Jamie Ward - Audience Research

Name: Jamie Ward
Age: 16
Relationship Status: Single

What do I look for in Thrillers?

In thrillers i expect to be introduced to the main protagonist within the opening sequence. i expect an action packed opening over shadowed by mystical music. crime, murder and drugs are all features i would expect to see included in a Thriller film.

Favorite director?

Quentin Tarantino - the reason for this his controversial films on sensitive subject of which he seems to satirize whilst still ensuring a fantastic spectacle.

Favourite Films?
Pulp Fiction
Breaking Bad (TV Drama)
Stand By Me
Inglorious
Harry Potter
Forrest Gump
Saving Private Ryan
Shawshank Redemption
Kes

Alfred Hitchcock biography - Jamie Ward

Alfred Hitchcock Biography

Alfred Hitchcock was born in London, UK on August 13 1899. Following education and St. Ignatius and The University Of London he went into Engineering. In 1920 Hitchcock left for Hollywood. His first academy award would come on the back of film ‘Rebecca’ for best picture and would be the start of a long, established career in film making. Hitchcock would go on to make over 50 films including classics such as ‘The 39 Steps’, ‘Psycho’, and ‘The Birds’. Nicknamed the ‘Master Of Suspense’ Hitchcock won the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in 1970 just a year before his death in 1980.

Hitchcock was raised by strict Catholic Parents and described his childhood as sheltered and lonely. This could however be partly due to his obesity as a child. The punishments taken by his estranged father involved being asked to go to the local police station and ask to be locked away for 10 minutes for behaving badly. His mother would also force him to stand at the end of his bed for several hours. The idea of being wrongly accused of things and being punished is reflected in his films such as ‘Psycho’.

Hitchcock also made cameos in all of his films and it was this that aided him becoming a cultural icon. He is also deemed to have made the first British ‘talkie’ in ‘Blackmail’ which again links to his troubled childhood. 

Synopsis For Main Task - Jamie Ward

Synopsis For ‘Platinum Productions’ Main Task.

The film is set in Newport however it could spread to surrounding areas such as Stansted, Elsenham or Saffron Walden. The basic outline is the story of three school children who will wear uniform to enforce realism and also that they are not yet in sixth form but are between the ages of 15-16. The film centres on these three children as they go about their daily routines however something abnormal appears to be following them.

In each shot a certain figure will continuously become more distinguished and visible. This is the character played by Jamie Ward. His costume will be a large trench coat and dark trousers plain in colour. He will also be wearing a brown/black cap (not flat peak) to hide his eyes and therefore conceal identity. He will also wear round lens glasses.

At first nothing will appear abnormal about this character. Be it if he is sitting on a bench reading a newspaper when the children harmlessly walk by. However it will be when he is watching the children play in the park via the bushes and when their ball ventures into the foliage it will be the time for audience realisation that this man’s stalking nature is not so harmless after all.

It was difficult to decide on a title for our film. We wanted it to be not too obvious that this man was a ‘paedophile’ as such but more of just a presence. We have a few choices for the title such as: The Hunter, The Pursuer, The Pursuant or The Huntsman (this is yet to be decided).  The music is important is establishing the Thriller genre. We want music that is bold and mysterious but not so intense that it allows no further build up of tension.

Preliminary Task : Camera Ideas(Josh Jeffs)

The scene would start as a meeting between two characters(Jamie and Matt) sitting at a table and making a 'deal', the camera should start off by showing a side on view of both characters at a medium distance to orientate the view and set the side for the 180 degree rule. it will then cut to over the shoulder of one of the characters facing towards the character who is speaking , it will then do the reverse and show the other character speaking from over the other persons shoulder(but will stay on the side of the 180 degree rule to make sure the viewer doesn't get disorientated ), it will then cut to the map on the table and and do an extreme close up onto the map to where one character is pointing after which it will show a close up on the characters shaking hands and then one character will leave. 
    Then it will cut to the character who had left walking across a field from afar to set the new location and orientation for the viewer. then it will cut to the pavilion clock and zooms in onto it. Jamie would then walk over to the door which would be viewed from the side towards the back( a medium distance away) of where Jamie was walking from. It would then cut to inside the building and a match action shot of Jamie walking inside. He would then walk over to another door inside but as he walks it will cut to the room he is about to enter in which the camera will be positioned behind Isabella and shows her hands tied up, it will then start to rise towards her shoulder but then cut back to Jamie opening the door to the room( a short distance from behind ) which will continue to a match action shot from behind Isabella again but this time at the top of her shoulder and you can see Jamie walk in over the shoulder, Jamie would then slam the door and the clip shall end.

MISS SMITH

How is disability represented in this extract?

By isabelle smith

How disability is represented through several aspects such as camera, editing, sound, lighting and Mis en Scene, in the extract from the TV series ‘The secret diary of a call girl’. In this extract camera is clearly and effectively used to depict disability in the extract. For example in the opening scene, when Hannah (played by Billie Piper) opens the door there are two men (Blake and his Father). As soon as the camera cuts to the two men at the door, the camera immediately looks down on the disabled character; Blake who is in a wheelchair. This is done to emphasise that he has a disability but it also suggests to the audience that he is a weaker, less dominant character. However, when the camera cuts to his father, the camera is angled so that it is looking up to him. This is to show the contrast between the Blake and his father, because his father is depicted as being tall and the camera angle also suggests that he is stronger and much more in control than his son Blake.

The music (diegetic sound) used in the extract is predominately used to underline the idea that his disability has really prevented him from doing many things and how it has had a very negative effect on his whole life. The harmonica music used during this scene (the champagne scene after the father leaves) creates a very melancholy mood which helps depict the sadness of his disability to the audience and emphasise the feebleness and how reliant he is on others.

Disability is represented in the extract through Mis en scene (props and makeup) to stress that Blake is frail. For instance the makeup used on the character is very pale giving the character a sick, pasty appearance which indicates illness. Another of example of how disability through Mis en scene is when Blake is put on the bed by his father. There is a long shot of him sitting on the bed. The large bed and the tall bed frame is used to create the effect of making Blake looking smaller and this  idea is amplified by the use of a long shot of the bed on the camera.

 Hannah’s apartment and certainly the room which the scene is set in is predominately a red colour scheme. Despite the red lighting and colour scheme (which typically portrays an intimate or romantic mood) there is a massive contrast to how the use of lighting would typically be used; the awkwardness between Blake and Hannah strongly contradicts how the colour scheme would be used normally.  This strain between them is also shown through the editing. When Hannah is talking to Blake on the bed it cuts and switches back and forth between the two to highlight how uncomfortable Hannah is and distinctively illustrates the awkwardness between the two and the delicate situation they are in.

Furthermore, generally most of the different aspects i.e. Camera, editing ,sound, lighting and Mis en scene are used to emphasise the weaknesses and negatives which come hand in hand with disability. In general they are effectively used as a device to make Blake’s character seem much more humble and less in control than his father and Hannah.

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

CLIP ANALYSIS

By isabelle smith

The establishing shot of the FBI building portrays it as friendly and welcome; the building seems very clean from the outside and the shape of the building is very neat and square. The sky is fairly clear and blue which reflects off the glass building having the effect of it seeming more clean and bright. We know as the audience that it is a safe place because the way the camera slowly zooms into the building is friendly as it almost welcomes us into the building and it is a huge contrast to the previous scene with the misty dark forest.

The shot of Clarice in the lift is effective in emphasising the position in women as a whole of all the women who work in the FBI building. Clarice is in the very centre of the lift surrounded by a group of men. They are all very shaved and groomed which makes us feel like we have more trust in them (as opposed to them having a beard and looking untidy which would make the audience feel less comfortable with them as it could be suggesting they have something to hide). The men are all wearing red which shows they are all of the same work status. Colours like blue and grey are associated with learning or more manual working types and as Clarice is wearing a grey jumper we are lead to the conclusion that it is likely that these men are above Clarice. the men dressed in red all have strong broad shoulders which highlights that they are are safe as they are strong and able to protect 'weaker women' characters.

We get a very different feel from the training facility in comparison to higher up in the building. The people in the training facility of the building all wear blue which I mentioned earlier can be associated with learning so we know that they are being trained. However higher up they are all dressed in suits and it appears to be a more male dominated area. The sound in the two parts of the building are also quite contrasting for instance in the training section, there is more unclear voice ambience, people are chatting to each other quite cheerfully and through the sound its suggested its more busy in this area. When Clara gets to the higher part of the building the men in the red collar have left the lift prior to this which shows they are beneath the suit workers status, the sound has changed from bustlting,chattering people to more of an office ambience; telephones ringing  and documents being printed.

We know that when Clarice has reached the top level from the extreme close-up on the lifts dial. The perfect V shaped sweat on Clarices jumper has decreased in size to convey that a significant amount of time has passed from her entering the building to reaching the top floor. There is a suggestion of uncertainty; as Clarice exits the lift she passes a sign. Prior to this moment in the building the camera movement has been smooth. What’s also interesting is that also prior to this point we have stayed with Clarice but there is a sudden clunky unsmooth movement to the side to show the sign which says “behavioural science services” which may indicate that she is nervous to meet Jack Crawford but it may also suggest that maybe she isn’t going to be safe here.

In the opening sequence (first 2-3 minutes) the takes at the start of this sequence last a very long time which creates a slower pace and but a more eerie atmosphere. But after two long takes they begin to get a lot shorter creating a tenser atmosphere. All these takes revolve around Clarice; she appears to control the edits here; as the camera tracks her and she is in every shot which entails that she is the Protagonist of the film. The music mirrors the shots as the music becomes more intense (higher pitched melody) as the takes become shorter which has the effect of creating an eerie unnerving atmosphere, (which as has the effect of making Clarice seem isolated and vulnerable in the misty forest).

Opening to thriller (prelim)

http://youtu.be/RxXQDSuQ5fM