“Hunted” is the short-film made by our media group for the continuous editing task. Although I was not part of the group originally during the planning or filming stages, I helped with the editing. The reason for this being that the person I was originally working with left the sixth form college and I was unable to film on my own.
Our short film begins with thriller-style music, similar to that of ‘Psycho.’ This immediately gives an implication of danger and therefore the audience should start to feel tense. The camera is focused on some lockers at the end of a corridor – something which could signify secrets or entrapment - until a character walks around the corner. The mid-shot shows the character walking on the left hand side of the screen rather than in the centre, this shot follows the rule of thirds – an effective way to draw the viewer’s eye to the character. The character is wearing a red coat, a colour which is often associated with blood or again, danger.
There is then a cut to another corridor. The setting of which is quite repetitive and we can see the same poster in the same position repeated over and over again in the background. This could represent a repetition in the situation, implying that something similar has happened before. Behind the character we met in the last shot, we can see the figure of another person – this time wearing a cream or beige coloured t-shirt; the character tends to blend more with the walls than the main character who is wearing bright colours – red and blue, and gives the impression that she is trying to remain unnoticed.
The camera zooms as the main character walks towards us; giving the idea that whatever is happening is fast-paced. It could also create a sense of confusion or disorientation as the camera is zooming the opposite direction to where the character is walking. It may show that there is something about to happen that the main character is not aware of, or that a plan is about to be interrupted.
There is a slow-motion shot as the main character turns her head. In a femme-fatale style, (which this character follows most of the stereotypes of –red clothes, confidence etc.) the character turns her head, which then means the camera is blocked by her hair. This could implicate that the characters have not seen something or again that there is something that we don’t know. The slow-motion, extreme close up shot also gives the impression that that moment in time was of extreme importance – a moment of realisation or where somebody is almost caught out (as the character behind seems to be following.)
There is a space of around a second and a half where we are left seeing only the second character approaching – after the main character has already turned the corner. Again, the neutral colour of her clothes seems to make her almost invisible – therefore a threat. This is a long shot and so we cannot clearly make out any of the second characters features , something that again may create tension as we could not recognise her or see clearly what expression she is wearing.
The camera jostles, and although this may be accidental or an editing fault, it also gives us the feeling that something is not running smoothly – again adding to the tension.
It then switches to another long shot, where we see the departing figure of the main character. This could either be viewed as a Point of View shot; where we are given the eyes of the second, following character or it could purely be giving us another way to look at the character we have so far only seen from the front. At one point, the character steps into a shadow which could implicate that she’s not one of the ‘good guys.’ In this shot, we can also see that the tiles of pillars do not match exactly – this could give a sense of disillusion or mystery.
As the character leaves the corridor, the camera hesitates on the hallway. The second character is nowhere to be seen, and leaves the scene with an eerie tone. The audience cannot be completely sure of what is going on, and although the room has a sense of grandeur (arched ceilings etc.), it also seems a perfect setting for somebody that is being haunted – a word only one letter away from the title.
The camera then tracks the character as they walk up to a door. The fact that the door is closed signifies a challenge or a hurdle that needs to be overcome. It could also imply that the room is private – meaning that other people become outcasts or outsiders.
The tone of the soundtrack changes as the door opens – to a more light-hearted sound. This changes the atmosphere from tense to one of relief; giving us the impression that the character we have been following has made it safely to her destination. There is a cut to a mid shot and we catch the character entering from inside the room – making the outside world look bleak compared to the room we are now situated in (as the walls inside the room are blue compared to the cream outside.)
The character weaves between tables, which shows that there is not a simple path to achieving what she wants, although she walks with some speed. This could imply that the hurdles are easy to overcome. The main character then takes a seat opposite somebody waiting in the room – somebody that looks as though she has been expecting her. The fact that she sits down also shows us that they are equal, and the main character stops moving for the first time since we have met her, at which point the music cuts entirely. This tells us that the conversation we are about to hear is extremely important, and also emphasises the silence in the room other than their conversation; this carries on the ‘eerie’ atmosphere that had been slightly reduced thanks to the change in tone of the music.
At the end of the film, we see the character that has been following the main character through the clip. She finally contrasts against the white walls with her grey clothes and black hair – although the darker colours show her to have a slightly evil or mischievous nature.
The film also tested our knowledge of the 180 Degree Rule. The 180 Degree Rule is a basic film editing guideline which states that two characters in the same scene should maintain the same left/right relationship to each other. This means that the camera can show various shots of the characters, however he must always ensure that the characters appear on the side of the screen that we originally saw them - unless we see them move from one side of the screen to the other. If the camera crosses this invisible axis, it is called "crossing the line" - creating a new shot called a "reverse angle."
"Crossing the line" is viewed as bad continuity and can often create confusion within the audience, as the characters seem to be shifting positions without moving. However, many film-makers use the reverse angle to intentionally create a sense of disorientation.
"Hunted" does not use the 'crossing the line' technique, as we wanted our film to be as smooth as possible. We also did not believe that using the technique to create disorientation would help our film in any way - just become the cause of the storyline becoming unclear. I believe that we stuck to the 180 Degree rule extremely well - even in scenes where the characters were being followed. The rule is most evident when two of the characters are having a discussion, as we changed shots multiple times but always ensured that Phoebe was on the left and Laura to the right of the screen.
We also used the editing to make sure this worked - cutting out any parts that may not have followed smoothly. Without editing, our film would have been extremely hard to make - after we had cut out the unwanted footage, the shots seemed to jump from one to another, making the film difficult to watch. To remedy this, we added in transitions such as cuts and fades to make the film smoother.
Overall, I believe that thanks to editing and the various shots (long shot, mid shot, extreme close up, close up, tracking etc), the film has a slightly thriller-esque feel and also that with the way it has been edited, it is very successful.
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
"Hunted" Continuous Edit Project With Analysis!
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Thriller Planing/Synopsis
Our original production group consisted of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus and myself and between us we began to plan an opening to a thriller for our coursework.
We had completed a synopsis and a storyboard for our idea (although our characters were not fully developed):
Shot 1:
Mid shot of 'Man One' in a parked car, holding onto the steering wheel.
Shot 2:
The camera pans out out the car and tracks him as he walks around to the boot.
Shot 3:
Mid shot from inside the boot. 'Man One' opens the boot and it slowly reveals him bit by bit.
Shot 4:
Point of View, low angle shot of a lift descending.
Shot 5:
'Man Two' POV shot from inside the lift, as the lift doors open there is a silhouette in the doorway, however it's just a normal person.
Shot 6:
Cut back to 'Man One' in the car park, long shot - he is pulling a body from the boot of the car.
Shot 7:
Cut back to 'Man Two.' Low angle shot as the lift opens, the camera pans his feet as he walks out.
Shot 8:
Long shot of the man walking from the lift, closer to the camera.
Shot 9:
Cut back to the car park, long shot as we see 'Man Two' coming closer to the car.
*End*
However, the groups were changed (and now consists of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus, Sam Cameron and myself) and we decided to merge all of our ideas and ended up with a better idea overall.
NEW SYNOPSIS:
CHARACTERS:
The Rep
Shop-Keeper
Shop-Assistant
Shot 1:
Extreme close up of femme-fatale's ('The Rep') hands turning the keys in an ignition, turning the engine off.
Shot 2:
Close up of her feet as she gets out of the car. She is wearing heels.
Shot 3:
The camera pans (close up) her shoes as she walks to the boot of the car.
Shot 4:
Mid-shot from the inside of the boot as she opens it and picks up a bag. The end of a knife can be seen from inside the bag.
Shot 5:
Mid/Long/Over the shoulder shot of The Rep opening the shop door.
Shot 6:
Mid Shot - The Rep and the shopkeeper show an acknowledgement of each other (a nod, a small conversation, a wave etc.)
Shot 7:
Close up of shopkeepers hands counting some money behind the till.
Shot 8:
POV shot of The Rep watching the shopkeeper behind the till giving the shop assistant some money.
Shot 9:
Low angle, medium shot from the bottom of the stairs as the shop assistant walks towards the camera (into the basement) to get his coat.
Shot 10:
Camera angles are the same, the shop assistant walks past the camera and we see a shadow begin to descend down the basement stairs.
Shot 11:
Cut to a mid shot of a silhouette of the rep stabbing the shop assistant.
Shot 12:
Close up of the femme fatale as she leaves the shop.
Shot 13:
Zoom from a dead body lying sprawled to a dead eye (either zoom in front a long shot to an extreme close up, or vice verca). Non-diagetic sounds of the rep's heels as she walks away.
We had completed a synopsis and a storyboard for our idea (although our characters were not fully developed):
Shot 1:
Mid shot of 'Man One' in a parked car, holding onto the steering wheel.
Shot 2:
The camera pans out out the car and tracks him as he walks around to the boot.
Shot 3:
Mid shot from inside the boot. 'Man One' opens the boot and it slowly reveals him bit by bit.
Shot 4:
Point of View, low angle shot of a lift descending.
Shot 5:
'Man Two' POV shot from inside the lift, as the lift doors open there is a silhouette in the doorway, however it's just a normal person.
Shot 6:
Cut back to 'Man One' in the car park, long shot - he is pulling a body from the boot of the car.
Shot 7:
Cut back to 'Man Two.' Low angle shot as the lift opens, the camera pans his feet as he walks out.
Shot 8:
Long shot of the man walking from the lift, closer to the camera.
Shot 9:
Cut back to the car park, long shot as we see 'Man Two' coming closer to the car.
*End*
However, the groups were changed (and now consists of Adam Ward, Andreas Varhus, Sam Cameron and myself) and we decided to merge all of our ideas and ended up with a better idea overall.
NEW SYNOPSIS:
CHARACTERS:
The Rep
Shop-Keeper
Shop-Assistant
Shot 1:
Extreme close up of femme-fatale's ('The Rep') hands turning the keys in an ignition, turning the engine off.
Shot 2:
Close up of her feet as she gets out of the car. She is wearing heels.
Shot 3:
The camera pans (close up) her shoes as she walks to the boot of the car.
Shot 4:
Mid-shot from the inside of the boot as she opens it and picks up a bag. The end of a knife can be seen from inside the bag.
Shot 5:
Mid/Long/Over the shoulder shot of The Rep opening the shop door.
Shot 6:
Mid Shot - The Rep and the shopkeeper show an acknowledgement of each other (a nod, a small conversation, a wave etc.)
Shot 7:
Close up of shopkeepers hands counting some money behind the till.
Shot 8:
POV shot of The Rep watching the shopkeeper behind the till giving the shop assistant some money.
Shot 9:
Low angle, medium shot from the bottom of the stairs as the shop assistant walks towards the camera (into the basement) to get his coat.
Shot 10:
Camera angles are the same, the shop assistant walks past the camera and we see a shadow begin to descend down the basement stairs.
Shot 11:
Cut to a mid shot of a silhouette of the rep stabbing the shop assistant.
Shot 12:
Close up of the femme fatale as she leaves the shop.
Shot 13:
Zoom from a dead body lying sprawled to a dead eye (either zoom in front a long shot to an extreme close up, or vice verca). Non-diagetic sounds of the rep's heels as she walks away.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Media Definitions
FILM NOIR:
Coined by French film critics (especially Nino Frank in 1946) who noticed the trend of dark and downbeat the themes of many American crime and detective films were following the War (although not all Noir films are crime/detective.)
Examples of some of the first recognised Noir films are: The Maltease Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944) and The Woman In The Window (1944).
Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. It is also helpful to realize that 'film noir' usually refers to a distinct historical period of film history - the decade of film-making after World War II
(http://www.filmsite.org/)
FEMME FATALE:
1. A woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations.
2. An alluring, mysterious woman.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
MISOGYNY:
The hatred or extreme dislike of women.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
Coined by French film critics (especially Nino Frank in 1946) who noticed the trend of dark and downbeat the themes of many American crime and detective films were following the War (although not all Noir films are crime/detective.)
Examples of some of the first recognised Noir films are: The Maltease Falcon (1941), Murder, My Sweet (1944) and The Woman In The Window (1944).
Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. It is also helpful to realize that 'film noir' usually refers to a distinct historical period of film history - the decade of film-making after World War II
(http://www.filmsite.org/)
FEMME FATALE:
1. A woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations.
2. An alluring, mysterious woman.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
MISOGYNY:
The hatred or extreme dislike of women.
(www.thefreedictionary.com)
Audience Research
Through my research, I have discovered that most people of the 16-18 age group prefer to go to the cinema with their friends, and the majority of people in my study have admitted that they normally find out about new films through trailers - although a few have said that they discover films through the internet, magazines or are recommended to them by their peers.
Thanks to my survey, I also discovered that it is true that those that go to the cinema the most earn the most money, however this isn't always the case (the participant that went to the cinema the most (once a week) earnt between £101-£200, whereas some participants that earned up to £500 admitted that they 'hardly ever' went to the cinema.
In my questionnaire, I asked participants about their favourite genre of film and music. However, I was unable to gather enough data to make reliable links between the two. There was a hint of a correlation that I saw, which was that many people who said they favoured Alternative music also said that their favourite genre of movie to watch was 'horror.'
My research wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, as I had no time to take to the streets of Norwich to ask people to complete my survey - therefore it was done by only people in my age rage and by a small sample of participants. If I'd had the chance, I would have liked to looked further into the connections between movie and music genres, and also whether those that were taken or had children went to the cinema more often.
My Survey Questions:
Gender:
Male ( ) Female ( )
Age:
13-15 ( ) 16-18 ( ) 19-25 ( ) 26-29 ( ) 30+ ( )
Marital Status:
Single ( ) Taken ( ) Married ( ) Married with Children ( )
Who do you normally come to the cinema with?
On my own ( ) With Friends ( ) With my Partner ( ) With my Children ( )
What is your favourite genre of film?
Romance ( ) Horror ( ) Thriller ( ) Comedy ( ) Rom-Com ( ) Action ( ) Chick Flick ( )
Childrens ( ) Musicals ( ) Adventure ( ) Crime ( ) History ( ) Sci-Fi ( ) War ( )
Westerns ( ) Other _______
How much money fo you earn a month?
Pocket Money only ( ) Under £100 ( ) £101-£200 ( ) £201-£500 ( ) £501-£1000 ( )
Over £1000 ( )
How often do you go to the cinema?
Hardly Ever ( ) Once a month ( ) Once a fortnight ( ) Once a week ( ) More than once a week ( )
How do you hear about the films you go to see?
Trailers ( ) Internet ( ) Peers ( ) Reviews ( ) Radio ( ) Magazine/Newspaper ( )
Posters ( ) Interviews ( ) Merchandise ( ) Billboards ( ) Other______
How do you prefer to watch films?
Cinema ( ) DVD ( ) Computer ( ) TV ( ) Other______
What is your favourite genre of music out of the answers provided?
Pop ( ) Rock ( ) RnB ( ) Drum and Bass ( ) Alternative ( ) Metal ( ) Rap ( )
Thanks to my survey, I also discovered that it is true that those that go to the cinema the most earn the most money, however this isn't always the case (the participant that went to the cinema the most (once a week) earnt between £101-£200, whereas some participants that earned up to £500 admitted that they 'hardly ever' went to the cinema.
In my questionnaire, I asked participants about their favourite genre of film and music. However, I was unable to gather enough data to make reliable links between the two. There was a hint of a correlation that I saw, which was that many people who said they favoured Alternative music also said that their favourite genre of movie to watch was 'horror.'
My research wasn't as successful as I'd hoped, as I had no time to take to the streets of Norwich to ask people to complete my survey - therefore it was done by only people in my age rage and by a small sample of participants. If I'd had the chance, I would have liked to looked further into the connections between movie and music genres, and also whether those that were taken or had children went to the cinema more often.
My Survey Questions:
Gender:
Male ( ) Female ( )
Age:
13-15 ( ) 16-18 ( ) 19-25 ( ) 26-29 ( ) 30+ ( )
Marital Status:
Single ( ) Taken ( ) Married ( ) Married with Children ( )
Who do you normally come to the cinema with?
On my own ( ) With Friends ( ) With my Partner ( ) With my Children ( )
What is your favourite genre of film?
Romance ( ) Horror ( ) Thriller ( ) Comedy ( ) Rom-Com ( ) Action ( ) Chick Flick ( )
Childrens ( ) Musicals ( ) Adventure ( ) Crime ( ) History ( ) Sci-Fi ( ) War ( )
Westerns ( ) Other _______
How much money fo you earn a month?
Pocket Money only ( ) Under £100 ( ) £101-£200 ( ) £201-£500 ( ) £501-£1000 ( )
Over £1000 ( )
How often do you go to the cinema?
Hardly Ever ( ) Once a month ( ) Once a fortnight ( ) Once a week ( ) More than once a week ( )
How do you hear about the films you go to see?
Trailers ( ) Internet ( ) Peers ( ) Reviews ( ) Radio ( ) Magazine/Newspaper ( )
Posters ( ) Interviews ( ) Merchandise ( ) Billboards ( ) Other______
How do you prefer to watch films?
Cinema ( ) DVD ( ) Computer ( ) TV ( ) Other______
What is your favourite genre of music out of the answers provided?
Pop ( ) Rock ( ) RnB ( ) Drum and Bass ( ) Alternative ( ) Metal ( ) Rap ( )
'Ambition' Perfume Advertisement and Analysis.
My perfume advert shows a locket on the foreground of a British flag with a photo of a couple inside. I wanted to infuse a number of different items onto the advertisement as I believed that it would add some depth.
I used a simple photo of a British flag and edited it to make it look unique and almost dreamy. I wanted to make it look different, as I believe the way I edited it makes it looks more edgy – which insinuates that the perfume being advertised will give you an edge over everybody else and make you stand out. The ‘dreamy’ aspect of the flag goes along with the theme of the advert which is telling the consumer to have a ‘dream’ or an ‘ambition.’
I then decided to use a locket as the main feature of my article, as lockets hold the connotations of special or cherished memories. Again, the colour of the locket (gold) gives the customer an implication of wealth – something which many people are ambitious about. I believed that using a locket would be a good idea as it gives the idea that this perfume will help you to achieve things that are worth holding on to or cherishing.
The photo inside the locket was originally a photo of a couple in a park/field kissing. I edited the photo a lot because I decided that I wanted to put my own mark on it. First, I decided to cut out the couple so that I could choose which part of the background they would stand on – I decided that I should put them under a tree as I believe that it shows the beautiful nature of the world (or England) and it also contrasts with the colours of the flag, therefore drawing the eyes of the consumer towards the main feature of the advert.
As you can see, I have smudged the background in the photo. There are many reasons for my decision behind this – the biggest being that I wanted to carry on the ‘dream’ theme of the advert. It almost makes it seem as though it hasn’t happened – which could imply that it is somebody else’s dream or ambition – something which they wish they can achieve which again tells us that everybody has a dream.
Another main reason behind doing this was the fact that it goes with my slogan of the advert: ‘Do it how you want’ (which admittedly, could be better but I couldn’t think of another phrase that would say what I wanted that hadn’t already been taken by a famous product. I believe that the way the background in the locket almost looks surreal connotes that the purchaser can do whatever they want or alter their world in whichever way they wish to and will have the power to with the product being advertised.
At first I wanted to leave the figures as they were to show that the dream or ambition of the consumer was achievable, however thanks to the light in the original photo, it didn’t stand out very much and was slightly hard to see thanks to the edited background. I decided to darken the couple as I believe it makes them stand out, and also slightly makes them look like silhouettes – which can hold connotations of a sunset or a ‘happy-ever-after.’
I then went on to write the name of the perfume on my ad. I decided to use the Stencil font as it holds connotations of an army or strict regiment which implies there is no ‘mucking around.’ This suggests that the perfume will help give the customer determination and again, the power to achieve their goal. I had to have a background to the name and slogan, as there was no other way it would have been clear to read it. However, I found it difficult to choose a colour, in the end I decided to use the same green that was in the main photo as I believed it showed continuity (that the people could follow their ambition through to the end) and also carried on the theme of nature/beauty.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Dolan's Cadillac Analysis - Ending. (DRAFT)
Dolans Cadillac
Director: Jeff Beesley
2009
Company: Cadillac Prairie Productions
User Comment:
“I found surprisingly little to gripe about and actually one or two additions that I found impressive. Christian Slater seems to be enjoying his part without turning it camp and Beesley manages to convey some real human emotions without seeming to reach for the Oscars. In this sort of movie, restraint is just as important as ideas, seeing as how countless thrillers just go overboard on a desperate quest for "impact". The cinematography and sound engineering stand up to scrutiny and the minor parts are well executed. In short, this one works.”
User Rating: 5.8/10
Dolans Cadillac is a movie about the main characters’ drive for revenge after his wife has been murdered. The audience follows Rogerson as he attempts to find a way to get back at Jimmy Dolan - and thanks to the music, camera angles and various brilliant mise-en-scenes, by the end of the film, the audience is completely on Rogerson’s side, despite the fact he ends up slightly crazy.
The end of the film is extremely effective, and Beesley has included many signifiers of the thriller genre in this particular part of the film. Rogerson has tricked Dolan’s driver onto a road that will collapse, and results in the driver dying, one of the men to get seriously injured and Dolan to get extremely mad. In this part of the movie, the camera tracks Dolan’s car driving down an isolated road (pictured), the black colour of the Cadillac contrasting with the subtle, dull colours of the fields around it. The fact that he is driving down an isolated road is a generic signifier, although it is the exact opposite of the classic signifier of a claustrophobic space, an isolated field can be just as scary as there will be nobody around to help or see you. Another reason an isolated space can be seen as a signifier is also that there is nowhere to hide, The car almost symbolises the evil of Dolan, and the looming shadow it casts shows how it can be intimidating and also how out of place it is – such a big, ‘city’ car on a small, inoffensive and dull coloured country road. Looming shadows are yet another signifier of the genre in question.
We then see a close up of Rogerson watching as the car falls through the road (pictured.) The close up, here, is extremely effective as we can see the emotion and his reaction to what he has done. Close-ups is a shot that is frequently used within the genre, this is for many reasons: for one, the audience can clearly see the emotion of the character, and secondly, when there is a close up, it is impossible to see what is around or behind the character (unless a close-up is used like above) and therefore raise the tension. Consequently, it seems that there is no remorse but only aggression on Rogerson's face. The mud we see on his cheeks could symbolise how he is ‘dirty,’ or that he is doing something that is lowering him to the level of Dolan. Rogerson is not centered in this shot, and we can see the road-works warning sign behind him. This is extremely significant, as it warns us of what has happened – it could also be a warning that he has become slightly insane.
For the rest of the movie, Dolan is stuck in an enclosed space, unable to get out – this is a big conventional signifier of a thriller movie, and is used by many great directors (such as Tarantino in Kill Bill 2 etc.) In this movie, it has been used to show that the ‘bad guy’ who normally holds all the power has now lost all control.
There is a mid shot of Dolan after the crash. This shot shows his vulnerability now that he is not in control. The blood on his forehead shows that he is not invincible – this is the first time we see any sign of weakness in his character. The fact he has his eyes closed is quite important, as, again, it shows vulnerability because he won’t be able to see what is happening, it is also a sign that he is giving up – however, the sign he is holding the gun close to him shows that he is trying to keep hold of any power he has left. The lighting in this shot is very dark, other than the lights on Dolan himself – this signifies that he is the ‘bad guy’ (compared to Rogerson who is in a wide open landscape with light colours), and that he is helplessly trapped as the details are hard to make out. This technique is used in many thriller films - the binary opposites of dark lighting for those that the director wants to be portrayed as the 'bad guy' against the open locations and light mise-en-scenes for the 'good guys.'
The camera tracks Rogerson as he jumps onto the car with a crowbar, asking Dolan to open the sun roof so he can ‘help him out.’ (pictured.) The smoke coming from the car (although it’s hard to see in the screen shot) helps to create tension and mystery, and also helps us to understand that Dolan still doesn’t know what is going on. This technique is used in other thriller films (such as Extreme Measures) to prevent clear vision and as I said earlier, raise the tension. The audience can see the area in which the car has fallen, compared to the fields in the background which shows the contrast between ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Rogerson has stepped into the darker part of the mise-en-scene, which shows that his actions are bad. The audience, in this shot, can clearly see the costume of Rogerson. His t-shirt, both black and white, suggests that he is both good and evil – that he may be doing something for the right reasons, but it’s a bad thing to do. These colours are often used in thriller films, as it is simple to do but thanks to the binary opposition look effective and can help to create a certain mood in the scene.
Later in the film, there is a shot of Dolan inside the car, he has become slightly manic in his desperation to get out. I believe that the shot above is extremely powerful, as it shows how Dolan has been submerged with his sinful lifestyle of trafficking women and killing people. The complete darkness around Dolan suggests that he has become lost, and the chairoscuro lighting here is another thriller signifier.
In my opinion, the above shot is the best in the movie. The darkness surrounding the shot, again, portrays the dark side of humans, and it could also suggest here, the fact that Dolan is close to his death. The blue sky shows the expanse of freedom that Rogerson has, but also it is known that blue is commonly associated with sorrow – in this film, it could be the grievance of Rogerson when his wife was killed, or the devastation that Dolan shows when he realises he’s going to die. The mud on the window shows that neither of them are completely good, and that they don’t understand each other, and we see again how Rogerson has gone mad with the desire to get revenge. Again, this is a widely used method in thrillers, although variations are used. For example, in Urban Legend, heavy rainfall is used to prevent a clear view through the window and subsequently raise tension.
Overall, I believe that Jeff Beesley has used lighting and shots extremely effectively in the ending of Dolan's Cadillac to create a tense atmosphere and a brilliant ending to a good film.
Director: Jeff Beesley
2009
Company: Cadillac Prairie Productions
User Comment:
“I found surprisingly little to gripe about and actually one or two additions that I found impressive. Christian Slater seems to be enjoying his part without turning it camp and Beesley manages to convey some real human emotions without seeming to reach for the Oscars. In this sort of movie, restraint is just as important as ideas, seeing as how countless thrillers just go overboard on a desperate quest for "impact". The cinematography and sound engineering stand up to scrutiny and the minor parts are well executed. In short, this one works.”
User Rating: 5.8/10
Dolans Cadillac is a movie about the main characters’ drive for revenge after his wife has been murdered. The audience follows Rogerson as he attempts to find a way to get back at Jimmy Dolan - and thanks to the music, camera angles and various brilliant mise-en-scenes, by the end of the film, the audience is completely on Rogerson’s side, despite the fact he ends up slightly crazy.
The end of the film is extremely effective, and Beesley has included many signifiers of the thriller genre in this particular part of the film. Rogerson has tricked Dolan’s driver onto a road that will collapse, and results in the driver dying, one of the men to get seriously injured and Dolan to get extremely mad. In this part of the movie, the camera tracks Dolan’s car driving down an isolated road (pictured), the black colour of the Cadillac contrasting with the subtle, dull colours of the fields around it. The fact that he is driving down an isolated road is a generic signifier, although it is the exact opposite of the classic signifier of a claustrophobic space, an isolated field can be just as scary as there will be nobody around to help or see you. Another reason an isolated space can be seen as a signifier is also that there is nowhere to hide, The car almost symbolises the evil of Dolan, and the looming shadow it casts shows how it can be intimidating and also how out of place it is – such a big, ‘city’ car on a small, inoffensive and dull coloured country road. Looming shadows are yet another signifier of the genre in question.
We then see a close up of Rogerson watching as the car falls through the road (pictured.) The close up, here, is extremely effective as we can see the emotion and his reaction to what he has done. Close-ups is a shot that is frequently used within the genre, this is for many reasons: for one, the audience can clearly see the emotion of the character, and secondly, when there is a close up, it is impossible to see what is around or behind the character (unless a close-up is used like above) and therefore raise the tension. Consequently, it seems that there is no remorse but only aggression on Rogerson's face. The mud we see on his cheeks could symbolise how he is ‘dirty,’ or that he is doing something that is lowering him to the level of Dolan. Rogerson is not centered in this shot, and we can see the road-works warning sign behind him. This is extremely significant, as it warns us of what has happened – it could also be a warning that he has become slightly insane.
For the rest of the movie, Dolan is stuck in an enclosed space, unable to get out – this is a big conventional signifier of a thriller movie, and is used by many great directors (such as Tarantino in Kill Bill 2 etc.) In this movie, it has been used to show that the ‘bad guy’ who normally holds all the power has now lost all control.
There is a mid shot of Dolan after the crash. This shot shows his vulnerability now that he is not in control. The blood on his forehead shows that he is not invincible – this is the first time we see any sign of weakness in his character. The fact he has his eyes closed is quite important, as, again, it shows vulnerability because he won’t be able to see what is happening, it is also a sign that he is giving up – however, the sign he is holding the gun close to him shows that he is trying to keep hold of any power he has left. The lighting in this shot is very dark, other than the lights on Dolan himself – this signifies that he is the ‘bad guy’ (compared to Rogerson who is in a wide open landscape with light colours), and that he is helplessly trapped as the details are hard to make out. This technique is used in many thriller films - the binary opposites of dark lighting for those that the director wants to be portrayed as the 'bad guy' against the open locations and light mise-en-scenes for the 'good guys.'
The camera tracks Rogerson as he jumps onto the car with a crowbar, asking Dolan to open the sun roof so he can ‘help him out.’ (pictured.) The smoke coming from the car (although it’s hard to see in the screen shot) helps to create tension and mystery, and also helps us to understand that Dolan still doesn’t know what is going on. This technique is used in other thriller films (such as Extreme Measures) to prevent clear vision and as I said earlier, raise the tension. The audience can see the area in which the car has fallen, compared to the fields in the background which shows the contrast between ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Rogerson has stepped into the darker part of the mise-en-scene, which shows that his actions are bad. The audience, in this shot, can clearly see the costume of Rogerson. His t-shirt, both black and white, suggests that he is both good and evil – that he may be doing something for the right reasons, but it’s a bad thing to do. These colours are often used in thriller films, as it is simple to do but thanks to the binary opposition look effective and can help to create a certain mood in the scene.
Later in the film, there is a shot of Dolan inside the car, he has become slightly manic in his desperation to get out. I believe that the shot above is extremely powerful, as it shows how Dolan has been submerged with his sinful lifestyle of trafficking women and killing people. The complete darkness around Dolan suggests that he has become lost, and the chairoscuro lighting here is another thriller signifier.
In my opinion, the above shot is the best in the movie. The darkness surrounding the shot, again, portrays the dark side of humans, and it could also suggest here, the fact that Dolan is close to his death. The blue sky shows the expanse of freedom that Rogerson has, but also it is known that blue is commonly associated with sorrow – in this film, it could be the grievance of Rogerson when his wife was killed, or the devastation that Dolan shows when he realises he’s going to die. The mud on the window shows that neither of them are completely good, and that they don’t understand each other, and we see again how Rogerson has gone mad with the desire to get revenge. Again, this is a widely used method in thrillers, although variations are used. For example, in Urban Legend, heavy rainfall is used to prevent a clear view through the window and subsequently raise tension.
Overall, I believe that Jeff Beesley has used lighting and shots extremely effectively in the ending of Dolan's Cadillac to create a tense atmosphere and a brilliant ending to a good film.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Extreme Measures analysis (Scene 22), Independent Research. (REVISED)
Extreme Measures
Director: Michael Apted
1996
Company: Castle Rock Entertainment
User Comment:
“ ‘Extreme measures’ has a certain place in my top 10 of "the best suspense movies of the 90's". I think this movie has never received all the recognition it deserves. ‘Extreme measures’ delivers excellent acting, fascinating plot, cool action and lots of excitement and most important of all, it gives birth to a rather interesting ethical question.”
User Rating: 5.9/10
‘Extreme Measures’ is a film that many people would not immediately identify as a thriller movie. However, as the plot thickens the film shows an extraordinary amount of features usually related to a generic thriller. In the 22nd scene, we follow Guy (Hugh Grant) into a subway – which is a crucial convention of the thriller genre as it is a confined space – not only that, but it is isolated and dangerous. The lighting in this part of the film is noir, and matches the high emotion in the main characters and the plot.
There are places in the mise-en-scene that show smoke coming from somewhere in the railway, this suggests that it is broken – meaning it is abandoned. The smoke in itself creates tension as it is hard to see past or through the gas, and as it appears at random times throughout the scene, it has the ability to create a lot of suspense. The fact that the subway appears abandoned is a crucial detail, as it creates fear in the audience as they begin to wonder about the kind of people that live down there, and also that there would be nobody around to help if something went wrong.
Guy and the ‘mole’ he is following come to a crossroads in the underground. (pictured) This shot is important for many reasons. In the background, where the two tunnels disappear – one of the tunnels – the one that they have gone past – has a bright light which contrasts against the second which is completely dark. Similarly, the lights in the first tunnel are white, compared to the lights in the second tunnel that are red (the colour that connotates evil.) The two tunnels could represent the paths that Guy could take – the first one being if he turned back, and didn’t get involved with the mystery surrounding the plot, and the second being if he carried on in his path. It could represent ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ Also here we see the classic convention of the claustophobic space represented through the use of the underground. Similarly to how Essex Boys uses chairoscuro lighting in a similar style to that of The Third Man, the director here is paying tribute to Carol Reed (The Third Man) and similar directors by using similar ideas. The underground here also has a very confusing layout; a labyrinth - this is another representation of a convention to thriller films as they suggest both confusion and disorientation. T T Man also uses the idea of labyrinths in Vienna and add to the sense of a nightmare in the film.
The camera then pans down to a low mid-shot of Guy as he has to jump over a part of the track. (Pictured) This could represents the obstacles that stand in the way of the plot, or even things that are warning him (and the audience, alike) to turn back and follow the ‘good’ or ‘light’ route. The setting in the background of this photo is very plain, and as it goes further back it seems to become more and more blurred – which could represent the fact our main character could be losing his way or sense of direction. Thus, making this scene more tense as we are following them on the route to ‘the room’ and the audience can see how confusing it is, and how easily Guy could get lost or trapped within one of the various tunnels.
The audience follows Guy and ‘the mole’ down a set of stairs, leaving the light behind them and descending into more darkness. This could be another example of metaphor being used in this scene – saying that they are leaving the world of ‘good’ and descending into the dark and murky world that many people do not know about or mix with, or, on an even darker tone – it could be metaphorical for them descending into a hell. As the two characters go further down a set of stairs, the setting becomes darker, with wire fences and unappealing pipes (pictured.) In the photo, we see that ‘the mole’ has gone ahead to show Guy the way, and in doing so has walked behind the fence. This could be a method of showing the audience that ‘the mole’ is trapped in this lifestyle and has no choice, whereas our main character is free to do whatever he likes, however albeit having some hesitation, Guy follows him down representing the fact that he has gone too far now to turn back.
The roles within the two characters are then switched – the light now focusing on ‘the mole,’ and the darkness surrounding Guy. (pictured) This could signify the fact that ‘the mole’ knows where he is going and what the main character and the audience will find, and that Guy is completely ‘in the dark’ about the situation. The archway that ‘the mole’ has gone through in the picture could symbolise the change in lifestyles they are about to see – from Guy who is a wealthy doctor to people without a home that have been forced to live underground where they hope nobody will be able to hurt them.
The scene finishes with the two men standing together, both in light. This may suggest that Guy knows that they are near the end of their route, and is slightly more clear on what he has to do – however, ‘the mole’ is still the one holding the source of light, showing us that he is clearly in control.
The film is, overall, a lot better than I thought it would be and holds a lot of signifiers that make up the conventional thriller.
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