Planning - What is a storyboard? - Miss Begum

Storyboarding



What is a storyboard?

A storyboard is a plan, a way of figuring out the story of the film before you put in the enormous amount of work of the animation itself. A storyboard visually tells the story of an animation panel by panel similar to a comic book. Moreover, it helps to pre-visualize how the director wants the screenplay to be shot. The example shown is a template of a storyboard.

 Why is it important in the planning of a film?

 Taking time in creating a storyboard would save a significant amount of time in the future. If you jump in and start creating without a storyboard you are increasing the likely hood of wasting time on work that doesn't end up being used. Storyboards give an idea of what you're trying to create and they could be used as a reference to check your work whenever you like as you go along.

What elements need to go into a storyboard?
 The first element we need to consider in a storyboard is the shot number. The shot numbers determine each shot on the storyboard in order. E.g. shot 1,2,3,4.
Another element is the cinematography used. Each frame on the storyboard is labelled with a certain camera shot. For example the camera shot of a setting being an establishing shot.
The duration is also another element. This is when we determine how long each frame would be taken for. The duration would vary with the different type of frame.
The final element I would be discussing is the lighting that would be used. Low-key lighting is used more often that other types of lighting because it fits well with the thriller specific genre that we're working on.

What makes a thriller specific storyboard?
The specific type of elements that are used makes a thriller specific storyboard. For instance in the lighting element, there would be a large amount of low-key lighting being used to portray the intense scenes.
The location used could also relate to a thriller such as a haunted house or an abandoned alley-way.
The duration could also relate to the thriller genre because if there was an attack being implied through the storyboard, the duration of the frame would be longer than a frame without an attack taking place and it would be displayed as being more in depth.
In the example, we can see a thriller specific storyboard that has been created.

To conclude, I have now learned what a storyboard is, and how significant a storyboard could be in the process of film making. Moreover, I have concentrated on thriller specific storyboards which include elements that are used just for the thriller genre. Understanding the thriller specific storyboarding elements has helped me in creating my own storyboard because I now know what is required in my own storyboard.

Research - Mise en scene/Facial Expression and Body Language - Ms Heath

Facial expression and body language

What is body language?

Body language is the way that a character is positioned to the viewers. Moreover, its their actions,movements and the physical aspect in which they present themselves in. The body language can also determine how the character holds themselves or how they act. The way a character acts is conventional to a thriller because the way a character acts in a thriller is similar to other characters in thrillers. Therefore we would need to analyse the body language of a character.

The body language of a Protagonist:

 A protagonist hero would have a firm type of body language and they would be confident in their main aim which would be defeating the antagonist  Their posture is very upright, they also have elements of being proud and being in-charge.

The body language of a Antagonist:

A antagonist would have a closed form of body language, they also would feel intimidated by the protagonist.

Comparing body language from other genres:

In a romance film the type of characters are mainly protagonist. The type of body language we would expect is a open form of body language, in which characters are open towards other characters. This is conventional to a romance film because the characters are close to each other and the open form of body language shows protagonists being happy with each other.

In a thriller film there is always an protagonist and a antagonist. The body language they have is that the protagonist would be upright and proud, however the antagonist would have a closed form of body language. This is conventional to a thriller because the protagonist and the antagonist are portrayed in having different forms of body language which would result in them to act differently from each other.

What are facial expressions?

Facial expressions is the way a characters emotions are displayed to the audience. This concentrates on the look of the face and what meaning the character is trying to show. Facial expressions help the audience to understand the way that the character has been represented in more detail.

The way a character expresses themselves is conventional to a thriller because the audience would understand the emotions the character is feeling. E.g. the antagonist being angry.

Facial expressions and body language in the following clips:

Blade:
Both characters are represented in an aggressive way, with a firm body language in order to be victorious in the fight.we can also see Blade having a firm form of body language and being determined to overcome the antagonist which is clearly displayed through his body language. The facial expression in Blade was shown as him being angry, we can also see Blade being frustrated because of his struggle to kill the antagonist.

Scream:
The antagonist's had a calm form of body language before ghost face appeared. They both were laying down on the bed. However when ghost face was present they start panicking and start moving more sharply. We also see the girls' arms spread on the window to show how eager they are to help their friend. The facial expression of the girls before the attack takes place is displayed as both girls smiling and shown as being happy because of the conversation the girls have between each other. When the attack takes place we see the girls being frightened and implying how scared they are through their facial expression.

Planning - Sound - Ms Begum

Planning - Sound Planning - Ms begum

 

 

Sound is significant in films because it's a micro element that provides atmosphere in a scene. It is important to think about the different type of sounds, especially in thrillers because every sound has a different meaning and used for a specific purpose. Some sounds used in thrillers can cause the audience to be frightened, or causes shock within the audience. It can also builds tension within the scene.

 

Some of the conventional  uses in thrillers are:

• Non diegetic soundtracks: These are used to help set the opening mood of the film and aims to catch the audiences attention.
• Diegetic Sound: This is used so the audience can have a feel of whats happening in the scene and used so the audience can experience the same sounds that the characters can hear. Such as a telephone ringing.
• Off-Screen sound: An off-screen sound is used so that the audience can hear whats happening but not being aware of where the sound is coming from. This could be used when there is a killer approaching and only the footsteps can be heard

The sound I plan to use in my thriller are:

1. Non-diegtic sound would be used during the opening credits. I have chosen to use this because it would have a good first impression on the audience when the appropriate non-diegetic sound is used. Therefore this would catch the audience's attention straight away. This is conventional to a thriller because the correct non-diegetic sounds need to be used to create a thrilling atmosphere, with a thrilling soundtrack.
2. Diegetic sound would be used while the protagonist wakes up. I have chosen to use this because it would show that the protagonist is confused and is in fear because shes been captured. I have chosen to use this because the fear would be conveyed by the diegetic sound of the protagonist screaming. This is conventional to a thriller because the victim is faced by a dilemma and she feels scared because she has been captured by the antagonist. 
3. Off screen sound would be used when the antagonist stalks the protagonist. The reason behind my choice is that the audience would be able to hear the foot-steps but they wouldn't see the antagonist. This is conventional to a thriller because it builds tension within the scene, and the audience would have a feel that the antagonist is getting closer to the protagonist.
4. Non-diegetic sound would be used again when the protagonist wakes up. I have chosen this because the Non-diegetic music would relate to the situation that the antagonist victim is in. This is conventional to a thriller because the music would build tension and would give a feel of how the antagonist is feeling to the audience.
5. Diegetic sound would be used again when the antagonist blows out the candle at the end of the scene. I have chosen this because this would be the last sound that would be heard in the scene. This is conventional to a thriller because it would lead to a chilling experience to the audience and also the audience would want to know what would occur further on in the film.
6. Off-screen sound would be used when the antagonist approaches the protagonist when shes laying on the table. This has been used because the protagonist wouldn't be aware of who's approaching her, she would only be able to hear the antagonist approaching. This is conventional to a thriller because the heavy breathing and slow foot steps would cause the protagonist to be frightened, which would result in the audience to feel sympathetic towards the victim.