Location Analysis

                                                                                                                                                         Bus

 

Street

          

The bus and the street are the settings that I am going to use for a scene in the opening, these locations will be used in order to give the opening a secne of realism it can make the story feel more natural and allow the the audience the best more easily engrossed into the story of the film, which will give the events more power

Animatic

Storyboard

Props, Equipment and Actor/Character List

Props

In order to film my opening to a good standard I will need certain props. All of which will help to improve the realism and meaning of my opening, The props will be an important part of my opening as it will help to create a sense of realism, that will truely engross the audience.

- A Knife
- A Police Uniform
- Fake Blood

Equipment

In order to capture my opening in an appropriate and effective manner, I will need to use certain pieces of equipment

- Camera
- Video Camera
- Tripod
- Cam Corder
- Mircophone
- Lighting equipment
- Light Reflector

Characters

For the opening characters and actors will be needed. In particcular a boy around 16-18, who is trying to figure out who is murdering the youth of his community.

- Young Boy ( Around 16 to 18 )
- Middle Aged Man ( The Killer / The Police )
- People of Various Ages ( The victims of the killer )

Movie Ideas

Target Audience Questionnaire

Age: 18
Gender: Male

1. What do you like about thrillers?

- The Tension
- The Mystery/ Not knowing

2. What thriller do you like the and why?

I really like Inception because it was different from any type of thriller I have ever seen.

3. Is there anything you would like to see in a thriller that hasn't been done?

I haven't seen a thriller where the protagonist has lost and isn't

4. Why do you watch thrillers and where do you prefer?

I watch thrillers to be entertained, as I like when the suspense bulids and like when I find out what is behind the mystery. I prefer to watch them at home, as in that atmosphere I can watch the film exactly how I want to and if I want to I can call my friends over and it is as good as any cinema.  

Target Audience Profile

Hello my name is Shaun and I am 18 years old. I live in South East London, and when I'm not studying, I like to have fun with my friends or watch either TV or films. I don't really have a particularly favourite TV show or genre, but when it comes to films, I love thrillers just becuase of the sheer suspence and tension that is bulit and all the mystery. I really like films like Inception and Attack the Block. I have apart time job at McDonalds and through that I have met many people from many different walks of life.


Summary:

- Young (16 - 28)
- Lives/Grew up in an Urban Environment/ London
- Mainly Male but can appeal to Females
- Likes Thrillers ( Attack the Block / Inception )
- Likes Mystery
- Lives in a diverse area ( Could be incoporate in the opening )

Lighting

Lighting in films are used to portray themes and even sometimes add to a story or depth to characters. Lighting can even help foreshadow events as well as hide certiain things.

To create the desired lighting affect there are 3 different types of light used :

Key Light - Main Light on a subject, although it will not be the brightest

Fill Light - Softens the hard edges of the key and balances the light 

Back Light - Light behind a subject creating seperation from the background 

These lights can be used to create these various light effects, for example, 'Lowkey Lighting',Creating only using the Key and Back Lights

In this scene the bright lights coming from behind blurs the creatures, keeping their appearance a mystery

The light is coming from in front of the objects this inturn casting shadowy, silhouette-esque figures in front of a gloomy, foggy looking light . The lighting used gives an air of mystery as no real details can be made out  and the black out objects seem to be like tomb stones, gving a sense horror and the rail way tracks give of a sense as if the the character in the middle is on a journey. The only other light source in the photo is the lamp

The red lighting makes the sweat and oil on the actors face pop, creating more texture.

In this image they are using a Lowkey Lighting technique. Despite the absence of colour in the scene there is still alot of detail in the image. And this lighting technique can put across a specific theme with the film.



This image the only light source is coming through a slither and the light has black out the side of the characters face. This makes the characters facial expressions and features, this makes it unclear to the audience what the character is thinking or his intentions, the only thing that can be derived from this image is where the character is looking.



In this image the characters face has light on only one side. This use of lighting implies that something is being hidden about the true nature/intentions of the characters.



In this image there is almost no light. This implys that something very sinister is happening especially when the little light that is in the seen is one the characters face, showing the characters facial expression which seems to be one of anger or sorrow

Movie Opening Proposal

My thriller opening will show the activities of a man that lives in a London estate, and seems to be a normal citizen by day but at night he murders the youths, believing that they are the problem within the area. Although the killings of the character will be seen the actual face of the killer will not be shown as to keep the mystery and enigma of the story

Settings/ Location

- London Estate ( Day and Night )
- An Alley Way
- A House - Living Room
- Local Shop
- Bus

Props

- Knife
- Police Uniform

Characters

- Middle Aged Man ( The Killer ) ( The Police )
- People of Various Ages ( The victims of the killer)

Typography

The scratchy or etched type of font used for the film 'SE7EN', conveys to the audience the type of thriller/film it is. The font conveys feelings of a disturbed nature, maybe hinting towards the film being a sort of psychological thriller. This type of font can be seen in other psychological thrillers such as 'Flesheater'

'The Exorcist' uses a fairly simple font but it is coloured red. This conveys a sense of danger, especially to what would otherwise appear very regular, the red could also represent evil or hell - linking to the theme of the film. The font its self is slightly gothic is style this makes it seem quite ancient. The mix of the red's danger and the the font's gothic style, it makes the audience think the threat may be an ancient evil or spirit of sorts 

This font is made up of letters that seem to be cut out of several different mediums such as magazines and newspapers. This font portrays a sense of criminality as this type of font is very closely linked to the letters criminals would make to avoid being traced, this may allow the audience to know that the film is a criminal thriller. 

Mood Board

This mood board shows the posters of some of the most famous thriller films, such as, The Silence of the Lambs, The Usual Suspects and Inception. There are also words showing some of the key themes/features of a thriller film for example suspense

Treatment

An eerie sound track plays in the back as the title appears from the dark in a bold font. As the opening scene commences the main character is narrated in first person by his own voice as he walks down a dark street “I’m a man of the law, my job is to keep people safe at any extent, so that is what I’ll do.”. While he says this camera is focused on his black polished shoes as we hear them clap against the pavement. It then quickly cuts to the officer dragging a youth in a hoodie by his arms along the floor who is perceived as dead.

Opening Analysis

Se7en Opening Sequence Analysis 

The opening sequence begins with a close up of a book, thats appear to be blank pages being turned, although the rest of the body of the hand turning the page cannot be seen. This consequently makes the audience begin to question what is actually going on. Close ups are used for the duration of the opening to keep the audience's attention and interest and also for the producers to allow the audience to see only what they want them to see, which further raises questions in the audience's mind.

Throughout the opening there are many disturbing scenes, for example a character is seen using a razor to shave their fingers, a close up is used to present this to the audience in order to draw attention to this and show the gruesome action in detail. This raised questions as to who the character is a and why they are doing it. The many questions posed relate to the movies theme of a psychological thriller as the many questions confuse the audience much like the characters will be confused.

The typography used for the opening is a gritty, scratch style of text this relays to the audience that something is not quite right and the flickering motion of when the text appears s

Barthes Codes

Types of Barthes Codes:

- Hermeneutic
- Proairetic
- Semantic

Hermeneutic Code

The Hermeneutic Code refers to parts of the story that is not properly explored and is a mystery to the audience.  The true story line can be hidden through the use of different techniques, such as: - Snares: deliberately avoiding the truth. - Equivocations: partial or incomplete answers. - Jamming: openly acknowledge that there is no answer to a problem. The purpose of this is usually to keep the audience guessing, arresting the enigma, until the final scenes when all is revealed and all loose ends are tied off

Proairetic Code

The Proairetic Code is any plot action that does not directly raise any particular questions - it is simply an action that is caused by a previous event, indicating that something else is going to happen, building tension and making the reader wonder what is going to happen next.

The Hermeneutic and Proairetic Codes work as a pair to develop the story's tensions and keep the reader interested. Semantic Code

The Semantic Code refers to connotation within the story that gives additional meaning over the basic denotative meaning of the word.  It is by the use of extended meaning that can be applied to words, that can inform the audience to a greater extent with relatively limited text or dialogue

The Hermeneutic Code

The Hermeneutic Code refers to any plot point that is not fully explained and is a mystery to the audience, it is used to keep the audience guessing and unaware. It is typically used at the beginning of a film this allows for as much suspense of possible to be built up and then later on in the story line the questions posed will usually be answered.

Sub Genres of Thrillers

Thriller is a genre of film but even within this genre, films can be broken into different sub genres. These different sub genres can include:

Action Thriller

it’s defining elements a back seat, and focus on the action, and you have an action-thriller. This is more common in movies than novels because of the visual appeal of explosions and violence. An example of an action thriller is Taken

Conspiracy Thriller

In this sub genre the protagonist must confront a large, powerful organization whose threat only he sees, most times he must do so alone. An example of an conspiracy thriller is X Files

Crime Thriller

This sub genre focuses on crime, and is usually from the criminal’s point of view. Physical action and evading the police feature heavily instead of gathering evidence and trying to discover the criminal. An example of an crime thriller is Pulp Fiction

Disaster Thriller

In this sub genre a natural disaster is occurring, and the protagonist is either trying to stop the disaster, the reduce the extent of the disaster, or just save themselves before time runs out and the disaster has run its course. An example of a disaster thriller is 2012

Legal Thriller

This sub genre takes place in and around the courtroom. Usually the protagonist is a lawyer who has found their case threatening death for either them or their client. An example of a legal thriller is Michael Clayton

Medical Thriller

This sub genre involves something usually used for medical purposes becoming a deadly weapon. Often it is a virus that is leaking out to the public. The protagonist or antagonist are usually doctors. An example of a medical thriller is Contagion

Mystery Thriller

This is a sub genre of both mysteries and thrillers. It differs from a regular mystery by being much more fast-paced, with the protagonist on the run and the looming threat of another crime serving as the movitation for the protagonist. Examples of mystery thrillers are The Usual Suspects and Gone Girl

Political Thriller

In this sub genre political relations or the whole government is at stake, and the protagonist is employed by the government to stop the threat. An example of a political thriller is Snowden

Psychological Thriller

In this sub genre a lot of the action is mental, instead of physical. The protagonist has become involved in a dangerous situation which literally threatens their sanity or life. They must use mental prowess to overcome their opponent, whether the battle is inside their own head or it a battle of their intelligence. An example of a psychological thriller is Shutter Island

Religious Thriller

This sub genre uses the history and myths of religion. Usually a religious artifact or historical secret is discovered, and different people and groups compete for control. An example of a religious thriller is Constantine 

Romantic Thriller 

This is a sub genre of both thrillers and romantic novels. The plot line follows a typical thriller’s tension, suspense, and excitement, but a main element is relationship between two characters. An example of a romantic thriller is The Adjustment Bureua 

Spy Thriller

This sub genre focuses on the high adventures of field agents. It is usually set against the backdrop of some war. An example of spy thriller is Tinker Tailor Solider Spy

Supernatural Thriller

In this sub genre supernatural elements are introduced, usually as an antagonistic force, but  the plot line and feel or distinctly that of thrillers. Some characters may have psychic abilities and other supernatural novel elements may be present. An example of a supernatural thriller is The Sixth Sense

Techno-Thriller

This genre is a mix near-future science fiction and thrillers. Cutting-edge technology plays an important role, either as something to obtain, or working for or against the protagonist. An example of a techno-thriller is The Matrix

The Key Features of A Thriller

Thrillers have certain troupes that are used. These features can include:

- Tension / Suspense

- A variety of camera shots and angles

- Effective and emotive music

- Use of Lighting

- The protagonist in some sort of predicament

- The protagonist usually achieves his goals

Examples of Thriller

Panic Room is a thriller that builds great tension throughout the film as the protagonist, Meg Altman, makes her way towards the Panic Room. There are several moments in the film that leads the audience to genuinely believe the the protagonist is about to die, but the danger is averted in an as realistic way as possible, which keeps the sense of threat alive.

Die Hard is a great example of a Thriller. In this Die Hard John McClane (Bruce Willis), was inexperience at combating the threat. This led to him being in sticky situations that left the audience on the edge of their seats and questioning whether he would end the film alive. Although as the Die Hard series progressed John McClane lost his underdog character type as he became almost invincible but this led to some of the thriller aspect being lost in the series.

Shutter Island is a psychological thriller that uses thriller troupes such as light and a variety of camera shots and angles. These troupes coupled with the very strange and cryptic story, keep the tension high and the audience unaware of what step the film may take.

Hello, my name is Jonathan and this is my AS Media blog. On my blog I will talk about the creation of my thriller opening. It will be of an average length, in order to not give too much away as well as to not let the audience know exactly what the film is about. It will also make use of music, special effects, production logos and more media techniques. I will detail each step, form my planning all the way up to my final finished opening. i will do this in order to allow you to understand what goes into the creation of an opening sequence for a thriller film

Dialouge in the Opening

We decided to keep dialogue to a minimum throughout the opening, we chose to do this as we thought that dialogue would disrupt the tension that is being built and could interfere with the music that lends so well to the tension. The dialogue throughout the opening is in the classroom between the teacher and the students this is only because it helped to set the mood and give slightly more understanding of the situation to the audience, however the opening doesn't need to give too much information, as a information heavy opening would spoil the plot of the rest of the film