OUR MUSIC

For our music for our media we played around with a lot of ideas and looked at a lot of possible tracks to use. Orginally we looked at youtube and looked if there was anything there we could use such as breathing noises, or the sound of a heartbeat.  We wanted the song to build up through the clip and to also drop in the parts that have the slower clips. We listened to a lot of already existing songs and the ones that suited our thriller film well were the ones that were the ones that were quite electronic or that have a very strong bass sound.
One song we especially liked was the instrumental version of the song Heavy Metal Lover by Lady Gaga.
What we especially liked about the song was how it built up but still had the same beat the whole way through. However due to copyright we were not allowed to use this sound for our thriller and as a result we tried to make a substitute using garage band loops.
On Garage band we listened to a lot of different tracks. Some sounded good, others didn't but we used the process of elimination to minimizes down our options. After doing this we ended up with three different tracks that we liked the most and we worked out ways to layer it on top of each other so that the sound built up and slowed down in the right places. We ended up with a track that fitted very well with our piece.

STORY BOARD

The first clip shown is our production company name, E.T Productions, this is shown in a big font, written in white on a plain black background. There is then a cut showing a girl walking down a street, she is dressed provocatively looking drunk or under the influence of a drug. The shot is a panning upwards. From there there is then a cut to a very short close up shot of a match being lit, then another cut to another very short close up shot of a pack of cards.

There is then another cut to show a very short extreme close up shot of police sirens, another cut and very short extreme close up shot of poker chips to another very short up

                                  
Very short extreme close upshot of red lips, very short extreme close up shot of money, very close up shot of speakers, fade into black with white title.

Extreme close up of very short clip of sirens, very short extreme close up of poker chips, very short extreme close up of lighter, very short extreme close up of handcuffs. 

Cut to close up of girls face with tear running down it with eyes open, cut to close up shot of girls face with tear running down it with eyes closed. cut to extreme close up short clip of match, extreme close up short clip of deck of cards.

Cut to extreme close up short clip of wine being poored, Cut to extreme close up short clip of polive tape, Cut to extreme close up short clip  of bullet, Cut to extreme close up short clip  of headlights. 

Cut to extreme close up short clip of alcohol, Cut to extreme close up short clip  of alcohol, Cut to extreme close up short clip  of cigarette, Cut to extreme close up short clip of eye. 

Cut to Title, cut to close up of girls face with wet hair, cut to tap drippping, cut to girl putting her head underwater, close up.

Cut to girl getting our of the bath, cut to putting on fishnets from medium close up, cut to close up of girls face putting make up on, cut to close up of girls foot going into shoe. 

Cut medium long shot of girl putting on coat, cut close up of girl looking back into the room, cut to close up of door, cut to long shot of girl walking down the street. 

Cut to long shot of girl walking down the street, cut to girls hair being windswept, Cut to extreme close up short clip of a gun, Cut to extreme close up short clip  of alcohol. 

Cut to extreme close up short clip of lips, Cut to extreme close up short clip of money, Cut to extreme close up short clip of speakers Cut to extreme close up short clip of a gun. 

OUR IDEA

After alot of research into different areas of the genre 'thriller' we thought about what we thought was most effective and what worked better, what the good things about our favourite introductions were and also what not to do. From there we started brain storming loads of different ideas, we thought of what the whole movie would be about first of all and worked backwards from there. When we were thinking about what the whole movie would be about we thought of the themes from 'Taken' we wanted to covey the idea of a girl being missused and abused, the idea of the 'high life' but the bad point of it, with key aspects such drug abuse, gangs and prostitism. After this with came up with this story:

The introduction starts off with a shot of a girl walking down the street from the behind, she will be dressed in fishnets tights, a fur jacket, hot pants, a white top and black heels. We wanted her to look trashy and cheap to give the idea of prositism. We want her to give the idea that she is under the influance of drugs or alcohol.
From that there is a series of very short cuts showing clips such as a lighter, cards, poker chips, white powder (to create this we will use fake snow), hand cuffs, and speakers. This is just to give a hint to the audience of what will themes they will be seeing in the movie without saying to much. The fast clips are also suposed to portray what the girl is remember from her night out and what has happened in her night.
After the fast clips there is a black out and the first title shows. Following this title it goes back to the girl walking down the street again from where she left off still acting the same, there is then a close up of her face with the wind blowing her hair across her face. Her make up is smudged and ruined to look as if she has been crying. This is done to put ideas and questions into the views heads such as, why was she crying? was she abused? what had happened?
After the cose up there are more of the fast paced cuts of clips, these clips show things such as guns, alcohol being poored, ciggarette smoke, car headlights and an eye.
After this there is a cut showing the title 'EXPOSED' in the centre of a black screen. From here there is a cut to show the girl sitting in the bath, make up smudged down her face still with wet hair, cleaning her self, as if she is trying to get the psychological dirt off her by trying to wash it off. It has been found that behaviour such as this is found in people who have seen somthing they didnt want to see or have commited a murder. They try to hide what they have done or seen by washing themseleves because they think it will almost clean their soul or memory.
There is a title on the screen at this point.
There is then a cut to the bath tap dripping with another title across the screen. It then cuts back to show the girl in the bath putting her head under water, we thought this was very effective because it gives the idea of intoxication and like you are trapped into something. When you are underwater you cant breathe and you are almost helpless, this is to relate to how the girl is mentally feeling.
There is then another cut to the girl getting out of the bath. She then begins to get ready to go back out and do it all over again. 
There are cuts back and forward showing the girl in the street, this is showing her waiting to be picked up by someone after a night out.

PLANNING AND SECURING LOCATIONS

Due the the fact that we have a lot of short cuts and clips in it we will need to use a lot of different props to make it look authentic and believable and so that each cut looks different.
The props we will be using will be:

• Bottles of Alcohol
• Speakers
• Handcufs 
• Gun (fake)
• Lip stick
• Bullets (fake)
• Poker chips
• Cards
• Money
• Lighter
• Matches 

We will be filming in:

• The bath in my house
• A room in my house
• A room in Emilys house
•  The street outside my house

MY POTENTIAL TARGET AUDIENCE

Questionnaire finding out about target audience questions:

1. whats your favourite film genre?
2. What is your favourite thriller sub-genre? 
3. Do you prefer thrillers that have simple or complicated plot lines?
4. Do you prefer films based in modern days or olden days?
5. What is your favourite thriller film?
6. who is your favourite thriller film actor?
7. who is your favourite director?  
8. Do you like opening sequences with actors in or with a simple back drop?
9. What music would you expect to hear in a thriller film? (choose two)

Answers for our questionnaire:

1. (3 said) Comedy, (4 said) thriller, (2 said) Romantic comedy, Action 
2. Psychological thriller, (4 said) Action thriller, Crime thriller, (two said) conspiracy thriller, Techno Thriller, Mystery Thriller
3. (5 said) complicated, (5 said) simple
4. (8 said) modern days, (2 said) olden days
5. Taken, Scar Face, Pulp Fiction, A Clockwork Orange, Kill Bill, GoodFellers, No country for Old Men, (2 people said) Limitless, Inception 
6. Daniel day Lewis, Robert De Niro, (two people said) Lion Nesson, Judi Dench, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Angelina Jolie.
7. (Two people said) Paul Thomas Anderson, (4 people said) Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, (two said) Alfred Hitchcock
8. (9 said) with actors, (1 said) with a simple backdrop.
9. (4 said) Fast paced, (3 said) slow paced, (4 people) loud music, (4 said) quiet music, (2 said) soft and gentle, (3 said) violent and agressive.  

My potential target audience for my thriller film would be an 15. This would be because it presents issues such as drug abuse and a lot of references to sexual abuse, this would be show through the whole movie, not in the introduction. However it would not be directly shown but more the effects of drugs.

FILM CLASSIFICATION GUIDELINES

The film ratings are:

U films 

The U rating means that it is suitable for all, the U stands for universal. U films should not raise any significant issues in terms of discrimination, drugs, horror, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, theme or violence. There can only be very mild bad language in the films such as 'damn' and 'hell' but it can only be used in justified context. Characters may be seen kissing or cuddling and there may be references to sexual behaviour. At all categories heterosexual and homosexual sexual behaviour and activities are treated the same – so there could be occasional very mild references to gay or straight sexuality at U. A U film may include brief fight scenes or moments where characters are placed in danger. However, moments of emotional stress or threat will be quickly resolved and the outcome will be reassuring. ‘Baddie’ characters may carry or use weapons, but there will be no emphasis on these. Child or ‘hero’ characters are unlikely to use any kind of weapon outside, for example, historical settings.

Information found at http://bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/u

  PG Films
PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for younger children.
No theme is prohibited at PG, as long as it is treated in a manner appropriate to the category. PG works can explore challenging issues such as domestic violence, bereavement or racism. In a PG film, illegal or antisocial behaviour, such as bullying, will not be condoned or seen to go unchallenged. Smoking and drinking will not be promoted or glamorised and if child characters are seen smoking or drinking, there should be a clear message that this is bad. If drugs are mentioned or seen, a PG work should emphasise that they are harmful. References to sex are acceptable if the activity talked about or shown is implied and lacking in detail, heterosexual and homosexual sex and sex references are treated the same. There should be no detail of violence in a PG work, so while there might be some blood, we would not see how the injury was inflicted in strong detail.

Information found at http://bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/pg


 12 and 12A Films
12A means that anyone aged 12 or over can go and see the film unaccompanied. The A stands for 'accompanied' and 'advisory'. The 12 certificate is just for videos, DVDs and Blu-rays. 12A is for films at the cinema only. The content of 12A rated films to be suitable for children aged 12 and over, and we would not recommend taking very young children to see them. The overall tone of a film or DVD, and the way it makes the audience feel may affect the classification. For example, a work which has a very dark or unsettling tone which could disturb the audience would be less likely to be passed 12A. Strong language can be used in a 12 but it has to be in the right context and not just said randomly. Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12 or 12A, however everything that is said or shown must be suitable for young teenagers. Heterosexual and homosexual sex and sex references are treated the same. At 12A, moderate violence is allowed but it should not dwell on detail. Dangerous behaviour (for example hanging, suicide and self-harming) may be present in 12 or 12A works but will not dwell on detail which could be copied or present those activities as pain or harm free. There may be infrequent sight of drugs misuse in a 12 or a 12A but the portrayal should not be glamorised or provide instructional details.

Information found at http://bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/12a-and-12

  15 Film
 No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a ‘15’ rated DVD.  15 rated works are not suitable for children under 15 years of age. The main difference between a 12 and a 15 is that they contain:

• strong violence
• frequent strong language
• portrayals of sexual activity
• strong verbal references to sex
• sexual nudity
• brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence
• discriminatory language or behaviour
• drug taking

There may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language, and the work could explore themes relating to this. However, at 15 the work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour. At 15 violence may be strong. It should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury, however, and the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. At 15 drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. 

Information found at http://bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/15

  18 Film
Films rated 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy/rent an 18 rated DVD. No 18 rated works are suitable for children. No theme is prohibited at 18. 
18 films can contain:

• very strong violence
• frequent strong language and/or very strong language
• strong portrayals of sexual activity
• scenes of sexual violence
• strong horror
• strong blood and gore
• real sex (in some circumstances)
• discriminatory language and behaviour

 There may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language at 18, and the work could explore themes relating to this.  At 18 drug taking may be shown but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.

Information found at http://bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/18 

 

PRELIMINARY TASK

For our preliminary task we were shown a short video and were told we had to copy it and re make it exactly the same. We followed a list of instructions that it had to follow. the directs that we were given were:
1. Long shot
2. Cut to a close up
3. Cut to a medium long shot
4. Cut to a medium shot
5. Cut to a 2-shot, a long shot of the two people in the room
6. Cut to a over the shoulder medium close up with dialogue
7. Cut to an over the shoulder shot
8. Cut back to the original over the shoulder shot
9. Cut to the second over the shoulder shot
10. Cut back to the original over the shoulder shot
11. Cut back to the second over the shoulder shot. Fade out and end.

I found it very useful and helpful to do this because it allowed me to become familiar to how the camera worked and what looked good and what didn't, it also allowed me to see how the editing process worked. It has also helped me when i've been planning my time because it has showed me how long it takes to make and edit.