THRILLER PRELIMINARY- Reservoir Dogs Recreation

This is the Preliminary and below is everything prior to being able to create this recreation of the opening to Reservoir Dogs.






Planning Stage:

The very first thing I had to do in order to recreate the opening to Quentin Tarentino's legendary film is actually watch it. Upon watching it several times, I noted the types of shots I would have to execute, the amount of actors I would require, type of locations  and every other little detail. This is what I came up with.

Actors

The opening sequence of Reservoir Dogs has a total of 8 actors in it and six of them are dressed in sharp black suits. The other two are wearing different clothing; Chris Penn is wearing a retro style American jacket  and the other is wearing a black shirt without a blazer. So immediately I had to start gathering the actors because I knew this would logistically be very hard given the short time frame.

Filming Locations:

Finding the right location for each shot replication was paramount. The majority of the opening revolves around a tall brick wall. This was hardest to find. Rather than physically go scouting with the crew around Harrow to find a suitable wall, I utilised Google Maps's street view with a little local knowledge and after about ten minutes of digitally surfing the streets of Harrow I came across this.

I decided this would be ideal as the road itself was quiet and was wide enough to get the tracking shot.

Also I had intended to use a place I knew near Harrow Bus Station for the last scene of the opening but whilst actually filming, I stumbled upon what I saw as a better location so decided to film there instead.

Storyboard: 

Storyboarding was integral for this task to ensure perfect execution because it was a recreation task and so I storyboarded the entire opening of Reservoir Dogs by taking screen grabs from Youtube of every shot of which they are a total of 11.

Props:

Props was important in making our recreation as close as possible to the actual thing. After going through the opening sequence countless times, I concluded I would need cigarettes, cigars and toothpicks and a gold chain worn by Chris Penn.

Equipment:

We ended up using two DSLR cameras; a sony and one NikonD3200, a tripod, a H1 Zoom (for the voiceover), an iPad and a car (Range Rover).

Execution/Filming Stage:

Filming this wasn't as easy as I had envisaged and I faced a number of last-minute problems. As I already mentioned the original had a total of eight actors but due to last minutes personal affairs, two actors who had agreed to be in the prelim pulled out on the morning and I took the decision to do it anyway, as I had six actors there all suited and booted and rescheduling wasn't feasible due to weather and limited time. I had to compromise and anyway, the show must always go on. We also didn't film the shots in the order they appear on screen but from most time consuming to the least time consuming. Furthermore, to the shoot I took an iPad with a downloaded copy of the opening of Reservoir Dogs which enabled me to watch the opening over and over and ensure things like framing was right and also as a guide to the actors.

Tracking Shot:

This was definitely the hardest shot to film. When you have a limited range of equipment (camera and tripod) getting a tracking shot is difficult. I decided to do the tracking shot using a  car and what better than a Range Rover. RangeRover has dynamic stability control and you can adjust the suspension so that it absorbs all bumps in the road ensuring an extra smooth ride thus an extra smooth tracking shot. To the top is the tracking shot that was later edited and features in the video. I used the Nikon D3200 as the resolution is high and stuck it out the front window of the car as it was driven along alongside the actors.

Character Shots:


To get the shots where every member of the Reservoir Dogs team is introduced we used a stationary camera set up by the wall on a fully extended tripod as seen on the left. Then I made sure the actors were in their right positions respectively after they were all given their roles. They then walked up to the camera which i later slowed down in the editing.

Cafe Scene:

The Caf é scene was probably the most disorganised part of our filming. We had booked a cafe before hand but had not been round to see it. Upon arrival at the Caf é we realised it wasn't really ideal for replicating the first scene. We were fortunate enough to come across a cafe owner who was more than willing to let us film in his cafe and we ended up doing so.

Walk Away Scene:

The scene where all members walk towards the main road was easy to film. I mean this in terms of framing and actual capture. What wasn't easy was finding the right location. In the real thing they are a fair distance away but we simply couldn't get that distance due to location practicality. We compromised by placing the camera as far back as possible and using an 18mm, so very wide frame.


Editing/Finalising Stage:

The editing stage was really the moment when we were able to really review all the footage and realise all the mistakes we had made. It was edited on Final Cut Express. the most notable but was due to the street being a one way road -something we hadn't expected- we had teh actors entering the frame from the left and not the right. We solved this by flipping the frame which using Final Cut's "flop" function. We also rotated the image anti-clockwise slightly so they appeared to be walking downhill. The only effect I applied was at the end of the prelim where I darkened the frame so the title would be better visible. I used a H1 zoom in a confined space to record the voiceover so there was o ambient sounds as the microphone is very sensitive. I googled the font that was used in the original so that I could get the font exactly the same.

Problems that occurred:

As I already mentioned we had a number of issues. The most prominent problem was the lack of actors. Having the extra two actors would of resulted in not having to use actors more than once to fill spaces and a smoother finish. Finding the music wasn't as easy as I had imagined it would be. However, after searching YouTube we found a version of the sound track and changed the pitch of it so it sounded more like the original and converted it to MP3.


EVALUATION:

At the end of every task where I have a finished product to show, I ask myself the same question: Am I happy with it? On the whole I am relatively pleased with the end result but nothing short of perfection is nothing worth boasting about. If I could redo the whole thing I could make it considerably better. One thing I would definitely do differently is ensure the background is out of focus for the character close ups and also have a camera on wheels so I can move back as the actors move forward so they don't come too close to frame. I would also ensure I have the full amount of actors necessary and film in better locations.


What I've learned?

What this preliminary has taught me is priceless. I made many mistakes on the preliminary such as poor framing due to having a stationary camera/shot and not a tracking one. I will ensure all framing in my actual thriller is done perfectly so it looks professional and not kid-like. I have also learnt a considerable amount with regards to the logistics of actually bringing everything together. Everything from getting the locations right to getting actors dressed in the appropriate attire.

I look forward to implementing all the skills I learned through acquiring the footage but also the skills I picked up by facing unexpected barriers/obstacles. Overall, this has been a very useful experience and will aid me in my actually thriller.

The Usual Suspects Opening Analysis



The establishing shot is an extreme close up of a pack of matches struck alight. The fire already foreshadows danger and juxtaposes the water surrounding the boat. We are introduced to a character with a mid-shot on a burning ship with several dead men around. Immediately, the contrast between the extreme close up and mid-shot disrupts the narrative flow, making it deliberately uncomfortable for the audience. This films draws upon the advantages of non-linear chronology thus the opening sequence is important to the rest if the film. The ambiguity created is relied on later on. The man lights a cigarette and starts a fire that will kill him and another man on the ship; this obvious disregard for his own safety really contributes to the image we have of this man's psychological state. The fire ignites a line of oil, passing a dead male before being extinguished by a shadowed figure (Keyser Söze) standing above the man who proceeds to urinate on the flame. Keyser's position and his actions build a sense of power that would suggest he is the villain. Also, because he is silhouetted and we cannot make out any of his features, we assume he is the villain. Keyser descends the stairs and lights a cigarette in front of Keaton, obviously signifying he is in a position of authority.




Singer (Director) creates ambiguity by cutting to various long shots and extreme long shots of the boat and its immediate surroundings. Regardless of the fact, we do not see the violence or the man's death we can infer it, we let our imagination fill in the blanks- a powerful technique used in thriller movies that allows the audience to connect with on screen cast. It allows us to be more in tune with the movie. The sound is an integral feature that contributes to the build up of tension. The music slowly rises in pitch resulting in the audience feeling increasingly anxious as we are left with a sense of expectation- we keep feeling like something is about to happen. Throughout the sequence the music emphasises the agitable, restrained and dramatic atmosphere portrayed in the sequence.

The Silence of the Lambs Opening

The Silence of the Lambs, an oscar winning movie, starts off with a long shot of naked winter trees in the middle of a forest. Bare trees have long symbolised the presence of evil and immediately establishes not only the setting but the atmosphere for the rest of the movie; tense and eerie. The lack of movement in the establishing shot also contributes to the lifeless ambience of the forest. The camera eventually pans down revealing the vast size of the desolate forest. Eventually a woman is revealed during the panning shot, and is shown climbing up a hill which is part of an FBI course. Although it is deliberately ambiguous initially, we are given subtle almost subliminal clues that suggest to us the woman (Jodie Foster) is our hero. Firstly, when she climbs the hill and we get a mid-close up of her we are able to see she is wearing an FBI standard tracksuit. More importantly at exactly 1:26 when she reaches the top, we don't see but we hear a bunch of crows flying away. This symbolises the expulsion of evil in the presence of Jodie Foster. This implies she is a hero and not a villain.

        The orchestral music accompanying the action helps build up the tension and creates a sense of expectation, hooking the audience. It also foreshadows a sophisticated type of villain and not your average street brawler. The tracking shot that follows her jogging through the woods is effective for two reasons. It hints to us how she may be victimised later on but also demonstrates her physical prowess as the camera literally can't keep up with her. The tracking shot through the trees and the backward tracking create the impression she is being followed or chased firmly placing the film as a Thriller. The combination of mid-shots and long-shots that follow placing her in FBI headquarters confirms the idea that she is our hero. One shot that is particularly interesting is Jodie Foster in the lift surrounded by men. It draws on the stereotype of the era that all FBI agents were male, but also suggest to us that she is isolated, that she lacks friends or close relatives.

The Machinist Opening- Brief Analysis

After a short deliberate silence, there is a focus pull that reveals our main actor for the first time. It later becomes apparent that he is rolling up a body in a carpet. So our immediate instinctive reaction is that he is the "bad guy", the villain in this thriller. The lighting also contributes to our initial perception of the protagonist, Trevor. It is rather dark both inside the room and outside. We are trained to associate a dark environment with a dark mind.

 

Trevor then approaches the window, which is meant to be eerie as the supposed sinister looking villain has now come physically closer to the audience. However, this also provides an insight into Trevor. We see Trevor's face, revealing that he's anorexic and is bleeding perhaps as a result of a struggle prior to the rolling up of the body. Is he innocent? Was it self defense? A number of questions have suddenly appeared into the audience's mind. The audience is deliberately being positioned in an ambiguous position.

This is a low angle shot really showing how much Trevor is struggling. This in intended to create sympathy for Trevor. Why would we be positioned to sympathise with the villain. Maybe he isn't the villain..? However, the next shot contradicts this further adding to our mixed feelings for Trevor.

It is a menacing low angle shot that shows Trevor looking down at the place where he intends to dispose of the body. It clearly shows him as powerful and ominous, for he is literally looking down at the audience.

After we, the audience, see a light in the distance and get a reaction shot of Trevor and see him cowering away or even withering away under the light, trepidation starts to build up. This is a typical feature of a Thriller- trepidation. The feeling that something is about to happen.

It seems that Trevor recognizes the person who is shining the light at him. This perpertuates the idea that Trevor may be a victim and not a villain as he appears to be shocked and even exhibits fear at the the sight of the mysterious assailant.

Here we see Trevor washing his hands vigorously with bleach. This tells us that he is obviously mentally unstable and suffers at the hand of his disability. Also the chronology becomes unclear here. We don't know whether this occurs after the incident or prior to it. Ambiguity = Thriller

The classic look in the mirror and question who you are scene.