Establishing shot/Master Shot:

The first shot of a scene, showing the audience a wide, far away shot, i order to let them know where the scene is taking place.

 

The 180 Degrees rule:

The idea that the same character should always be looking in the same direction during a conversation.

 

– used to establish all characters in a scene

180 degrees rule – A cinematography guideline in which a scene with two characters should maintain the same left/right relationship to one another.

Shot Reverse Shot – A film technique where one character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character.

 

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007, by Paul Greengrass): ‘Three to tango in Tangier’

• This particular scene is one of the most well-known climactic chase scenes in contemporary cinema
• This can be due to the tension created by the fast cuts and editing style which allows the audience to feel immersed in the action

The Matrix (1999, by Lana and Lilly Wachowski): ‘The One on the run’

• There is a mix between fast paced and drawn out tension in this scene
• Slow motion effects are used to stop and force the audience to think about what is happening

Seven (1995, by David Fincher): ‘Chasing John Doe’

• Although this is a thriller, not an action, it features an intense chase scene at around the half-way point
• The audience never know where Mills is running which adds a sense of mystery which inspires the premise and ultimately scene from my film

The Third Man (1949, by Carol Reed): ‘Lyme’s labyrinth’

• This is one of the most visually appealing chase scenes in terms of Mise en scene and cinematography as well as the action
• Everything is timed well, and regardless of the tension created by the chase – it is the cinematography which elevates this scene

Point Break (1991, by Kathryn Bigelow): ‘100% pure adrenaline’

• This film includes lots of action sequences, but this one is arguably the best perhaps due to the variety of techniques used and because it doesn’t rely on CGI effects
• Such as: POV tracking shot, slow motion, and several swooping shots around the many extras

Minority Report (2002, by Steven Spielberg): ‘The future is out to get you’

• Inspired particularly by the unique camerawork which includes the audience as part of the scene
• Not just any chase scene, has a logical story and reasons behind it

Film movement/s:

No wave cinema is the main inspiration, due to the emphasis on mood within film in a similar style to guerrilla film-making

Most of the films were produced form underground film-making, and the idea of niche yet versatile audiences is what appealed to me about this movement

Films such as ‘The Foreigner’ (2003, by Michael Oblowitz) are action thrillers which utilize the elements of suspense and tension

Cinema du look influenced some aspects of my film due to the favouring of style over narrative. Within my film, there is much ambiguity over the actual narrative because I wanted to focus on the visual style of the film

These types of films are typically more aesthetically pleasing and focus on the visual style over the actual plot and narrative

Practitioner/s:

Most of the practitioners which inspired my work were either sound editors or sound designers. They typically produced mainstream, action films which successfully created tension by the sound effects and general sound atmosphere

Amos Poe:

One of the No Wave founders, a strong influence from the movement

Style of directing influences the particular aesthetic visual style of my film rather than particularly sound editing

Richard Hyms:

Won several academy awards for sound editing in films such as ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’

Typically worked on action/adventure films, influenced my film due to the tension within the sounds which particularly inspired the sub/genre and general premise of my film

Richard King:

Another academy award winner, works with both sound editing and designing. Won awards for action films such as ‘Inception’ and ‘The Dark Knight’. I took inspiration from the atmosphere created by sound in most of his work

Kay Rose:

First female sound editor to win an academy award for a 1984 film called ‘The River’ directed by Mark Rydell

Breathless Task

Strike Task

Premise:

An unknown character, on the run from someone or something: running through the murky forests in a desperate attempt of an escape

Genre:

Escape action – defined by the premise itself, as the character is escaping from someone or something

Fits in with the specific genre, also leans towards psychological because the audience need to try and interpret what is going on rather than having everything depicted onscreen

Action is evident from the fast pace of the film, also some elements of horror from the mise en scene and dark atmosphere

Typically a genre of order, categorized because of the location and conflict between the character and either another person or a monster/unseen force

Implied audience:

A niche audience of typically a younger people who would be interested in the excitement and fast pace of the film. Can be varied with typical action fans enjoying the film due to similar traits and conventions

Since the clip is typically action, there could be the potential for a broadened audience and a slightly lowered age rating. In comparison to horror, the lack of gore and violence can offer an age rating suitable for older children/teenagers to create a versatile viewing

Key themes:

Suspense – one of the most prominent, as there is little context or explanation given about the character and the plot itself

Tension – built up during the fast paced scene where the character is on the run, audience will wonder what will happen next and also what happened prior to the clip

Fear – although there is a main element of action, it can also be considered a horror and the fear comes from the unknown

5 Tips for Building Better Cinematic Suspense

Excitement – primarily conveyed with the fast paced action

Sound/score:

Film showcases sound editing so there needs to be an emphasis on sound and how it plays a significant role in eliciting fear and suspense out of the audience

Diegetic

No music since it doesn’t fit with film genre and purpose, also since it is set outside it would not be valid nor applicable to the style of film

Emphasis put on the footsteps to remind the audience that this is an escape film – creates verisimilitude by making audience feel like they are in the forest/woods themselves

Also emphasis on diegetic sounds, twigs and leaves snapping to add to suspense and tension

Non-diegetic

No score or background music due to both the length and nature of the clip – too short to focus on any music

Since the focus of the clip is sound editing, there needs to be verisimilitude by emphasizing the diegetic sounds to include the audience as part of the film

Outline for Portfolio