Comments on thriller opening rough cut

This is the feedback given to us from our class mates and by our media teacher.

• Good Shot angles
• We need to make the shots darker
• POV shot of Heidi running was good but to long
• Tracking shot of Heidi needs to be more fluid
  
• Jump cut between two feet was good
• Speed up hand held cam of Heidi running
• Speed up when Heidi waits and views the field
• Villain in black was good
• Clear difference between protagonist and antagonist
• Shot in the bush was good

What we thought of the feedback given to us

• We agree that Heidi's head cam is to long and we can either speed it up or cut some of it out
• When Heidi stops at the entrance of the field we are going to speed it up to make it look like it was a quick decision to go into the field

• When Heidi runs and we are tracking her we need to make it flow nicely with a transition to the head cam shot.

Rough cut Thriller Opening

Call Sheet

Our group is going to film on the two following dates:

Joe is going to pick up the camera and tripod directly before we want to start filming on the certain dates.

We have decided to use Long Road and a field of Long Road as our location for filming. We will get to the location by walking. The Road and field is a public location and as we are near a road be will take health and safety considerations such as being careful of traffic.

We are filming our opening to a thriller film during the day. The time of day that is going to be portrayed in our opening to a thriller film will be at the end of a college day - so about late afternoon. Therefore no artificial lighting will be needed.

Heidi will be our main character in our film portraying a young girl who is being obsessively stalked and Jamie will act as the stalker. Liberty will play Heidi's college friend and Joe will act as a passer-by in our film. All members of our group will be involved in acting in the opening. A short script will have to be memorised in advance for Heidi and Liberty's characters when they are talking on the way home from college.

All of the group apart from Heidi will be part of the film crew. In the first scene with Heidi and Liberty, Jamie and Joe will be directing and filming the scene. When Jamie comes into the scene as the stalker Joe will continue with the camerawork and directing. When Liberty goes home in the scene she will then become part of the film crew and help Joe film the scene. Liberty will then film the scene where Joe comes into the scene as a passer-by and from then on Liberty and Joe will film and direct the scene where Heidi is running away from her stalker through the field.

In terms of props we will need a black hoody which Joe is in charge of bringing for Jamie to wear during his scenes so he can portray a dark disturbed stalker. Other props that will be used will be Heidi's bag which she will bring in herself and a bracelet that she will already own.

Our back up plan if bad weather disrupts filming is to continue with other work on our thriller film. We can work on the soundtrack and blog work as back up if bad weather disrupts our plans.

We are going to need two filming slots over two days to film our scenes. In our first day of filming we should capture the scenes that will take place on Long Road. In our second and last day of filming we will capture the field scenes where Heidi and Jamie will be involved in a chase scene.

The shots we are going to cover during our opening to a thriller film will include:
FIRST DAY
- establishing shot of Heidi and Liberty walking down the road introducing the location
- medium shots
- long shots
- over the shoulder shots
- shot-reverse-shots
- close ups

SECOND DAY
- tracking shots
- extreme close ups
- long shots
- canted angle shot
- low angle shot
- high angle shot

Sound we will need to capture includes diagetic sound such as the traffic, the train and the conversation between Heidi and Liberty.

Evaluation on feedback from other groups

We agree with all the comments and suggestions we have been given, it is all constructive criticism. After reading the comments we will complete our ideas and expand on them using the feedback given. We will focus on adding detail about camera shots, sound, props and location. We need to put in more descriptions for the main and most important shots.

Finalised Idea for Thriller Opening

Our opening sequence to a thriller film will be two minutes long. Our group has decided to call our thriller film "The Prowler". Below is an outline of the two minute opening split up into ten second sections.

0-10 seconds - establishing shot from the stalkers point of view watching Heidi and Liberty walking in front. This is shot in a long shot which slowly zooms in to a medium shot of Heidi and Liberty talking. The camera then zooms into a extreme closeup of Heidi's face.

11-20 seconds - Heidi turns around with a confused expression on her face (close up) she then turns back around. Over the shoulder shot of Liberty saying bye, this reverses to an over the shoulder shot of Heidi saying bye. There is then a tracking shot of Heidi's feet walking along, the music will become heavier and more intense at this moment.

21-30 seconds - There will be an over the shoulder shot of Joe walking past Heidi, he gives Heidi "the eye" and wolf whistles after he walks past her. There is then a long shot showing Joe walking towards the camera, who then bumps in to the stalker, but we only see the back of the stalker dressed all in black. As this happens Joe makes a disgusted and confused face.

31-40 seconds - Heidi becomes suspicious of the man after Liberty has left her and she is by herself. She keeps looking behind her and begins to panic and starts to walk faster. A close up will be used to show the confusion in her face and a medium shot will also be used so that the audience can see her surroundings and her turning around showing her vulnerability. The music will stay intense and eerie.

41-50 seconds - The stalkers feet are tracked on the camera whilst Heidi starts to walk even faster as she panics we will use shot reverse shot of the walking feet. Next there will be a shot of the stalker's point of view then an over the shoulder shot to show Heidi's point of view. The music is building as this happens.

51-60 seconds - Heidi starts running and her bag and bracelet fall to the ground on the side of the road as the action becomes frantic. The scene moves over to the field just off Long Road where tracking shots from behind Heidi will be used and medium shots to show the new location.

61-70 seconds - A shot of the bracelet and the bag which had fallen to the ground is shown. A close up will be used on these objects. There will be a point of view shot from Heidi's point of view - this shot should show how worried and scared she is.

71-80 seconds - In this part of the scene there will be a side on shot (profile shot) of Heidi running through the field. This shot should show the vulnerability of the protagonist as she will be running through an open field. A close up shot on the stalkers feet will be used to emphasise to the audience that he is still involved in the scene and acting as the antagonist to Heidi.

81-90 seconds - There will be a close up of Heidi's face as she is running away from the threat that is the stalker. Here, she turns back to look where the stalker is as her credits will appear here saying HEIDI PORTER where we will use slow motion when she turns back.

91-100 seconds - Heidi continues to run away from the man who she realises is obsessed with her and looks for somewhere to hide as she realises she cannot continue to run away as she will eventually get too tired. A high angle shot will be used on Heidi as she tries to find a a place to hide. A tracking shot will be used of the stalkers feet as we get a feeling he is getting closer to the protagonist.

101-110 seconds - Heidi finds a tree to hide behind to rest after running away from the stalker. She thinks she is safe - but she is not - the stalker is nearby! A close up shot will be used on Heidi's face to show here emotion where she will be feeling scared, vulnerable and cold. A medium panning shot is then used to show where the tree is, in comparison to where the rest of the scene was shot.

111-120 seconds - There is a close up of Heidi's face where a black flash will be used and after this appears the stalkers hand will appear over Heidi's face. The stalker will be wearing black gloves and the bracelet Heidi dropped. The film title, 'The Prowler', will appear out of the stalkers hand and the opening will end with a white fade.

Panic Room Titles Analysis

After viewing the "Panic Room" opening titles, we did not think that the titles were very effective as they merged into the background and did not contrast effectively. The titles did not give a clear indication to what the genre of the film was going to be as the titles were dull. The music however was very eerie which did give an indication that the film is going to be of the thriller genre. On there own, the titles do not give the audience an indication to the genre - music is needed. The backdrop behind the titles are scenes from New York, where the film is set. The scenes are filmed from and aerial view showing the tall buildings and skyscrapers acting as an establishing shot which tracks past buildings. This gives the viewers an indication to where the film is going to be set but does not give an indication to what genre the film is going to be. Therefore we have come to the conclusion that it is not an effective opening sequence.

Storyboard Continued

This is a continuation of our storyboard. We only put in the key shots in detail because they were the most important ones we need to focus on, we made a storyboard to organize and focus on the pivotal shots and to ensure we used a variety of shots and angles .the storyboard has helped to give a estimate for the length of the thriller.

This is our storyboard for our thriller. This is not the complete storyboard, however this outlines the most important scenes in our thriller. We outline the duration of each scene and the type of shot used.


This is our shot list. The shot list explains the camera shot's we will be using in our two minute opening sequence to a thriller film. It explains the types of shots used and the action of the camera. Also on the shot list we explain the location, props and costumes used in each shot.

Our Ident

This is our own ident that we created using photoshop. We are not very pleased with it as it does not have the desired effect therefore we will not be using it in our Thriller Opening.

Pitch for Thriller Film

1) Which sub - genre is it and how is this shown through the conventions.
A) Psychological thriller - Drama / Mystery, Danger is on a mental level rather than a physical level initially, One solitary character is in a mental conflict.

2) Suggested locations and reasons why?
A) Long road and a field near by.














3) Description of narrative
A) A girl and her friend were walking up Long road with bags full of shopping. The girls friend then leaves down to the road to her house. when the girls approaches her corner she encounters the stalker. You can not see the stalkers face because of his hood blocking her view. Heidi is then approached by two passers by who wolf whistle. she turns round and gives a cheeky wink. The two passers by then get approached by the stalker who looks at them straight in the eye, but you do not see his emotion because he is wearing glasses. Heidi then susses out the stalker is still folliwing her and starts to run. She drops her bag leaving her bracelet hanging out. She runs into a field and hides then the stalkers hand comes round the side of her face and grabs her.

4) Actors and characters
A) Heidi = main character - the girl getting chased
Stalker = TBC
Liberty = friend of Heidi
Joe / Jamie = passers-by

5) Intertextuality - will you reference any films
A) TBC

6) Titles and how will your credits appear
A) After asking our class which film title was most appropriate they thought that The Prowler was the best. The credits will appear as Heidi is running. The scene then turns into slow motion whilst the credits come up. they will be in a big bold font and then dissolve out.


7) Music / Shots
A) When the scene starts there is normal to happy music.

8) Certificate
A) 15

Dreamworks Ident

This ident is shown at the beginning of the thriller film Minority Report. The"Dreamworks"ident is imaginative as it has incorporated the moon as the "D" in the word dreamworks.

Certificate 18 Guidelines

Follwing in line with the human rights act 1998 , bbfc guildlines concerns do not usually overrule the principle that adults (over 18's) should have the freedom to chose their own entertainment.

Exceptions are in these areas:

• detailed scenes of violence, illegal drug use, which might cause detriment to public health or morals. this also includes scenes of extreme sexual or sexualised violence that lack any artistic merit and endorse/glamourize or promote any sadistic assults.

• more explict and graphic images than is necessary or tasteful and which cannot be justified in the context of the film. explict sexual scenes are reservered for "R18" ratings and would be maintained that category.

• if the material has failed to comply within the law or created by commissioning one to break the law.
  

Analysis of Past Student Thriller

The Thriller Opening that we watched was called "Stolen". We thought that this clip met most of the marking criteria such as using a variety of shot distances. However we feel that they didn't hold many shots steady and the movement they did was not that effective. Their zooming was a bit jumpy and they used hand held shots a lot which didn't achieve the desired effect. Also the music was too repetitive and tedious as there was no variety in the sounds or tempo which made the opening feel like it dragged on a bit.

This opening met the conventions of a Thriller well. There was a clear protagonist and antagonist apparent in the clip and it also showed the protagonist in peril/a trapped situation. The lighting was dark and mysterious which created a dramatic ambiance and excitement for the audience.

Crime Thriller

Conventions of a Crime Thriller:

• Suspenseful account of successful or failed crimes
• Features murders/robberies/shoot outs/double cross
• Can glorify the rise and fall of a criminal- often based on real people
• Set in large crowded cities to provide the viewer with an insight into a secret world
• Characters have an ambitious desire for success or recognition
• Rivalry between binary characters is strong
• Many locations- seedy interior settings

Examples of Crime Thrillers:

• The Fugitive
• Kiss The Girls
• Reservoir Dogs
• Usual Suspects
• Double Jeopardy
• Murder By Numbers

Analysis of No Country For Old Men

• No Country For Old Men is based on the novel of the same title written be Cormac Mc Carthy in 2005. it was released in 2007 directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, it was met with much critical acclaim and went on to win 4 academy awards, another 94 wins and 45 nominations.
• There are many locations used most of them look seedy and typical of a mid- western film. the land looks bare, empty, stifling hot, this makes the location seem more dangerous as the connations for heat are that if makes people more on edge,passionate, bad tempered, riled up and dangerous. I think this also makes the film more exciting as you expect something to happen.

• suspense is built by using jump cut editing , the sound builds up the tension well by the dramatic use of of drums. it think the music makes the audience more alert to the action and more involve with the action because the tempo of the music changes and is exciting.

• In the trailer its made clear straight away that all the binary characters have a ambitious desire fo sucess, it features the crime being committed and shows the targets all the characters are trying to achieve. there is a clear difference between the main protagonist and antagonist- they are shown by the use of props(compressed air tank,guns etc.) math on match asction shots are used to show two narratives that are simultaneously occuring.

Psychological Thriller

Conventions of a Psychological Thriller

• Drama/Mystery
• Danger on a mental level rather than physical initially
• 2 or more characters preying on each others minds to create conflict or 1 solitary character in mental conflict
• Characters try to discover their purpose- lack of understanding of where they fit in and they will try to solve it in the narrative
• Characters often have a fear or fascination with death
• Narrative- confusion over what is real
  
• Examples of Psychological Thrillers: Secret Window, Da Vinci Code, American Pyscho, Phonebooth, The Prestige and Fight Club
  

The Prestige

The Prestige meets the conventions of a Psychological Thriller:

• It is based around a number of mysteries all to do with magic. The two main characters are magicians that are competing against eachother psychologically.
  
• The characters are confused over what is real.
  

Preliminary Task

Storyboard

Preliminary Task

Before beginning our Opening to our Thriller we must complete a Preliminary Task. This involves creating a short sequence that includes a variety of shots; establishing shot, close-up shot, match on action shot, reaction shot, long shot and over the shoulder shot. Jamie and Joe will be acting in this short sequence and Liberty and Heidi will be filming. The location for our preliminary task will be the quad area in college.

YouTube Shot Examples

00:26 -00:35
There is an establishing shot in this scene from The Ring. This shot is very effective as it sets the scene for the whole film showing you the setting where the characters are situated.


00:00-00:02
There is an over the shoulder shot in this scene from Wrong Turn 2. This shows that the characters are in conversation and interacting with each other. It acts as a reaction shot too where you can see the emotions of the character being spoken too.


01:08
This is a close up shot from the film The Grudge 3. This is effective as it shows the emotion of the character.

00:00-00:50
This is a scene from the film The Exorcist which shows the filming of a conversation where a shot reverse shot. This is effective as it shows the characters are interacting with each other during a conversation and the reactions can be seen of the characters during the conversation.

The 180 degree rule is also used in this scene where the camera is situated on the same side when filming both characters. This is so the audience don't get disorientated when watching.

00:01
This is a long shot from a scene in the film Wolf Creek. This is effective as it shows the tension of the scene as she is running away from something - as she runs closer to the camera it turns into a close up shop.


04:27 -04:48
This is a match on action shot from the Chronicles of Narnia. It shows them going into the wardrobe and arriving in Narnia on the other side. This shot is effective as it shows where they arrive after going through the wardrobe.

Introduction

Jamie Hilsden, Heidi Porter, Liberty Clayton and Joe Sorensen make up our group for producing the opening sequence of a thriller film. As we have worked with each other before we will hopefully make a better project than the last piece of coursework we completed - the children's film opening. Also we will have better knowledge of how to use the equipment such as the camcorder and software on the computer such as garageband.