Media Lesson- 7/10/10 (Learning how to use a camera)

In Thursday's lesson, we learnt the correct way to set up the camera we will be using for the Thriller film we will be filming. We learnt how to insert the camera film correctly into the camera. Technically we learnt how each individual button works on the camera. This is so that we know how to include technical aspects into a thriller such as the zoom tool. This will enhance the quality of our thrillers, making them look more professional, which in turn should hopefully gain us a better grade. We also learnt how to use the Tripod. The Tripod is used to hold the camera up so when filming the shot on the actors will be more focused, making it look more professional. we learnt the correct way to assemble the tripod, this included; correctly stabilising the legs when increasing or decreasing the tripods size and  correctly connecting the camera to the top of the Tripod, so that it is secure when filming.

To show we had learnt the ways in which both the camera and the Tripod were to be used, in groups of 2-4 we had to make a short clip of an interview in which either member of the group or indeed members of other groups, were to answer three questions. The three questions were:

What is your favourite thriller ?
What do you like about the Thriller genre?
What do you most enjoy when watching a Thriller ?

In turn we all had a go at answering the questions whilst being recorded on camera, we did individual shots of people answering the questions on there own as well as joint shots of One person asking the question, whilst another answered it whilst they were both being filmed.

From doing this exercise in class i believe i have learnt valuable skills for when it comes the time for me to create my own Thriller clip, this will therefore enhance the chances of gaining a better grade.

Speed (1994) the unloading off passengers to the Parallel bus.

My Favourite 'Thriller' film of all time.

My favourite Thriller film of all time is the 1994 hit 'Speed' directed by Jan De Bont. Even since i first watched it a couple of years ago it has become one of my favourite films off all time. The reasons for my love for this film are as follows.
Firstly the suspense that is built up right from the start when the bomber played by jeff Daniels is in a lift shaft and is looking very suspicious. The suspicions towards him are brought to a dramatic climax when he brutally murders the engineering man with a screwdriver in the lift shaft with a cold brutality.
The main reason Speed is my favourite thriller is that the main part of the film is set on a bus full of people and the bomber who murdered the man earlier has planted a bomb underneath the bus which will go off if the bus doesn't stay over 50mph. This means that the driver and the policeman have to use cunning and bravery and take huge risks throughout to keep the bus over the specified speed. The thriller is brought to an amazing climax when the policeman (Keanu Reeves) has to get the people off the bus onto the vehicle parallel to it via a metal slab while its going at 50mph otherwise they will die. He manages to do it, just in time, whilst driving around an airport and avoiding airplanes. The film is intense and gripping throughout which is why it is my favourite thriller of all time.

'Children of Men' opening sequence.

This is the opening of the film 'Children of Men', i have put it her so you can see
what i was talking about in my review of the opening sequence below.

The opening sequence of 'Children of Men'

In the opening sequence of the Thriller 'Children of Men' which was filmed in 2006 by the director 'Alfonso Cuaron', we are instantaneously drawn into its story. The film is set in the year 2027, In the opening we find out at the start that the youngest person in the world named 'Baby Diego' has been assisinated, at the age of 18. This makes us the viewer automatically inquisitive as to why the youngest person in the world is 18 years old.We start to wonder why there are no children on the earth in the year 2027. The thriller has been building as up for a red herring because just as we start to think about the assisination and the main character walking around, the explosion nearby instantaneously takes our attention, making us want to watch on even more because we want to find out, why the bomb went off, and who set it off, as well as the reasoning behind the assisination est.

Sub Genres used in thriller films.

Thriller sub genres:

• Crime Thriller; an example of a Crime thriller is the film 'The Godfather' directed in 1972 by Francis Ford Coppola.
• Disaster Thriller; an example of a Disaster thriller is the film 'Cloverfield' directed in 2008 by Matt Reeves.
• Sci-fi Thriller; an example of a Sci-Fi thriller is the film 'Alphaville' directed in 1965 by Jean LUc- Godard.
• Pyschological Thriller; an example of a Psychological thriller is the film 'Inception' directed this year in 2010 by Christopher Nolan.
• Action Thriller; an example of a Action thriller is the film 'Die Hard' directed in 1988 by John McTeirtan.

Alfred Hitchcock's Film Techniques.

Alfred Hitchcock was known as the 'Master of Suspense' whose films set the benchmark for many years to come for Psychological thrillers. Hitchcock, through his great use of suspense and shock in his films made people suffer throught out all his films as they did'nt know what was going to happen next. He usually directs a film which has a mystery involved in it. The main character in his film will usually be the person who has to solve the mystery.

Alfred Hitchcock uses three key film devices in every film he has done. They are:

• Maguffin
• Red Herring
• Enigma

A Maguffin is a plot device that motivates the characters and advances the story, but has little other relevance to the story. One example of a film Hitchcock uses the device 'Maguffin' in is in his 1960's Thriller sensation 'Psycho'.
A Red Herring is a name given to a device which intends to divert the audience from the truth or an item of signifigance. In the film 'North by North west' filmed in 1959 Hitchcock uses the device to create a great film.
An Enigma refers to a puzzle, something mysterious or inexplicable and a riddle of a difficult problem. Hitchcock uses enigma in 'North by North west' as well as is red herring. This shows that Hitchcock on occassion used more than one plot device in his films.