Editing Our Thriller

As our group started to edit, the first step we took was to review our shots and proceed in creating two folders known as bins which in one we stored our wanted and useful shots whilst the other bin was used for shots we felt did not fit our refined storyline. In the end we discarded around a quarter of our shots and used half of the rest. It was a vital aim for our group to create some sort of suspense in our thriller title sequence as most of our shots were close up of the boy typing, his eyes flickering around the screen and the scenery and props. Since all our shots are seemingly quite disjointed it meant that the way we carried out our editing process was essential to succeed in. We started with our slowest and longest shots, being the tracking shot displaying and establishing the scene of the boys room, and then we edited the clips together in order for the shots to gradually speed up and create a climatic effect, ultimately creating suspense for the thriller, being a renowned convention of a thriller.
 

Whilst editing we still had to consider continuity editing devices such as when we were sorting through the majority of our disjointed shots we had to make links between them in order to create a logical order in which they would appear in the thriller. For example, our group used the convention of the eye-line match being the close up, low angle shot of the boy's eyes looking down at the screen had to be followed by the shot of the boy scrolling up and down the screen displaying the codes and links the boy is dealing with in order to let the audience know what he is looking at and for the viewers to understand the action happening.
 

The perspective of our thriller focuses on the activities of a single boy cracking internet codes on his computer, alone in his room. At first our group wanted to create a sense of sympathy for the boy as he is burdened with autism and supposedly does not have many friends as a result of being alone. However, another effect of only incorporating one character in our thriller is that he is portrayed to be a dominant and strong character as there are no other characters in the thriller for the viewer to create comparisons with. As the boy in our thriller is depicted to be cracking a code this could be taken in either a good or bad way as he is technically committing a crime by trespassing private territory yet he is attempting to beat the system for the greater good therefore the boy could be depicted as either a hero or a villain, depending on the viewer's perspective. The boy's dominant portrayal is represented by numerous low angle shots of the boy's eyes flickering around the screen to give him a sense of superiority and as a result of his activities it can be concluded that he has a substantial amount of knowledge in order to crack the codes he has discovered and ultimately knowledge is power.  

 

At first our whole group found the editing process fairly challenging to begin with. However, since editing our preliminary task we still remembered the basic skills to managing Final Cut Pro and editing our work. Therefore as the editing of our thriller progressed we steadily became more accustomed to the programme and the tools in which we used to cut, copy, paste and move clips about the timeline. When editing our thriller we found that using After Effects was particularly difficult when we were creating the slides for each title appearing and disappearing in the title sequence. As we all had a similar idea in our heads of what we wanted to create with the software, we had to experiment with different animations and backgrounds for the titles. We also involved the use of Photoshop for creating our title sequence by using Photoshop fonts and employing the use of the lasoo tool to cut around images that were essential to incorporate within our title sequence. The blade tool was essential to use in Final Cut Pro for our group as we had to cut consecutive shots to become significantly shorter due to the desired effect of creating a climax with fast paced shots.

 

If my group were to do our thriller again I have feeling we would all agree on sticking to our original idea, although we changed it a week before shoot day to concentrate more on the technical gadgets the boy is able to control and is fascinated by this meant that we had to do significantly more editing in After Effects. Since this is a programme our group had never used before in editing we had to become accustomed to it quickly in order to complete a substantial amount of editing as we had a deadline to stick to. However, if our group had stuck to the original plan of shooting in a bedroom we would have been able to incorporate all of our previously planned shots and the amount of After Effects slides we had created would not have been as necessary as they are to our thriller presently.

At first, since I found the editing process quite challenging I did not enjoy the process instantly, however, as I became used to the programmes I started to enjoy the process more as I found it very satisfactory when our group achieved something well and completed an impressive and challenging part of our thriller, therefore allowing my group to move onto the next stage of editing our thriller. For example when we had sorted through all our good and bad shots into the log and rush bins we set out the main structure of the thriller with the definite videos we planned to use. When our group got onto the stage of After Effects I really enjoyed creating and designing the different layouts and details of the slides of the hacking scenes which were supposedly displayed on the boys screen as each one was completely different and required imagination and innovation.
 

 I felt our group worked very well altogether on editing our thriller as we alternated roles frequently, letting each other have a substantial amount of time on Final Cut Pro. When we first started editing I felt I had quite an essential role I renamed all the shots that we took on the shoot day by basically summing up the content of the video for example I would name shots of the actors eyes ‘eyes close up 1’ and ‘eyes close up 2’ depending on the shot and the number of them we took. After this I helped sort through the videos with the group into different folders, known as bins, depending on the quality of the shots and whether we wanted to use them in our thriller. Afterwards, another member of the group and I started to structure the thriller with the definite videos we wanted to incorporate into our video. This created the basic storyline and presentation of the film. We then swapped over to give the other two members of our group a chance to contribute to developing the arrangement of the thriller. Next, I contributed the idea of cutting longer shots in the video to be shorter and consequently building up, creating a climax towards the end of the thriller, as every thriller must include the typical aspect of suspense. Therefore I set to work using the blade tool in Final Cut Pro to cut each clip shorter and consecutively shorter in order to achieve the desired effect of a climax. We left significant gaps in the film in order to incorporate scenes of a hacking nature, enabling the audience to see what the boy is supposedly viewing on his computer screen as well as breaking codes and discovering links etc. These hacking scenes were all completed in the editing program After Effects, which we were not, accustomed to before but we soon became familiar with it in order to complete the thriller. I set to work by finding necessary images off Google to incorporate in the hacking scenes such as world maps, globes, links, codes, images from the game ‘uplink’ and blueprints of machinery. We were then given a tutorial on how After Effects worked. I personally specialised in creating the titles which included typing out names and their roles, deciding on fonts and moving the positions during each title on screen. By moving the positions of each title I had to alter the start and end key frame positions of the font and the program would automatically develop a path for the font to move by, known as inbetweening the animation. This was fairly easy once I mastered the basic method of inbetweening. As well as this we all had a say in what music we wanted for the soundtrack of the thriller, I contributed the idea of having a fast paced techno beat soundtrack able to create a suspenseful atmosphere for the typical convention of a thriller and we made a group effort in completing this task.

 

This task of editing the thriller was a complete step up from the preliminary task. Firstly we had to create a storyline of our own ideas, shoot it in the way we envisaged the thriller linking certain aspects of our work to typical conventions of thrillers. Therefore the editing was a completely different task to what we had completed previously in the preliminary task. The preliminary task was very basic in its required editing as it was the first time in which any of our group had used the editing program Final Cut Pro. We also did not have the task of creating a suspenseful atmosphere in the preliminary with slow and consequent fast paced moments which had to incorporate in the thriller. Therefore this involved having to cut more shots at varying lengths. As well as this we had much more of an in depth detailed task of tackling the editing program After Effects which was completely new to our group. The  challenge of operating the program was soon overcome by our group and we created numerous title slides in our title sequence with ease, incorporating our own innovative ideas in the thriller to achieve our desired storyline. Additionally we were required to create our own soundtrack in order to enhance the suspense of our thriller. Since we had no script in order to maintain this suspenseful atmosphere the non-diegetic soundtrack was therefore incredibly significant for creating the right effect for our work.
 

I feel I have learnt a great deal about filmmaking as a result of this project. The one thing that I will always recall from this task is that filmmaking is not easy. It requires a significant amount of time, work, detail and dedication. Although this was only a small scale project the thriller was still entirely challenging and a massive task to complete in a given time limit. Since completing the thriller it is apparent that our group has overcome numerous hardships to achieve what we was expected of us as well as what we wanted to achieve ourselves. For example, the return to Final Cut Pro and familiarising our selves with the program again was not incredibly easy, the introduction to the new program After Effects and the creation of our own non-diegetic soundtrack for the thriller which none of our group had ever attempted beforehand. The fact was that we were making a thriller and therefore we had to incorporate certain typical conventions of thrillers in our own work such a suspenseful atmosphere primarily created by slow/fast paced non-diegetic music and shots. We also created the majority of our thriller on After Effects where each title had a focus on the hacking and decoding of private links as well as the examination of diagrams of supposed servers of the FBI in which the boy was unintentionally attempting to hack and decode in order to gain entry into the FBI mainframe. Therefore this material incorporated in our thriller will appeal to our primary target audience of 18-40 year old males, interested in the possible action, cracking of codes and the vast amount of technology and gadgets included in our thriller.

Account of Thriller Shoot Day

As the day of the shoot loomed for my group’s thriller, ‘SOLO’, we finished our final preparations in order to be ready for the start of shooting the following day. The week before the shoot day we decided to change a significant amount of the details of our thriller that we had previously planned, therefore instead of shooting in the studio we decided to shoot upstairs from the studio in the media department as we thought the idea of the bedroom was not essential and the extra props that needed to be bought were ultimately unnecessary. Also, we thought we would prefer to focus on the fact that the boy in our thriller is a technical genius as a result of his autism and therefore is obsessed by gadgets and technology. The set up of the boy under his desk, working at breaking the code into the FBI mainframe, heightens the mystery and secrecy of the situation as the audience instantly presume that he does not desire anyone to observe his actions. So by changing the location from the studio to the media department we are allowing the audience to focus on the gadgets and technology surrounding the boy, which are fundamentally what the majority of the thriller focuses on. Therefore the change of set ultimately suited the genre of conspiracy thriller more so than our previous set that we had planned, ultimately increasing the attraction of the movie for our target audience. 

   The tracking shot that we used to open the thriller initially built up suspense in the introduction as the movement was slow and the shot was extensive. Another reason for using this shot was because this would intrigue the audience and would consequently lead them into wanting to find out what the boy was doing on his computer. The consecutive close up shot then gives the audience a closer view of his activities but fails to explain why he is doing it. Therefore the following close ups ultimately increase the audiences anticipation into finding out the boys actions and is ultimately infuriating because of the carefully designed shots, escaping the audience of information. Since we altered a lot of our shots from the plan of the pilot we therefore lost the chance to film a few of our initial ideas, however, our group were still determined to achieve the tracking shot we had previously planned on shooting of the boy’s airfix model desk. This consequently led on to our group achieving a worthy introduction tracking shot, derived from our initial idea, therefore benefitting our thriller. It took us a couple of shots to familiarise ourselves with the way in which the tracking equipment worked and how a good shot was achieved but after a few practice takes we succeeded in shooting a decent take. Our group also achieved our planned close up shots of the boy typing. We varied our techniques of filming by adjusting the focus whilst recording and therefore achieving a varying depth of field, which looked aesthetically pleasing as well as consequently matching the underlying theme of our thriller with the focus of the shot being on the technological equipment and the boy’s interaction and ability to control and master it.
 

  
The costume we chose for our actor was one planned far in advance. This outfit of aeroplane pyjamas was carefully chosen as a result of the autistic boy’s obsession with aeroplanes. The fact that our thriller is set to be in the early hours of the morning therefore explains why the boy is wearing pyjamas. This choice of outfit could also symbolise how the teenage boy is similar to a younger child in that he wears childlike pyjamas still and is displayed to have an infant like obsession, therefore causing the audience to see the teenage boy to be younger than his present years. In the film ‘Mercury Rising’ a code is broken by an autistic child therefore by dressing our teenage actor is childlike pyjamas this could remind the audience of the child’s role in the movie. There were many props specifically chosen in order to communicate a subliminal message to the audience such as the Rubik's cubes. These ultimately signify the boy’s obsession and ability to crack codes and puzzles as a result of his autism, causing his brain to work in quick and efficient way, therefore demonstrating how he thinks in a different way to others. In our film we had three completed cubes displayed on his desk for this reason. To emphasise the boy’s obsession with aeroplanes our group decided to invest in numerous aeroplane posters and pictures as well as saving pictures of aeroplanes on the desktop of the boy’s iPad, which effectively communicated the fact that he is interested in technology as well as emphasising his obsession with aircraft.

 

  The reason for choosing our actor was because we were interested in employing a good-looking male in order to attract the women viewers of the audience. As our film is of the conspiracy thriller genre as well as being technologically orientated and potentially involving action or violence, ultimately the audience would predictably obtain a male majority, therefore by acquiring a good-looking male actor this would perhaps attract a wider ranging audience of male and female viewers.

   The lighting in our thriller was minimalistic as this was the style and atmosphere we desired. Our group wanted to set the scene to be mysterious, gloomy and dimly lit as of course the introduction is set in the early hours of the morning. As the lighting was dim this allowed for the laptops and numerous other gadgets to light our actors face in an eerie way, which adds to the genre thriller. The lighting was dark enough for the screen reflection to be seen in the actor’s eyes by the audience, creating a successful shot, signifying the actor’s intent concentration on his activity of hacking the FBI and conclusively adding to the intense atmosphere of the thriller. The lighting we used consisted of the machinery screens and a strip bulb attached to the table leg next to the actor therefore projecting enough light in order to make the actor visible as all the lighting was in a close proximity to the subject. The bulb was of a blue tint and therefore portraying a cold and gloomy atmosphere encapsulating the surroundings and matching the genre of a thriller.

   Our group decided against using a script and therefore decided that we will use a non-diegetic backing track to accompany the tracking shots, close up shots of the boy typing and scrolling on his laptop as well as the close up shots of his possessions on his desk. We may use the synchronous sound of typing for the close ups of the actor typing on the keyboard. The non-diegetic music will consist of beats and will match the actions happening in the scene and also counterpart the theme of technology as well as emphasising his technical knowledge. The music will build to a climax, quickening in pace and tempo of beats as the fast paced edits will also climax together with the music to reveal the boys reaction to hacking into the FBI confidential website. Therefore the editing of shots and music will help to create suspense, which is essential for the genre of a thriller.

   Through out the shoot day I had many different roles as our group tried to change round positions on set frequently in order to give each other a fair chance of experiencing each task. For the first shot I was a part of the tracking team, which involved having to disassemble and rearrange the track that the tracker would use to move from one position to another. Communication was vital within the group for this task as this was the only way in which our group could succeed in obtaining a useable shot. This involved the cameraman having to update the team on whether they were in the shot whilst assembling the track or whether the tracker was tracking too fast. The whole of our group had the chance of directing and I also succeeded in filming a very challenging close up shot under the desk where the actor was situated, filming a close up of his eyes whilst he was typing but without a tripod therefore I obtained the shot by managing to steady the camera enough to record a successful close up of the actors flickering and frantic eyes. I also succeeded in filming a tracking shot of the boy’s desk as well as close up of his possessions on the desk.

   The teamwork in our group was one of the most successful and key aspects of the shoot day as we all shared the significant jobs and exchanged them after a substantial amount of time in order for each member of our group to gain a considerable experience of the position. The task of the tracking shots was a typical teamwork exercise and one in which I found particularly rewarding once we had achieved it successfully. Through out the day I had the chance to direct, manage continuity of the set, prepare props, assemble the set and filming equipment and film tracking and close up shots. Each member of the group contributed different ideas to the filming such as when we one person was filming a shot the other members of the group observing the process would direct the actor on what to do such as when to type, scroll or react to something on the screen. The teamwork on producing the set was prosperous. Our efforts seemingly paid off as a result of the set looking realistically so like a high-tech hang out, being the effect that our group wanted to portray. Therefore at first we picked our specific roles to suit our best abilities but in the end we changed round for the whole of our group to try out different jobs to create the right suspense and tension for our thriller in order to attract our target audience of males from fifteen upwards.

   In conclusion, I felt a sense of achievement once our group completed our final few shots at the end of the day. The experience met my expectations as after rearranging our plan of the day a week in advance we carried out our schedule in an organised and efficient fashion and even included some extra beneficial shots such as the tracking and slider shots. The change in mise-en-scene was definitely for the better as it introduces the thriller in an appropriate way and also allows the audience to focus on the key aspects of the thriller such as technology and the characteristics of the autistic boy giving an insight into what the rest of the film involves in an enticing and effective way.

 

Shooting Schedule

9am - 10pm - preparing set and collecting props

10am - 1pm - tracking shot/establishing shot

1pm - 2pm - lunch

2pm - 4pm - close up shots and slider shots

4pm - 5pm - tracking shot across the desk

New Storyboard of 'Solo' Thriller

Changes to Thriller

After a lot of preparation, blog posts and note taking of details to our thriller we have incidentally decided to change aspects of our thriller.

1) LOCATION: At first, we planned our thriller in a boarding house bedroom but we have since decided that we do not need the detail of the boy getting out of bed in his bedroom. Plus, the lighting of the room would have been a difficulty as we wanted dim lighting as the thriller is meant to be in the middle of the night. Therefore, we decided to film in the media studio, setting up the boys desk and locating him under it on his laptop.

2)SHOTS: We also exchanged the potential aerial shot at the start of the thriller of the boys bedroom to a tracking shot which acts as an establishing shot of the boys bedroom, introducing the viewers to his workspace.

3)DIRECTION OF ACTOR: We also changed the position of the actor. At first, we wanted the boy to be sat at his computer, typing and hacking the FBI but we decided to change this around so the boy is hunched over under the desk so his activity seems more secretive and intrigues the audience into wanting to find out what the boy is doing.

4)PROPS: We changed around the position of the props as we decided to place the airfix models on the boys desk rather than set up the airfix on a second desk away from his computer desk. We also decided against having shots of the pyramid of rubix cubes and the filament of the light bulb brightening up. Instead we concentrated on the boy's activity and typing to heighten the mystery.

Our changed set: