Influences

Influences

In many regards no given film has directly influenced the production of this short film. The concept was brought forward through discussion which developed and modified ideas until we had a solid platform for a film in place. However, from doing extensive research into other thriller films certain themes, techniques and patterns are visible which we will also be using to convey a certain tone within the film.  


For example:
The film 'number 23' carries a similar theme of a man driven to the point of insanity by something- in this case Jim carrey potrayes a man whose obsession with the number 23 becomes his weapon of self-destruction. This particular image from the film was chosen because it depicts not only the man's obsession, but also has a similar premise to the flash back of the asylum. This is because the current idea is to show how the tumour has driven him so insane that he has etched or written many mathematical equations on the walls of the asylum.


These thriller films all seem to carry silmilar lighting techniques which complement the film to reinforce a dark and sinister atmosphere. Low level lighting is a constant reoccurance in this sort of film and is sometimes a contanst in a certain directors films. An example of this is the Tim Burton film Edward Scissor hands. As exhibited below it is evident that Burton has used the LS to effect in this dark gothic styled room to create reinforce her vunerability. Simerily we want to create this same sense of vunerability through low level lighting when the main male character Johnny is shot in the asylum. This will hopefully help to climitise this scene to create the most impact for his death.

Soft lighting is a technique which we would like to explore within our A2 media coursework. Hitchcock uses soft lighting in his film Vertigo to suggest how he is in love with an ideological version of Madeline which doesn't exist - a fantasy. Below is a clip of Judy making her complete transformation into Madeline, note how the soft lighting gives her an almost ghost like quality which should instinctively make the audience uneasy and feel as though something isn't right here. We intend the shots of the physiarist meeting to be shot in a slight soft lighting to give that subtle indicator that something isn't right, and perhaps this meeting isn't what it seems (that he is really dead).

As Johnny's (the main male) character will be presented as a manic individual who can't retain focus, we believe it's important that we use a substantial amount of ECU's on his eye's (as shown below) to reflect the unnatural panic of his mind. This concept will also make his character more believable because the audience can gage his manic state more easily.

Slow motion on the ticking clock will also be a technique that we encorperate into our final product. As exhibited in the video below, we want to create a effect which emphasises the manic state of Johnny. This particular edit will also fiurther the cresendo effect we would like to create when the psychatrist speaks the firm and finalising line of dialouge 'Now, Focus'.