FINAL thriller opening

Rough cut

Test footage

We decided to test the spinning scene with a tripod as we were unsure how it would look.
Unfortunately, the tape we used was faulty and as a result, our video has lines through it. By spinning it around once, were able to duplicate it and change the speed of the footage at certain times. We also reversed the spin once.
This will be done during the scene where the stalker slams the bottle down after seeing the pictures of the subject with other people. This will make him jealous.

Filming times, Location and prop list.

We intend to film on Thursday the 11th of February at Emily's house which will be the location of the stalkers room. We will take the camera at 2.40 and will be returning it at 12.30 on Friday morning (picture house).
Leanna will bring the pictures of the subject, a photo frame and lipstick.
Craig will bring the bottle.
Elliss will bring the lock of hair.

By this time the recording of the voice over will be in production. (Andrew Pritchard).

Definition of thriller, outline of different sub-genres and hybrids

Definition of thriller, outline of different sub-genres and hybrids

Thriller- A thriller is a type of film genre that is normally very tense and includes some kind of action and mystery, it normally involves a hero vs villain type story, where the hero is flawed and the villian knows the flaw of the hero.

Sub-Genres- There are many different sub-genres within the thriller genre, these include; psychological, action,crime and many others but these are the main ones. A psychological thriller normally involves mind games between the hero and the villian, which normally ends with the hero winning.

Hybrid - two film genres in one. For example : Action horror
Rom com

Past Opening Analysis

Music - The music throughout is quite tense, it sort of resembles a heart beat as it is very repetitive. it gets faster and louder as the action happens

adding tension and grabbing the audiences attention. As the intruder creeps up on the victim the music then becomes more quiet, this also adds

tension because you can then hear the repetitive beat again that could resemble a heartbeat.

Location - It is in a good location, homes are a good place to have as a set for a thriller as it is one place people feels safe, this intruder then

destroys the security by breaking in.

Shot types - One of the first shots is a close up of a post-it note on the fridge. This enables the audience to know more about the situation and lets

the know that the victim is home alone without having to use dialogue. they have used a match on action this lets the audience know that he is

leaving. There are lots of close ups of things that he is doing for example, as he locks the door and puts the key under the mat, this is good because

it lets the audience know the details of what he is doing and draws attention to detail. there are also lots of mid shots of the victim, often not showing

his face this adds mystery and keeps the audience interested and engaged in the film. Point of view shots are used from the intruder to show that he

is watching the person and puts the audience in his position, and keeps them involved. they have used establishing shots, this shows the victim is

leaving and shows the audience more of the surroundings we can then gather that the area the person lives in and establish class. There is a very

good shot of the victim when he opens the cupboard, this is the only time the audience gets to see his face in detail and it has an audience privilege

as we can see that there is someone behind him but he cannot. It also uses an over the shoulder shot, this shows the intruder coming into the victims

personal space. The angles used towards the end are good as it uses a high angle when on the victim this shows difference in power and hows

intimidated and helpless the victim is.

Mise En Scene - The victim is wearing his normal clothes and the intruder wears all black and covers most of his face, this connotes dark and evil as

the colour black is a typical burglar colour. props they have used are things like keys and the cloth that knocked the victim out, these things are

small but very important to the story. For example, the keys are vital as these are the intruders way of getting into the house, this is why they use

close ups when shooting that part of the opening to show that they are significant.

Story boards

Here are our story boards for our thriller opening. From bottom to top, 1, 2, 3.

Script ideas

A key feature in our opening is the voice over of the stalker who is narrating. He is confessing to the police and telling them what happened.

Character's personality - very confident
- awkward
- psychotic
- obsessive
- possessive

She wasn't too young
There was a ... certain maturity. In her eyes.
Those eyes.

She ...socialized. (pictures of her with male friends)
Was real friendly. (opens can angrily)
(laughs) (sipping and gulping drink, sigh)
Im a sucker for those blue eyes.
Click. Click. Click. (laugh)
You should have seen the way she looked at me chief.
With those eyes. Click. Click. Click. (laugh) (continue to drink and gulp, crushes can)
Maybe i wouldn't be here... if she hadn't looked at me like that.
I dunno what she was afraid of... she always smiled for the camera.
(Sigh) So.....

Shot list for thriller

Black screen with voice over starting.
Image of girl gets closer eventually ends up in the pupil of her eye
Sudden blink to stalker's eye.
Shots of individual items
Quick shot of girl staring at camera (lipstick stained cup, lock of hair, tissue more photos).
Voice over ever continuing.
Quick shot of girl staring at camera
Shot of his legs as he enters room
shot of girl staring at camera
more shots of images
shot of calendar and images on calendar
cutting constantly to the girl staring at the camera
no images of her on days he doesn't see her
shot in house of victim, (voice over continuous, yet character is becoming wary)
shot of girl looking around after hearing noise, cuts to shot of cat entering, relief of female is shown)
Shot of girl staring at camera
This upsets stalker so music alters slightly, and character becomes frustrated and fidgety at nearly getting caught.
Shot of girl staring at camera
Slams down a beer bottle on table, spins, camera pans with bottle to give a view of the room, and the things in it. Not all with be shown so that the full extent of his obsession is not revealed to the audience.
When bottle has stopped
flash of his face, zoom back into his eye, zooms out to eye in a different image of a different girl. Speech goes on as if to continue further.

Logo

Mood Board

Our mood board :)

Opening story ideas.

Initial Ideas.

The obsession

Psychological thriller

Close up of lots of photos of one girl

Photog dark room, develop photos in there

Darts at photos.

Spinning bottle.

Quick cuts throughout.

dark - not day.

Girl screaming. black screen to start tape recorder.

Interviews stalker.

Starts with black screen goes to close ups of victim's photos - shown in dark room with torch at college.

Possible question : what do you like to do ?

"play darts" (dart imagery)

close up of weird hand. Villain handicapped in some way - this shows pain and bravery.

voice over on top of imagery.

Further ideas.

We will never get to see the villain in the opening.

Taking photos through key hole.

Damsel in distress will hear noises of what she thinks is a villain, but it turns out to be her pet cat, or so she thinks.

flash of her seeing herself on video. And photos.

Zoom of her eye and zoom out to his.

He has her cup with lipstick on it, and a lock of her hair.

Camera is his point of view.

Bottle spinning, shot of it at full speed, but as it reduces, the camera will spin with it, showing the photos around it. All of the victim.

Restaurant scene - possible relationship between characters?

Spooky location - abandoned house near Netherhall, a church.

Public transport - both on bus through Cambridge.

Shots of buildings in cambridge.

End on her gasp at camera (his perspective) to black screen.

Final ideas.

(Highlighted in blue)

Conventions of a thriller.

Damsel in distress: The character is hanging of the edge of a gutter of a building, he relies on another character (hero).

Protagonist: the flawed hero, the character is scared of heights. this is shown as he is hanging of the building and is made worse when he see's the police officer fall to his death when trying to help him.

Lighting:Shadows cast over woman's face in beginning. The lighting then turns red, symbolize; lust, danger, blood. In rooftop scene, grey colours used, dull, pathetic fallacy = weather reflects the mood (cloudy, grey).

Fear of the unknown= Don't see entire face of woman, unaware of who she is. Her eye's widen in shock, it's unknown why. Unknown why man is running from the police.

At the beginning when the animated patterns come up on the woman's eye could represent a kind of hypnosis which connotes the control she has over the victim or vice-versa. This links in with obsession and gives the audience the impression that the villian could be obsessed with the 'damsel in distress'.

Music is used throughout to add tension, suspence and to keep in time with the dull, tense mood.

Deadlines for thriller project

Deadlines:

Rough cut: 1st of march (monday's lesson)
Shooting Deadline: 24th of February, wednesday
Final deadline: 8th of March (end of Monday's lesson)
Draft deadline for writing: Monday 5th of March
Final dealine for writing: 9am, 22nd of March