Pitch Qs & As

Who will be acting and voicing over?
Sam will be the main character Lucy - Musty and Abi will be 'murder victims' along with other volunteers. A friend will also be acting as the voice of Lucy for the voice over.


What does the flicker in the screen signify?
It signifies the visual change from good Lucy to bad Lucy, but also reflects the shifting of her personality.


How many murders will be filmed?
We won't film very many murders (6-7), but as it is montage we can use clips from a few murders to put together in a way that they look different, eg. different angles/effects. 


How long will it take to film?
We will be borrowing the camera and tripod for a weekend. 


Location ideas:

alleyway

Lucy's room

possible murder location

Final Idea - Psychological Thriller

We are developing this idea:

'The sequence would start with a closed eye (mise-en-scene of pretty makeup). When the eye opens, there is a camera-like flash, which then cuts to the main character walking down an alley-way. The screen would then flicker, as through with interference, and then show in black in white, the main character killing someone in the same alleyway. The screen would then flicker again and go back to the main character simply walking, and the person she was seen killing walks past - reaction shot. A voice over will then start as she is shown writing on pads of paper and screwing them up etc as she explains how she cannot discern what is and isn't real. Filtered music would start with the faster pace of editing and she would be shown trying to take pictures of what she has done - the flash would show fast images of her killing people and stealing etc. It would then show that in the folder where she saved her pictures there is nothing. It could then cut to her closing her eye (mise-en-scene of dark make up) and then black screen and then to her face. She would say how she doesn't know who she is. A knocking on the door would change her thoughts and she would get up and turn off the music, run downstairs, the camera looking at the door as she opens it and the visitor greets her, finally cutting to the name of the film.'

The sub-genre is psychological thriller, with strong themes of identity and reality. The credits shown in the opening sequence would not be intrusive to the opening, in a simple text such as:

'Panther Production Presents'

This would be done so not to take away any of the building atmosphere and uncertainty portrayed in the first 2 minutes. The film will be called 'Evanesce' which means 'vanish'. This title is speaking to how the main character's personality is vanishing and she is becoming someone else. Within the first opening 2 minutes there will only be the main character, named Lucy Rima. Her first name is a reference to Lucifer, as she has sinned.

We plan to film in several locations:

• Sam's house
• An alleyway
• Various outdoor places, eg. in gardens, backstreets. 

We won't concentrate hugely on the lighting, as there are many effects we wish to use on final cut to manipulate our footage. In the 'good' parts, we are planning to over-exaggerate the brightness of the colours, and we are filming the 'bad' parts in black and white, in which we can change the saturation to mould effects. The mood will be strange and creepy, with an emphasis on bright colours and then the huge contrast of simple black and white. 

Costumes will be quite simple: for her 'good' side, Lucy will be wearing a dress and tights, with natural looking make up and pink nail polish. For her 'evil' persona she will be wearing black trousers, top, black leather jacket, black knee-high-boots, black nail polish and with dark make up.

The sound will mostly consist of non-diegetic string undertones, and the voice of Lucy. Also included would be muffled effects, such as camera noises. Lastly there would be a partial, diegetic soundtrack included to create an atmosphere, which would then be switched off by Lucy. 

Most of the camera shots will be either long shot or close to extreme close ups. The long shots will often be canted angles as they will be when Lucy is murdering people, and the close ups will be of key props, for example a knife, her eye, a chain used to strangle someone etc. The editing will be a mix of continuity and montage. The beginning will be continuity until the diegetic music starts. This will then change to montage editing with close ups of murder weapons and long shots of the murder, until the music is then stopped. The editing will then become continuity again. 

Thriller Opening Ideas

Idea One: Psychological Thriller

• Our psychological thriller would have a main theme/plot-line of an unclear line between reality and hallucinations. For example, the main character could be seen walking down an alleyway and then the screen would flicker, like static, to show a quick shot of them stabbing someone in the same alleyway, and then flicking back to them walking - this leaves the viewer in the same mental confusion as the main character - what is and isn't real?

• The plot-line would focus on the character trying to figure out what actions she is actually doing, and what she is hallucinating. She would try to use a variety of things, for example to write down what she sees, take pictures etc - but she still would not know eg. the notes being confused, the camera disappearing etc. Eventually she would end up finding out she has a uncontrollable split personality that acts on her subconscious violent throughs, when she kills someone close to her - for example a boyfriend or best friend - she dreams she does it, and when going to visit that person, she sees they are actually dead. Also, throughout the film we see her 'nice' personality morphing slowly into the violent girl in her 'hallucinations', ending with a voiceover stating that she used to be scared of her hallucinations, but now she knows that being a killer is a part of her. 

• The conventions we would include would be things such as the imagery of the eye often seen in this sub-genre, unreliable narrator - the audience would not trust the main character's narration/voice overs as she is seen to also be a killer. We would also include fast-paced editing, and the theme of identity - as in she does not know who she is, the killer or the normal person. 

the opening sequence: 


The sequence would start with a closed eye (mise-en-scene of pretty makeup). When the eye opens, there is a camera-like flash, which then cuts to the main character walking down an alley-way. The screen would then flicker, as through with interference, and then show in black in white, the main character killing someone in the same alleyway. The screen would then flicker again and go back to the main character simply walking, and the person she was seen killing walks past - reaction shot. A voice over will then start as she is shown writing on pads of paper and screwing them up etc as she explains how she cannot discern what is and isn't real. The music pace would speed up with the pace of editing and she would be shown trying to take pictures of what she has done - the flash would show fast images of her killing people and stealing etc. It would then show that in the folder where she saved her pictures there is nothing. It could then cut to her closing her eye (mise-en-scene of dark make up) and then black screen and then to her face. She would say how she doesn't know who she is. If we have time, the music will become almost actiony as it cuts from her walking in a normal 'pretty outfit' to her in dark clothes and an 'evil persona', finally cutting to the name of the film.

Idea Two: Criminal Thriller

• The criminal thriller would, as with the conventions of this sub-genre, focus on the criminals. A gang of criminals are seen robbing a bank at the beginning, before being turned on by one of their own who shoots their way out and takes the money. The film would focus on the search within the gang for the traitors accomplice, who is still hiding in the gang. Conventions included would be double-crosses, shoot-outs and obviously, the crimes such as heists. 

• The main themes would be identity - as in, who in the gang is betraying them. This lack of trust would cause the audience to not trust any of the narrators, which would create an unnerving effect. There would also be narrations from each character, which would show everything from a different perspective, intensifying the identity crisis. 
• 
  

the opening sequence: 

The film would open mid-way through the initial bank robbery, the camera positioned in a voyeuristic view, filming through the window, and cutting to them stuffing money in a bag. There would be a voiceover of the gang leader explaning the steps of the robbery and cut to relevant actions, eg buying the guns etc. This would be a long montage. It would then cut to the end of the gun as the traitor shoots two of the gang members and runs with the money, ending with the title.

Idea Three: Mystery Thriller

• The plot line would consist of the main character finding his best friend dead on the floor. He would then be arrested and questioned - as he is the main suspect. The plot would consist of the main character both avoiding the police before he can be convicted of the murder, and trying to solve the mystery of who really killed them. The end would leave the main character dead after being shot by the police, who then discover a bag holding evidence that makes him innocent and incriminating his sister. The final shot would be of him in a coma in the hospital, and his sister coming in the room with a knife. 

• The main themes would be the imagery of the eye, which would be the clue as his sister has a company with an eye as the logo. It would also contain themes of perception, as we would also see the evidence against him cutting to the perspective of the police officers chasing him. 

The opening sequence:

It would begin with a pool of blood growing from the body, and then feet walking in the room. There would be a voiceover of the main character explaining how it all began when his friend was found dead. It would show handcuffs being clipped around his wrists and cut to him in an interrogation room. The voices from the interrogation would stay but the images would change from the interrogation to him finding his friend dead. It would end with him finding his only clue - a torn piece of paper he takes from the body, showing a badly drawn eye, and then cut to the title. 

Panther Productions

Panther Productions

We decided to call our company Panther Productions as it is clear what the company does from the name, and the alliteration makes it a pleasing combination. We also thought that the symbolism of a panther can apply to all age groups - younger audiences will appreciate the animal link, as well as older audiences. 

This is our general logo: 

The name is clear and in bold, with the panther in the background. Because of the sun, the contrast is clear and also portrays a positive and optimistic atmosphere. This logo is also easily manipulated depending on genre, as we can change the font and colour of the logo to suit. To show how easily we can do this, we made a variation for a horror genre. 

Though it is not easily animated, we believe that the simple movement of the text would add to the logo when shown at the beginning of a film. Also, added effects, eg. for horror, dripping blood, could add to the atmosphere. We would like to add a sound to this, for example a roar to fit with the imagery. 

Logo Analysis

Warner Bros. Pictures

Warner Bros. have produced many films of different genres, including several thriller films, eg. Inception. Whilst the logo mostly remains the same, the company often edits their logo to reflect the genre of film that is shown. 

For example, the Harry Potter logo is dark and mysterious to reflect the genre.

The Matrix version is green with more digitalised looking clouds.

Their logo reflects their company extremely well as it is very versatile and can be manipulated to suit many different genres - in turn mirroring the huge amount films this company has produced. 

Analysis of Past Students Work

T1-29 (2009/10) :

  This group managed to keep a steady shot effectively possibly using a tripod at the news report scene which needed a steady shot as it was a formal representation of BBC news. However, when the shot was focused on the man walking towards the end of the clip, the camera was handheld and slightly shaky as if the audience were following him.

All material shots were appropriate to the task and the editing consisted of a montage of various locations possibly relating to past or future events, the music that assisted it made the audience feel melancholy. The mise en scene was done well as the costume was appropriate and the also the location was very accurate. Furthermore, the effects were successfully done as they managed to insert the BBC logo and strap line to make it more realistic. The shot transitions were limited which may have been their aim as it makes it more straight forward and does not distract the audience's attention. The title was not distinguished effectively from the names of those involved.





U1-33 (2009/10) :


The start of the clip was handheld and a little shaky and it was hard to tell what was going on but was effective to create a little tension especially with the fact there was no music over the top and just the sound of heavy breathing. Shot distances were used effectively such as the over shoulder when the man is attempting to restrain the other, and high angles of someone being ill.
All material shot themselves was appropriate though didn't sync in  well with clips they had used from other sources.

Mise-en-scene (location) of start was good, running through unkept land to get away from the infected. Editing was fast pace to create a form of tension. Title at the end of the clip creates impact with the bang of the hand on the glass of the door.
Transitions were limited though worked well with fast editing as it didn't break anything down, effects at start of FBI symbols made the problem of the plot line seem very serious and dire.

Marking Criteria

Level 1 = Up to 23
Level 2 = 24 - 35 (Basic)
Level 3 = 36 - 47 (Proficient)
Level 4 = 48 - 60 (Excellence) 

• Holding a shot steady where appropriate.
• Framing a shot, including and excluding elements.
• Using a variety of shot distances. 
• Shooting material appropriate to the task.
• Selecting mise-en-scene
• Editing so that meaning is apparent to the viewer.
• Using varied shot transitions and effects.
• Using sound with images.
• Using titles appropriately. 

Fargo Conventions

Fargo is a crime thriller. There is use of stereotype in the pub scene, carried through to others when a man is chain smoking throughout most of the footage we saw. The lead male character is slightly confused and clueless, this is quite typical of a film with this genre as there is always someone who does not know what they are doing. The woman is the target in this movie as she is going to be kidnapped, this also portrays a typical image as women are seen as more vulnerable. The way the woman is portrayed is typical for most movies as all shots of her are in the kitchen or when she is cooking for the males or cleaning.

More conventions include the surrounding areas for example they portray a sense of isolation for certain characters giving off a signal that something important is going to happen later on. Furthermore, the location is seen to be safe and there is nothing suggestive that this neighborhood is dangerous, also they live in a normal family home which seems happy and safe.

A father-in-law always seems to be against his daughters husband, this is shown in this movie around the dinner table when the husband has a business proposition he discusses with his wives father. The reply is blunt and patronising, this also shows lack of interest in what the husband has to say.

"Memento" Clip

Memento

(Directed by Christopher Nolan, 2000)

(this clip does not show the next scene we analysed)

The starting clip of "Memento" (released in 2000 with Christopher Nolan as the director) follows many of the typical conventions of Psychological thrillers. The film opens with an ambiguous soundtrack of string instruments - often associated with tension and suspense. A close up of a photograph shows that the object is of narrative significance, and also the absence of the face of the character means his identity is kept from the audience. It also allows us to pick up subtle references to his amnesia - for example, the writing on his hand. We are shown that the continuity of the clip is skewed, as when shaking the photograph as one would to develop the photo, the photo becomes less clear and vanishes.

The reverse editing is made even clearer as the photo shoots back into the camera and the face of the murdered man is shown - there is a close up of the dead man's glasses - a reference to the imagery of the eye. They are broken as a result of the struggle and his death, showing that he now has no identity.

As with the conventions of a psychological thriller, the audience is unnerved as the narrator of the story seems untrustworthy. Also this references the common theme of identity, as in the next scene he is shown to be vulnerable and confused rather than dangerous and merciless. We are further introduced to the protagonist with a close up of the eyes - a reference to the common psychological imagery of an eye - being the 'window to the soul'.

The camera then shifts to a high angle, further showing the protagonist in a vulnerable position. The voiceover of the protagonist introduces us to another common feature of psychological thrillers - his achilles heel. It is revealed to us that the character has amnesia and can remember no new memories. This causes him to be portrayed as easily manipulated and confused. The murder scene is shown in colour but the next scene is shown in black and white, this could show a change in time - the black and white being the older memory, presumably showing the events up until the murder we have just witnessed.

Conventions of a Psychological Thriller

• Central theme of identity, for example mistaken identity, stolen identity, lost identity (amnesia), dual identity and doppelgangers
• Perception - the narrative is often shown from the perspective of multiple characters
• Reality - there is often confusion between what is and isn't real, and commonly the character's idea of reality is different to that of the norm that is established in the film
• Memory - the torture of an individual by a traumatic even, and/or the search of a lost memory
• Stream of Consciousness - the viewer is encouraged to identify with a certain character's psyche
• Unreliable narrator - The person telling the story is often discovered to be untrustworthy, which unnerves the viewer
• Flashbacks, time reversal/fast forwarding, non-linear narrative editing
• Imagery - the eye is a regular visual motif within the psychological thriller genre 

Alfred Hitchcock: "Number Seventeen" Opening Sequence Analysis

Number Seventeen

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1932

Based on a play by J.Jefferson Farjeon

Starring Leon M. Lion, Anne Grey, John Stuart, Donald Calthrop, Barry Jones and Gary Marsh

We analysed the sequence from 1.04 until 4.43.

The first moments of the clip show a windy, spooky night which makes the film start off with suspense as the weather is empathetic to the situation. To add to the suspense there is also empathetic tension building, non-diegetic music. This is a convention of thrillers as the sounds of the windy night are exaggerated, making the audience feel tense. The plot is, as with most thrillers, ambiguous and unclear at the beginning causing questions to arise in the audience's mind, and also stays with the conventions of thrillers focusing on a crime as the main plot.

There are examples of experimental editing, which is often seen in the thriller genre. When the characters see the corpse on the floor, the image of a speeding train suddenly appears on the screen, followed by twisted close ups of the character's reactions.

 Reaction shot.

Train... we know it's hard to believe

As with most thrillers, the audience is placed in the position of a voyeur with many camera angles being shot from over the shoulder and in positions that suggestion we are watching them without their knowledge.

Also, the sounds in the sequence of slamming doors and mysterious wind are as with the genre, exaggerated to encourage tension within the minds of the audience. The situation is firstly ordinary, with the Detective walking along the street. However the plot soon reveals itself to be extraordinary with the appearance of a mysterious man and a dead body. Also sticking to the common conventions of thrillers, the theme of identity is clear - we do not initially know who any of the characters are - in fact, the audience is not even aware that the man is a detective apart from subtle indicators of the mise-en-scene of his costume. It starts with an enigma as an opening.

Differences between Horror and Thriller Genres - Horror

Horror:

• Has more gore with a main intent of frightening/scaring the audience. 
• Women are often seen as victims and weaker than other characters. 
• Has a predictable narrative and the main entity to fear is known to the audience and will use different weapons to add to the shock effect. 
• Has a younger, better looking cast often not very well known actors.
• Suburban setting, often literally in the middle of nowhere with adults/authority that are either absent or very unhelpful. Victims sometimes a group of friends who get killed off one by one and the audience can guess who will die first and who will survive in the end. 

Conventions of a Thriller

The following are the conventions of a Thriller genre film:

• Exaggerated sound effects and music that builds suspense.
• Ambiguous plot/characters cause questions to arise in the mind of the audience.
• The narrative focus is often that of a crime.
• The editing is often more experimental than other genres, e.g. parallel editing, non-linear and montage.
• The film contains plot twists and mind games, psychological. Gets into the mind.
• The government often play a part in the background of hybrid genre action thrillers.
• Main characters are binary opposites, the protagonist and antagonist are very different in certain ways.
• The protagonist is often seen in times of peril and have a weakness which is exploited by the antagonist - which is sometimes referred to into the title of the film. Also, the protagonist is isolated be it literally or metaphorically.  
• The film has recurring themes of mirroring, illusions and mistaken identity. 
• Women are often objectified.
• The audience become a voyeur. 
• Plot is sometimes not underlined and is mysterious, plot only comes together towards the end.

Preliminary Task