Year 13 Advice - Rebecca Young

In one of our Media studies lessons we were given a talk by current Year 13 media students on their experiences when filming their thrillers. This helped us a lot as it told us what problems we can avoid and how to overcome them. They told us what to do and what not to do when planning and filming our thrillers. Some of this advice included:

Planning the shooting beforehand: Make sure that you check the weather forecast for your shooting days as if you shoot over many days, the weather must be the same. You need to also make sure that you have all the correct equipment and also that the camera battery is fully charged before going to shoot.

Pre-production: Make sure all the planning is done effectively before shooting as leaving the filming to the last minute means that it is poorer quality and the editing will be rushed. Watch other examples of thrillers for inspiration and also think about the music you will use in the film and make sure it fits. Also, make sure that you get on with and trust the people you work with as, if not, it will be harder to film effectively. Plan the location of where you will be filming and get permission from necessary people.

Content of film: The acting in the film is not marked so ensure that all the shots are good. Use a tripod for all filming so the camera is not shaky. Think about misc en scene as costume is important and make sure you use the conventions and iconography of a thriller. When using items like guns and knives make sure you are out of sight of members of the public or have got permission from people around, because otherwise this is illegal. When using dialogue in the film, keep it to a minimum, as although it tells the story, it can make it look very unrealistic if not done properly. Also, avoid swearing/smoking and drugs to make the thrillers look ‘cool’ because it does not look effective.

I think that the main point that we are going to have to focus on is that, no matter how much we try, we are not making a Hollywood blockbuster and the simpler we make it, the better it will be. We also need to make sure that we are well planned and ready when it comes to shooting day.