Light

In today's lesson, we learned about lighting when filming. We covered the standard 3-point set-up and the effects of changing the lighting to create different effects for different purposes. Here is a short clip showing you the different types of lighting:

Standard Three-Point Lighting

This is the standard lighting set-up. We have a back light behind the object, a key light at an angle to one side of the object and a reflector/fill light placed on the opposite side in order to soften the key lighting and make more of the object visible.

Key Light

The key light is the brightest and most influential light and creates shadows. This can be used alone to highlight a significant object or to create suspense.

Back Light

The back light helps to counteract the effect of the key light by balancing the lighting. If used alone, the back light creates an outline or silhouette which also creates suspense.

Reflector/Filler Light

This light helps to soften the shadowing that the key and back lights produce which reveals the entire object.

Lighting sources:

• Underlighting- This is where the main light source comes from below the object. This effect is often used in horrors and thrillers.

• Top lighting: This is where the main light source comes from above the object. This effect is used to highlight the features to create a glamorous look.

Low-Key Lighting

Low-key lighting is created by using only the key and back lights which produces deep, dark shadows due to the sharp contrast of light and dark on screen.

Nosferatu, a 1922 German expressionist horror film, uses low-key lighting to create the clever use of shadows in this scene:

High-Key Lighting

In high-key lighting, more filler lights are used to make the lighting appear more realistic. It removes all shadows.

Hitchcock: Suspicion

We watched an extract from Hitchcock's Suspicion from 2:10 onwards which showed us some lighting techniques in effect. Hitchcock often communicated through the mise-on-scene so despite the fact that there is minimal dialogue or sound, we understand what is happening because of everything else that is happening on screen. In this extract, Cary Grant is trying to poison his wife with a glass of 'milk'.

The use of the filler light on Joan Fontaine's face makes her appear exposed and vulnerable but at the same time we trust her and understand that she isn't the villain in this case. On the other hand, only a back light is used as Cary Grant enters the scene which creates dark shadows and an outline as he approaches her. As his face is concealed, we instantly feel wary of his character as he carries the strangely illuminated glass of milk. The emphasis on the glass alerts us of what he intends to do to his wife- Hitchcock created this affect by simply placing a light-bulb in the milk. I liked the caged, spider web effect as he walked up the stairs because it gave a sense of confinement; Joan Fontaine is quite literally trapped by him.

Sound exercise

The sequence we filmed follows an ongoing affair that is about to be revealed to the partner on the receiving end. During the beginning of the extreme close-up of the phone, we wanted to create a moment of silence so the audience can identify with mobile phone because the phone-call about to occur will change everything. This silence represents the secrecy of the affair however it is soon to come to an end when the phone begins to ring. We chose to use an onscreen and diegetic sound here to emphasise the focus on the phone even further to demonstrate the true effect that the phone-call will have. When the phone is picked up, the silence is repeated but in this case, the silence represents the end of the affair. Despite this, everyone is unaware of how the affair will soon be exposed so the slow paced yet electric beginning of John Murphy’s song ‘In the House, In a Heartbeat’ suits a sad scene as opposed to the casual opening we chose to create. The song acted as our non-diegetic, contrapuntal and parallel sound.  During the phone-call  dialogue is introduced in two forms- on screen and off-screen. I spoke on-screen into the microphone while Sophie did a voice-over to create the off-screen effect of speaking on the other end of the phone. Billy, who acted as Sophie’s disloyal partner, also spoke (into the camera microphone) and remained off-screen to reinforce the idea of secrecy. We chose to keep Sophie’s voice off-screen for the majority of the sound exercise because later, an over the shoulder shot reveals her walking with Rebecca. This shot was vital in making the once contrapuntal sound of the non-diegetic song parallel with the tension that has been introduced after Sophie realises that Billy is in fact with me. Although we didn't include a sound bridge, we gradually increased the volume of the song as it increased in intensity alongside the build-up of tension. We decided we didn't need a sound bridge because the song already builds up in intensity so finding another sound was not essential and would have disrupted the fluidity of the film.

I think that the majority of the sound was effective; particularly the accurate timing of the voice over which was added on top of the audio track of the film during editing process. The poorest quality of sound was at the beginning while recording the vibration of the phone.This was initially resolved by muting the audio track and adding a sound clip of a vibrating phone from the internet. However we didn't know how to add another track at this point and so the entire film’s audio track was muted but when we found out, we had forgotten to mute the original audio track again. If I was to film the exercise again, I would improve clarity of the story-line by using some off-screen dialogue of Billy and I perhaps discussing the situation at the time. If it hadn't of rained on the day, I would have also shot sections of Sophie and Rebecca’s phone conversation outside and alternate who speaks on the voice over. Doing so would have made the difference between contrapuntal and parallel sounds clearer because the audience would have seen reactions such as facial expressions to match or contrast the tone of voice. An example of this is when Sophie sarcastically says, “your ‘brother’ has got a deep voice for a seven year old”- our intention was to make this slightly comedic with a false, dumbfounded reaction but with only a voice over we couldn't achieve this.

Sound

Diegetic/Non-diegetic

The term 'diegetic' refers to the world of the text. Dialogue, sound effects, music with a source within the text are examples of diegetic sounds- the actors/characters can hear these sounds.

'Non-diegetic' refers to everything outside the world of the text. Voiceovers, soundtracks, captions, titles and subtitles are examples of non-diegetic sounds- the actors/characters cannot hear these sounds.

On/Off-screen

On-screen sound: the audience can see the source of the sound

Off-screen sound: the audience cannot see the source of the sound and this enables the extension of the diegetic world

Parallel/Contrapuntal

Parallel sound: matches the action on screen

Contrapuntal sound: does not match the action on screen

Sound Bridge

The sound bridge helps to create a smooth transition between two scenes.

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchock was the most well-known director from the 1950's to the early 1960's. During this period of time he made his most successful films including North by Northwest (1959) and Psycho (1960). His success brought him a knighthood in 1980 and a place in the list of the most influential filmmakers of all time.

Hitchcock and the Thriller Genre

Even in the modern day, filmmakers follow conventions set by Hitchcock which truly demonstrates the extent of his success. "Hitchcockian" films are films made using similar themes and conventions of those used in Hitchcock's. Some themes include:

An attractive blonde- Hitchcock used blonde women as lead roles because Hitchcock thought a blonde appeared more innocent and harmless than a brunette. They were also his preference in his black and white films because he preferred how they looked on screen.

A domineering mother- i.e. Psycho

An innocent man accused and thrust into a strange/dangerous situation- i.e. North by North West

Mistaken identity- North by Northwest

Characters who switch sides or who cannot be trusted- Janet Leigh in Psycho: initially we feel sympathetic towards her due to her unfortunate situation but soon after her character changes. After she steals a large sum of money from a customer we no longer trust her.This then makes Norman Bates appear to be the new protagonist. However, his character also changes after we see him peeking Leigh's room as she undresses.

Incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers- in Psycho, Janet Leigh is pursued by a policeman who doesn't notice that she is running away with a large sum of money after plenty of hints (for example when Leigh sells her vehicle for another one to cover her tracks).

Use of darkness to symbolise inevitable danger- the mise-en-scene: dark clothing, shadows, smoke, etc.

Famous landmarks- Mount Rushmore in North by North West

The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense- Suspicion (1941)

Use of a MacGuffin- i.e. the microfilm in North by Northwest

Other facts:

- Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance in almost every one of his films. He appeared in the beginning of his films to ensure that his audience are not distracted from the plot.

- Janet Leigh found the shower scene in Psycho said that she found the experience so distressing and terrifying that from then on, she took baths instead of showers.

Psycho (1960): BBC TV Interview

In this interview, Hitchcock discusses his film Psycho which prepares his audience for the storyline and the "Hitchcock" thrill that will come alongside it. He also speaks of some of the themes discussed before which he reveals are in fact personal fears. He incorporates them into his work in order to "release" his fears.

Hitchcock: Psycho

Car Scene

The car scene shows Marion running away from her past but the heavy rain (pathetic fallacy) that hinders her vision foreshadows her bleak future at the Bates Hotel. The rousing, violin music makes us feel anxious and aware that something bad is to come.

Shower Scene 

Hitchcock has made the shower scene appear ordinary and somewhat peaceful to make Marion's death come as shock to the viewer. There is no music which we can either perceive as eerie or something that suits the ordinary feel. When the indistinguishable shadow of the murderer approaches there is still no sound which makes it all the more frightening when s/he tears the shower curtain open and the classic Psycho music plays. However, the close-ups of Marion's struggle in her facial expressions, her clawing hand and the blood which contrasts the white surroundings make this scene the most successful even if Hitchcock hadn't used sound altogether.

Staircase Scene

The staircase scene when Arbogast is killed by the 'mother', Hitchcock creates tension with the low angle shots of the house to create fear and suspense. The peaceful sound of crickets in the front garden is used contrapuntally to the tense, orchestral music in the background which is used to make Arbogast appear threatened.

Hitchcock: The Birds

Plot

The Birds follows a wealthy San Francisco socialite (Tippi Hendren) pursue a potential boyfriend (Mitch Brenner) to a small Northern California town called Bodega Bay. We are mislead to believe that the film will be a romance however things slowly take a turn for the worse when numerous species of bird suddenly begin to increasingly terrorise and attack the small coastal town.

Trailer:                                                                                                                                         Stars:

Rod Taylor as Mitch Brenner

Tippi Hedren as Melanie Daniels

A thriller typically consists of a resourceful hero, a better equipped villain, a MacGuffin and a red herring. Immediately, the trailer exhibits most of these qualities alongside several of the best action shots, including the phone booth scene and the classroom scene, which successfully intrigue and excite the audience. Although the hero is very often a male, Tippi Hendren is the defiant heroine who rescues the children from the school when the villains (the birds) attack and returns home to Mitch to comfort his vulnerable mother and sister. The villains are the birds that come in many species in massive flocks; a symbol of nature fighting back against cruel humanity. Snakes on a Plane is an example of a film that uses nature, which are the snakes in this case, as the villain.

Red herring and the MacGuffin:

The opening scene misleads us to believe that the film will be a romance. Melanie is browsing for birds in a pet shop when she stumbles into a man called Mitch Brenner who mistakes her for a shop assistant. She continues to play the part and tries to sell him love birds. However, little does she know, Mitch is a lawyer and knows her from a recent case that she was involved with. As he leaves, she uses his number plate to track him down and tries to deliver the love birds to his apartment anonymously but her plan falls through when a neighbour tells her that Mitch spends weekends with family in Bodega Bay. In order to maintain her 'joke', she heads towards the coastal town of Bodega Day with the love birds. It is only at this point something quite peculiar occurs - Melanie is viciously bitten by a usually harmless seagull. This acts as foreshadowing to prepare us for action that will unravel later on in the film.

The MacGuffin is the love birds which act as the central focus in the opening but quickly decline in importance as the actual plot is introduced.

Bodega Bay:

Bodega Bay is a small, coastal town with little inhabitants created by Hitchcock. Very often in Hitchcock's films there is nowhere to hide as previously discovered in North by Northwest which creates a sense of inevitability- will the birds ever stop attacking?

Phone booth scene:

The phone booth scene is where Melanie seeks refuge and it enforces the idea of no escape. In this scene, Hitchcock has mainly used high angle and close up shots of her face expressing emotions of fear and helplessness to emphasise her vulnerability in comparison to the seemingly endless bird attack. The high-angle shots also make the space appear smaller which adds to the idea of no escape. Hitchcock also gets the audience involved in the action with point of view (POV) shots of the chaos happening outside to make us feel empathetic towards the victims in a way that Melanie does. The main POV shot which really engages us is when the birds begin to smash the glass in attempt to get Melanie; it leaves us on the edge of our seats while we wait for a dramatic climax. Nevertheless, to prevent the action from becoming too overwhelming, we are given some relief when Mitch rescues Melanie from the fragile phone booth back into the safety of the bar.

Crows on the Playground scene:

This scene acts as the onset of the birds' attack on the children of Bodega School as Melanie waits for Mitch's younger sister Cathy to finish school. Dramatic irony is used because we, the audience, are aware of the increase in birds while Melanie entirely oblivious to it. As she sits on the bench attempting to light a cigarette, her struggle increases the tension and could symbolise how this similar struggle will occur later when she attempts to save the children. The naive, innocent and safe sound of the children singing is ironic to the setting which makes the impending danger even worse. The song which builds up in length reflects the increase in the amount of birds and consequently, the tension and suspense grows in significance. Each time the flock of crows increase at the playground, Hitchcock goes from a medium shot to an extreme close-up shot of Melanie to represent to increasing danger. 

"The End"

Hitchcock did not use the conventional, "The End', as the film came to a close. Instead he left the conclusion down to interpretation with the dramatic climax of the threat- the birds. 

Filming exercise

The Protector

Featuring: Billy Fagg, Rebecca Casey, Sophie Hawkins and Saana Kujala-John

Trouble strikes for students at Robert Clack when the gates are unbolted to welcome a mysterious guest on the search for their next victim. After hours of searching, the guest has their sights set on their prey and pursues them. Who will escape and who will be the unlucky one?

In order to ensure that the audience identifies the 'mysterious guest' (the villain), we used a long shot to show the complete frame which gradually swayed into a close-up. Doing this, allows time to make the character judgement- also, the tracking shot and close-up follow the character's movements to allow the audience to understand their intentions to some extent. The shot successfully remained smooth and steady because we used a dolly to track the character in substitution of rails. Notice how the face remained relatively concealed- this is to maintain the sense of mystery and suspense. However, we could have included an extreme close-up of a clenched fist or weapon to symbolise danger, as danger is what we wanted to audience to assume the character is bringing with them. In order to resolve this, we chose the shrill theme song of Insidious and motion blurring using key frames to make the shot fade in and out for a sense of uncertainty. As a viewer, you are made to feel unsure as to what the villain's motive is just yet.

The use of cross dissolve to fade into every new shot indicated time passing. The villain has entered the building and begins to approach a possible victim (a student) and the plot has been enforced. Again, a tracking shot is lightly used to follow the villain in order to ensure that the attention is mainly on them at all times. Nevertheless, I think that this shot should have involved more emphasised camera shots because the drama is building at that moment in time and so the element of danger should have increased. Perhaps including a point of view or over the shoulder shot of the villain would have accomplished this alongside a panning shot of the victim running to show urgency and with it, vulnerability. Additionally, in the right corner when the tracking shot occurs, a person appears in the background; if timing wasn't an issue, re-filming the action would have resolved the issue. Despite this, the positioning of the shot was effective in showing both characters; the possible victim is fleeing from the scene unaware of the villain who the audience can see, lurking in the darkness. By establishing the two characters, we can gain feelings of angst and empathy for the student who is oblivious to what is about to happen. Following this, we filmed a close up of another possible victim running away to simply show how there are multiple people the villain is able to pursue. The steadiness of the camera is purposely slightly erratic to represent the feel of tension and fear. A point of view shot of the villain would be ideal to include here in another cut to ensure that it is clear that the newly introduced character is also running away for the same reason as the previous character. This also applies to the next shot of a new character running down a flight of stairs. Or rather, the lack of the point of view shot could suggest that the villain is no longer chasing them- this is entirely down to interpretation, but overall, the use of a point of view shot would make it clearer to immediately understand. To display the power dynamics of the story-line, we used a high angle on this character to show that they are defenceless in the eyes of the superior villain.  

Our final shot was successful in representing the climax of the plot; the villain has chosen their victim and captures them in a room at the end of a long corridor. By shooting in a long, empty corridor with little space to escape naturally sets the feel of confinement which makes the audience feel anxious as to what will occur. On the other hand, you could assume that the spacious, unobstructed corridor symbolised escape in a positive light because climbing flights of stairs is clearly more strenuous than simply running. There was an attempt of an establishing shot to make sure that these judgements were in place; however this may have been cut short during editing. We initially blurred the image to reintroduce the sense of uncertainty, which then gradually focused when we came to the realisation that the villain has been lurking in the darkness yet again. By this time, the villain has begun to approach their chosen victim, closing the previous physical distance made by the escapees, limiting the space to just a room. A rolling shot is used when the villain appears which makes them even more indistinguishable than before, they are simply a dark silhouette which can only suggest danger- this is unnerving for the audience. This confinement alongside an awkward rolling shot, followed by a fade to black only suggests that the hunt is over. Shortly after, the title, “The Protector”, pops up on the screen with music that makes the audience jump which suggests that the villain has defeated the victims.

With regards to setting the story-line characters and setting, I think we have achieved an effective short film however many key camera techniques were missed out. These include, a crane shot, tilt, pan, low angle, over the shoulder, point of view (POV) and an extreme close-up. The crane and panning shot could have been used with the victims to emphasise their vulnerability and desperation to escape, whereas tilt, low angle, over the shoulder and POV shots would have worked in favour of the villain’s cunning plan and superiority. Particular areas which would need work include the second and third shots where the significance of them becomes slightly unclear because the characters were not being pursued by the villain, unlike in the first and last shots. Such techniques would have been executed in the shots if we had planned better beforehand and remained consistent with our plans throughout.