BBFC

The British Board of Film Classification view and rate films according to their content. At their offices, they view films and compare the content according to a set of guidelines to determine if they are suitable for release in the United Kingdom. Each certification has a list of content attached to it, and for a film to meet a certification it must comply with the allowed content.

 



The BBFC uses the following Classifications:
Uc: Universal and suitable for children.
U: Suitable for a Universal audience.
PG: Parental Guidance, suitable for most children.
12A: In cinemas, people under 12 can see with an adult.
12: Over 12 years old only. May contain violence and swearing.
15: Over 15s only. May contain violence, drug use, sexual content, swearing.
18: Over 18s only. Will probably contain the above but in extreme amounts.
R18: Can only be sold by licensed sex shop or shown in Adult cinemas.



Thrillers are most likely to be rated either 15 or 18 because violence and horror would be typical conventions used to create a increase the tension and create atmosphere. Due to this thrillers are targeted towards a more mature and selective audience, typically people from 15 onwards.

Many thrillers are rated as 15s or 18s although some are rated 12 because of their setting. The film Inception is a thriller surrounding a man who enters dreams to steal or plant information. The film contains moderate violence, gunfights and blood when people are wounded, fight scenes and scenes of suicide e.g jumping off buildings, yet these things do not warrant the certification of a 15, as the action is distanced by the fact that it takes place in a dream world. It is allowed to be rated as a 12 because it does not focus on the injuries and there are no scenes of graphic injury. The film also contains a moderate use of bad language (swearing)

 Shutter Island is an example of a psychological thriller rated 15. Its centred around a US Marshall investigating a mental asylum on Shutter Island. The film was said to have over 20 uses of strong language and moderate language throughout requiring it to be a 15 rating. Graphical violent images are seen through flashbacks which involve the execution of surrendering German Soldiers, a Nazi Commandant with a severe wound on his face, bleeding to death and a scene with 3 dead children floating in the lake. Along with this unsettling images of dead bodies piled up at a Nazi death camp, this film has some dark tones to it, however because it does not dwell on the injuries, it can be accepted as a 15.

For our thriller "film" we would aim for a 15 certificate for a few reasons:
- Opens up to a wider audience
- Is not distasteful or overly graphical
- Can work on a more complicated level then what you see. (On a psychological level for example).

Media producers and distributers

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc 
Warner Bros. is a an American producer of film, television and entertainment.It is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank, California and New York. It has several of its own subsidiary companies, including Warner Bros. Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures etc.


Advantages:

• Abundance of resources.
• Experienced.
• Previous Successes.
• Non-restrictive budget.
• Publicity opportunities.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation 
Lions Gate is a North American entertainment and distribution company.Its headquartered in Santa Monica, California. As of 2011, it is the most commercially successful in independent film and as a television distribution company.


Advantages:

• UK subsidiary.
• Previous Successes.
• Multiple contacts already established.
• Reliability.
• Professional promotors.

Camera plans for prelim

Shot notes and script

The original film Psycho was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960 and was adapted from the book written by Robert Bloch. I remake of Hitchcock’s movie was made by Gus Van Sant and I will be using the stills from this version for my analysis.

This part of the scene is shot within the shower. The water effectively focused on and blocks out whatever is lurking on the other side of the curtain. There are several shots in this part, not just the one in the still above. A lot of close ups are used at different angles. For example, there is a shot where it is using a low angle shot to look at the shower head. This could also be seen as a point of view shot.  We also get a shot over the shower curtain looking in. Throughout this part of the scene the camera never looks out of the shower, it is always blocked by water or the curtain. The curtain is of great importance in this part because it charades the attacker, adding tension. The camera pans to the left slowly and starts to zoom in on an outline outside of the curtain.

 

After the curtain has been pulled quickly back we get this shot. From the angle it looks like a point of view shot. The face of the attacker is kept hidden and the viewer is drawn to the shining blade that has been lit well. The cuts and camera shots become quicker as the action starts. From this shot we cut to a close up of the victim who has no time to defend herself as the knife plunges into her. There is a series of rapidly changing shots that flick from the victim and the attacker. Several times in the scene the knife is the focal point. There is not an excessive amount of blood which makes the scene more chilling because it is an everyday object doing damage and being shown realistically. A characteristic of a thriller is to turn the normal into the extraordinary inj a realistic fashion.

 

                        This extreme close up occurs near the end of the sequence. As she lets out her final shrieks, the camera zooms in close to her open mouth. This is used effectively to make your blood curdle. The way that it cuts to and from the open mouth gives a sense of chaos.  In the background the now cliché violins are used and compliment the screams to build tension.

                                          This shot is a graphic match to the victim’s pupil dilating. The blood flowing down the plug is the following shot from a panning shot down the victim’s body. The close up of the blood could be used a representative of the victims life draining away as she lies half in the bath.

This is the final shot in the shower scene. It uses an interesting shower technique. A graphic match is used again as it fades from the plug hole to her eye. As the camera pans out, it twists like the spiralling water down the drain. This brings the scene to an interesting halt.

Composition, Rule of Thirds, The Golden Mean, Framing and Camera Shots. Week 1 ISL

Composition is where objects are placed or arranged in a shot. The rule of thirds uses an imaginery grid on top of an image. The points of interest occur where the lines cross. The golden mean is used when composing a shot. You imagine a diagonal line over the shot and put points of interest along the line. Framing means what you choose to include in the shot and what you leave out. What you leave out can be important, it might exclude objects or people to create tension.

Shot types:

Extreme Long Shot (ELS): This is used to pan in on a location, you cannot generaly see the character, it gives an idea of where and when a shot is based. It shows the surroundings, establishing the shot. It can also be used in shots where there is alot of action spread out over an area.

Long Shot (LS): The subject takes up almost all of the frame. This is used to show a character in their environment.

Mid Shot (MS): The mid shot shows some parts of the subject in more detail whilst still showing enough for the subject to feel that they are seeing the whole thing. Good for showing body language and surroundings.

Medium Close Up (MCU): The medium close up is halfway between a mid shot and a close up. It shows the face more clearly without the audience feeling uncomfortably close.

Close Up (CU): A certain feature or part of the subject takes up mose of the frame. I close up of a person usually means a close up of their face. It is useful for showing detail. A close up of a person shows their emotions well. The viewer is drawn into the subjects personal space.

Extreme Close Up (ECU): The ECU gets right in and shows extreme detail. You would normally need a specific reason to get this close.It is too close to show general reactions to emotion except in very dramatic scenes. Can show important deatail on an object.

Cut Away (CA): A cutaway is a shot that's usually of something other than the current action. It could be a different subject. A cutaway is used as a "buffer" between shots (to help the editing process) or to add interest/information.

Two Shot: Good for establishing a relationship between subjects. A two shot can involve movement or action. It is a good way to follow the interaction between two people without getting distracted by their surroundings.

Over The Shoulder Shot: This shot is framed from behind a person who is looking at the subject. The person facing the subject should usually occupy about 1/3 of the frame. This shot helps to establish the position of each person, and get the feel of looking at one person from the other's point of view. It's common to cut between these shots during a conversation, alternating the view between the different speakers.

Noddy Shot: Common in interviews, this is a shot of the person listening and reacting to the subject. Used in an interview to keep it flowing when there are gaps in the film.

Point of View Shot: This shot shows a view from the subjects perspective. It is usually edited in such a way that it is obvious whose POV it is.

Low Angle Shot: The shot is taken from below the subject, looking up at it. This gives the subject a sense of size, power and authority. Puts the viewer in a inferior position.

High Angle Shot: Shot is taken from above the subject, looking down at it. Gives the subject a sense of helplessness, lack of power and inferiority. Puts the viewer in a position of power and authority.

Pan: The camera moves from right to left, or vice versa, following a subject. Gives a sense of moving with the action or speed.

Tracking Shot: Camera moves on a dolly to follow the subject. Gives a sense of speed and moving with the action.

Tilt: Camera pans vertically- up and down. Can give a sense of size and height.

Canted/ Dutch Angle Shot: Camera position is not straight towards the subject. Can give a sense of chaos, insanity or things being out of the ordinary.

Zoom in/out: Camera focuses zooming in or out on a key detail. Can highlight signicant objects to audience.

Steadicam/ Handheld: The camera moves around with the action. Gives the viewer a sense of realism- of bieng a part of the film. Can create tension/excitement when used in a chase/suspense scene.

Crane Shot: A camera takes a high angle shot looking down on the subject. Crane can track, pan and tilt. Gives a sense of size and scale; of how the subject fits into the setting.

Aerial Shot: The camera is positioned in a plane or helicopter to get an ELS high angled shot. Gives a sense of location/scle/size.

Homework

DVD Poster for Remorse At Rutland Manor