Our Camera - Sony HDR-HC3 High Definition Camcorder

This is the camera that we are using to film our opening two minutes with. It's my associate’s personal camera that he uses. It films in full HD, which should make it look pretty good, and this was the main appeal for this camera. It also has a microphone slot, so we don't have to rely on the internal microphone. The zoom is also good, and so we can get some shots from far away and it would still be very good quality. The camera contains:

16:9 Recording Format	Depth in mm: 139	Height (mm): 78
Width (mm): 82	Digital Input	Highest Focal Length in mm: 505
Video System: Mini DV	Digital Zoom (Ratio): 80	Image Stabiliser: Digital
Chip Type: CMOS	Firewire IEEE-1394 Interface: Yes	LCD Screen Size in Inches: 2.7
Viewfinder: Yes	Handheld Position: Horizontal	Lowest Focal Length in mm: 50.5
Maximum Aperture Tele: 2.9	Maximum Aperture Wide: 1.8	Maximum Pixel (in Megapixel): 2.1
Memory Stick	Weight in Grams: 510	Optical Zoom (Ratio): 10
Photo Resolution Heigth in Pixel: 1728	Photo Resolution Width in Pixel: 2304	Resolution: High Definition
USB Interface

Research:Soundtrack - Spiderman 2

In Spiderman 2, uplifting and dramatic music is used to convey the idea of a hectic fight scene. It works effectively, because it emotionally involves the audience and makes them feel the emotion the director is trying to convey. From this, I can conclude that using upbeat music during my fight scene will work well with ensuring the fight seems realistic and also, it will increase the pace of the scene.

Research:Soundtrack - Skyfall

The sound and feel of this music is very intense and cinematic. The tension that it builds over the course of the track has a nice feel to it. It edges towards minor increases and then drops back again, and you can feel that something big is going on in the film. It is obviously modified to the visuals, and so the soundtrack does not become a piece on its own. We do not want music that overpowers and outshines the visuals, but we want music that is in the background and supports the action. On the other hand, music is a powerful tool in increasing the intensity of a scene, and we can't miss out on this trick. James Bond motif obviously shines through at 2:09, making it obvious that James Bond is on screen and he is about to do something that only James Bond would do. We are planning to James Richardson to make the soundtrack have its own motifs for the various characters, and the score should be building upon this. What is also really nice about this soundtrack is the variety of instruments and the full orchestra.

Research:Sountrack Intro

We believe the choice of soundtrack is the one of the most important components to a successful film, especially in the opening two minutes because it reveals all and introduces the characters. The music helps tell the story and allows the audience to empathise with the characters, without the music, there would be no feelings linking the characters together with the audience. A soundtrack can eventually turn into a sound theme, which, with high ranking films, has done in the past.
For our film we are going to have James Richardson compose a soundtrack, James has had experience in doing this as he created the soundtrack for the "Sins of the Martyr" film. We chose James to create the soundtrack for our film as he is very skilled in composing his own music that perfectly fits with the themes with smooth transitions between sequences.

This is an example of the soundtrack that James has composed:

Action films usually include high energy, big-budget physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes, destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.), non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' - all designed for audience escapism. Our film will include a lot of fast paced scences to lift up the audience and make it a more exciting experience for them.

Research:Opening titles analysed in detail – Font

I decided to analyse some existing thriller opening sequences as part of my research in order to observe the type of fonts they use and how they may/may not conform to the thriller/action genre.

'Se7en' opening credits:

The font featured in this opening sequence is quite childlike. It is almost as if it has been hand written and is relatively small. I believe this has been done to keep the emphasis on the fast paced cut between shots which are informing what the film will be like. The font is also in white and is small to stand out against the clips. This is a sequence I've seen with one of the smallest fonts. The font is also quite jumpy and looks quite old which creates an eerie effect for the audience, especially as it accompanied by gory images in the background.

This is therefore typical of the thriller genre as it creates suspense for the audience and already contains clues/messages in the sequence of what is to come in the film. It also suggests that a child may be involved through the child-like font. The non-diegetic music playing is also quite scary in the sense that has an eerie sound to it, which accompanies the credits and thus
reates an effective opening sequence.

'Panic room 'opening sequence:

The font featured in this opening sequence for the thriller 'Panic Room' is very bold. The fact that it is all in capitals reinforces this and shows how the credits are of importance. Although all of the credits are generally big in size, some of them are smaller to give emphasis on the names e.g. 'MUSIC BY' is smaller compared to the name 'HOWARD SHORE' at 1.17.

The credits are also displayed against a natural backdrop of a city. The music is also very intense and heightens tension which coincides with the credits to create an effect on the audience such as suspense.