The first day of shooting commenced on Friday 20th March. We began by meeting at Rebecca's house, where some of our props were. We got together all the equipment we needed and made sure to double check. We were then driven to our shooting location; a large house in Burses Way, Shenfield, making a stop at a petrol station, for extra props.
When we arrived we walked through the location, and did a run through of the scene. We then began filming. We started outside by shooting the exterior of the house. We then proceeded to the interior of the house. We had some difficulties with this as there were many windows and mirrors, consequently, we had to be careful about catching the reflection of the camera.
We also had some difficulty when shooting the scene when the glass drops on the floor. This was because we could not practice the action, and could not do a variety of shots. Once dropped on the floor, the shattered glass took some time clearing up, time that could have been spent filming. Overall the day went well.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Original Shooting Schedule - Rebecca Young
Day 1 of Shooting.
Date: Friday 20th March 2009.
Time: 9am - 11.20am.
Location: A house in Burses Way, Shenfield.
Scenes to be shot: Scene 1, the murder scene.
People Present: Amy - Starring in, Rebecca and Lucy - Director's.
Day 2 of Shooting.
Date: Tuesday 31st March 2009.
Time: 3.30pm - 4.30pm.
Location: Café A'moore, Brentwood.
Scenes to be shot: Scene 2, the deal.
People Present: Amy, Fraser Carr, Elliott Quantrill - Starring in, Rebecca and Lucy - Director's.
Date: Friday 20th March 2009.
Time: 9am - 11.20am.
Location: A house in Burses Way, Shenfield.
Scenes to be shot: Scene 1, the murder scene.
People Present: Amy - Starring in, Rebecca and Lucy - Director's.
Day 2 of Shooting.
Date: Tuesday 31st March 2009.
Time: 3.30pm - 4.30pm.
Location: Café A'moore, Brentwood.
Scenes to be shot: Scene 2, the deal.
People Present: Amy, Fraser Carr, Elliott Quantrill - Starring in, Rebecca and Lucy - Director's.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Focus Group by Amy Ward
Focus Group Questions
1.What would you expect to see in a thriller?
2.What certificate would you expect a thriller to be?
3.What would you like to see in a thriller?
4.What characters should there be?
5.To what target audience should we focus on marketing our film to?
6.Where would you expect a thriller to be set?
7.Do you know exactly what a thriller is?
Participants: Simone Newton, Jeremy Williams, Joe Bailey, Mark Bansor, James Dick, Keshav Patel
1. Action, suspense, car chases, eerie music, sex, dead bodies, a twist, men in suits
2. 15
3. A venerable female character, twist at the end, simple ideas, Makes you think –Physiological
4. Male and Female couple ,Mysterious Character, Bad Guy, Minimal amount of characters, Villain, Funny Guy
5. Teenagers, 18-25,Parents with young children
6. America, Suburbs, At Night, Run down areas, Jungle, Forest, Silent? Isolated areas
7.Simone: “A film that scares you and has suspense”
Jeremy: “A film with everything”
Joe: “A film that has twists and is there to thrills you, a strange plot”
Keshav: “Action with suspense”
Mark: “I do not know”
1.What would you expect to see in a thriller?
2.What certificate would you expect a thriller to be?
3.What would you like to see in a thriller?
4.What characters should there be?
5.To what target audience should we focus on marketing our film to?
6.Where would you expect a thriller to be set?
7.Do you know exactly what a thriller is?
Participants: Simone Newton, Jeremy Williams, Joe Bailey, Mark Bansor, James Dick, Keshav Patel
1. Action, suspense, car chases, eerie music, sex, dead bodies, a twist, men in suits
2. 15
3. A venerable female character, twist at the end, simple ideas, Makes you think –Physiological
4. Male and Female couple ,Mysterious Character, Bad Guy, Minimal amount of characters, Villain, Funny Guy
5. Teenagers, 18-25,Parents with young children
6. America, Suburbs, At Night, Run down areas, Jungle, Forest, Silent? Isolated areas
7.Simone: “A film that scares you and has suspense”
Jeremy: “A film with everything”
Joe: “A film that has twists and is there to thrills you, a strange plot”
Keshav: “Action with suspense”
Mark: “I do not know”
Tuesday, 17 March 2009
Year 13 Advice - Rebecca Young
In one of our Media studies lessons we were given a talk by current Year 13 media students on their experiences when filming their thrillers. This helped us a lot as it told us what problems we can avoid and how to overcome them. They told us what to do and what not to do when planning and filming our thrillers. Some of this advice included:
Planning the shooting beforehand: Make sure that you check the weather forecast for your shooting days as if you shoot over many days, the weather must be the same. You need to also make sure that you have all the correct equipment and also that the camera battery is fully charged before going to shoot.
Pre-production: Make sure all the planning is done effectively before shooting as leaving the filming to the last minute means that it is poorer quality and the editing will be rushed. Watch other examples of thrillers for inspiration and also think about the music you will use in the film and make sure it fits. Also, make sure that you get on with and trust the people you work with as, if not, it will be harder to film effectively. Plan the location of where you will be filming and get permission from necessary people.
Content of film: The acting in the film is not marked so ensure that all the shots are good. Use a tripod for all filming so the camera is not shaky. Think about misc en scene as costume is important and make sure you use the conventions and iconography of a thriller. When using items like guns and knives make sure you are out of sight of members of the public or have got permission from people around, because otherwise this is illegal. When using dialogue in the film, keep it to a minimum, as although it tells the story, it can make it look very unrealistic if not done properly. Also, avoid swearing/smoking and drugs to make the thrillers look ‘cool’ because it does not look effective.
I think that the main point that we are going to have to focus on is that, no matter how much we try, we are not making a Hollywood blockbuster and the simpler we make it, the better it will be. We also need to make sure that we are well planned and ready when it comes to shooting day.
Planning the shooting beforehand: Make sure that you check the weather forecast for your shooting days as if you shoot over many days, the weather must be the same. You need to also make sure that you have all the correct equipment and also that the camera battery is fully charged before going to shoot.
Pre-production: Make sure all the planning is done effectively before shooting as leaving the filming to the last minute means that it is poorer quality and the editing will be rushed. Watch other examples of thrillers for inspiration and also think about the music you will use in the film and make sure it fits. Also, make sure that you get on with and trust the people you work with as, if not, it will be harder to film effectively. Plan the location of where you will be filming and get permission from necessary people.
Content of film: The acting in the film is not marked so ensure that all the shots are good. Use a tripod for all filming so the camera is not shaky. Think about misc en scene as costume is important and make sure you use the conventions and iconography of a thriller. When using items like guns and knives make sure you are out of sight of members of the public or have got permission from people around, because otherwise this is illegal. When using dialogue in the film, keep it to a minimum, as although it tells the story, it can make it look very unrealistic if not done properly. Also, avoid swearing/smoking and drugs to make the thrillers look ‘cool’ because it does not look effective.
I think that the main point that we are going to have to focus on is that, no matter how much we try, we are not making a Hollywood blockbuster and the simpler we make it, the better it will be. We also need to make sure that we are well planned and ready when it comes to shooting day.
Brief-Lucy Billinghurst
For our Media Studies coursework, we were required to plan, create and edit a two minute opening to a thriller. Before actually considering our own thriller,we did some research into what a thriller consists of, and what makes a good thriller. We watched other thrillers; some made by Sixth Form students and some made by Hollywood directors. From these we were able to extract conventions and subgenres of thrillers. We also thought about the props and settings for these thrillers. All of these factors would need to be applied to our own thriller. We also did research into target audiences; we looked at psychographics and demographics, and we held a focus group. Our findings would also need to be kept in mind when producing our own thriller.
Our thriller will begin with an action before narrative, when a professional woman returns from work and is killed in her own home. The identity of the killer will remain unknown and this is the basis of our storyline. The story will then jump back in time to a few weeks before the murder. The woman is in a hotel or office with a partner and a briefcase. The woman sees a businessman, doing a deal with someone, and is handed a briefcase. The woman then switches the briefcases, stealing the one with the goods inside.
We decided that our thriller's subgenre is a gangster/crime thriller. It has elements of the connotations associated with both types of films. The heart of the storyline is centred on a complex and well planned crime, as well as gang involvement.
The certificate we have chosen for our thriller is a 15 certificate. We decided this because the majority of thrillers have 15 certificates and some even have 12 certificates, such as the Bourne Identity. We also thought that a 15 certificate would open our film up to a wider audience, and it could maximise the profit. Despite this, our age demographic is 18 to 25 year olds, as we have discovered from our research that this is the group most likely to watch a thrillers. In addition to this, although we want our thriller to appeal to both genders, a thriller of this nature is associated with males.
We would like our thriller to be produced by a big production company with conglomerate backing. We decided that the best example of this would be 21st Century Fox, which is the film branch of the insititution News Corporation. News Corp owns many newspapers worldwide, as well as owning popular satellite T.V providers. This therefore means that we could use synergy, and advertise the film the world over. As it is a big production company, we will be able to distribute the film into cinemas over the country and perhaps even around the world, maximising profit.
We believe that our film deviates the dominant ideologies in today's society. Although it consists of the usual gangster iconography and conventions, the main character is a middle class woman. The middle class is not associated with crime, and women are not one of the dominant ideologies.
Our film consists of long shots, setting the scene and close ups, establishing character emotions. Our film also includes the conventions of thrillers. It includes blood, suits, briefcases, crime and suspcious business deals.
We took the inspiration of our film from other films. Our idea of the murder in a house came from other thrillers such as Scream and Halloween. The action before narrative idea came from the film One Hour Photo that we watched in class.
Our thriller will begin with an action before narrative, when a professional woman returns from work and is killed in her own home. The identity of the killer will remain unknown and this is the basis of our storyline. The story will then jump back in time to a few weeks before the murder. The woman is in a hotel or office with a partner and a briefcase. The woman sees a businessman, doing a deal with someone, and is handed a briefcase. The woman then switches the briefcases, stealing the one with the goods inside.
We decided that our thriller's subgenre is a gangster/crime thriller. It has elements of the connotations associated with both types of films. The heart of the storyline is centred on a complex and well planned crime, as well as gang involvement.
The certificate we have chosen for our thriller is a 15 certificate. We decided this because the majority of thrillers have 15 certificates and some even have 12 certificates, such as the Bourne Identity. We also thought that a 15 certificate would open our film up to a wider audience, and it could maximise the profit. Despite this, our age demographic is 18 to 25 year olds, as we have discovered from our research that this is the group most likely to watch a thrillers. In addition to this, although we want our thriller to appeal to both genders, a thriller of this nature is associated with males.
We would like our thriller to be produced by a big production company with conglomerate backing. We decided that the best example of this would be 21st Century Fox, which is the film branch of the insititution News Corporation. News Corp owns many newspapers worldwide, as well as owning popular satellite T.V providers. This therefore means that we could use synergy, and advertise the film the world over. As it is a big production company, we will be able to distribute the film into cinemas over the country and perhaps even around the world, maximising profit.
We believe that our film deviates the dominant ideologies in today's society. Although it consists of the usual gangster iconography and conventions, the main character is a middle class woman. The middle class is not associated with crime, and women are not one of the dominant ideologies.
Our film consists of long shots, setting the scene and close ups, establishing character emotions. Our film also includes the conventions of thrillers. It includes blood, suits, briefcases, crime and suspcious business deals.
We took the inspiration of our film from other films. Our idea of the murder in a house came from other thrillers such as Scream and Halloween. The action before narrative idea came from the film One Hour Photo that we watched in class.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
Research Into Storyboards - Rebecca Young
In one of our media lessons we watched a 30 second clip of One Hour Photo (2002) starring Robin Williams, and created a storyboard out of each shot. Storyboards are used by film-makers to show them what is needed in the scene and also what it is supposed to look like. By doing this task we could see the extensive planning that was going to be needed to prepare and film our 2 minute thriller. The storyboards we created included shot size/camera angle, lighting, setting, props/costumes and sounds.
Rebecca Young
Rebecca Young
Thursday, 5 March 2009
First Ideas for a Film Storyline-Lucy Billinghurst
As part of our brief, we needed to come up with a storyline for our thriller. At first we found this very difficult to think of a storyline. We needed to consider the codes and conventions of a thriller, and the iconography used within thrillers.
We then took inspiration from other thrillers that we had seen in class or in our spare time. At first we considered the film Scream, a psychological thriller. We came up with a similar storyline for our film; a young girl, home alone, being sent instant messages on her computer. We then decided that this would not be suitable as it is within the genre of horror.
We then decided to research other thrillers. We thought that if we could find a list of the best or favourite thrillers, we could compare them and draw a similarity between them. Here is the list from www.imdb.com:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
5. Rear Window (1954)
6. Cidade de Deus (2002)
7. Fight Club (1999)
8. The Usual Suspects (1995)
9. Psycho (1960)
10. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
11. North by Northwest (1959)
12. Memento (2000)
13. The Matrix (1999)
14. Se7en (1995)
15. Léon (1994)
16. Taxi Driver (1976)
17. Vertigo (1958)
18. M (1931)
19. Double Indemnity (1944)
20. The Third Man (1949)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Alien (1979)
23. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
24. The Departed (2006)
25. The Shining (1980)
26. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
27. L.A. Confidential (1997)
28. Aliens (1986)
29. Laberinto del fauno, El (2006)
30. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
31. Rebecca (1940)
32. Metropolis (1927)
33. A Wednesday (2008)
34. Some Like It Hot (1959)
35. Touch of Evil (1958)
36. Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)
37. The Great Escape (1963)
38. The Prestige (2006)
39. Strangers on a Train (1951)
40. Salaire de la peur, Le (1953)
41. Sin City (2005)
42. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
43. Notorious (1946)
44. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
45. The Big Sleep (1946)
46. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
47. No Country for Old Men (2007)
48. Diaboliques, Les (1955)
49. Jaws (1975)
50. Batman Begins (2005)
We noted that most of these films are actually crime or police thrillers, rather than psychological thrillers. From this, we decided that our film should have elements of crime.
We also considered the film Rear Window, which features on the list above, and the similar film Disturbia. These films centre on the storyline of someone witnessing a murder in a house opposite to theirs.
We then thought about what an opening of a thriller would entail. The aim of an opening to a thriller is to create enigma, pushing the audience to keep watching. We also agreed that an action before narrative would again create enigma. So we thought that if our storyline was of a murder but we did not know who the killer was, would create enigma. We then thought of a plot vaguely similar to the film Halloween, but with an element of crime to it. Our first comprehensive storyline idea, was to have a business women entering her house. The women would appear to be nervous, panicky and paranoid. We would then have a shot of the women, with someone behind her who would hit her on the head, leaving her on the floor. The identity of the killer would remain unknown. The film go back into the past, following the women, and uncovering the motives for her murder. This is our first idea, which is not definite, but can be adapted into what we feel suitable.
We then took inspiration from other thrillers that we had seen in class or in our spare time. At first we considered the film Scream, a psychological thriller. We came up with a similar storyline for our film; a young girl, home alone, being sent instant messages on her computer. We then decided that this would not be suitable as it is within the genre of horror.
We then decided to research other thrillers. We thought that if we could find a list of the best or favourite thrillers, we could compare them and draw a similarity between them. Here is the list from www.imdb.com:
1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
3. The Dark Knight (2008)
4. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
5. Rear Window (1954)
6. Cidade de Deus (2002)
7. Fight Club (1999)
8. The Usual Suspects (1995)
9. Psycho (1960)
10. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
11. North by Northwest (1959)
12. Memento (2000)
13. The Matrix (1999)
14. Se7en (1995)
15. Léon (1994)
16. Taxi Driver (1976)
17. Vertigo (1958)
18. M (1931)
19. Double Indemnity (1944)
20. The Third Man (1949)
21. Chinatown (1974)
22. Alien (1979)
23. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
24. The Departed (2006)
25. The Shining (1980)
26. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
27. L.A. Confidential (1997)
28. Aliens (1986)
29. Laberinto del fauno, El (2006)
30. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
31. Rebecca (1940)
32. Metropolis (1927)
33. A Wednesday (2008)
34. Some Like It Hot (1959)
35. Touch of Evil (1958)
36. Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)
37. The Great Escape (1963)
38. The Prestige (2006)
39. Strangers on a Train (1951)
40. Salaire de la peur, Le (1953)
41. Sin City (2005)
42. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
43. Notorious (1946)
44. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
45. The Big Sleep (1946)
46. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
47. No Country for Old Men (2007)
48. Diaboliques, Les (1955)
49. Jaws (1975)
50. Batman Begins (2005)
We noted that most of these films are actually crime or police thrillers, rather than psychological thrillers. From this, we decided that our film should have elements of crime.
We also considered the film Rear Window, which features on the list above, and the similar film Disturbia. These films centre on the storyline of someone witnessing a murder in a house opposite to theirs.
We then thought about what an opening of a thriller would entail. The aim of an opening to a thriller is to create enigma, pushing the audience to keep watching. We also agreed that an action before narrative would again create enigma. So we thought that if our storyline was of a murder but we did not know who the killer was, would create enigma. We then thought of a plot vaguely similar to the film Halloween, but with an element of crime to it. Our first comprehensive storyline idea, was to have a business women entering her house. The women would appear to be nervous, panicky and paranoid. We would then have a shot of the women, with someone behind her who would hit her on the head, leaving her on the floor. The identity of the killer would remain unknown. The film go back into the past, following the women, and uncovering the motives for her murder. This is our first idea, which is not definite, but can be adapted into what we feel suitable.
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