Prelim- Laurence Brown & Steven Muddiman - The Antidote

The Happening- A quick Review

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The basic idea of The Happening is nature fighting back on humans and this is demonstrated with the trees releasing something in the air that causes the human beings to kill themselves. As it says on the upper central area of the film cover: ‘We’ve sensed it., We’ve seen the signs., Now… It’s happening’. The film is based in real time and the concept seems quite realistic to the viewer as in society today there is a real focus on what might happen to us in the future and being eco-friendly and saving the world.

The cover shows abandoned cars leading into the distance of a road in a dark, depressing environment, dark and depressing are two aspects that play a large role in this film and are emphasised throughout the film. This dark and depressing theme is signified from the start with techniques such as the music builds up in layers from a fairly light timbre to a heavy build up in violin and then chimes are added  in a surreal manner and it gives impressions of nothingness and pending doom. In the opening scene there is diegitic sound such as wind and city sounds of people talking in New York which gives impressions of a normal day to day environment this is what causes a huge climax when people start dieing as the concept of our race just being wiped out so silently and discretely is shocking. Most films would use drama to emphasise death such as people panicking, sirens etc but this film remains depressing instead of stressful this gives the viewer the idea that were dying and there is nothing we can do (there is no fight to be fought, this is the end, is the impression I get from the opening scene).

 This film focuses more on making you panic than representing panic in the shots.

Generally the director uses build up techniques to make you peak in this film such as camera shots changing from slow pan shots of a landscape view of the city to rapidly increasing close ups of horrified faces which really has an large impact on the viewer and sucks them into the film. Confusion plays another major role in this film which again increases the drama of the film as what you don’t understand especially in this situation can unsettle you.

Basic Camera shots

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Basic summaries

This diagram clearly demonstrates the different camera angles that are used in basic filming these shot types are very common and basic.

Wide shots are usually used to emphasise the surrounding environment or equally show the character and the environment and give a landscape view showing the ‘big picture’. As you can see in the diagram for extreme wide shots the man is barely seen and you have no choice but to focus on the desert landscapes but the normal wide shot includes a detailed view of the character and his environment. This shot is also known as a long shot.

Medium shots usually frame a character or subject from the waste up, this is a very common shot and allows gestures to be included in conversation . Where as medium close up shots generally focus on above the shoulders of the subject. Both these shots are usually used for conversation or just to keep you focused on a specific subject. Close up shots are put in to show a specific part of a subject which is usually just the head in conversation. Extreme close ups usually show the viewer the subjects emotion (if it’s a person) or just to generally emphasise a subject in an extreme manner.

Psycho: Short Review

The opening scene of psycho uses many camera angles and effective mise-en-scene to create dramatic and psychological tensions, its techniques like these that draw the viewer in and make the viewer want to see more.

 The shot above is a first person shot from the perspective of the girl, this shot is put in shortly before the killer is revealed and is quite a calm shot showing that its just the girl alone with the shower, this calmness makes the revelation of the killer more dramatic as it fairly suddenly switches from calm to panic. This is a close up with the object focused in the centre of the shot so the object the director is showing ( the shower) is quite in your face.

This shot is very effective at building up tension as only the viewer can notice that there is a figure lurking behind the shower curtain, this lets the viewer know that something is about to happen and as it is her alone in the shower the viewer assumes it is going to be something bad. Shots like these get your heart pumping before the incident occurs so there is somewhat of a build up effect for the viewer. This shot is also a close up but not as extreme as the shower head as there are two points of focus in view.

This shot is another close up and this is where the director expects the tension in the viewer to peak at a high level as it is revealing the killer. The director intends for you to see the killer but not in too much detail as the lighting from the right hand side causes a shadow over the killers face, also the water from the shower helps blur the detail. What the director does want you to see is the figure of the killer and the large knife being held up in the air, it is made clear by the way the knife is held that the killer is about to use it also the lighting from the right points out the knife quite well. 

This shot is a zoom- in close up from the previous shot of the knife just to add that last bit of tension before it is used. This adds emphasis to the previous shot and is from the perspective of the girl, who has just seen the killer. The knife is composed in the centre of the screen with the killers hair in the right hand side this assures the viewer is only focusing on these two things.

This shot is an extreme close up of the girls mouth area. This shot reveals that the girl has just seen the killer and is terrified. The director chooses to make a close up of the mouth as it truly shows the viewer that she is in extreme fear of the killer and accurately shows her reaction to the previous shot.

This shot is another great example of the directors use of close ups in the opening scene and shows the girl being stabbed viciously by the killer. The girl is falling in the process showing that the killers job is nearly done. This shot is taken from a high angle looking down on both characters effectively showing the event that is taking place.

In conclusion I believe that the main shot type in the opening scene is definitely close up shots and the director is very effective at building up a climax before the killing by switching from calmness to panic very smoothly. The mise-en-scene is mostly made up of shadowy  lighting and loneliness until the killer arrives and there are not many objects etc in the shot, this focuses the viewer on the things the director wants e.g the girl, the killer, the shower, the knife creating a very psychological vibe to the scene.

Media Prelim Storyboard ( pictures missing as they where drawn on) by Steven Muddiman and Laurence Brown

1)       Close up of actors feet walking up the first flight of stairs. 2)       Shot looking down on actor walking up the second flight of stairs.	1)       Close up of actor reaching for his pocket at top of stairs. 2)       Shot of actor walking through the primary door.	1)       Actor walks through second door. 2)       Close up of door closing.
1)       Actor enters room and there is a close up of a dying person on the floor. 2)       Stagger shot flicks backwards away from dying actor to add dramatic tension.	1)       Actor talks to other dying actor on the floor and shouts “who did this to you!” ( over shoulder view from dying actor) 2)       Dying actor replies with “behind you” (over the shoulder view from other actor) and points at the third actor who is the murderer.	1) Primary actor turns around draws his gun and shoots the murderer in the head ( close up of finger on the trigger ) as soon as the trigger is pulled it ends with a cut to black ( gun sound effect needed).