Script & Ammendments of Ideas

SCENE 1: INT - EVENING - LIVING ROOM


(Tracking shot) Shot of coffee table in front of a fire in the living room within the detectives house. The coffee table is littered with several documents and suspect files (with black and white photos) on top of a photo of the murder scene, which he had visited earlier that day (but you cannot see this at all), and one of the documents is covered by a large magnifying glass. A newtons cradle which is placed in the corner of the table, is in motion, is also shown, as well as a discarded iPhone.  (duration approx. 5 seconds)


(Close up) A male hand places down a mug of coffee on the desk.


Another couple of seconds of tracking before the camera starts to tilt to end up with a birds eye view of the table. A quick zoom to one of the documents is made, and credits start to appear, separated by the shuffling of documents (each name appears on different documents).


The hand then shuffles the documents so that the suspects photos are more obvious to the audience. (zoom in) You can hear the sound of the Newton's cradle in the background as the momentum speeds up, and just before it stops there is a shot of the Newton's cradle itself. The shot then quickly goes back (jump cut) to the photos which are displayed for a few seconds, but then interrupted by the character discarding the photo of the murder scene on top. There will then be a flash and camera noise to make it appear like it has just been taken, which will lead into scene 2 (acting like a flashback).


SCENE 2: EXT - DAYTIME - CRIME SCENE


(Establishing Shot) Shot of crime scene with dead body in the middle and crime scene tape being put up around the crime scene by a detective. The shot won't be directly focused on the body but on the scene itself. This shot will act as an introduction to the area rather then an area were things will be happening.


(Two - Medium Shot) Detectives standing in a corridor outside of the crime scene. The detectives will be passing files and notes to each other. One of the detectives is called Detective Rick Marshall and the other is called Detective Jim Palmer. Then the two characters will have a conversation.


DIALOGUE:


Rick: No clues, no evidence... what do we have to go on?
Jim: We need to get the postmortem done ASAP
Rick: What was the coroner's report?
Jim: It isn't complete yet.
(Police Man Interupts with coroner's report)
Police Man: Sir, the coroner has finished his examination.
(Hands report to detective Rick)
Rick: (As he takes the report) Thank you officer.
Jim: I'll get the body taken to the lab.
Rick: Okay, I'll take this evidence and start questioning the witnesses.
Jim: When do you want the postmortem started?
Rick: As soon as possible, we need to know as much as possible before we can properly start this investigation.
(Jim and Rick walk away from the camera)

Pitch Feedback

We now know we need to establish the location of our opening sequence as we are unsure of this and it is very important for filming purposes.


From the feedback, we have also established we need to allocate time to produce the pictures in black and white as well as time to get all of the other props we need for the crime scene and the desk.


The people we asked feedback from, also said that our inspiration from Se7en is good and that our opening sequence makes the sub-genre obvious. However, we need to work out how we are going to end our opening sequence.


We need to be aware that we don't use too much gore as the film would then become more of a horror than being a thriller, which is easy to do.

Planning For Pitch: Location

The locations that we will be using, will be a room that is set up like a detectives office and it will also be used for the crime scene. We chose this because it seemed like it would make the genre obvious as a crime thriller. The other location will be a hallway this will be a good location because whilst walking down the hallway the characters can be speaking to each other and this will keep the audiences brains active because of the camera movement. This way they will seem to enjoy the scene more.


The props within 'the detectives office' will be the usual items most people will expect to find in an office; a mug of coffee, documents, pens etc.


The lighting will be fairly dark as it will need to be mysterious, as this is one of the key conventions of a thriller film.

Planning For Pitch: Sub-Genre

We have chosen the sub-genre 'crime' for our thriller production because it fits our potential ideas well and after doing much research, we feel that it is one of the genres that the audience will most attach itself to and easily relate to, as murder and terrorism (main themes used in crime thrillers), are mainly associated within society which gives the film more of a realistic feeling. 
Elements of Mise-en scene which are normally used in thrillers are mostly dim lighting hiding parts to a character, large threatening weapons for props e.g. large knives, guns etc. Camera shots are normally point of view shots, frames within frames, or close ups. Often there is also a lot of camera movement. Colors are also used to signify different emotions like red connotes blood or danger, blue cold mystery or death.
Isolation and entrapment are commonly used themes as well, which we are looking to include within our opening sequence.

Planning For Pitch: Narrative Description

The narrative of a thriller convention usually show what is happening from two points of view one being of the protagonist which involves the audience more in events and creates empathy for the character and the other of the antagonist. However in our opening sequence, we will only include the victim, leaving the other elements to be revealed later on in the film. Enigmas are usually created at the opening sequence of a thriller and then as the film proceeds on, questions are answered. Enigmas are created in a way in which the audience is drawn towards the film which makes them want to watch more. This helped us decide the narrative for our opening sequence. It will start with panning across a detectives desk which will be littered with the stereotypical objects of a detective. The shot will then be focused in on a selection of photos which are scattered across the desk but are accompanied with a description of the crime, and will be held there for a few seconds to allow the credits to be shown, which will appear on the document as if they have just been typed. After this, the sound of the momentum of the Newtons cradle will speed up and there will be lots of quick transitions between these pictures and the Newtons cradle throughout as the pace picks up, to create atmosphere. The detective will then find a picture of the next scene under the other documents, and places it in front of him as if he is looking at it. This will be where the next scene comes in, and we will transition it with a flash and the sound of a camera, which will put the audience back to earlier that day, at the crime scene. The scene will start with the focus on a body under a white sheet, and detectives and police entering the crime scene, putting up crime scene tape. They will have a conversation about the death, and some will be taking notes. We are not sure how to end this scene as it would usually be quite a long one.
The rest of our film will contain several deaths which are connected in some way, however the enigma is that we won't know who the killer is- he ends up committing suicide but everyone just think that he is one of the connected deaths.
Our film could have sequel(s) to follow, revealing further details into the deaths further on in time.


The codes and conventions of a production allow the audience to identify what genre the film is. Within our opening sequence we aim to apply thriller codes and conventions to give it the characteristic which our film requires to make it effective. With the use of elements of sound and editing such as quick cuts, different camera angles as well as many changes and with music that delivers the feeling of tension as well as an upbeat racy sound to match the action etc. also the use of lighting elements such as shadow, mirrors and stairs as they are also conventions of thriller movies that can possibly be implemented in.

Logo for Our Production Company 'Kind of Epic'! (Made With Photoshop)

These are the logos that we created using Photoshop (the top logo by Ed and Sam, and the bottom logo by Stacey). We created two very different logos but used the same name, the top one uses actual images and texts where as the bottom one is made up of fonts and shapes. The top one would be more likely to be used for a family-orientated production company, but we will use the bottom one for our thriller project as it is more appropriate for a thriller film, due to the use of colours and the 'seriousness' of the image as a whole.

Thriller Sound Track First Draft (Garage Band)

This is the soundtrack that we created using Garage Band. We made this sound track to suit a thriller film. We tried to make the sound track sound creepy and slow with with sudden increase in speed. We thought that the sound would especially suit a funeral scene or a scene with a slow and sad atmosphere. This is fitting with a thriller genre film because thrillers often have a sad atmosphere at some point.

What A Thriller Film Is Trying To Achieve; And How It Helps An Audience To Relate To The Film

When a thriller film is first being created the creators must think about trying to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. They try to confuse the audience or keep them guessing throughout the film as to what is going on by creating enigmas. Most thrillers have a question which is usually introduced at the very start of the film. This is to help keep the audience guessing and keep them intrigued throughout the film. A question does not have to be asked directly it could be caused through an action for example: At the beginning of Memento the main character kills another character. This causes the audience to ask why he killed the character and who he was. It also introduces many other questions for example: the main character has a memory problem and so keeps pictures of people and events to help him remember certain things. When we get to see the pictures we see a characters face who then a couple of seconds later, tells the main character that he doesn't know him. This causes the audience to question why the other character lied to him. It is these kinds of questions that will help a movie to become successful by keeping the audience intrigued.


It is important for the story of a thriller film to be written well. This is because, especially in films with a fragmented narrative, they could; lose continuity, make vital errors or create plot holes which cause the film to stop being understandable and/or enjoyable. A good story is also what the audience will most likely remember. So if you have a good story then the film is more likely to be remembered causing the audience to spread news about the film via word of mouth. This will help with sales of the film and so will help the company or person(s) that created it make more money.


It is important for the film to make the audience feel as if they are a part of the experience for them to fully enjoy it. For a thriller film to achieve this they need to spend some time introducing a character. Perhaps with a back story or simply spending a long time with a certain character throughout the film. This way the audience could see a relation between themselves and the character and this will help them to relate with the movie causing them to enjoy it more.

Typical Thriller Opening Sequence Conventions

DEXTER

This opening sequence is not a usual opening sequence; it is not taken over by just tons of writing being identified on various objects, or plain backgrounds as some others, but instead uses everyday images/actions to help 'set the scene' of the film. It shows a man (most likely to be a main character), starting his day, which is perfect for the beginning of the film, as the audience are easily able to identify the events and time of the film. However, to include the 'thriller' aspect, blood is involved in various shots to add the 'twist' to the normal situation which is shown.


QUANTUM OF SOLACE

Within this opening sequence the sound is very good this is because the pace follows the visuals. Also there is  good use of computer generated imagery.  The visuals of this clip are all computer generated images which portrays an unrealistic image as the film is all live action. The soundtrack isn't only instrumental as there is a woman singing which accompanies the instrumental, this makes the film fit into the rest of the James Bond films.


CASINO ROYALE

This opening sequence makes the audience well aware of what the producers are trying to make them focus on; the man who is showed in black and white. They do this by showing this main figure against a coloured, cartooned background. The music is also attracts the audiences attention with a drum-based soundtrack


BLOW OUT

DO THIS!


FACE OFF

This thriller opening sequence is very good. The sound is a high pitch and includes the sound of children laughing to fit the visuals. The high sound fits a children's music box which is a good way to create tension. The visuals show a carousel in a park with a man aiming a gun at one of the parents. This is a good contrast and is very fitting for a thriller opening sequence.


PANIC ROOM

This opening sequence has a really good soundtrack that fits with the genre as it builds suspense however I don't feel that it fits the visuals on screen. The visuals show lots of pans and tracking shots of buildings and traffic with floating text depicting the casts name's. The visuals do not suit a conventional thriller film because they are too positive which would fit more to a film in the comedy genre. This film should have had a lower toned soundtrack and maybe some more depressing visuals to fit the theme..


SE7EN

In this opening sequence the sound is very consistant with the visuals this is becuase it builds suspense and creates a negative atmosphere. The font that has been used for the credits is also very good is really fitting with the thriller genre. The visuals are very fitting with a thriller this is because they are very jumpy this could be to show the psychological state of the killer who is shown on screen. The visuals seem to jump between unrelated scenes this could also be to show the killers mind set.

Analysis Of Sound In Thriller Opening Sequences

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

This opening sequence is made up of non-diagetic sounds which includes an orchestra. The pace starts off slow, and builds up throughout the sequence to a much faster pace. This is used to build suspence and tension, which accompanies the visuals. The title, which is stated at the end, is almost 'chased' by the sound, giving the audience a clear idea of how the film is going to be portrayed. The visuals match the sound because the visuals are a cartoon, and the audio is not particularly serious.




SURFACE

This sequence was produced by students, but it still follows the conventions of a thriller opening sequence, especially the sound element. It is made up of both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds, such as the soundtrack as well as gasps and screaming from the characters. The sequence starts with a low toned sound, which is carried on throughout the sequence, and different sounds are added to give the mysterious effect.




SE7EN

This opening sequence has both diegetic sounds, such as scissors running along paper and film reels, and non-diegetic sounds. It has a defined rhythm which sometimes fragments to create a psychotic atmosphere. The visuals fit the sound because they are constantly shifting and changing. This helps with the psychotic atmosphere as the shifting in visual and sound could represent the mans mind, showing that he is insane.

Conventions of Thrillers

Thriller films have been known to get confused with horror films, however, there are some conventions that make these distinguishable.


Conventions of a thriller:


Narrative:
Within thrillers the narrative is usually fairly slow, but due to the tension and constant building of suspense it makes the audience want to continue watching to see what the outcome of the narrative is at the end. This means the characters have time to grow on the audience so that by the end of the film the audience feel that they have a relationship with the characters and that they are actually involved in the story.


Characters:
In thrillers there is always a antagonist and a protagonist, the antagonist usually has a weakness that is exploited by the protagonist, this is often hinted at by the title. 


Music:
The soundtrack is usually made up of an orchestra which is kept to a basic minimal score. When edited to the film the soundtrack is in most cases kept subtle but creates a tense atmosphere which keeps the film serious and the audience engaged.


Lighting:
The lighting is usually quite dark and the set is usually quite dimly lit, this is due to the low-key lighting and the dingy locations.


Camerawork:
In order to keep the audience involved on the characters level the camerawork is kept below or at eye height or is at low level, which gives you the effect of being there or at the same level of the characters.


The Set:
To give the effect of a never-sleeping set where anything can happen most thrillers are set in an urban location, for example a city. This setting can add to the sad and sometimes depressing feeling of the film. As an urban area is usually dusty and dark it means the audience can feel for the characters as the area is somewhere in which the audience wouldn't want to be themselves.

Analysis of Previous Thriller Blog

Blog: U2-63





Total Posts: 65


The preliminary task for this group was done to a high standard, including a high level of detail. Within this they have included detailed shot examples from various films and described why they are used. The storyboard is okay but wasn't as detailed as it could have been but they have included a lesson diary.


The group's research for thriller is very good, as it is in depth and uses a fair amount of examples with a large variety of images, to assist with their research and analysis. Also alongside using images they have used videos. They have also included conventions, genres, and sub-genres.


They have also included an extensive amount of pre-production work, with an in depth storyboard, shot list, further analysis of existing professional work and characters, experimenting with different fonts according to which would be best representing of a thriller film, health and safety, test footage, unedited footage, sound production, final editing, and evaluation.


The final production is confusing, which makes it unprofessional. This is because:

• Even though the shots change from location to location it isn't made obvious if it is a fragmented narrative or not.
• There was no dialogue in the film. This definitely makes the narrative is harder to follow. I think that the lack of dialogue, even though it could be a creative choice to heighten the suspense of the introduction, was a mistake. I think this because i don't think that they used very good music so there sound isn't as good as it could have been.
•  The visual wasn't as good as it could have been. We think this because they over used special effects and shots of leaves.

Overall we would grade the video at:
Level 2


There is evidence of a basic level of ability in the creative use of some of the following technical skills:

• holding a shot steady, where appropriate
• framing a shot, including and excluding elements as appropriate
• using a variety of shot distances as appropriate
• shooting material appropriate to task set
• selecting mise-en-scene including colour, figure, lighting, objects and setting
• editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer
• using varied shot transitions and other effects selectively and appropriately for the task set
• using titles appropriately

Overall we would grade the research and planning at:
Level 3

• There is proficient research into similar products and a potential audience
• There is proficient organization of actors, location, costumes or props
• There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding
• There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning
• Time management is good

Thrillers

There are many sub-genres for the thriller genre which can overlap and incorporate other themes, but these are the main codes and conventions seen within this genre:
The complex narrative is based around some sort of crime (sometimes a murder), with false paths, clues and resolutions to give the audience something to think about during.
A narrative pattern of establishing enigmas which the viewer expects to be resolved.
A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.
Ordinary situations, which lead to extraordinary.
Themes of identity, mirroring and voyeurism.
Protagonist with a ‘flaw’ which is exploited by the antagonist.
Titles often reflect an aspect of the pro/antagonist’s psychological state (eg Vertigo).
There is often one or more scenes before the resolution in which the protagonist is in peril.
Mise-en-scene which echoes/mirrors the protagonist’s plight.
Different films will use different conventions in different ways.


The sub-genres for thriller are:
Action thriller
Conspiracy thriller
Crime thriller
Disaster thriller
Drama thriller
Eco – thriller
Erotic – thriller
Horror thriller
Legal thriller
Medical thriller
Political thriller
Psychological thriller
Spy thriller
Supernatural thriller
Techno thriller
They often include numerous over-lapping of sub-genres.


Thriller film certification is never under a 12 showing that the content is unsuitable for a young audience as they are more impressionable compared to the actual target audience.

Crime Thrillers

Thrillers with the focus on criminal behaviour or crimes. They usually emphasize action over psychological aspects.


Some examples of crime thrillers: 
Se7en

Reservoir Dogs

The Usual Suspects

The Departed

Usual codes and conventions of crime thrillers:


Mainly consists of ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge and kidnap. The focus of these films is usually on the criminal behaviour rather than that of the police or figure of authority.  They usually emphasize on action over pschological aspects, this could include chases, sometimes high speed.


The codes and conventions of my own example of an action thriller opening sequence:

Action Thrillers

A fast-paced thriller in which a time trial is often featured and characters are 'racing against the clock'.


Some examples of action thrillers:
Die Hard
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Children of Men
The Bourne Identity


Usual codes and conventions of action thrillers:
Contains lots of violence, an apparent antagonist with a sidekick that provides comic relief, and large elaborate set pieces for action to take place, fast edits, pyrotechnics, special effects, extreme camera angles


The codes and conventions of my own example of an action thriller opening sequence:
SPEED



The opening scenes in Speed are presented in such a way...

Political Thrillers

A thriller including a national or international political scenario. They involve mostly illegal plots, designed to give political power to someone, while others attempt to stop them from getting it. Within a political thriller the hero or heroine must maintain stability within the government who employs them. It is said that the best political thrillers combine both political themes and gripping suspense throughout.


Some examples of political thrillers:
Notorious
The Lives of Others
The Manchurian Candidate
Munich
The Hunt for Red October


Usual codes and conventions of political thrillers:
and offer the unsettling thrill of having our flimsy notions and beliefs debunked. As the hero/investigator peels back the layers of falsehood, we experience the one-eye-open joy of seeing veils drop. We get more than just the solution of a mystery and a new interpretation of history and current events - we get the dark gift of prophecy


The codes and conventions of my own example of an action thriller opening sequence: 

Memento Task

Preliminary Task - Storyboards

Comparing Two Thriller Opening Sequences - Inception, Memento!!!

Conventions used in Memento opening -
The opening has a crime being that, the main character of the film has just commited a murder but then forgotten that he has. This gives the audience an idea of what the film will be about. (his memory problems) This opening makes the audience question why the main character murdered the person and also why one of the supporting characters lied to him. (they said that they didn't know them when they did.) The protagonist is dis-empowered being that he has a memory problem and so other characters can take advantage of him. This also means that the antagonist can exploit this.


Conventions used in Inception opening -
There is a crime at the core of the narrative being that the protagonist and his friend are trying to steal (exract) information from another character. The opening makes the audience ask questions such as, 'how are they in a dream?' or 'how are they going to steal information from a person whilst in a dream?' There are extaordinary events happening in an ordinary situation. I.e. having a dream is normal but being able to go into and control a dream is extraordinary. The protagonist has a flaw, which dis-empowers him, of not being able to control his own sub-conscience from entering the dream and so it sabotages the situation when the protagonist is trying to steal the information.


Comparing the two sequences similarities and differences -
Both of the films start with a crime being commited. This is ery common in thriller films. But both of the crimes are different. in Inception the character is only stealing something, which helps to set up the plot of why he needs to be able to and can enter dreams. Ane in Memento the protagonist commits murder, which makes the audience question why he has done it. So the crimes at the beggining of both of the films make the audience ask questions, which will help to maintain the audiences attention on the film. Both of the protagonists have a flaw which dis-empowers them. In Inception the protagonist can't stop his own mind from sabotaging him. and in Memento the protagonist can't keep his memories and forgets things very easily. This is a similarity between the two films because both of the protagonists are fighting with their minds to try and finish their jobs. Both of the protagonists have a flaw which the antagonist can exploit. In Memento there is a complex narrative structure but in Inception there isn't. The introduction to Memento uses effects such as black and white in the introduction to show this.

Preliminary Evalution

From the preliminary task, we have expanded on our knowledge of filming techniques and continuity. With a limited time scale, we used our existing experience to the best of our ability and found an appropriate location, as well as mocking up a suitable storyboard to fit the task set.

We found difficulties with the level of lighting available to us, as we could only use natural lighting. This caused unwanted shadow, of camera-men as well as equipment, however we tried to avoid this as much as possible and the final cut shows no shadows that we did not want.  Another problem we encountered, was the time of day that we were filming. Considering the narrative of the preliminary task, the ideal time of day to shoot would be evening or nighttime, to give a clear visual to express the mood of the narrative.

Although we had to follow a set plan of shots, we added extra ones in to give across the narrative in a more accessible way to the audience. This makes it easier to watch and also flow better. We used a low angle shot when the female character is running towards the camera; this expresses the panic and urgency the character feels. We also did this as a tilt to make the situation feel awkward for the viewers to watch as well as feeling uncomfortable, this adds to the confusion, which we wanted the audience to feel.  At the start of the scene, we used a pan movement to establish the environment and also give across to the audience that the characters are far away from any inhabitancies, except the cars in the background, which was unavoidable. 

We only used diegetic sound in this piece; this creates the sense of realism for the audience and gives a feel that they are connected to these characters. There was little dialogue in this scene, which leaves the mystery to the action, and keeps it unexplained. There was a large emphasis on ambient sounds like the trees rustling and blowing wind, this also gives across the sense of realism but also helps to enforce the feeling of isolation from people.

The costumes used it this resemble that of modern clothing, this shows the time in which this piece is set, as well as resembling the class of the characters. The location used is a wood, which enforces the feeling of isolation as well as giving the audience a reason to feel uneasy because the association with bad things happening in woods. As we said earlier we used only natural lighting, which we found difficult to control, but used it to the best of our abilities. We tried to make the body language as obvious, but realistic, as possible. There was a dying man on a bench, positioned in a way that the audience won’t have to guess as to what he’s doing, but know what he’s doing. The girl running away and acting hasty with her friend whom she bumps into, again shows the sense of urgency and leaves the audience wondering what has actually happened (a convention of the thriller genre). The girl who bumps into her expresses shock and confusion, again, contributing to the genre.


The editing was very basic.  We used transitions such as fade in and fade out for the video (at the beginning and the end of the footage) and fade up for the audio. The video mainly consists of jump cuts as this is fitting to the genre being thriller as it makes the audience more on edge. it also makes the video move faster making it appear to be a faster pace. Whilst editing the footage we made sure it was continuous especially in the running clips to do this we made sure it looked like she was actually running and not stopping and starting at the beginning and end of each clip.


Overall, we did the best we could given the time we had to produce this video. We hope that this will help contribute to our main project and has made us aware of various things we need to consider in our main thriller production.

Preliminary Task - Video