Planning: Risk Assessment

Risk: Tripping on Equipment/breaking equipment
Prevention: Equipment will only be out during filming. When scenes aren't being filmed, equipment will either be put away or placed out of the way of actors and any other people who may pass.

Risk:Burns/hot spotlights
Prevention: The lights will be placed as far away as cast as possible during filming. When filming isn't taking place all lights will be switched off to prevent them getting too hot and becoming a risk to surrounding people.

Risk:Cuts/Grazes from props
Prevention: Sharp props such as scissors and needles will only be out during filming and put away when not. To prevent the actor from being injured by the props during filming, she will be shown how to handle to equipment in a way in which is safe.

Planning: Filming Schedule

Filming Day One: Wednesday 3rd December
During the first day of filming, the first three scenes of the sequence will filmed. The protagonist will be present and will be using both  a tripod and camera to film the shots. The first three shots should take no longer than 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. If the shots arent complete within the time frame, Sunday 7th December will be used as a back up date in order to complete any outstanding filming.

Filming Day Two: Friday 5th December
On the second day of filming, scenes four, five and six will be filmed alongside the black and white still which will be included within the sequence. The protagonist will be needed alongside a tripod and camera. I plan to have completed this within two hours. If anything is unfinished after the time frame, Sunday the 7th will again be used in order to finish any outstanding scenes and complete any improvements I may want to make.

The sequence will be filmed by Wednesday 17th December ready for editing.

Planning: Location and Props

Due to the content of plot of my opening sequence, the clip will be shot within a suburban bedroom. The usual, everyday setting helps to reflect the normal and realistic role that the protagonist has within society. With filming within the protagonists bedroom, it helps to belittle her extraordinary plans but increase the uncertainty of the character as it helps to emphasise her deranged and aberrant mind. The setting is also realistic and won't make my clip seem out of place. Using a common place will help create an uneasy and nervous effect on the audience as they will be able to relate it to real life.

Props will be used throughout my clip in order to create and even bigger effect. The protagonist will be hunched over a darkly lit desk throughout the sequence. Books and disturbing images will be scattered around the desk and the nearby area, helping to create horror aspects and a frightening feel for the audience. The protagonist will be working on these images/books throughout the sequence until she is disturbed in the ending sequence.

Planning: Actors and Costume

The only actor present within the sequence is the protagonist of my thriller. My actor is a 17 year old girl. This makes her suitable for the role as she is the same age group as my protagonist. She is also a similar age to my target audience making my thriller appeal to them as they will be able to relate to her life. The actor will be dressed in dark, but everyday clothing. The clothing shows that the character doesn't stand out within society but the dark colours help to represent her hidden side. The girl will be a hidden beauty, but her looks will not be emphasised. This helps to show her disapproval towards similar girls her age and more importantly, her disapproval towards her crushes glamorised girlfriend.

Planning: Titles

Moonstruck

    Moonstruck
Moonstruck
The title of my sequence will be called Moonstruck. The name came about as it typically means the person is strange or weird, demented. The word also means that a person is unable to act normally due to the impact of their love for somebody. This fit my sequence perfectly as it's based around a young girl who has been affected by her school crush and her devilish and deranged plans in removing his girlfriend from the equation.

The title of the film will be the first piece of text on the screen. The text is planned to swipe onto the screen. The text will be in an off-white to represent the word 'moon' within the title. I plan to have the title in a large, italic font. The italic font will add a feminine touch helping to represent and create links the female protagonist. The smaller titles (actors names etc...) will be in a clearer font but may also have an italic feel. The titles are planned to be in the same colour as the main header. The titles are planned to swipe onto the screen during the title sequence.

Produced by Sophie Padmore

Produced by Sophie Padmore

Produced by Sophie Padmore

Planning: Storyboard

Images of Original Storyboard Plans

Planning out my sequence in a storyboard form was a crucial part of the planning process. By planning out the sequence, it made the order very clear in my mind, this makes it easier when coming to film the clip. By planning my clip out scene by scene, it also meant that I was able to plan  out timings, this made sure that I would stay inside the time limit.

I planned my clip by setting it out into six main scenes. After doing this, I was then able decide where my titles would appear on the screen. It also then gave me ideas on how they would appear, helping me in the next process of planning. The first scene was planned to show the chosen title of my opening sequence. This scene will show a black screen with the background music playing. The title will then quickly appear from the left hand side of the screen. The second scene will be a mid shot that slowly zooms into the subject on screen. The room will be low lighted,only containing a small spotlight on the main character sat at the desk. The text will then quickly swipe onto the screen, just as the title did. Scene three is a side shot view of the subject. The shot will again pan, but slower than the last. The text that appears within this scene will enter just as the last but will come from the opposite way in which the shot is panning. Scene four will be a close up shot of the main characters hands on the desk, giving a clear view of what they're doing. The shot will show many different disturbing images and flashes of black and white stills to give my clip a very realistic, thriller feel.  I will then use another close up shot in the fifth scene. Similar to the the third scene, the shot will again pan but more to the speed in which was seen in the second. Again, the text will appear in the opposite direction in which the shot is panning. The background music will play over scenes 1-5. Scene six will be an extreme close up of the protagonists eyes. The background music will play but then cut out when a piece of dialogue comes in. The character will then move, the background music will comeback in and the screen will turn to black, marking the end of the opening sequence.

Planning: Brainstorm

As the start of the planning process of my thriller opening sequence, I began by mind mapping initial ideas. I began looking at different areas such as sound, setting, props, editing, filming and lighting. during this process I also  began creating an initial idea of the plot in which the sequence will carry. I used the knowledge that I gained during the research process of my project in order to make my thriller plot as realistic as possible.

Lighting was one main feature in which I looked at when brainstorming my ideas. As thrillers carry the main feature of low key lighting, I plan to recreate this within my opening sequence. I then went on to develop the idea and plan to try and use different lights such as spotlights in order to create a better effect.
When planning costume for my thriller I knew I wanted my psycho character to look as normal as I possibly could so I plan use normal and everyday clothing, something basic that won't make the character stand out as their designed to blend in and not appear as a suspect to a murder. I also brainstormed and thought about the colour of the clothing and decided that dark or dull colours would help to add to the effect in which I was aiming for.
The next step in brainstorming my ideas was to look at the editing in which I will use. From my previous research into thriller movies I know that black and white shots and stills are a common convention of thriller movies. As I aim to recreate the feel of thriller movies, this is an area in which I want to be evident within my work. I plan to recreate the stills by including photographs taken by myself while filming into the course of my sequence. I then plan to use my knowledge of Photoshop in order to edit that images into black and white. Having flashes of these stills in my thriller will hopefully clearly reflect the convention.
Filming is an area in which I feel that I need to plan well as it's an important part in making my thriller realistic. From research I know that close ups are a convention of thrillers so my first thought was to include them. I will use close up shots alongside camera panning in order to add variation as well as creating suspense and tension for my audience. I also plan to experiment with various other camera angles before I begin filming my final edit in order to work out which will work best. I plan to experiment with a range of angles including high angle, low angle and mid shots.
A common sound convention of thriller movies are sound effects. As I'm trying to recreate the feel of a thriller, sound effects was my first thought. I plan to use a range of sound effects within my sequence. I will plan and research into sound effects and which ones will suit my thriller. During brainstorming I also thought about backing music in my sequence. I came up with idea of fast music, possibly from the rock genre, as it would build excitement and anticipation in the build up to the start of the film. I have also thought about the idea of a voice over. Adding a voice over will add a dramatic feel, building suspense.
The final area on my brainstorm is the planning of the plot. I came up with the idea of using a young, adolescent character, possibly female, to play the role of my protagonist. The idea will be developed on, but my initial thoughts of my protagonist came about as I aim to have a character that isn't stereotypical protagonist of a thriller. I also want my character to blend in with society and not stand out in any way so that the audience are unsuspecting of them. 

Research: Internet Audience

Most thriller movies are aimed towards the age group of 18+ due to the content of the movies. Content such as aspects of horror, crime and violence gives thriller movies the high age rating. The type of thriller in which I'm aiming my sequence around, psychological thriller, also carries the 18+ age rating. This ultimately means that I should be aiming my sequence towards this age guide.

http://www.slideshare.net/CharlotteEmmaVicki/target-audience-of-thrillers

The link above is was the source of my information.

Hammer Logo

Hammer, a famous production company of horror and thriller movies produced one of the biggest selling psychological thriller/horror movie, The Woman In Black. Hammers intentions when creating thrillers is to create a frightening chill in the most stylish way possible. They use the element of suspense in all their work to create the most interesting and spine tingling thrillers and horrors. Hammers intentions are to create scares and chills that stay with the audience, they like to show of their credentials to the audience by being determined to create every film to the highest possible standard.

http://www.hammerfilms.com/ourwork/3/the-woman-in-black

 

Research: Questionnaire Analysis

I sent out my questionnaire to 20 different people of all ages and both genders in order to get an accurate and detailed view of the type of audience I should be aiming my work towards. The questionnaire was only given to people who were interested in thriller movies.

1. What age group are you?

From the results of my questionnaire, the most popular age group for thriller movies are for the ages between 16-20. Out of 20 people, 16 belonged to that category. From my results, I should be aiming my work to younger audience, containing ideas within my work that will appeal to younger people. 

2. What gender are you? 

From my results, there is an equal split in numbers to who watches thriller movies. Both genders enjoy the genre, meaning that my work must appeal to both a male and female audience. 

3. What is your favourite type of thriller?

From the four options given in my questionnaire, a psychological thriller proved to be the favourite with supernatural a close second. This result will help me when planning my thriller as I now know what kind of plot my thriller should follow. With supernatural thrillers proving to be a close favourite, I will aim to include a slight horror feel in my work as both supernatural thrillers and psychological thrillers carry many aspects of the horror genre.

4. What is your favourite thriller movie?

From the four options given in my questionnaire, The Woman In Black proved to be the most popular. This backs up the results from the previous question as The Woman In Black is a psychological/supernatural thriller with many aspects of a horror movie.

5. How often do you watch thriller movies?

My results show that the majority of my audience watch between 3-5 thriller films per month. The results show that the genre is popular with the people that were questioned, making my results accurate and reliable.

6. Which of these thriller titles do you prefer?

From the titles given, Moonstruck was the clear favourite out of the three options.

Research: Questionnaires

Questionnaire

What age group are you?

o   16-2

o   21-35

o   36-40

o   41-50

o   50+   

  

Male or Female?

    o   Male

      o   Female

What is your favourite type of thriller movie?

      o   Psychological Thriller

 o   Crime Thriller

     o   Supernatural Thriller

o   Spy Thriller

What is your favourite thriller movie?

          o   Silence of the Lambs

       o   Woman In Black

o   Taken

         o   Other ....................

How often do you watch thriller films?

  o   Never

          o   1-2 times a month

          o   3-5 times a month

          o   5+ times a month

Which of these thriller titles do you prefer?

               o   Moonstruck

             o   Derailed

             o   Unsound

Shown above is the questionnaire in which I sent out in order to gain knowledge about the audiences of thriller movies.

Using this questionnaire, I aimed to find out who were the most popular audiences of the thriller genre. I aimed to find out what gender watch more thriller movies and the age group they belong to. I also wanted to find out what type of thrillers were more popular so I'm able to aim my own sequence towards the outcome. In the questionnaire I also included ideas for a title for my own opening title sequence in order to see which would be more popular.

Research: Analysis of The Dark Knight Rises

Opening Titles Clip

Camera is used in many different ways within the clip in order to create different feelings, especially the feeling of tension. Many techniques are used within the opening sequence including close up shots. The close up shots add feelings of tension and suspense as they give an uncomfortable view of the subject shown upon the screen.

Sound is also used during the opening sequence again to add a tense feeling. The fast and loud music adds tension straight away as it brings feelings of excitement, intrigue and anxiousness to any viewer. The music also helps to reflect the thriller feel due to the feelings it creates within it's audiences.

During the sequence, there are many different editing techniques that are present. One example of this is the fast cuts that are used throughout the sequence. By using the fast cuts, the speed of the opening sequence becomes faster and therefore, adds excitement and tension through the fast moving objects and subjects.

Although many aspects of mise en scene aren't present during this opening sequence, the lighting within the clip clearly helps to reflect the feeling of tension. The low key lighting not only reflects the thriller genre that the film belongs to, buts a scary and mysterious feel to the clip because of the dark colours and shadows that are created.

• Warner Bros. Pictures Presentation
• In Association With Legendary Pictures
• A DC Comics Production 
• A Syncopy Production
• A Film By Christopher Nolan
• The Dark Knight Rises
• Christian Bale
• Michael Caine
• Gary Oldman
•  Anne Hathaway 
• Tom Hardy 
• Joseph Gordon - Levitt
• Marion Cotillard
• Morgan Freeman
• Based upon Batman Characters Created By Bob Kane
• Screenplay By Johnathan Nolan Christopher Nolan
• Story By Christopher Nolan David S.Goyer
• Executive Producers Benjamin Melinker, Michael E. Uslan, Kevin De La Noy, Thomas Toll
• Directed By Christopher Nolan

All of the titles are set in a black font and written in a capital format. The colour and formant used for the titles helps to reflect the hardness of the film and its content. The text also makes a large impact on screen when it appears due to the format. The titles also quiver in and out on screen. This could reflect the plot of the movie, representing hope and failure throughout the film. When the movie title appears, the text turns to red and is  larger and more centred on screen. The red colour could reflect the danger of the protagonist and help show the importance of him. The larger text has a larger impact on the screen due to it's size, this could have been changed to again, show the importance of the main character.

Research: Analysis of A Girl With a Dragon Tattoo

 Opening Titles Clip

Camera is used in many different ways within the opening sequence in order to build the tension and suspense that is commonly present within thrillers. Different techniques such as panning and close ups are evident within the clip. The slow panning adds suspense as it builds up the tension before fast cutting is introduced as the action builds towards the end of the titles. The close ups used within the sequence add excitement and intrigue to the clip as it allows the audience to view all aspects of the subject on screen. This also gives a better sense into what the film is about.

The Sound used within the opening sequence also works well as it gives an instant indication into the films genre. The re-make of an old, well known rock song is given a slight edge adds the feelings of excitement and danger to the opening sequence. The fast beat and the deep drum notes builds suspense.

The editing used during the clip is very evident and is persistent throughout. Towards the end of the clip many fast cuts are introduced to help emphasise the action and drama that is about to come. The beginning of the sequence contains longer and more prolonged shots then what is seen during the end. The speed of the opening sequence could foreshadow the films plot and the events to come. The long, prolonged shots could represent the build up to the films climax. The fast cuts then represent the events of the movies climax.

The mise en scene used in the clip is also effective. The sequence is set in a dark light throughout which reflects the thriller genre. The dark lighting also helps to build tension and as a sense of danger. It also helps to indicate the dark contents of the films plot.

Titles that appear within the sequence (In order of appearance):

• Columbia Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Present 
• A Scott Rudin, Yellow Bird Production 
• A David Fincher Film
• Daniel Craig
• Roony Mara
• The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• Christopher Plummer
• Stellan Starsgard 
• Steven Berkoff
• Robin Wright
• Yorik Van Wageningen
• Joely Richardson
• Geraldine James
• Goran Visnjic
• Donald Sumpter
• Ulf Friberg
• Casting By Lary Mayfield
• Costume Designer Trish Summerville
• Co-Producers, Berna Levin, Eli Bush
• Sound Design By Ren Klyce
• Music By Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
• Editors Kirk Baxtor,ACE and Angus Wall,ACE
• Production Designer Donald Graham Burt
• Director of Photography Jeff Cronenweth,ASC
• Executive Producers, Steven Zaillian, Mikael Wallen, Annie Faurbye Fernandez
• Produced by Scott Rudin, Ole Sondberg, Soren Staermose, Cean Chaffin
• Based on the book by Stieg Larsson, Originally Published by Norstedts
• Screenplay by Steven Zaillian
•  Directed By David Fincher

All titles are set in a white font and appear on new shots during the opening sequence. The white colour was used as it makes the titles much more visible against the mostly black backgrounds. The white writing could also reflect the snowy setting in which a large part of the movie is filmed. The text is set in capitals and is formatted in a slightly swirled font. The slight feminine font could reflect the films female protagonist.

Preliminary Task: Analysis

Final Version of Preliminary Task Clip

After finalising our preliminary task video, we were then able to asses the weak and strong points of our work. We could also review our working method to see what went well during the making of the clip and what didn't. 

Looking back over our filming process there were many areas in which could be improved. Time management was one example of this. When filming, some scenes took longer than anticipated which ultimately put us behind for reaching the task deadline. Our time was affected due to changes that we made to the plot and settings during the filming process.

During the planning of our preliminary task, we aimed to make our clip as similar to a thriller as possible. One way in which we planned to do this was through the use of light, We aimed to use low key lighting within our short film but unfortunately, due to the setting in which we had to use during the first scene of the clip, we weren't able to adjust and control the lighting. Another area in which I felt we needed to improve on was sound. We didn't record any sound while filming apart from the dialogue spoken by the main character. This made the clip less interesting to any watching audiences.

In order to improve our work, I believe that our time management should have been more controlled. By improving our time management it would of allowed us to complete the task to the highest possible standard the we were capable of. I also believe that improving other weak areas, such as our lighting and sound, would of dramatically enhanced our clip. The improved lighting would've added an instant feel of tension and suspense along with the thriller feel. Our sound could have been dramatically improved in this task. I believe that adding natural background sounds alongside background music would've made the clip more desirable and much more interesting to viewers.

From completing the preliminary task, it has given me an insight into researching, planning and filming a media clip. This is will prove to be great experience when I come to film my own thriller opening sequence. From the task, I know what areas to focus on when filming and editing, I have experience of managing time and how to edit my clip. I also have ideas of what works well when filming, such as types of shots, camera settings and lenses.

Preliminary Task: Editing

To edit our clip we used an Adobe programme. We began the editing processes by reviewing all takes that we had done during filming. We sorted the good from the bad and finally settled on our final takes that we were to use within our clip. All files were then placed into the application in the order of our plot. We edited the clip by adjusting areas such as speed and volume. The editing process took two hours in total.

Preliminary Task: Filming

To film our small clip, we used a Nikon D3100 camera. We also used various different equipment to help us film, including tripods and special camera lenses. We began filming the first scene using several different shots, these shots including techniques such as medium shots and pans. The first scene shows the protagonist approaching the room in which sits the antagonist, we completed this scene within an hour. We then went on to film the second part of the clip, the scenes between the antagonist and the protagonist. This scene was finished after and hour and a half of filming. We used various different shots in this scene including over the shoulder shots and a shot reverse shot sequence. The shot reverse shot sequence was used to show the conversation between the real antagonist and his imaginary self. The total filming time for our clip was two hours and thirty minutes.

Research: Analysis of Stigmata

Stigmata Opening Credits Clip 

Full List of titles:

• Stigmata
• Nia Long
• Enrico Colantoni
• Dick Latessa
• Thomas Kopache
• Ann Cusack
• Portia deRossi
• Patrick Muldon
• and Rade Sherbedgia
• Casting by Wendy Kurtzman
• Executive music producer Budd Carr
• music by Billy Corgan 
• and Elia Carmell
• additional music by Mike Garson
• Make up effects & Supervisor Ve Neill
• Costume Designer Louis Frogley
• Film Editors Michael R.Miller Michael Duthie
• Production Designer Waldemar Kalinowski
• Director of Photography Jeffrey L. Kimall 
• Line Producer Vikki Williams
• Produced by Frank Mancuso
• Screenplay by Tom Lazarus and Rick Ramage
• Story by Tom Lazarus 
• Directed by Rupert Wainwright 

The titles used within Stigmata flicker and fade making them fit and blend in with the disorientating feel of the opening sequence. As they flicker and bend, parts of the text becomes invisible creating a sense of mystery making audiences intrigued. However, some of the titles were completely unreadable. The colour red also flashes within the text, reflecting danger and suspense. The film title is shown at the beginning of the sequence and is shown in red, linking it with the rest of the smaller titles show in the duration of the sequence.

Preliminary Task: Planning

 To plan the prelim task, we began looking at certain areas of film that we knew must be manipulated for out short movie to fit in with the thriller genre. We look at many different areas such as mise en scene, sound, editing and camera. Using our knowledge of thriller movies, in which was gained during our research stage looking at films such as Se7en, we discussed how and why these areas of film were the ones on which to focus on and manipulate. After brainstorming our ideas of a plot, we came to a final decision. The plot on which we settled was chosen as we felt that it reflected the stereotypical thriller plot more than our other ideas. We based our plot around doctor in which visits a psychopathic patient, the protagonist being the doctor and the antagonist being the patient. We planned to create a build up to our climax through a series of shots of the doctor approaching the patient. The climax of the clip becomes evident during the final scene.

Once our plot was finalised, we were then able to work out how we wanted to create a thriller feel to our clip through the areas of film. Thrillers are known to have very low key lighting so we wanted to keep our lighting as similar as possible. To do this, we removed as much light as we could when filming our scenes. We also wanted to incorporate as many shadows as possible so on main scenes we planned to use dark background lighting with a single spotlight on the main character. To take the thriller theme even further, we then planned to use editing techniques within our clip. We planned to use a technique called fast cutting, a type of editing usually associated with thriller movies. In camera, we wanted to aim to use various different techniques, one being the over the shoulder shot. We planned to use this during the final scene of our clip. Sound was the last thing in which we looked at in our planning stage. We finally decided that a slower, but heavy beated track would work better as a piece of background music for our clip as it would help build tension and suspense.

Research: Analysis of Se7en

Opening Titles Clip

The plot of the film Se7en is based around two police inspectors working within the city of New York. Somerset, played by Morgan Freeman, has lived in the city his entire life and has finally reached the decision to retire from his field of work, until the arrival of Mills. Mills, played by Brad Pitt, is a young and enthusiastic inspector who had recently moved into the city to take up work. Together, the two begin unravelling the story behind a line of murders taking place around New York. The partners work together to reveal the devilish plot behind the murders and the satanic, aberrant mind of their killer.

What is a thriller?
A typical thriller is based around conflict, usually a battle between the protagonist and the antagonist. The conflict  begins when there is a disruption of equilibrium in the movie. A chain of events then occurs throughout the film in order to build up to the climax of the plot where the protagonist restores the peace.

Typical conventions of a thriller include;

• Protagonist in the mercy of the Antagonist
• Black and white shots
• Montage of shots
• Shadows
• Tension music
• Quick Cuts
• Low key lighting
• Changes in the angle of shots
• Diegetic sound of breathing

How does Se7en fit the thriller genre?

Se7en fits the typical stereotype of a thriller movie due to the films plot. Conflict begins between the two protagonists, Somerset and Mills, and the antagonist, John Doe when the two detectives start to tackle the case of a murder taken place within the city. The chain of events then begins when more murders begin to unravel around New York. The plot thickens as the detectives discover the satanic pattern behind the murders. As more and more murders reveal themselves,the build up to the films climax begins. The films climax becomes obvious when the murderer, John Doe reveals himself to the detectives. The matter then becomes more personal when John Doe is revealed to have brutally murdered the wife of Detective Mills, Tracy. Doe is then seen to be in the mercy of the protagonist, Detective Somerset as he is shown to talk Mills out of revenge on John. Mills restores the peace by killing John Doe.

Se7en also carries many conventions usually associated with thrillers. Low key lighting is used through out the film, also creating shadows. The editing within the movie consists of many fast cuts, again showing a convention of thrillers. Fast cuts were used throughout the film but where very predominant during scenes of action, such as the scene in which John Doe is murdered. Changes in the angles of shots are also present within this scene. Tension music, black and white shots and a montage are all present within Se7en's opening title sequence.