Date: 02/12/2013
Time: 3:40 - 4:10
Location: Corridor + Stage
Shots: 4-10, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26-28
Actors: Pierce
Crew: Alex, Joe
Costumes and Props: Black tie, trench coat, papers
Equipment: Camera, Tripod
Potential Issues: There is a possibility of students interrupting shots during these times.
Risk Assessment: Low - as we are filming within the school grounds there are less hazards around.
Date: 07/12/2013
Time: 12:00 - 12:40
Location: Charlie's house
Shots: 1-4
Actors: Stefan, Myles
Crew: Alex, Joe
Costumes and Props: suits, black tie, newspapers, hoodie
Equipment: Camera, Tripod
Potential Issues:
Risk Assessment: Low - as we are filming in a house, there are few hazards which could affect our filming.
Date: 07/12/2013
Time: 1:00 - 1:30
Location: Charlie's house
Shots: 5-8, 13-14, 19, 21, 23, 25
Actors: Stefan, Myles
Crew: Alex, Joe
Costumes and Props: Radio, dart board, candles
Equipment: Camera, Tripod
Potential Issues:
Risk Assessment: Medium- as we are filming in a house, there are few hazards which could affect our filming however as candles will be involved in a few scenes it is important that we carefully navigate round the room.
Date: 09/12/2013
Time: 3:40 - 4:10
Location: School
Shots: 15-17
Actors: Regan
Crew: Alex, Joe
Costumes and Props: suits, black tie, documents, folders, newspaper
Equipment: Camera, Tripod
Potential Issues: There is a possibility of students interrupting shots during these times.
Risk Assessment: Low - as we are filming within the school grounds there are less hazards around.
Thursday 28 November 2013
Friday 8 November 2013
Characters
Kate Sampson Lydia, could possibly play the role of Kate Sampson because the role requires little acting and we only the need actor for this role for very little time so if we could get someone from school to play the role it would make filming easier. 
Dennis Regan could possibly play the role of Dennis because our group felt he fit the role of Dennis because he would be able to portray Dennis' apathetic personality. Regan is also quite keen on acting in our thriller sequence and having someone who wants to participate would be beneficial.
George Meadows Moises could play the role of Meadows because he participates in drama clubs outside of school and Meadows will be an important character in the opening sequence so we need someone who is comfortable with appearing on screen and confident whilst filming.
Thomas Law Farid could play the role of Thomas Law because the role requires little acting and we only the need actor for this role for very little time so if we could get someone from school to play the role it would make filming easier.
Anyone who we do not use as people with important roles for the sequence could be used as one of the photos on Franco's room.
Script - second draft
INT. HECTOR'S OFFICE. DAY
HECTOR sits in an arm chair and look concernedly at FRANCO.
FRANCO lies on a chaise longue.
DR HECTOR
Okay, Franco how are you feeling?
FRANCO
Abysmal.
DR HECTOR
So why don't you tell me where it began?
FRANCO
Well I guess you already know about the first two so I’ll
tell you about Meadows.
It was early December and I...
INT. FRANCO'S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO enters and switches on a radio and then begins to
dress himself.
FRANCO
...was just watching re-runs on the TV. just a regular day,
you know?
RADIO
In other news George Meadows is tomorrow expected to deliver
a speech regarding the deaths of his fellow party members Minister of Defence,
Thomas Law and Minister of Health Kate Sampson.
Mr Meadows is expected to pay tribute to his esteemed
colleagues and provide further information on the development of the on-going
manhunt. Mr Law leaves behind him two...
FRANCO switches the radio station and a tense score begins.
He puts on a pair of gloves.
INT. GREEN ROOM. DAY
MEADOWS sorts a pile of papers and wipes his brow. He clears
his throat.
INT. FRANCO'S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO cracks his knuckles and does stretches.
INT. DENNIS' OFFICE. DAY
DENNIS sits in a chair with his legs on his desk. A man
enters and throws a folder on the desk.
MAN
The boss said he needs this by last Friday. It's the
Dockland homicide report, have fun Dennis.
INT. STAGE. DAY
MEADOWS walks on to the stage and approaches the podium. He
stands before the podium and adjusts the microphone. He shuffles papers.
MEADOWS
Thomas Law was a great…
INT. FRANCO'S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO finishes his stretches. He picks up a dart and throws
it at a wall. The dart hurtles toward a picture of meadows.
INT. STAGE. DAY
MEADOWS is shot and stumbles backwards.
INT. FRANCO’S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO throws a second dart
INT. STAGE. DAY
MEADOWS is shot a second time and
stumbles further back
INT.STAGE.DAY
FRANCO throws a final dart
INT.STAGE.DAY
MEADOWS is shot a final time and
collapses to his knees.
Joseph Power
Location Research
After creating our final draft it was important for us to select a variety of suitable locations, which we can use for each scene, therefore as part of pre-production research we decided to take photos of a range of potential locations. One of our possible locations is a stage which has a podium, that could be used when Meadows addresses a crowd. This arrangement provides us with a professional/formal environment which is greatly suitable for our political thriller's mise-en-scene and cinematography. It is a very practical location due to the amount of space available on the stage and very low health and safety risk. Using this location we are able to play around with lighting and due to the amount of space available we can also shoot a variety of shots. We were also thinking about possibly adding a logo to the podium in order to make this location seem more like a government conference room.
This is a hallway which could be used for one of the scenes. It is suitable as it has fairly good lighting and space. There is a sophisticated feel to this location due to its modern feel and plain walls, although this is a school corridor; Meadows entrance can be captured in a more professional manor due to this.
Storyboard: Final Draft
Storyboard: First Draft
As part of the planning stage for the opening sequence entailed by the coursework, we had to develop a storyboard. This was completed from what we have accomplished so far: synopses research included various plots ideas and the creation of a script. Together these both are translated into a visual representation of how we as a group are essentially going approach filming during the production process.
Consequently, the planning stage led to us coming up with the idea to portray a crime/espionage thriller hybrid that ended by summing up to 29 shots that lasts approximately lasts under a minute and a half (but things might change later on during the current or later stage).
The first 4 shots introduce the audience to the main character, Franco (who throughout the sequence is being deliberated as either the protagonist or antagonist) and establishes an initial enigma whereby the audience are abruptly brought into the middle of the plot where the main character is in a therapy session but no explanation is given as to why.
The next scene then begins with the first part of a flashback which starts to deconstruct and clarify who Franco is. To help emphasise his role in the film the audience are also introduced to a politician (Meadows) who is later shown to be one of his many targets - as a character he is further developed through this scene as he is planning and preparing for his next assassination which is hinted at with the ambient asynchronous sound of a radio news broadcast.
Afterwards, the last main character of the sequence is established as a detective (Dennis) whose role is to act opposite Franco and this relationship implies that they will encounter each other later on in the story arc (if we were filming an entire film).
Tension is now created by making use of cross-cutting between Franco and Meadows which eventually shows the death of the politician who is assassinated by assumably Franco. This is because of the editing technique which can be interpreted differently by the audience as a red herring and therefore creates the possibility of multiple plots for the wider story arc that makes use of the codes and conventions of the thriller genre.
Consequently, the planning stage led to us coming up with the idea to portray a crime/espionage thriller hybrid that ended by summing up to 29 shots that lasts approximately lasts under a minute and a half (but things might change later on during the current or later stage).
Script - First Draft
INT. HECTOR'S OFFICE. DAY
HECTOR sits in a arm chair and look concernedly at FRANCO. FRANCO lays on a chaise longue.
DR HECTOR
Okay, Franco how are you feeling?
FRANCO
Weak.
DR HECTOR
So why don't you tell me where it began?
FRANCO
Well i guess you already know about the first two so i'll tell you about Meadows.
It was early December and I...
INT. FRANCO'S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO enters and switches on a radio and then begins to dress himself.
FRANCO
...was just watching re-runs on the t.v. just a regular day, you know?
RADIO
In other news George Meadows is shortly expected to deliver a speech regarding the deaths of his fellow party members Minister of Defence, Thomas Law and Minister of Health Kate Sampson.
Mr Meadows is expected to pay tribute to his esteemed colleagues and provide further information on the development of the ongoing manhunt. Mr Law leaves behind him two...
FRANCO switches the radio off. He puts on a pair of gloves.
INT. GREEN ROOM. DAY
MEADOWS sorts a pile of papers and wipes his brow. He clears his throat.
INT. FRANCO'S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO cracks his knuckles and does stretches.
INT. DENNIS' OFFICE. DAY
DENNIS sits in a chair with his legs on his desk . A man enters and throws a folder on the desk.
DENNIS sits in a chair with his legs on his desk . A man enters and throws a folder on the desk.
MAN
The boss said he needs this by last Friday. It's the Dockland homicide report, have fun Dennis.
INT. STAGE. DAY
MEADOWS walks on to the stage and approaches the podium. He stands before the podium and adjusts the microphone
INT. FRANCO'S ROOM. DAY
FRANCO finishes his stretches. He picks up a dart and throws it at a wall. The dart has his a picture of meadows.
Joseph Power
Final Synopses Ideas
Final Synopses Ideas
These are the groups synopses ideas for our short sequence film.
Plot 1 -
The film is set in a therapy session where they see what appears to be the protagonist being the victim of a violent attack and the therapist is working with the police to try and figure out what happened during the violent attack that has occurred. But its unclear wether the protagonist is innocent or not.
Plot 2 -
A young couple walk through the park s their usual part of a game they like to play but all turns downhill when the come across a strange and mysterious light that separates them and now is up to them to find who or what took them and wether they can find each other again.
Plot 3 -
Antagonist is plotting his next victims assassination, and whilst doing so there is a radio broadcast of the many deaths of other high profile politicians. The motive is that all these deaths are link to the wife of the antagonist and the next victim is anyones guess.
Plot 4 -
Protagonist comes home to find it trashed to only find pictures of his daughter captured by masked men and gets an unknown phone call about whats going to happen to her if he doesn't comply with their demands. What he now must do is find her daughter before its too late.
In the end as a group we decided to incorporate plot 1 and plot 3 as our final synopses idea. The idea is that the therapist is working with the police to help solve the murder case but we are putting the idea of plot 3, of the assassination as the murder cases and the patient with the therapist is
the assassin. The film will be a set in the past through flashbacks showing the antagonist preparing for the assassination and the detective being handed the job to solve it.
.JPG)
( These are the drafts and mind maps we used to develop our synopses ideas for our film sequence).JPG)
Wednesday 6 November 2013
Preliminary Task
Preliminary Task
The brief for this task was to make a short sequence involving filming and editing a character opening a door and sitting down opposite another character whilst exchanging dialogue. Also whist filming this, my group and I must demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule in our short sequence.
When planning the short sequence we had decided to do a storyboard. This allowed us to help decided what kind of camera angles and what scenes we wanted in our short sequence. I believe this was very helpful because when it came to actually filming the sequence we were able to draw a reference to what we wanted to show on camera and made easy and quick to film as well because it was all planned.
The production was very good because our short film sequence was very flowing because of the great editing that was done on the filming that was done. Also we were successful in demonstrating match on action, shot/reverse shot whilst following the 180 degree rule. The down part is that next time we will be sure to film whilst their are sound that we dont want to be in our final production as the sound is irrelevant to watch we were going for.
Synopsis Research
Synopsis Research
A synopsis is a brief summary that's aim, is too get the reader hooked into what the film is about but with out spoiling it at the same time but just enough information to make the reader go and watch it.
Nina is a Stunningly talented but dangerously unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her driven artistic director and the threat posed by a seductive rival dancer, Nina's tenuous grip on reality starts to slip away. As the pressure builds, Nina's all-consuming obsessions spins out of control, plunging her into a walking nightmare that will threaten not only her sanity, but her life.
New York City Detective John McClane has just arrived in Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his wife. Unfortunately, it is not going to be a Merry Christmas for everyone. A group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber is holding everyone in the Nakatomi Plaza building hostage. With no way of anyone getting in or out. The F.B.I. are called in to survey the situation, but John McClane has other plans for the terrorists.
After Iranian militants stormed and took control of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 taking 56 Americans as hostages, six Americans managed to get away and refugee in the canadian embassy. With the C.I.A coming up dead on ideas its up to Tony Mendez to do the impossible and get them out before its too late.
My idea is to have a film based on one sole character like in the black swan who is in a constant battle with herself. the action comes in when she starts to fight her physical inner demons but she is knocked out and then she wakes up only to be told by her friends or family that she slipped and banged her head, when really she will constantly believe what she saw even though the others won't.
Opening Sequences
Opening Sequences
An opening sequence is used to help set scene and help indicate to the audience what the mood will be like for the rest of the film. It also presents the title of the film and all the main people credited for the making of the film such as the cast, directors and producers. This may be shown over black or during whats called the title sequence. Thriller Opening Sequences follow very common thriller conventions such as enigma codes and red herring as well as various editing and cinematographic techniques.
The film "Sinister " opening is very unorthodox. It doesn't show any names of people like actors or credits. However its starts off as a black screen which makes audience very agitated for what they are about to see. Its done all as a long shot from a fixed point from an actual cameras perspective with their being a consistent score that doesn't change in any way throughout the sequence for over a minute without a cut. By making it a long cut it allows viewers to try and make an understanding of what is going on which makes it an enigma and by doing this it causes viewers to be more hooked in to the film. This is an a example of a non-linear narrative because by putting the audience in the middle of the story it creates a more mystery about the film.
The film " Children of Men " starts off the opening sequence by showing the production titles which are " Universal" and " Strike". Its then shows a black screen with the asynchronous sound of a news bulletin. During this it shows again the production titles by doing this it plays on the imagination of the audience of whats happening of wether it's a radio or on the television and where it could be played, whilst also trying to make sense of the story thats being read. Therefore creating an enigma. It then shows the protagonist enter the coffee shop with the camera picking him out from the crowd. By doing this it indicates to the audience that he is a main character in the film. Then tell audiences the the year and the location of the protagonist and where the movie is set to help give information to the audience. The use of a long take with it being a tracking shot helps make the audience feel as though they area actually in the film following the protagonist. Also because their was a long take, it made the audience more surprised and being as shocked and confuse as the protagonist considering he was just in the same coffee shops moments ago that just exploded.
The film " Shutter Island" opening sequence is an example of a non-linear narrative. The sequences uses shots of various places that all seem to be in the same location, which indicates to the audience where the film is about to take place. The use of three point lighting in the very first shot creates because it creates dark corners and makes a very suspicious door the main subject which can make the audience feel apprehended. The use of transition and keeping it to a dark colures scheme keeps the audience intrigued by what they see and just make stye film more exciting to watch. The score as well which is synchronised to the movement on screen helps intensify the tension and suspense in the opening sequence. Also the use of faded in credits that is constantly shimmering and going out of focus can help unnerve the audience and create suspense. To also mention the use of the title of the film is in big bold capital red letters which red, makes us think of danger and blood.
For my opening sequence it should have a lot of enigmas because as that is a key aspect in making audience hooked into the film like in " Sinister" but also the use of the credits can have an important aspect for example in " Shutter Island". The opening sequence should also have a dark theme can help the audience intrigued, amused and help set the mood for the rest of the film.
Audience
Audience
The thriller genre has a variety of sub-genres, which means that when making the film its important to take in to account what kind of audience you are aiming for, wether they are young, old, male or female e.t.c .
When deciding on what audience would be suitable for their film producers and directors must decide if the content in the film age appropriate for the viewers of certain countries for example in the U.K films would have to look at guidelines set by the BBFC ( British Board of Film Classification ). The guidelines are as follows:
So when selecting a target audience its important to take in to consideration what can be put in the film for the target age group.
Another aspect that must be taken into consideration is the social profiling of the audience which looks at the class status of the audience.as it follows:
A- Higher managerial, well paid professions such as judges and surgeons
B- Middle management, fairly well paid professions such as teachers, lawyers, and doctors
C1- Skilled, non manual professions in other words 'white collar' professions for example bank clerks, nurses, and junior management
C2- Skilled worker or 'blue collar' such as plumbers and electricians
D- Semi and unskilled manual professionals such as postmen and drivers
E- Lower level- casual workers for example students, pensioners and the unemployed
There are multiple thriller sub-genres whose audiences vary depending on which one for example:
- Psychological Thrillers - These are film that emphasises the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states which can for example make the characters behaviour unpredictable, which can viewers feel more tension. An example is the film " Black Swan " ,where viewers are more likely to be female and majority being 18 years of age and older but not say that some may be aged 16 - 17. Also when looking at the social profiling its mainly targeted at class ' B' but can also have a good appeal to classes ' C1' and ' A'
Action Thrillers - These are films that contain car chases, gun shoot outs and gangs but action thrillers often work on the concept of a race against time, or one hero against all the odds to save the day. An example is the " Die Hard " series, where majority of viewers are going to be men because of all the action thats involve and to be aged at 15 and over because of the strong violence and language. When looking at the social profiling this would, mainly appeal to classes ' E - C2'
Thriller Genre - Research
Thriller Genre - Research
The thriller genre is all about films that make the audiences feel mixed emotions of anxiety, tension, apprehension and uncertainty. Audiences expectation of these features of when watching these films keep developing the tension and suspension throughout out the film or scene, keeping audiences hooked in to watching it until the climax which can give them a thrill or scare depending on the film.
The earliest thrillers date back to the 1920's/early 30's through the notable work of Alfred Hitchcock's thriller film '' The Lodger '' (1926) and '' Blackmail '' (1929). the 1970's and 80's saw a violent start in thriller genre with films such as '' Frenzy '' (1972) which was given an R rating for it's explicit violence. from the 1990's to the present its now very coming to get a variety of sub-genre that combine with the thriller genre. These are film that both have thriller conventions but also mixed with different genre's like for example (with film titles) :
1) Psychological Thrillers - '' Black swan''
2) Conspiracy Thrillers - '' JFK ''
3) Espionage Thrillers - '' Skyfall ''
4) Disaster Thrillers - '' 2012 ''
The 8 primary elements of the Thriller genre are:
1) The main storyline for the protagonist is either a quest or the character who cannot be put down.
2) The main plot line focuses on a mystery that must be solved.
3) The film’s narrative construction is dominated by the protagonist’s point of view.
4) All action and characters must be credibly realistic/natural in their representation on screen.
5) The two major themes that underpin the Thriller are the desire for justice and the morality of individuals.
6) One small but significant aspect of a great thriller is the presence of innocence in what is seen as an essentially corrupt world.
7) The protagonist faces death, whether it is their own or someone else's.
8) The antagonist must be far superior (stronger and/or cleverer) than the protagonist.
There are various production techniques used in films to help create suspense and tension among viewers in the film:
Sound -
Sound can provide depth, establish character and environment, introduce a new scene or cue the viewer to important information. Sound terms that help achieve thriller conventions for example a score which is the music specially written for the scene can intensify the anxiety. Also sound effects are enhancements added during the post- production for example the foot steps, a door slamming shut or someone could be breathing could all be enhance to make them more distinctive which makes it very effective in achieving fear in viewers.
Editing -
Editing in film making is used to describe the relationship between shots and the narrative. Filmmakers and editors may use editing to solicit our intellectual participation or to call attention to their work in a reflexive manner by using techniques such as long takes, which are often used to build suspense or capture the attention of audience without breaking their concentration by cutting the film.
Cinematography -
Cinematography is all about the various camera techniques used for filming. These include the manipulation of the camera lens, framing, scale and movement. An example of a technique that helps bring thriller convention is the use of high or low angle can make the subject for example seem very powerful or very weak and vulnerable which when done with a point of view shot can make the scene seen more dramatically exciting and scary for viewers.
Mise En Scene -
The term is borrowed from a French theatrical expression, meaning roughly “put into the scene”. This means that mise en scene describes the stuff in the frame and the way it is shown and arranged. These are lighting, setting, props, costume, actor performance, actor appearance, hair and make-up. A thriller convention that is key is the setting because if its set in a creepy abandoned cabin in a place called the black forrest thats sets the mood for something wrong is gonna happen which already builds the tension right from the start.
Common Thriller Conventions -
- Enigma codes are where mysteries and questioned are set up in the narrative.
- Audience expectation is when the viewers predict whats gonna happen like someone being killed or is gonna get caught builds uncertainty and excitement.
- Action code is an event on screen that leads the audience to anticipate a subsequent action which builds suspense for what they expect to happen.
- Dramatic irony is playing with the hierarchy of knowledge because the audience is privy to narrative information that the protagonist is not and that makes viewers feel apprehended.
- Red herring is when the audience is fed false or misleading information which can leave viewers puzzled.
This scene from " Silence of the Lamb " displays clear example of thriller conventions. For example the use of dramatic irony means that the audience sees what the two guards don't see which is the antagonist getting some sought of a pin to pick the handcuffs which creates suspense for the viewers. Also the use of a long edit during this scene allows the audience to grab their attention to what's gonna happen and by doing so, makes the audience anticipate the worst possible outcome for the two guards. The scene score is an example of contrapuntal sound before and after the brutal murder of the two guards. The score during the scene is a form of calm piano playing music which causes disparity between what the audience can see and hear. Also the score changed from the calm piano music to a high pitch violin and cello which is synchronised to match the attack on the two guards for the escape who h helps intensify the anxiety from what is being watched on screen already.
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