My thriller is targeted at people who enjoy films such as Black Swan, SE7EN & The Number 23. The audience need a basic understand on the conventions of thrillers.
Film is aged at more mature people, maybe people in their mid-late teens upwards, because the audience need to have an understanding of the non-chronological story-line and her illnesses, some people who watch thrillers and don't understand the backwards/non-chronologival storyline or if there are two stories going on in the film, it can be confusing, therefore the person might dislike the film, from lack of understanding.
The age certificate for my film is an 18, because it involves a lot of bloody violence, gore & suicidal themes.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Synopsis of my thriller.
My film is about a troubled mind & obbsession. A girl who starts off as ordinary, but with small habits, slowly begins to see the world in a different light.
After the death of a friend, she decides her friends death wasn't an acciedent. She begins to see things in the corner of her eye, which become more and more intense, the more she un-covers the secrets of her friends death. Suspicious behaviour from her other friends convinces her that they had something to do with it.
Very faint traces of mental illness are slowly becoming stronger during the course of the film. Slowly becoming obbsessed that someone is watching her & trying to kill her, she decides to try kill herself before someone else does, but jumping out of a third story window. (My opening sequence)
Her failed attempt at suicide lands her in hospital, where her visions in the corner of her eye, become more realistic, shadows on the wall, distortions of peoples faces. The doctors tell her it's a side-effect of her hitting her head on the concrete fromt he fall & that the more she recovers, the quicker the visions will dissapear.
They don't dissapear & they turn her obbsessive, which leads her to the murderer.
After the death of a friend, she decides her friends death wasn't an acciedent. She begins to see things in the corner of her eye, which become more and more intense, the more she un-covers the secrets of her friends death. Suspicious behaviour from her other friends convinces her that they had something to do with it.
Very faint traces of mental illness are slowly becoming stronger during the course of the film. Slowly becoming obbsessed that someone is watching her & trying to kill her, she decides to try kill herself before someone else does, but jumping out of a third story window. (My opening sequence)
Her failed attempt at suicide lands her in hospital, where her visions in the corner of her eye, become more realistic, shadows on the wall, distortions of peoples faces. The doctors tell her it's a side-effect of her hitting her head on the concrete fromt he fall & that the more she recovers, the quicker the visions will dissapear.
They don't dissapear & they turn her obbsessive, which leads her to the murderer.
Practical Production - Summary of Ideas.
My thriller movie is about obsession. This is a stereotype of many modern thrillers and I thought it was a good base for my storyline.
The clip begins with a white room, a chair and a person sat on it, with a blank expression. A long shot is used for this.
Then zooming in onto the persons, then a close up on their face, circling them.
The person is preferably a girl.
Then a cut to the opening credits.
Closeups of hands chopping up newspapers and a mess of paper on the floor.
A long shot of a fallen chair with a noose hanging from the ceiling, next to it a large open window. During this sequence the occasional flicker of an eye takes over the screen.
Eventually, you see the girl stand a few feet before the open window, then the eye flickers on screen & she is right before it, then the eye flickers again & she is standing on the ledge about to jump.
There is constant whispering about conspiracies etc in the background of this piece and when she jumps, the whispering stops.
Cut to a shot of her lying on the floor, her face, staring blankly into the camera. The film title flickers on.
Fake blood will be needed here.
The story is of a girl obsessed by conspiracy and murder. A friend was brutally beaten and killed, dreams and flashbacks haunt her for a while, until she takes action. Eventually she gets too caught up in her own world of delusion, her family and friends abandon her, as she turns obsessive. Attempting suicide, convinced the person who killed her friend is after her too, she ends up in an institute.
A lot of the angles & shots in my short film were inspired by the opening credits of SE7EN, because that sequence, drew me in the most. The close-ups, distoritions of the shots & the music, all worked well together.
This film, has you wondering what the person is doing, cutting up books, looking at forms of torture & the bible, before the film begins.
I would like to make my films similar to this, because beggining with what could be an ending, or what could happen half way through the film, keeps the audience wanting to find out what happens. It also gives a clue to what the film is about & adds to the mystery of the film.
The clip begins with a white room, a chair and a person sat on it, with a blank expression. A long shot is used for this.
Then zooming in onto the persons, then a close up on their face, circling them.
The person is preferably a girl.
Then a cut to the opening credits.
Closeups of hands chopping up newspapers and a mess of paper on the floor.
A long shot of a fallen chair with a noose hanging from the ceiling, next to it a large open window. During this sequence the occasional flicker of an eye takes over the screen.
Eventually, you see the girl stand a few feet before the open window, then the eye flickers on screen & she is right before it, then the eye flickers again & she is standing on the ledge about to jump.
There is constant whispering about conspiracies etc in the background of this piece and when she jumps, the whispering stops.
Cut to a shot of her lying on the floor, her face, staring blankly into the camera. The film title flickers on.
Fake blood will be needed here.
The story is of a girl obsessed by conspiracy and murder. A friend was brutally beaten and killed, dreams and flashbacks haunt her for a while, until she takes action. Eventually she gets too caught up in her own world of delusion, her family and friends abandon her, as she turns obsessive. Attempting suicide, convinced the person who killed her friend is after her too, she ends up in an institute.
A lot of the angles & shots in my short film were inspired by the opening credits of SE7EN, because that sequence, drew me in the most. The close-ups, distoritions of the shots & the music, all worked well together.
This film, has you wondering what the person is doing, cutting up books, looking at forms of torture & the bible, before the film begins.
I would like to make my films similar to this, because beggining with what could be an ending, or what could happen half way through the film, keeps the audience wanting to find out what happens. It also gives a clue to what the film is about & adds to the mystery of the film.
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Target Audience of thrillers.
In my opinion, thriller movies seem to be aimed at more mature people. The reason for this being that the films need an understanding of some issues.
Thrillers usually contain a storyline which requires some intelligence on a matter from an audience. If people don't understand the basic concepts that the thriller is based on (politics, mental health problems), it can be confusing for the viewer.
The audience will have to be interested in the genre, because sometimes the films in in this genre and its sub-genres are thought to be very controversial.
A lot of thrillers are aimed at females, I think. The heroine is usually a vulnerable, ordinary woman. This may get females more "sucked in" to the storyline. Also thrillers make you question everyday routines, which is also good for audience suspense.
To conclude, thrillers are mainly aimed at more mature people/people with a basic understanding of issues risen in these films. The age can be anyone & so can the gender, but usually a basic knowledge is needed.
Film Classification.
Guidelines;
15.
-Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote drug abuse.
-Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised.
-Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context.
-Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail.
-Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable.
18.
In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC’s public consultations and The Human Rights Act 1998, at ‘18’ the BBFC’s guideline concerns will not normally override the principle that adults should be free to choose their own entertainment. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:
- where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence.
- where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault.
- if there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ would normally be confined to that category.
(Source http://www.bbfc.co.uk/)
Analysis of Thriller openings.
The Butterfly Effect (2004)Directed by Eric Bress& J. Mackye Gruber. (psychological thriller):
Starring Ashton Kutcher.
Opens with the chaos theory. "It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing, can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world" - Chaos Theory.
Fast high-pitched tones pump adrenaline and keep the audience on their toes already.
Mise en scene & lighting:
The frosted windows of an office reveal a figures cautiously walking behind them. The dim lighting implies it is night time, a time of particular vulnerability.
Torches reinforce that it's night. The frantic waving of them into the room adds to the tension and the search.
Sound:
The whine of the violin in the background, builds up tension. Then when he breaks through the office door, drums kick in. It is faced-paced, building tension and building up to a climax.
His heavy breathing imply he has being running away or is nervous. He reads out what he writes down. the things he mentions are unfamiliar to the audience, so also keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, wanting to find out the meaning behind the letter.
The men shouting in the background are seemingly looking for someone, we suddenly realize that they are looking for Ashton Kutcher's character.
Close up on his letter, the music gets more tense & is the dominant sound. This helps the change of scene, where we presumably find out what put him in his current position.
Camera Angles:
Mainly medium-shots for when he is walking outside the office. Quite realistic.
When he is lay on the floor, there are lots of close-ups of the expressions on his face. Low angles are used when the searchers are looking for him, as if we as the audience are hiding too.
In his letter, the close up on the words "to save her" leave the audience wondering who she is. Also the music gets more tense.
SE7EN (1995) Directed by David Fincher (Crime & psychological thriller):
Starring Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey & Morgan Freeman:
Sound:
The sound of sirens are cars in the background, before the film comes on screen, suggests that the film is set in a city.
Begins with no un-natural sound. No music or tones in the background. For some reason this builds up a lot of tension and is appropriate for this film.
In the next scene it begins immediately with the same background noises, but a man speaking, who we can assume is a police officer, from this we understand Morgan Freeman's character is a detective, not just a cop.
Mise en scene & lighting:
Morgan Freeman's character appears, doing the washing up, looking out the window. Dusky light filters through the window. It's morning.
He is doing basic things that ordinary people do, ie. buttoning his shirt up & cleaning up. This sets the scene and the little things emphasize the normality of the character, simply getting ready for work. He picks up a police badge, now the audience know he is in the police force.
Then it cuts immediately to the next scene, with a dead person, lying in a pool of blood. The audience gather that he is a detective.
Camera Angles:
Long shot of Morgan Freeman looking out the windown. The camera stays static as he walks towards the mirror.
Close up on his torso as he straightens his tie. The camera moves up revealing his face in a head shot.
Close up on his hands picking up his badge & gun et c.
SIXTH SENSE (1999) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. (psychological thriller):
Starring Bruce Willis.
Sound:
Before the movie starts, in the black, a deep humming tone emits. Then a mysterious piece of music plays, for the movie production companies credits. The music builds to a climax at the starring casts names are revealed. A dramatic stab of music as the film title is shown.
When the movie begins, no non-diegetic sound is present.
Suddenly a crackle is heard from the other side of the room, making the woman jumpy.
Mise en scene & lighting:
A woman is seen through shelves or something in what appears to be a basement. It's dark in there, but there is light forcing its way through cracks in the doors. Being female, alone & in a place such as a basement shows that she is already a vulnerable character.
Camera Angles:
To begin with mainly medium & head shots, then when the noise is heard, the camera comes from a grate or box in the corner of the basement, at a low angle, as if it were watching the female character. A close up of her feet, as she runs up the stairs.
Silence of the Lambs (1991) Directed by Jonothan Demme (Crime thriller):
Starring Jodie Foster & Anthony Hopkins.
Sound:
Non-diegetic sound. Violins.
Diegetic sound; her heavy breathing, fromt he assault course.
voice, spoken.
Mise en scene & lighting:
Woods, alone. Dark, vulnerable place to be, for a young female. Training, not as vulnerable as she may first seem. Strong & strong-willed.
Gray lighting, early morning time.
Male dominated environment.
Dayight/ early morning light.
Artificial lighting in the FBI building. Mostly naturalistic though.
Men wearing suits, relfects importance of their characters job.
Camera Angles:
Long & medium shots.
Starring Ashton Kutcher.
Opens with the chaos theory. "It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly's wing, can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world" - Chaos Theory.
Fast high-pitched tones pump adrenaline and keep the audience on their toes already.
Mise en scene & lighting:
The frosted windows of an office reveal a figures cautiously walking behind them. The dim lighting implies it is night time, a time of particular vulnerability.
Torches reinforce that it's night. The frantic waving of them into the room adds to the tension and the search.
Sound:
The whine of the violin in the background, builds up tension. Then when he breaks through the office door, drums kick in. It is faced-paced, building tension and building up to a climax.
His heavy breathing imply he has being running away or is nervous. He reads out what he writes down. the things he mentions are unfamiliar to the audience, so also keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, wanting to find out the meaning behind the letter.
The men shouting in the background are seemingly looking for someone, we suddenly realize that they are looking for Ashton Kutcher's character.
Close up on his letter, the music gets more tense & is the dominant sound. This helps the change of scene, where we presumably find out what put him in his current position.
Camera Angles:
Mainly medium-shots for when he is walking outside the office. Quite realistic.
When he is lay on the floor, there are lots of close-ups of the expressions on his face. Low angles are used when the searchers are looking for him, as if we as the audience are hiding too.
In his letter, the close up on the words "to save her" leave the audience wondering who she is. Also the music gets more tense.
SE7EN (1995) Directed by David Fincher (Crime & psychological thriller):
Starring Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey & Morgan Freeman:
Sound:
The sound of sirens are cars in the background, before the film comes on screen, suggests that the film is set in a city.
Begins with no un-natural sound. No music or tones in the background. For some reason this builds up a lot of tension and is appropriate for this film.
In the next scene it begins immediately with the same background noises, but a man speaking, who we can assume is a police officer, from this we understand Morgan Freeman's character is a detective, not just a cop.
Mise en scene & lighting:
Morgan Freeman's character appears, doing the washing up, looking out the window. Dusky light filters through the window. It's morning.
He is doing basic things that ordinary people do, ie. buttoning his shirt up & cleaning up. This sets the scene and the little things emphasize the normality of the character, simply getting ready for work. He picks up a police badge, now the audience know he is in the police force.
Then it cuts immediately to the next scene, with a dead person, lying in a pool of blood. The audience gather that he is a detective.
Camera Angles:
Long shot of Morgan Freeman looking out the windown. The camera stays static as he walks towards the mirror.
Close up on his torso as he straightens his tie. The camera moves up revealing his face in a head shot.
Close up on his hands picking up his badge & gun et c.
SIXTH SENSE (1999) Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. (psychological thriller):
Starring Bruce Willis.
Sound:
Before the movie starts, in the black, a deep humming tone emits. Then a mysterious piece of music plays, for the movie production companies credits. The music builds to a climax at the starring casts names are revealed. A dramatic stab of music as the film title is shown.
When the movie begins, no non-diegetic sound is present.
Suddenly a crackle is heard from the other side of the room, making the woman jumpy.
Mise en scene & lighting:
A woman is seen through shelves or something in what appears to be a basement. It's dark in there, but there is light forcing its way through cracks in the doors. Being female, alone & in a place such as a basement shows that she is already a vulnerable character.
Camera Angles:
To begin with mainly medium & head shots, then when the noise is heard, the camera comes from a grate or box in the corner of the basement, at a low angle, as if it were watching the female character. A close up of her feet, as she runs up the stairs.
Silence of the Lambs (1991) Directed by Jonothan Demme (Crime thriller):
Starring Jodie Foster & Anthony Hopkins.
Sound:
Non-diegetic sound. Violins.
Diegetic sound; her heavy breathing, fromt he assault course.
voice, spoken.
Mise en scene & lighting:
Woods, alone. Dark, vulnerable place to be, for a young female. Training, not as vulnerable as she may first seem. Strong & strong-willed.
Gray lighting, early morning time.
Male dominated environment.
Dayight/ early morning light.
Artificial lighting in the FBI building. Mostly naturalistic though.
Men wearing suits, relfects importance of their characters job.
Camera Angles:
Long & medium shots.
Analysis of Thriller movie posters.
SE7EN. ( cert; 18)
Star Appeal:
Two big-name stars, Morgan Freeman & Brad Pitt.
Brad Pitt is a Hollywood heart throb so, immediatley that is an appeal.
Morgan Freeman is a top actor and appeared in some of the greats (Shawshank Redemption, Batman). The use of this "Star appeal" helps sell the movie, with getting actors with big names such as this. It helps the audience believe it will be a good film, with such highly acclaimed actors.
Colour Use:
The colours are mainly yellowish-browns & blacks
From the muddy colours, we can percieve that the film is dark and ominous. The colours are quite generic of this genre.
The seven sins are the meaning behind the title of this film.
The film was released in the United States on September 22, 1995.
UNTRACEABLE(18)
Colour Use:
As if the photo was shot through a blue-film.
Gives an insight of the film through the colouring (Dark, mysterious).
Connotations:
The mouse pointer on her face is a give away of what the film is about. It also gives the impression that she is being watched & also that the film title is linked with computers.
Star Appeal:
Diane Lane's star appeal is that she is an award winning actress and an Academy Award nominee.
Untraceable was released on 29 February 2008 (UK).
Colour use;
Like the other posters, this one is mainly dark colours, sticking to a similar colour theme.
Blacks, grays and teal.
Fire implies danger.
Connotations;
"Someone is missing" connotes that this person is escaped. The dark colours of the poster imply that the loss of this person is dangerous.
The violent weather in this poster can reflect on the violent nature of patients on shutter island.
Star appeal;
Leonardo DiCaprio, is a Golden Globe winner & a highly acclaimed actor. Films he has been in have usually over-run the the box office.
Shutter Island was released 12 March 2010 (UK).
As if the photo was shot through a blue-film.
Gives an insight of the film through the colouring (Dark, mysterious).
Connotations:
The mouse pointer on her face is a give away of what the film is about. It also gives the impression that she is being watched & also that the film title is linked with computers.
Star Appeal:
Diane Lane's star appeal is that she is an award winning actress and an Academy Award nominee.
Untraceable was released on 29 February 2008 (UK).
SHUTTER ISLAND(15)
Colour use;
Like the other posters, this one is mainly dark colours, sticking to a similar colour theme.
Blacks, grays and teal.
Fire implies danger.
Connotations;
"Someone is missing" connotes that this person is escaped. The dark colours of the poster imply that the loss of this person is dangerous.
The violent weather in this poster can reflect on the violent nature of patients on shutter island.
Star appeal;
Leonardo DiCaprio, is a Golden Globe winner & a highly acclaimed actor. Films he has been in have usually over-run the the box office.
Shutter Island was released 12 March 2010 (UK).
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