Costumes and Props

We have begun to consider different costume ideas for characters within our thriller. One idea was to have some characters dress in a uniformed style of suits and a mask. Here are some photgraphs of different masks that I have found:







We are also considering using a gun as a prop. This depends on where we will be filming, as using a prop gun in a public place will result in unwanted attention from the public. If however we decide to film in a private location, then the use of a gun will add a sense of danger to the characters, increasing their presence within the film.


-Joe Lawrence

Preparation for Story Boarding

One of our media lessons was spent analysing ‘1 hour Photo’ a thriller from 2002. We only analysed 31 seconds of the film but had to take into account all the shots that made up the time. This made us realise just how long and how much detail storyboards consist of and the time they consume to complete. Our thriller would be 2-3 minutes long meaning that it would take hours to come up with a good storyline and then complete the storyboard. There would be many shots in the thriller to make it seem more realistic.

Each story board consisted of:
•Shot no.
•Length of shot
•Editing from one shot to the other (Cut/Fade/Dissolve)
•Shot Size
•Camera Angle
•Lighting
•Colours in the frame
•Setting
•Props
•Costume
•Sound
•The picture
•Brief Description of action

Taking this all into to account we realised how much planning would have to be completed in order to start filming our thriller.


We all meet up during the half term on Monday and Thursday and started planning our thriller. We came up with our storyline and started our storyboard. We also discussed locations, Camera Shots, Camera Angles and Editing etc.

Oliver Fitch

Preparation for Editing

In our media lessons we were basically shown how to edit, film set up the camera on the tripod etc. We were put into groups to film our preliminary task which was just mainly learning how to film and edit. The filming and editing was spread over two lessons. The first lesson was spent filming the prelim which for 30 seconds of filming in total took longer than expected. The second lesson we had a year 13 student showing us how to use the editing software. We learnt how to do all the basic editing like cutting and transitions etc. But our thriller required more advanced software. One member of our group Peter thought it would be easier to access editing software at home because some many people will be using the editing suite at once that you won’t get a sufficient amount of time to edit. So Peter decided to obtain software that we could use out of school. Both I and Peter then installed the software on to both his home computer and my laptop and we both spent a couple of hours learning how to use the software. But this time was not efficient for the complexity of the software. Installing the software on my laptop made it easy to transport it to school and discuss the editing with the other members of our group and show them what we had achieved so far.

This is just an example of what our software can do.




Oliver Fitch

Influences on our Work: Borderline

Title: Borderline
Director: Alex Chandon
Year Released: 2006
Chandon's digitally imposes different shots within the same frame. Whilst as a group we are resolutely determined to avoid effects the video achieved a lot of visual themes which we wish to aspire to. Firstly by having movement around the frame it creates claustrophobia in open spaces. Ultimately a feeling of claustrophobia is a lot scarier than open spaces, as it links to primal fears of being trapped. If we were to shoot in London than this would have to be bared in mind. There is also this underlying feeling that the people of London are walking around unaware of the chaos around them, this could further be incorporated into our narrative with the people of London being unaware of the danger of antagonists, making our protagonist all the more helpless. Whilst not being an Art Film it’s aim, of contrasting the typical with the surreal, fits into the codes and conventions of Thrillers and Chandon’s style may be referenced to in the piece.

Tim McNiven

Title Sequence

To be included in the opening to our 2 minute thriller is a "title sequence", a form of presentation used by television programmes and films. The "title sequence" is used to give the audience an awareness of the character's actual identity as actors and it is usually related to the film's genre. So if the programme was a hospital drama then the title sequence would display iconography in relation to this. For example, an establishing shot of the hospital with the series title hovering at the top of the screen, moving onward into various shots of hospital wards, patients and the operating theatre in a rapid editing style. but this is not to be confused with opening credits. 

A good example of a title sequence is in the following video

I find the title sequence of Panic Room effective as it expresses irony through the clear open shots of the city showing space and freedom, which the characters are to have taken from them.

Peter McLaughlin

Cape Fear Analysis

The opening credits show the film’s title, Cape Fear, written in white italics, in a contrast to the dark and eerie background of rippling water. The use of white implies innocence and purity, but the italics suggest that this purity is not as it seems. The presence of water in the background suggests that water will play an important part in the film, whilst the un-natural movement of the water and the extreme close ups of body parts such as eyes and hands creates an unsettling feeling, suggesting that something is wrong with the lake. A close up of a face is shown in the water, suggesting a central role in the story. A figure is then seen to be looking into the water from above, implying that he is the films antagonist, creating an enigma as to who he is. He is shown with a green hue over him, with the colour green suggesting the presence of envy and jealousy within the film.
A bird of prey is then seen to be flying down towards the water with its claws extended, suggesting that the audience is in the position of the prey, and are thus vulnerable to the film.
Drops of red are then seen in the water, giving the impression of blood dripping, as well as denotations of murder, violence and rage, anchoring the film within the horror thriller sub genre.
Throughout the opening sequence, a non diegetic score is played, adding to the tension. The scene then cuts to a close up of a girl’s eyes (played by a young Juliette Lewis), with a red hue, suggesting something amiss. The camera retracts, revealing a young girl wearing white, suggesting innocence and purity, whilst her dialogue and NVC has an eerie feel suggesting she is not all she seems. Behind the girl, rain is seen to be hitting a window, with pathetic fallacy using the sound of rain to create a feeling of nervousness.

The scene then cuts to a prison cell containing Robert Deniro, with the music intensifying. This shows his power and importance to the story. The camera pans down the wall of the prison cell, which is decorated with photographs of historical figures such as Stalin. Deniro’s position of a bowed head shows a prayer like stance, giving a sense of his adoration for these figures. This gives an insight into the character’s state of mind, as the worship of historical tyrants is not the behaviour of a mentally stable person.

The camera then continues to pan down to show a shelf of books, including the Bible, showing he is well educated and intelligent. An enigma is created around the character, asking why an intelligent and educated man is in a prison cell with numerous prison tattoos. His tattoos depict the scales of justice and religious figures, giving an indication of a desire for revenge.

His non verbal communication shows and seriousness and focus on his exercise within his cell. His physique shows him to be dedicated to his physical fitness, giving the impression he is dangerous. His masculinity and dominance within the prison is shown by him walking in front of the guard as he leaves his cell, with the other inmates watching him leave. As he leaves the prison he walks towards the camera, giving the impression that he is walking towards the audience, creating a feeling of tension and vulnerability for the viewer.

-Joe Lawrence

Advice from year 13 media students

I appreciated the support and experience passed onto us by the year 13 students, advising us on what is essential in making your thriller a success and how to avoid it becoming a failed project.
First of all we were given tips on how to make our piece that of high quality.
such as the following:

team work- to make your As media thriller successful you will have to co-operate with the people in your group, share the tasks given (including blog posting) and ideas on how to improve on the project.

Time management- This is one of the most crucial parts of the project, as you will not only have to make time with the members of your group through free periods and out of school, but you will also have to consider what time is appropriate to shoot footage.

The amount of footage- We were advised to over project exactly how much footage we needed, as a safety measure. 

Choose the Right Actors- To create the appropriate atmosphere, you will need actors that suit the role of the part they are playing as it will look unprofessional and could be perceived as a comedy/parody if represented incorrectly.

Music- This is also a key element in creating the appropriate atmosphere to your opening thriller. The music combined with the actions and non verbal communication of the actors can be used to create a greater suspense.

Battery life- The camcorder is one of the most important pieces of equipment, as without you wouldn't be able to make the opening sequence to a thriller. In addition if the camera has no battery life you are incapable of filming, so it is worth charging it before and after every use.

 Special effects- We were also warned that we may be tempted to overly use special effects and were told to ignore that temptation; and to only use them when appropriate  as it can make the film seem tacky. 

Steady camera work- make sure that the camera is steady at appropriate times, if not i can lead to a deduction in marks.

Locations- Be original but not overly clever, constantly escaping clichés as it can escape the codes and conventions of a thriller.

Camera use?- If you are fortunate enough to use a better quality camera instead of the school cameras then be careful when uploading footage as it can look different and come out in different sizes etc. standard, widescreen.

Plan and prepare- schedule deadlines to part of the course, in order to maintain stability and to be prepared to move onward in the project.

Enjoy yourself- In enjoying the work you will avoid stress, aggravation and probably produce a better project without these burdening you.

Peter McLaughlin

Thriller Genre Films

I was searching the internet, for interesting information on the thriller genres and this article came to me in the search.

Thriller Genre Films'
The Bourne Identity was adapted into a movie starring Matt Damon which used many of the thriller conventions of the plot. Though its sequels, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, depart significantly from Robert Ludlum's storyline, the conspiracy-thriller genre is still well-preserved.
The Manchurian Candidate is a classic of Cold War paranoia. A squad of American soldiers are kidnapped and brainwashed by Communists. False memories are implanted, along with a subconscious trigger that turns them into assassins at a moment's notice. They are soon reintegrated into American society as sleeper agents. One of them, Major Bennett Marco, senses that not all is right, setting him on a collision course with his former comrade, Sergeant Raymond Shaw, who is close to being activated as an assassin.
Phone Booth is a thriller about a selfish man trapped in a phone booth by a deranged sniper. Framed for the murder of a pimp, he finds himself surrounded by police who have no idea of the sniper's presence.
Double Jeopardy is a 1999 thriller about a woman who goes to prison for the murder of her husband, only to find out he is alive. She vows to track down her husband and get her son back, which leads to a dramatic finale in New Orleans.
Ronin is a suspenseful tale of conflicting loyalties. A team of post-Cold War mercenaries gather in France to carry out an ambush and steal a mysterious suitcase. The mission goes awry when the group turn on each other. The contents of the suitcase are never revealed but it is something worth killing for.
Other examples of the thriller in movies include Donnie Darko, Red Eye, Psycho, North by Northwest, In the Line of Fire, The Fugitive, Solo Voyage, The 4th floor and Marathon Man.
Notable thrillers that have made an impact both as novels and as films include Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal, Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October and successive Jack Ryan stories, Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs and related novels, Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park and Congo, and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code.

Courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org

Peter McLaughlin

Filming Locations

saturday 07 february

Well, we have a general concept at the moment. Possibly a psycholgical thriller around the theme of isolation or imprisonment with the characters being more symbols/entities rather then people. This was brainstormed as Tim, Joe and I travelled around locally and out in London in search of locations to suit the theme of the project we had in mind.

We found this oddly lit, hexagon based spire. The lighting gives a strange effect as it completely illuminates a person standing directly over. We noticed that it became difficult to distinguish exactly who the person was as the face almost seemed blurred.

In taking an extreme high angle shot it gives quite a disorientating quality to the area with the walls being claustrophobic and the gap in the spire showing a need for escape.

Here we have a longshot from the outside of the hollow spire, showing the effect of the lighting.

My eye was caught by this interesting lit flooring in the opening of the modern offices of london. The floor would occasionally have a series of different colours flow through it, this could be used to great affect and could be fused with sound effects and other forms of media editing to create a distressed atmosphere?

Here we have an establishing shot of the skating area at the embankment. The Graffiti on the walls could be used to represent youth and rebellion?

Modern, fututistic mise-en-scene? ->
(The one draw back with this loctaion is that it will be tircky to make sure nothign else is in frame, unless we see a particular use of the circle than perhaps we may have to abandon this location - Tim)



Space age, elevator with white glass panel background. Could be incorporated.

(This location was found at the British Film Institute,havign inquired with the eductaion department of the establishment, ith further disucssions and form yet to be had there is the strong possibility of using this location, as a group we're delighted at the oppurtunities of using loctaion s that other groups won't use, makign sure the project is distinct and allows us to mae the openign as professional as possible. The red elevator itself we saw as a possble metaphor for anger and claustrophobia, which is a possible theme for our opening, The backlighting gives the effect of a studio which will be much more effective than street and domestic lighting that loses any dramatic atmosphere - Tim)

High angle shot of a strangely lit pillar, giving the impression of an examination?
(We had the concept to have the camera circle round this pillar then tilt down to reveal a character, we're hoping a trackign shot such as this will engae the audience - tim)

Finally we have an establishing shot of the imax being covered by a tree showing that something is being hidden metaphorically, but this probably wont be used in our piece as the viewer will be able to tie the jump between locations, if they relate it to the establishing shot!

(However at this location Peter noted that the tree itself coudl be used, it's low key floor lighting would create shadows over our potentially scarry cast. Another aspect to consider that does the use of a tree contradict our urban feel, it remains to be decided whether the potential of this loctaion outweighs are primary concerns of foliage. -Tim)


Peter McLaughlin

Possible Music Soundtracks

Taken from various non-copyrighted music websites, various tracks have been uploaded unto the blog in order for the group to leave their individual opinions on each track, in addition to a rating out of 10.

Bipolar:

Oliver Fitch: 4/10, This soundtrack is far too overpowering any other sound in the opening and it's lack of subtlety would undermine attempts to build a chilling atmosphere. I also find it to meancing for a thriller film this type of soundtrack you would associate with the horror genre as it creates a very threatening tone. It contains some elements of modern music combined with a very strong classical feel, that almost over powers the modern music. The advantage of this is that it slightly diverts expectations.

Joesph Lawrence: 2/10. Lacks any sort of subtlety or finesse, and would ruin the mood of the film entirely. The inclusion of modern programmed drum beats is a nice touch, but sounds very cliche and stock. Sounds more like it would be included on the soundtrack of a CBBC childrens adventure story,or a Wesley Snipes film, than that of an intelligent and mysterious thriller.

Peter McLaughlin: 1/10 This music sound track does not suit the thriller genre in any sense, it has me reminiscing on past infiltrations in the 1st and 2nd world war. 

Timothy McNiven: 5/10, Perhaps too overtly menacing, it would overpower any other sound in the opening and it's lack of subtlety would undermine attempts to build a chilling atmosphere. It does have element of modern music combined the classical feel , this does have the advantage of subtly diverting expectations. In the opening section of 28 Day's later it slowly builds up, by contrasting the beginning to the end it creates a more epic quality.

Fang:

Oliver Fitch: 7/10, The classical use of the harp used is this sound track suggests mistery and creates tension. The pauses in between in the opening seconds is very cleverly used and the build-up followed by the silence would be perfect for our thriller purposes. This however would be more affective in an crime thriller for example as the tone of the soundtrack creates a great sense of mistery if someone had been killed for example.

Joesph Lawrence: 5/10. Whilst slightly more well thought out in its composition, this piece of music is of no more use to us than the first. It doesn't allow time to build a mood before the main section comes in, and so would either have to be heavily edited to create a more subtle build up, or not be used at all.

Peter McLaughlin: 6/10 i feel that this is quite successful due to the dramatic pauses. However i feel that if we were to use this piece it should be more subtle then it already is. 

Timothy McNiven: 8/10, the pauses in between in the opening seconds is very effective and the build-up followed by silence would be perfectly apt for our purposes. It's classical feel fits into what the viewer wants from a Thriller.

Tragic Moment:

Oliver Fitch: 5/10, Similarly to 'Bipolar' it's an improvment because the fact that it is not so over powering. However I still find this sound track too menacing for a thriller genre and would better suit a horror genre. I think that this sound track doesn't build up enough as much as I would like, this would influence the narrative of the opening and how it was treated.

Joeseph Lawrence: 5/10. Whilst this is probably the most subtle and relevant composition we have looked into, I still find it to be very predictable in it's use of layering and melody. This piece would work well with something more action orientated, but as our thriller is largely driven by dialogue and the use of mystery, music like this would cause a distraction to the viewer, as well as changing the mood of the sequence from that of mysterious tension to something more fast paced.

Peter McLaughlin: 6/10 I feel that this would be misplaced if used in our thriller, it gives me first impressions listening to it the notion that it is music for a costume drama of sorts related to crime and feels to dated to be incorporated into our piece of work

Timothy McNiven: 6/10, In compassion to 'Bipolar' it's an improvement but the exact opposite with the opposite problems. Whilst it has the necessary subtly it doesn't build up as much I would like, this would influence the narrative of the opening and how it was treated.

Gates To Adis:

Oliver Fitch: 9/10, this is my favourite out of the four it sets a amazing atmosphere. It is constantly building up and the use of classical intruments makes the audience truly feel the tension. It is a very dramatic piece of music and would be an excellent choice for the opening of our thriller.

Joeseph Lawrence: 3/10. Whilst useful if we were looking to destroy a ring in the fires from whence it came, or rescue a damsel in the distress, this piece is totally irrelevant to a slow burning, dark thriller such as ours. The piece has no subtlety, build up, mystery or structure to it, and feels more like somebody has hastely thrown it together with free MIDI software than spent careful time slowly scoring a piece of music. Wonderful if we were looking to make film unicorns and the like, but unfortunately, we aren't making a fantasy film.

Peter McLuaghlin: 7/10, sets a great tone and atmosphere but too long, would have to be edited/condensed to be incorporated in our project sucessfully. However this piece is definately worth considering.

Timothy McNiven: 9/10, By far my favourite, it's use of classical instruments makes it feel grand and earnest, yet it subverts the average cliche' which would give a distinct tone to our opening.

IN CONCLUSION....

Joseph Lawrence: In conclusion, I feel that whilst these pieces are useful in certain applications (video games, films with a different feel to ours), they are unusable for our thriller. For example, I imagine a track such as Gates To Adis to be used in a film along the lines of Ridley Scott's Legend, a fantasy film made in 1985. Luckily, it is 2009, and we are making a thriller. A good example of use of music for an edgy film is the use of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's "East Hastings" in the opening sequence of Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. A piece of music with this sort of tone, subtlety and careful arrangement allows the director a tool which he or she can use to further enhance the mood of the sequence they apply it too.

Iconography of a Thriller

Iconography basically means the props that are associated with that particular genre. It’s an item that makes it clear to the audience what distinct genre it is. The iconography connected with the thriller genre is one of the easiest to identify as there are a wide range of props that consists within it, which symbolise certain aspects of the thriller.

These are the typical types of props that define the thriller genre:

The knife is by far the most obvious part of iconography associated with the Thriller genre. However the knife does relate more to the Sub Genre Horror/Thriller as it symbolises a horrific and gory death. The connotations of knives are predominantly pain, gore, blood and death which clarifies why it links more towards a horror, although knives in Thrillers tend to show a less masochistic approach.

Guns are mostly connected to the Sub Genre gangster/thriller as it is the quick effortless way to take a life. It is commonly the gangster’s preferred weapon to the knife as you can kill from range, with minimum effort, if they make a mistake they have another chance and it is the quickest way.

Shadows and Silhouettes are what give thrillers the sense of mistery and enigmas. They demonstrate actions given out by a character but cloak that character and the scene in mystery. They collect thoughts of anxiety and darkness as well as giving the audience questions and clues. A character with a silhouette is most often the antagonist which generally won’t be discovered until the end.

The impression of claustrophobia is typically concealed in a Thriller. The sense of being in a confined space gives the audience feelings of being trapped and moribund. It can also provoke a particular reaction or feeling such as physical characteristics heavy breathing and sweating.

Oliver Fitch