Sunday, 31 January 2010
(Pre Production) My Thriller Analysis on One Hour Photo
Antagonist
One Hour Photo has one of the most strangest antagonists, has it makes the audience feel compassion for the character, a number of techniques influences this, making him not typical of the thriller genre, however there are a number of elements that defy this, the choice of costumes makes him seem has if he is someone of authority, he wears a suit throughout the whole of the film. He also takes a picture of himself to fill up the camera this shows a sense of neglection and distance from society, this picture is then abandoned from the family which shows a lack of social capability and anti social behaviour. His dialogue is very creepy at time, particularly when he is an employee , he uses very small sentences which enhance the feeling of a villain, he is properly established as a Antagonist when he takes hostage of the Antagonist, he swears and uses very vulgar language. But this is contrasted from his behaviour when he is a employee. He is also typical of an Antagonist as he suffers from paranoia, he watches the Simpson has a reflection of his personality. He also suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Dissorder the camera shows this as it shows a number of low angle shots.
Protagonist
Si also remains an important different style of protagonist, at first he is shown to be official and goody a person representing a respectable society, he has a hamster which symbolises a calm and elegance life. He also voice overs children which shows him to be pleasant and a warm loving character. This shows him to be a typical protagonist because he has a positive approach to society. In addition shows him to be an ordinary character, which is also typical of protagonists, also he is friends with a family which show him to be a sociable and innocent character, he also seems to be the protagonist from the voice over in combination of the long-shot, the boy feels sorry for Si and the long shot shows his isolation and how he is an outcast from society.
Conventions
The sound within the film is quite dry and bleak especially the dialogue, the conversations are very awkward and establish a dark and morbid theme for the narrative. The Voice Overs are very significant has these help to change the style of narrative, some voice overs are intentional for example Si commenting on his life or occasionally you will find the boy speaking in reflection to his thoughts. Camera angles are very distinctive and show the Protagonist and Antagonist at very different angles, for example there is a close up on the video-game which establishes violence a theme which remained to be important throughout the film, but some close ups show difference in mood for example one on photos illustrate the positive relations, the long shots also establish how he is outcasted from society. Also when the start of the Film we see many steady shots these decrease when true personalities are revealed in addition the music and the lighting of the film become darker to reflect the mood. Not many special effects are used, but when they are used they are very effective, When Si eyes bleed inside the clear supermarket store it demonstrates how is world has now evaporated due to his Job sacking. In terms of Typical thriller conventions, many are used, towards the beginning of the film, there is foreshadowing of him being a paedophile. Also a flashback is used towards at the start and end of the film, which is basic flashback and a reflection of his lifestyle, which enhance the essence of a thriller genre. Dramatic Irony is also illustrated has the family doesn't know what kind of man he is. The Cinematography is very graphic, has the camera is consonantly pulling out and in, the typography of the film is also very significant.
One Hour Photo has one of the most strangest antagonists, has it makes the audience feel compassion for the character, a number of techniques influences this, making him not typical of the thriller genre, however there are a number of elements that defy this, the choice of costumes makes him seem has if he is someone of authority, he wears a suit throughout the whole of the film. He also takes a picture of himself to fill up the camera this shows a sense of neglection and distance from society, this picture is then abandoned from the family which shows a lack of social capability and anti social behaviour. His dialogue is very creepy at time, particularly when he is an employee , he uses very small sentences which enhance the feeling of a villain, he is properly established as a Antagonist when he takes hostage of the Antagonist, he swears and uses very vulgar language. But this is contrasted from his behaviour when he is a employee. He is also typical of an Antagonist as he suffers from paranoia, he watches the Simpson has a reflection of his personality. He also suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Dissorder the camera shows this as it shows a number of low angle shots.
Protagonist
Si also remains an important different style of protagonist, at first he is shown to be official and goody a person representing a respectable society, he has a hamster which symbolises a calm and elegance life. He also voice overs children which shows him to be pleasant and a warm loving character. This shows him to be a typical protagonist because he has a positive approach to society. In addition shows him to be an ordinary character, which is also typical of protagonists, also he is friends with a family which show him to be a sociable and innocent character, he also seems to be the protagonist from the voice over in combination of the long-shot, the boy feels sorry for Si and the long shot shows his isolation and how he is an outcast from society.
Conventions
The sound within the film is quite dry and bleak especially the dialogue, the conversations are very awkward and establish a dark and morbid theme for the narrative. The Voice Overs are very significant has these help to change the style of narrative, some voice overs are intentional for example Si commenting on his life or occasionally you will find the boy speaking in reflection to his thoughts. Camera angles are very distinctive and show the Protagonist and Antagonist at very different angles, for example there is a close up on the video-game which establishes violence a theme which remained to be important throughout the film, but some close ups show difference in mood for example one on photos illustrate the positive relations, the long shots also establish how he is outcasted from society. Also when the start of the Film we see many steady shots these decrease when true personalities are revealed in addition the music and the lighting of the film become darker to reflect the mood. Not many special effects are used, but when they are used they are very effective, When Si eyes bleed inside the clear supermarket store it demonstrates how is world has now evaporated due to his Job sacking. In terms of Typical thriller conventions, many are used, towards the beginning of the film, there is foreshadowing of him being a paedophile. Also a flashback is used towards at the start and end of the film, which is basic flashback and a reflection of his lifestyle, which enhance the essence of a thriller genre. Dramatic Irony is also illustrated has the family doesn't know what kind of man he is. The Cinematography is very graphic, has the camera is consonantly pulling out and in, the typography of the film is also very significant.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
(Pre Production) Thriller Genre, Evaluating Phone Booth
PROTAGINIST
The antagonist wasn't clearly established, has we see Stew Sheppard (business man) being slightly harsh to one of other employees and treating them like trash, at first instance we assume the Stew is the Antagonist, this partly fits the typical thriller antagonist, has he is male and that he preys on people who are vulnerable, however he does not seem psychotic and his job requires him to be sociable. He seems to be very jokey and mimics his so called friends, we are also seen a glimpse of his lover, who we assume he has feeling for. potential master and servant approach is illustrated from the way he treats his employees(he used vulgar language) . Has the narrative furthers we see his role in society being exploited and his feelings become existent (starts to cry), we seem change from a cocky character to scared and timid one due to his life being threatened from his sniper, he adopts the role of a Protagonist even more has his personalty flaws are exploited but we do see him confess these to his real lover (wife) this fits the typical protagonist has innocent. His job prospects match him more to the typical protagonist has his scheming provided him enough money to be classed has middle class, also because he is a New York citizen he fits the ideology of the every man protagonist.
ANTAGONIST
The antagonist is apparent straight away, and at first there is real confusion of who the Antagonist really is at first we, see the Pizza guy annoy Stew while he is in the phone booth, and we see the Pimp and his Whores beat up Stew as well, even Stew is a possible bad guy, so the range of antagonists are diverse and keep the audience guessing. However the obvious Antagonist is established when the music develops and the and the camera angles become more random, the sniper stands out from the other Antagonists because he matches the typical thriller type, he seems psychotic as one minute he is laughing then the next he is angry and shouting. He is mysterious has the audience are not aware of his physical appearance and this is typical of most Thriller antagonists. He seems to have positive motive, has he often reflects on equality and society ignorance, however this is somehow twisted from his killings, this is typical of Antagonists has they represent a movement in society . He is also typical of thriller antagonists has he kills without a care. Right at the end we see the Antagonist approach Stew in a nice suit with slick back hair, this is partly typical of an Antagonist has he is remains organised.
TYPICAL THRILLER CONVENTIONS
There are many different codes and conventions which structure a thriller and the effectiveness of it, the se conventions include Setting, Narrative, Mise-en-scene, key themes, other characters, casting, music and the sound elements too. The editing is a significant part of the Thriller genre has this provides suspense and tension throughout the opening sequence, the editing in the film was very distinguishable with the screen including one smaller section, this relates the conversation together and helps to further the narrative this also provides a sense of fast paced action, and this helps to convey a typical thriller because this is provides a sense of mysterious on-goings. The editing is quite tight and fast at times (particularly), and this is typical of a thriller has it creates jumpy movements. Another aspect of the editing is when screen is split into 4 this provides different interpretations to how the scene is looked upon, this is partly typical of a thriller has some contain the a sense of insanity. The narrative of the film is quite erratic and is only established towards the end, because the film is quite short the action does kick in right at the the start, this does fit the typical thriller has it contains an element of belief and truth. The morals of the film are made clear towards the end of the film, and the sense of equality is approached throughout the Antagonist. Their are many different sound elements to be considered, their is one particularly at the beginning, where we hear a smooth sound with the cloud and space, this provides a sense of ambience and fits the typical thriller convention that environment noises creates suspense, the ambience sounds create a big atmosphere and the tone of the scene for example the sound of technology relates to the title, the sound also reflects the narrative and the plot-line of the film for example the any sort of Foley sound drops immediately when somebody is shot, in addition the music picks up pace when the scenes become really thrilling. The Voice over is also a very significant as it is shown at the beginning of the film and at the end, this provides a a moral towards the film. The casting is another really effective piece of production technique which impacts the thriller genre, the city contains a lot of characters from different races and ethnicities this shows that it is a busy city and anything could happen which fits the typical thriller genre of spacey busy environments, moreover the specific actors which act the characters are also very significant for example Forest Witticater is an Oscar winning director and provides a sense of realism. The most important aspect of a typical thriller conventions, The camera is quite fast, with lots of long shots which provides suspense and tension. The camera shots does pans alot from outside the of phone booth, which represents control of Protagonist, in addition the camera changes to when Stew is trapped within the phone booth, and makes him seem more enclosed, also plenty of slow motions shots are used which enhances the thriller element.
(Pre Production) Evaluation of Past Student Productions
Within our first lesson of Thrillers, were had to evaluate different pieces of work, we discussed what worked well, why it didn't it work well, any improvement that could of been made, and anything that could of been made differently.
The first opening sequence that we evaluated was "The Parallel Touch, The group seemed to have adapt in its technical capabilities, has it managed to hold a shot steady, and effectively has well, also the framing of the shot was quite varied and was done appropriately has well, its diverse use of shot selections and distances matched the genre of thrillers, however it could;d of used some more risky shots such has P.O.V to capture the characters feelings The editing was fairly appropriate wit music that matched the narrative also the use of titles enhanced the audience understanding of the plot-line and matched the genre. However more types of editing could of been used such has short duration shots to create a moral. In terms of Mise en scene, the location was fairly appropriate with the desolate park and the dark lighting which emphasised the suspense of thrillers. The sound was also very good and the jumpy effects improved the thriller, however it became very repetitive and dulled down the meaning.
Deadline was the second opening sequence that we analysed, it had some effective camera techniques with tilting, close ups which helped to provide a knowledge of what was going on, the framing was also effective has it provided an essence of the thriller genre, however more variety of shots was required to create more tension. The editing was very effective, with the rewinding of the tape to create more meaning and also originality, also the music was appropriate has it was upbeat and changed rhythm in accordance to the narrative. However it didn't quite match the conventions of a thriller and the use of titles didn't fit has it became too frequent and random.
Withheld was the final extract that we analysed, it was an effective piece with quite alot of different shot selections, such has close ups, pans, tracks and zooms, these all provided to the codes and conventions of thriller and also provided optimum suspense and tension. The us of Mise en scene was well selected e.g the phone and the time element created a sense of panic and confusion , the only downfall was the location, which instead of a park, maybe a doorway would of been a more appropriate selection, the use of editing was highly effective and provided suspense of the audience, more sound elements would of enhanced the conventions of the genre.
What Have I Learnt?
From watching the different extracts I have acknowledged that my use of of editing must be appropriate and apparent to the viewer also my framing of shot selections must have diverse in order to meet the conventions of a thriller.
The first opening sequence that we evaluated was "The Parallel Touch, The group seemed to have adapt in its technical capabilities, has it managed to hold a shot steady, and effectively has well, also the framing of the shot was quite varied and was done appropriately has well, its diverse use of shot selections and distances matched the genre of thrillers, however it could;d of used some more risky shots such has P.O.V to capture the characters feelings The editing was fairly appropriate wit music that matched the narrative also the use of titles enhanced the audience understanding of the plot-line and matched the genre. However more types of editing could of been used such has short duration shots to create a moral. In terms of Mise en scene, the location was fairly appropriate with the desolate park and the dark lighting which emphasised the suspense of thrillers. The sound was also very good and the jumpy effects improved the thriller, however it became very repetitive and dulled down the meaning.
Deadline was the second opening sequence that we analysed, it had some effective camera techniques with tilting, close ups which helped to provide a knowledge of what was going on, the framing was also effective has it provided an essence of the thriller genre, however more variety of shots was required to create more tension. The editing was very effective, with the rewinding of the tape to create more meaning and also originality, also the music was appropriate has it was upbeat and changed rhythm in accordance to the narrative. However it didn't quite match the conventions of a thriller and the use of titles didn't fit has it became too frequent and random.
Withheld was the final extract that we analysed, it was an effective piece with quite alot of different shot selections, such has close ups, pans, tracks and zooms, these all provided to the codes and conventions of thriller and also provided optimum suspense and tension. The us of Mise en scene was well selected e.g the phone and the time element created a sense of panic and confusion , the only downfall was the location, which instead of a park, maybe a doorway would of been a more appropriate selection, the use of editing was highly effective and provided suspense of the audience, more sound elements would of enhanced the conventions of the genre.
What Have I Learnt?
From watching the different extracts I have acknowledged that my use of of editing must be appropriate and apparent to the viewer also my framing of shot selections must have diverse in order to meet the conventions of a thriller.
Friday, 1 January 2010
(Pre Production) PreLiminary Exercise Strength & Weaknesses
Good Points
- My camerawork was very effective, I was able to create very a varied amount of camera angles and shot shot selections.
- My Narrative was fairly good, it was creative and was able to entice my audience.
- My use of Editing was original and appropriate.
- At Times my framing of shots was inconsistent, and degraded the quality of my camera shots.
- My Editing was another point which needed improving, for example the shot durations weren't accurate.
- The Production was slightly long and this ineffectively degraded the quality of the production.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)