TASK 8: Casting

Julian Stock will be playing the part of the 'Father'.
Props needed: - Fake Blood
- T-shirt, covered in dirt and blood
- Rope to tie round wrists
- Knife, placed next to him





Julie Stock will be playing the part of the 'Mother'
Props needed: - Fake Blood
- T-shirt, covered in dirt and blood
- Rope to tie round wrists
- Knife, placed next to her




















Aimee Hall will be playing the part of 'Angelika'.
Props needed: -Fake blood
-Red Lipstick

TASK 7: Role Allocation

I will now identify who is doing what role in the production team.


Written By - Harriet Matthews
Cinematography By - Bianca Henry
Edited By - Harriet Matthews
Music By - Bianca Henry
Produced By - Harriet Matthews
Directed By - Bianca Henry

TASK 6: storyboard

How To Storyboard A Film Sequence


The purpose of a story board is to photograph (draw/digitalise) each and every shot of a film with a list bof key information written underneath it.

Story Boards allow a director to visualise the whole film before filming and also allows the camera person to understand how the film is to be shot.

Story boards also allow you to change elements if they don't work visually before the expensive film making process.

Each frame of a story board should contain the following information :

1. Shot number - each shot of the story board must be numbered so that the intended sequence of shots can be followed
2. Framing - Is the shot a close up ? Medium shot ? Long shot ?
3. Drawing - A drawing visualisation of what is happening in the shot.
4. Action - A breif description of what is happening in the shot
5. Dialogue - Single lines of dialogue may be written
6. Sound effects - Are there any specific sounds, diagetic and non-diagetic sounds ?



Each frame on the story board must have shot descriptors such as FRAMING: MLS, ECU, LS etc.

Also Information on movement and positions such as the following abreviations could be added:
H/A - High Angle
L/A - Low Angle
POV - Point Of View
2-Shot - Two people in a shot
OTS - Over The Shoulder
Track/Dolly - Move camera on wheeled platform
Crab - Sideways move
Pull Focus - Change what is focused on.

For the very first shot, I will carry out a medium cloe up of Angelika, you will only be able to see one of her arms and helf of her body, her face will not be revealed until later on. Her hand will be covered in blood and it will then drip off. When editing i will have to slow down when the blood drops so the audience can clearly see it. At then end of this shot there will be a straight cut to the next shot.

The next few shots (2,3,4) will be of images and newspaper articles that Angelika has collected ever since her parents started abusing her, this will inlcude images of her parents alive and happy, images of them after Angelika has attacked them, and also images of her parents that Angelika has scratched out. These shots will include a variety of transitions, some will have straight cuts in and some will dossolve, especially when i overlap different shots as it makes it look a lot smoother. This will also apply for shots 8 and 10.

Shots 5 and 6 are of Angelika looking at herself in the mirror. They will both be shot in a dark room and I will use the lighting from the camera to see what is happening, which will give it a much more thrillerish look. I will cover the mirror in cling film prior to the filming to give it an almost shattered effect. Angelika will then use a red lipstick to write in the mirror "now it's my turn". Whilst writing this I will be using a variety of different shots and different angles, high angles and low angles, close up shots, medium close up shots.While shewrites "turn" I will include a jump cut between each letter that she writes. While she is kissing the mirror, I will stand looking into the mirror rather than at the side of her watching her doing it.I will then use a straight cut to shot 7 where I will fim an extreme close up of Angelika applying her red lipstick as if she is now ready to kill!

For shots 9,11,13,15 and 16 I will be filming in a local park where there is a long narrow path surrounded in large trees. I will start with an extreme long shot then a few long shots as Angelika is moving closer towards me and then shot 16 will be a medium close up of Angelika looking down then slowly lifting her head up to look into the camera with her evil eyes. I will use straight cuts inbetween these shots and some dissolves when i decide to overlap images.

Shots 12 and 14 will be filmed in my back garden. i wish to film these shots as it's just starting to get dark so therefore some of my shots will be in the compelte darkness, whereby I will use the light off the camera to be able to see. Angelika's parents are dead, sitting against the wall covered in blood and dirt where there bodies have been dragged. I will use a variety of different shots and angles to film these shots as I want the audience to be able to see what Angelika has done to them from every possible angle. I will use plenty of dossolves during these shots especially when i oveerlap different shots.

Throughout the whole of my media production I will use a backing track to make it sound creepy and quite scary. It is called 'samara's song' which has been used in the film 'The Ring'. I believe by using a non diegetic sound it will compliment my production and give it more of a thriller feel.

TASK 4.3: Characters

ANGELIKA
Age: 17
Accent: Birmingham, England.
Occupation: Student
Appearance: Extremely long brown hair, dressed all in black with a blod blue top. Wears red lipstick.
Characteristics: Shy, withdrawn and pure evil. She is mentally disturbed from the past she has experienced.


MOTHER
Age: 46
Accent: Birmingham, England.
Occupation: Social Worker
Appearance: Blonde short hair and glasses. Typical parent.
Characteristics: None, as in the pre title sequence she has already been killed. She used to be extremely abusive towards her daughter.


FATHER
Age: 50
Accent: Birmingham, England.
Occupation: Doorman
Appearance: Black/Grey hair, tired looking. Typical father figure, quite muscular. Wears a white t-shirt.
Characteristics: None, as in the pre title sequence he has already been killed. Before he was murdured he used to harm his daughter regulary.

TASK 4.2: Basic plot/storyline of the film

I decided to pick this idea as it seemed to be the most realistic for me to convey. I don't need too many props to use in my film, just fake blood, red lipstick, photographs and newspaper articles that i will design myself. Some of my other ideas seem a bit more complex and may be harder to explain the whole story to the audience in such a short space of time, however with this idea I am able to get the story line across to the audience by using newspaper articles from the past showing everything that has happened within the family and also photographs that have been taken by the main character of the film. This idea, unlike my other ideas won't have anybody acting, I will have one main character and two major characters, and most of my shots will be still shots, or shots with slight movement. I will not be including dialogue as i think it takes away the suspense, instead i will have a creepy stalkerish song in the background to help build up tension.

My idea is as follows:


The main character in the film is Angelika, aged 17, whom from a young age has been mentally, physically and even sexually abused by both her mother, aged 46 and her father, aged 50.
As the story develops the audience will see a sequence of different images of newspaper articles revealing and briefly explaining the story to them.
After years and years of taking such abuse, Angelika finally turns EVIL and wants to take revenge upon those who have harmed her during her life.
She has been planning her violent attack for months now, collecting all evidence of the pain and distress they both managed to cause her.
One crisp night she decides to put her plan into action, and makes absolute sure her parents go through as much suffering as possible before she brutally attacks and kills the both of them.
Her plan was successful, and she is now more powerful than ever.

4.1 Mind map ideas

Idea 1

There is a private detective in his office on day, when a man enters, and asks him to solve a murder. When his P.A asks who was murdered, they guy sayd "we were". He then lowers his colar and takes off his hat to reveal that the client is the P.A himself, as a ghost from his own future, trying to solve his own murder before it happens.

Idea 2

There is a teenage girl at shool, she's lonely and all the popular girls tend to make fun of her and tease her everyday of the week, they also push and shove her into lockers and into other people around school. One day she goes to Central Library and takes out a book about the seven deadly sins. The book is cursed and turns the girl evil. Deep music is played to create suspense showing the girl is about to do some damage to those who once teased her.

Idea 3

A teenage girl used to get brutally abused when she was younger by her parents. She has know grown up and is mentally affected by what they did to her, which makes her want revenge upon them. The girl becomes the abuser and ends up killing her parents violently. The pre-title sequence will include mainly images of the girl and her parents, with newspaper artucles showing what's happened.

Idea 4

A young boy is playing basketball at night in his back garden and his mother calls him to come back into the house. The boy stays outside, there is a camera in the bushes, using a POV shot to capture the shot of the boy, the camera will be shaking and moving around in the bushes. Suddenly a group of four middle ages armed men run for the boy, snatch him and hold him hostage in an unknown location because of something his mother had done years ago.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Thriller Conventions

The thriller genre can include the following sub-genres, which may include elements of other genres:


Action thriller: In which the work often features a race against the clock, contains lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist. These films usually contain large amounts of guns, explosions, and large elaborate set pieces for the action to take place. These films often have elements of mystery films and crime films but these elements take a backseat to action. Notable examples are the James Bond films, The Transporter, and the Jason Bourne novels and films.

Conspiracy thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlum fall into this category, as do films such as Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, and JFK.

Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven, Reservoir Dogs, Inside Man, and The Asphalt Jungle.

Disaster thriller: In which the main conflict is due to some sort of natural or artificial disaster, such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., or nuclear disasters as an artificial disaster. Examples include Stormy Weather by Carl Hiaasen, Tremor by Winston Graham, and the 1974 film Earthquake.

Drama thriller: In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
Stanley Robinson|Kim Stanley Robinson's]] Mars Trilogy and Ian Irvine's Human Rites Trilogy and Dasavathaaram. Horror thriller in which the main character is put in danger and his main enemies are unrealistic creatures in which he must destroy to achieve his goal.

Erotic thriller: In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill, Color of Night, Eyes Wide Shut, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Obsessed, and In the Cut.

Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.

Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.

Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film Agency.

Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers) and The Good Son starring Elijah Wood and Macaulay Culkin.

Spy thriller: (also a subgenre of spy fiction): In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia, with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller).

Techno-thriller: In which (typically military) technology is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Techno thriller".

Religious thriller: In which the plot is closely connected to religious objects, institutions and questions. While suspense stories have always shown a significant affinity for religion and philosophical issues (G.K. Chesterton's novel The Man Who Was Thursday has been called a "metaphysical thriller"; and Umberto Eco's novels The Name of the Rose and Foucault's Pendulum both display thriller characteristics), Dan Brown's 2003 best-seller The Da Vinci Code has led to a current boom in religiously oriented thrillers.


Most thrillers are formed in some combination of the above, with horror, conspiracy, and psychological tricks used most commonly to heighten tension. Combinations are highly diverse, including:

Science fiction thrillers: Jurassic Park, Sunshine.
Techno/political/conspiracy/military: Robocop, S.M. Stirling's Draka novels.
Legal/forensic/psychological/: Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs novel, Seven.

TARGET AUDIENCE: The thriller genre

The Thriller Genre


In 2007 the cinema and box office admissions saw an increase in the number of films that were viewed within the UK. Cinema admissions increased by 4% whilst the box office share of UK films went from 19% in 2006 to 29% in 2007.However, even though most media attention is mainly focused towards film it is not always necessarily viewed by audiences at the cinema. Within the UK in 2007 the the number of people was recorded who opted to watch films on the television as opposed to at the cinema. The total figure for the audiences who watched films on television was 3.1 billion, which was 19 times larger than an audience who preferred to watch films at the cinema.According to the UK Film Council's statistics, young people nearly half under the age of 25 mainly watched films at the cinema. However, in recent years there has been a substantial increase in the older audience such as people aged 45 and over which accounts for 19% of cinema visits.
The UK Film Council has recorded thw top 20 films released within the UK in 2007. Films of the thriller genre that appeared within this list were I Am Legend, The Bourne Ultimatum, Die Hard 4.0 and Ocean's Thirteen. I Am Legend was shown in 440 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 25.52 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 11.01.The Bourne Ultimatum was shown in 458 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 23.72 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 6.55.Die Hard 4.0 was shown in 458 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 13.89 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 5.00.Ocean's Thirteen was shown in 475 cinemas, the box office gross (£ million) was 13.15 and the opening weekend gross (£ million) was 3.02.The Bourne Ultimatum made it to number 1 in the weekend box office charts on 17th August 2007, where it stayed for 3 weeks. The weekend gross (£ million) was 6.6.
In the UK in 2007, there were 28 (5.4%) films released of the thriller genre. The gross box office (£ million) was 67.6 (7.2%). The top performing title was The Bourne Ultimatum.However, audiences favourite genre was comedy with 127 (24.6) released films in 2007, and the gross box office (£ million) was 206.6 (22.1%). The top performing title was Mr Bean's Holiday. Horror was the 10th most favourite genre with 24 film releases in 2007, and romance was the 14th most favourite genre with 21 releases. Top performing titles from these genres was Saw 4 and P.S I Love You.
BBFC classifications are there to give audiences a general idea of what the film will contain and what type of audience will be suitable to view it. U (Universal) classifications are suitable for for all to watch, PG (Parental Guidance) is suitable for general viewing but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children, 12A is suitable for no one younger than 12 years of age and this age groups cannot see a 12A in a cinema without being accompanied by an adult, 15 is suitable for no one younger than 15 years of age and 18 is suitable for no one younger than 18 years of age.In 2007, one film from the thriller genre was given the 12A classification. This film was The Bourne Ultimatum, whereas all of the other films with this classification fell under the genre of comedy, romance and action.Films with a classification of 15 were mainly from the genres comedy, action, sci-fi and drama. Two films from the thriller genre were given a 15 classification in 2007, these films being Blood Diamond and The Last King of Scotland.Films with a classification of 18 were mainly from the genres crime, horror, thriller and action. Examples of these films in 2007 were American Gangster, Hannibal Rising, Eastern Promises, Outlaw and Apocalypto.
The UK Film Council has recored the top 10 institutions/distributors in the UK in 2007. The number one institution being Warner Brothers with 15.6% market share, box office gross (£ million) 141.5 and 32 released films in 2007 including there biggest hits Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, I Am Legend, 300 and Ocean's Thirteen.Paramount was the second best institution with 14.7% market share, a box office gross (£ million) of 133.7 and 31 released films in 2007 including Shrek the Third, Transformers and Stardust.20th Century Fox was the third most rated institution with 13.9% market share, box office gross (£ million) 126.3 and 27 released films in 2007 including The Simpsons, Die Hard 4.0 and Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer.
http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/media/pdf/1/p/2008.pdf

TARGET AUDIENCE: summary of questionaire

12-15 year old males and females enjoyed Romantic Comedy's, mainly because of the jolly story lines ad the fairy tale happy endings they all seem to have. They preferred to watch this film genre at home or with friends as it helps to create a positive atmosphere. However one element this age group disliked about Romantic Comedy's was that many of them have far too similar story lines and you never really get any twists in them like you do in thriller films.
This age group wasn't particularly keen on horrors as thery contain many disgusting and horrific images that they may find disturbing. Favourite films from the Romantic Comedy genre were Four Weddings And A Funeral, The Proposal, Love Actually and My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

16-25 year old males and females seemed to enjoy thrillers more than any other genre, this was down to the amazing storylines that have been produced,k the amount of suspense that is built up and the way the films seem to captivate the audience and bring them into the film. From this genre, the age group expected a thriller to end with a twist and would like to be given clues throughout the whole of the film as to 'who did what', engaging the audience and really trying to make them think.
Nobody in this age group chose Romantic Comedy as their favourite film genre and a large perentage would prefer to watch a film just as it's been released in the cinema. Favourite films from the thriller genre are Hannibal, The Silence Of The Lambs, Seven, Saw, and Basic Instinct.

My results show me that 26-40 year old males and females mainly enjoy to watch Thrillers for the action, storylines and unpredictability the writers have managed to create. this age group prefered to watch these films in the comfort of their own home and would like to see a thriller ending with some sort of physchological twist, leaving them in deep thought about the film as they can often prove to be very realistic. This age group only has little interest in Romanttic Comedys and Horrors, with some of the favourite films from the thriller genre The Bourne identity and Deja Vu.

My results show me that 40+ males and femaes enjoyed watching mainly thrillers with some interest in Romantic Comedys and Horrors, due to the suspense, realism and brilliant acting the genre tends to include. Some people dislike the fact that thrillers often take a long time to get in to as there is so much to take in during the film, but people tend to LOVE the twists they can include. Many agreed an appropraite age certificate for thrillers and horrors would be either a 15 or an 18, whilst Romantic Comedys should be either a PG, a 12 or a 12A. Many people in this age group would prefer to watch a film at home with friends and family.

TARGET AUDIENCE: Questionaire

Age:

12-15 16-25 26-40 41+

Gender:

Male Female

What is your favourite film genre?

Thriller
Horror
Romantic Comedy

And why?

......................................................................................................

What do you dislike about the following genres?

Thriller: .........................................................................................
Horror: .........................................................................................
Romantic Comedy: ...................................................................................

What do you think would be an appropriate age certificate for the following?

Thriller: ..........
Horror: ..........
Romantic Comedy: ..........

Where do you prefer to watch a film?

Home
Cinema
Other ..........................

From the following genres, what is your favourite film

Thriller: ...................................................
Horror: ...................................................
Romantic Coemdy: .................................................

What do you like most about your 'favourites' stated above?

Thriller: .....................................................
Horror: .....................................................
Romantic Comedy: ................................................

How would you like to see a Thriller end?

A cliffhanger
With closure
With a twist





I will now ask a variety of different age groups to fill in this questionaire & based upon the feedback i recieve, this may determine what kind of genre i decide to make my opening sequence about and what kind of storyline i include.

4.3 Characterisation

Every film has a MAIN character and a MAJOR character.
Conventionally there is usually only one main character in a film, but there can be many major characters.

Examples of MAIN and MAJOR characters:

STAR WARS: A new hope (1977)
Main character: Luke Skywalker
Major characters: Obi-one-kenobi, Han Solo, Darth Vader, Princess Lela

CASINO ROYALE (2006)
Main character: James Bond
Major characters: Miss Moneypenny, M, G, Le Chiffre, Felix

ROCKY III (1982)
Main character: Rocky Balboa
Major characters: Adrian Balboa, Apollo Creed, Mickey, Clubber Lang (Mr T)

RED DRAGON (2002)
Main character: Agent Will Graham
Major characters: Hannibal Lector, Francis Dollarhyde, Agent Crawford, Blind girl

SEVEN (1995)
Main characters: Detective William Somerset
Major characters: John Doe, Detective David Mills


ANTAGONISTS are usually major characters whereas PROTAGONISTS are the main characters.

Examples of protagonists are:
STAR WARS: Darth Vader
CASINO ROYALE: Le Chiffre
ROCKY III: Clubber Lang (Mr T)
RED DRAGON: Francis Dollarhyde
SEVEN: John Doe


Character Descriptions

Here are some examples of character descriptions...

Age: 34
Appearance: Long ginger hair, kilt, body armour, blue war paint on face.
Characteristics: Physically strong, brave, aggressive, intelligent.
Accent: Strong Scottish accent.
- William Wallis

Age: 64
Appearance: Beige mack, suit, shirt and tie, cardigan, pork pie hat.
Characteristics: Methodical, intelligent, professional, confident.
Accent: Louisiana, America.
- Morgan Freeman

Age: 17
Apperance/costume: Plain dresses, dowdy look, long ginger hair, pale freckly skin.
Characteristics: Shy, timid, withdrawn, polite, calm, scared.
Accent: American, mid-west.
- Carrie