Continuity Editing (invisible) : This type of editing comes from Hollywood films, most films are edited this way as the cuts are intended to not be obstructive to the viewing .
180 degrees rule : this is almost like an imaginary line between two charactes and the camera should stay behind the line, breaking the rule is referred to as crossing the line. If it is broken it can be visually confussing and positions will suddenly be reversed.
Montage editing : is the opposite to continuity editing, it can include frequent cuts fades and jumps, uses of close ups and it will convey a meaning although the shots might not be in time order. Often used in trailer.s
Cuts : when the image changes without any noticeable transition
Pace of editing : some my use few or many shots fast or slow to create different dramatic effects.
Match cut : matching one action or an object to another in a different time or place to make a smooth transition.
Reaction shot : a shot of a person reacting to what has been said or done
Flash back or flash forward : A cut is designed to take us back or forward in time.
Cutaway shot : A bridging between shots of the same subject to represent a second activity happening at the same time.
The Disappearance of Alice Creed : analysis Bradley Mills
The film opens with a fade in from black transition, quickly a zooming tracking shot is used as the camera travels down a car park, the view is aware that there is nobody around and this is aided by the amplified sound of an aeroplane. A cross dissolve shows us another view of the surrounding cars, the camera tilts and character is shown breaking into a van, already the viewer gains an understanding of the mans characterisation and the use of props such as a crow bar and black hat suggests he is up to no good. As the shot continues to pan across to a close up of another man in denim who has shifty body language, depth of field is used to focus on the man in denim but we can still see the man in the hat and his actions. The music used is a subtle and simple tapping noise, however this can connotate to time passing and the two men being under pressure by time, this is also suggested by the pace of editing, it is fast and the continuity of the cuts bring the audience to different views quickly and we almost feel tense due to the fast pace actions. The music in this sequence is important as only non diegetic sound is used as we do not hear the men speak. This also means that the two men's gestures and body language are important to observe to get an understanding of who they are as characters.
A sound bridge is used to cut to the next scene of an establishing shot, a long shot of a dumping ground this tells the audience the men have moved to area, where a extreme close up of the man in a hat is used to show him taking a number plate from an old van. His actions are building a characterisation and the audience start to ponder over the two men's shifty and un ordinary behavior.
As it cuts to a close up of shopping trolley wheels, the sound is amplified of the squeak, this could suggest like the wheel there is something 'dodgey' about what is going on. Another observation from this shot is the two men walking in sync this could suggest their similarities in character. A camera tilt from the trolley wheel to the two men puts them in a worms eye view, this connotates their authority and power as they look down upon us. Extreme close ups and careful depth of field show the viewer exactly what tools and equipment the men are picking up from the store. This shows their organisation and suggests their well planned, we now expect the two characters to be antagonistic and their behavior seems wrong and not ordinary, which is also suggested by the low and deep undertones of the music which connotate a dark mood.
It then cuts to a room in a house, the music changes and is more drawn out as the shot zooms out of a dull looking kitchen, the place seems unwelcoming. A pan around a second room reveals a bare bedroom, the pan gives the viewer an insiders view of the room and we can see exactly what the environment is like. A long shot of the door is shown and the shot zooms in as the two men enter there is a cacophony in the music as loud clashing notes accompany the tapping sound. The sound of their actions are amplified to create drama, as they drill, saw and staple the room . An interesting juxtaposition of shots are used to create a dramatic mood, from extreme close ups of tools and equipment to long shots of the men preparing. Cutaway shots are also used to show the audience that the men are doing exactly the same thing at the same time, this is in a way quite strange and yet again shows their similarities in character. Key lighting is used to show it is day time, this adds tension to the situation as their actions are move obvious and could be caught out by passers by at this time. Still we have not heard the men speak even when they take a break selective sound is used and we don't hear them chewing just the dramatic music. An Ariel view of the men in the room gives the audience an insiders view on the event, it is like we are not there to be on their side but to observe what is happening.
As the scene changes and cuts to the men digging a hole in the woods the music gets deeper and darker the notes are very low pitched and it gives us a dark mood and feeling towards the characters. It is interesting to note although the men do not speak to one another they occasional do look straight at each other such as in the woods and when picking out the bed, this could be for reassurance and support, this suggests that behind their hard exterior there might be a downfall. The men also prep the van they stole and a use of inset shots gives us a variety of views of what they are doing, this again gives the audience and observation role. Their organization is very apparent in the opening sequence and perhaps has a big part to play through out the film; the pan across the table shows laid out weapons and equipment needed for their plot as they are carefully one by one placed into a bag. The longest shot in the opening scene is a mid shot of the two as the older man puts on the tie for the other, this could suggest they have a close relationship although before we had only seen their hard exterior, it also suggests the older man is the leader and co-coordinator of the plan.
What is most interesting about the way the disappearance of Alice creed opens is the use of no dialogue. The way that the editing sound , cinematography and mise en scene is used is in such a clever way we understand the characters and what they are doing with out the need of dialogue. Tension is created through fast paced editing, variation of shots and dramatic music.
Today i have watched many thriller opening sequences to gain research on the genre, which will help me with the right techniques to use from the genre when it comes to filming and editing my own sequence. I have found key styles of editing cinematography mise en scene and sound through the different sequences i have watched.
Sound
Use of dramatic music, such as deep sounds from instruments like violins and pianos. A noticeable effect used in thrillers is the use of crescendo's where the music start off quite and builds to a loud and dramatic piece, this really adds to the tense and dramatic mood.
Use of sound bridges to link different scenes is a good way to help with the continuity of the editing.
Editing
A good technique for Thrillers is to use fast paced editing it puts the audience on edge and adds to the shock and disorientation of typical thriller scenes.
Fade to black transitions, these are really good to use to show that time has passed, and will be helpful in my project as i only have a short amount of time to convey my story.
Cinematography
Use of extreme close ups in thriller genres is quite common, it displays the high emotions of the characters well and can add to the mystery of characters when you cant see very much
Establishing shots are important in the opening sequence as the audience need to get an idea of where it is taking place and when, this can also be demonstrated by natural lighting, as the film could be set at the day time or night,this could also be a way to show time has passed. This is something i will take into account when planning my filming.
Mise en scene
Use of props in thrillers seem to be quite important as most use weapons like guns to create drama, however this will be difficult due to the restricions i face (not having a Hollywood budget)
Uniforms when involving important characters such as police officers
I can consider using make up to make fake injuries like bruises and cuts
Watching and making notes on opening sequences
This research has defiantly helped my knowledge of the genre and will influence my filming and editing decisions.
The film opens with an extreme close up of a box of beads, the shot pans and we can she a young girls hand making a bracelet. Diegetic sound is used for music, a song plays from a radio, this suggests the girl is at her home. It then cuts to an extreme close up of equipment used to make tools, still we are not sure who this is or where it is happening yet so it is keeping the audience confused. We then see a mid shot of the man behind the equipment , he talks to the young girl and we now understand the relationship from the dialogue. Addressing her as 'baby' we understand they are father and daughter. In the background there is a knocking on the door sound, followed by a woman's voice who calls 'honey?', this suggests the people are for him. It cuts to a mid shot of the father opening the door, and the fast editing surprises the audience as a man hits him with a bat, to add to the mood there is dark deep music which connotes danger, likewise with the the two en who have come to the house they wear black and black hats and their props such as the baseball bat and gloves help the characterisation. An extreme close up shows the father being tied up, this creates great tension as we know the father is in trouble and the wife an daughter are in the house. It the cuts to a long shot of the wife her body language shows shock as she screams. The sound is echoed which adds to the feeling of being out of control. The extreme close ups used between the couple show their distress and fear, this makes the audience tense and also emotional, which is typical feature of the thriller genre. Still extreme close ups are used as the burglar stabs the father, this intensifies his action and adds to the thrill and shock, a high pitch sound accompanies what is seen on screen. It then fades to black but we hear screams and the audience is left in suspense as they cant see what is happening. Long drawn violin music in the background makes the scene intense as an audience we are distressed as the traumatic experience plays on screen.
A mid shot of the daughter is shown to notify she is still in the house, it then cuts to a worms eye view of the burglar which connotates his power and strength over the family. An over the shoulder shot shows him pick up the little girl and take her off, face editing is used to cut back to the father who struggles as he desperately wants to save her, the extreme close up is used again to show is desperation and distress, this editing choice really impacts the viewer and the emotion is very strong.
A sound bridge of police sirens joins the next scene, a fade to black transition shows time has passed, and a pan of a city opens the establishing shot of the city. An Ariel view of people walking through a building is used and then it cuts to a man in a suit walking up stairs , his clothing suggests his importance and power and the audience can link this character to the scene before.
In the short sequence, the style of editing , sound , mise en scene and cinematography has conveyed an emotional, tense and distressing opening to the film. The dark music helped to create the mood and intensity of the situation. And the use of sound bridge and fade to black transitions cleverly conveys time passing. However the most impact given was the use of extreme close ups, this choice of cinematography gave an intimacy and close view of emotions from the family which is import when there is not much dialogue.
The opening sequence of the negotiator starts with a montage of photographs, the soundtrack is high pitched with a constant rhythm this suggest that time is ticking or playing against them. The music has an eerie pitch and suggest that the photos shown are old and the men shown in the pictures now have a different relationship. The photos help the viewer understand the relationship between the characters in previous years, the fade in transitions also suggest that these photos are from the past as it resembles flicking through and album. The men are dressed in suits and ties and some images showing medals being awarded, this connotates to the importance of the people in the pictures, the viewer expects that the characters are professional and have been awarded for their contribution. However the editing changes slightly as it starts to zoom into certain parts of the photographs, a zoom into a hand shakes could suggest there may be trust issues now, and also into crowd members gives a suspicious feeling about the people we see.
The blue tint connotates a cold mood, suggesting also that now time has passed the relationships have changed and perhaps not so friendly any more. After the montage it cuts to black, this editing technique shows the viewer that time has passed and builds slight tension as we wait to see what is happening. There is a sound bridge of diegetic sound, a man is speaking about dogs, as the shot pans over to the man we see a extreme close up of his face and think he is on his own, but as the shot zooms out we see a number of police officers waiting with him. The uniform here is an important choice to make sure the audience understand the nature of the scene. This montage has given the audience the opportunity to think about the significant pictures they are viewing which are reinvent to the storyline.
It cuts to an extreme long shot of the room the police officers are waiting outside, we now have an understanding of what's happening as we can see everything. The man standing holds a gun over a young girl on the floor, tension is built further as the audience sees the importance of the polices' presences. The extreme close up of a pitbull dog suggests violence and distress, diegetic sound is used as we hear the dog bark constantly and the nature of these dog puts even more tension into the scene which is vital for thriller genre films. The natural lighting shows that the incident is taking place during the day time, which could suggest the police are under pressure to sort the situation out before passers by start to question. The body language of the balding man towards the man who speaks suggests that he trusts the man speaking. The man speaking has confident actions and his cocky but assertive way of speaking suggests he is in charge and knows what he is doing.
As it cuts to an extreme close up of the girl on the floor as a viewer we feel distressed and have sympathy already we are in the mind of the film, the tears on her face show the urgency and the crescendo of high pitched sound adds tension to the mood. A wild track is used of a train squeaking this connotates the location of the scene, it is most likely a city. The next scene is of a police station a sound bridge of the dog bark is a transition to link the situation. We see many police men watching the screens of the man with the gun this shows us that it is a highly urgent job. The older police man sends his team in via a walkie talky. It then cuts to police in riot uniform, the music is loud and has a fast paced beat this is also matched with faced paced editing as it cuts from close ups of their fee running up the stairs to their weapons and faces, this puts the audience on edge as we wait for them to enter the room. An extreme long shot of the city outside shows many people gathering as police try to control, this shows that the incident is a big story and people want to know what is going on.
In this short five minute sequence the thriller genre is defined with the choices of editing sound and cinematography. The importance of high pitched sound and use of crescendos builds tension likewise the pace of editing and the shot variations as we a restricted to what we can see with extreme close us. Focusing more on the music with this opening more than i did with inside man, The music is used to carry the opening of a good thriller movie and it is important for me as an aspiring movie maker not to settle for just any sound track but to choose one that creates the appropriate mood to match the clip, this is essential for my intentions for my own film as I want the audience to be mentally involved during certain points of the sequence therefore viewers can escape in to the right mind set which is influenced by my choice of sound.
The Antagonist Character speaks directly to the audience, telling the audience about his plans to commit a bank robbery, the character is well spoken and confident giving the viewer the feeling that he is intelligent and well organised. He is in Key lighting against a black background to force the audience to pay attention to him, He stares at the camera making eye contact with the camera at all times in this sequence suggesting his confidence and dominant attitude are key features of his character his body language is very controlled and intimidating adding to the introduction of the character as a threatening character. A montage of clips from the 'prison' establish his villainous character. The background slowly appears as the character fishiness's his speech and this shot ends with a fade transition suggesting a change in time.
Non diegetic sound is used in the sound track the music is contrapuntal in the way it contradicts the picture the audience is viewing, the music is a generic convention of a Bollywood picture with Indian vocalists, where as the establishing shots display New York city in a Montage of shots, The first shot of this sequence is a slow tracking shot which focuses of a mysterious black van, the camera then rises upwards to give the audience a better view of what the van is doing as it drives further away from the camera. Close ups of artefact's are displayed in montages displaying an equilibrium and establishing setting, after these close ups the camera cuts to tracking shots and point of view shots of the Black van to suggest there is a significance to this vehicle, there is a shot where the character in the painting suit gets into the van and drives froward as the vehicle moves further away the camera tilts up to reveal a bridge which could suggest that this black van is going to effect the environment and surroundings around it, this shot also links into the close up shots of the artefact's showing that the Van is getting closer to this significant area using both shots in one.
As the van drives across the bridge there is a worms eye view shot of the bridge followed by a tracking shot of the van from the front, these shots link to the previous shot by revealing a location by tilting up to the bridge and then showing the van on the bridge in the next series of shots. The shots of the van are separated by more environmental shots such as innocent pedestrians walking in the streets re establishing the sense of equilibrium only to be disrupted by another character in the painters outfit.
To end the sequence the audience are gradually let into the mysterious van but the characters identity's are covered up by the white outfits and black sunglasses.
The aspects I would like to replicate for my Thriller opening are the way in which the environment and a mysterious object collide using cross editing, there is a very quick pace after the long cuts characters speech in the opening sequence which creates contrast and an interesting visual sequence.
