Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Technical diificulties
There were many technical difficulties whilst filming but we managed to overcome it. One of the biggest problems was that when we tried to use the red head it produced too much light so tried using a lily-put however that also was producing too much light for the shots we were trying film, we decide to use external light source so that it could create a low dim lightning. Also while we were filming the electricity went off therefore we had to re-schedule and come back another day to shoot the final scene.
We had to change the camera because the one we were original using was not available anymore therefore we had to film some part again so that the story could flow more.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Friday, 24 February 2012
MoodBoard
This moodboard was designed so that we can express our feelings towards what we feel when we think of the word 'thriller'. We found pictures of different thriller films and things we ususally associate with them.Subject Matter Research
Themes of the opening
Some themes of our opening include:
Teenagers - The theme of teenagers is used in our film as there are mainly negative stereotypes within tv and movies associated with teenagers, for example the media portrays teenagers as violent, lazy, irrational, moody, substance abusing, dependant and unmotivated. In our film these stereotypes will be emphasized and exaggerated especially in the stereotypes of violence correlated with teenagers.
Violence - Violence is a theme we will be using in our film as violence is almost always associated within the thriller/ horror genre. Also violence adds suspence and gives a reason for the audience to root for a character or against a character and creates an atmosphere of tension throughout the film, as there is something (physical harm) to be afraid of and motivated to get away from.
Murder - Murder is a theme we will be using in our film as the antagonist is a murderer, but does not know that yet, and also because murder, like violence, is strongly associated within the thriller genre and again creates an atmosphere of danger throughout the film as the characters could be facing death.
Some themes of our opening include:
Teenagers - The theme of teenagers is used in our film as there are mainly negative stereotypes within tv and movies associated with teenagers, for example the media portrays teenagers as violent, lazy, irrational, moody, substance abusing, dependant and unmotivated. In our film these stereotypes will be emphasized and exaggerated especially in the stereotypes of violence correlated with teenagers.
Violence - Violence is a theme we will be using in our film as violence is almost always associated within the thriller/ horror genre. Also violence adds suspence and gives a reason for the audience to root for a character or against a character and creates an atmosphere of tension throughout the film, as there is something (physical harm) to be afraid of and motivated to get away from.
Murder - Murder is a theme we will be using in our film as the antagonist is a murderer, but does not know that yet, and also because murder, like violence, is strongly associated within the thriller genre and again creates an atmosphere of danger throughout the film as the characters could be facing death.
Pre-production
Synopsis of complete film
After bearing witness to a horrific nightmare, in which he is visited by a haunting apparition, Thomas develops schizophrenia in which his alter ego is active during the night time when he has supposedly fallen asleep. This alter ego preys on his family and friends in a manic and vicious fashion. Thomas believes these murders are just a figment of his imagination, but in waking life, he realises his friends are being picked off one by one, night by night, in coersion with the dreams he is having. The film follows Thomas coming to terms with his mental illness and the loss of his friends and family.
After bearing witness to a horrific nightmare, in which he is visited by a haunting apparition, Thomas develops schizophrenia in which his alter ego is active during the night time when he has supposedly fallen asleep. This alter ego preys on his family and friends in a manic and vicious fashion. Thomas believes these murders are just a figment of his imagination, but in waking life, he realises his friends are being picked off one by one, night by night, in coersion with the dreams he is having. The film follows Thomas coming to terms with his mental illness and the loss of his friends and family.
Friday, 17 February 2012
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Monday, 13 February 2012
Title Sequence Research
Analysis of Thriller Film Openings -
Title Sequence - Dawn Of The Dead - Kyle Cooper Kelly Morris
The genre in the title sequence from the movie Dawn Of The Dead is thriller/horror. This is established when the opening title washes away like blood. As the red font begins to wash away it separates and begins to look like it’s spreading, indicating enigma codes and possible storylines to the audience.
The narrative establishes possible storylines, for example, a journalist asks the president “Are they alive or dead?”. This continues to point out the horror genre and, along with the scary flashing images of zombies with blood coming out of their mouths, shows the audience that the storyline and main theme of the movie is zombies. There are also images of social conflict as images of rioting and police horses are used to help. We then cut to and image of the House Of Representatives this is to indicate to the audience that not even the rich and powerful can stop the problem or save themselves. The news clips show the audience that the disease is a worldwide problem and emphasizes their helplessness.
The characters in the opening sequence of Dawn Of The Dead title sequence are controversial as the first shot is hundreds of Muslims kneeling on the floor praying. This relates to the zombies as Americans and Brits may feel like Muslims are taking over, like the zombies in the movie, and this is controversial as it is very racist. Also the Muslims praying together is like a force (can’t be stopped) indicating the danger of zombies and, subliminally, the danger of Muslims taking over. There are also many shots of zombies eating people and acting crazy this indicates that they are non-human and diseased this shows the audience that the zombies are something different from the norm and something to be afraid of. Another character shown is a black president as he is asked “Are they alive or dead” to which the president answers “I don’t know”. This could be a hint that he is not good enough to be president or that not even the president understands the zombies, making them more dangerous to the audience.
The atmosphere is used in this title sequence through, firstly, the soundtrack. The soundtrack is country music by Johnny Cash the music contrasts to the flashing images of zombies and creates an almost humorous effect. The atmosphere is also established through the shouting and screeching sounds as flashing images of zombies are shown, this creates tension as it indicates to the audience that the zombies are killing humans and the screaming indicates the pain caused by the zombies. The tense atmosphere is also established through the shot of blood cells - indicating the contamination and the virus. Also the disease can’t be seen or stopped and this creates fear of the unknown.
Title Sequence - Dawn Of The Dead - Kyle Cooper Kelly Morris

The genre in the title sequence from the movie Dawn Of The Dead is thriller/horror. This is established when the opening title washes away like blood. As the red font begins to wash away it separates and begins to look like it’s spreading, indicating enigma codes and possible storylines to the audience.
The narrative establishes possible storylines, for example, a journalist asks the president “Are they alive or dead?”. This continues to point out the horror genre and, along with the scary flashing images of zombies with blood coming out of their mouths, shows the audience that the storyline and main theme of the movie is zombies. There are also images of social conflict as images of rioting and police horses are used to help. We then cut to and image of the House Of Representatives this is to indicate to the audience that not even the rich and powerful can stop the problem or save themselves. The news clips show the audience that the disease is a worldwide problem and emphasizes their helplessness.
The characters in the opening sequence of Dawn Of The Dead title sequence are controversial as the first shot is hundreds of Muslims kneeling on the floor praying. This relates to the zombies as Americans and Brits may feel like Muslims are taking over, like the zombies in the movie, and this is controversial as it is very racist. Also the Muslims praying together is like a force (can’t be stopped) indicating the danger of zombies and, subliminally, the danger of Muslims taking over. There are also many shots of zombies eating people and acting crazy this indicates that they are non-human and diseased this shows the audience that the zombies are something different from the norm and something to be afraid of. Another character shown is a black president as he is asked “Are they alive or dead” to which the president answers “I don’t know”. This could be a hint that he is not good enough to be president or that not even the president understands the zombies, making them more dangerous to the audience.
The atmosphere is used in this title sequence through, firstly, the soundtrack. The soundtrack is country music by Johnny Cash the music contrasts to the flashing images of zombies and creates an almost humorous effect. The atmosphere is also established through the shouting and screeching sounds as flashing images of zombies are shown, this creates tension as it indicates to the audience that the zombies are killing humans and the screaming indicates the pain caused by the zombies. The tense atmosphere is also established through the shot of blood cells - indicating the contamination and the virus. Also the disease can’t be seen or stopped and this creates fear of the unknown.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Typography/Fonts in Title Sequences
James Cameron's 1984 blockbuster smash-hit, The Terminator.
The type characters chosen are representational of themes within the film, the font is very plain albeit effective in conveying a technological essence - The words appear as though they are being typed in as programming language like in .cmd, which instantly presents a familiarity with computing, programming in particular. The main title which is soon revealed is in block capitals and stands out blue within a black background, the font also reminiscent of computer hardware/software and the sort. This all carries a distinctly futuristic feel to it, emphasized by the robotic choice of fonts, and chrome on the title itself.
The type characters chosen are representational of themes within the film, the font is very plain albeit effective in conveying a technological essence - The words appear as though they are being typed in as programming language like in .cmd, which instantly presents a familiarity with computing, programming in particular. The main title which is soon revealed is in block capitals and stands out blue within a black background, the font also reminiscent of computer hardware/software and the sort. This all carries a distinctly futuristic feel to it, emphasized by the robotic choice of fonts, and chrome on the title itself.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
Subject Matter Research
Detailed Characterization
Characters name; Thomas
Our protagonist Thomas is an average teenager, he's attending his last year of school and is making plans to go on to university to study psychology. Thomas has always been interested how the mind works and why people react to things in certain ways. Thomas achieved high grades in school and has a few close friends. His family life has always been happy & his parents are together.Just months ago Thomas's closest friend; his grandfather died after a mysterious fall down a the stairs of his home on the night of his 72nd birthday breaking his next. The cause of death was still unclear - homicide or accident? Thomas is going to find out.
Characters name; Thomas
Our protagonist Thomas is an average teenager, he's attending his last year of school and is making plans to go on to university to study psychology. Thomas has always been interested how the mind works and why people react to things in certain ways. Thomas achieved high grades in school and has a few close friends. His family life has always been happy & his parents are together.Just months ago Thomas's closest friend; his grandfather died after a mysterious fall down a the stairs of his home on the night of his 72nd birthday breaking his next. The cause of death was still unclear - homicide or accident? Thomas is going to find out.
Subject Matter Research
Research Into Representational Issues
In films teenagers are represented in a negative view due to the medias depictions on teenagers and the stereotypes the media has placed upon teenagers. Some stereotypical views on teenagers are that they are unsociable, moody, argumentative, lazy, rude, irrational and violent. These views on teenagers are negative therefore it creates conflict between the older generation and the younger. This also encourages fear towards teenagers as adults may view them as irrational and violent.
In films teenagers are represented in a negative view due to the medias depictions on teenagers and the stereotypes the media has placed upon teenagers. Some stereotypical views on teenagers are that they are unsociable, moody, argumentative, lazy, rude, irrational and violent. These views on teenagers are negative therefore it creates conflict between the older generation and the younger. This also encourages fear towards teenagers as adults may view them as irrational and violent.
An example of the media emphasizing teenage stereotype is in the show Skins which is a teen drama following the life of a group of teenagers. Skins shows us issues of mental issues, eating disorders, adolescent sexuality, substance abuse, violence and death.The show emphasizes the negative and sometimes realistic stereotype of teenagers.
In our film we will be emphasizing the stereotypes of teenagers (violent ect..).
Friday, 3 February 2012
Conventions of the Thriller Genre
Conventions of the Thriller Genre include:
*Quick Cuts and Camera Angle Changes
*Suspense and Excitement within the plot
-Emphasized by tension building music
*Climactic Scenes
*Quick Cuts and Camera Angle Changes
*Suspense and Excitement within the plot
-Emphasized by tension building music
*Climactic Scenes
Film Institutions Research
BBFC classification guidelines -
The British Board of Film Classification is funded by the film-industry and is responsible for the classification of films in the United Kingdom. The BBFC was established in 1912 by the film-industry. This is because they wanted to manage their own censorship than have the government do it. The board is an independant non-governmental organisation. It's business affairs are controlled by a council of management selected by leading figures within the film industry. The BBFC will influence our film as our film will involve strong threats, strong violence and frequent use of strong language. This means our film will be rated 15 to follow the British Board of Film Classifications guidelines.
Rough draft for script
There is no dialogue throughout the sequences
- he gets out of bed
- he walks downstairs to go to the kitchen
- he tries to turn the lights on but they dont work
- he opens the fridge when he gets to the kitchen
an object is behind the fridge door- false tension bulids up as he looks in the fridge
- when he closes the fridge and looks to his side there is nothing there
- we then cut to him walking into the garage
- he tries to turn the fuse on in the garage
- goes back into the house and heads to the toilet
- turns on the light but the bulb is still flickering
- whilst looking in the mirrpr, he sees from the relection that there is a big black object behind him
the object jumps at him- the next shot is him awaking up in his bed with blood on his hands.
Notable Thriller Directors
Responsible for such great films as Psycho, Vertigo, The Birds, North by Northwest, Rear Window and Dial M for Murder. Hitchcock defined the genre, with incredible plot twists like in Psycho and implementation of innovative camera shots like in Vertigo. Hitchcock paved the future for thriller films, all pre-1970s.
Started out in short films and minor television series, but broke through in the 90's with acclaimed thriller films such as Reservoir Dogs, From Dusk Till Dawn, Jackie Brown. and the monumental 1994 film Pulp Fiction.
Quentin continues to make critically acclaimed films one after the other into the 2000's with Kill Bill Volumes 1&2 and the more recent Inglorious Basterds. Quentin, much like Alfred Hitchcock is highly respected for his innovative film making and incredible storylines. He also features cameo roles in his own films as major characters.
Famous for such influential greats as Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino and Gangs of New York. For a man who looks like a jokeshop disguise, his films are anything but. Typically featuring gangsters, drug deals and the sort, Scorsese has a distinct style of film making, much like the previous two directors and cannot be replicated. He continues to put out high-grossing films such as The Aviator, Shutter Island and The Departed. His more recent works greatly differ in terms of content to his previous accomplishments, but consistently wow audiences and presents originality in his work.
Film institutions Research
Where do different job roles appear in the title sequence -
The Producer will appear first in the title sequence as they are actively involved in all major stages of the filmmaking project.
The Director will appear next in the title sequence as he is the voice and vision of the film.
The Editors will appear next as they turn the shots into a film and they help to create the cinematic experience.
The cameraperson will appear last as he decides which shots will work best and helps to create the seamless flow of the film.
The Producer will appear first in the title sequence as they are actively involved in all major stages of the filmmaking project.
The Director will appear next in the title sequence as he is the voice and vision of the film.
The Editors will appear next as they turn the shots into a film and they help to create the cinematic experience.
The cameraperson will appear last as he decides which shots will work best and helps to create the seamless flow of the film.
History of the Thriller Genre
This is a brief history of the thriller genre, I've selected three films from differing time periods that are evidently representational of the genre.
Beginning with Alfred Hitchcock's legendary 1960 film, Psycho.
In it's day, Psycho shocked viewers everywhere as it presented things which we hadn't seen in cinema ever before - The content was sinister, devastating twists in the plot and a killer soundtrack to raise the tension to a peak. Alfred Hitchcock was a pioneer of mind-bending filmmaking with other genre-defining titles such as Vertigo and The Birds, though Psycho is perhaps his killer-app.
Next up is Steven Spielberg's 1975 aquatic nightmare Jaws.
In this film, which (pardon the pun) bit hard right from the beginning which immediately catches the attention of the audience.
What followed was kill upon kill racking up whilst the townspeople panic. The killer (a shark) had hardly any camera time until the second half of the film, up to the climactic ending. The audience is kept in suspense throughout the film and the ending (cataclysmic as it is) relieves the tension built up from the start.
And finally we'll talk about a modern film - The 2011 remake of The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, directed by David Fincher. A film that starts out slow but gradually increases the tension and keeps the audience guessing at the conclusion to the plot. Various scenes in the film vastly change the pacing of the film such as a few rape scenes which are rather explicit - And critics were shocked by such parts. Tension continues to rise up until the end where Daniel Craig is held prisoner by the unearthed antagonist and events climax in a high-speed chase.
Beginning with Alfred Hitchcock's legendary 1960 film, Psycho.
In it's day, Psycho shocked viewers everywhere as it presented things which we hadn't seen in cinema ever before - The content was sinister, devastating twists in the plot and a killer soundtrack to raise the tension to a peak. Alfred Hitchcock was a pioneer of mind-bending filmmaking with other genre-defining titles such as Vertigo and The Birds, though Psycho is perhaps his killer-app.
Next up is Steven Spielberg's 1975 aquatic nightmare Jaws.
In this film, which (pardon the pun) bit hard right from the beginning which immediately catches the attention of the audience.
What followed was kill upon kill racking up whilst the townspeople panic. The killer (a shark) had hardly any camera time until the second half of the film, up to the climactic ending. The audience is kept in suspense throughout the film and the ending (cataclysmic as it is) relieves the tension built up from the start.
And finally we'll talk about a modern film - The 2011 remake of The Girl With a Dragon Tattoo, directed by David Fincher. A film that starts out slow but gradually increases the tension and keeps the audience guessing at the conclusion to the plot. Various scenes in the film vastly change the pacing of the film such as a few rape scenes which are rather explicit - And critics were shocked by such parts. Tension continues to rise up until the end where Daniel Craig is held prisoner by the unearthed antagonist and events climax in a high-speed chase.
Film Institutions Research
Film distribution company research -
Paramount Pictures
Paramount pictures has produced many high profile films, for example, it has released the film Psycho which is a psychological thriller. This is the same genre our film will be. Paramount has distributed many of the succesful horror/thrillers of the 20th century like The Lovely Bones -
And also War of The Worlds -
Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912, owned by Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio. Paramount is consistantly ranked as one of the largest movie studios.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount pictures has produced many high profile films, for example, it has released the film Psycho which is a psychological thriller. This is the same genre our film will be. Paramount has distributed many of the succesful horror/thrillers of the 20th century like The Lovely Bones -
And also War of The Worlds -
Paramount Pictures was founded in 1912, owned by Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio. Paramount is consistantly ranked as one of the largest movie studios.
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