Evaluation of Two Minute Task

In this task we were aiming to create a thriller movie scene. We wanted this scene to be precise what I mean by this is that we wanted the camera angles to be correct and for the lighting to be right and look really effective as well as to create lots of tension and leave the audience curious as to what happened next. We thought that this was the best way of attracting our target audience which was mainly for the younger generation. Younger people and teenagers like films that keep them on edge and keep them wondering. They also like the films to scare them and give them some form of adrenalin rush, as well as portray a good sense of reality. This is why we chose to make a thriller film. The setting of our opening scene was at a local park and the surrounding area. We chose this because at the time of night we filmed it began to get dark and the trees and equipment on the park formed creepy imagery and lots of shadowing and tension. This is typically seen in many thriller or horror films. I felt this location was perfect for our scene, we also had traffic passing by which helped add to the atmosphere as it was extra noise in the background as well as the brightness of the car lights and other existing lights that we could pick up. In this opening scene we did not want to pinpoint particular characters and therefore tried to keep it to a silhouette figure as much as we could. We also felt this helped create some tension as you are not quite sure what to expect from both characters. We used a camera stand in order to get a panning shot of the surroundings; this was a good way to introduce the setting in which the events take place. We varied all of our camera shots as much as we could to make it interesting and as skillful as possible, whilst also making it look as effective as we could. This was the real importance, because without it looking effective and if it looked too precise and staged it would not create the feeling that we are trying to send across to our audience. The main theme was the reality of this actually happening in a day-to-day situation.

We had several problems in our task. Firstly we really struggled to come up with a suitable and interesting idea that we could use. We all created a storyboard which we thought would be the perfect idea and then moulded them together. This was the easiest way in which we could all agree on a specific scene choice. We had further problems when trying to film. In our group none of us are the closest of friends and we all live too far away from each other in order to just meet up and film. Considering we were filming at night we could not find a suitable location safe enough for all of us to travel to. In the end two of us took the task into our hands and filmed, leaving the other two in the group to help edit and make any adjustments and change what they wanted. This meant that everyone could take part in the group. Whilst editing we struggled to adjust the lighting and contrast for the entire film, this was because we filmed as it got dark and therefore some scenes are lighter than others. This looked out-of-place and spoilt the filming. In the end we managed to change it and make it look the same colouring and shade.

In this task there are several things that we could have done better as a team and during the creation of our scene. Firstly I feel that we should have practiced our techniques of filming a lot more so that we were certain about what camera shots we wanted to achieve. Secondly we all needed to work better as a team by fully co-operating and discussing what we needed to do as a group and individually in order to make our film a success. This was one of our weakest points.

In conclusion I am pleased with our final outcome, we tried our best and created a film to the best of our ability even if we did lack enthusiasm. However next time we need to expand our horizon and really think carefully about what we are going to do, who is going to be involved, what props and equipment we will need and most of all the most realistic location.

Problems with two minute film:

When trying to film it became very difficult in the location as it was so dark. It was vital that it was dark so that we could successfully create tension and atmosphere to make it scary and gripping. When trying to capture certain shots such as shadows and car reflections is was difficult on the camera I attempted to use, as it did not pick up any of it. Therefore I became restricted as I had no other camera to use. The weather was also a problem as it was so cold it became hard to concentrate on what was being filmed because we were so focused on how cold our hands were. Also is began to sleet and rain which became a further distraction. As each one of us in our group do not live close enough together to just simply go out and film, this became a struggle.

Ideas for the location:

Here is one location idea for our two minute production. This is a local park which would work well and be perfect to shoot our thriller at.

Here is a shot from another local park that we could possibly film at. This park is full of climbing apparatus that could be used to create a great deal of tension and atmosphere.

I went out around my local area and got some pictures of two good locations that we could use. They are quiet areas but tension and atmosphere can easily be created by the use of props and objects in those surroundings.

Importance of Opening Credits

The opening credits of many films vary. They mainly begin by setting the scene and allowing the audience to start painting a picture of what may happen. This may be done by an establishing shot of the setting or even a Birdseye view shot. This then moves to some form of close up whether it is a characters home or the characters facial expression at the time. This is very effective as it is a gradual process which slowly draws the audience in to keep them watching. It is important that the scene it set to make clear of where the action is taking place, and it is also important to introduce the main characters to stop any confusion within the first few seconds. Most film openings will show a clip and then display the title of the film. This is a good idea as the audience's attention is held for that short period of time and then the title is shown. This makes the audience want to continue watching if they like what they've seen.

My task in the two minute production

The plot of this two minute production is going to revolve around the genre of a thriller film. The main outline of this film is going to be based on two friends walking home from an afternoon out. The lighting will change from light to dark and you will be able to see the gradual process in which the changes are made as the sun goes down.The idea of this film is that no-one is quite sure where the plot is going to go, and therefore it will end abruptly leaving suspense and many questions to be answered. This is what we want to achieve as we do not want to conclude the film in the two minutes that it is watched, we want our audience to want to continue watching to find out what is going to happen in the end.

In this task I am going to be in charge of the location in which the film is set, therefore I will look into various places that are close and would look realistic to film at. The factors that will need to be taken into consideration when thinking of realism are: is there actual apparatus that work properly and to our satisfaction and use, will the location need more props in order to make it look like a park, is the area big enough to use to film the entire two minutes or will we run out of land to film in? Finally the points of the park that will be used to create the atmosphere that we want, will there be areas that we can use to film added suspense? I will also consider how practical the location is, by this I mean how safe the park is to film at, are the weather conditions going to affect the safety of the actors? Also how suitable the apparatus are and are they working like they should and safe to use if needed. Finally it is vital that it must create the kind of emotion and empathy that we are trying to make the audience feel, which is anxiety, tension and get them on the edge of their seats. We also want them to consider how they will feel if they were in that position themselves.

The different sectors of the park that we are considering using are a mixture of casual areas that you would easily walk through alone as well as areas that you wouldn't dare visit on your own. We want to use the area of the park that includes the swings, as well as show how empty the park is by showing the children's play area. We also want to include a clip where the actors walk through into a creepy and mysterious farmers field. We will then lead off down a long and dark pathway in which the only source of light is when the cars travel along the roadside. These are the perfect parts of the park that we felt would create the most tension because the expectancy of anything bad happening is so low. We also thought by using a park it would give the feeling of safety, this is because at a park you assume that nothing bad will happen due to the fact that young children play freely there, we want to people to reconsider the assumptions that they may have made before.

My first thoughts about using this local park is that it would help make the film look really effective. This park has areas in which we could use to make the scene creepy and mysterious, for instance a set of swings. The use of these swings is creepy because no-one is going to be near the swings, and therefore we are going to use the wind to our advantage to make the swings move. This will leave the audience to question whether it is the wind or in fact could there be someone in the area that we do not know about. Also the use of the long pathway which is only lit up by the light of the cars will also work well in terms of creating tension. This is because we will only be able to see objects that are being caught in the reflection of the cars and therefore the imagery will not be clear enough in that split second to work out precisely what is happening at that moment in time.

Another option that we considered for the location is following the two actors home from a night out in the city. We thought that the use of footsteps from people walking in the same direction could create anxiety if the pace changed, and for the footsteps to get louder and if there are a lot of people close behind the audience would be unable to work out who is following the two friends. This idea is a lot more difficult and complicated. This is because the park is deserted which is unlike a park, so the absence of people makes it more frightening. Whereas by filming publicly this will make it difficult to film with people getting in the way who you don't want to include in the film and also it could make a lot of continuity errors. For example if we were to film one person who we wanted to be the suspect they could suddenly disappear from our sight, as well as the risk of people shouting and making unnecessary sounds which may ruin the footage.

A possible plot for the opening two minutes

In this coursework task we are so far struggling to decide a final plot, however we know the genre and have a collection of ideas that we need to put together. This idea involves a local park at night. The camera starts with a close up of a round about side angle spinning around really fast by itself, slowly the camera moves out showing the entire round about, the shot then changes to a panning shot of the swings then capturing the noise of the chains creaking and the wind blowing. The camera closes in again as the swing moves quicker and higher in the air, showing that there could not possibly be anyone there. The swing comes to a sudden stop, as mysterious foot prints appear in the sand. The camera then follows the trail of footprints until they stop and disappear into the grass. There then is a camera shot showing the entire surroundings and what is in the park. The camera from that point then explores some interesting but nerve-wracking trees through a big gap. This is the only idea that we have at the moment, but we still need to fully develop our ideas further and think of a concrete plot that we are going to create. The main beginning shots that I have discussed above will be the types of shots represented in the opening credits, this part of the film is full of suspense and drama, therefore it will help to draw in a bigger and more interested audience. The main storyline of the film is about two best friends who are on their way home from a good evening out when dramatic consequences happen which resorts to all kinds of terror and misery by the end of it. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you wondering.

New Task: Opening two minutes of a film

In this task preparing for the opening credits of a film I want the genre to be a thriller. The beginning can be built up, for instance hearing the uncontrollable sounds in the far distance and background, or the sound of a swing moving as if someone has just jumped off it. It would have to be filmed at night in order to get the real effect of tension and atmosphere. The limitation of light means that you can never be entirely sure of what is lurking or who is about. Music could be played in the background to help build up good suspense as the names of the producers scroll down the screen. This will then begin to create the feeling of a lack of control and all the suspense. The filming would have to be effectively done in order to achieve all the tension and atmosphere. What I mean by this is that the camera shots are going to have to be very precise in order to capture the correct amount of light to shine on what objects that we want to be vaguely seen by our audience. Also we must ensure that we have good support of the camera and hold it properly as we do not want unnecessary blurring or distortion, we also must make sure that the pace either stays the same throughout the film or if it changes, it changes in the correct order and at the correct time. If this is not done properly then the film will loose the affect that we are trying to achieve, this is because the film being filmed at night time makes it a lot harder and not as simple to film as we are very limited in terms of visible sources.