Thriller Filming

Today we started filming, we both managed to get all of the filming done and we was quite confident that we had filmed all of the scenes we needed to. The day which we filmed on was very cold and was very muddy so some of the shots did not go to plan but we overcame this and found suitable alturnatives to fit in with our sequence. We had to overcome our first problem which was the male actor was ill on the day so we had to find another alturnative in a short space of time, Alex Redford kindly offered to help us with the acting and this was very successful. We both hoped that everything would go to plan but this did not turn out, we overcame this problems and worked hard with one another.

Before we began to film, the night before I created a schedule of what will need to happen today and the times of which everything is happening, both I and Emmie tried to stick to the schedule as much as we could but it was hard due to some scenes took a little longer than expected and some took a shorter amount of time. The planning schedule which I created was very helpful as it allowed the day to run smoothly and we could make sure that we was on schedule for everything throughout the day. Also the risk assessment was very helpful as it allowed us to know the risks which was involved in filming in this specific area and preventing any injuries happening to both me and Emmie and also to our actors. 

After we had filmed we sat down and decided whether or not anything else should require to be re filmed, we decided that we should have enough footage for our thriller film. We both worked incredible hard in order for the filming to take place. I undertook all of the filming and Emmie was arranging where the actors should be placed, we both did our roles to a high standard and this should be reflected in the work we have produced.  I am very happy with the work myself and Emmie have produced, both us and the actors did a great job!

Filming timetable

Time	What is happening?
10am	Make sure all of the props are collected together ready for filming tomorrow
10.30am	Meet Emmie, Casey and Thomas in Stapleford
11.00am	Walk to the location
11.15am	Set up equipment and get the actors in place ready for filming
11.30am	Begin filming
12.00pm	Set up in other location, on the bridge
12.30pm	Finish filming on the bridge
1.00pm	Move locations to the canal
1.30pm	Film on the canal
2.00pm	Check through each shot, to make sure we have got all the shots we need
2.30pm	Dismantle equipment
2.45pm	Walk home with the equipment

20/02/2011   

Before filming, I thought it would be appropriate to set a timetable for the day so we could each see what we needed to film and what time. Although it will be hard to stick to the timetable, it will give us some indication and guidelines of what is being done throughout the day. I have given a significant amount of time for everything to be filmed as we may need longer on some particular parts, but this will be changed throughout the day.

  

Research into Auidences of Thriller Films

Research into audiences of thriller films

Thrillers are not everyone’s favorite type of films, this may because they involve the audience to be engaged and it is hard to relax throughout a thriller film as something is always happening. Most thrillers are aimed at a specific group of people, usually a specific gender or age range.

A thriller is aimed at someone into intrigue and mystery with a tint of a twist, someone who like to try and work things out for themselves but sometimes never quite gets there. A thriller can also be aimed at a person who never gives up trying and will always give it a shot on working out what is happening, yet still loves the element of surprise. Thrillers are generally particularly popular with the under 25's and have a slight female skew. With moviegoers in an attentive and focused mindset, they provide a highly effective, distraction free advertising environment.



This graph shows that people 50+ tend to enjoy thriller movies this may be as they have more time to enjoy them or the thrillers they have watched may be aimed at their specific age range. Normally thrillers are aimed at people under the age of 25 but this could be different for each thriller film.

References

www.slideshare.net/beckypearse/research-thriller



Internet research into genre

Thriller is a genre of literature, film and television that uses suspense, tension and excitement as the main elements. The primary subgenre is psychological thrillers. After the assassination of President Kennedy, political thriller and paranoid thriller films became very popular. The main example of thrillers is the Hitchcock's movies. The cover-up of important information from the viewer and the fight/chase scenes are common methods in all of the thriller subgenres, although each subgenre has its own characteristics and methods. Common methods in crime thrillers are mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge, and kidnappings. More common in mystery thrillers are investigations and the whodunit technique. Common elements in psychological thrillers are mind games, psychological themes, stalking, confinement/death-traps, horror-of-personality, and the obsession. Elements such as conspiracy theories, false accusations, paranoia, and sometimes action are common in paranoid thrillers. Some argue, though, that thriller genre is simply a pseudonym for the horror genre, both using suspense and atmosphere to cause feelings of dread in their audiences. A thriller is a villain-driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles that the hero must overcome.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller

www.filmsite.org/thrillerfilms.html

www.findmeanauthor.com/thriller_fiction_genre.htm

Thriller Genre

Thriller Research

Thriller Research- 14/02/2011

We both continued to plan our thriller and discussed timings of filming within half term, we both found this very beneficial as it gave us the opportunity to arrange the best days for us both. After coming to a conclusion of timings, we had to agree with the actors what the days and times we had planned was convenient for them too. We arranged this with them in plenty of time, so if it wasn’t convenient we could rearrange are days to suit everyone. Whilst trying to plan we came across some problems as I was unable to film three days of the half term due to work commitments but we sorted this out and have arranged two full days to film on, this may not be enough time but we will try our best to fit it all in, if not we will have to arrange another time to do it on these particular days.  Also in this lesson we both discussed what needs to be done this week and evened the work out between us:
Emmie to do list:

·         Risk Assessment

·         Collect the video camera on Friday afternoon (For filming in half term)

Sophie to do list:

·         Select appropriate costumes and props

·         Confirm final details with actors

Both:

·         Complete the unfinished planning and put onto blog

This lesson benefited directors and actors as they now know what will happen on the days of filming. 

Filming Locations- Sophie and Emmie

Location

When we was planning our thriller, the location of it was very important as it sets the scene and is usually the first shot the auidence see. When came up with a variety of ideas where we could film but filming down the canal seemed to be the best idea as there is many arces of trees and woodland and this would be perfect for our stalker sequence. 

As we are doing an establishing shot to set the scene, the first image of the bridge is where number characters will be standing on the bridge train spotting, this immediately sets the scene and the audience can relate to such place. The bridge by the canal will be a very important shot, as it is the first shot that the audience see.

 

The main location in our opening sequence will be the footpath alongside the canal and this is where the stalk will take place. Most stalker thrillers take place in a dark, secluded place so this is why we choose the canal for the main action to happen. During our thriller sequence we wanted to stick to the traditional stereotypes and use this as one of our conventions. Although there will still be passes by, this location will be fairly rural so is perfect for filming.

Overall, I believe that the locations we have chosen are perfect for the sequence we are filming due to the small amount of people who will be passing by and it is a perfect location for a stalker scene to take place, our thriller also sticks to the thriller conventions.  



Filming Schedule- Sophie

Filming Schedule

After we both created a brainstorm and storyboard, we decided that it would be a good idea to create a filming schedule so we know what dates we are filming. The filming schedule tells us when we are filming, what we are filming and what we will need at each filming session (actors, props and costumes). Also when creating the filming schedule it was a great opportunity to run through props and costumes and make sure that we hadn’t forgotten anything.

The filming schedule is going to be essential whilst we are in the filming process as all the information is on there. Hopefully this will keep us very well organised! 

Written Risk Assessment- Emmie

Emmie and I created a risk assessment highlighting potential risks and hazards that could occur while filming.

Video Camera:
There is a risk of the camera getting broken and the lens smashing this could cause problems if this happened. We will make sure, when handling equipment that we do so gently and slowly, preventing any quick slips, trips or falls with the equipment. If any damage does occur to the video camera a large expense will have to be paid to college/  

Falling over: 
We will ensure while filming Emmie, the actors and me will be wearing appropriate footwear, well made sensible shoes will be worn throughout filming so no injury’s does occur.

Caution of the River:

We will ensure that precautions are put into place while filming by the river, as they maybe a risk that someone may fall in. In addition, we shall make sure that the actors are safe while filming and are comfortable.

Hypothermia:

During cold weather, we will ensure that all actors have sensible clothing while filming outside, as we want the actors to be comfortable so they can give a good performance.
Public:

We will make sure as a group that we behave and be considerate to the members of the public during our filming process. We will choose isolated areas during the day to avoid discomfort to the public.

Illness:
If a member of a group falls ill time needs to be used efficiently to remain on schedule. If it is more than 2 hours we need to find replacement or a definite reschedule date will be set and be met without exception.

Throughout filming actors and the directors, safety will come first and carelessness will not be tolerated. 

Brainstorming our Thriller- Sophie and Emmie

Brainstorming

Within today’s lesson (07/02/2011), Emmie and I came up with initial ideas for our thriller and we wrote them down on a brainstorm so we could later reflect on our ideas. While brainstorming we thought of ideas to do with location, Health and Safety, the back-story, editing, camera shots/angles and mise-en-scene. By doing this, we both thought of some excellent ideas, which therefore helped us decide our final idea for our thriller. The ideas and conventions we decided on while brainstorming will be beneficially when filming, as it will give us an idea of what we are doing. 

Thriller Research

Thriller Research- 11/02/2011

We both continued to plan our thriller, and we came up with more ideas and brainstormed them. By brainstorming further it allowed us to develop our good ideas and discarded the ideas we believed wasn’t very good (Mind map attracted) After coming to a conclusion of our final idea, we continued to plan our storyboard shot by shot of what we was going to do from doing this it will save us time when filming as we will have an idea of where we are filming and the actors we will have. The previous lesson we came to a conclusion and decided to do a sequence which involved a stalker in we developed this idea by brainstorming and thinking of a variety of different ideas. I continued to watch thriller openings to develop our ideas further and also to gain ideas that we could put into our own thriller. By watching and analysing two thrillers this allowed me to look further into this genre and develop my ideas, although this was very time consuming it was very effective and time well spent! Both I and Emmie watched two different thriller openings so we could both find out the differences between them and we discussed together what we had found out, this was a very useful task as we both found out different conventions and information about thrillers.

Chosen Props- Sophie

When planning our media sequence we need to find the correct props which will be appropriate for our sequence. Props are extremely important to create a good atmosphere and are a huge part of mise-en-scene. Throughout the whole sequence props are an important part as they add to the atmosphere and the representation the props create. The victim needs the most number of props, the props the victim will need is a dog, dog lead and a tennis ball.

Dog

In the first part of the sequence the dog will be essential, as this is what will create the main part of our sequence, we are displaying a normal everyday life and in this case the victim will be walking her dog. The dog will be available on the set day that we are filming so will be ideal to use him. We have other alternatives to use if anything goes wrong, we selected this dog as he is well behaved and co-operative with other people.

Dog Lead
In the first part of the sequence the dog will be essential, as this is what will create the main part of our sequence as we are displaying a normal everyday life and in this case the victim will be walking her dog. Therefore we will need a dog lead to keep the dog under control and to display to normality of the victim.

Tennis Ball

In the first part of the sequence the dog will be essential, as this is what will create the main part of our sequence as we are displaying a normal everyday life and in this case the victim will be walking her dog. We are using a tennis ball for the dog to play with during the sequence, this will keep him entertained and will show the shock of the victim within this sequence as she drops the ball and allows the dog to run away.

                              

Binoculars

As in our thriller sequence, we will be showing a normal everyday life, we want it to seem realistic. We are going to incorporate binoculars in, as there will be two members of the public standing on the bridge looking for trains this creates a normal atmosphere. In our sequence I believe this will add to the effect and this will hopefully be displayed to the audience. 

Chosen Actors- Victim- Sophie

Character: Emma Brown

Actor: Casey Vickers (Bilbrough College Student)

When considering who could act in our media production, I needed to select people who have experience is acting and who would be willing to participate in our sequence. Little dialogue is spoken in our sequence and both characters little of their face is seen. In our sequence we have two main characters, the male and the female characters. When selecting the male character we both looked into a variety of different actors who would do the role but we selected the person who we think would be able to represent the character best.

The character Emma Brown is currently a hard working student, who currently is unemployed. Both Emma Brown and Casey Vickers, who is acting this character, are both the same age and have similar interest. Casey has had previous experience acting and has studied GCSE Performing Arts and now is currently studying A Level Drama. She has also been involved in out of college activities, including professional acting classes and group work. The experience that Casey has is perfect for what we needed in our media sequence, and I think that Casey can create a good representation of the character Emma Brown. Casey is also studying Media Studies so this will be beneficial when filming our sequence. 

Chosen Actor- Ex-Boyfriend- Sophie

Character: Mick Anderson

Actor: Alex Redford (George Spencer Sixth Form Student)

When considering who could act in our media production, I needed to select people who have experience is acting and who would be willing to participate in our sequence. Little dialogue is spoken in our sequence and both characters little of their face is seen. In our sequence we have two main characters, the male and the female characters. When selecting the male character we both looked into a variety of different actors who would do the role but we selected the person who we think would be able to represent the character best.

The character Mick Anderson is a well-educated man, who currently works at a high street shop (Topshop) and has pride in his appearance. Both Mick Anderson and Alex Redford, who is acting this character, are both near enough the same age and have similar interest. Alex has had previous experience acting and has studied GCSE Performing Arts and now is currently studying A Level Drama. The experience that Alex has is perfect for what we needed in our media sequence, and I think that Alex can create a good representation of the character Mick Anderson.

Ex Boyfriend- Costume- Sophie

Costumes are extremely important when creating a representation of a particular character, as it is the first thing you see when you first see the character. Through the use of costumes I wanted to create a representation of the characters personality so I am going to do this through costumes.

Above are the images of the ex-boyfriend (Mick Anderson), the male actor will be dressed in black trousers, black boots and a black cardigan. Mick will be dressed like this as it is an everyday look and doesn’t look to formal. The dark clothing reflects the representation we have of a criminal and a stalker, this allows my group to reflect the character of Mick. Mick is dressed like this also as he is a trendy sales assistant and his look reflects this.

The clothing which I have selected will be easy as the person who is acting this character has the resources available, so the clothing I have selected will be ideal for this sequence.

Victim- Chosen Costume- Sophie and Emmie

Costumes are extremely important when creating a representation of a particular character, as it is the first thing you see when you first see the character. Through the use of costumes I wanted to create a representation of the characters personality so I am going to do this through costumes.

Above are the images of the victim (Emma Brown), the female actor will be dressed in black jeans, a blue top and wellingtons, she will be dressed like that as she will be unaware of what is going to happen to her and her image will reflect that she is a busy, hardworking college student and doesn’t have much time for her appearance. What she is wearing will be suitable for walking her dog and the muddy surroundings. The dark clothing reflects her lack of confidence and her unawareness of the situation.

The clothing which I have selected will be easy as I already have the resources available, so the clothing I have selected will be ideal for this sequence.

Storyboard- Sophie and Emmie

‘The Day After’ Storyboard

After Emmie and I had an idea what our thriller was going to be about, we had to complete a storyboard outlining each and every shot we would be using in our thriller. This will help both of us while filming, as we will have a plan to work to although these shots could be changed due to the surroundings and when we receive the results of what the target audience want from a thriller.

We did a storyboard shot by shot, of what we will be filming on the day this will be beneficial when filming. The first shot is an establishing shot, which sets the scene of where the thriller will take place, in our thriller it will take place down the canal in Stapleford. During this shot, the credits will be on screen and this will display the cast, director, staff and any extras we have. After this shot the camera will pan round to show the rest of the location and give the audience an insight to where we are filming. 

The camera then zooms in on Emma Brown, and we only see her legs this is to create tension and build up for what is happening later on in the scene. The camera then pans up the body from a low angle shot, this shot is done from the perceptive of the dog and we see what the dog see’s. This shot then jumps to a cut, which is a close up of her as she has she has recognised that someone is in the trees but does not take much notice. Her emotions are displayed very clearly through this close up shot, this helps the audience relate to her. The next shot is a jump cut of Emma Brown and shows her playing with her dog, as if she would in her normal everyday life. 

There is a long shot of Emma Brown, which shows some of the location in the background, this shot shows she has seen the stalker in the trees but has not seen it is her ex-boyfriend. No dialogue has yet been spoken, but emotion is displayed very clearly through her facial expressions. We see a eye line match of Emma Brown, she is consonantly looking around and speeds up walking and this then turns into a fast speed run. A close up shot is shown to display how scared she is, as she is the only female character in this sequence and we do not see the stalkers face it is easy for the audience to relate to her. Throughout this sequence, domination is of the female character.  

A med shot is shown of the stalker, which creates tension, as the audience have yet not met this character. The as final shot is of the stalker and this is a close up, we do not find out if Emma knows whom it was. What will happen..?

Overall, I believe planning each shot out will help massively in the filming process, as we should have an idea which shot we need to film and where. The storyboard has helped both of us have an idea which camera shots/angles, location, actors and props will be required for the filming process. Although, when filming we may need to add a few more shots to be able to use all the conventions a thriller should have. 

Thriller Research Conventions

Thriller Research Conventions

In today's lesson we have looked into conventions to achieve and develop a good thriller. We looked into different conventions and how they work in order to form a good thriller sequence.

A thriller needs to stick to conventions to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. Here are some of the conventions we are going to focus on in our thriller.

• Suspense and tension needs to be used throughout an thriller to keep the audience focused and interested in the film.
•   usually the victim is normally an women/child because the audience normally  sympathise/worry
• There is normally a villain to add tension
• Set in dark places
• Non diegetic soundtracks add suspense to a film
• sometimes films are left at cliff hangers
• Usually a  crime for a Acores  
• There is normally a twist in the film
• The lighting is normally dark and muted
• Normally over the top events occur
• The title relates on the characters psychological state

Questionnaire- Sophie

Questionnaire

Today we have also created an example of a questionnaire:

1. How old are you?
10-15
16-20 (3)
21-25 (5)
26-30
31+ (2)

2. Are you Male or Female?

Male (6)

Female (4)

3. Do you watch Thrillers?
All the time (4)

Sometimes
Rarely (2)
Never (4)

4. How many thrillers do you watch on a monthly basis?

0 (2)

1-5 (6)

6-10 (2)

11-15

15+

5. Which kind of thrillers do you prefer?
Action Thrillers (5)
Comedy Thriller

Horror Thriller (3)

Sci-Fi thrillers

Other (2)

6. Do you prefer thriller films to be...
Friction (9)
Non-Friction (1)

7. What do you think the best setting to the opening of a thriller movie?

City Centre

Canal (7)
Lakeside (3)

Other

8. What should happen in the opening to a thriller?
Murder (1)
Stalking (6)
Mysterious (3)

Other

9. Should the opening reveal some of the plot?

Yes (3)
No (7)

When constructing a questionnaire it is difficult to gain a representative sample of your target audience. If we were creating a large scale film and a large budget, I could have conducted a questionnaire on a much wider scale which would give me a much more representative result. In order to gain a wide representative sample, I formed a questionnaire and asked a different age range of people in order to come to the conclusion of my own thriller. I asked members of my family and students around college. I asked 10 people as I thought that would be a suitable number of people to ask as our thriller was only a small scale sequence. From the research I underwent, the thriller genre is popular in younger viewers (21-25 age range) and they tend to enjoy the action thrillers which are a hybrid.

1)       How old are you?

I asked this question so I could get an idea of who I should target my thriller sequence at. The people that I asked the majority of them were in the age bracket of 21-25, half of the people that I surveyed were in this age bracket. When I created this question I did not have an idea who I was going to target my thriller at, but this question helped me determine who a suitable age range would be.

2)     Are you Male or Female?

I asked this question so I could get an idea, of which gender are most likely to watch a thriller. Overall, I asked more males to answer my questionnaire, 6 out of 10 people I asked was male as it is not an overall majority I am going to target my thriller at both male and female, this will hopefully attract a larger audience.

3)     Do you watch Thrillers?

I asked this question so that I could see how popular thriller films are to my target audience. From this question I got a difference of opinion as 4 out of 10 people I asked watch thrillers all the time but also 4 out of 10 people I asked never watch thrillers. As some of my target audience watch thrillers and some don’t, this means that I need to make sure my thriller is going to attract all of my audience.

4)     How many thrillers do you watch on a monthly basis?

I asked this question so I could determine how many of the people I asked watch thrillers on a monthly basis. From this question I could get an understanding how popular thrillers are within my target audience. Most people I asked watch 1-5 thrillers each month, to make this question better I could have asked how many films do you watch each month and calculate a percentage amount of thrillers are watched.

5)     Which kind of thrillers do you prefer?

I asked this question so I could determine if my target audience prefer thrillers or hybrid thrillers. This helped me in the planning process as I could get an idea of what my target audience want and apply it to my own film. Half of the people I asked prefer Action Thrillers, although this would be hard to apply to my thriller I have tried to add a bit of action to my thriller.

6)     Do you prefer thriller films to be...?

I asked this question so I could determine whether my target audience prefer fiction or non-fiction, this was important whilst in the planning process as it would help me decide if I want it to be based on a true story or not be. From this question 9 out of 10 people I asked prefer fiction, so I applied this to my thriller and made it not be a true story.

7)      What do you think the best setting to the opening of a thriller movie?

I asked this question so I could determine the best setting for my thriller opening and this would give me an idea of what my target audience want. From this question the people I asked prefer a thriller movie to be filmed alongside a canal, I applied this to my thriller and will be filming alongside the canal.

8)     What should happen in the opening to a thriller?

I asked this question so I could determine what people want to happen in a thriller the people I asked said that they like a stalker to be a part of a thriller movie. From the result of this question I incorporated a stalker into my sequence this should attract a large number of my target audience.

9)     Should the opening reveal some of the plot?

I asked this question so I could determine whether the start of my thriller should reveal any of the plot as 7 out of the 10 people I asked said that they do not like to know any of the plot in the opening of a thriller. I applied this to my thriller and none of the plot will be revealed in the opening.