There is however one last thing to be done before ending my finding on the Thriller genre. If you remember back to the continuity piece, I stated that I would be doing another video, another opening to a fictional Thriller film, and this time it would be marked. This is my final piece, as you people who have made portfolios in the past may call it. This is where my research and practice at filming comes to fruition.
I'll be structuring my process of creation of this video exactly the same as I did with the continuity piece. As in an Ideas Stage, a Development Stage, a Creation Stage, The video itself, and of course an Evaluation where I compare it to the continuity piece and this time, have a set of questions that I have to answer. So without further ado I give you my final piece of work for my studies of the Thriller genre of films -
Ideas Stage -
As before, with any good idea there has to exist some base guidelines to work from. This piece was no different in that respect. What did differ about this piece compared to the first one is that right from the get go of starting this topic, (literally right off the get go) I already had an idea brewing in my mind. Whilst I was doing the research into the basics on the Thriller genre, and was looking at it's sub-genres, this idea first entered my mind.Now what was this idea, you ask?
Well it all started with a single word - Breath
It's a harmless word, that is used to describe the gases leaving our bodies through breathing out. It's not a very important word, and doesn't strike much notice when we say it. But what about if we decide to make the word more important? What if, say, we took that word - breath, that we've already used in this post and did this to it - BREATH
Now the word has more importance. It's large, it's bold, and it's all in capitals - all things that add emphasis and attention to words on a computer, but the word still means the same thing.
So let's now do this to the word -
B.R.E.A.T.H
Now here is something that seems more appropriate. We still have that same word - Breath, but now it's been emphasised and brought to attention, and the dots in between the letters indicate that it may mean something else, not just a term used to describe the gases released from our bodies during expiration, and that is exactly what I was after with this piece. This word B.R.E.A.T.H is what this whole idea and the film plot revolves around.
Now I'll give an explanation into what this new meaning for Breath is. This film I once again wanted to make a supernatural Thriller, but this time, rather than it being aimed at the psychological concept of supernatural, I had my eyes on an otherworldly supernatural plot element, similar to films like Alien. B.R.E.A.T.H is this supernatural element.
You notice the dots between the letters? You probably associate that with coded acronyms, normally for things like government branches or shortened names for businesses. That's what the title of the film is - and acronym. So what does the supernatural element - B.R.E.A.T.H acronym stand for?
It stands for -
Body Rupturing Extraterrestrial Air Transmitted Hazards - Tiny creatures no larger than particles of water vapour that travel in swarms and are carried around by air currents, whether they are gusts of wind or a human's breathing. What makes them deadly is that they are quick to adapt to their environment, and on Earth their diet has become the soft tissue of animal lungs. Their small size and enormous numbers makes them difficult to destroy and since they travel on air currents, a Human inhalation through the mouth can transport them straight down to the lungs where they make quick work of the walls of the alveoli. Once breathed in there is no saving the human as they die within a minute from a mix of suffocation and internal bleeding. A pleasant way to die.
Development Stage -
So I had a plot element, and a pretty good one at that, but a plot element by itself doesn't create a storyline; there still existed room to think about how this idea - B.R.E.A.T.H would be portrayed in the video, how the plot would unfold and where B.R.E.A.T.H would fit within it. It wasn't difficult to create an initial storyline. Around the same time I came up with the idea I already had some initial thoughts on how it would work.My first idea for a plot line was a group of friends meeting up during the day in their neighbourhood, and wandering around the streets. It's then that one of them starts to develop a cough but it isn't noticed until it gets stronger and more frequent. When the others ask if he's alright the boy coughs up blood and collapses as the others start to cough themselves. Eventually all of the friends are lying dead on the ground with blood running out of their mouths, as the camera moves away from them and the into finishes.
This was a good idea for its time of creation. Unfortunately its time of creation was before I had even created this blog, and by the time I had done the continuity video I realised that the plot needed to be far far better, so I put my thinking cap back on and started again with firmer footing.
The first order of business was to decide for definite how I was going to make the plot line effective. The first idea drew several blanks. If you weren't in on the whole picture of the story then it would've made very little sense: it was literally a group of friends hanging out and then suddenly all dying from some kind of internal bleeding. Doesn't sound good for an idea, does it?
Instead I decided to think closer to the start and B.R.E.A.T.H's origins. Since the B.R.E.A.T.H are alien creatures questions arose such as where does it originate from in space, how did it turn up on Earth and what caused it to suddenly appear? I decided that in order to make the intro effective I needed to either answer or partly answer those questions within the intro video.
Second order of business was to decide how those questions would be answered. To that end I turned to the world wide web to get a little inspiration. Since I was looking at extraterrestrials it was only natural to research space and space exploration.
I've seen in films, particularly in sci-fi films that the filmmakers tend to reinforce their ideas by adding true facts and experiences into them to make them seem like something that could possibly happen. Films like the Transformers film trilogy are prime examples of this and I won't lie that I took some inspiration from them.Either way back to researching. Whilst looking at a wikipedia page on space probes and spacecraft one particular article caught my attention, and a recent one at that, so to speak. It was a sample return mission to one of Mars's moons by a russian probe. The mission was a failure however when the probe became trapped in Earth orbit and fell back to Earth the following year. Nothing of the probe could be salvaged. The probe was called Phobos-Grunt or Fobos-Grunt.
I couldn't've asked for a better story. I saw in this story an ideal way to introduce my plot element: A russian probe sent to Mars's moon, mission is broadcast a failure to deceive the public whilst the probe carries out it's mission, the probe returns carrying samples and unknowingly the B.R.E.A.T.H, the Russians discover the B.R.E.A.T.H and realise how dangerous they are, sealing them away along with the probe and trying to cover up the whole incident.
Now what if one day someone managed to find evidence that the probe was still in one piece somewhere, managed to uncover it, and in doing so ended up releasing the B.R.E.A.T.H into the world?
And thereby hangs a tale...
Now came the laborious part of the project. Unlike the continuity piece, which had to be 1-3 minutes long, this video had to be 3-6 minutes long, but didn't have any guidelines as to what it contained, so literally anything went as long as the piece could be classed as a Thriller.
Obviously this time round, after what happened with the continuity piece, I wanted to do this film properly - As in with equipment, actors that weren't family members, and not using my Dad's IPhone, so I put a good deal more work into its creation.
First issue was to come up with a proper plot line for the story I talked about in the development stage - a sequence of events as to how the B.R.E.A.T.H get released, and queuing the start of the film.
Just to let you know this next section comes directly from my rough written notes for the plot line and hasn't been edited in any way. This was my initial idea as to just how the storyline would go:
B.R.E.A.T.H Basic Plotline -
- Info on Phobos-Grunt
- Black screen with white text
- Non- diegetic sound - heavy breathing
- Narrative of text - transitions into first scene
- Boss character talking to two others, telling them about the probe and what their job is
- Not clear who the characters are
- Zoom in on a map, transitions to different area, still with map. Two men talking to each other before heading towards building
- Different shot with them alongside corrugated wall. One goes round corner and opens door. See them enter. Warning sign for toxic hazards is shown on door.
- They begin to search. Shot is green hue closes in on them. Slowly start to cough. Gets more frequent until they cough up blood. Eventually collapse
- Black screen. Non-diegetic breathing is heard again - louder. Title and credits are shown before ending.
One other thing that I also have in this section is a set of screenplays that I created initially and used during the filming process, but ultimately ended up changing during the editing process. If you don't wish to look at these then carry on scrolling until you reach the creation stage.
Screenplay#1 -
Assignment Briefing
The scene starts off with a black screen, with
white text appearing on screen, and a narrative accompanying it.
Narator: In 2011, a Russian probe was sent
on a mission into outer space. This probe was called Fobos-Grunt, and it’s
mission: to collect soil samples from Fobos - one of Mars’ moons, and return
them back to Earth. Unfortunately, due to a system reboot during the launch,
the probe couldn’t escape Earth’s orbit and became stranded…. Or so they said.
Black screen cuts to a shot in a dark room,
with a light above a table, and the camera focused on the Boss, who is pacing
up and down the table, looking past the camera at someone behind the camera.
The camera tracks her movement from the other side of the table.
Boss: Fobos-grunt was broadcast falling
back down to Earth the following year, breaking into pieces and burning out as
it entered the atmosphere. The remains of the craft weren’t found. To everyone,
it seemed that the mission was a failure.
Shot shifts to a still shot on the other
side of the table, looking diagonally at two men standing opposite the boss on
the other side of the table, watching him pace.
Boss: We have reason however to believe
that what was shown is not what actually happened.
Shot cuts to a close-up shot of the first
man’s face.
Boss: We believe that the Russians covered
up the whole mission, faked the mission’s failure, and retrieved Fobos-Grunt
after the mission was complete…
Shot cuts to a close-up shot of the second
man’s face
Boss: … to hide what the probe had
recovered from Fobos.
Shot cuts to a high angle shot of the
entire table, with all three of the adults in the shot.
Boss: Now this is where we come into the
equation. Whatever it was the probe brought back must’ve been of immense
importance or immense value, or both. Why else would the Russians completely
cover up the success of the mission if that wasn’t the reason? That makes it of
key importance to find out what it was exactly that the probe brought back.
Shot cuts back to a tracking shot following
the boss, as she continues speaking, taking the map schematic out of his pocket.
Boss: Luckily for us, we have some idea of
where we can find the probe. From what we’ve gathered from our sources, they
all point to an old airfield north of Moscow.
Shot cuts back to the previous shot with
the two other men as the boss continues talking, except from the other end of
the table.
Boss: Your job is to infiltrate this place,
find Fobos-Grunt, and identify what it brought back.
Shot returns back to the tracking shot of
the boss, as she stops moving and straightens out the schematic on the table.
Boss: Unfortunately, this is the only
schematic we could get of the bases layout. It’s old but it’s still usable.
Take it with you when you go. Now as to where you’ll find the probe, we believe
that Fobos-Grunt, or what’s left of it, is located….
Shot switches to an overhead shot looking
down on the map, as the boss points to a cross marked on it.
Boss: …here.
Screenplay#2 -
Airfield Exterior
Shot of map on table fades out, cutting to
a new shot with the map still taking up the shot’s frame, but this time has one
of the men holding the map and is spread out on grass.
Simon: Are you sure you’ve read this map right?
Shot shift to a high angle shot looking
straight up at the two men’s faces, as the first man - Alan speaks to the
second man - Simon.
Alan (in an exasperated tone of voice): *sigh* Yes, Simon I am sure I have read
the map right
Simon: It doesn’t look right to me.
Alan (sarcastically): And since when can
you read maps?
Shot changes to a mid-low angle shot of the
two men from the diagonal left. The map is in Alan’s hands, and the two men are
crouched down.
Alan (looking up and ahead of him): See those
buildings? They’re laid out just as the map says they are.
Shot cuts to a panning shot of several
buildings.
Alan: If this isn’t the place, how come the
map says we’re in the right location…
Shot cuts to a close up shot of both of
their faces looking ahead.
Alan (In a frustrated tone): and this place
is structured the same way? (has his arm in front of him looks at Simon as he
finishes)
Simon (turns his head slowly to look at
Alan): Alan. Maps don’t talk.
Alan turns his head slowly back forwards to
look at the camera, pausing, and then dropping his head and sighing. He then
gets up and walks past the camera, taking the map with him. Simon watches after
him.
Simon: ….Alan!? Where you going!?
Shot cuts ahead to Alan inside the
airfield, edging around a corrugated steel wall with the camera following him.
He then notices something and his eyes widen.
Shot cuts to an open area of the airfield,
with buildings around the edges of the frame. Simon is in the centre, looking
around and calling.
Simon: Alan!..... Alan!
Shot cuts back to Alan, mouthing to him to
keep quiet and waving.
Shot cuts back to Simon, who looks round
towards the camera then waves and runs towards Alan.
Shot returns to Alan as Simon reaches him
Alan: C’mon. This is where the map says
that probe is. The entrance is round this corner….
Shot cuts to an over shoulder shot from
Simons shoulder, of Alan’s face as he finishes.
Alan: …and you’re going in first.
Shot cuts to an over shoulder shot of Simon,
as his expression changes to a puzzled look
Simon: ….Why?
Shot returns to an over shoulder shot of
Alan.
Alan: Two reasons: 1 - You nearly got us
caught and 2 - if this is the wrong place, if you go in and get caught, at
least I’ll have a chance to escape.
Shot returns to an over shoulder shot of
Simon as he thinks.
Simon:…Ok.
Simon then heads past Alan as the camera
moves to show Alan’s face as he smirks.
Shot cuts to a still shot showing Simon as
he edges round the corner, and moves towards the barrier door until he reaches
it and starts to open it.
Screenplay#3 - Containment
Building
Shot of Simon opening the door cuts to the
other side of it from the inside of the hangar, as the door is opened and light
shines through the doorway. Simon enters silhouetted by the light behind him
and is shown looking around before looking out again and calling.
Simon: Alan!? No one’s here!
Alan is then shown coming into the doorway
and silhouetted as well.
Alan: Good. Now hurry up and let’s find it
before that changes. Close it up.
Simon then turns and lowers the barrier
door behind them.
Shot then cuts back to outside the door as
it is shown to not be completely shut. The camera then pans up and right to
show a warning sign on the barrier that reads Danger Toxic Hazard.
Shot then cuts back to the inside, with a high
angle shot looking towards many stacks of crates piled high up, with the two
man walking into the frame on either side, one with a torch switched on in his
hand.
Alan: It’s in there somewhere.
Shot then cuts to a shot in the same
position, but facing the opposite direction and at a higher angle. The faces of
the two men are shown either side of the shot
Alan: Split up. We can find it quicker. You
head in there. I’ll look round the edges. Shout if you find it.
The camera then cuts to inside one of the
crates as Alan looks inside and shines his torch inside
Shot then cuts to among the crate stacks
looking along one as Simon walks round the corner of them into the frame and
the camera follows him.
The shot cuts to a still shot further back
as Simon then turns to look down the aisle and shines a torch past the camera’s
lens before moving on.
The shot cuts to further along the same
aisle as Simon moves out of view and the area now has a green hue to it, as the
camera moves in a drifting fashion along the isle and round the corner, closing
in on Simon’s face as he turns round and opens his mouth.
The shot then cuts to a different area with
Alan appearing further back, and coughing rather hard, before turning and
heading towards the camera.
Shot cuts to further forwards at a side
angle. Alan walks past the camera, coughing again but stronger, then calling.
Alan: Simon! Where are you!?
Shot changes to the corner of a crate as
Alan moves past and shines his torch at the lens again.
As the torch enters the lens, the shot cuts
to a shot of the ground as the torch passes over it, revealing Simon lying dead
on the ground with blood around his mouth.
Shot reverse shot back to Alan, stepping
back in surprise and gasping. Shot then returns to Simon at a closer range,
with his face occupying more of the frame.
Shot returns to the first shot of Alan as
he staggers back into the aisle as he coughs hard again, followed by more of
the same.
The shout then shifts to a high angle shot
straight up at Alan’s face as he coughs again twice more, then the shot
immediately shifts to a low angle shot after the cough at the floor as the
torch shows several drops of blood hit the floor.
The shot then quickly returns to the high
angle shot of Alan’s face, now with blood coming out of his mouth and a shocked
expression on his face. The camera cuts back to the shot in the aisle as Alan’s
coughs become choking coughs and he stumbles off the corner of the crate, about
to collapse.
The final shot is a shot at ground level,
as Alan’s face falls down into the frame, dead, with blood running from his
mouth.
The camera then transitions out into a
black screen and the same heavy breathing from the start returns. Text then
appears on the screen showing the director and the company presenting the film,
before the film’s title is shown on screen. The title then fades out and the
heavy breathing stops.
Creation Stage -
I was hoping for a smooth run through this stage, especially since it took much longer than anticipated to complete the Continuity Video. I also had a good deal more work to do for this project than I did with The House Behind Ours so this stage required more work.
Now just like with the continuity piece the next step involved getting into the details. As in screenplays, props and location choice. Just like a skeleton needs muscle and skin to be complete, a plot line needs detail to work properly.
As it turned out in the end, I did end up having to seek help from my parents a second time round, as nobody from my class, or indeed at my sixth form that I asked could help me. It did eventually turn out for the better in the end however, as I managed to get a set of adult actors as opposed to teens, as well as a realistic location, as opposed to improvising with areas in my school.
I owe a big thanks to my Dad, who managed to set me up with two of his work colleagues - Peter and Chris, who had said they would be happy to act in the film. He also allowed me to use the sheds and buildings at his workplace as my location, which were in the ideal sort of shape and size for the location I had in mind, and also had the ideal settings that I was after - big plain buildings, corrugated roofs and walls, and open country around it - the ideal setting.
Also my Mum also volunteered to do another of the roles since I was originally going to play one of them, but since I had adults playing the other roles I wanted to be consistent and have an adult playing the third role. She also made a very big effort to learn her lines, as she had more than 3/4s of the total dialogue in the scene, so I also give her my thanks, even though I didn't end up using her character, instead voicing it over myself without showing the character.
As you know I had initially created three separate screenplays to split the filming into three parts. When I got to filming and producing the shots however, even though I did all of the shots that corresponded to the original screenplays, during the editing process I realised that the audio quality of them was truly atrocious, and I had missed a few shots anyway, so I decided to do a different sequence but still using what I had available.
The Screenplays below are the revised versions that I did after editing the film. The third screenplay is pretty much unchanged, but I've completely overhauled the first and second ones, removing the boss character, and inside providing a voice over, editing out almost all of the dialogue, and reorganising the shots to make them a single screenplay.
Oh and you probably noticed the movie poster above right? That's a little something extra for the project like with the continuity video. I think it's pretty cool. Whether you agree or not is up to you.
Screenplay #1 - Voice Over Explanation -
The scene starts off with a black screen, with
white text appearing on screen, and a narrative accompanying it.
Voice Over: In 2011, a Russian probe was sent
on a mission into outer space. This probe was called Fobos-Grunt, and it’s
mission: to collect soil samples from Fobos - one of Mars’ moons, and return
them back to Earth. Unfortunately, due to a system reboot during the launch,
the probe couldn’t escape Earth’s orbit and became stranded…. Or so they said.
Black screen fades out, cutting to a high angle shot looking down at an old map schematic taking up the shot’s frame, and has a man holding the it open above the ground.
Simon: Are you sure you’ve read this map right?
Shot changes to a mid-low angle shot of two men from the diagonal left. The map is in Alan’s hands, and the two men are crouched down on grass. Alan is shown speaking but his dialogue isn't heard as the sound in the shot dies down and a the voice over from the intro is played over it, talking as if continuing from where it left off from its previous dialogue.
Voice Over: Fobos-grunt was broadcast falling
back down to Earth the following year...
Shot changes to a shot looking directly at the two men, still in the same location, and at head height. Alan is shown to be talking to Simon and gesturing ahead of him.
Voice Over: ... and burning out as it entered the atmosphere. A failed mission.
Shot changes to different setting inside a building, with a table visible and the two men standing behind it, with the camera looking at them from the left corner on the other side of the table. the two men are looking ahead of them, at someone on the other side as the voice over continues.
Shot changes to a shot looking directly at the two men, still in the same location, and at head height. Alan is shown to be talking to Simon and gesturing ahead of him.
Voice Over: ... and burning out as it entered the atmosphere. A failed mission.
Shot changes to different setting inside a building, with a table visible and the two men standing behind it, with the camera looking at them from the left corner on the other side of the table. the two men are looking ahead of them, at someone on the other side as the voice over continues.
Voice Over: We have reason however to believe
that this is not what actually happened.
Shot returns to the outside shot from before with the two men crouching down, and the camera looking at them. This time it's Simon talking to Alan.
Shot returns to the outside shot from before with the two men crouching down, and the camera looking at them. This time it's Simon talking to Alan.
Voice Over: We believe that the Russians covered
up the mission's success...
Camera cuts back to inside the room from before, this time from much higher up and at a low angle, looking down at the table, with the two men now at the left side of the frame, and the other side of the table isn't shown.
Voice Over: ... and instead made it out to be a failure, then retrieved Fobos-Grunt and kept its findings a complete secret. That means that whatever it was the probe brought back must’ve been of immense importance and value. That makes it vital to identify it, so that we may be able to use its findings ourselves.
Shot then cuts to a close-up shot of Alan's face from the diagonal right as he is looking ahead of him.
Camera cuts back to inside the room from before, this time from much higher up and at a low angle, looking down at the table, with the two men now at the left side of the frame, and the other side of the table isn't shown.
Voice Over: ... and instead made it out to be a failure, then retrieved Fobos-Grunt and kept its findings a complete secret. That means that whatever it was the probe brought back must’ve been of immense importance and value. That makes it vital to identify it, so that we may be able to use its findings ourselves.
Shot then cuts to a close-up shot of Alan's face from the diagonal right as he is looking ahead of him.
Voice Over: Now, luckily for us...
Camera cuts to outside again, this time showing a metal corrugated wall, with Alan sneaking along it from the left.
Voice Over: ... we have some idea of the probe's location. We think it's in...
Shot cuts to a panning shot of several buildings this corrugated barrier doors, panning from right to left.
Voice Over: ... an old warehouse depot north of Moscow. Your job is to infiltrate this place...
The camera then shifts to a close up shot of Simon's face from the diagonal left, with Simon looking ahead of him.
Voice Over: ... find Fobos-Grunt...
Shot cuts to a still shot showing Simon as he edges along the wall of a building towards a door handle in the foreground, and keeps moving until he reaches it and starts to open it. The Voice Over ends just before he puts his hand on the handle.
Voice Over: ... and identify what it brought back. We need to find out what the Russian's have been keeping from the world all of this time.
Camera cuts to outside again, this time showing a metal corrugated wall, with Alan sneaking along it from the left.
Voice Over: ... we have some idea of the probe's location. We think it's in...
Shot cuts to a panning shot of several buildings this corrugated barrier doors, panning from right to left.
Voice Over: ... an old warehouse depot north of Moscow. Your job is to infiltrate this place...
The camera then shifts to a close up shot of Simon's face from the diagonal left, with Simon looking ahead of him.
Voice Over: ... find Fobos-Grunt...
Shot cuts to a still shot showing Simon as he edges along the wall of a building towards a door handle in the foreground, and keeps moving until he reaches it and starts to open it. The Voice Over ends just before he puts his hand on the handle.
Screenplay #2 - Containment Building -
Shot of Simon opening the door cuts to the
other side of it from the inside of the building, as the door is opened and light
shines through the doorway. Simon enters silhouetted by the light behind him
and is shown looking around before looking out again and calling.
Simon: Alan!? No one’s here!
Alan is then shown coming into the doorway
and silhouetted as well.
Alan: Good. Now hurry up and let’s find it
before that changes. Close it up.
Simon then turns and lowers the barrier
door behind them.
Shot then cuts back to outside the door as
it is shut. The camera then pans up and right to
show a warning sign on the barrier that reads Danger Toxic Hazard.
Shot then cuts back to the inside, with a
high angle shot looking towards many stacks of crates piled high up, with the
two man walking into the frame on either side, one with a torch switched on in
his hand.
Alan: It’s in there somewhere.
Shot then cuts to a shot in the same
position, but facing the opposite direction and at a higher angle. The faces of
the two men are shown either side of the shot
Alan: Split up. We can find it quicker. You
head in there. I’ll look round the edges. Shout if you find it.
The camera then cuts to inside one of the
crates as Alan looks inside and shines his torch inside
Shot then cuts to among the crate stacks
looking along one as Simon walks round the corner of them into the frame and
the camera follows him.
The shot cuts to a still shot further back
as Simon then turns to look down the aisle and shines a torch past the camera’s
lens before moving on.
The shot cuts to further along the same
aisle as Simon moves out of view and the area now has a green hue to it, as the
camera moves in a drifting fashion along the isle and round the corner, closing
in on Simon’s face as he turns round and opens his mouth.
The shot then cuts to a different area with
Alan appearing further back, and coughing rather hard, before turning and
heading towards the camera.
Shot cuts to further forwards at a side
angle. Alan walks past the camera, coughing again but stronger, then calling.
Alan: Simon! Where are you!?
Shot changes to the corner of a crate as
Alan moves past and shines his torch at the lens again.
As the torch enters the lens, the shot cuts
to a shot of the ground as the torch passes over it, revealing Simon lying dead
on the ground with blood around his mouth.
Shot reverse shot back to Alan, stepping
back in surprise and gasping. Shot then returns to Simon at a closer range,
with his face occupying more of the frame.
Shot returns to the first shot of Alan as
he staggers back into the aisle as he coughs hard again, followed by more of
the same.
The shout then shifts to a high angle shot
straight up at Alan’s face as he coughs again twice more, then the shot
immediately shifts to a low angle shot after the cough at the floor as the
torch shows several drops of blood hit the floor.
The shot then quickly returns to the high
angle shot of Alan’s face, now with blood coming out of his mouth and a shocked
expression on his face. The camera cuts back to the shot in the aisle as Alan’s
coughs become choking coughs and he stumbles off the corner of the crate, about
to collapse.
The final shot is a shot at ground level,
as Alan’s face falls down into the frame, dead, with blood running from his
mouth.
The camera then transitions out into a
black screen and the same heavy breathing from the start returns. Text then
appears on the screen showing the director and the company presenting the film,
before the film’s title is shown on screen. The title then fades out and the
heavy breathing stops.
End of Film
Last order of business was props. Unlike the continuity video, which had no particular props that needed making, this opening did demand use of props. Not all of them were available to me at the beginning either, so during one weekend I got creative and either bought them or created them myself with materials from my home. Also unlike the first video where I was without any proper equipment and ended up using, as I keep saying, my dad's IPhone which, whilst being good as a camera, didn't seem at all professional in my eyes. Instead I came prepared this time with a proper camera, (it was only until when I started filming that I realised that it had really bad audio quality) as well as a Tripod. Costume was also an issue this time, so I also brought with me a pair of black coats and a pair of black beanie hats as well as a torch.
Below is the full list of the equipment and props just to reference to.
Equipment and Props Checklist -
Equipment and Props -1 Panasonic LUMIX Digital Camera, along with a battery, SD card and charger.
1 74.61in Manfrotto Tripod
2 Homemade orange danger sign pieces, one with the Toxic symbol, and the other reading Danger Toxic Hazard
1 printed map schematic ripped in two of it's corners and stained with tea to make it look old
1 tube of Fake Blood bought from my town party and costume store
Costume -
Boss (Originally, before I cut her out of the video): Black business jacket, glasses
Alan and Simon: Black overcoats, black beanie hats, 1-2 torches between them
The Video -
Here it is! I beat the deadline by a hair. I literally managed to get this complete on the final day before the coursework deadline. I can't tell you how pleased I am at the moment to have this video, that I've had in my mind since first starting this course completed and up on the blog. I was panicking a bit when I saw the audio quality, but iMovie proved to be a true life saver, and here we are with the completed video.
I just want to say thank you to Chris and Peter for giving up their time for me. It was really good working with you and your patience and cooperativeness with the whole process is ultimately what enabled me to complete this at all.
There is one thing I was unable to do in the time, that I do wish I could've done, and that was a director's commentary to accompany the video, but you take you can get. Believe me I did with this. And as usual we have the credits for the various people and things that helped me create this:
B.R.E.A.T.H -
Designed, Directed and Produced by Sam Thompson
Actors -
Peter Williams as Alan
Chris Brookes as Simon
Sam Thompson as the Voice Over
Cameramen -
Sam Thompson
Software Used -
iMovie for the editing and for the soundtracks
Youtube used to show it to the world
Special thanks to -
Carol Thompson for her role as the Boss even though she wasn't in the end film)
Richard Thompson for providing me with my two actors as well as a location to film
Andy Silverwood for supplying me with the camera and tripod.
All of the Above for their support and encouragement that allowed me to complete this final piece.
Evaluation Stage -
And just when you thing it's all done and dusted, you find that there is an evaluation to complete. I'm annoyed at this, but at least I have a set of questions to work from. So now it's time to finish this course once and for all.
In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real
media products?
Since the film is meant to be a Thriller, that means it has to follow its standard conventions, such as eliciting certain feelings and provoking certain reactions. This certainly means that I took certain measures to make my film have these conventions, in each of the traditional categories - Editing, Camera Angles, Mise-en-Scene and Sound.
I wanted to try and make the piece look professional, and in my eyes that meant having plenty of different camera shots and not so much continuous footage. For this reason, it presented a lot of opportunities for me to apply the Thrillers conventions. I experimented with camera range a good deal, using distance to try and convey distortion. I also tried to work at close range too, allowing me to put focus on the character's facial expressions. To reference Psycho here, it too uses close up shot of characters faces a great deal, which help to show their emotions and convey feelings.
I was pleased with the setting that I had available to me, which is why I tried to put focus on Mise-en-Scene, particularly during the scene inside the containment building. The scene involving the two men searching inside the crates and boxes. The areas to walk through are narrow, and present the feeling of claustrophobia, ideal for triggering stress and anxiety. The high stacks also make it very difficult to see the surroundings, and also add to the suspenseful feeling, as you don't know what could be around every corner.
Sound plays a key role throughout the opening, whether in the form of a soundtrack or in dialogue. At the very start of the video, before anything else happens, there is nothing except the sound of heavy breathing, which makes this otherwise normal sound rather menacing. The voice over that plays throughout the first part of the opening is never given a body to attach itself to, which creates mystery as to who it actually is that's talking. The non-diegetic soundtracks that are played through out the opening all have a very similar vibe and tone to them. They are all menacing sounding and very consistent in their tune, which creates uncertainty as to when something shocking will happen.
Finally editing. The first half of the film makes a lot of use of shot-reverse shots, going back from one location to another - from a field to a dark room with a table. It's not properly shown where the latter location is, and what is more, almost all of the shots are darkened, and have filters that make them darker than what they originally were, making vision more difficult, and adding anxiety, as dark is often associated with the unknown and hidden scares. One particular part in the second half of the opening greatly adds to the tension. As the shot is distorted around its frame and has a green hue around it. It is also accompanied with a unique soundtrack, and the camera moves in a less structured manner, with less consistency. It not made clear even at the end of the opening what the green symbolises. All that is known is that it was somehow the cause of both of the men's deaths.
How does your media product represent particular social groups?
It's rather difficult to put certain representations on the characters shown. They are both shown to be British, but it is unclear what their background is, although it's shown that they seem to be working for some kind of organisation concerned with national secrets. Therefore it can be assumed that they're either part of some kind of government group such as MI5 or the CIA, or they're a part of a criminal syndicate or terrorist organisation. From what is shown of the two men, neither of them are formerly dressed and are instead wearing overcoats and beanies, two trait that are more associated with middle or more commonly working class. They also aren't particularly eloquent, and their speaking lacks the air of sophistication commonly seen in middle or upper class. This is an indication that they may be part of a criminal branch, as government agents or spies tend to be upper class and look fully equipped with gear. They may just be an exception to this rule however.
What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
B.R.E.A.T.H bears a good deal of similarity to Sci-fi films, and has similar plot elements to that of the alien saga, which was distributed by 20th Century Fox. Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. are also common distributors of Thrillers and Sci-Fi films. Therefore it is a good bet that it would be one or more of these distributors looking to distribute my film. Since all of these are big distributors then it would be very likely that the film would attract a lot of viewing. Obviously if it were ever to reach cinemas or TV, then certainly there would be advertisements for the film online and on TV channels, but considering the estimated certificate of the film they would be shown at later times. It would be unlikely for the film to get advertised before 9pm so as to avoid it being seen by young audiences.
Who would be the audience for your media product?
Considering that the vast majority of Thriller films are 12 certificate or higher because of their content being darker and less friendly, there is good reason for B.R.E.A.T.H to be no different. It does after all show blood being coughed up and casually used, and people dying within the opening alone. That already brings it up into the 12-15 certificate range as the opening fits the BBFC criteria for each certificate which already limits the audience to above a certain age range.
Since openings to films are often an indication as to what the entire film will be like, the content of my piece's opening is already an indication of what direction the plot is going and seeing as blood and death have already been shown very clearly, there is a good possibly that the rest of the film, if it were ever to be made, would have those two things as common features in the plot.
Because of these things it is safe to say that the main audience for this product would be teenagers and young adults, in particular males, since the media as a whole is more male orientated than it is female, even more so with my film, since it incorporates Sci-Fi elements into it too, which is a favourite among younger audiences. That's not to say that females have no reason to be attracted to B.R.E.A.T.H, as the opening by itself presents a good deal of mystery and room for postulation, as it is unclear what exactly caused the men to die, giving the audience something to try and solve.
Another good reason why younger audiences are more attracted to Thrillers, B.R.E.A.T.H included, is that they have a certain attractiveness about them that compels young people in particular to go and see them, as young people are more prone to emotion and therefore get a lot more out of Thrillers, since their main conventions relate to eliciting feelings and emotions from the audiences.
How did you attract/address your audience?
There are two main ways that I've attracted and addressed my audience. The first being Youtube. Obviously the main video, and the continuity video are available to watch there. Since anyone with wi-fi can access youtube it's a fairly surefire way to get people to view the video/s. There is also the opportunity to like, dislike, and comment on the video, which is a good way of receiving feedback and criticism.
The other main way is through viewing this blog itself. Both videos are also available here, it's readily available for people to view, and there is also the capability of commenting on, not necessarily the videos, but certainly the posts themselves. What's more, it's possible to learn even more about the videos themselves via the blog, as they detail the inspiration behind them, extras that can't be seen on youtube, and a full look at the process of creating the video.
What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?
I've learnt of the true importance of having good quality gear and cameras, especially during this project. I learnt rather late that I had overestimated the capabilities of the camera I had. I had wanted a camera with good quality imaging, but more so I had wanted something in place of an IPhone, so was happy with what I had managed to get, until I found out that the camera's audio quality was atrocious. This made it very difficult to film one of the scenes since it was entirely dialogue based. In the end I had to completely rewrite my screenplay to adjust to this problem.
iMovie proved to be my lifesaver in the end. Through my learning to use iMovie I was able to work round the problem with the audio, by effective use of voice overs, making use of the shots that I had, but in different ways, and using soundtracks to make the bad audio less noticeable.
This blog too has been a technology that I've learnt to use. Through making these posts and conducting research, I've made my findings readily available to the public so that they can appreciate the film more. I've also learnt how to link websites and webpages, and also how to obtain images and video, all of which I've used on this blog.
iMovie proved to be my lifesaver in the end. Through my learning to use iMovie I was able to work round the problem with the audio, by effective use of voice overs, making use of the shots that I had, but in different ways, and using soundtracks to make the bad audio less noticeable.
This blog too has been a technology that I've learnt to use. Through making these posts and conducting research, I've made my findings readily available to the public so that they can appreciate the film more. I've also learnt how to link websites and webpages, and also how to obtain images and video, all of which I've used on this blog.
Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
What this task has made me learn is just what it is like to be a filmmaker. During this project and the previous one I was introduced to roles as a director, scriptwriter, actor, cameraman, editor, and organiser, and I've learnt different things from each role. The continuity was after all designed to introduce me to the way that film makers think.
I've learnt the true importance of planning between the two projects, as the main reason it took so long to produce the continuity video was because the only plan I had was in my head, and as such made it difficult to explain. It wasn't until I started making screenplays that everything suddenly started to work like clockwork, and I made sure to create screenplays prior to the filming of this project to enable the actors to fully understand what it was I wanted from them. The screenplays were also a huge help with organising my own ideas, as they provided an anchor point, particularly for detailing the camera shots that I wanted in some way or another. Indeed if it wasn't for screenplays I certainly wouldn't've completed this piece.
The continuity piece also highlighted a technical error that was caused by inconsistent filming. In one of the shots that I had filmed on a different day because of missing it the first time, I was wearing a different T-shirt to the one before. I myself didn't pick up on this until someone else pointed it out for me. That also helped as preparation for this main piece, and as such I tried to get all of the filming completed in a single day, to avoid running the risk of inconsistency. I did however make a mistake that I had made before and that was miss out a couple of shots due to trying to film all of them.
Doing both projects has also introduced to using iMovie, which I had never used before this course. Over the course of the two projects I learnt how editing can be the key to making an otherwise ordinary shot look interesting through the use of effects, timing, and sound. I've learnt small things as I've done each one, such as the importance of correct timing and trimming of shots, how to adjust brightness and audio, how to apply screen effects and how to make footage more effective through the application of soundtracks and music.
Ultimately doing the continuity piece put me in good stead and prepared me well for the main video. I believe that the first piece ultimately ended up showing me how to go about making a video and allowed me to plan for this project effectively.
Footnote -
So here we are, at the end of the project, with all of my work done and ready for marking. I can only hope that it will be substantial enough to get me the marks I am after. Other people's blogs that I've looked at have more than twice the amount of posts I've made. I can only hope that what I lack in quantity I've made up for with quality, and understandable posts that I really hope were not too tedious to read through. Thank you for viewing this blog, and taking time to look at my work. Now I'm off to bed, but before I go I'll leave you with a little parting gift, to celebrate the end of this topic, and the end of my exploration into this genre. Enjoy, and goodnight!
My Parting Gift to You. Adios!
What this task has made me learn is just what it is like to be a filmmaker. During this project and the previous one I was introduced to roles as a director, scriptwriter, actor, cameraman, editor, and organiser, and I've learnt different things from each role. The continuity was after all designed to introduce me to the way that film makers think.
I've learnt the true importance of planning between the two projects, as the main reason it took so long to produce the continuity video was because the only plan I had was in my head, and as such made it difficult to explain. It wasn't until I started making screenplays that everything suddenly started to work like clockwork, and I made sure to create screenplays prior to the filming of this project to enable the actors to fully understand what it was I wanted from them. The screenplays were also a huge help with organising my own ideas, as they provided an anchor point, particularly for detailing the camera shots that I wanted in some way or another. Indeed if it wasn't for screenplays I certainly wouldn't've completed this piece.
The continuity piece also highlighted a technical error that was caused by inconsistent filming. In one of the shots that I had filmed on a different day because of missing it the first time, I was wearing a different T-shirt to the one before. I myself didn't pick up on this until someone else pointed it out for me. That also helped as preparation for this main piece, and as such I tried to get all of the filming completed in a single day, to avoid running the risk of inconsistency. I did however make a mistake that I had made before and that was miss out a couple of shots due to trying to film all of them.
Doing both projects has also introduced to using iMovie, which I had never used before this course. Over the course of the two projects I learnt how editing can be the key to making an otherwise ordinary shot look interesting through the use of effects, timing, and sound. I've learnt small things as I've done each one, such as the importance of correct timing and trimming of shots, how to adjust brightness and audio, how to apply screen effects and how to make footage more effective through the application of soundtracks and music.
Ultimately doing the continuity piece put me in good stead and prepared me well for the main video. I believe that the first piece ultimately ended up showing me how to go about making a video and allowed me to plan for this project effectively.
Footnote -
So here we are, at the end of the project, with all of my work done and ready for marking. I can only hope that it will be substantial enough to get me the marks I am after. Other people's blogs that I've looked at have more than twice the amount of posts I've made. I can only hope that what I lack in quantity I've made up for with quality, and understandable posts that I really hope were not too tedious to read through. Thank you for viewing this blog, and taking time to look at my work. Now I'm off to bed, but before I go I'll leave you with a little parting gift, to celebrate the end of this topic, and the end of my exploration into this genre. Enjoy, and goodnight!
My Parting Gift to You. Adios!
Link to wikipedia article on Phobos-Grunt + location for the picture
Link to where I got the original lungs image for the poster
Link to the image for the x-ray on the poster
Link to website where the poster title was created
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