Idea Pitch Feedback

Good detail of idea, need to solidify shot ideas as opposed to having several different ones.
- Story board, Shot list

Need to get permission from R.A.F Upwood to film on training grounds.




A more final idea, that we just thought of:

Scene 1.

SHOT: Morning, mans face asleep, alarm goes off, opens his eyes and wakes up. Non-diagetic soundtrack starts as his eyes open (still)

SHOT: Hand picking out tie (still)

SHOT: Hand holding newspaper at breakfast table. (still)

SHOT: Sip of coffee, close up (still)

SHOT: Coffee mug bang on table, close up (still)

SHOT: Key locking door (still)

SHOT: Inside car, in perspective of passenger seat, mans elbow on window sill, head resting on his hand waiting for traffic lights to change, looks up at traffic light (still)

SHOT: Perspective of just outside car, from drivers window of lights changing to green (still)

SHOT: Inside car, passenger seat, car accelerates away (still)

To Be Continued...

Idea 2 planning of a Thriller

Idea 2 planning of a thriller

The opening sequence would consists of the titles running while there is a close up of photographs in a box being searched through. The opening titles would consists of the main actors, director, company name and logos, these would be shown a type of typewriter font to add to the mystery of the film helping to create a first mood.

The perfect location for this opening sequence would be a derelict building which could be the place of the murder which he recognised in the photographs. this location is a stereotypical dark and abandoned room/rooms.

This type of building would be perfect for the filming of our opening sequence as it helps emphasis the mood of the film type and there is open access to the public (R.A.F Upwood). the camerawork could also help achieve this as we could show the location/setting with the use of panning and close ups on vital props within the location. The other location we would be using is a office/room with a desk lightened with only lamp to create a dark feel towards the story. The other R.A.F base would jump to as the character remembers vital information.

All of these techniques and settings would help us create a believable crime/psychological thriller.
We would use the conventions associated with psychological thrillers such as memories, stream of consciousness so we get an insight to the main characters.

The costumes would be average everyday clothes (not bright colours) as it would distract from the style and mood of the thriller. The main character of the father would wear glasses and formally dress (detective like). The sounds would mostly consists of diegetic sounds such as flickering through photos, footsteps etc. (ambience sounds).

The editing of the title sequence consists of slow fade ins and outs and slow moving cuts to create a dreamy feel to the sequence. flickering text on title sequence (to create the effect of an old slideshow on a projector.

Brainstorming Thriller Opening Sequence Ideas

Words/ Ideas 

• Hit men
• Mobsters
• Gangsters
• Private Detective
• Mentally Unstable characters
• Highly Skilled thief's 
• Lossing Control.

Ideas 

1. 

     The titles / credits are hand written flickering on a projector zooming out slowly showing an 'over the shoulder shot' of a dark figure sitting in a chair watching a old black and white film (at this point the character is unknown). Once at the point of this (image below)

Theres a scream with a close up of a figure which is followed with a slamming of a door. (created with fast jump shots). The scene then changes to an alleyway 

Image taken from 'google images'

Where detectives are dark figure not showing there faces or any indication to who they are with blood on there hands with a close up of there hands jumping from each characters hands scrubbing there hands washing the blood off. This opening sequence is showing the convention of 'A protagonist who is systematically dis-empowered and drawn into a complex web of intrigue by the antagonist.' (Taken from the long road media thriller blog)

Idea 2.

Photographs - collection of seemingly random photographs

1. panning/close ups over photographs

2. still shot over fathers hands putting photos in an album/box

Story: mentally unstable daughter (who takes pictures of everything) commits suicide. Story of father trying to find out why by devoting all his time towards finding answers, finds it was murder because of the photographs she took and remembering vital information piecing the facts together finding that she was framed as suicide due to her condition.

Characters


Characters that are involved within the opening sequence would be the :-
.Father
.Teenage daughter (the dead one).

Characters that appear late in the thriller would be the :-
.Father
.Teenage Daughter
.Mother
.Sister

Leon: Action Thriller

LEON

Action Thriller

The first convention that is very noticeable is violence. Nearly all characters have guns or kill people. There is a lot more blood and graphic images within an action thriller, from the start we see people being shot and blood over walls. This fast paced action is another convention which we encounter straight at the start of leon.  

Crime thrillers

CRIME THRILLERS

• Various characters including gangs. Usual characters within gangs are the dopey sidekick and the eccentric. A duo usually has a dopey sidekick too. 
• Central topics: murder, kidnap, robbery, crime in general - usually involves police or special forces
• Narrative follows planning of crimes or execution of crimes - not always successful.
• The protagonists often have the qualities of the antagonist or is an outsider.
• Motivation is usually tragedy
• Lines between right and wrong are often blurred as protagonist often has antagonist qualities.

Memento

     The opening of Memento consists of many psychological thriller conventions including technical flashback devices, an unreliable narrator, loss of memory theme and dual identity. These elements combine to produce an very confusing, subtly tense opening by using the flashback as a disruption in continuity.

     The first shot shows the use of the loss of memory convention. It does this by showing us a polaroid photograph of a murder being shaken. At a first glance it is not certain why he has this photo but the fading of it gives the impression that the memory of this is fading.
      All main characters of thriller have a fault and in this case, his fault is that he cannot collect new memories. However, we see that he has found an alternative way to overcome this by tattooing new information onto his skin. In the screen grab you are just able to see the end of a word on his hand.

    
We are straight away invited to see things from his perspective as there are many point of view shots showing us around an unknown room. The use of black and white in the in scene where he is sat on the bed in a hotel room implies that it is an old memory. The voice over is used as a stream of consciousness  which gives us an insight into the confusing he faces on a daily basis

Psychological Thillers

Central Theme of Identity
This consists of mistaken identity, stolen identity, dual identity, doppelgangers, confused identity and amnesia.

Perception and Reality
Seeing from the narrative of the perspective of the multiple characters. A character having a different perspective of what is and isn't real compared to the norm establishes in the film.

Memory
The torture of an individual with a traumatic memory. The trauma of a specific last memory.

Stream of Consciousness
This is a device often used in psychological thillers to give an insight into the psycho of a particular character usually the main protagonist.

Unreliable Narrator
Psychological thillers often play on the idea of the inherent trust placed in the narrator or the central character that the narrative follows.

Technical Devices
Flashbacks and repetition in editing.

Imagery
Eyes are frequency motif.

Number Seventeen

The very first piece of footage is in keeping with one of the many conventions of a Thriller. Here, we see an ordinary man whose hat has been blown down the street, but it just so happens that it rolls into the fence of an apparently empty house. The sound track that accompanies this is written in a minor key, it makes the scene feel suspicious and involves a base line that increases in pace as he walks into the house, this is particularly effective in inducing the feeling of suspense as we are not certain about what may be in the house. The music subtly changes time signature as he walks into the house, this gives the feeling of  uncertainty and confusion.
     This action of following the character into the house is a good example of voyeurism, curiosity of situations that may not concern them. This also is in keeping with the thriller convention of building suspense, as the viewer may feel that they shouldn't really be there.
     The lighting inside the house is very dim, the little light there is is coming from above, casting shadows on everything in the shot. This creates a sense of unknown because it's difficult to see detail clearly. In this sequence, the only source of light is from candles. As the candle light flickers it casts creepy shadows onto the walls giving the feel that there is more movement than just him.

Preliminary Task

Hello. My rabbit didn't really die, I don't have a rabbit. Just in case you were wondering or even felt sorry for me (Sue).