Collateral Overview

Hello again. A few lessons back we watched a movie called Collateral.

We start by analsying the poster (to the right). The poster has a picture of Tom Cruise, at the time of the movies release Tom Cruise was a huge hit amongst audience. Therefore it was no surprise that no Tom Cruise's picture was only used for the poster. In addition his name was enlarged, even Jamie Foxx and the directors name were nothing in comparison. Moreover Jamie Foxx who I believed was the main focus- protagonist in the film, had nothing other than a small printed name.

Collateral released in 2004, it is  a crime thriller; starring Jamie Foxx and Tom Cruise. Directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beatie.
This film could be described as experimental as it was Mann's first feature film shot with mostly high-definition camera.

There is a lot of evidence of the use of high-definiton camera used in scenes where the LA scenery can be seen.

The Trailer:



The briefcase scene is also one to be noted:
The use of a gun- which is a convention of a thriller is seen in this scene. The man who had the gun, believed he was a bigger man as he had a weapon and even tried to apprehend Vincent, but was obviously no match as Vincent later on killed him.

Vincent's New Friend:
This scene is a very big contrast to other scenes analysed in the film. The lighting in the scene is very bright, full use of high-key lighting. We feel in this scene the uneasiness felt by Max, almost tension. We see Vincent, almost normal-like as he converses with the Ida and also buy her a gift.

Pulled Over:

Mann stated that the film takes place on the night of January 24–25, 2004 from 6:30 p.m. to 5:40 a.m. There is a reason why the film is predominately is set in the dark, except for the hospital scene. We see a lot of tension in this scene, between Max, Vincent and the police. As the audience we are left on the edge because we know that there is a body in the trunk and the police had requested for Max to open that trunk. 

Mann used a scene which was spontaneous to take advantage of the the low key lighting available. In the clip below, we hear the Mann's and Cruise's view of the coyotes running through to the intersection.



The sequence of the Korean Nightclub was shot in 35mm.

When analyzing this scene, I realise the film has a blue hue, mostly everything looks blue. The music in the foreground is very contrapuntal because as there are nightclub goers dancing, and having fun, howver the actions among the character can not be heard only seen, doing this as an effort to portray the audience as one of the night club goers. As we progress through this scene we see that guns and have been fired (conventions of a thriller) but the music still continues to play through.

Background information of the film.
The film was co-produced by DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures. Paramount released the film on Blu Ray, March 30th 2010.
Collateral had waited for 3 year for developing with DreamWorks. The work for directing it was passed from Mimi Leder to Janusz Kaminski. But it wasn't until Russel Crowe became interested in playing Vincent, that the project started developing. 
Crowe than brougt Mann on board, however due to constant delays Crowe pulled out. Which Mann decided to ask Cruise as Vincent and Adam Sandler as the cab driver.

The film opened August 24th 2004, in 3,188 in the theaters in the US and Canada and grossed $24.7 million; ranking number 1 in the first week.

Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task- Overview

PRE-PRODUCTION. The brief.

We were asked to create a short clip that displayed different camera techniques these were: Point Of View shot and a 180 reverse shot. We were asked to add these techniques in our short clip that had a basic story line to it.

PRODUCTION. How did we achieve  it?

I worked with my fellow classmate, Sveta Ankomah. Before we started filming, we created a story board to create a basic outline of our video. Then we started to using the camera, talking about the different elements that can be added to our video. The shooting primarily took place inside a classroom, but the outside was also feature mainly for the beginning. 

POST PRODUCTION. Was it successful?

We worked well as a group, as we were able to talk about different ideas inside AND outside of school. If any problem did arise we would go back to the storyboard and find a way to resolve it. Sveta was in charge of filming and editing. I was the creative mind behind it, trying to find out what camera angles worked well with what. In addition myself and Sveta were the actresses in the video. The final edit looks professional, with some elements of comedy.

Thriller Conventions

In this blogpost I will explain what the typical thriller will contain. A central to plot: the justice verses the injustice. The elements of the blurred line of good and bad. The elements consisted in a thriller are enigmas, red-herrings, plot twists and cliffhangers (most noted in a thriller, such as The Birds). The sub genres contained in a thriller are mystery, crime, psychological and political;  these sub genres give thrillers an extra aspect allowing it to have that extra twist or shock. The moods available in a thriller would heighten the tension present these moods that are responsible for these are: murder, menace, mystery and paranoia. The 
characters that feature in a thriller seem to be in a dangerous mission and trying to escape from the impossible. These escapes do not have to be actiony, but always have to seem to be escaping from anything, even the most bizarre and unnatural occurrence (A fleet of birds who seem only to attack humans). The characters themselves have to seem troubled, disturbed, confided or multi-faceted morally complex). The settings provide a typical thriller setting as they are seen as dark and corrupt. 

During class, we looked at several opening scenes of different types of thrillers.

Se7en
The opening scene shows the two cops; one who plays the good cop and another person who plays the bad cop. The sub-genre I received from just watching the opening scene was that it was crime thriller. The mood was a mysterious  as we were not getting the location of the setting. In addition, the setting was dark and grey. The film mostly took place in rainy, dreary and dark days; to match to the sub-genre and the characters of the film.

Drive
The opening sequence for driver we watched did not have a lot of the conventions of a thriller. The room is not lit- the only source of any light is from outside street lamps. At the beginning we don't see the characters facial features who is talking, but only a Scorpio print on his jacket. Use of non-diegetic sounds.The radio was a contrapuntal sound as it didn't reflect with what was happening outside; a car getaway. 

Kill Bill
The openiong of Kill Bill was a duplicate of James Bond film, which was re-edited to fit into the order of the thriller-intertexuality. There are gasping sounds at the beginning, but we are not aware of the source of the sound. In addition with clucking sounds of boots from an unknown source. Element of another film; Psycho sound after she gets shot.

James Bond Thriller Analysis.

James Bond Thriller Analysis.

The character James Bond is based on a fictional novel starring a fictional hero first published in 1953. He is often referred to his code name 007 and his mission working as a British Secret Service agent. The novel is created by Ian Fleming. These books are set during May 1951 and February 1951. Fleming continued to set base at his Jamaican home, Goldeneye and wrote a total of twelve books and a collection of two short stories.

James Bond is popular across the globe. If you haven't read the book or watched the movie, you'd still know about James Bond. I know that applied to me!
But why? Recipe of a James Bond Thriller will tell us how:

-Well it first has to have a handsome, heroic secret agent who plays James Bond.
-In addition it has to have a super villain of a greater or equal strength.
-A number of extremely beautiful Bond HAS to make love with.
-A location. An exotic location.
-Exciting stunt driven action, one that will leave you at the edge of your seat.
-The FAMOUS John Barry music. Most famously the one everyone associates with James Bond is the extract from Casino Royale.
-A pop song promoting the James Bond film.
-An opening action sequence.
-Bond receiving his mission.
-Fights and car chases
-Bond being trapped
-Bond escaping from his trap against all odds and triumphs to beat the villain.

We are going to analyse the opening scenes of several Bond films: Casino Royale.
CASINO ROYALE


THE SPY WHO LOVED ME


GOLDENEYE


These three films in comparison all share the same element of typical James Bond thriller film. It has an opening action sequence, I outlined earlier on before. The opening action sequence shows us who Bond is up against. Goldeneye and The spy who loved me opening sequence is set in a snowy region, not exactly an exotic location. However the element of snow may have been added, to add a suspense of 'Where is he'? and 'I can't see him', to leave the audience in awe when they realise where he is. In addition, Casino Royale and Goldeneye use of heavy artillery allows the audience to wonder will he survive? And of course he does. 


But why has James Bond always been popular?
This is the question, I ask myself. I have come to realise that James Bond is popular because he is the original superhero with no superhero strength, at all. Bond fulfills every man's fantasy the ability  to drive fast cars, wear fancy suites,use great gadgets and make love to no-strings attached women. And yet it fullfills every womens fantasy a sexy, hamdsome, smart dashing man, who's able to save them from any situation. What more is there to ask for?

Unknown Film Analysis

This post is about the film Unknown, which is a change from the usual Alfred Hitchcock I have described about in my previous posts. 

We'll start the post by analyzing the Unknown trailer. The trailer has typical elements that you would find in a thriller. The trailer has a lot of jumpucts to give the viewers an idea of the type of film it is. In addition the trailer uses fast action paced music, where it has climax until the end, where it shows the explosion of the hotel It room. It appeals to the audience because it keeps the audience on edge and leave them wondering WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?

The plot behind Unknown. 

Dr. Martin Harris awakens from his 4 day coma in Berlin to discover that his wife, Liz, suddenly doesn't recognize him and another man has taken his identity.Ignored by Berlins authorities and being hunted down by mysterious people who want him dead, he finds himself alone and confused.

With the aid of a young woman, who rescued him, he tries to find out the real reason of why he seems to be non existence. 

This film is based on the book Out of My Head by Didier Van Cauwelaert

Director:  Jaume Collet-Seura

Writer: Oliver Butcher, Stephen Cornwell. 

Starring: Liam Neeson(Dr Martin Harris), Diane Kruger (Gina) and January Jones (Liz)

It grossed up to $130, 786, 397 worldwide. 

The film had good characteristics that showed elements of a thriller. It had a lot of tension. One scene that stood out for me. 

We see Dr Harris tied up and trying to reach for the scissors that has been left on the dead nurse. The sound in the scene is very disorientating as it links in with Dr Harris mind: confusing. Moreover the lighting in the scene, is not bright a lot of blue undertone is used to give an illusion of mystery. 

The use of fast editing leading up to the escape is used to add tension to the scene, to make the audience more aware of the scene and feel as if they have taken the position of Dr Harris. 

Furthermore, the club scene has elements of a thriller. The loud booming music is heard in the background its threatening and disorientating- it doesn't makes sense. There's a sense of mystery as only dark shadows can be made out in the midst of all the people. The viewers share the Doctor Harris' and Gina's confusion. 

There also is use the McGuffin. The use Prince Shallah and his connection with world food, gives us the basis of the story. But we as the audience are primarily interested in Dr Harris. 

The car chase scene has included a lot of elements that have contributed to make it a memorable scene with a lot of tension. There is a lot of jumpcuts that make the scene have a bit more action. The sound played behind it is a fast paced string sound, to create tension. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1401152/

Psycho Overview

A few lessons ago we watched another Alfred Hitchcock movie... PHYSCO.

Before we get started with the film Physco, let us find information about who made Physco possible.
The screenplay writer is Joseph Stefano and based on the Robert Bloch novel. 
The movie stars Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh and Vera Miles. 

Marion, a young woman who works as a Phoenix office room worker, was trusted with $40,000 to keep in the bank. However, in a crazy spur of the moment she keeps the money and decided to get married to her long-term journey. As she takes the journey to her boyfriend's town she drives off the main highway where she stays at an isolated motel called The Bates Motel. Where she encounters the young Norman Bates, manager of Bates Motel, who seems to be very aware of his mother and what she demands. 



Different elements of what is considered a THRILLER is shown throughout the film. 

It is said that as soon as the film was shown in the cinemas, 2 miles of cars were seen to line up to watch the premier of the film.

The external threat was by a mad man, who seemed to be possessed by his mother. He was very deranged. 


There was a lot of fast paced action throughout the film, this gave the thriller the quality which is needed to make a successful thriller.
These fast paced actions can be seen in the shower scene. When Marion was seen showering and then we see a shadow holding a knife, killing her. The effect of using a shadow instead of seeing the person added a real sense of mystery which added to the wonderful twist at the end. 






Devices such as Red Herrings was used. When we believed that the film was about Marion and the money she stole, but then we she died halfway through the film. We realize it is not about her, but about the happenings of The Bates Motel.

Suspense can be identified throughout the film. But one that stuck out is when Marion's sister, Lila, was seen approaching the figure on a chair who we believe is Norman Bate's mother hiding in the fruit cellar, from the police.
As soon as Lila lightly touched her, the figure swiftly turns around and we witness a skeleton of Norman Bate's mother. 


The music climax to the point of where we meet the mother is very eerie. As believe that the mother was alive all this time and she was going to kill Lila, but when we see her in a skeleton form just adds more to the suspense.

The true villain of Physco is Norman Bate's mind. He has been taken over by his mum, to compensate that she is not with Norman anymore and how he refused to take to her husband. 

Hitchcok said a thriller allows "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it is like". This extract is true, as we do not need to be in Marion or Lila's situation feel their emotions throughout the film, but we can be part of the audience to enjoy and it doesn't necessarily have to happen to us.

Media Studies - Camera Shots

Hey all,


This short video shows an example of different camera shots we learned throughout our lessons. We used different examples of camera shots and edited using Final Cut Express.

Examples of Camera Shots used are:

Close Up (CU)
Extreme Close UP (ECU)
Mid shot
POV
High Angle Shot
Low Angle Shot
Panning
Crane Shot

If you didn't get a a good view of the video; here are a few examples of the camera shots we used.

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