Filming difficulites

We experience a few problems when it came to shooting our thriller opening. Unfortunately, due to the unexpected snow across the UK, we could not shoot on the day scheduled so we decided to postpone it. We decided to do this because firstly, if we were to film over a number of days, and it had snow during the shooting of one day, but the next scene did not have snow then it would not be consistent and would lack continuity, which would look very unprofessional and confuse the audience.
Another problem we came across was finding a car that we could use as a prop as none of us had easy access to one, but my parents allowed us use their car.
On our first day of recording, our male actor, will was not able to record due to a doctor appointment, however we managed to face this problem by Richard stepping in to act.
Overall I think the recording was a success under the circumstances that faced us and I am pleased with the footage we captured.

Story Board

Story Board

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Animation Story Board

Here is my groups animation story board that Richard has created to give a wider picture of our thriller opener.

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Conclusion of questionnaire

From the completed questionnaires we can now look at what people like, dislike and expect to feature in thriller films. The majority of people that completed our questionnaire said that they would expect to hear ambient/spooky music in a thriller. Using this information from our target audience we have decided to find some tracks off http://www.freeplaymusic.com/search/category_search.php?t=v&i=1353 and have chosen to use Dramatic Soundscape vol 1 as this fits the criteria that are target audience specified.
We also asked are target audience what sub-genres they would like to see if thriller films. There majority of the votes stated that they would wish to see aspects of Horror, Gangster and Action/Adventure in our film. Taking this into account we have used a mysterious murderer as this is a typical convention of thriller films. We have also decided to include a murder to take place as this links aspects of gangster, and action and adventure into our film.
The majority of people that answered our questionnaire stated that they tend to watch thriller films in cinema, so if we were to release our film in the cinema we would create action packed trailers and advertise a lot to grab peoples attention and raise awareness for our film so it did well in the box office.
Another question we asked was "What attracts you to watch a film/tv". Many people answered that the a popular Director would appeal to them and encourage them to watch a film. Other stated that famous actors and actresses would appeal to them, so if we were to really produce a thriller film we would use famous actors/actresses to appeal to our target audience.

Case Study - The Dark Knight.

1)Institution
Name: The Dark Knight Director: Christopher Nolan Producers: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures Release Date: July 24, 2008 (UK) Genre: Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama Certificate: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace. Country: USA, UK Budget: $185 million Box office returns: Gross revenue was $1,001,921,825 Awards: Won 2 Oscars. Another 79 wins & 60 nominations. Running Time: 152 min

2) Audience The Dark Knight is a thriller film, with sub genres consisting of crime, drama and action. Similar to The Number 23, this film is also quite diverse in genres, which could mean that it would appeal to a much wider audience. The Dark Knight might also capture the audience of comic book lovers as it is based on the comic book batman. The trailer created would be very appealing to an audience, because it is so action packed and makes the film seem great. This might persuade the audience to go see it as it captures there attention. The Dark Knight has done very well it terms of audience appeal and with all of the awards it one, including 2 Oscars! The IMDB user rating was a whopping 8.9/10, which is very high. This shows that the majority of people who watched the film liked it a lot as there has been 417,583 votes so far, and the average rating being 8.9/10. One user of IMDB comments on the film stating "Film surpasses the hype". As the film had a lot of hype about it, this comment shows that in the users opinion it did not fail to deliver and it exceeded the film's expectations. The film did so well in terms of box office returns partly dude to all of the publicity the film had before it had reached the cinema through the likes of advertising and reviews. This made the audience aware of the film and possibly encourage them to go and watch it. Another user of IMDB states "Who paid the critics" and rated the film 1 out of 10. This shows that the film does not appeal to all of the audience. Reading on through this users review, they express their disapproval of the over-hype the film received. This is the opposite of the first user comment, so this could suggest that the film is not to everyone's taste

3)Technology
With technology ever changing and evolving with time, popularity of films have increased dramatically, mainly down to advertising. There are many ways in which the film can advertise including: banners on the internet, trailers on the tv and cinema, film posters in bus shelters and on buses, websites. As there is more technology when it comes to advertising, the general public's knowledge of the film will be increased. This may make more people come to watch the film in the cinema or purchase the dvd. New technology may have also increased audiences access of the film. For example, there are many ways in which people can watch films now days including: cinema, dvd, tv, ipod/itunes, streaming online (illegal). As there is easier access to watch films, and alternative methods to watch films, there will be an increase in accessibility.





The opening sequence consists of very atmospheric non-diegetic soundtrack that creates a lot of tension. Similarly to The Number 23, The Dark Knight also uses a lot of drums to build tension. The very first sounds we hear are loud, booming drums. This could possibly represent a war drum to show the audience that a lot of fighting and violence is about to commence. It could also represent a beat of someone’s heart as it is of a similar tempo/pace. There First image is of a huge explosion that comes towards the screen. The colours of the explosion are shades of dark blue and black. Blue usually connotes masculinity, cold and fire (blue flame), which are juxtapositions of each other. The masculinity connotation could represent Batman’s character. The cold could represent the cold heartedness of Batman or possibly another character. Fire could represent the amount of violence in the film. It could also represent pain because fire is often associated with pain, indicating that the film includes lots of pain, mainly in a physical form, where the conventions of the genre Crime are introduced. The colour black connotes mainly negative thoughts such as depression and anger. This could be some of the themes expressed throughout the film. Through the explosion there is a clearance that forms in the middle of it. I have interpreted this as a formation of a bat, however it’s quite hard to see due to the diffusing smoke. The bat figure in the centre of the explosion could represent Batman being right in the centre of action. It could possibly mean that Batman is the cause of the explosions, representing corruption and violence.

The first shot we see is either a crane shot, or one giving the impression that it is filmed on a helicopter. This could possibly represent that the bank robbery commencing has hit the news channels and the helicopter filming the first shot is a news helicopter, attempting to film the events. It could also represent the movement of a police helicopter, which could signal to the audience that what they are about to see is potentially dangerous as it is involving police. The shot moves in to a particular building, where out of the blue, one panel of the window smashes open. The non-diegetic music really helps build tension to the opening sequence, as it is very atmospheric and mysterious. The next shot we see introduces the first characters, whose faces are hidden in a clown masks. Clowns often connote horror and fear, as many people have a fear of clowns, called Coulrophobia. This could represent that the men wearing clown masks are terrorising characters, out there to discomfort and frighten people. They are loading a gun that fires a rope attached to a hook, which they fire out of a broken window onto the roof of the opposite building. The audience might pick up indications that what these men are doing isn’t necessarily normal behaviour and would arise suspicion in the audience as to why they are risking their lives to zip-wire to another building many stories high above the road below. There is an interesting shot used to introduce another character below on the road. It starts of at eye level then begins to lower and zoom in at the clown mask in the man’s hand. This could indicate to the audience that the mask is very significant as the camera zooms in on it. A van skids to a halt next to the man and the man puts the mask to his face and hastily jumps in the car. The man putting on the mask could represent the terror and corruption his actions will create in the next few minutes. The fact that the van was travelling at a high speed, and the way the man hastily jumps into the van could represent that they are on a well-planned, tight schedule. This is emphasised later on as the audience sees how efficient the masked criminals are at robbing and how well planned the robbery is.
On the roof, where the two men intervening with the electronics of the bank, one of the men shoots the other after he has carried out his task. This shows the audience that the character is very heartless and does not care about shooting someone. It also shows to the audience that what the masked men are carrying out is very important to them as it involves killing another human. Then masked men who have entered the bank, fire shots in the air and orders people to get on the floor with their hands in the air. This is the first indication to the audience that they are carrying out a bank robbery and certain things begin to fall together and the audience begin to understand and appreciate the scale of the operation. The gunshots in the air show that the masked men mean business and they want people to do as they are told. The masked me then distribute grenades to the innocent people in the bank. This emphasises how heartless and greedy these men are, and how they would be prepared for kill just because of their love for money. It may also cause members of the audience to feel sympathetic towards the innocent victims in the robbery, which makes the audience engage with the film.
All of the criminals are dressed completely in black, besides the mask. This could suggest that they want to remain completely anonymous. It makes the characters remain very mysterious and creates a sense of suspicion in the audience. The black connotes darkness and evilness, which could represent the criminal’s characters.
It is quite odd that throughout the whole opening sequence there are no rolling credits. This is quite unusual for all films. I think the reason why credits aren’t include in the opening sequence is perhaps to focus the audiences attention on the action. After the first action-packed opening sequence it is closely followed by another fight scene. None of these sequences would be a suitable place to have credits as the audience would want to focus on the action, so this might be why they haven’t included any credits. Another reason why they haven’t included any credits could be because they want to stand out from almost every other film that includes credits in their opening sequence. They might not want to follow the trend set by the majority of all other films and wish to be a bit different.
The rules of thirds also play a part in representing one of the criminals, The Joker. The Joker appears to be the leader of the gang of criminals and the mastermind behind the operation. He is often shown in the very centre of the shot, indicating to the audience that he is a very important character. The point of putting The Joker in the middle of the shot focuses the audiences attention on him straight away as that is the first thing they are drawn towards as its in the centre. The Joker being the centre of the shot could also represent that he is in the centre of the action all of the time. Again it emphasises his importance and in a way it almost makes the audience respect him due to the indications of his high position in the hierarchy.
In my opinion, The Dark Knight has the most exciting, action packed opening sequence out of the other films in my case studies. The attention to detail is overall incredible, and has you on the edge of the seat, completely involved in the film. The length of the sequence is just right and gives it enough time to that captures the audience’s attention and makes them want to see the rest of the film. It also nicely summarises what you could expect to see throughout the rest of the film. The opening sequence of a film is so important as for the audience, it is the make or break situation to determine if the audience would be willing to watch the rest of the film. Personally, I think The Dark Knight really is a “make” it situation for the audience.

Case Study - I Am Legend

Institution
Name: I Am Legend
Director: Francis Lawrence
Producers: Akiva Goldsman, David Heyman, James Lassiter, Neal H. Moritz, Tracy Torme
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date:
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Certificate: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.
Country where made: United States, Australia
Budget: $150,000,000
Box office returns: Gross revenue was $585,349,010
Awards: 7 wins & 17 nominations
Running Time: 101 minutes.



I Am Legend is based on the novel, also called "I Am Legend", written by Richard Matheson in 1957. Similarly to The Dark Knight and Four Brothers, I Am Legend is also packed full with action. This makes the film very exciting and there are only few scenes throughout the film that allow the audience to catch their breath back. Its genres consist of Sci-Fi which is indicated through the appearance of Alien-like creatures. Other genres that are made apparent later on it the film is the genre horror, as their are some frightening scenes including monsters you would expect to see in horror films and also the frequent use of shadow and darkness, which is a typical convention for horror films. The user rating on IMDB is 7.1/10, which seems to be a good score, suggesting that the film pleased the majority of people. It has scored as highly as The Dark Knight, but exceeds the score of the score of The Number 23 and only just tops Four Brothers. One user of IMDB comments "Outstanding, disturbingly well crafted film." This suggests that the film is very appealing to the audience, and that it must have really impressed the user as he states that it was "Outstanding". Alternately, another uses states "Legendarily Lame Science Fiction Remake!!!". This suggests that the film does not appeal to everyone and also that it is similar to other Sci-Fi films.

Technology
With technology ever changing and evolving with time, popularity of films have increased dramatically, mainly down to advertising. There are many ways in which the film can advertise including: banners on the internet, trailers on the tv and cinema, film posters in bus shelters and on buses, websites. As there is more technology when it comes to advertising, the general public's knowledge of the film will be increased. This may make more people come to watch the film in the cinema or purchase the dvd. New technology may have also increased audiences access of the film. For example, there are many ways in which people can watch films now days including: cinema, dvd, tv, ipod/itunes, streaming online (illegal). As there is easier access to watch films, and alternative methods to watch films, there will be an increase in accessibility.

4)Codes/forms and Conventions of the thriller genre:
The opening sequence is of news channel that is interviewing a Doctor about a new vaccine. Straight away, the audience gets the impression that this interview is very significant and important as it is featuring on the news. The effect of setting a theme through the use a news broadcast is often quite typical to feature in thriller films as it allows the audience to understand the situation and also to understand how important it is as it is making news broadcasts.
The first shot we see is of a deselect city, which is shown by and upwards tilt. Straight away, you get an impression of isolation which is a typical convention of thriller films. The sounds of flies could represent that that area is dead as flies feed of dead things. The sound of sea gulls also help to set the location as it could represent that the city is close to a sea, or that they are looking for food. There is no backing music, just sounds of wildlife and wind which really help to focus the audiences attention on the setting, as well as reinforcing the theme of isolation as no human life is being made apparent.
The opening sequence of I Am Legend is very similar to "No Country For Old Men", which is another thriller film that also starts with isolated scenes. This is the effect that my group have aimed to capture in our thriller opening sequence as it is very generic but very effective and powerful.
The next few shots also show parts of the city isolated city. This gives the audience a bigger idea of what has happened and where the location is. The fact that their is new human life in the city comes across as very odd and makes the audience think that there is something wrong.
The next clip we see is of a car speeding through the streets of the city. This is shown by the use of a helicopter effect which suggests that it could be a police helicopter, similar to the one off "The Dark Knight". We then see the main character who is the driver of the vehicle and who is holding a gun. The use of a gun makes the audience think that something is not right and also reinforces themes of danger and violence, similar to that off "Four Brothers", which is another generic feature of the thriller genre.

Waterloo Road

Character Profile - Bolten Smilie
Bolton Smilie plays a disruptive character in waterloo road. He has the reputation of a bit of a trouble maker who comes across as a Chav. We get this impression mainly due to his attitude he portrays throughout the series. He comes across as quite arrogant and seems to think of himself as a ladies man. As you can see from the picture, Bolton dresses in a leather jacket, which suggests that he is quite a cool person. His tie appears to be lose, with his top buttons undone, which could suggest that he has a quite laid back attitude. It could also suggest that he is not respecting the schools dress code and wants to make his outfit seem a bit rebellious and individual. He is also wearing a hoodie, and youths who wear hoodies often get stereotyped as trouble makers. His name could be a Pun, due to the fact the it looks like the word "smile", which would suggest a friendly and caring character, yet his character is quite the opposite, portraying the agressive Chav.
The actor who plays Bolton is called Tachia Newall. According to various resources including wikipedia, Tachia Newall has not appeared in any other TV programs of films. However he has featured in Waterloo Road since series 3.


Character Profile - Tom Clarkson

Tom Clarkson is the head of English at Waterloo Road. He is mid 30's man who has faced a lot of relationship problems throughout the series, including divorce and his partner having a miscarriage. His appearance seems quite casual, with his sleeves rolled up, and him slouching on the desk. He also appears to be grasping his hair which could suggest that he is very stressed, possibly due to work or relationships. He doesn't look particularly happy to be there as he is looking very stern. This could mean that he does not enjoy his job and would rather be somewhere else.
The actor that plays him is called Jason Done who has had other acting roles including a BBC program "Merlin". It is also known that he "co-wrote comedy sketches inspired by Monty Python".