Finding Non-Copyright Music

Finding Non-Copyright music

 

 

Whilst planning our thriller film we had to make sure that we had the correct music that matched our film. We thought for our ident that we would get an unsual type of music that would be unique. We found this on youtube in which we emailed the producer of the music and we got a responce saying that we could use this. We also got permission to use a piece of music we found on youtube for the main piece of your film. We did the same as we did the first time and we emailed the owner of the music. We did not use the websites where you can use non copyright music because we thought that it was very hard to find a piece of music that we really enjoyed and what we thought would suit the film.

 

Below is the proof of the email that we sent to the producer of the music asking if we was able to use it.

 

Below is the reply we got from the email that was sent to the producer which he says that we are able to use the music.



Opening Title Analysis

Skyfall Opening Credits

The opening credits to Skyfall starts off showing a scene where a man is drowning. No one at this moment of watching the film knows who thsi man is. The credits of the film actors, makers and producers are then introduced throughout this scene. It may be clear to some people that when the person is shown on screen, their name appears. For example, When James Bond was shown, the actors name , Daniel Craig was shown. This also happened for the actress Naomie Harris as she appeared on screen.

The theme song 'Skyfall' by Adele was made particularly for this film. The James Bond films always include having some sort of sexual relationship, Skyfall also includes this. The song Skyfall is quite seductive and can relate to the film.

Skyfall is a very effective example to show opening credits. It is very different to many other films as many just go straight into the film. However, this is very common for many James Bond films as their opening credits always go on for a maximum amount of time. The colours of the film in the background give the atmosphere a gloomy and dull look. The way how Daniel Craig is introduced shows him as a silhoutte. This could suggest that he is mysterious and no one really knows who he is.

Towards the end of the credits, a clip of blood in water all forming together to make a skull can suggest that something evil in this film will eventually be shown. The colour red of the blood can also show that it is a warning. The sign of warning is also shown right before the end of the credits where it shows blood raining onto a graveyard. This could give the audience thinking why is this occuring. The film ends by the camera zooming into the pupil of the eye which then fades into a black screen only showing the directors name in white writing.

Analysis of studio idents

Analysis of studio idents

Universal studios is introduced with a glowing earth. The production company 'Universal' is then shown by coming from behind the earth onto the front. As the text comes around, the countries lighten up as if it has power over all of them. The text of Universal is basic, formal and bold which makes it dramatic and more recognisable. As this is happening the camera is the pulled back to reveal the whole earth. The sound over the ident is dramatic and sounds like an orchestra.



Disney is presented by a castle represting the theme of animation. It starts off by a clear blue screen, after 3 seconds the castle starts to fade in downwards which makes it look like magic is making it appear from the sky. The image is presented as many flashing lights occur as the picture is moving downwards. Once the image of the castle has finally finished, the production name appears in a huge flash of light as if it has appeared out of thin air. The text of the production name is not formal, which may highlight the fact of being childish which also realtes disney to being Childrens Animation. The colour of the text is also very visible from the background which could be more effective as it is highlighted and centre of attention.  An animation which looks similar to a shooting star then goes from one side of the castle to the other. This could highlight the fact that disney is like a dream or wish.

Analysis of Film Title and font chosen

Analysis of film title and font chosen

We thought about what the film was mainly about before coming up with a name for our film. We wanted our film title name to be simple and easy to remember. There were many names that we had thought of such as 'Capture' , however we did not use this because we thought it sounded a bit odd for a film title. In the end we came up with the name 'The Game'. We thought of this because throughout the whole film their is a constant game. Like in the first scene where he was following her and in the last scene where they were playing a game of poker. The film title suited the story line and we thought this was the best title for our film. 

We have chosen this font called 'Far Cry' for our title sequence because we think its very effective. The font is really bold and in capitals which acts as a big affect as a title. This title looks as if someone has shot a bullet into the letter 'A'. This relates to our film as it includes mafias and guns. The font suits the main theme of the film which could give a clue to the audience what the film may be about. In this image it shows that the font is black, however in our film, the font will be white on a black background to give it more effect. The effect of the font also relates to the title ' The Game'. This is because the font is worn out and has a bullet wound on it, which could relate to a 'game' going wrong. 

Research into certifictions

Research into certification

Rated U- Means that it is suitable for all. 

Rated PG- Children must have a parent guidance whilst going to see a PG film.

Rated 12- The film is suitable for ages 12 and over.

Rated 15- The film is only suitable for 15 years or over.

Rated 18- The film is only suitable for adults.

R18- This means that adult works for licensed premises only.

Past Thriller Analysis

Past Thriller Analysis

I am going to analyse 2 past thriller videos that students have created. I am going to be analysing the ident, credits , camera angles and editing. 

This first thriller started off by a very attractive ident. The text and the background really suited the music and was very effective. The way how the text was near enough the same colour as the background made the colour co ordination very useful. The music wasn't too dramatic which made the sound match the action of a still image. The ident was shown by fading in and fading out which also set the action as it didn't look plain and boring. 

The credits are then presented with the words "2Keys Productions Presents" then a jump cut to "A film by Michael Banahehe" without using any effects. The white text is faced on a black background which made it look plain, however sometimes plain can be better than going over the top. The font chosen suited the music as is sounded like sci-fi music also the text looked quite sci-fi. 

The film then directly starts, it starts off by showing who the person is and that he is about to open a door with a knife. The camera angle then changes to a close up of his hand breaking into the lock. As the film starts, the music from the credits is still ongoing. As the film goes on the credits proceed along with it. The camera angles vary throughout the whole film and there are many techniques such as match on action. As the film goes on there are not a lot of editing techniques such as fade in fade out, wipe or cross dissolve. However, near the middle of the thriller there is a very unique and clever effect. As the boy puts his eye to the gun, the camera angle turns into a point of view effect which then the effect of a target graticule as if he is about shoot down the man. 

A sound effect of a gun shot was then played which gave the effect to the audience that he shot him. A ringing sound after the man got shot was very well done as it is a sound that occurs in some thriller films when a crime has been committed. Once the crime has been committed and the boy runs away, the original music that was played throughout the film then comes back and continues to play. The near end of the film was finished by very effective camera angles as it was a close up on the killers reaction as he was killing a man. It then jump cut to a master shot of him killing the man then back to his reaction. The end of the film then ends as he is walking away from the camera and the film fades out. As the film fades out the title of the film "The Catalyst" then appears as a white text upon a black background to keep it continuous from the start to finish. 

Analysis of target audience research

Analysis of target audience research

When looking back at the Vox Pop for audience research we did not ask a range of age groups. This has not made it fair as we have only asked 16-17 year olds what they think about films. We did make it fair by asking 2 males and 2 females about their opinions. 

 We found out that the males prefer to watch movies at home whereas the females prefer to watch films at the cinema. All of the people interviewed have watched films from the past 2 weeks to the present time. 

2 out of the 4 people watched the movie on their computer or on netflix. The others watched their films on Sky Movies and the Cinema. 

The top genre of films that the people like to watch are Thrillers and Horrors. The reasons for this was said to be because of the suspense they show. 

So from this Vox Pop we have come to a conclusion that teenagers are most likey to watch Horrors or Thrillers. The way they watch these films are either on the computer, TV or cinema. 

Audience research vox pop

No Country For Old Men

No Country For Old Men

After discovering a case of money among dead bodies, Llewelyn Moss thinks he can keep it quiet, but when unemotional killer Anton Chigurh locates Moss and his money, veteran Moss makes a run for it. With bodies falling everywhere Anton goes, it's only a matter of time before he catches up with Llewelyn. As this chase is going on, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell is overseeing the investigation and begins to see the country in a different light than it once was.

The official trailer for this film is highly effective. The speed of the scenes are slow paced, however the tension and the action is very intense. The trailer is slow paced mostly all the way through until it gets towards the end. Towards the end of the trailer, it speeds up to match the action of killer Chigurh on the run. It grabs the audiences attention as the trailer makes them feel on edge. The target audience would be people who enjoy thrillers, action and mystery. The trailer of the film is very intense which makes the audience wonder if the film would be just as good. It gets the audience asking questions about what happens next. 

The first setting of the film shown is a deserted part of the Wild West. It makes the audience suggest that this film may just be about cowboys or some sort of Western film. The setting makes the audience judge the film before it has really started. However, the setting shows the audience where the majority of this film is set and may give some ideas about what the characters might be like. 

The film opens by Non-Digetic sound spoken by the Sheriff. The Sheriff speaks about how times change in the Wild West. It makes a big impact as it gets the audience questioning how it has changed and why the Sheriff says this. 

The costumes of this film are very different. Llewelyn Moss wears a cowboy hat, boots and carries a pistol, just like a cowboy in the Western films. The Sheriff wears his uniform, however they are very different compared to the ones now days. He wears the uniform with the cowboy hat and sheriff badge. Anton Chigurh does not look like the typical killer. He wears all black, including his hair. He does not have a particular costume to make him look like a villain. However, he does not look like a villain from the Wild West. He does not wear a cowboy hat, boots or  a pistol, in fact he only carries a gas tank.

The characters in this film are introduced very intensely. The villain, Anton Chigurh is the first character to be introduced. It is seen that he is being arrested , however he ends up strangling the sheriff who arrested him. Llewelyn Moss is introduced by firing a gun at a deer. He then walks into a crime scene and finds himself in trouble. The characters are introduced this way to show the audience what they are capable of and to show that they both are powerful. It creates an intense atmosphere throughout the whole film. 

Source Code

 

Source Code

 

The film was made in 2011 and is an american science fiction techno-thriller film directed by Duncan Jones and written by Ben Ripley. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright. The films world premiere was on 11th March 2011 at South by Southwest. It was then released by Summit Entertainment on 1st April in North America and Europe. The film receieved positive feedback from critics and grossed over $147 million worldwide.

 

Source Code was released in theatres on the 1st of April,2011. In the US and Canada the film was released theatrically in 2,961 conventional theatres. The film grossed $54,712,227 during its ruin with midnight screenings in 2,961 locations. Overall the film made $147,812,094 and debuted at #2 on its opening weekend.

 

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on July 26, 2011. The UK released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 15,2011. In the Uk there also was a DVD featuring a 3D cover.  

 



The plot of the film is about a US Army helicopter pilot, Captin Colter Stevns, wakes up and finds himself on a train. The last memory he had was flying in Afganistan, however he awakes to find himself in another mans consciousness. 8 minutes after finding this out , the train explodes and Stevens finds himself in a pod. He speaks to someone named Goodwin, who tells him that he has to go back and find out who the bomber is. He has numerous attempts to find the bomber however when he returns Goodin and Rutledge, the scientist in charge, tells him that he is a part of a project that can put someone in another persons consciousness during the last 8 minutes of their life. He then decides to save the train from the explosion despite Dr Rutledge tells him that the effort is worthless.

 

 

 



Collateral

Collateral

The film Collateral is a crime thriller which was made in 2004. The films plot is based on a cab driver (Jamie Foxx) finding himself the hostage of an impatient contract killer ( Tom Cruise) as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles. The cab driver then has to find a way to save both one last victim and himself.

 

The film was directed by Michael Mann and written by Stuart Beattie. This was Michael Manns first feature film to be shot mostly with high definition cameras. One event of note was the filming of the coyotes running across the road, the low light capability allowed Mann to spontaneously film the fox without having to set up lighting for the shot.

 

Collateral opened on August 6, 2004 in 3,188 theatres in the US and Canada and grossed approximately $24.7 million on its opening weekend which it ranked #1 at the box office. The film remained in theatres for 14 weeks and grossed $101,005,703 in the US and Canada. In other countries it grossed a total of $116,758,588 for a total worldwide gross of $217,764,291. 

 

The Birds Analysis

The Birds Analysis

The film 'The Birds' was Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was published in 1963. The genre of the film is a Horror/Thriller. 

Hitchcock's external threat is from nature in this film.  Usually in Hitchcock's films there is no where to hide. Including 'The Birds'. In this film Bodega Bay is no where to hide

The start of the film shows the only red herring in the film. The red herring that appears is when the audience thinks that the genre of the film would be a romance. However a red herring occurs and the genre is twisted into a horror/thriller. 

In this scene of 'The Birds' Hitchcock has used many effective camera angles. This scene 'Eyes Pecked Out' is a very horrifying scene. Hitchcock has used extreme close up scenes of the woman. He then moves the scene to a point of view to show what she is looking at. He then goes back to the close up scene which shows a 'reaction shot'. 
Hitchcock uses no sound within this scene, he does this to add tension. 
As the man is shown with his eyes pecked out, Hitchcock uses the three jump cut scene. This zooms into the man 3 times which adds horror and suspense.




Hitchcock uses dramatic irony within this film. He uses it in the scene at the schoolyard. This is when Tippi Hendren did not know that the birds were gathered outside the school. However the audience do. 

Also Alfred Hitchcock has used many different camera angles in other scenes. In this scene of the ' Birds attacking Birthday Party'  he used high and low camera angles. He uses high camera angles to show a birds eye view. This also can highlight the point of view of the birds. As it is a high camera angle looking down on the children it shows that the children are weak. Hitchcock uses a low camera angle to show that the birds are strong and that nothing can over power them. 






Near to the end of the film, the birds attack the Gas Station. As Hitchcock has used a high angle in this scene it could interpret that it has something to do with God. It could mean that God will not intervene or help the people.

The Manchurian Candidate

 

The Manchurian Candidate

The original Manchurian candidate was produced in 1962 and was classes as a Mystery Thriller.  The plot of the film is about  former Korean War POW gets brainwashed by the communists into becoming a political assassin. The storyline changes around as another former prisoner may know how to save him. 

The film starred popular actors and actress' during this time such as Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh and Angela Lansbury. The film had an estimated budget of $2,200,000 and grossed up to  $4,180,630 in the USA. 

Many great media concepts were used during he film as it used a very good range of non diagetic music to enhance the tension when Raymond was approaching the lake to kill his next victim, this was seen to be the key to the thriller genre. Many close ups were used to effectively show the emotions of the characters to the audience. Also the fog that was shown represents the lack of clarity within the characters as they experience infuriation overload and there dreams are ambivalent.

In 2004 another Manchurian Candidate was produced and published, however this was not the original. The film was an up to date version directed by Jonathan Demme, in which the film was in colour and used more hi tech equipment. The film starred actors such as Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber and Meryl Streep. 

The estimated budget of this film was $80,000,000. Once the gilm was released into cinemas the film grossed $65,955,630 in North America, $30,150,334 in other regions which totals to $96,105,964 worldwide. 

After the film was released, 199 reviews were collected by Rotten Tomatoes. The film gained an overall approval rating from critics of 81% with an average score of 7.1/10. 


 The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Psycho Analysis

Psycho Analysis

The film is opened by looking at a crane shot of the town where the beginning of the film is set. The camera then is zoomed into a bedroom window where Marion Crane and lover Samuel Loomis are sharing their feelings about their future together.

The scene where Marion was murdered in the shower was one of the most memoriable moments in the film industry. This was because this was the first time that sound has been used in this situation. The soundtrack used whilst she was being murdered was very thrilling and dramatic. The sound made the whole scene look emphasised and brutal. As marion drops to the floor, a graphic match was added in to make the style of editing more horrific. The blood and water whirling down the plughole, then faded into a close up shot of Marions eye as it zooms out to see her dead body.

Throughout this film, red herrings, sound, lighting and camera angles are present. Alfred Hitchcock used very dramatic music in the scene at the death of Marion in the shower. The music was presented as horrific and shocking which suits the action, which would be called parallel sound. 

A long shadow is shown at the scene at the death of Abgrogast. This shadow is very powerful and it is created very big and can easily see that the person has a knife, however you was not be able to see who was in possession of the knife and the shadow created a mysterious look. A close up silhouette is shown as Marion is brutally murdered. The silhouette also gives the mysterious look of who the killer is. 

In my opinion this is my favorite Hitchcock film so far. This is because it has huge amounts of suspense and thrills. The way Alfred used many editing and camera techniques also makes this film very succesful. It makes the audience wonder what will happen next and it questions who is the murderer behind this.

North by Northwest Analysis

North by Northwest Analysis

An ordinary advertising man Roger Thornhill falls into a bad situation when he is mistaken for a man by the name of George Kaplan. Thornhill tries to make sense of the case as foreign spy Philip Vandamm try to destroy him. However, Thornhill is framed with murder. Thornhill is now on the run from the police, he then meets a beautiful blonde woman, Eve Kendall, on the train. She helps him to evade the authorities. Later on he learns that Eve isn't the innocent bystander he thought she was. Not all is as it seems however, leading to a dramatic rescue and escape at the top of Mt. Rushmore.


At the beginning of the film, it seems as Thornhill has got himself into a lot of trouble and looks as if he cannot get himself out of it. The scene where Vandamm got him drunk and made him drive home made him look weak and not being able to fight back. However towards the end of the film Thornhill thought about how he was going to make Vandamm think that he was dead. He done this by becoming a resourceful hero. He thought quick and clever to find his way out of situations. 

Alfred Hitchcock includes a variety of continuity editing techniques to create both smoothness and suspense.  The first of these concepts is the establishing shot.Whenever a new scene occurs, Hitchcock utilizes an establishing shot to provide overview to a scene. Hitchcock utilizes establishing shots at the United Nation’s complex, the Chicago bus stop, and Mount Rushmore.  These establishing shots allow audience members to understand what is going on and where the succeeding scene is occurring.

When Roger Thornhill first meets Eve Kendall, she is wearing a white dress with plenty of skin showing, giving the impression that she is a “good” person who is helping Roger Thornhill escape from police. While Eve Kendall is off-screen, the viewer learns that she is an agent for the evil Mr. Vandamm.  The next scene, we find Ms. Kendall wearing a thick, black coat, showing her as a “bad” person. Using this discontinuity technique emphasises Eve’s transition from a helpful person to a secret agent, which helps the viewer follow the story and adds suspense. These can also be known as red-herrings. 

In nearly all of the suspenseful scenes, including the drunken car chase, the police chase in the train station, and the Rushmore scene, the rapid scene change from Mr. Thornhill to those in pursuit creates a heightened level of suspense. 

Different types of Thriller

Different types of thriller

Action thriller – A typical thriller film with strong aspects of action often will involve violence with fast pace scenes, special effects and pyrotechnics a few examples of action thrillers are The Bourne series, James bond Series and Taken

Crime Thriller- A mixture between crime films and thrillers often about a successful or failed crime, the central topics of the film often include robberies, shootouts, heists ect. A few examples of crime films are The Dark Knight, Goodfellas and Pulp Fiction. 

Supernatural thriller- Brings a supernatural element to the thriller genre, which adds suspense, builds tension and adds twists into the plot, often the hero/ main character has some kind of psychic ability a few examples of supernatural thriller are Paranormal Activity, The Sixth Sense and Donnie Darko. 

Legal thriller- is a thriller movie where the hero confronts enemies inside and out of the courtroom when their actions outside the courtroom may jeopardize the case in the courtroom a few examples of Legal thrillers are A Time To Kill, The Client and The Firm. 

Erotic thriller- is a thriller movie with strong aspects of erotic present throughout the film, has been available since the rise of the home cinema system a few examples of erotic thrillers are Dressed to Kill, Sliver and Basic Instinct. 

Disaster Thriller-  Is a thriller in which the main conflict is due to some kind of natural or artificial disaster such as hurricanes, floods, volcanic eruptions or nuclear disasters a few examples of disaster thriller films are Armageddon, Twister and Deep Impact. 

               

            

Rules and Conventions

Rules and Conventions

To aim for a successful thriller, many things must be included. The rules and conventions of a thriller is that it must have suspense,red herrings and cliff hangers.

In every thriller there must be a villain and a hero.  In most thrillers, the heroes always end up to be the weakest out of the two. However the hero always end up saving the day. 

Suspense: A state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen.

Red Herring: A clue or piece of information which is or is intended to be misleading or 

distracting.

Cliff Hangers: A dramatic and exciting ending to an episode of a serial, leaving the audience in suspense and anxious not to miss the next episode.

Introduction to Thrillers

Introduction to Thrillers

What is a Thriller?

A Thriller is a genre that revolves around anticipation and suspense typically involving crime or espionage. The aim for Thrillers is to keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. Many people find thrillers very enjoyable, and they appreciate the fast pacing and complex plots associated with this genre.

Examples of a Thriller?

North By Northwest - Mistaken for a government agent by foreign spies, an advertising agent travels cross-country trying to survive.

Sub-Genres of a Thriller?

Action Thriller -  This sub-genre will often have continuous motion and action including physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races. E.g : Die Hard

What is a cliffhanger?

A cliffhanger is the ending of a film or story that leaves the character in a seemingly impossible situation, such as hanging off the side of a cliff. The purpose is to make the story so interesting that the audience thinks what is to happen next and to carry on watching.

What is a red herring?

A red herring is an extraneous character meant to divert the reader's attention from the true killer/robber/etc. It is usually a logical choice for the culprit, but ends up being nothing.Thrillers typically involve sudden plot twists and lots of red herrings.

Recipe for a thriller:

• Plot Twists i.e: red herrings
• Resourceful hero (weaker)
• Suspense -> Thrills -> Cliff hangers
• Sound (usually music)
• Villain driven plot (powerful)
• McGuffin ( villains care about but audience do not)

What is a Maguffin?

What is a Maguffin?

A Maguffin is a plot element that catches viewers' attention. A Maguffin is that the major players in the story are willing to sacrifice almost anything to obtain it, regardless of what the Maguffin is.

The specific nature of the Maguffin may be ambiguous, unidentified, generic, left open to interpretation or otherwise completely unimportant to the plot. 

Common examples are money, victory, glory, survival, a source of power, or a potential threat or it may simply be something entirely unexplained. 

The Maguffin is very popular in films, especially thrillers. Sometimes the Maguffin is the central focus of the film in the first act, and then declines in importance as the struggles and motivations of characters play out. 

Examples in film include the meaning of rosebud in Citizen Kane (1941), the titular Maltese Falcon, the Rabbit's Foot in Mission: Impossible III (2006),the briefcases in Pulp Fiction and Ronin, the Letters of Transit in Casablanca, the Heart of the Ocean necklace in Titanic, and the mineral unobtainium in Avatar (2009). 

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born 13 August 1899 and died 29 April 1980. Alfred was an English film director and producer. He was very famous for many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. 

 Hitchcock was influenced from early 19th century. Hitchcock has mainly been influenced by current events and art movements. Different influences changed Alfred's films. Hitchcock was a member of the London Film Society which showed French, German and Soviet art films, as well as early and new American films. With this opportunity, it gave Hitchcock ideas and techniques.  Hitchcock was able to strike the perfect chord of suspense in his feature films.