In class today, we all did an exercise which involved watching some past students media AS thriller film openings and deciding on what grade we would give each one and why we would give it that. We used the marking criteria to help us come up with a more genuine and reliable grade. However, no one in the class said the right grade for each video. Some students in my class gave one video a D when it actually got a B, other students gave a different video a low C when the exam board gave it an A - so no one was really accurate .
Most of the thriller openings that we were shown were very good, satisfying and showed remarkable talent. You could tell by watching all of the videos that all of the students had thought about their storyline well and took lots of time to plan it all out. However, you could tell from some of the videos that their storyline and plan was very strong, however when they came to film it and piece it all together, it didn't flow how they expected it to.
I thought there was many highlights in the videos I watched . The use of sound effects were really pleasing in all videos . All of the sounds seemed to be synchronised with what is being viewed, this makes the atmosphere seem more realistic which will have helped gain marks. The marking criteria says that to get into level 3 (36-47 marks) which is grade C and B you use sound with images and editing appropriately for the task set.
One of the videos we watched that scored 54 out of 60 marks used a voiceover all throughout explaining the whole story. This voiceover is a piece of narration in a film, with no image of the speaker. This voiceover helps to portray the narrative of the film so the audience doesn't get confused , they are also used to make the film seem more exciting as well.
Most of the camera shots used in the films were accurate and used at the correct times . One video we watched as a class used a shot reverse shot technique when the two characters are communicating and looking at each other in the eye. This continuity editing technique is a great thing to use in film and this helped them score more marks which got them that B grade. To achieve a level 4 mark (48-60 marks) which is grade A, you shoot material appropriate to the task set; including controlled use of the camera, attention to framing, variety of shot distance and close attention to mise-en-scene.
Some things that I found were not so good in the films I watched were the blending's of scenes. Sometimes they were absolutely fine, other times there was no continuity and the scene didn't stay the same . I noticed that sometimes peoples outfit changed when they were supposed to be in the same scene, and I noticed that some people tried to put a black and white filter on to make it look like night time when it was clearly daytime because you could see the bright sky. The lighting wasn't used correctly. This explains to me why some of these videos only achieved a C maximum because there continuity was very irregular .
From watching these videos and doing this exercise, it has made me realise what I need to do to make my thriller opening the best it could possibly be. I really liked how the titles dissolved in and out of the screen. For my thriller opening I would love the titles to come into the screen typing . This is because our thriller opening will involve text messages that are a bit strange, so I thought that would be quite a good idea . Also from watching these videos, it has inspired me to want to include music that flows and fits each scene well. This is so it is synchronised . I think having a voiceover is a very cool, fascinating idea that I actually would love to do and try out.
I want to make sure that the material is appropriate for the target audience and task .
Torn
This thriller opening scored 56/60 marks which was an A. I believe that this thriller achieved the mark it got because of the use of different editing techniques that are used for example: the flashbacks that are used a few times throughout. It forces the audience to wonder and question why he is doing things he's doing . However, the sounds at the beginning did cause me to get a little confused at the start, but towards the end I did finally understand and get the gist of the story.
PEEK-A-BOO
This thriller opening scored 46/60 which was a B.
This video had both good and bad aspects about it . One of the good things that I noticed was the use of camera shots as they set off the tone for the opening sequence. Something I noticed that I believe dropped them marks was the mise-en-scene. The girls try to make graveyard seem dark when she is walking though it, however you can clearly see the white, bright sky even with a black and white filter on it . This let them down . I think they could have edited the mise-en-scene better and casted more shadows on the video and made the contrast darker.
Leah Reid G321 Foundation Production
This thriller opening scored 52/60 and I can thoroughly see why it achieved this. I think the titles stood out really well , as they were creative and unique. The use of sound in this really inspired me to consider putting in a voiceover in my own thriller opening . I think overall this video was great, and I found it hard to pick faults in it.
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