assessment - Planning SJA 18/12/11

Shooting Schedule

We are planing on doing most of the filming during the Christmas Holiday and during some of the media lessons. We hope the whole team can turn up to each session which shouldn't be too bad as we all live relatively close to each other. 

Peer Assessment for Planning Blogs

Working on our Storyboards

Here are some videos of us as a group working on our storyboards. We all took seperate roles into the fast and precise completion of the task. I took the role of drawing and labeling the shots; Rosie took the role of working out how long any shots would last; Emma coloured in the drawings and listed the sound and Ellie described what was happening in each shot with the type of camera shot.

Costume, Props and Location

Casting

When deciding on the cast of our film we took into consideration the type of characters but also we thought about how accessible different people would be especially when filming needed to be done.


The first character we decided on was the main character, Mark Wilson. He needs to be someone who looks quite tough and strong. Also he needs to be fearless and knowledgeable.
We have chosen to cast me (as a member of our group) to be Mark as I have a preferable build which suits this role quite well with Mark Wilson being a veteran. As I am in the group it also makes a lot of the filming a whole lot easier. I  will be reliable and will attend all the shooting sessions anyway as part of the responsibility of the group. 

We then needed a teenage girl who would start out as a vulnerable character but develop into a strong willed woman. As a group we then decided to cast Rosie Winton (another member of our group). We believe she will suit the role quite well as she is of a similar age and can act quite well. Furthermore she is a member of a group again making filming a whole lot easer even though she doesn't really appear in the opening sequence.

Only close ups or obscured extreme long shots will show Wendy Thornton is dead. The hair colour will need to stand out amongst the pool of blood it will lay in. So we cast Emma Chapman (a member of our group) because of her fair hair. 

Locations

Our location is mainly on a dark busy road near the station. The area needs to seem grey and and urban. The station he gets off at is Cashalton Beeches station. In the morning and evening the area is quite busy, but during the day it is usually very quiet. We would have to film during the day so we can achieve an isolated feel for our thriller film. The idea is to make the area look inhabited but quiet at the same time. This way will be able to make the crime thats about to unfold, believable.

Props

Our props are relatively simple, the mobile phone is the key part of the actors role. We need it to make the phone call and he spends a good part of the opening sequence using it. The door bell as well had to black and simple and shouldn't suggest too much. We need it to make the situation seem normal so when we drop the bomb, the viewer will truly feel the excitement. The blood will be the major hint to the plot turning. The blood's dark red colour will immediately be recognized amongst the audience and it will definitely highlight the danger and panic of the situation. Also the muddy converse will be another key part that will initially cause the unintentional framing of the main character by contaminating the crime scene. The shoes will foreshadow this problem.

Costumes

For costumes we have decided to choose relativiely dark clothes with a rather casual feel. This way we can show the audience that the film is a thriller yet it is happening to an ordinary person. I hope that by doing this we will achieve a succesful synopsis that makes sense. If the character was wearing suitable cargo clothes that would be good for running around in it would loose the whole mystery of the thriller.



We have decided to include a dark thick coat and a scarf that would indicate the cold weather of the time in the setting. By showing that it is a cold it will reflect the cold feel of the film giving the audience more reason to watch the film. The rest of the clothes will be quite casual, chinos and a shirt. The character will look smart, as though he is prepared to go to dinner with the family he is supposedly meant to have dinner with.

Font for our Thriller Opening Sequence Title

This title font caught my eye because of eerie handwriting style. The handwriting suggests a criminal and a ransom message. However I decided not to choose this font as it implies the criminal is unprofessional 

This font signifies an Eastern European setting for our thriller. The font is bold and stands out. Because of the European look of the font, it suggests a large grey urban area that would be a perfect setting for our thriller. 

The title immediately signifies a large city like area thanks to the skyline imagery used at the bottom of the font.  Also the font seems to have like a dirt effect that could convey the idea of grit or blood to the audience, possibly highlighting the violence of the film. Also the type of letters suggests a danger like sign warning. maybe foreshadowing the danger for the main character. 

The label like title suggests professional criminals which is a main theme for our thriller. Furthermore it also suggests a police case which also a theme for our thriller. However the title seems old fashioned and our film it set in the present so I have decided not to choose this font. But this font could work for subtitles e.g. crew, cast etc.

I have decided to choose this font for our thriller film title. It stands out bright and bold, there isn't too much going on. The dirt like effect on the font will signify a gritty urban setting, or it will imply blood and violence. This will attract audience members who are fond of action and violence. The title 'danger sign' like font will also highlight the idea of violence and danger. The title in this font will suggest the main themes of the film thus making it a perfect for our film.

GIFSoup

We will have our titles flashing on and off as though as you are not meant to see the title. However unlike Seven (1995, Fincher), the title's will be played over the moving image of the film and not a title a sequence.

Script

How do you make gifs


How do you make gifs

The script is quite basic, it features our main character and an answerphone. The main character basically explains that he is on his way to his friends house after the answerphone message.

Thriller Opening Sequence Storyboard Animation

Here is an Animation of our storyboard with some of the sounds we are going to use in the film. The storyboard shows our main character Mark Wilson leaving the station to go to his friend's house. Also included is the jump cuts to the friends house were the friends are coincidentally dead.

Character Profiles

Mark Wilson - Main Charatcer

Ex Soldier - Appeals to audience members who like action movies.
Middle Aged - This way he will appeal more audience members of a wider age group.
Single - the fact that he is single suggests that might be a love interest in the film, potentially appealing to a female audience.

Megan Thornton

17 years old - Appeals to younger female audience members, they would like the idea a girl their age has a main role in the film.
Studying at college - Shows the viewers that this film is about a bad situation happening to ordinary people.

Wendy Thornton

Mother - the fact she is a mother, been married for ten years, and has been killed, will manipulate the audience into disliking the bad guys.

research - Section Completion Check SJA 5/12

www:

Some really thoughtful use of a range of visual ideas to present your information
Good use of a variety of technologies for Research - Posts using Prezzi and YouTube director's commentary show very good understanding and are particularly effective
You show a genuine interest in your work George - this makes your blog interesting to read through


ebi:
Post 6 - Wallander - is this done?
P0st 10 - What titles - is this done?
Avoid just dumping in whole YouTube clips that are without any tagging / annotation - take screen grabs of specific shots
Post 2 - Trailer VS. Title Sequence - needs development

Overall - some really great posts George. Potential for Level 4 if you come back to improve on the EBI's I have suggested.
Current: Lev 3

SJA

Sounds for our Thriller Opening Sequence

For sound we have to use non copyrighted material from, copyright free websites our from stuff we have recorded personally. Four our thriller we are going to write and record some of the music on Cubase and possibly record other sound effects. However we will borrow copyright free sounds from copyright free websites.



A thriller would probably have eerie ambient music, so we would need something that would build some tension without giving it away. We just want the audience to feel that something is wrong.


We also want some traffic noises as well for when our character walks to his mate's house. The noise has to be realistic, I can't sound too busy however, otherwise we would loose the isolated feel we want to maintain.


A few good swoosh and swish noises would suggest something that shouldn't be there.




For musical score it would be right if we went for a more modern approach and had some music similar to films like the Matrix and the Bourne Identity with a slow drum beat, ambient noises and distorted synth noises to suggest the problems about to occur in the film.

Shot Types and Ideas for our Thriller Opening

The first shot will be a mid/close up of the protagonist from behind, so again the audience will not be able to see his face. The camera will track with the actor as he walks forwards and gets out his phone. 

                                                                                                                             

The next shot will be another mid/close up of the phone he is calling to at his mate's house. The camera will track back very slowly.     

The fourth shot will then cut back  to the protagonist at a mid close up level as he leaves a message on the answer-phone.

It then cuts back to the shot of the protagonist from the front and he is putting his phone away after saying the words 'see you in a bit.'

The next shots will be long shots of the protagonists walking to his friends house down the road, in the corner titles will appear whilst music begins to play.

Peer Review

Synopsis of our Thriller

A man goes to visit his friend at his house. He rings his friend as he walks there to make use everything is still good. There is no answer. The man assumes everything is okay and carries on his journey to his friends house. When he arrives the door is open, he still knocks but there is no answer. He opens the door to see if everything and shouts out his mates name. Still no answer, so he goes inside only to find his mate and his wife dead. He immediately goes into shock and panics desperately trying to bring his mate back to life without realising that he is contaminating the crime scene with his fingerprints. He eventually notices that their daughter is not there and then starts to look for her. He finds her upstairs under the bed, alive.

The man and the daughter then take part in a journey to avoid the people trying to kill her family and the police who believe that he was the one who killed the family and kidnapped their daughter.

Initial Ideas

Initial Ideas for our Thriller Opening Sequence on Prezi

Audience Research - Thriller Questionnaire on Opening Sequences

Locations Research

Carshalton Park Grotto (Carshalton)
Carshalton Parks grotto will provide us with a creepy setting for the opening of our film. The old but graffiti'd building will suggest abandoned and the park's high trees tower over the area creating a vulnerable location for a victim. However this is a public place and there will be people walking their dogs. It is by a main road so it may be noisy and it night it will be hard to film with the trees blocking most light.

Radcliffe Gardens (Carshalton Beeches)

The tall towers and trees will create vulnerability for a victim in this area. The area is usually quiet near no main roads and contains a small woods next to it. This means we could make a film were someone goes out of their flat and something happens to them in the woods just outside. At night can be spooky. However people do live here and might be upset if we film around this area.



                                                                                                  Shanklin Estate (Sutton)
Can be quite creepy at night dark atmosphere. Brickwork could suggest an old run down area. However can be quite a dangerous area to be, especially at night. People live here too and might be offended if we film around here.

Questionnaire Answers and Analysis

• Most of the people I gave the questionnaire to were males (60%) which meant that the answers I would recieve would be generally masculine.
• All of the people I interviewed were 16-20 which means the answers I got about films would be similar due to films being based on age groups.

• Most of the people wanted to meet the main character in the first 2 minutes of the film. The reasons were because they want to know who the film is about, to see if they recognize the actor and then determine whether the film is going to be good or not, or to judge the character, seeing if he/she is interesting or boring. The few who said they didn't want to see the main character, said that it kept the mystery of a thriller.
• When it came down to what people would want to see in the main character people mainly said male. Other popular attributes were a bitter personality, violent, determined, clever, strong and the ability to do the impossible. The unpopular attributes were a female main character with a more humane way of dealing with things. I expected these results because the conventions for main characters in thrillers are similar to the popular outcomes. 
• The most popular actor for thrillers was Liam Neeson with 40% putting down his name. I expected this because of his appearances in two huge thrillers 'taken' and 'uknown'. This suggests that the main character in our film should be middle aged, quite strong and tough, very intelligent and capable of violence. Other actors included Matt Damon from Bourne Identity who has a similar likeness to Liam Neeson. 

• Most people seem to prefer the titles to appear over the moving image. This could possibly be suggesting that they probably wouldn't want to see the titles at all and would want to go straight into viewing the film. 
• Most people said that the less they learn about the film in the first two minutes the better. This way the typical mysterious atmosphere held by a thriller would be upheld. Many mentioned that they would prefer to see the opening of a thriller to be a prologue were something bad is foreshadowed. 
• The results to what they want to see and hear in the opening of a thriller film were all pretty similar. Many mentioned an abandoned building as an appropriate setting or a run down area. This suggests low-key lighting and smoke. Also they mentioned that the music should be orchestral and follow the score, no one said they wanted to hear a popular song. 

Opening Sequence Conventions for a Thriller

Conventions of a Thriller Opening Sequence on Prezi

28 Days Later - Thriller opening analysis

Analysis of thriller – 28 days later

View more presentations from GeorgeBlewitt.

Se7en Thriller opening anaylsis

GIFSoup

Distributing Company, logo appears first reminds audience who made the film, promotes them.


GIFSoup

Fades in straight to the film, with no other titles yet. A mid shot of a man, can't quite make out who he is. The audience will be asking who is he? is he the main character? The ambient noise suggests he lives in a city, the viewers will be wondering where?


GIFSoup

Cuts to the man getting ready for work, audience will see his face for the first time. They will also notice the items shown in the close up and will be wondering what they are for? What is his job?


GIFSoup

Cuts to a crime scene, the camera tilts up so you can see all of it. As the man walks down the corridor it becomes apparent that he is a detective.


GIFSoup

The shot starts off as a long shot at the other detective but tilts upwards when a new character walks up the stairs becoming a mid shot.The fact that only these two characters have been shown up relatively close suggests that they are both the main characters.


GIFSoup

The two characters in the frame together signify that they are the main characters of the film, detective and partner. They are probably going to have to spend the most of the film together solving this crime.


GIFSoup

The camera tracks forward on the guy in bed. This gives the idea that he is pondering deeply, possibly about the crime or his new partner. The ticking metronome that the camera focuses on with close ups, signifies this as well, as though he uses it to help him think. The audience will be wondering why he has a metronome ticking.


GIFSoup

Title sequence then begins. Shows disturbing instruments with eerie music. The random shots imply the work of the killer. The titles are in hand written or typewriter like font that again suggests a serial killer. The titles seem to flash on screen as though you shouldn't have seen them.

Conventions of an Opening Sequence

Commentary of title and roles.

Bridget Jones Diary - Screen Shot with annotations opening analysis

 Mid shot draws attention to Bridget in embarrassing outfit, centered in the screen. Makes it funny for the audience.

 The camera tracks backwards as she walks towards it but becomes a close up, showing the audience her awkward face, making it funny but making the audience feel sympathy for her. The close up emphasizes her reaction to the situation, making the viewer aware on her feelings.

Fades to an establishing shot, showing the audience the main setting, the building is centered in the frame, perhaps suggesting this being Bridget's home. A voice over starts, talking about her life and bringing the audience up to date, with what the film could potentially be about. The amount of screen time these shots get suggests that the director is showing the main setting of the film. The shots start with a long shot and then feature close ups with pans, and crabs of the building so the audience become fully aware of the area.

 Titles appear with a pinkish tint, possibly signifying the feminine aspects of this movie, the title immediately tell the audience who this film is for. The hat on the pole signifies the end of Christmas and help the audience understand when the film is taking place.

 Title appears next to the actor, shows who's who. The font is in a handwriting style signifying the diary concept of the film. The diary idea also suggests that this film is for woman with diaries being a feminine thing to have. The long shot establishes the room she is in where most of the title sequence takes place. The framing of the shot helps the viewer to notice the state of the room which reflects the emotional state of Bridget.

 The shot occasionally cuts to close up Bridget dancing and singing to the song, making what ever she is doing funnier. By cutting to the close ups the director successfully highlights the funny behaviour of Bridget.

When the title appears it is next to Bridget Jones going mental to this song, which could be showing that this film is going to be funny. The font also represents the title of diary that this film is actually about.

Spiderwick Chronicles - Opening Analysis Bubbl

Screen Shot Analysis - Wallander Open Sequence

Wallander (Firewall, 7/12/2008, BBC1)


The first shot it fades into is the ocean, cold wind noises are played perhaps suggesting to the audience that this scene is going to be cold upsetting scene.

The helicopter shot tracks forward to the shore, to what looks like a grey countryside in which the audience can make out a car and people walking away. The setting is deserted, the car doors are opening they have pulled up along the side of the tracks. The audience will be wondering why? What's in the car

The 2nd shot suddenly cuts behind the two people who are walking, we are behind them, the director has done this so we cannot see their face, who are they? One is wearing a leather jacket and has red hair extensions and the audience will probably be able to work out that she is a rebellious teen. The other is smaller so possibly younger, perhaps a younger sister or friend. Their hair is all messy, were they in a scrap?

The third shot cuts to a shot from within the taxi looking at the two girls, a man is collapsed on the drivers seat, there is blood, and  the two girls are walking away, blurred in the distance so you can only just make them out. The audience would have guessed that the two girls probably did this. Also the ID of the driver is focused signifying to the viewer that he was a taxi driver. Possibly suggesting the he was dodgy and the girls attacked him as a result.

It cuts this time to the girls and for the first time you can make out their faces. The you can see they are both quite scruffy and the girl with the red hair in focus has blood on her neck. This again justifies the idea that she killed the man in the car. The audience will notice that they are breathing heavily and are not talking, possibly indicating the shock of what just happened.
















It then cuts to an ID of the taxi driver, coered with blood to confirm again the dead guy in the car is a cabbie, it also reveals his name.

It cuts to a front mid shot of the girls tracking back with them as they walk away from the car. This confirms to the audience that they are trying to get away and must have been the ones who killed the driver. They are breathing heavily but don't look too scared or shocked, as though they meant to do it, not from self defence.

The close up on the hand shows the audience the man is still alive, but is shaking and must be on his way out. The girls obviously meant to harm him otherwise they wouldn't be walking away. 

An extreme close up of the girls focusing on the blood around ones neck. The blood splatter suggests they killed the man with a knife, the lack of blood on one, suggests she did not want to get involved and was dragged into it. 

It then cuts to two quick cutaways one with blood splatter on his taxi computer. 

Then to a a keyring photo of him with his son, suggesting that maybe he was not so dangerous after all and was actually a nice person. This then gets the audience asking 'well why did they kill him then?' 

It then cuts to the girls hand covered in blood, with a knife and she obviously attacked the man in the car. The attack was obviously intentional because no one really carries a knife around for self defence. 

She then drops the knife in the grass, deliberately so she can rid herself of the evidence again confirming the attack was intentional. At the end of the opening sequence now the audience will be asking, 'who are these girls? Why did they attack this man? Who is the man?' Creating a great foundation for the rest of the show.