Research into Location for our Main Task

We decided by researching into our location where we will film, it will give us a better advantage. We took photographs and some videos of what we may decide to chose using a digital camera, which will help when we actually use the video camera to record our opening scene. 


Firstly we decided on taking a photograph of the side angle of the house, as a way of building up to the opening of the door in our opening scene.

Secondly, we decided to see how effective the low angle shot would be for our opening two minutes. Below this photograph is an interpretation video of a low angle shot, moving upwards and towards the front door of the house.

Video Interpretation:

Finally, we took an interpretation of an 'establishing shot' of the house, in case we decide to use this as the opening to our Main Task piece.

Brainstorming Ideas for the Main Task

Ideas for Plot, Props, Music, Location and Further Research - Main Task

Ideas for Plot, Props, Music, Location and Further Research Clip



Second Decontruction - 'Memento'

'Memento' - Opening Scene

Duration: opening 2 minutes


'Memento' opening scene opens with an establising shot, with a still close up of an unknown persons hand holding a photograph of a women. The use of non-digetic sounds of classical music tensions the atomsphere within the audience, making them feel that a loved one has passed away. The use of titles is simple but effective. The white text appearing on the screen has uses of connoations such as; light, goodness, innocence and purity. The colour white could also be considered as the color of perfection; meaning that the women in the photograph was perfect to this unknown person.

The frame moves to the unknown person shaking the photograph in a vigorous manner before quickly snapping the photograph up to look at the women again, pausing yet again to stare at the photograph for some time. Due to the close up shot, it makes the audience feel as if they are the unknown person looking at the photograph, which makes the audience feel sympathetic towards he or she.

This whole opening scene is continuity, so therefore there are no edits made which could ruin the unhappy, tenison atomsphere. As the scene contiunes, the photograph of the women still gets vigorously shaken, however the pauses of staring at the photograph get shorter and shorter.

As the scene progresses through, the unknown person shakes the photograph, where it starts to fade. The person does this a second and a third time, until gradually the image in the photograph starts to disapper. The non-digetic sound of classical music becomes more dramatic and upsetting. By the image in the photograph slowly disappering, it makes the audience feel that the unknown person is trying to erase all memories of this women.

The scene ends with the image of the photograph gone and a still close up shot of the unknown persons hand holding the blank photograph.

'Memento' - Opening Scene Clip



First Deconstruction - 'The Silence of The Lambs'

'The Silence of The Lambs' Opening Scene

Duration: opening 2 minutes


'The Silence of The Lambs' opening scene opens with an establising shot of a forest with the heavy fog in the background, with the non-diegetic sound of classical music works well with the mise-en-scene. This shot is held for 10 seconds with bold titles of the actors names. Due to the film being a Psychological Thriller, the actors names are spelt backwards, which creates confusion with the audience as normally titles are spelt the correct way round. Also with the bold black backwards titles it connects with the eery atmosphere of the dark forest and fog, which will create tension while the audience watch this opening scene.

From this, the camera pans across the forest until it pans downwards, creating a high angle shot of the forest from a birds eye view. As this is happening, the bold black backwards titles are still in the shot. The camera holds for a few seconds showing the mise-en-scene. From the camera shot we can see a faded shadow of a person emerging from the fog, as the person moves quickly from the fog we establish it's a young women.

The camera again pans down, giving us a long shot of the young women climbing up the muddy hill, by using a rope which is already there to pull herself up. By the women pulling herself up with the rope, it creates a connoation of an army circuit training routine to the audience. The camera keeps paning downwards showing the young women climb up the muddy hill. As well as having the non-diegtic sound of classical music, we could also hear some diegetic sound of birds singing and, branches and twigs being snapped by the young womens foot once she's over the hill.

The frame moves to a medium shot of the young women, panting for breath on top of the hill. The frame moves to a meduim shot of her running through another part of the forest, opening up to a long shot of her running, as well as the mise-en-scene of the forest. While she is running, the bold black backwards titles are continuing to show. The camera slows gracefully down so we can see the young women run through a large area of the fog. This frame quickly jumps to a close-up shot of the young womens face continuing running, showing some branches of the forest background.

Finally at the end of the opening scene, a tracking shot is used to show the young women running extremely fast through the woods. The use of the tracking shot makes the audience feel part of the shot, as they are actually running with the young women while watching this scene.

The Silence of The Lambs - Opening Scene:

Genre for Main Task

We have decided to do PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER because we feel that we can be as imaginative as we want. We also think that we can make the first 2 minutes and opening titles very creative. With editing, we can make the 2 minutes look very proffesional and quite haunting.

Brief for the Main Task

Brief: The opening and titles of a new fiction flim, lasting a maximun of two minutes.