Parity - The Final Product, Plot and Analysis

Parity - Equality; comparability of strength or intensity. (Wikipedia)

The unnamed male protagonist (played by Sam) has a psychological issue where he believes that for every positive deed he does he has to maintain the balance by conducting an equal negative deed. It was from this we thought of the title ‘Parity’ meaning balance. When it comes to the negative dead his alter ego takes over and consequently he loses all control and once finnished is left to clear up the mess and face the consequences.

The title was not decided until part way through editing. Once we had the idea for the plot and the sense of balance that was being created through the plot we decided we need a title to reflect this. 'Parity' was an idea of Sams and after discussing this with the group through an e-mail (shown below) the title was decided.

Feedback
After editing our thriller we thought that we should receive feedback on the final product. Obtaining feedback would then help us to analyse and evaluate the thriller in more detail as well as make any changes deemed necessary.
Firstly we showed our thriller to our class and Mr Silverwood for feedback from our peers. Mr Silverwood thought that it was good but we should perhaps continue a little longer. After discussion with the rest of the group we decided that we would leave the clip as the current finnish portrayred the suspense and tension, the main characteristic of the thriller genre.
We then decided to post the video onto youtube. This would then target a much wider audience this meant a much wider range of feedback especially from people we don't know, who could review and give any necessary feedback.

This picture shows the actual comments receieved off youtube. The majority of the feedback is positive. This positive feedback helps to show the strength of our thriller opening. However contstructive criticsm is just as important as positive feedback. One comment states that Adam, the murdered character, moves his head slightly in one scene where he is being moved. This is something we should consider when next filming in order to improve on our efforts.

Thriller Evaluation



How does your media product represent particular social groups?
The particular social class which we based our thriller on was the upper class. Our thriller represented the type of people who had a comfortable living and who also had sufficient amounts of disposable income. The mise-en-scene in the thriller shows the class, with the use of public toilets being hygienic and clean and the choice of dress. Both murderer and victim were dressed formal by wearing suits to show they were at a higher class party. The usual stereotype of lower class mainly murder is also questioned with the murderer in this scenario coming from a more upper class background.

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?
When creating our film we based a lot of our ideas on the film 'Physco' (1960) such as the murderer cleaning up the blood with a mop. Universal studies and Paramount Pictures distributed this film, so we believe this media institution would be the ideal company to distribute ours because it is a globally known, therefore attracting a much larger audience and revenue. As our thriller contains strong violence, we would have to be careful when advertising. It would be inappropriate to advertise our product before 9pm or to advertise on children's television programmes. However, since our thriller is low budget, it makes it increasingly difficult to attract global distributors. An alternative would be to use a smaller studio such as, Filmfour, this is because they tend to show the latest independent british films, which also suits our thriller, but would lack the mainstream global success and audiences.

Who would be the audience for your media product?
The audience for our media product would be aimed at people who are aged 15 and above. The reason for this is stated by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification). Our product would be given the rating 15+ by the BBFC, due to the reasons that the thriller would incorporate; Dangerous behaviour such as the murder with the use of a weapon which is the knife. Violence is also evident however, only for a short duration. The use of blood is also glamourised which gives the rating a 15+. Our film will be targeting both males and females, the reason for this is that the males may be able to relate to each of the characters. We also notice that the thriller genre is not everybodys cup of tea, therefore we have made the audience one who likes the thriller genre and who may also be intellectual so they can unravel the reasons behind why the killer is performing these hideous acts.

How did you attract/address your audience?
We would show advertisments on all of the major television channels such as ITV, Channel 4 and Five. However, due to the age certificate, the advertisements would be shown after the 9pm watershed to avoid any stress which may occur on younger viewers. Also due to the targeted age range, social networking sites are very popular, facebook and twitter accounts would also be activated so fans will be able to keep updated on the latest news and events which are happening related to the film. As our film 'Parity' resembles balance we would make it clear to our audience that for every good deed he does the killer balances it out with a bad deed. By having frequent flashbacks tells the audience he has a very vague memory of what he has just done. Rather than having just dialogue, using a scripted narrators voice makes the film seem more eerie/scary, therefore making the audience wanting to see more.

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?
Our Thriller opening uses many forms and conventions of the thriller genre. In general the thriller genre is one of suspense and tension, if the film thrills it can be classed as a thriller. In our opening we have created suspense using a variety of different techniques.
Sound is one of the most important factors in building suspense. Our inspiration for our thriller opening was from 'Psycho'. This was a film we watched together in class and analysed the importance of sound to the suspense of particular scenes. Similar to 'Psycho' our thriller would be no where near as tense without the soundtrack. For example the sound of the water drop twinned with the further sound effects at this point just before the main protagonist opens his eyes where the tension peaks and begins to fall again.
Editing is also an important part of creating suspense. Using short cut clips are very effective at creating suspense. This is a technique we used alot when Sam is moving the dead body. We also used a flashback in the reflection of the mirror. This is also a very short scene with fast transition which helps to add to the suspense, also with the additional sound effects this scene in particular has a high amount of tension. Another important editing technique used was altering the ambient lighting. By making it darker, and adding a blue tint, makes the scene more gloomy and overall more eerie/scary, another characteristic of thrillers.
Camera Techniques are also used to create the tension required. For example as Sam moves the body he kicks the knife away. We then position the camera at ground level, with the knife in full view, as the main protagonist is about to leave. This helps to raise suspense as the viewer is starting to wonder whether he has forgotten about the knife, something which will effect the rest of the film. This is very similar to 'Psycho' as the viewer is thinking exactly the same as the main protagonist cleans up after a murder.
Mise-En-Scene is also used to create tension. This is also very similar to our inspiration of 'Psycho' as we did not show the main protagonist commiting the murder. Instead we showed the dead body and the clearing up. Our reasons for this were that we wanted to make a thriller opening rather than a horror opening. Also the clearing up of the murder can actually be more tense than the murder itself. This is because the viewer is wondering whether the character has forgotten anything. This is also less predictable than an actual murder.

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?
Our Preliminary Task was a short clip about our understanding of continuity. From this I have learnt a huge amount and feel that my skills have progressed dramatically. The first and main thing that I have learnt from my continuity piece was the small mistake that we made in this task. This mistake was where our actors swapped places at one point in the scene. However thanks to this mistake I have learnt the importance of continuity in order to make a successful film. I believe our final product as a result is stronger because of this mistake as we took extra care in making sure that we made no such slip up again.
I have also learnt various different camera techniques in the preliminary exercise that I used in the thriller opening. These techniques included the usage of a tripod, panning (with and without a tripod) and various different camera angles. Without conducting a preliminary exercise our thriller would have taken alot longer to produce and wouldn't have had the same proffessional feel, a comment made by a youtube user, without this practice.
The preliminary exercise also taught us the importance of planning thoroughly. We did plan our continuity piece but perhaps not in enough detail. As a result of this we planned for much longer and went into much more depth for the planning of our thriller. By conducting this planning it allowed us to set deadlines and keep track of what needed to be done. Also by extensive discussions with the whole group we managed to create a story line strong enough to make a quality thriller opening.
I believe without the continuity task our thriller opening would have not been up to the same standard that it is now. The preliminary task helped us gain valuable experience of filming and editing and these skills were then used in our final product.

Pre Production

This picture shows Haran and Adam starting the storyboard. It is important to get ideas down on to paper in order to help us develop the ideas further. We sketched the order in which the events were to be happening.

This picture is our finnished storyboard. Not only does it contain the events in the order they are to happening there is also a short sentence with any additional information, such as actors movements/actions in this particular scene.

We also had to consider the location of the thriller opening. Our desired location was a public toilet. There are numerous toilets on the school site so we decided we could probably film on site. We wanted a relatively clean environment so it wasnt too unpleasant for Adam as he is being dragged along the floor.

These two pictures show the toilet we eventually decided to film in. These toilets are rarely used and as a result are the cleanest in school. As they are rarely used there was less chance of being interupted whilst filming. The toilets also had a cubical, shown left, which was ideal for hiding Adams body in.

Filming our Thriller Opening

The picture to the left is the picture of the knife we used in the filming of our thriller. We covered the knife in fake blood to give the viewer the impression the murder had taken place.

This picture is of the main protagonist, played by Sam. He is wearing a suit as this fits in with the plot as the murder has taken place at a party. However by making Sam untuck part of his shirt and wearing his tie halfway down his chest it can give the viewer the impression that the victim was trying to hang on not only to Sam and to his life. This makes the murder seem more realistic.

In this picture Haran is trying to position himself and the camera for a high shot. Due to limited room in the enivronment we were in we could not extend the tripod fully without it becoming an obstruction. Therfore Haran decided to use the toilet to stand on in order to gain the height required.

This picture shows Haran setting up the tripod for a particular scene. We used the tripod in order to reduce the hand shake of the camera. It also allowed an easy panning shot which gives a much smoother effect than a panning shot by hand.

The picture to the right shows the fake blood on the floor and the wall next to where Adam was due to be sitting. This further adds to the murder effect. We also smeared the blood print on the wall (Shown in Behind the Scenes 1) to give the effect of Adam sliding down the wall. We also made sure that the blood on the floor was streaked to add to the realism.

This is a picture of the short scene of Sam murdering Adam. This was shown as a flashback in the reflection of the mirror. We filmed this from both angles but used the angle from which the tripod is in this photo, this is because the blood on Adams shirt wasn't visible from this angle as this was filmed after the start of the thriller.

This is another example of a high shot where Haran has to climb up due to the limited space for the full extension of the tripod. This is the eventual camera angle that we decided on after much deliberation (Shown in Behind the Scenes 5)

With reference to Hitchcock’s Psycho and at least two other thrillers you have studied, as well as your wider research, discuss the thriller genre and its forms and conventions

The thriller film genre is one of suspense and tension. Literally if the film thrills it can be classed as thriller. Many thrillers are of crime or mystery nature as they are generally easier to create the suspense and tension required for a thriller. Thrillers can cross genres, such as action thrillers, where there is a lot of action involved but the thrilling element of usually thrillers is present. However this does not make all action films thrillers. A thriller has many different characteristics; the whole film is building towards the climax where the tension will peak. However throughout the film there are also smaller peaks of tension to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat throughout the film. Thrillers are able to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats as the storyline is usually more believable than other genres of films as viewers can relate to the action. This is helped as they are usually set in ordinary cities and other urban areas, rather than far away mythical places. Also the main character, or hero, is often a normal person that the viewer can relate to and subsequently empathise with.

Psycho (1960) is directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, distributed by universal studios and paramount pictures. So far it has made a gross revenue of over $32 Million from a estimated budget of $806,947. Marion Crane, a young phoenix officer worker, is fed up with her life. She has to meet her lover in her lunch breaks and they can’t get married as Sam, her lover, hasn’t got the money. One Friday she is trusted to bank $40,000 for her employer. However Marion packs her bags and heads for Sam’s Californian store. After a long drive she pulls into Bates Motel to rest. The motel is managed by a young man called Norman who seems to be controlled by his mother. After Marion talks to Norman she decides that she is going to head back to Phoenix and return the money. However she still plans on staying the night and showers before bed, the place of her murder. A week later Marion’s sister, Lila, comes to visit Sam in his store to find the location of her sister. Sam is unaware of Marion’s whereabouts and in this scene Arbogast, a private inspector, enters also inquiring about Marion. Arbogast goes about his investigation when he discovers the Bates Motel. He also discovers that Marion had checked into the motel a week ago. He phones to inform Sam and Lila and then continues his investigation to Norman’s house situated above the motel. On entering he goes straight up the stairs and then stumbles back down to his death. As Arbogast doesn’t return Sam and Lila decide to go and see for themselves. Lila decides to go and talk to Norman’s mother whilst Sam distracts Norman. Lila discovers Norman’s mother in the fruit cellar, where Norman had hidden her a few days earlier after Arbogast’s death. However when the chair moves round to reveal Mrs Bates’ remains, Norman bursts through the only door into the room, dressed as his mother wielding a knife. Sam's timely arrival means that Norman is stopped. A psychiatrist later diagnoses that Norman’s personality no longer existed and he took his mother’s instead. According to Todorov the equilibrium at the start of the film is in the office before Marion receives the $40,000. Then the Balance is disrupted when she is asked to Cash in the Money and doesn’t, this triggers a series of events. Finally the equilibrium is restored when the truth about Norman is discovered.
Before Marion goes to bed in the Bates Motel she decides to have a shower. Hitchcock makes this one of the most important scenes in the film. He emphasises the vulnerably of a shower murder scene. Firstly he uses sound effects to help build the tension. Without the sound the scene would have nowhere near the same effect. It is made authentic by the sound of the shower and then a contrast to the sound effect of the music as the woman is stabbing Marion. Also without the music this scene would look unreal as you cannot show the Marion actually being stabbed, it’s all suggested and left to the viewer’s imagination. The sound of Marion screaming helps to make the scene believable as it is a natural reaction and helps the viewer focus on the emotion of the scene. The sound effect of a knife entering the skin, Hitchcock used the sound of a watermelon being sliced, makes the scene authentic and adds to the suspense.
Hitchcock also used clever camera angles and techniques to make this scene so vital to the film. At the start he used lots of close ups and medium shots towards the start to make it look like an ordinary shower with nothing to worry about. Then as the scene developed he positioned the camera in a wide angle view so we could see Marion, who was facing towards the camera, and the entering killer behind. Also as the shower curtain was shut all you could see was a silhouette of the killer so the viewer couldn’t identify the killer and so that it looks a bit scarier. This adds to the suspense as the viewer knows more than the character. When Marion was being attacked, Hitchcock used reverse motion to imply that Marion was being stabbed. Close ups are used of Marion’s face to show her emotion during the scene, this is like the viewer having the killers point of view. However he did not show the face of the killer in the close ups of the face but as she walked out it was apparent that she was a woman. At the end of the scene it shows the blood running down the drain, zooming in then changing to Marion’s eye then zooming back out again to show her dead body on the bathroom floor. The shower scene was even more effective as this had never been done before in film and in the 1960s this was considered scary, as it hadn’t been done before, where as nowadays it isn’t. Another way in which it was different to most other films is that Marion was the main character and she had now been killed a third of the way into the film, leaving the rest of the film open and the viewer not knowing what to expect, adding to the suspense.

Taking Lives (2004) is directed by Daniel John Caruso and produced by Mark Canton and Bernie Goldmann. It was distributed by Warner Bros, and made a gross revenue of $65 Million with an estimated budget of $45 Million. The film opens in the early 1980s where the young and shy teenager Martin Asher is seen fleeing from home, taking a bus in Canada. He befriends another teen on the bus, Matt Soulsby and the two talk about their plans for the future. When their bus breaks down, the two decide to rent a car and drive all the way to Seattle. However, all ends badly when the car gets a flat tire. While Matt is changing the tire, Martin comments on how he and Matt are both about the same height. He quickly pushes Matt in the way of an oncoming truck, causing a major traffic accident that kills Matt and the driver of the other truck. He is last seen taking Matt's guitar and walking away singing in the fashion that Matt had been in the car. Twenty Years later Illeana Scott, a FBI agent, is called out to Canada to hunt down the serial killer Martin Asher, who takes the lives of the people he kills. The team meets with art salesman James Costa, an eyewitness who saw Asher kill his last victim. James makes a drawing of Asher and within a couple of days, Asher is found. Illeana discovers Asher's next target is Costa, so protecting him is priority number one. After kidnapping Costa with Illeana in pursuit, Asher supposedly dies in a car accident and the case is closed. At this time, Illeana and Costa become romantically involved and Illeana finds herself really falling for Costa. However when Mrs Asher is asked to come and identify the body of her son she confirms it isn’t and that her son is still alive. Mrs Asher is then murdered in the elevator by her son James Costa. Costa gets away whilst the police realise that the body they believed was Asher is actually an art thief who did business with Costa, and that Asher had killed Costa months before the investigation. Seven months later Illeana is living in a farmhouse by herself, clearly pregnant. It is revealed that the father is Asher. One day as she sits alone in her home, she discovers Asher has broken into her house. She frantically tries to escape, but Asher overpowers her, punching her and throwing her to the ground. Annoyed by Illeana saying that the babies are James Costa’s Asher stabs her in the stomach with a pair of scissors, she then removes the scissors and stabs Asher in the heart removing a prosthetic pregnant belly saying that the last seven months had been a carefully planned trap. Using Propp’s theory of narrative; Martin Asher is the villain, Illeana is the hero, Costa is the donor – who provides them with a drawing of the suspect, justice is the reward for the hero, Paquette and Duval are the helpers, and the false hero is James Costa/Martin Asher who is actually the villain.
Taking Lives is different to the other two as it has a female lead. This enables Caruso to show a love between Illeana and Costa. This unclear love interest adds to the suspense as the viewer is unsure whether love will get in the way and possibly cloud her judgement. Angelina’s character is more Sherlock Homes than James Bond, more intelligence than action; this helps the viewer relate to her as not many people are as adventurous as characters portrayed in action films. The film is set in Canada which is a bit unusual as not many films are set there and also the language can be French. Taking Lives has many twists and turns, one of which being the sex scene in which Illeana finally falls for Costa/Asher. This builds the suspense as earlier in the film Illeana expressed her concerns for getting to emotionally involved. Now the viewer is thinking whether this will affect the outcome of the film. This scene is also unusual as Illeana has pictures of dead people around her bed, this builds suspicion in the viewer when Costa isn’t fazed by this. The next morning she wakes up with blood on her sheet, this causes a result in tension in the viewer however it turns out to be a cut on Costa’s arm obtained in the car crash.

Finally Law Abiding Citizen (2009) was directed by Felix Gary Gray and distributed by Overture Films. Produced by Gerard Butler, Kurt Wimmer, Mark Gill, Lucas Foster and Alan Siegel making a gross revenue of $126 Million from a budget of $53 Million to this date. Clyde Shelton takes the law into his own hands after the killer of his Wife and 5 year old daughter is not brought to justice. Instead his prosecutor makes a deal with the killer, Clarence Darby, in return for pleading guilty to third-degree murder; he will provide testimony that will send Ames, his accomplice, to death row for what is, essentially, a robbery charge. Rice does this in the interest of keeping his 96% conviction rate. Ten Years Later at Ames’ execution via lethal injection someone swapped the chemicals to make the death agonizingly painful. At first the police suspect Darby who once hearing the sirens decides to run away. He receives a phone call from a mysterious man who tries to guide him away from trouble. It is Shelton who is disguised as a sleeping police officer in a car. Once Darby realises he tries to shoot him with a gun he found in the car, where he discovers it is a trick gun and Shelton injects him to make him paralyzed but fully conscious. Shelton tortures Darby and gets his revenge. Rice discovers Darby’s body and immediately suspect Shelton. The SWAT infiltrate Shelton's house to find him waiting for them, and he doesn't resist arrest. In an interrogation cell at the jail, Rice covertly congratulates him for removing Darby from society, then asks for a confession. By all appearances co-operative, Shelton offers a full confession in exchange for a deluxe mattress in his cell; Rice reluctantly agrees. At his hearing, Shelton opposes a motion to deny bail, citing obscure legal precedents. Judge Laura Burch, who also presided at Ames' trial, agrees, but Shelton launches into a tirade against the court's preference for legal technicalities over justice. He is removed for contempt of court. After receiving his mattress he confesses to killing Darby and mixing the chemicals used for Ames’ execution. It is hear when he offers Rice another deal for the life of Bill Reynolds, Darby's attorney, in return for an expensive steak dinner from Del Frisco's to be delivered at precisely 1 p.m., along with his iPod. As the dinner is eight minutes late they couldn’t save Bill Reynolds as he was set to die at 1:15 seven minutes before they arrived. Meanwhile Shelton kills his cell mate with the bone from the steak, and subsequently is moved to solitary confinement. Rice and Cantrell (District Attorney) convince Judge Burch to violate Shelton's civil rights and restrict his privileges. She answers a cell phone which explodes, killing her instantly. Rice confronts Shelton, who says these killings are not about revenge but about the failure of the justice system. Unless he is released with all charges dropped by 6 A.M., he will kill "everyone." Members of the DA's staff congregate until 6. They are sent home, but bombs planted underneath their cars go off and kill those inside, including Sarah. Shelton was still incarcerated, so Rice assumes he is using an accomplice. Shelton carries on killing, including Cantrell at the funeral of those who died from the cars exploding, before Rice receives information that points to Shelton owning a garage next to the prison. He and Dunnigan find a tunnel system leading to all the solitary confinement cells, along with a large supply of armaments. Shelton deliberately had himself sent to solitary in order to carry out his killings undetected. Dunnigan opens a small hole and finds that it leads to Shelton's cell, which is empty. Disguised as a janitor, Shelton plants a cell phone activated napalm bomb in City Hall, planning to kill the mayor and anyone attending her meeting. However Rice manages to remove the bomb and place it back in Shelton’s cell. Shelton the detonates the bomb whilst Rice and Dunnigan seal the exits, Shelton realises that the bomb has been placed underneath his bed and spends his last moments staring at a bracelet which his daughter made for him. Using Todorov’s theory of narrative the equilibrium is at the start of the film just after Shelton’s wife and daughter have been killed, he and Rice are in balance. This is then disrupted when Rice believes its best to settle for the one conviction rather than pushing for both, this is because it helps his conviction rate, whereas Shelton wants them both to be brought to justice. Then the second, different, equilibrium is where the two are trying to make a deal.
In Law Abiding Citizen, Shelton has been killing from inside prison so Rice goes to the Judge to remove his human rights, where she answers the phone and gets shot. Gray builds up the tension in this scene by using different camera angles. It starts with a normal conversation between the Judge, Rice and Cantrell. He uses camera angles that are expected to be involved in a normal conversation focusing on the face of the character. Unlike Hitchcock, Gray chooses not to have music in the scene. This helps the conversation to be more believable and so that the viewer can relate to it. Apart from their voices the only other sound is the judge’s phone ring, this is ironic as at Shelton’s trial Rice’s phone rang and the Judge said they were forbidden. This along with Clyde’s outburst at the judge at his trial indicates there might be something about to happen, but the calmness of the scene helps to counter this. Then she answers the phone, as this happens she is shot in the head. This makes a loud sound which is a contrast to the rest of the scene and helps to build the tension for the rest of the film. At this point Gray introduces music as a sound effect as this further increases the suspense. Throughout the film, Gray keeps the viewer guessing as much as the characters. The viewers know exactly what the characters know and vice versa. This makes the film feel realistic and involves the viewer. This means that Shelton is not only playing games with the justice system he is also playing games with the audience.
“Thrillers are like life, more like life than you are.” Graham Greene. Thrillers are the most realistic film of all the genres helping to make it the best. There are so many different types of thriller and no two films are the same, yet each film has the same exciting twists and turns.

British Board of Film Classification.

The British board of film classification (BBFC) is an independent body that classifies films for the British public. They have been classifying cinema films since 1992 and video/DVDs since 1984 when the video recordings act was passed. The BBFC is a non-profit organisation; its fees are set just to cover its costs.

Classification

Universal: All ages admitted, there is nothing unsuitable for children over 4

Parental Guidance: All ages admitted but some scenes may be unsuitable for children under 8

12A: A cinema only category. Introduced in 2002 films under this are considered unsuitable for very young people. Those aged under 12 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or older. However it is not recommended that children under 12 should watch the film...

12: Home media only since 2002, Nobody younger than 12 years old can buy/rent a 12 rated film. 12A films are usually given this rating when sold.

15: Only those over 15 years are admitted.

18: Only adults over the age of 18 are admitted.




Determinants of the certificate are;
Mature Themes
Drug references
Strong Language
Sexual Reference/Activity
Discrimination

Generally the stronger the reference, the higher the classification.

Parity: Behind the Scenes of our thriller opening

Here Sam is making a hand print in the blood on the wall. This gives the effect that when Adam was being murdered he slides down the wall in desperation. This makes the film seem more realistic, a characteristic of the thriller genre.



In this scene Haran is lying on the floor to achieve a low angle shot for the knife drop. This helps to build suspense, with the sound effects, as you see the knife bounce on the floor at eye level.
We are also taking numerous shots in this scene to make sure that we got the desired effect.



This is a short scene of Sam practising. It also gave Haran a chance to practice the pan technique, making sure that we got the required effect desired for the final product.


This scene shows another example of numerous takes. This time it was through Sam struggling to use the tap. However as this happened we noticed that the camera didn’t get full view from Haran’s position. We then decided my position, as camera 2, was more suitable and swapped.


In this scene Haran, Sam and Adam are deciding how to move Adam from his current position, in the most realistic way, but at the same time considering Adam’s well being. Haran had to change sides dependent on the angle Sam decided to drag Adam. After much input from all the group we decided it would be best to drag Adam by the legs.


This scene is a further example of multiple takes. At first we tried to make the knife kick look accidental. However as we conducted more and more takes the move just looked deliberate anyway. Therefore we decided that he would intentionally move the knife before carrying on moving Adams body.

New Rivalries - Continuity Project

Director - Chris Dean
Camera / Editing - Sam Pearson
Chief - Adam Dean
Rookie - Haran Timona
Runner - Hannah Sones

This was a quick film to show that we understood how continuity works. It was shot in one afternoon.

Music: Hans Zimmer - Mombassa and Koolfox - Hospital Action Loop 2
Music is being used under "Fair Use"

This Continuity task was to show our understanding of basic media techniques. It had to include dialogue and continuity.

The first obstacle we had to overcome was choosing between our ideas. We thought of three scenarios, pictured right, which were

1) Two criminals on the run from police take shelter inside an abandoned building. Continuity shown through cutting from camera angles during conversation. They eventually leave the building.
2)Two detectives running after a hooded figure who they lose track of. Continuity shown through camera angles being cut during chase, and when detectives are on search for the figure.
3)A violent confrontation between two people. Continuity shown through camera angles being cut whilst objects being thrown/fight taking place.


Obviously we chose the second option. However we did decide to adapt the original idea by adding a cliff hanger as the ending. This was an idea of mine thought of as we were filming the final few scenes.

We decided to film after lunch, this gave us the maximum time to film before the sun set, giving us the ideal light for the film with no sudden change half way through.

I believe we were successful in the making of our continuity although there is one mistake noticed on evaluation. As Haran and Adam leave the car the to chase after the runner the camera changes to show all three characters. It is here that we noticed that Adam and Haran had swapped places, as if Adam was driving. This is our only slip up in this piece, and as a result we took extra care making sure to check positioning of actors and objects in future.