Wednesday 30 January 2013

Information on Alfred Hitchcock

ALFRED HITCHCOCK there is so much to say about this well known, noted, famous director and producer. 

He was born 13th August 1899, in Leytonstone, London; England. And he practiced a Roman Catholic religion. He often described his childhood as a lonely and sheltered one often worsened by his obesity. 

According to Hitchcock, around the age of 5 he was sent to his local police station by his father with a note asking him to be locked up as a punishment for his bad behavior, this trauma can be identified in many of his films showing terror and false accusations. He developed many techniques in the suspense and psychological thrillers.

Alfred had a taste of the film industry for the first time in 1920s, by drawing off sets.

In 1923 he was hired to direct the film Number 13, though the production wasn't completed because the studio was closed down. Hitchcock didn't give up. He directed a film called The Pleasure Garden, a British/German production, which proved very popular. Hitchcock made his first trademark film, with The Lodger. 

He gained more success in the UK with movies such as The Lady Vanishes and Jamaican Inn which also increased his fame in the USA. 

However, it was after the production of Sabouter (1942) was when Alfred's fame as a director grew.

On March 7, 1979, while Hitchcock was awarded with the AFI Life Achievement Award his health took a turn for the worse. 

In late 1979, Hitchcock was knighted, making him Sir Alfred Hitchcock. On the 29th April 1980, he died peacefully in his sleep due to renal failure. His body was later cremated and scattered across the Pacific Ocean. 

The Art of the Title

HEY.
In today's lesson we learned about THE ART OF THE TITLE. This is very important because the Title gives us a small insight to what the film is about.
There are certain rules to follow when it comes to the art of the title:

1) Production company name 'Your production company name'
2) Name of the Production 'Nnenna Anadi Production'
3) Starring or with
4) Male/Female
5) Also including 2/3 names
6) Then 3/4/5 more names on each title
Editing
Music
Cinematography
Casting
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Script
7) Producers
8) The title of the film.
9) Fade out of music.  

I have used the film The Day the Earth Stood Still as an example: 
While it didn't follow the rules stated above, it display few aspects of the Art of the Title. 















Another title that I looked into was from the movie Se7en, compared to the one above it was much longer and followed the rules stated above. 
                                                                                                                

Monday 21 January 2013

Overview of Source Code

Overview of Source Code


A couple of weeks ago we started watching a film called Source Code. It was an example of an action thriller focusing on a soldier who wakes up in the body of another man and discovers he's involved in new technology to scope out the bomber in a Chicago commuter train. 
The Director of the film is Duncan Jones. Written by Ben Ripley. In addition starring:Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga. 

First Reviewer Opinion.
One reviewers opinion: The story line keeps you on the edge of your seat and adds in enough humour to make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. There is amazing, subtle chemistry between Jake and Michelle which really is the star of the film, performances by all the actors are excellent.
I do agree with some aspects of this review. While I do agree the story line had kept me at the edge of my seat. wondering and wishing. I, myself did not see an element of humor in the film. I didn't find myself chuckling let alone laughing. While I do agree the film was enjoyable, I do not believe it came down to the"humor". It truely was down to the amazing acting performed by all the actors. 

Second Reviewer Opinion.
Beautiful cinematography that will make Chicago proud. The ending brings up more questions than answers, but it feels right, so that's OK with me. I am not a big sci-fi fan, but this film delivers on romance, suspense, mystery and thrills. Highly recommended.
I agree with this person's opinion. The ending left me unsure I was still left confused, because everything wasn't explained. I agree that the film delivers romance, mystery and thrills.

The Ending.
When we had finished watching the movie, I was left confused. There wear more questions then answer that could only be dismissed if there was a Source Code 2. In my opinion I was led to believe that Captain Stevens was meant to die as soon as he saved Christina. But we found that he didn't he lived an ordinary life as Captain Stevens trapped inside the unknowns mans body. In addition I was left even MORE unsure when Captain Goodwin received the message from Captain Stevens left me thinking that everything was going to be left in a loop. 

There was definitely different sub genres of thriller present: psychological thriller. In addition physical action when Captain Steve 'dies' because he was hit by a train, but he knows he goes back to the capsule therefore remains on the train tracks. Fianlly a detecive story has also been involved in the movie as we try to figure out who the bomber is. Each time Captain Stevens goes back to the train it's another new lead for the audience as we try to figure it out. And when do find out who it is, Derek Frost, it was least person we have suspected. 

Friday 18 January 2013

Friday 4 January 2013

Chuck Jones and 'The Rules'

Animator director Chuck Jones has worked at Warner Bros for decades making  short movies starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and company. But mostly famously made the Road Runner cartoon with these set of rules. 


  1. The Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going "MEEP, MEEP"
  2. No outside force can harm the Coyote — only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme products. 
  3. The Coyote could stop anytime — if he were not a fanatic. 
  4. No dialogue ever, except "MEEP,MEEP" 
  5. The Road Runner must stay on the road — for no other reason than that he's a roadrunner. 
  6. All action must be confined to the natural environment of the two characters — the southwest American desert.
  7. All materials, tools, weapons, or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from the Acme Corporation. 
  8. Whenever possible, make gravity the Coyote's greatest enemy. 
  9. The Coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures.


Thriller Suspense

The Suspense 'Thriller' Hitchock Model
Under the influence of Hitchcok, thrillers often begin with a crime and the accusation of the innocent bystander. Were the accused to contact the authorities, no doubt the case could be promptly solved, but instead the poor bystander runs from the law thus further jeopardising life and limbs- Rick Attman- Film/Genre.
Shown in North by Northwest 1959
....North by Northwest the accused was an innocent bystander Roger O. Thornhill who was simply there at the wrong place and time. The innocent bystander who simply was mistaken was taken through a turmill of twists and turns full of suspense which was consequently dropped at the end of the film. 

An example of Suspense: 

A scene where the audience sees the exact replica of an office. Inside the office we see a masked man with a gun, we the audience are aware of the masked man with a gun but the workers within the film are not aware. 
Will they be saved?
Will they see the deranged mad man with the gun?
WHO KNOWS!?
Rope (1948)
Tells the story of two young affluent men named Brandom and Phillip who strangle and murder their friend to see if they can get away with it.
They then host a part inviting fellow acquaintances including the murdered mans parents, while hiding is body in a box in the setting room where the party is being held. 


The clip is a typical example of suspense. The suspense is created by keeping dead body in the box at the same place and time the party is happening. 
Will the partygoers ask to see whats in the box?
What will happen?
Will the body be discovered?

Another example is the film Sabotage (1936)




The film clip embedded above show a young boy called Stevie who is  killed, along with many other people, when a bus explodes. Stevie thought that he was simply delivering a film canister, but he was unknowingly carrying a time bomb. Stevie had become distracted along the way which had been because all of the street commotion, which had delayed his delivery, and the then bomb exploded en route to the destination. 

This clip showed a suspense factor because we weren't sure where the bomb was going to be exploded, was it on the street full of the hundred onlookers? But it happened on the bus, but as an audience we weren't sure when. And when the bus did explode, it was a shock as it happened.   

Tuesday 1 January 2013

Conventions or Rules of a Thriller

Conventions or Rules of a Thriller

In class we outlined rules or conventions of a thriller. This the brainstorm we came up with, I have added a few of my own too.



Tension: Is apparent in thrillers it sets the mood of thrillers especially during the climax of the film.
Maguffin: set the base of the thriller, but the film is not centered around the base. Such as in the movie Unknown the Maguffin is the Prince's new agriculture deal, but that wasn't the main plot.
Chase: A chase is scene is famous in many thrillers, especially spy thrillers such as James Bond in Casino Royale. Chasing the man with the gun at the beginning of the film.
Cliff hanger: Cliffhangers bring tension and climax. This a popular convention in thrillers such as in The Birds: when she was hanging off a cliff. It was literally a cliffhanger! We didn't know what was going to happen.
Dilemma: Dilemma brings the whole film together, without a dilemma there wouldn't be tension, suspense apparent in thrillers. Without this a thriller won't thrill.
Suspense: Suspense keeps the audience at the edge of their seat.
Red Herrings: Lead us astray, we believe we have the person the film is about, but then at the near end we are faced with the truth we didn't expect. As seen in Psycho we thought that Mrs Bates was the serial killer, but we find out it's actually Norman Bates DRESSED as Mrs Bates.
Twisted Plot: A plot full of twists and turns, expect the unexpected.
Mise-en-scene: Setting, Make-up, costume, camera angles, lights etc are all essential to a thriller.
Fast editing: Including jump-cuts. Brings tension and suspense to the thriller. The mood is heightened.

Types of Thrillers


Types  of Thriller 

A thriller is a film genre that doesn't rely on supernatural elements to entice the audience.
The thriller is a very difficult genre to pin down because it covers a diverse range of films. Thrillers are film of suspense….that are supposed to insist terror on the audience.’ Susan Hayward, Key concept in film Studies.
There are different types of thrillers:-
Spy- James Bond
James Bond is a spy thriller, consisting of James going out different missions to fight the villains and their plans that lurk around. 
Political- The Man Who Knew Too Much
A Family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirator are determined to prevent them from interfering.
 Conspiracy- Red Eye
A Woman is kidnapped by a stranger on a routine flight. Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her captor in offing a politician.
 Legal- Law Abiding Citizen
A woman is kidnapped by a stranger on a routine flight. Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her captor in offing a politician. 
Psychological- Memento
    A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife. The suspense created by psycholocial thrillers usually come from two of the main characters preying on each others mind. In the case of Memento it would be Leonard and Teddy

“When you enjoy something, you must never let logic get in the way. Like the villians of the James Bond movies. Whenever Bond breaks into the complex, ‘Ah Mr Bond, welcome, come in. Let me show you my entire evil plan and then put you in a death machine that dosen’t work”- Jerry 
Seinfeld.