AICE Media Studies Blog

  After looking over each genre, we decided that, in order for our pitch to be correctly formatted, that the thriller genre would fit. We came to this reason because the thriller genre is almost exactly how we want the opening sequence for our pitch to be like, scenes full of suspense and avid movements. The reason why horror genre wouldn’t work for our pitch was due to the plot having no horror sense at all. The plot of our pitch is greatly action-related and a horror genre wouldn't fit to all the scenes having more movement. Our opening sequence is based on a rivalry, not some upper entity who controls all of the environment around the protagonist, which is why horror genre would also not be a good fit. The action genre was another candidate but had felt as if it were the same type of energy as a horror film rather than an thriller. Throughout each and every action film I had researched on, there were lots of action and movement throughout scenes, however, most were spook-related

  The common camera angles in action:  Long shot: Artificially shortens the distance between two characters, tricking the viewer into thinking that the characters actually punch each other but the angle just makes it look like that. Wide shot: Used to establish the main characters in the movie but not the area surrounding them.  Low angle: Used to show how intimidating the villain is and how they are above all.  High angle: Used to show when the main hero is in a tough situation and losing, usually fights or big battles.  Establishing shot: Used to show the main area where the heroes/hero battles it out.  Common Costumes, Props, Setting, and Make-up:  Costume: The costumes in action films are what truly establish the character, some people don't even know the characters face but as soon as they see the suit/costume they immediately recognize them.  Props: Props are important in action films, whether it range from Thor's Hammer to Batman's Bata-rang, the character's weap

    Common Camera Angles: High Angle: These shots are used in thriller films to give the effect that whatever is being looked down on appears to look powerless and vulnerable.  Tracking/panning: Used to make it look like one of the characters is being followed or being watched. It also helps the audience to have a full view of the scene and what is happening.  Tilting Angle: These add dramatic tension to the scene, and sometimes signify a supernatural being pushing or moving the camera.  Low Angle: These are often used in thrillers to emphasize how powerful and intimidating a villain is. This can also make the audience feel weak and insignificant. Zoom: This gives a dramatic effect and helps to create suspense and fear of not knowing what's going to happen next. Its mostly used in these types of films see something you would have missed before zooming in.  Common Mis-En-Scene:  Setting: Dark areas to present a freaked-out feeling to the viewer. They also use space of a character to

  Common Camera Angles: High Angle: These kinds of shots are used in horror films to make the figure or object that is looked down upon seem completely powerless and vulnerable. Close Up: These shots are used to see reactions on the actors face. This shot shows the most emotion from characters and captures detail in an important scene. Panning Shot: These shots connotes movement. This is used very effectively in horror films to make out a character being followed or watched  Tilted Angle: Tilted shots add a lot of attention to shots, and could simplify a supernatural being, for example pushing or moving the camera. Common Film Necessities: Setting: Forests, cemeteries, cabins, and abandoned buildings are just some of the main settings for horror films. Lighting: Dim lighting and silhouettes are used in horror films because it creates tension due to its mysterious and dark atmosphere, controlling how much of the surroundings and characters are revealed.  Props: Chainsaws, Baseball Bats,

     The genres I would like to research are Horror, Thriller, and Action. I want to research these 3 genres for different reasons. Horror: Provides deep suspense and explores dark subjects for entertainment purposes. Thriller: Involves crime or mystery. Thrillers are defined by the moods they elicit giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, and anticipation which are all qualities a genre should produce. Action: Involves violence and fast-paced scenery which appeals to certain audiences.

The film is called “Jet”. The film starts off with an over the shoulder shot of a man in a car looking out the front windshield. In the distance, a car speeds away up a hill. The camera pans to the side of the man’s head, and it is revealed that he is going to kill himself as he brings a revolver to the side. Just then, a little girl skips down the street and the man puts the gun away the van, pulls up and Kidnaps the girl, causing the man to think about what to do. We then cut to the man slowly walking through a tree line, observing where the van went he then runs through the trees up closer to the house, while still in a bush he sprints across the front lawn, and ducks behind the van before a man comes up to it, carrying the girl out. The man turns the corner and runs into two other men, shooting them both dead. The man then finds the girl sitting on a stool and the title card plays. In the film is interesting in its use of camera shots, sounds, and script. The first thing I noticed

The film is called ”The Trail’s End”. The film starts off with a close-up of a man’s face with an artificial glow in his eyes. The man stands up and it is revealed that he is at least part robot because his hands are made of metal and he unplugged his body from a charger. The man walks to his door and opens it to find a messenger robot, delivering him mail. On his way to the door, the diegetic sound can be heard of a woman screaming. After he gets his mail, he looks over and see is a woman who gives him a seductive look. He looks back down at his mail to see that he is scheduled for termination. The next day, the woman shows up at his front door, asks for sugar, and even though he doesn’t have any, lets herself in. At the end of their one-sided discussion, she tells him to come over later that night. When he goes over later that night, he finds a man hitting her with a belt. The man is shown in and over the shoulder shot angrily yelling at the robot man. The man attempts to fight the r

  The film is called Alma and it is an animated. Short film. The film starts off from a high angle, showing the main character skipping down an alley. The main character turns around to find a doll looking back at her through a store window. A close-up shot of the characters face shows that she is curious in the doll. She walks up to the door of the store, and even though it is closed, she enters. She knocks over another doll, and after she is done, picking it up, the original doll she was looking for, has disappeared from its spot. She looks around the store and sees that it reappeared on a shelf. As she climbs up the shelf, close-up shots of the other dolls revealed that their eyes are moving. This short film does not have any dialogue, giving it an eerie feeling. When she finally touches the doll, her view switches to that of the door, showing that she has now been trapped inside the doll. This perspective changed is shown through a fisheye lens at a high angle, looking down on the

  The short film starts off with a couple walking down a dark alleyway at night. And the scene uses diegetic sound of cars driving past in the background to immerse the characters in the environment. The camera cross cuts from a two shot of the assumed main characters to a three shot of men walking across the street. One style choice that is becoming apparent is that the genre uses a lot of cross cuts to misdirect the audience. The two sets of people finally bump into each other in a dark alleyway, leading to a confrontation scene. The scene is shot at a medium eye-level. During the scene, the diegetic sound is quieted while non-diegetic sound starts to play. Some mis-en-scene techniques that become apparent are lighting design, and costumes. The short film plays with light and dark areas to give specific locations a more sinister feel. The film also does a good job with costumes as the three men are dressed in hoodies and other inconspicuous clothes, designating them as the muggers in

  One film that is important to learn from is 12 Monkeys. The film is actually described as a photo novel. This interpretation of the film expresses the emphasis that is put on choosing each individual picture, rather than a video. In a regular film, each individual frame does not matter as much. On the other hand, a photo novel emphasizes each frame, forcing the director to meticulously pick each shot. Along with the pictures, a narration is played. This narration forces, the writer to carefully choose words, giving the story a tone. This is because things such as body language cannot be expressed due to the still images, leaving the audience reliant on the narration. In the article about the 12 monkeys and La Jetée, the author mentions how the film blends familiar elements of the film medium while also making something innovative and new. The article states how 12 monkeys provides the audience with a dystopian future. In the movie, the plot is very creative, taking a recognizable gen

  The first Takeaway of the video is to take into consideration, your budget, location, props, actors, and other variables when you begin to write your script. This is useful information for me, considering I will be on a strict budget and without ample transportation. The next thing to consider is set ups and payoffs. In our film, we need to integrate a detail or fact that is later called back to, giving the audience a sense of fulfillment. After this, he goes on to talk about misdirection. His example is that he does not include a jump scare when the audience expects there to be one, increasing the tension of the scene. In our film, we will also try and include an absence of a jump scare because we are also doing a murder/horror short film. He then brings up the topic of equipment. He says as an example, “don’t do a crane shot just because you have access to a crane”. He then suggests to make a detailed storyboard. He says the storyboard will help get a better grasp on the actions ta

  The first short film to analyze, is 9 by Shane Acker. The film is about a rag doll who lives in a miniature junkyard. In the beginning of the film, the main character is working with a friend to get a lightbulb to work. While doing this, a monster is shown to be working in the shadows. The main characters friend notices and tells the main character to run as they stay behind to fight off the beast. The main character turns around to watch their friend, get easily overpowered and killed by the monster. This monster then turns its attention to the main character, chasing it until the main character can get out of sight for a few seconds. At this point, the main character devise is a trap to jump on top of the monster, which does not work out. By the end of the film, the main character is backed up on a ledge, while the monster creeps towards it. In this moment, the main character jumps, causing the balance of the plank to shift, sending the monster into a long fall. At the end, the mai