Shooting Schedule

5:30 onwards

Time of the day I will film varies as because it is a thriller I want it to be dark as it makes it more scary but I need to be able to see my actors. I will start filming at around 5:30 so it wont be pitch black, but it will be dark enough for it to be suitable for a thriller.

Lighting

Lighting

When considering lighting we need to identify what effect were creating.

Sidelight
A sidelight is a light that comes from the side parallel to the actor.  A sidelight is ideal for creating a dramatic mood and chiarsoocuro lighting/ Chairoscuro is created with low-key and high-contrast.  A traditional technique employed throughout the film noir period of cinema.

Practical light 
A practical light is an actual working light within the scene itself. This can be a household lamp, a TV, candles, police lights and so on.

Bounce light 
A bounce light, commonly just called a bounce, is a light that has been reflected. There are dedicated tools such as a silk or a foam board to do this, but a bounce light can also come from the wall or the ceiling, the polibilties are endless.

Soft light 
Soft light is more of a term that describes the size of a light source rather than a placement itself. Soft light comes from a large source, either a light fixture or diffusion sheet. The light produced will have some soft shadow - or if soft enough, no shadows at all.

Avaliable light 
Avaliable light is what already exists in the location.

Motivated lighting 
Motivated lighting is when the light in the scene imitates a natural source within the scene. The diffrence between motivated lighting and pratical lighing is that motivated lighting is the act of enhancing and replicating practical lighting.

High key lighting 
High Key is a style of lighting that is bright and shawdowless with lots of fill light. It was used a lot in the classic Hollywood period in the 1930s and 40s, in particular for comedies and musicals.
Today high key lighting is primiary used for cosmetic commercials, sitcoms, and music videos. Although it does still find its place within modern cinema; see the above image from harry potter.

low key lighting
An image with low key lighting is predominantly dark and filled with more shadows than light. There is little or no fill light. Low key focuses on the use of shadows as a character, rather than the subjects is the light itself. It's commonly used throughout horror and thriller films.



Hard light 
Hard light creates sharp and harsh shadows. You will get hard light from the midday sun, or a small lighting source. Hard light is often unwanted. To reiterate the points above in soft light, whether a light is soft or hard will completely come down to the size of the source.

Cliffhangers

Cliffhangers

Cliffhangers can involve someone:

• Someone takes an action
• Someone reacts to something
• Someone arrives
• Someone leaves

For example - Someone turned the key in the dead bolt of the apartment’s front door and swung it open.” – end of Chapter 18, Jim Butcher’s Storm Front 

Cliffhangers can involve something:

• Something happens, on its own timeline or in response to something the character did
• Something fails to happen
• Something changes
• Something fails to change

That cliffhanging something can simply be a new piece of information:

• The character learns something
• The character notices something
• The character figures something out

180 degree rule

What is the 180 degree rule?

In film making, the 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between a character and another character or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis connects the characters, and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character is always frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. The camera passing over the axis is called jumping the line or crossing the line; breaking the 180-degree rule by shooting on all sides is known as shooting in the round.

The 180-degree rule enables the audience to visually connect with unseen movement happening around and behind the immediate subject and is important in the narration of battle scenes.

Examples of the rule

In a dialogue scene between two characters, a straight line can be imagined running between the two characters, and extending to infinity. If the camera remains on one side of this line, the spatial relationship between the two characters will be consistent from shot to shot, even if one of the characters is not on screen. Shifting to the other side of the characters on a cut will reverse the order of the characters from left to right and may disorient the audience.

The rule also applies to the movement of a character as the "line" created by the path of the character. For example, if a character is walking in a leftward direction and is to be picked up by another camera, the character must exit the first shot on frame left and enter the next shot frame right.

A jump cut can be used to denote time. If a character leaves the frame on the left side and enters the frame on the left in a different location, it can give the illusion of an extended amount of time passing.

Another example could be a car chase: If a vehicle leaves the right side of the frame in one shot, it should enter from the left side of the frame in the next shot. Leaving from the right and entering from the right creates a similar sense of disorientation as in the dialogue example.

10 points on how to scare

Ten Steps to A Good Scare

The horror genre makes extensive use of the false scare tactic. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t a clear and present danger for the film’s protagonist, it just means that the frightening reveal is delayed and more shocking because of the audience’s false sense of relief. The false scare scenario plays out following these basic steps.

The protagonist is setup in an isolated area, their vision is limited because of either darkness, blocking through close quarters or both

1. 1. Tension builds as the protagonist reveals their own anxiety about their current predicament. They sometimes call out to nobody in particular or emotionally express their concern.

1. 2. Unbeknownst to the protagonist, the antagonist is revealed. This is done by the blocking of the shot, the protagonist moves about as the antagonist waits, unobserved but clearly present. This can also be accomplished through a point-of-view shot from the antagonist.

1. 3. The antagonist is hidden from view once again. The protagonist shows that their anxiety is building and they are unaware of how close the antagonist was.

1. 4. Tension rises in the scene, whether it’s accomplished by a rise in the music or a slow move-in by the camera, the evident danger is obvious to the audience.

1. 5. The scene is now set-up, tension is high and the scene blocking has the protagonist positioned for the surprise of their soon to be shortened life.

1. 6. The false reveal occurs when a door closes, the protagonist turns around, or an object falls off the shelf. With a quick movement and an exaggerated sound effect the audience is shocked for a moment as nothing is revealed except for a startled protagonist.

1. 7. There is a sigh of relief now coming from both the audience and the protagonist as they pick up the broken pieces of the scene, knowing they survived this moment.

1. 8. The protagonist starts to move about with their guard down and their courage up. 

1. 9. Unfortunately, not all is settled with the audience, as the editor’s pacing reveals that there is still a present threat.

1. 10. The protagonist hesitates for only a slight moment, but that moment is a hair too long and the antagonist is fully revealed. It’s too late for the unfortunate victim and the audience gets a big surprise.

Editing techniques

Editing tips:

The suspense and tension that is built during a dramatic and horrifying scene keeps the audience on their toes and coming back for more. Horror films work because of the editors’ efforts and decisions. The horror genre is one place where the editor needs to meticulously work their craft in order to get a desired outcome from the audience. Even better still, a video editor can translate the lessons learned from cutting a horror piece into building dynamic tension into almost any video. In turn, the video editor hooks their audience, grabbing ahold of their attention. 

Timing is KEY

Suspense is built on the audience’s anticipation. A video editor can use the timing and pace of clips to build this anticipation and grow suspense. There is no set formula for building suspense through timing and pacing but there are some basic guidelines that serve as a solid foundation.

The actual time span or length of clips used will make an impression on the audience.

A quick succession of fast-paced short clips will disorient an audience. Quick cutting with fast moving clips creates a pace in which the audience starts to believe that everything on screen is being performed in haste and they feel a sense of urgency. It’s best to use the quick pace, short style when there is a lot of action taking place and more than one perspective to see. Close-ups and hand held camera work lend to the urgency of a scene.

Just as short, fast paced clips can build dramatic tension, extended uncut clips can be used to grow suspense. As the tension in a scene builds, the audience anticipates progression, whether it’s through the reaction of the subject on-screen, the introduction of a new and surprising element, or a simple cut to a new shot or perspective. When a shot is held on-screen for longer than expected, the audience starts to feel discomfort and anticipates a change to come. The greater that discomfort builds, the bigger the anticipation and accordingly, the editor should use the pent up anticipation for a big reveal in order to satisfy their audience. 

History of thriller genre

History of the genre thriller

Thought to be one of the earliest prototypes of the thriller genre, Homer’s Odyssey uses similar techniques as today’s modern thrillers. The hero of this epic poem, Odysseus, voyages home to be with his wife, Penelope, through extraordinary hardships and trials. He contends with Cyclops, a one-eyed giant, and the Sirens, who sing sailors to their death, all while battling the sea on his journey home from the Trojan War. These encounters contain anticipatory suspense  and leave the reader wondering if Odysseus will ever make it home, and if so, how he will do it.

A common convention within the thriller genre is a psycho-stalker storyline. Little red riding hood is an early example of the psycho-stalker theme. This European fairy tale can be traced back to the 10th century and tells the story of a little girl who walks through the woods to bring food to her sick grandmother. She runs into a wolf, the "Big Bad Wolf " in some versions, and tells him where she is going. Long fairy tale short, he runs ahead, swallows her grandmother, and waits for the girl to come, disguised as her grandma, all while the reader wonders if the little girl will survive such an evil nemesis.

Thrillers fit into many different sub genres and categories, and here, we've only scratched the surface. The genre has developed over the years in many different places and stories. Overall, James Patterson said it best when he said in his 2016 book, Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night: