Kill Bill Vol. 1 Opening Scene

Kill Bill Vol. 1 Opening Scene

This opening scene is amazing. It is cheap to do and is very simple, which is perfect for someone such as myself who is looking to create an opening scene to a film that is great for leading on to the rest of the film, and more importantly, getting the audience to ask questions. Openings should not give anything away and should leave the audience second guessing, like this opening does.

 

First off, the screen is completely black, but you can hear a woman, who is clearly in pain and/or has suffered something traumatic mentally or physically. Then you see her face, a close up. The audience is not allowed to see anything else, just her face. The black and white sets the mood to bleak and as though this is not a happy start to the film, instantly allowing the audience to identify the genre of film. The cuts on her face are much more vivid and noticeable due to the black and white. The audience is put in the position of the character and instantly starts to feel their pain, even though they have no clue what is going on or what has happened. this noir setting is clearly caused through chiaroscuro lighting that allows the camera to film so vividly which creates a mysterious effect.

 

As she is still making these sounds, the audience starts to hear footsteps in the background. They're traveling at a steady pace, and before you see the shoe, you can tell they are healed shoes. The camera switches to a tracking shot, but only of the shoes. Again, the shot is a limited shot, leaving the audience guessing as they cannot witness more. Once we see the shoe, the audience is instantly told through props that this character has class, but they also know he is a dirty character, as he is walking up to a beaten down woman, with no hesitation in his pace. All of these features build up tension and keep the audience second guessing. The non-ambient lighting creates a perfect shadow, as if the character is walking into darkness. Suspense just keeps continuing to rise. 



 

This opening scene uses props so cleverly to distinguish what characters are like. The title of the film is called 'Kill Bill', and in the first 33 seconds, we are instantly introduced to him, through a napkin, because it has his name on it. This suggests Bill is vein and thinks a lot of himself, instantly allowing the audience to dislike him. He wipes the woman's face, as if to be kind, but he does not help her up. The woman's face says it all, especially her eyes, she has a lot of hate for the man she is looking at, and because of the camera angle, the audience feels as though the hate is towards them and as though they are in Bills position. His watch suggests class, just like his shoes. Even the action he is doing suggests kindness, but it is also clear he is not hurt, his hands are even clean as he wipes the face that is full of bleeding scars. This shows that he has people do his dirty work, but he still stands with pride. As he wipes her face he says 'I bet I could fry an egg on your head right now, if I wanted to', which is extremely unsympathetic, and suggest she is extremely angry, setting up the rest of the film. It also suggests that Bill can do whatever he wants, and feels he has won, but this is just the beginning of the film. 

 

At the end of the scene, you hear Bill pull out a gun, whilst talking as if he were in an everyday conversation, suggesting this is an everyday thing for him. Just before he shoots this woman, she says it is his baby, but he shows no mercy. The audience clearly knows who the bad guy is, and have no idea of what is to come. Perfect opening. 

 

 

 



Essex Boys Case Study

Essex Boys Case Study

  This is my case study on the opening to 'Essex boys'. This is a great piece of thriller research as our task is to create a two minute film for an opening to a thriller. The opening is very important as it sets the mood and tone for the rest of the film and allows the audience an insight into what the film is about and should make them start asking questions, which should keep them watching.

 

   

The lighting in this opening scene is chiaroscuro lighting, which is light that is unnatural. Because the lighting is controlled, and there is little of it, this creates a noir tone to the scene. Because of the position of the camera, where you cannot see out of the garage, it creates a sense of entrapment because the audience has no idea what is outside of the garage, and the camera is not moving. All of these are thriller conventions which allow the audience to identify this film as a thriller.



 

There is more use of non-ambient lighting is this next shot, due to the character switching on another light, allowing the audience to see more of what is in the garage, but the audience still cannot see what is outside of the garage, making them focus on what is in the garage, e.g. the very old car and the fist character they see. The audience feel they are in the same position as the narration begins in this shot. The cob webs and dust suggest age, which instantly gives off the impression that the film is starting with a history in its stooryline. Good use of props to allow the audience to subconciously understand things.

 





This next shot, in my opinion, is superb. The unclean window suggesting this new character, Jason, is unclean, maybe even a psychopath which is supported by his lack of emotion and upright posture, suggesting he feels powerful. He looks ready for what is to come and gives the impression of a big history. The chiaroscuro lighting and noir setting allows him to seem a dark man you would not want to mess with.  

 

This scene suggests many things. For example, the narrator, who has just explained who Jason is, seems trapped. there is no other way out other than forward and backwards. Jason wants to go forwards, so they go forwards. This also suggests the effect of looking like the barrel of a gun, making this seem more threatening and violent.



 There are many outstanding techniques used in this shot. The reflection on the windscreen that make it seem as though they are imprisoned, and the posture of the two characters. The driver, straight face, trying to look normal. You can feel that he does not know how to behave, whereas Jason, the ex-convict is just sitting there comfortably in his bright shirt that instantly attracts the eye, showing he does not care. 

 

The use of a white, empty van is a stereotypical vehicle that criminals use to kidnap people. This allows the audience to see how dark this film will be, especially after seeing the man in the screen shot get beaten up and acid thrown in his face before being shoved in this van. The long shot allows the audience to see all of the mans expressions and body language, showing what a victim would truly behave like in this situation. As he is released, in this screenshot, you can see his desperation to get out, like a caged animal and the use of ambient lighting coming from outside of the van suggests how dark it must have been in there. 

 

This is where we see the man get beaten up a bit more as he gasps for water to help his face feel better. The remote landscape is a perfect place for a thriller, as it does not look aesthetically pleasing. The ambient lighting is perfect as it is a dull day, as it would be in the UK, which suggests reality as if the sun was out, it would suggest happiness.

 

As the weather and lighting set a dull and disturbing mood by the emptiness of this location and the bleakness of the clouds, Jason is shown as more of a psychopath through lack of empathy and the way he behaves. The fact that he still feels the need to harm this man after he has thrown acid in his face suggests  he does not care and is shown as the perfect character for a thriller.

 

This long shot shows how isolated this person is, and because Jason left him alive, it shows that he does not care about what this man says or does about it. He is clearly a psychopath and this shot can be used to suggest how far Jason is from morality and it can show how far Jason needs to go until he is done with what he needs to do.



 



 

 

 



Liam James' AS Media Thriller Idea

Thriller Initial Ideas

Luther: TV Series

Believe it or not, Luther has more than one director. Sam Miller has done 8 episodes, Brian Kirk has done 2 episodes just as Stephan Schwartz and Farren Blackburn have. I think the reason for this is because each episode is a different story and different techniques of directing help keep the audience interested.

 

Luther was released on the 4th of may 2010, and the series continues to be extremely successful.

 

Awards - Golden Globe for best performance by an actor in a mini-series or a motion picture made for television (Idris Elba). Edgar in best television episode teleplay (episode 1, series 1). Royal television society, UK won in best drama series.

 

This series is truly amazing to me as it allows the viewer to see it as a reality instead of a typical Hollywood movie. We, as the audience, get to see what the character Luther really is and we get to understand his character more than other characters in the series. To us, Luther is portrayed as doing the right things but in the wrong ways, by the law that is. Because we see this rebellious detective do all these things he seems to be a bit of a hero. One of my favourite parts of the series is when Luther is trapped inside the back of a truck with a killer, and he pours gasoline over himself to make it seem he is surrendering to the killer, whereas he is waiting for the right time to tell the SQUAT team outside where to shoot on the side of the truck, and we witness a slow motion viewing of the killer getting penetrated by bullets coming from the side of the truck. When Luther gives the order to shoot at a particular part of the truck, and the man in charge of Luther says "well you heard the man" my blood pressure dropped. This is when you know a thriller is amazing.

"And the last few minutes of tonight's episode will grab you, force you to the end of your seat, give you about 12 consecutive heart attacks and then drop you at precisely the right time." Quote on the first episode of series 3 from The Guardian. This quote cannot be more perfect. This is what Luther does to you. The choreography, acting and storyline allows the audience to feel as though they are in the show and allows them to have the same emotions as the characters. When there is a suspense moment the locations chosen are spectacular. You see Luther move house from a lovely house to a run down flat. When there is a murderer threatening to kill their victim, it is in a widely spaced pure white shopping-mall looking building. They film in the middle of London when Luther thinks he sees the murderer, and starts chasing him. The camera angles and perfect lighting choices (e.g. noire lighting when Luther first confronts a murderer) represent to the audience, subconsciously, who is in power. The best part is, you can never guess the outcome. Luther usually survives, yes, but you never know what could happen in the show. It always takes a different direction to what you expect, and sometimes a direction you didn't think was valid. This is why I chose this quote - because it does put you on the edge of your seat. When you are watching this show, you can't think of anything you would rather be doing at that moment.

  It says on page 6 of my coursework booklet "the tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menecing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible." Luther is constantly in a bad situation. When he isn't in a situation as such you feel a sense of relief. Luther has so many generic conventions, for example; excitement, suspense, uncertainty and nerve-wrecking tenssion. A lot of the time, Luther is unaware of things the audience is aware of which creates suspence as you feel you know what the outcome will most probably be, but the show almost always takes a different path. Luther's life is his job, and you see as the show progresses, the effect it has on him. He seems broken, and seems such an intelligent individual that it keeps the audience interested just because he is broken but still brilliant.

 

 

 

Evaluation of Preliminary Task

Evaluation of Preliminary Task

  We did a simple story board and drew a map of places around the school to decide where to shoot in which part of the school. We changed many ideas as filming went on and changed our minds about which shot was best in which situation. I suggested we should do the video on the topic of bullying, knowing I should be the bully because I am quite tall with a large build. I knew there would be many shots to show the bullying taking place, and that there would be a good conversation at the end. We decided the conversation was going to be my colleague confronting me in a classroom. At first, it was going to be the victim of the bullying walking in on me and a friend talking, and making my friend leave, but we decided this did not suit the video, and just had me in the room. I made the mistake of changing my jacket the second day of filming, so we had to re-shoot the first shots on the same day to make it look professional and as though all the events happened in the same day. We did not mess up any shot reverse shot scenes. However, we did re-take many shots due to disagreement.

  The 180 degree rule is very important. Not for the producers, but for the audience. This is because they will get confused if the camera changes the sides of the characters. The 180 degree rule basically means that if two people are having a conversation, the camera must stay on a certain side of the two people, or the audience gets confused. This rule was only important at the end of the task, when I, the bully, was having a conversation with the victim. We did not break this rule.

The shots we used and the effects of this shot, in chronological order of the film.

Panning shot -  We used this shot as the first shot to show the surroundings and to show the victim of the bullying (Jamie) walking into the school. It showed the motion of the shot.

Low angle shot - We used this to demonstrate the victims power early in the film because we could use shots after the bullying took place to show his change in mood.

Long shot - We used this to show Jamie walking into the building. The audience has no idea what is in the building so this adds suspense.

Close up - This was on Jamie's hand as he opened the door to the building to give the audience a sense of danger.

Tracking shot - We used this to show Jamie's movements clearly. The audience still does not know where he is going and gives the indication anything could happen.

Tilt shot - This was used to give the indication that not everything is straight and may be abnormal to a usual day for Jamie.

Over-the-shoulder shot - This was used to show Jamie's perspective and because you could see there was a corner he had to walk round, it gave the indication of suspense as anything could be round the corner, or anything could come out of it, which is exactly what my character did. After my character shoulder barges Jamie's character, the shot turns into a mid shot as the camera stops moving with Jamie, even though he carries on walking.

Birds eye view shot - This was used to show his surroundings, but not all of them as the audience could not see where he was walking to create suspense.

Long shot - Used to show Jamie's body language and to show he is alone, anything could happen.

Over-the-shoulder shot - This is to show my characters dominance as I walk up to the Jamie's character who is alone and not expecting me.

Long shot - The camera goes back to the same position as the previous long shot, but the camera switches as I push Jamie's character into the wall. This shot indicates a change of atmosphere.

Worm's eye view - The victims shoe is in this shot to show he cannot move, maybe from shock, or helplessness. It shows my characters dominance as I leave the scene.

Close-up - This is to show Jamie's emotions before confronting my character.

Mid shot - To clearly show Jamie's actions as he opens the door to the room I am sitting in.

Panning shot - Follows Jamie's actions as he walks into the room.

Low-angle shot - Used to show Jamie's character sit down to confront me and to show his dominance and how he feels about the situation.

many shots within the conversation. Close up, md-shot, over-the-shoulder shot. All not breaking the 180 degree rule. - This was used to show body and facial expressions throughout the conversation. We used the 180 degree rule to not confuse the audience.

Panning mid-shot - We used this to show the distance between each character and to show their body expressions.

Panning long shot - This was to show Jamie's actions as he gets up and walks to where the next shot is.

Low-angle shot - Shows Jamie's new found confidence and dominance as he is leaving after confronting my character.

Close up - This is used to show Jamie's emotions as he says the punch line. He is angry but confidant. Shown through volume of his voice.

Mid-shot, long shot - Used to show Jamie leaving. He walks away from the camera suggesting the film is over.

  I am now much more confident with editing. I have done editing before, but not on software as good as what the school has. I developed the skill of slowing down the images and changing the light of the shot. Putting the shots together and editing parts of shots out was easy, and very similar to other software's. There is much I still have to learn as Oli did a lot of the editing, whilst me and Jamie assisted. I lack confidence in adding correct effect when scenes change. There are many more things this software has to offer, and I am excited to find out what they are and can do to improve film.

 

 

 

 

 

Preliminary Task Storyboard