verbal ferences to sexual violence but any portrayal of this kind of violence must be dicreet and have a strong justification.


"Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may
see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may
rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video."The certificate regulations for an 18  follow the principle that adults should be free to choose their
own entertainment. However there are expections where the material is in breach of criminal law. Where material or treament apperars to risk harm to individuals or to the gernal society through their behaviour.
This can presented though the use of dangerous acts, illegal drug use which may cause harm to the public health and morals. This can also include the portrayl of sexual violencet. The use of explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be jusitifed by context is an expection that is expected to be met. Such images should be rated as 'R18' works instead of an 18. 

The differences between the two certificates are that 18s allow much visual images of things such as gore and sexual references. Certificate 18 allows stronger language to be used unlike 15's which need the work to be justified to a much greater level, however both so still need to be justified in order to be acceptable to be viewed by the public. 

Research - Breaking down audience into categories.

The audience can be broken down into several categories.

1. Age; the age can break down an audience for example 15-18 is one way a audience can be broken down into a specific group. This idea of age can be used for any age group. Another way in which audience can be broken down into age categorise is by putting them under the brackets of particular ages for example 'child' 'student' 'adult' 'pensioner'  
2. Gender; the audience can be broken down into male of female categorise to decide the popularity of a film with a certain gender for example. 
3. Class; social class can be used to break down an audience to understand how a majority of a certain social class prefer a certain genre of film over another. These are the main way in which an audience can be broken down into categories.
   

Research - Is the opening important?

The opening of a film is important to the rest of the film as it allows the audience to get an understanding of the film and what is to come and often it clarifies to the audience the type of film they are about to watch as the opening of the film usual follow a set rules; The codes and conventions for that particular genre of film.

The opening can often unravel or give a slight glimpse into the plot and storyline of the film which also allows the audience to either understand or not understand the film from the out set.
The opening of the film can be classed as one of the most important parts of the film and this is due to the fact it is the first few images that the audience are able to see of the film and the directors intentions of the opening are too allow the audience to make expectations of the film and what they expect to see; this links back in with all of  the codes and conventions.

As the opening of a film often contains names of directors, actors and actresses the audience can also gain knowledge of what to expect from a certain director or a certain actor who is often seen doing such films.If the opening of a film is poor it leads the expectations of the rest of the film to follow in the same way and can influence and audiences opinion before the film even starts. The opening can also be important in order to create a certain atmosphere and also in order to create tension at the start of the film. This links back to the idea that the opening of the film in used in order to allow the audience to gain an expectation of the film itself as well as being able able to understand the plot before the film gets into it. 


It is also a chance for the soundtrack to begin and the sound track is also an important factor of the film as it helps the film gain pace or slow down and also by adding a sound track it is easier to edit the footage as there is a pace in which you are wanting to keep up throughout the film from the moment the opening begins. 
For these reasons I believe the opening of a film is very important and benefits the rest of the film massively as well as being beneficial for the audience to make first impressions of the film.

Research - What music do people prefer in thrillers?

From the research that we carried out we were able to find that different people expected different types of music from thrillers and preferred different types of music.
For example some people said they would prefer there to be music in the background of a scene to have no words and be a simple instrumental peace which is just being used to add pace and to dramatize the scene and allows you to focus on what's happening instead of listening to the words of the song.
Other people said that they prefer to hear music which starts slow and increases in pace throughout the peace of music, they also said that if the music was instrumental or had lyrics it didn't matter to them as long as the music itself did what they expected it to do in a thriller and that was to make the sense seem more intense.
Some answers simply stated they preferred to hear fast music as they expected to see scenes of chasing for the music to accompany.
Nearly all said they prefer the volume of the music to be loud or increase in volume but very rarely to never to be slow.


What is their favourite thriller and why? When people were asked what there favourite films where they named some classic examples of thrillers which are widely recognised. Some of the answers where: 
 Presumed Innocent this was named as a favourite thriller, one of the reasons this was named as a favourite thriller was because of the twists and turns in the story line, the audience liked the unpredictable plot. Sixth Scenes was another film which was named as favourite, it followed the same reasons for being picked as a favourite as the other film other film, however the questioned added that the film as it was a very 'clever' and it was not understood until the very end. Psycho was picked for being a 'classic' thriller film, fitting all you expect and want from a thriller film. Do they have memorable openings? There were varied responses when people where answering if there favourite film had a memorable opening and the different answers show the importance of an opening as two out of three answers which we have chosen to speak about claimed there favourite film did a memorable opening. Presumed Innocent was the only film that out of the three where the opening wasn't particularly memorable or remembered at all, despite the fact the opening was not easily recalled the film was still chosen as a favourite. Sixth Scenes when asked if this films opening was memorable the answers was yes, the responce included how the main character gets stabbed right at the begging and how it sticks in your mind through out the rest of the film and how this particular opening has an impact on the film. Psycho was said to have a memorable title sequence, and the music, colours - black and white - , pace of the writing and images (the lines) on the screen where all well remembered. 

What are thrillers?

• Thrillers: A genre of film that uses excitement, suspense and tension as the main elements. Thrillers usually contain a mixture of mystery and violence within it's story line
• Music: In thrillers you are able to expect music which builds up tension and increases suspense within the main scenes. The music is often just instrumental so that you are concentrating solely on the movie it’s self rather than the well known song you know playing in the background. The music is more often than not repetitive this is used throughout the film with different peaces of music being played at different times. This is a story indicator as to when a particular scene is happy, violent, mysterious etc. Different speeds of music will be used for different scenes. Music will be fast in a more intense scene such as a chase and the music will then slow down and become more ominous in a scarier scene which contains violence.  The different characters such as the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ may also have different music so you can differentiate between them when they come into view. 
• The Characters: Thrillers usually have one main protagonist and one main antagonist this is too allow the audience to clearly differentiate between the good and the bad in the film. The main antagonists usually has the persona of a psychopath and often leads the protagonist into danger. 
• Setting and Storyline: The settings for thrillers are often urban cities such as New York where the story line often follows an almost hide and seek chase of the characters through the busy streets. Often there is also many ’bad guys’ living within the city which the ordinary citizens don’t know about.  The settings can also be set in rural areas where the story line includes characters that are hiding or where a mysterious murder has taken place.There is usually a mysterious murder or disaster at the start of the film which is set as the plot throughout the film. The film usually includes a car chase which is considered an iconic convention of a thriller which entails both sides chasing one another in order to retain something which is theirs or too get something they want; cash, jewellery, paper work etc. 
• Camera Work: The camera work and speed changes depending on the story line. The introduction of a thriller is often shot slowly and in either much detail or as little detail as possible both creating tension and suspense for what is too come. The Camera speed is often fast during the film this helps put the audience in the film as they feel they are having to keep up with the character. Long distance shots are often used and panning of the surrounding area to create tension and atmosphere as it has the audience looking out for the ‘bad guys’ and trying to spot things in the area just like the character is. There are often close ups too of certain objects such as a weapon, a car or a certain person - this is usually done when that object or person is a vital part to the story and something or someone to look out for later on in the film or to create suspense from the outset. 
• The Colour: The usual colours in a thriller are ‘cold’ colours, this is done to create a cold an unwelcoming atmosphere which allows the audience to feel the way in which the character would feel. Certain colours such as grey are used in an urban area to match the busy background of sky scrapers. Colours such as red and black are used to make the audience aware of the danger and darkness ahead in the film. 

Sound

Sound:
Direct sound: Sounds which are made on the set and are kept within the film for effects of realism.

Studio sound: Sound recorded in the studio to improve the quality and also to remove unwanted sounds that may have been picked up in the filming.

Music: The music within a scene helps the scene pick up a certain pace or allows the audience to understand the emotions within the scene. A slow song may show strong upsetting emotions whereas a fast piece of music is more likely to show a happy excited time.

Silence: This can also be used to have the same effect as music by creating a tense atmosphere but also the silence can cause an un-nerving scene leaving the audience clueless of what is to come next.

Sound perspective: The impression of distance in sound usually created through the use of selective sound.

Sound bridge: Adding to continuity through a scene with music linking the events within a scene together.
Commentary: Usually a voice of one the characters saying something which is unheard by other characters only giving the audience direction of the events happening.

Sound effects: Any sound that is not narration or music.

Dubbed dialogue: Post-recording the voice-track in the studio, the actors matching their words to the on-screen lip movements.

Parallel sound: Sound which match the actions or pace on screen. 

Camera Codes - Distance, Angles and Movement.

Camera; there are different types of camera shots which are used in order to give different meanings and create different effects depending on what the audience are able to see through the shot.

• ELU: Extreme long shot - this kind of shot will be used to show the surroundings usually at the start of a film so the audience understand the setting on the film. 

ECU: Extreme close ups -  This shot shows something in extreme detail for exam you can have an extreme close up of an eye so that the only thing the audience are able to see in that shot is that one things.

LS: Long shot - this show also the whole body for head to feet to be shown with some of the background visible. 

MS: Mid shot - this usually shows from the lower torso up to the top of the head of a person on screen.

CU: Close up - this shot like an extreme close up shows one things however usually will focus on something like a face or an object instead of one small object in extreme detail.

Camera Angles are also used to give effect to the audience

Eye Level: This shot is straight at the eye level of both the audience and character. 

Point of view: This angle shows an event happening for the characters point of view to the audience.Bird’s-eye view: This angle shows events happening straight above.
High Angle: This angle shows the insignificance of certain characters as they are viewed being looked down on.
Low Angle: This angle looks up from a low angle increasing the height of a certain character and allows them to appear superior to the audience. 

Camera Movement
Zoom: This is when an object or a person in magnified for effect in order to show a certain feature or to emphasize a point. 

Pan: A pan is usually used along side an extreme long shot this use of movement allows the audience along with the shot to see a certain scene of a greater scale and give the audience an understanding of the setting.
Tilt: When the Camera is moved up and down to show height of something usually increasing the power or feelings of a character.
Tracking: Tracking is used to follow an object. During tracking the camera itself is moved along. This sort of movement is often used in a scene which needs to show the speed or movement of a certain character or object. 

Editing

Editing: 

Cutting rate: Frequent cuts may be used as deliberate interruptions to shock, surprise or emphasize.

Cross-cut: A cut from one line of action to another.
Buffer shot: A bridging shot - taken with separate cameras - are two different shots which show the continuity of movement.
Superimpositions: Images placed directly on top of each other usually to show a visual metaphor. 

Split screen: The division of the screen into parts which can show the viewer several images at the same time. This can be used in order to show different view points and show the excitement or terror of characters. 

Stock shot: Footage already available and used for another purpose than the one for which it was originally filmed.

Cutaway/cutaway shot (CA):  Usually used to show the passing of time.

Cut: Sudden change of shot from one character or location to another 
Jump cut: Switch from one scene to another usually used to great a more dramatic and significant effect.
Fade: A fade the picture slowly appears from or disappears to a blank screen.

Wipe: The effect of an image being wiped in order to change scene.

Genre:

Genre is a set of conventions that are recognizable to the audience usually through iconography familiar narrative, mise-en-scene, actors, and style of representation.  Genre is not static but constantly renegotiated between industy and audience; a combination of familiar reassurance and new twists. A creative strategy used by film producers to ensure audience identification with a film. Genre is an important way of working through important myths and fears by repetition, variation and resolution.


Genre also offers comforting reassurance in an uncomfortable world. Threats within a film are vanquished, outlaws become civilized, gangsters are punished. 

Genre functions like a language; there are a set of rules and a vocabulary with which to organize meaning. 

Audiences become accustomed to a certain genre and therefore look for there favorite genre of film when choosing what film to watch. However there are arguments and debates of the existence of genre. 


Genre is often hybridized so genre is easily misinterpreted. Hybridization means when two genres come together to create a new genre for example romantic comedy. 


There are also sub genres to main genres for example horror : slasher, psychological horror, gothic horror. 

Altman's argument:

Altmans argues that the relationship between the two links to how we can understand genre evolution and hybridization. Genre begins with the semantics and over a period of time evolve into genre after a variety of themes, issues, and plots have been explored. Thus it can take a while, what limits this is the shifting social ideologies that can affect themes, issues and ideas. 

Traditional theorists:

Schatez and Wright look at genre in a compartmentalized way, thus with no overlapping with specific ways of identifying the genre. Hybridization can be argued there is only a set of semeiotics no syntax. films influence each other. 

Analysing genre allows me to understand what target audience I should be aiming and the way in which genres can be changed and the different types of genre there are and the different sorts of genre that my group will be able to choose between when deciding which thriller hybrid or sub genre to choose for our film. Different theorists opinions on genre also allows me to understand the ways in which genre can be manipulated and the ways in which is can be changed.

By understanding these facts about genre will mean that whilst creating our opening we will be able to apply some of these things and understand that we are able to cross between genres through hybridisation and also by  sub-genres. When creating our film we can also consider the arguments between Altman's argument and traditional theorists.