While I was writing the script for our preliminary video, a few movies helped me out in designing the character of the psychopath. These include 'Fight Club', 'Se7en' and 'Silence of the Lambs'. Each of these movies features a different kind of psychopath with different level of mental illness. Yet, each character also portrays common attributes such as they are all calm in normal conditions and do not reveal that they suffer from some mental disorder.They do everything for a reason or appear to be able to explain all their actions through logic,and they usually speak softly. But once they are provoked or are bringing out the violence hidden in them, they prove to be very wild and hyper active.
For example, in 'Se7en', the psychopath(John Doe) murders people who have committed one of the 'Seven Sins'. He brutally murders the victims but later he gets himself arrested as he walks into police station covered with blood. He then appears to be calm and composed during the rest of his scenes. He acts as if he is innocent and tries to justify his actions by claiming that whatever he did was for a good cause.
In 'Silence of the Lambs', one of the psychopaths shown in the movie(Dr. Hannibal Lecter) assists an FBI detective in solving a case. He is a prisoner held in a psychopathic ward and he himself was once a Psychiatrist. He is also shown speaking calmly most of the time and has powerful dialogues that not only help the detective with the case but help her with her personal problems as well, In fact, she is some what influenced by his character. Yet he resorts to brutal violence in some scenes.
Keeping in mind these aspects of a psychopath, I added more detail to the background of my character and rephrased my script in such a manner that my character also behaves and speaks in a similar way. This also helped me to create some suspense in the scene.
Trying out effects
I was going through the video effects in adobe premier so I made two videos using 'Linear Wipe' effect and 'Speed and duration' effect. Links are below:
Creating Script and Mise-en-scene
I have decided to make a more mature video this time than the practice video we did with the bully. Therefore I came up with characters that have a proper background and did not just come into existence without much thought like in our previous video.
The scene is about a mentally ill (possibly psychopathic) character who has committed two murders and has been restrained in a secluded cell. The doctors are trying hard to breakthrough to him but have had a little success. At first sight, he seems to be a calm and normal person but he has forgotten a lot of the common things for example where he lived, who his parents were and even his name. He remembers the crime he has committed but the court can not execute him for the crime since his lawyer argues that he is mentally ill and did not commit the crime deliberately, in cold blood. The mentally ill character was shot in the leg before he was caught, so he limps as well.
The second character is an interrogator who is investigating this case. He failed to found out anything in his previous interviews with the subject so now he is conducting the interview in a different way, in the hope of knowing about whatever memory is left in psychopath's mind. He deliberately calls the psychopath 'Rick' (which is not his actual name but he has accepted it as his name). He asks 'Rick' who Bob Marlin is and whether 'Rick has any information about him. At the end of the video it is revealed that 'Rick' is Bob Marlin himself.
After I was done with the script, we arranged for props and stuff that would be required to make up the mise-en-scene with the appearance of the characters and the interrogation room. The clothes assigned to the psychopath was a grey shirt with black sleeves to make up the uniform of a prisoner and covered his hands, feet and face with dust to add the detail untidiness to his character. We assigned a formal shirt with a waistcoat vest for the interrogator so that he looks like a professional sort.
We had to film the scene in our school during the daytime, so we had to black out a classroom by covering windows with black chart papers. The light was provided by a torch which hangs directly above the table where the two characters sit so it looks more like an interrogation room.
There is a file that the interrogator takes out from a drawer in the table, which contains a profile on Bob Marlin. This is how we reveal that the psychopath is Bob Marlin.
The scene is about a mentally ill (possibly psychopathic) character who has committed two murders and has been restrained in a secluded cell. The doctors are trying hard to breakthrough to him but have had a little success. At first sight, he seems to be a calm and normal person but he has forgotten a lot of the common things for example where he lived, who his parents were and even his name. He remembers the crime he has committed but the court can not execute him for the crime since his lawyer argues that he is mentally ill and did not commit the crime deliberately, in cold blood. The mentally ill character was shot in the leg before he was caught, so he limps as well.
The second character is an interrogator who is investigating this case. He failed to found out anything in his previous interviews with the subject so now he is conducting the interview in a different way, in the hope of knowing about whatever memory is left in psychopath's mind. He deliberately calls the psychopath 'Rick' (which is not his actual name but he has accepted it as his name). He asks 'Rick' who Bob Marlin is and whether 'Rick has any information about him. At the end of the video it is revealed that 'Rick' is Bob Marlin himself.
After I was done with the script, we arranged for props and stuff that would be required to make up the mise-en-scene with the appearance of the characters and the interrogation room. The clothes assigned to the psychopath was a grey shirt with black sleeves to make up the uniform of a prisoner and covered his hands, feet and face with dust to add the detail untidiness to his character. We assigned a formal shirt with a waistcoat vest for the interrogator so that he looks like a professional sort.
We had to film the scene in our school during the daytime, so we had to black out a classroom by covering windows with black chart papers. The light was provided by a torch which hangs directly above the table where the two characters sit so it looks more like an interrogation room.
There is a file that the interrogator takes out from a drawer in the table, which contains a profile on Bob Marlin. This is how we reveal that the psychopath is Bob Marlin.
OCR- Preliminary task
We have now started working on our Preliminary video for OCR. This time, I wanted to try using different camera angles and take more shots. In our previous video, I felt that one thing that made the video boring was that I shot both the characters from the same angle through out the video so the dialogues and scene felt very long and monotonous. Now that I am more comfortable with the basics of camera and editing, I have decided to use a greater variety of shots even for a single dialogue so that I can hold the audience's attention.
I was recently browsing Youtube and I found a group of guys who are making action videos and are using some really cool effects which they uploaded on their channel known as 'Pwnisher'. I am already subscriber of Freddie Wong's channel. Freddie Wong also makes action videos but is more creative and has better expertise with visual and audio effects. The useful thing about both of groups that I found is that they also post videos in which they share information about how to achieve the visual effects and do the editing.The links to both the channels are below:
Freddie Wong's Channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew?blend=2&ob=1
Pwnisher's Channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/pwnisher
Freddie Wong's Channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/freddiew?blend=2&ob=1
Pwnisher's Channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/pwnisher
First project video and Group Name
I have finally come up with a name for my group too. Its called Mediatronics and you can also see it at the end of our video. I am trying to make the group name distinctive rather than just writing it in simple fonts.
First video
I have uploaded the script of our first video. The dialogues may vary from the actual video since the actors improvised a few of them for ease of delivery.
A young boy is shown sitting on a sofa outside the Principal’s office. The is dressed in a school uniform that is in a very untidy condition. He is also chewing a gum in a very insolent manner.
It is implied that someone walks past him and he stares and snorts at him. Further, he rhetorically asks a boy( not seen on screen), “watcha lookin’ at?”
The school bell rings and the boy stands up with an expression on his face that seems to say he’s fed up. He walks into the office where the Principal waves to him to sit on a chair.
Principal: Hmm, Mr. Tyler Blake. So I have you in my office… Oh for God’s sake spit out that gum.
Tyler(spits out the gum): Sorry about that sir.
Principal: Tyler you know that you are a 10th grader now, not a 3rd or 4th grade kid. You are a grown up and its time you start acting like one. (He opens a drawer and pulls out a piece of paper). I believe your History teacher gave you an assignment to write a 2 page summary of Napoleon’s expeditions. (He unfolds a piece of paper) Is this drawing your complete assignment? (He shows Tyler the drawing)
Tyler(grins at first and then makes a serious face) : Umm, sir, actually I misunderstood what my assignment was, I thought I could be a little creative. I guess it did not turn out that well.
Principal: Oh yes obviously you did not know that Napoleon was never a pirate. God! I don’t know what to do with you? (he pauses) That’s not it. As usual, you have been reported as bullying three kids. I am sure you have an explanation to that too.
Tyler: Sir I never bullied anyone. In fact, other kids bully me. They make fun of me, they try to take my money and then when I react, they say I am bullying them.
Principal: Oh so you are the only person telling the truth and all the others are lying, I suppose. Very convincing. I am calling up your parents now. I am sure they will find your stories interesting.
Tyler: Sir but I…
Principal(speaking on the phone): Can you call Mr. or Mrs. Blake for me please. Yes, it’s about their son Tyler again. Tell them they need to see me urgently as their son will remain in detention until they arrive.
Tyler: Sir, believe me please, I did not do anything.
Principal:(puts down the phone and shouts) Why should I? I know you very well so don’t think that you can get away with your lies! Oh, and yeah, you have added something new to your list of mischievous acts. Vandalism? What is up with that? It is reported that you were responsible for breaking a chair, breaking a door knob, scratching a black board. And what happened to the poster in the hallway that you stole? That is simply too much for one week!
Tyler: Sir, if I may, I did not break the chair deliberately. I fell of it and it broke. I was lucky I did not hit my head on the ground.
Principal: That is so unlucky for us. And the poster? Did it run away?
Tyler:(laughing) That would be funny.
Principal gets angry and is about to say something but then the phone rings. Tyler smirks.
Principal(speaks on the phone): Yes? Mr. Blake is on his way? Good! Please will you also take this jerk outside and send him to the detention room. Thanks. (He puts down the phone). I’ll see you soon. By that time, come up with something that would actually help your future.
Tyler(grin on his face): Well I can answer to that right now.
Principal(shouts): Just get out of my office!
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