Prezi

Link to Evaluation

Thoughts On Change

My original plan was to have the movie opening end with my character discovering it was only her dog following her but in the end I realised that it might be better to cut it before that happened and give it more of an ambigous feeling. When I first came up with the idea for my film, I wasnt sure what to do and this was made harder by the fact I was working alone and would have to be mostly self reliant. I was very unsure of things and this lead me to having to experiment and try things out for myself and I felt my confidence grow but in the end I'm still not sure my film was particularly good but I felt I did the best I could.

Inception - Movie Opening Study 3

Inception

Beginning with an ominous music, like metal or an orchestra but it inspires something evil and dark, slowly growing loud like it’s growing closer. Then we cut to waves crashing on a beach, the peaceful sound contradicting the previous music and the backdrop very bright to the black that accompanied the previous music.

Leonardo’s character is seen washing up on shore, a close-up of his face as he slowly blinks his eyes open. We then hear children, rapidly cutting to them and in slow motion watching as they play in the sand, the camera cuts between the two seamlessly before we have a low angle shot of a Japanese soldiers face.

We cut to an oriental Japanese room, with low lighting and an old man seen with his back to us. He wear a suit, indicating power and command while Leonardo’s character is dragged to a seat opposite and given food. At this moment in time we rarely see their faces, only the hands of the old man (Saitou) and Leonard’s bent head.

They begin to talk in low, whispering voices as if something from a dream or blurry memory. Then Leonardo looks up slowly and the tension peaks and before he can say anything we have a sharp cut to a new scene.

Rear Window - Movie Opening Study 2

Rear Window

The movie begins with opening shot through a window, zooming in quickly. This is instantly an ominous set-up as it reflects the movie title. A fast upbeat music begins and everything seems normal. The setting seen is a row of apartment buildings, run down against a murky grey sky backdrop. Then we cut to the scene of a man head, sweating before another cut to a man shaving in his apartment with a piano behind him, again through the view of a window.

We begin to track round to the left, seeing a 180’ view of a man sleeping on his balcony and waking up to the sharp ring of am alarm clock. Somewhat humorously, a women sleeping the opposite direction sits up moments after him. Then a women getting dressed. This implies an invasion of privacy which is backed by upbeat dramatic music which then turns sinister at times very quickly.

The camera then swings back to the man from the beginning, this time with a low tilt shot of him in a chair with a cast on his leg. The camera then pans left and we zoom in on a smashed old fashioned camera and various pictures of war and destruction. This could be foreshadowing for upcoming events in the film.

He then gets a phone call from his boss, talking about the day his cast comes off. Their tones are seemingly casual but as the boss begins talking about how sad it was when he had a good assignment for him. The tones change, intriguing the watcher. What is the job and how does it relate to the invasive previews of his neighbours lives?

Rear Window’s opening is full of suspense and a very good example of a thriller opening.

Pulp Fiction - movie opening study

Pulp Fiction

Pulp fiction opens in café, a normal non-threatening situation from a 180’ degree shot. This is a common trick of the thriller trade, open in a supposedly normal, safe place and then make it non threatening. Two people, a man and a women are sitting at a table and talking about supposedly normal things. A couple on a date we suspect in the beginning, but from the way the man is lounging with his leg put up and a cigarette in his mouth, it’s obvious that this man is disrespectful and a bit of a rough, tough guy while the woman has an innocent, country girl feel.

The man order coffee, using a word for another language as if he’s smart before the waitress informs him that it means man nor female. They begin talking about matters not appropriate for discussion. Murder and robbing a bank with only a phone. This sudden change in pace is common in thrillers.

They then talk about robbing the café, using lots of exaggerated gestures and the man slams the gun on the table which is then zoomed in on, emphasising the gun. We get a bit of tension building now, suspense. How is it going to turn out?

The man then jumps up on the sofa like chair and yells that he’s robbing the café. This was anti-climatic and seemed somewhat cliché for modern day, as it was published in 1994.

The film then cuts to the credits moments after the initial holdup.

Production Schedule

March 4th - script plotting.
March 7th - props and costume.
March 8th - scout out locations, do pleminary shot planning.
March 11th - film scene 3.
March 13th, 9-11 - revise final plan for scene 3 ending.
March 14th, 9-10 - film scene 1/2.
March 17th - upload clips and play around with scene order, point of view, duration, effects.
March 21st - continued editing, progress check upload to blog.
March 24th - start music production, garage band.

Finished Movie

After all the trouble with Final Cut, the movie is filmed, edited and ready to go for the final evaluation. It's a little hard to believe that its finally all done and over with after so much time spent on it, and I'm a little sad that it's over but at the same time relieved. I decided upon the title Silent Steps and I am very pleased with it. The indescisiveness that plagued me has gone as I've worked on this project and I feel more confident in myself.

Editing

My work so far. I have captured all my footage and unloaded it to final cut. I then put it in a general order and ran it through. Due to the fact I was working alone, it was quite hard to know what would work until I tried it. I cut out quite large bits before getting down to the nitty-gritty stuff.

In doing so I realized:

I would need to filter in the alternative view point shots with the main sequence, add in transitions to move from place to place and generally make sure it wasn’t stuttering too much a certain points.

Mind Map

My thriller poster mind map on the conventions and themes of the genre.

example of credits

This picture shows my first attempt at creating credits using Live Type.  I was able to learn how to create moving credits with a background. 

Opening Credits

In Media I played around with the type of credits I wanted to have one my Film. It was an interesting experiance but as always with Media Technology something always seems to go wrong. The font's range was good and I found one that if given the right background would be really creepy.

Filming Report 2

We finished filming scene 1 at the churchyard, the silence there is very creepy I must admit. As we were filming I thought about what kind of music I wanted and whether I wanted something loud or soft. The piece of filming left can be completed this weekend and all that will be left is editing, making the credits.

Filming Report

Just finished filming scene 2 of my film, for the most part it went pretty well though the Camera position was somewhat complicated by the limited amount of space. It's actually quite hard to keep to a script and not make up similar sounding sentences. I suppose it takes massive amounts of commitment and a good ability to memorise.

Now all that's left is scene 1, in which Mia is standing in front of her sisters grave and promises to find out what really happened to her.

Thriller Questions

What is the purpose of the opening to a film?

To capture the audience’s attention and drawing them into, it is also important that is excites the viewer or interests them so that they continue to watch it until the end. An opening that fails to excite or entice, leads to a boring view of the film.

What techniques can a director use to create suspense in a film?

Suspense is something that leaves the viewers heart pounding, biting their fingernails and sitting on the edge of their seat.

Music is one such technique that can be applied; loud dramatic music can set the heart jumping, low and eerie can lead to the heart freezing.

The director can also use false shocks, to increase viewer paranoia and set up for something big.

Low Key Lighting can be used to create a more intimate cinematography.

Also the use of editing cuts to change faster, or jump cuts, can also be used to increase the sense of danger and the sense of the pressure of time.

How do you think a thriller film is defined?

A thriller is something that entices people to watch it and gives being a sense of suspense and intrigue.

What films can you think of, that would fit into the thriller genre?

Constantine, The Exorcist, Rear View Window, Black Swan, Inception, Pulp Fiction…

The thriller film can be divided in to sub-genres – what different types of thriller films do you think exists?

Mystery Thriller, Supernatural Thriller aka Constantine, Psychological Thriller aka Black Swan, Adventure Thriller, Action Thriller.

What are the characteristics or conventions of a thriller film? (Consider narrative, characters, mise-en-scene, stars?)

The narrative of a thriller usually holds an element of mystery and having some sort of shock or twist in the narrative which captures the audiences attention. Characters of a thriller usually range but has certain character archetypes but it also depends on the subgenre of the thrillers:

· The lead character being put in a situation without knowing anything and stumbles through the narrative blindly.

· Usually a character that isn’t exactly normal or the conventions of normal, like Nikola Tesla from Prestige, who plays an eccentric inventor.

· The lead male having a dark and shady past, Leonardo DiCaprio has a history of playing roles like these. Shutter Island, Inception are two examples of this type.

· An innocent female being put in scary situations, such as in Scream’s opening which features a female who is unaware of the danger with the stranger she is talking to until it’s too late and ends up with he throat slit.

On that note, star appeal can reflect how good a film will be. If a film has actors or actresses that aren’t well known ore respected it can reflect how good the film will be. Big stars usually means a bigger budget and implies a greater quality of film but also will draw fans to watch even if thrillers aren’t normally something they indulge in.

What do you think is the audience pleasure of a thriller?

Earlier I identified that a thriller is something that gives people an thriller and a sense of intrigue. However the pleasures of watching a thriller can vary on the type of thriller and how well the film is shot.

If an viewer is watching a thriller they want to be excited. If they like mystery thrillers the intrigue and puzzling out of the plot may give them enjoyment, or maybe it’s the race against time to catch the killer before he strikes again or perhaps it’s the more physiological side of things that intrigues them, getting inside of the mind of the killer.

Psychological thrillers deal with lots of different concepts like multiple personalities disorders or theories like time travel (The Butterfly Effect) or Obsession (View From A Rear Window).

The audience could be pleasured by the sheer abnormality or deviation from the normal and wandering, however psychological films can incorporate elements of violence or darker themes like sexual abuse such as Black Swan in which Natalie Portman’s characters ends up committing a form of suicide by stabbing herself repeatedly and has themes of sexual abuse and mental instability.

Action Thrillers can be very popular, such as the Bourne Trilogy or the Bond Films. This normal has very stark ‘Good and Bad’ characters and has more common stereotypes. These types can be the types that makes peoples heart pound and there mind race. The thoughts of are the characters going to make it? Will they die?

Thriller pleasure however is changing as we move into the twenty-first century and the traditional techniques such Detectives in long coats and top hats are left behind as new thriller narratives are explored.

Using the internet research the ‘top 50 thriller films’. Look at the top twenty – which ones have you watched? If not many, why do you think that is?

The Twently Top Thrillers:

· Pulp Fiction

· Inception

· The Dark Knight

· Goodfellas

· Fight Club

· Rear Window

· Psycho

· The Usual Suspects

· The Silence of the Lambs

· Se7en

· Memento

· Leon

· North by Northwest

· Double Indemnity

· M

· Taxi Driver

· Vertigo

· Terminator 2: Judgment Day

· Elite Squad 2

· Alien

Out of these twenty I have watched Inception, Terminator 2, Goodfellas and Alien. I don’t think I’ve watched many thrillers because I’m not one of those people that like scary things or psychological thrillers. I prefer more action films like James Bond or fantasy films like Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief or Harry Potter. I watched a lot of Disney films growing up and I still love films like Bambi and the Lion King.

Storyboard

 

CAST:
MIA ROSENBERG
KRISTIN ROSENBERG
TIMO, THE DOG

SCENE 1:

Mia Rosenberg stands in front of a grave, her sister’s. Lays flowers at the grave.
MIA: I’ll find out what really happened, I promise.
END SCENE

SCENE 2:
MIA: why couldn’t you have just told what was wrong, Rea? Why did you have to…?”
Kristin Rosenberg comes in.
KRISTIN: Why can’t you leave the past be? Why? Your sister, my daughter is dead! She isn’t coming back!
Mia stands up. Slams hands on table.
MIA: It is because she is my sister I can’t just leave it be! She wouldn’t have killed herself! I know her!
Mia shakes her head.
MIA: I’m going for a walk; I need to clear my head.
Mia picks up coat, walks down hallway, walks up to the steps and exits the garden with a wave to her dog, Timo.
MIA: Not today, boy.
END SCENE

SCENE 3:
Mia is walking, when she here a twig snap behind her. She looks around. No one there. Continues walking. Hears footsteps, looks around again. No one there.
MIA: Hello? Is – Is someone there?
Silence.
Continues walking, faster than before. Footsteps again and cracking of twigs. Mia whirls around.
MIA: Come out! Whoever you are! I know you’re there!
Jumps, makes low scream. Whirls around. Her dog sits next to her.
MIA: Timo! God, you gave me a scare! How on earth did you get out?
Kneels down, scratches dog’s head.
MIA: I’m getting as paranoid as Rea must have been, huh boy? I wonder if this is what she felt…
END SCENE

Audience Pleasure

I did a survey around my local neighbourhood on what they liked about thrillers and even if they liked thrillers. I used an open ended questionaire asked them a few questions:

How old are you?

Do you like thrillers? If yes, what do you like about them? If not, is it for any particular reason?


Did you ever use to like thrillers? How old were you if you did?

What kind of movies do you like now, any examples?

The general findings were that some adults (9/19 Participents) were okay with thrillers but had enjoyed them more when they were younger, around the ages of 16 to 21. The teenagers that did my survey did enjoy thrillers quite a lot, though they tended to like movies such as Inception which is more modern then older movies like M. Though whether it is for the better quality or the star appeal of current actors was hard to define. A few children that did the survey appeared to have little interest in thrillers, preferrering more child geared movies like Cars by Disney and Pixar.

This has led me to conclude my target audience would be teenagers to young adults.

Thoughts On A Genre

The thriller genre I believe has a diverse audience. In terms of age I tend to lean towards an elder audience, usually from late teens to adults. Children would interpret modern day thrillers as very scary, such as The Exorcist and would then go against the age certificate laws. I think elderly people wouldn’t enjoy thrillers as much as say a young adult, so it leads me to think thrillers target a mature audience. I also think it would have to be an audience that enjoyed suspense and having their hearts pound. In terms of gender, it would be hard to say. Gender also depends on the kind of thriller. Horror Thrillers I would think more boys, but mystery thrillers I would say both.  I myself don’t particularly enjoy thrillers with the exception of one or two but my friend loves them. We’re both girls, so I would argue gender doesn’t matter so much a preference and I think this shows in the movie industries advertisement.  Black Swan features Natalie Portman, while Inception features Leonardo DiCaprio. They both have star appeal to both genders.

Costumes and Prop List

Clothing:

• For the girl: Boots for walking, jeans, top, and jacket.
• For mother: Laidback clothing, that signifies the cold, unemotional state she is in since her daughters death.
• The invisible man: Trousers and shoes. 

Props: I will need:

• Letters from the dead sister, to signify her mental state.
• Newspaper clippings to signify that the girl doesn't want to believe her sister committed suicide and has become obssessed with the case.
• Pictures of the dead sister, to invoke smypathy in the audience and maybe represent what the girl is working so hard at.

I will need to consider how I am going to get these props and how long it will take to make them.


Making the letters and hand written could take between 1 to 2 hours.
The newpaper cuttings and the amount needs could be gathered both from a real newpaper and made up, which would cut down on time needed. A few on the computer which is about the case is going to be need for realism. so 1 to 3 hours.

Certificate

After looking at what certificate I should have if I was shooting the whole film I concluded it would have to be either a 15 or 18. There following are guidlines for a 15 rated film:

Suitable only for 15 years and over

No one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema. No one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video work.

Discrimination

The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour.

Drugs

Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (for example, aerosols or solvents) is unlikely to be acceptable.

Horror

Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.

Imitable behaviour

Dangerous behaviour (for example, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on detail which could be copied. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Language

There may be frequent use of strong language (for example, ‘fuck’). The strongest  terms (for example, ‘cunt’) may be acceptable if justified by the context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity

Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.

Sex

Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely  to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme

No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence

Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification.

However, in the two minute opening I will be shooting, there isn't any violence but there is talk and hints of disturbing images and themes such as suicide and stalking, so I wouldn't lower the rating below a 15.

Age and Audience

My film is aimed at elder teens and adults. It is along the liunes of a mystery thriller and would appeal to an elder audience, or those that like solving things. Although teenagers might associate with the disbelif of the adults about the real causes of the suicide. I can demostrate this through an argue with her mother, as she tries to pursaude her mother that her sister didn't commit suicide. Then the walk through the forest, where the paranoia sets in and she experiances something like her sister will tense the audience as they feels suspence.

The Plot Synopsis:

Girl’s sister thinks someone’s following her, is put in asylum and commits suicide. Girl doesn’t think her sister insane and investigates death. While on walk, experiences same paranoia which turns out to be her dog, escaped from the garden. Goes to sisters boarding school, meets nosey report Adam Kale. They research, finds events happened before. Girl goes home, only to find another student put in asylum. Visits, she too talks about a man following her. Girl is called by Adam, says found one of the old staff. Visits; he tells her about nurse who terrorised patients, went to jail. Released and disappeared around same time as the first suicide. Then tries to find picture in local precinct record room. Student calls her, the man going to kill her.She races to the asylum.

On the whole, the film is about how words and feelings can affect the mind more than physical actions can and how one person's determination can change things.

Location Report

Settings in order of appearance:

1) Church/Grave Yard
In this setting, Mia is visiting her sisters grave. This place is usually quiet and deserted, so people won't be a problem.

2) The Girl's House, including:

• The Kitchen Dining Room
• The Hallway
• The Garden

2)      3) Walking scenery

The house will be using my house, which I can access very easily and so will the walking scenery as I live in a conservation area. I might however, have a problem getting the people I need at a time that works for everyone.

I will need to be aware of other people in the local area in the walking scenery, such as hikers. I also need to be aware of what time of day and what the weather will be like on the day of shooting, how that will affect the scene such as if it’s been raining, the ground outside could be muddy. I also need to think about what days the people I need to help me will be available.

Cast

In the two minute opening of my film only two characters will be seen:

The girl and her mother. 


The girl: Leia Evans
Her mother: Kristina Evans

Film Plot Summary

My film is about a girl who’s younger sibling supposedly went insane and then committed suicide. Her sister wrote her letters, talking about footsteps behind her and the ‘invisible man’. The girl thinks there is something being covered up and that her sister was generally worried about someone following her. After a scary walk which only turns out to be her dog following her, having snuck out, the girl wonders if this was how her friend had felt during those months before she was put in the local asylum. Deciding to investigate, she starts at her sister’s Catholic boarding school. After researching the history, she find the school has repeated incidents of insanity and that somehow it’s connected to the asylum. With the help of nosy local report Adam Kale, she begins digging into the first event. When she returns home, she hears another student has been put in the asylum and goes to visit. After conferring with the kind doctor who oversaw her sister she sees the girl, who talks about a man following her and leaving messages on the wall but they’re gone in the morning.  Adam then contacts her, saying he’s tracked down one of the old staff. The man, a former nurse, tells her about a staff member who had thought it funny to torment the patients and was later arrested. An inquiry into the man’s whereabouts finds he was released and subsequently disappeared fifteen years ago. While trying to search the cold case records she finds a picture, it’s the doctor from before. She then gets a call from the girl and rushes to save her. She finds them on the roof, the doctor about to coax her in to jumping. He tries to play it off, saying he was trying to stop her. The girl says his real name, they struggle and when he tries throwing her off the roof, Adam appears and pulls him off when the police arrive thanks to Adam. 

The point of the opening is to show what we think is there but isn’t can be scarier then seeing what is there. How the mind plays tricks.

It fits into the convention of thriller because it has suspense in that the characters don’t know what’s going on leading to suspense, the constant sense of danger implemented by the opening and thrill of a mystery unsolved.

Equipment for Filming

I will need for actual filming:

A Camera, a stand for the camera.

What I need when filming:

Costumes, letters and newspaper cuttings.

Film Classification

The BBFC is in charge of film age classification, such as 15 or an 18 rated film. These guidelines are updated every four years.

The general guideing principles for the ratings are:

• that works should be allowed to reach the widest audience that is appropriate for their theme and treatment.

•  that adults should, as far as possible, be free to choose what they see, provided that it remains within the law and is not potentially harmful.

When applying theses preinciples they must pace three qualifications:

 1. whether the material is in conflict with the law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence
2. whether the material, either on its own, or in combination with other content of a similar nature, may cause any harm at the category concerned.

3.whether the availability of the material, at the age group concerned, is clearly unacceptable to broad public opinion. It is on this ground, for example, that the BBFC intervenes in respect of bad language.

 Things taken into consideration are: Discrimination, Drugs, Horror, Intimate Behaviour, Language, Nudity, Sex, Theme, Violence.

The classifications are: U - Universal, PG - Parental Guidance, 12A and 12 - 12 years of age and over 12 yrs, 15 - 15's and over, 18 - Adults, and 18R - 18 Restricted.

Thrillers - A History

A thriller is basically something that gives people a rush; it makes them sit on the edge of their seats with bated breath. Thrillers are conventionally a mixture of intrigue, suspense and will they dare to do it. In the 1930’s to 1940’s thrillers were commonly those of a gentleman detective, where a smart comment could save you from a troublesome situation. Films like ‘The Thin Man’ had sophisticated heroes, wearing fine suits and caught up in mysteries of danger. 

Alfred Hitchcock is a good example, his 1935 movie ‘The 39 steps’. The main character is targeted by a spy-ring, fleeing to the Highlands. Full of double-crossing characters, chase sequences, and flirty dialogue between the lead male and his leading lady, the film made conventions for exotic action thrillers. This would later go on to form the block for the James Bond films. 

These kinds of thrillers happen at breakneck speed, never allowing the audience time to reflect. It uses principles like a fast moving plot but with elements of psychological depth. One such example is the Bourne Supremacy, 2004. 

Some of the best thriller filmmakers tend to be people that can make the best, most complex plots but also are masters at telling them: (e.g. Hitchcock, John Frankenheimer and Michael).

Now that isn’t to say all thrillers come from detective mysteries or action packed adventures. Thrillers also began to encompass the psychological side of things. More recent films like ‘The Butterfly Effect’ or ‘Black Swan’ don’t have any action adventure of epic proportions, they focus more on the mind and the effects it can have on people. In Butterfly Effect the leading male becomes obsessed with saving the girl, while in Black Swan, Natalie Portman’s character ends up stabbing herself repeated. 

A key aspect of Thrillers is tension. Tension comes from a menacing situation, the feeling of danger, or even just the threat of a life being taking. A good way to do this is to start the film off by giving them false shocks; a hairdryer fails and sparks while in the bathroom with character. Will the character die by electrocution? No, they survive with harm but the tension hasn’t dissipated because now you’re expecting something to happen. 

The characters of Thrillers are often normal people, not use to being subjected to danger unless it’s more of a crime thriller. The films also take place in suburban cities or town, places familiar to them which now seem darker and less innocent then before.

There isn’t a limit to how many kinds of thriller’s there are. James Patterson, 2008 listed some of these kinds, saying: There are all kinds. The legal thriller, spy thriller, action-adventure thriller, medical thriller, police thriller, romantic thriller, historical thriller, political thriller, religious thriller, high-tech thriller, military thriller.

As you can see there is no one true definition of the thriller genre. The only thing that all thrillers must fulfil is to thrill its audience, if it doesn’t thrill then it isn’t a thriller.