Preliminary Task - Actors

Actors

In terms of acting, we, as a group, decided that to make the film as good a quality as we could, we needed actors that made the narrative believable. This being said, we decided to use A Level drama students to capture the realism and bring the script to life. Mattie is an A Level drama student, and by recruiting her to help shoot our film, we had a good actress who could show emotion and who was comfortable in front of the camera. She has played a range of roles, and talking to Mattie as a group, we decided she would be best suited to the role of the Inspector, as she could use her acting qualities to portray this character in the best way.

As an A Level drama student, I also acted in our piece, I played the role of the defendant. In terms of character, I decided to use a range of emotions as the Inspector continued to break down my character's resolve, the intensity was matched with shot's getting shot and snappy to show the impatience and uncomfortableness of my character.

I think our choices of character enhanced our film as it made the narrative more believable but also easier to watch as it was less cringy and arguably more professional.

Written by Connor Southwell

Preliminary Task - Feedback

Thriller Planning - Storyboard

Thriller - Final Cut

Evaluation - Question 7

Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to the full product?

As a production team I truly believe we have come very far since our preliminary task in terms of our editing, technical skills and in my opinion our most developed area, planning. 

The preliminary task provided us with the opportunity to exercise skills and develop new areas the seriously needed developing. For example prior to the preliminary task I was clueless as to how to use lighting and camerawork effectively to connote different feelings and engage the audience.

The preliminary task taught me about the various rules we must follow and stick to when filming to ensure a believable and professional film, such as the 180 degree rule and the 30 degree rule. Also, the preliminary task was my first time properly using any sort of camera equipment or shooting anything close to what could be deemed as a professional film sequence. In addition, we were given the chance to learn and use the new technology that we had been provided such as a DSLR, a tripod and a microphone. This meant that when it came around to filming our thriller we had some degree of knowledge and understanding of the equipment. In terms of the kind of skills we learned when completing the preliminary task we established how to use camerawork such as mid shots and shot reverse shot, this I feel we did very successfully. As well as learning from the elements of the preliminary task that we did well we also thoroughly learnt from our mistakes and errors. For example, in our preliminary task we failed to demonstrate any essence of continuity or ambition, in the sense that we played everything very safe. By only including two or three different camera angles we limited our piece, but we learned from this and in our thriller we included a variety of shots which gave our piece depth. As you can see here in this screenshot, we demonstrated our ambition that we just didn't have in the preliminary task by using a close up accompanied by low key, diegetic lighting immersing the audience in the mystery of the plot and character.

This is a screenshot from our thriller
displaying Tom's character in low key
lighting through a close up shot.

In terms of continuity we made sure that we did it right this time, as in our preliminary task we failed to execute this, as we changed the mise en scene between shots. Furthermore, in our preliminary task we included large amounts of unnecessary clutter, creating a messy mise en scene and an all round unprofessional sequence.

Compared to our preliminary task I feel like our planning for 'Torpidty' is amazing, we display our in depth knowledge of the genre conventions and show our complete thought process when deciding each key part. For example, our mind map of initial ideas is extremely thoughtful and displays how we considered various plots and genres before choosing our current one. Also, the planning process, as seen through my blog posts displays our fantastic level of teamwork and group discussion. Compared to our preliminary task where each of us would randomly come up with ideas and incorporate them, with our thriller we systematically went through possible ideas and asked for each group members input on each idea.

Evaluation - Question 6

What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

Research and Planning

Prior to filming we chose various platforms to document, record and present our research and planning. For both our research and our planning stage we consistently used blog posts, as they are the simplest, easiest and most effective way to display our work. By using blogs we were enabled to present our findings in different formats such as presentations, images and videos thus demonstrating our professionalism and improving our works clarity. In addition to this the use of blogs meant we could constantly update, improve and rewrite our work and add any improvements highlighted by our teachers comments. Another key piece of technology we used in our research is YouTube, by incorporating video clips into our work we were able to capture screenshots of certain camera angles and narrative techniques then annotate and incorporate them into our thriller piece. Furthermore, YouTube allowed us to watch clips from films in the thriller genre and gain knowledge on powerful techniques such as shadows, soundtracks and flashbacks which we could mirror in our film. In addition to that the video clips of films from the same genre allowed us to gain knowledge of the genre and it's general conventions, stereotypes and representations. However, I am yet to mention the most important and useful piece of technology that was key to our thriller research and planning, the internet. Websites such as IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes were extremely useful in gathering key information on conventions and styles. For example, without the use of the internet our production team would never have come up with the idea to incorporate a key piece of camerawork taken from the film 'Inception' where we see an extreme close up of Josh waking up. Without the use of the internet we wouldn't have been able to use the sound effects we used or soundscape, which would result in a very dull sequence. As well as this, without this piece of technology we couldn't have used the website DaFont, which would mean we couldn't research around what type of typeface to add to our film.

Production

During our filming we used DSLR Camera's which are vital in making our film professional and clear. One of there key features is that there is they allow instant playback, meaning we can see the footage we just shot and evaluate to see if the lighting, sound and angle is perfect thus making our film making process faster, easier and more efficient. Another key piece of technology we used in the production of our thriller is a tripod and a stabilizer. Firstly, the tripod allowed us too get steady and focused establishing shots and mid shots and prevented any sort of camera jolting resulting in a smoother sequence. Secondly, the stabilizer is a piece of equipment that our production team had never previously worked with, this piece of technology allowed us too do smooth, fast paced and steady tracking shots. For example the tracking shot we used of Josh sprinting, without the use of the stabilizer then the clip would have been much to frantic and chaotic.


Post Production

After gathering all of our necessary clips and footage we moved into the editing stage, for this we used the professional editing program, Premier Pro. This program allowed us to reshuffle our clips organizing them, edit the colour adjustment, the lighting and the sound. One major aspect of Premier Pro is flipping shots and organizing shots to maintain continuity, this is vital as your thriller film must maintain a consistent narrative and make sense. Another key feature we used from this program was editing sound, we were able to alter the volume, tempo and length of the soundscape. This software also allowed us to input our chosen soundtracks and sound effects into our film with ease. Another aspect of Premier Pro that we utilized was being able to add in credits, we could change the fonts and colour of the text. For example we could change and edit the kerning, the point size and typography of the font. This enabled us to make our credits and title sequence much more personal and conform with the general conventions of the thriller genre.

Evaluation - Question 5

Q5 from Thor Forster

Evaluation - Question 4

Evaluation - Question 3

What kind of media institution might distribute your media product and why?

There are various different distribution companies in the film industry that are experts in distributing certain types of films. For example, CineMANX specialise in distributing huge blockbusters with extremely large budgets, some of there biggest successes being films such as 'The Hunger Games' and the 'Twilight' franchise. This company would not be a very good choice for our film in terms of distribution as ours is small budget and independent. Furthermore, in relation to cost, paying CineMANX to distribute our film would be an extraordinary amount of money that Ronnor Productions simply doesn't have.

So, when deciding as to which company would be the best institution to distribute our film there are various factors that we must consider and take into account.

When discussing whether or not our thriller can be considered as mainstream, we must first explore the concept and term mainstream. Mainstream, by definition, means the ideas, attitudes or activities that are shared by most people and regarded as normal or conventional.

Torpidity would be perfectly suited to be distributed by a company that has experience in distributing art house, largely independent and niche films. Furthermore our film would suit thrive most in the independent British market, so a company such as Film Four or Picturehouse would be ideal. When considering which distribution company would suit, we must also take into account the production company. For us, there is a clear winner in this dependent, this being Working Title. Picturehouse would be an ideal company to distribute our thriller for various reasons. Firstly, they have experience in distributing low budget UK films such as 'F' which is a thriller with an extremely low budget of £150,000. Furthermore, seeing as Picturehouse have distributed countless films that are similar to ours, it is clear they have the expertise to ensure our film is distributed successfully.

In terms of exhibition, I personally believe that cinema city would be ideal as our thriller would appeal to an art house, niche market, rather than a mainstream demographic. Also, another reason as to why Cinema City would be perfect to exhibit our film is that they appeal to a young adult demographic, such as University students, with this is being our primary target audience a relationship between our film 'Torpidity' and Cinema City would be perfect. In addition, Cinema City specialises in exhibiting independent low budget films, this is why Torpidity would suit perfectly to their exhibition. We did consider the possibility of putting our film straight on to DVD, but we feel that our film would thrive in a cinema due to our use intense soundscape and beautiful camerawork. 'Torpidity' in our opinion, is made for the cinemas, we want the audience to pay tentative, close and careful attention to all the elements of our psychological thriller to make sure they experience our masterpiece to it's fullest potential.

New technologies would offer different ways to view our thriller film, whether it be through YouTube, iTunes or VOD. If we were too upload our film too YouTube we would be guaranteed to get a larger audience and get our production companies name out there. However, there are some problems with this; if we uploaded our film to YouTube we would lose out on a huge amount of money due too the fact that people could use YouTube to MP4 converters and make copies of our film. Another technology that we could utilise would be social media, such as Facebook or Twitter as we could create a page and get people to raise awareness for it by sharing it. In addition we could pay for the website to advertise our film or company, this could start to create a fan base and an audience for our thriller film. One reason as too why social media would be a great option is that it is simple, effective and has a massive market. For example, there are around 1.86 Billion monthly users on Facebook, this shows how huge the potential audience is, therefore if we can utilise websites such as Facebook and Twitter we can generate an active fan base for our thriller product.

With our thriller being an independent, art house and student produced film there are various opportunities that could provide our film with distribution. These opportunities come in the form of competitions that have been created to encourage young people to enter into the world of film and for students too demonstrate their potential in the form of film production. One company that is very keen to invest in young people films is Cinema City, this company has held many competitions and events to encourage youth into the film industry. One example of an event that Cinema City do is Creative Futures; this is opportunity gives students aged 15-19 who are interested in a career in the creative industries to work in said industry. An event like this would give our production company the opportunity to exhibit our thriller and showcase it too an actual company. Competitions like these are incredible opportunities for first film makers to get experience, possible distributors and recognition for their independent, small budget films. Events and competitions are another reason that Ronnor productions would love to be associated with Cinema City.

Getting a film distributed for any company can be difficult, but when you are small, independent and unknown it's even harder. If you can't manage to get a designated company to distribute your film then you are in a bad situation, for example you can't get your film exhibited in cinemas, meaning your profit is going to be very minimal. Considering we are students we face even more problems, such as we don't have the funds to pay a lot of money for distribution, but it's not just money issues. Due to our age, experience and skill we are vulnerable to exploitation, unfairness and prejudice. In terms of raising publicity and awareness for our film this is much easier, this is due to websites such as Facebook, we are able to share and get our film onto the internet where it can be viewed and digested by people and companies.

Evaluation - Question 2 - Updated

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The opening to our thriller film, Torpidity, represents various different social groups. Our film coincided with the stereotype of the criminal youth, we demonstrated this stereotype through camera shots, costume and body language. A common stereotype that the media have of teenagers is that they are rough, aggressive and criminals. Our film shows the stereotype people in contemporary Britain have for young people, an example of when this is displayed is in the UK TV Drama 'Top Boy'.

This image depicts how many people see teenagers and this is the stereotype we wanted to dive into. We chose to reinforce the ideology that people have for teenagers as we believe it would add to the realistic feel we wanted to portray. However as much as we wanted to reinforce and play along with the stereotype we also wanted to challenge it. Our protagonist of the film being Connor's character whom is white and British , the same as the antagonist, we wanted to go against the general stereotype. We did this by focusing on his costume and body language. For example, Connor's
character wears much less intimidating clothes, also we made sure that his body language was much more vulnerable and withdrawn. We decided that the costume of my character, Tom, should fit in with the stereotype of what teenagers are perceived to wear. Therefore we chose my character to wear mainly darker colours such as dark green and black, we also ensured that the costume of Tom should be concealing, so we chose a dark green Nike hoodie. Tom's outfit was chosen to fit in with the common perception and stereotype that much of the public had of today's youth. We took inspiration for Tom's character and costume from the character 'Pest' from the film 'Attack the Block'. This film plays along with the stereotypes that society has for teenagers, as a group of friends from South London mug a young women in the street.

In contrast too this Connor's character, Josh, wore simple everyday clothing that challenged the stereotype of criminal teens. Connor's character represents a completely different social status, the middle class, we portray this through mise en scene and camerawork. Josh's costume in particular is extremely significant, rather than wearing a tracksuit he is seen to wear very honest, non aggressive and non intimidating clothes. As an example he is seen wearing
plain grey suit like trousers and smart grey shoes, this is a clear representation of the middle class. In our thriller we wanted to display this battle in society between the stereotype of criminal youth and sensible, polite and vulnerable youth, this is why we chose to represent two opposing classes in our film. Furthermore, with Josh's withdrawn and sheepish body language we were able to portray the idea that he is vulnerable and a victim. We use binary opposition with an antagonist and a protagonist. The audience is meant to feel sympathy and frightened for Josh's character as he is vulnerable and isolated. Rather than representing different ethnic groups within our piece we focused on another problem for people, mental health. Connor's character is seen as going insane at times, we portray him as extremely paranoid and possibly schizophrenic, we chose to incorporate this within our piece as it adds to the idea that he is vulnerable and inferior. Josh's character has an on going battle in his mind, this mixed with his paranoia that he is being followed creates tension and ambiguity in our opening sequence.

Within the opening sequence of our thriller we only feature male characters, this is done intentionally too challenge and reinforce the stereotype society has for teenagers. However, later on in our thriller film we intend to include a femme fatale character, this would create a contrast in our film as the female character would use her sex to gain superiority over Josh's character, once again deeming Josh as inferior and weak.

Evaluation - Question 1 - Updated

In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

The title of our piece is called 'Torpidity' and falls under the psychological thriller genre,we use various general conventions from other thriller movies and incorporate a variety of features from some of our favorites, such as 'The Silence of the Lambs' . As well as following the conventions of many thriller films we tried to challenge them too in an attempt to make it memorable and jaw dropping. For example we used some common mise en scene elements from famous thrillers, such as the location of 'Women in Black' with some sequences taking place in a dark and scary wood. Our film also takes inspiration from 'The Dark Knight' in terms of lighting and tension building, for example the scene with the Joker being interrogated. We wanted to re create the use of low key diegetic light in this scene as it creates immense suspense and feelings of ambiguity.

The Dark Knight - Interrogation Scene

We took inspiration in lighting from this scene shown in Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight'. In which, low key lighting and shadows are used to create suspense and uncertainty.

The Silence of the Lambs - Forest Scene

We took our inspiration for one of the settings from Jonathan Demme's masterpiece 'The Slience of the Lambs' in which the films opening location is a forest, as is ours.

Thriller Film Analysis

Road To Perdition

Road to Perdition is a masterclass in cinematography and acting directed by Sam Mendes in 2002. Produced by Fox and making a gross of $104,054,514. Featuring Oscar winning actors such as Tom Hanks and Paul Newman this film captivated audiences and really stretched the general conventions of a gangster film. With the cinematographer of this film being no other than Conrad Hall this film was bound to be a success. Many reasons for it's success was down to the breathtaking use of lighting and eerie underscore.

This screenshot gives a perfect example of how shadows and lighting was used in this film. With the film being set in the 1930's, Mendes played around with the Film Noir feel, incorporating it in many shots. With the characters at the bottom of the shot mere silhouettes this gives connotations that they don't want their identities to be shown. Furthermore with the diegetic light coming from the street lamp this draws our focus on the characters in the fore ground, Also, with their being little to no lighting in the scene it gives the audience a sense of scepticism as they are unsure as whats going to happen. The dark night setting gives connotations of mystery and betrayal. The camerawork in this screenshot is fabulous, Hall has used a long wide shot slowly panning upwards displaying the whole street, this is effective because it shows how desolate the streets are. This leads the audience to believe that the men in the shot are of importance or are well known as they are the only people in the whole street, as if no-one wants to be involved with them. The soundscape in this sequence also adds to the effect in the scene, for example the eerie, crescendo underscore partnered with the sound of rain slapping against the road compliments the anticipation created within the scene. These are all common conventions with the thriller genre and more specifically gangster films. The camerawork in this seen gives the feel that we are following the men towards to the car, as if someone is watching them. Also, the fact that there is no-one else in the shot of the whole street except Newman and his cronies could be interpreted as a metaphor for the power and dominance he has.

In this screenshot a clear sense of power is displayed where Paul Newman is walking along in the road surrounded by his men. The fact that it is a relatively low angle mid shot suggests that he has a lot of power and is above the others around him. In addition to this the mise en scene of this sequence is very conventional of Film Noir. For example, the long coats and flat caps are a common feature in most old school gangster films. The rule of thirds is used extremely well in this composition as the main character at the head of the group is on the right side, This draws our attention to him drawing our eye and encouraging the audience to look really observe and understand the characters power. To add to this the deep focus is on the character at the front of the group showing his dominant role.

In the next shot we see an over the shoulder shot displaying a dead man in a car which then switches to a reverse shot of Rooney's expression from inside the car. This piece of camerawork is very clever as displays the characters monotone facial expression instigating to the audience that he has seen death before and is a cold man because any normal person would be shocked or horrified. However, Rooney just looks at the body then turns and looks around him as if nothing had even happened. The score in this sequence is very effective as it is very loud and almost soothing. This contrasts what is happening in the scene as you would expect it to be more fast paced music instigating panic but the soundscape remains calm. Furthermore, the sound of rain cuts out in this shot to make the viewer focus solely the camerawork and plot.

In this next sequence we see the character Rooney turn around and then it cuts to a captivating POV shot. This shot puts us in the shoes of the character instigating a sense of panic as he scans the area for the drivers killer. All we see in the POV shot is buildings consumed by shadows and the dimly lit floor being splattered by rain. This is done for effect as it adds a sense of mystery to the sequence where the viewer and the character both are in the same position, looking for the perpetrator. The low lighting in the scene and the POV shots mixes together to create a panic feeling causing the audience and the character feel a sense of vulnerability.

In the next sequence we see Rooney's henchmen being gunned down from in the shadows, all the audience see is the muzzle flash from the Tommy Gun and his men dropping dead.The use of a low angle mid shot is very beneficial in depicting what is happening in the scene as it gives a view on the panic that is created when the bullets are being fired. To add to this sense of panic Mendes has introduced a louder more frantic piece of music in the background, this perfectly fits with what is happening in the scene as it instigates even more panic. The effectiveness of the prior eerie slow music really comes into play when there is a change in tempo and volume because it shows the change in attitudes of Rooney as a character. He came into the scene confident surrounded by his henchmen, but when the shooting starts and the music gets louder the atmosphere flips completely.

In conclusion the sequence grabs the attention of the audience through various ways. The use of shadows and silence is incredibly important in building tension and mystery within the film. The mise en scene is fairly simple and fits in with the general conventions from a typical Film Noir.

Camerawork in Inception

Cinematography in Inception

In a psychological thriller such as Inception, camerawork is imperative to making the audience feel unnerved or shocked; fast jump cuts, stunning establishing shots, beautiful close ups all add to the perplexed feeling that compliments the plot so well.
Inception is a film about a thief, who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology and he is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a CEO. As well as an intriguing plot and breathtaking cinematography, Inception displays a masterclass in acting through the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page. With being directed by arguably the best director of his time Christopher Nolan, whom directed the Batman trilogy and various other huge blockbusters. Nolan's concentrates on making a film really special, he makes huge films and makes them as personal as he wants. He himself said 'I have an opportunity that very few filmmakers get, to do something on a huge scale that I can control completely'. This amazing film won four Oscars and with a budget of $160,000,000 and a gross of $292,568,851, this incredible film was extremely successful.

The first piece of camerawork I am going to be analyzing is a low angle shot at around 0:07, which displays five characters of the main plot line. Firstly the reason this shot is so exquisite is because of the connotations and feelings that are created by it. Due to it being a low angle shot we get the sense that the characters are incredible inferior to their surroundings linking in with the plot line that these characters are in unfamiliar territory, they are that unease and scared. This feeling is also complimented by the actors looking up at whats around them. In addition, to these feelings, loneliness and isolation is conveyed through the tall buildings around them. Furthermore it is a wide shot which sets the scene perfectly and displays the vastness of the dense city. This camera shot takes place whilst the characters are brainstorming and thinking, the isolation and lack of people in the sequence is a metaphor for the characters clearing there minds from all clutter and noise, focusing on brainstorming ideas. This is evident use of how Nolan has integrated the plot with the camerawork perfectly.

The next piece of camerawork is an astonishing sequence at 0:48 in which a downward pan is seen, this is extremely effective in the sense that it plunges the audience into Leonardo DiCaprio characters shoes as he looks down over the edge so does the camera. This shot is outstanding because it uses the shadows to draw the focus on how high up the character is. This shot really plays in with the psychological thriller genre, it makes the audiences extremely on edge and creates tension.

Inception - Close up

In thrillers close ups hold huge importance, they create a sense of relationship and personal feeling with the character. For example in this scene we see a close up of Leonardo DiCaprio's character as well as this it is an eye level shot reinforcing this idea of a relate-ability. This piece of camerawork is simply beautiful as the camera slowly gets closer leading to an extreme close up of his face. This ties in perfectly with the characters thoughts and feelings in the scene. For example, as the camera zooms closer, the character gets closer to figuring out the puzzle, then finally when the camera is at eye level and at an extreme close up the shot ends.

A common convention in thriller films are motifs, at the end of the scene we see a spinning top which is commonly shown throughout the film. The shot begins at a mid shot focusing on the main character but then slowly changing its direction to a small spinning top on the table, it then moves into a close up, drawing focus on the particular item of great significance. The audience is led to believe that the spinning top will come to an end, the score in the background leading to an end and the zooming in on the item, however Nolan throws us off here because instead of the spinning top stopping it carries on and then the film ends. At first this may not seem like the most amazing piece of camerawork however, it is extremely clever. With it being an extreme close up on the spinning top the viewer suspects that something would change, such as it falling over but it doesn't leaving the audience asking questions.


 Written by Thor Forster

Thriller Planning - Inter-textual Refrences

For our film, our production team really went deep and researched around Psychological thrillers, their conventions, motifs and plot twists. Psychological films are amazing at playing with the audiences mind, playing around with people feelings and creating illusions. It was vital to us as a group that we incorporated clever and complex ideas into our film. We took inspiration from various films such as 'Inception' and 'Harvey'.

Our first inter-textual link comes from the incredible Christopher Nolan film 'Inception'. This masterpiece creates illusions and makes the audience really take a step back and think about the film, this is the exact reaction we wanted the audience to have to our film. The link derives from the plot itself which is based around the idea of reality and nightmares being inter changeable, through which the main character is in a never ending nightmare. As well as our thriller linking with the plot of 'Inception' we were also influenced by one of their breathtaking sequences in which Leonardo Di Caprio is seen in a extreme close up waking up. In our thriller we will replicate this scene to show an inter-textual link very early on, as well as demonstrating our knowledge on the subject this sequence fits perfectly with our thriller. This use of an extreme close up is very important as it lets the audience differentiate between what is a dream sequence and what is reality. Furthermore by using this shot it will show our skills in camerawork.

Another inter-textual reference we have made in our film is from the 1950's film 'Harvey'. The inter-textual reference being that the main character in the film is insistent on the fact that he has a six foot tall rabbit as a best friend. Whilst this film seems to have no resemblance to our thriller what so ever. We actually got the idea of not being able to see Javier Martellini's face in the thriller from this film. In our thriller only Josh Masterson see's Javier, this is exactly the same as in Henry Koster's film where main character Elwood is the only one that can see his best friend. I believe that this inter-textual link whilst being very alternative is a very clever idea from our production team.

These inter-textual references displays our knowledge of the genre and film, but also shows we are able to use various ideas from different films and incorporate them into our thriller piece.

Written by Thor Forster

Thriller Planning - Title Sequence

 The typography of a film is key, it gives you a sense of the film creates an atmosphere. So when choosing the font to use in our title sequence we decided that we wanted to create a dark and mysterious atmosphere. By using this kind of typeface it allowed us to initiate and connote feelings of uneasiness before any footage was actually shown. Rather than using a simple font such as Arial which doesn't connote anything special, we aimed to use a serif font with medium point size. As for the colour of the typeface we have decided on using reverse type too grab the readers attention. The common typography used in thrillers is a predominantly clean, condensed and thin typeface.

An example of a possible font that we could use in our thriller is 'Supernatural Knight' by Matthew Walters taken from the website 'http://www.dafont.com'. This font is simple, easy to read and gives connotations of the supernatural and whilst our film is a psychological thriller it does contain elements of the supernatural in the form of dreams.


The font 'Angelface' gives connotations of happiness and elegance, this font would be most suited to a romance or feel good film rather than a psychological thriller.

The font here is 'Typographica' it is a sans serif font giving connotations of boldness and intimidation. This typeface is very easy to read which contrasts the opening sequence of our film which is uneasy and confusing.

After much consideration as a group we chose the font 'Avenir Light', we decided on this font as it is clear, simple yet holds many connotations. For example, the thin typography and wide kerning grabs the audiences attention. The connotations of this font is that it provides clarity and simplicity to a very complex opening sequence, this contrasts perfectly.

Overall, we want our font to give connotations of mystery, uncertainty and create an uneasy atmosphere.

Written by Thor Forster

Thriller Planning - Actors

In terms of acting, as a production team, we wanted to ensure that the standard of acting was up to a high standard because it improves the overall complexion of the film as it makes it less 'amateur'. Reflecting upon our Preliminary Task, our focus on that task was based solely around narrative and less so the technical components of the film, so for our thriller, we wanted to strike a balance between narrative and technical aspects such as lighting, mise en scene, camerawork and sound.

Connor Southwell - I decided to act in our thriller as alongside my studies of A Level Media Studies, I also study A Level Theater Studies, which means naturally, I put myself forward for the acting and as a production team, we decided that my experience with acting and study of theatre allowed me to play the role of the main character with flexibility and professionally which doesn't decrease the quality of our film. I play the role of Joshua Masterson, who is the main character in the film, and a character who needs to be presented in a way that shows mystery and illusion towards the opening of our thriller.

Thor Forster- Thor plays the role of the films antagonist in Xavier Martinelli. Thor is excellent for this role, because he is able to characterize really well, which is needed when playing a character who relies solely on body language and movement to play this character, as throughout the opening, his face is completely hidden which is in relation to not being able to see people's faces with in dreams.

Written by Connor Southwell

Thriller Planning - Explanation of Planning Process

Our first step as a production team was too create a mind map of initial ideas which gave us a base to brainstorm various different ideas. Our groups consisted of Connor, Robert and I, immediately our focus was drawn to creating a psychological thriller as this particular sub genre seemed to appeal the most to us. This is because a psychological thriller really allows you to play around with different plot lines, camera shots and soundscape. For example, by choosing to make a psychological thriller we could use an eerie underscore and really let the audiences imagination run wild. After choosing our genre we moved onto making a plot and script, which is crucial within a psychological thriller film. With our ideas from our mind map myself, Connor and Robert devised a plot for our film, this is where we really came into our own, we devised a creative narrative based around the idea of dreams. After developing the plot and putting it in script form we went into production, whilst collecting shots we analysed and edited our script, perfecting and refining it. Throughout the whole of our planning process one thing we stayed true to was developing and changing sections of our script as a group. Each decision was discussed and thought about carefully, despite the script being written by Connor, I would very much say that it was a group effort. Overall as a group I believe we performed exceptionally, each of us contributed to everything, whether it be camera shots, types of lighting or dialogue. In addition to this we shared out the tasks evenly each of us adding our unique touch to every part of the thriller.

Written by Thor Forster

Thriller Planning - Soundscape - Updated

In the thriller I intend on using sound to create tension and suspense. I will achieve this through various methods, for example non diegetic, contrapuntal and crescendo. By using a range of different sound I will be able to produce a more effective and stunning piece.

For example, by using a crescendo I will be able to slowly build up tension and as the sound gets progressively louder an anxious and nervous atmosphere shall be created. This specific method of sound type perfectly conforms with the thriller conventions.

Another example of this is in our thriller when we use diminuendo whilst the main character is walking down a flight of stairs. The music in the scene suddenly dies down creating the false sense of security that the threat is over, this is not the case.

I intend on using a lot of non diegetic sound too keep the clip realistic. This adds to the constant question our thriller is asking which is 'Is it a dream?'.

In our opening sequence we will be using diegetic sound in the form of heavy breathing, this will be used to create tension and suspense. This is a very common feature in many thriller films. Furthermore, the use of this will create a relationship between the character and audience as the viewer will feel concerned for the character.

We are contemplating on using additional dialogue recording in our thrillers there is a large amount of background noise in our clips. This would be hugely beneficial as it would make our dialogue clearer and more understandable. However, due too our thriller not having very much dialogue this may not need to be used, but it it none the less an option.

In addition to these methods we shall be using an underscore in the majority of our thriller, this is because it adds to the eerie feel we want to portray. Furthermore, we are likely to use a low drone sound as this makes the audience feel uneasy,which is perfect for the atmosphere we are trying to create.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XyW7791kCQ

This YouTube clip is an example of a type of score we may use.

Finally, silence is used for effect within our thriller as it creates an uneasy, tense and eerie atmosphere, especially when used alongside a low droning underscore. Furthermore, the use of silence allows the audience to focus on Mise en Scene and the camerawork in the sequence.

Written by Thor Forster

Thriller Planning - Title Explanation - Updated

The film will be called 'Torpidity'

The meaning of the title perectly represents our film in the sense that it is all about being in a dream state. A relativly uncommon word, Torpidity presents ideas of being in a restless, inactive state. Much like the film this title raises alot of questions as to whether the character is in a dream state or is actually awake and in reality.

The word 'Torpidity' derives from the latin word 'Torpidus' meaning numbed or paralyzed, this is coincides with the feeling that the character is helpless in the film unable to escape in reality and in dream. In addition to this idea, this word also presents ideas of feeling trapped, whether it be mentally or physically.

Our aim in choosing this title is that it will relate to the audience as I'm sure a majority of people have felt the feeling of being in a dream state or as the film displays feeling trapped. This feeling of torpidity is something that can happen to any individual and this is something that we really conveyed in the films opening sequence.

Another reason we chose 'Torpidity' to be the title of our film is because this is a feeling that anyone can have at any moment, creating a relatable feeling which we feel we have utilized throughout our opening sequence through the characters and soundscape.

This is an individual task written by Thor Forster

Thriller Planning - Costumes - Updated

Costumes

In terms of costume, we have placed a great quantity of thought into what is being worn by our characters and the characterization in which costume allows, and how it influences the piece in its entirety.

Josh Masterson-  Wears a hooded coat along with grey jeans and grey shoes. The thought process behind the hooded coat is to reveal the identity of his character slowly, and present him as a character of mystery and shadiness. Despite the audience feeling sympathy for Joshua, there is also an air of wondering what is happening etc.

Xavier Martinelli- Wears a tracksuit supported with a green coat with a large hood as we don't want his face to be seen throughout the opening as faces aren't ever seen in dreams. It is used to make him seem a tough and hardened character. This is represented through his stereotypical characterization. 

Thriller Planning - Shooting Schedule

Production Company Name: Ronnor Productions	Directors: Robert Groom
Shooting Schedule

Shoot number: 01	Location: Ketts Hill/ Heights	Actors required: Connor Southwell Thor Forster	Costume, Props, Set dressing: Thor Forster (Second Main Character) – A dark coloured hoodie, old and dirty jeans and rough shoes. Connor Southwell (Main Character) – Regular hoodie/jumper and trousers (Jeans or tracksuit bottoms)
	Date: Tuesday 10th January 2017
		Crew required: Thor Forster Connor Southwell Robert Groom
	Start/ End Times:
			Shot numbers (from storyboards): 10 types of shots
	Transport: Car
		Equipment needed: Sound Recorder extended cable DSLR Rode Video Mic Boom pole Camera Stabilizer Tripod
	Additional notes: Need to double check shots after we have filmed them to make sure that they, test the equipment like tripods, boom mics and cameras to make sure all is working when we arrive at location. If we find anything wrong with the equipment at this point it means, we can replace it and go ahead with our film as smoothly as possible.

Thriller Planning - Pitch - Updated

This film displays a psychological battle where a teenager is trapped between dream and reality, which is which?

Thriller Planning - Plot Synopsis - Updated

Plot Synopsis

The plot of our film is aimed to raise a simple question; what in our lives is dream and what is reality. This is the story of Josh Masterson, who is subject of this intensive reality. Josh struggles to differentiate between the two. Stuck in between two worlds, Josh encounters Javier Martinelli, who plays the villain of the film, and as Josh gets in trouble financially, Javier is there assigned with catching a struggling Josh, is this real? Or is Josh stuck in a dream? 

One possible way we shall try to give the idea that he's in a dream is because you don't actually see Javier Martinelli's face. This is done on purpose as it is commonly known that you cannot actually see peoples faces clearly in dreams. However, we do not want to make it completely seem like he is in a dream as the whole concept behind our thriller is for the audience to figure out whether or not he is in a dream.

Also, throughout the thriller we see Josh being followed or chased by Javier, however we never actually fully understand why. But we immediately feel sympathetic towards Josh and side with him and we automatically see Javier as the antagonist. Our thriller aims to make the audience think and use their own imagination to give an explanation to all the unanswered questions in our film.

Written by Thor Forster 

Fonts

Fonts

Fonts say a lot more than you would first perceive about a film, it sets the tone and general conventions of the film without you seeing any actual footage.
 

 SE7EN

In the film 'Se7en' the opening credits display what seems to be a handwritten, sans serif typeface which immediately creates an eerie feel to the film as it is evocative.In addition the words are slanted up which adds to the handwritten concept. This typography connotes mystery and uncertainty. The audience instantly know that its going to be some sort of mystery film as its very unlikely to be a romance or an action film due to point size and kerning of the font. Furthermore, the opening sequence uses a reverse type to grab the readers attention and immerse them into a normally boring part of the film. The proportional spacing of the typeface plays along with this idea that it is handwritten. Also, the colour of the text is white which connotes simplicity and purity.

Later on in the opening sequence the audience is presented with the title of the film, once again we see a reverse type and it is in uppercase block capitals. Secondly, we see someones hand with bandages over their fingertips and prior to this screenshot we saw someone, presumably the same person cutting their fingers off with a razor blade. With the idea of the typeface being handwritten and the person removing his fingerprints we can interpret that this film is going to be a crime thriller or possibly a horror. Supporting this is the font of the title 'Se7en' as it seems to be smudged and slightly static creating a sense unnerve. On both the screenshots of the opening sequence the typeface seems to be placed on a black background out of the way of whats going on in the scene.

 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4

The opening sequence to the film 'Mission Impossible' displays sans serif typeface much like 'Se7en' however it is extremely different. The font shown here is much smoother and easy to read, it is also all in uppercase which is used to grab the audiences attention. The typography makes it very easy to identify that this is in fact an action movie, this is evident due to the fixed pitch and point size. The font in this sequence is reverse type and white in colour, rather than done to connote emotions it is done to emphasis and make the writing bold. The way the typeface fades in and out of the sequence in a fast paced manor associates it with an action film. If it was to be a romance film the writing would be much slower and calming. The movement of the text instantly introduces us to the fast paced nature of the film and the 'Mission Impossible' franchise.

In this screenshot the title of the film is being presented through flashing sparks which we associate with the action genre. Furthermore, throughout the opening sequence of the film we see action packed freeze frames which reinforce the action feel.The opening sequence has all of the basic conventions of an action film such as guns, skyscrapers, an attractive women and danger. The typeface follows the fuse along and the pitch stays fixed throughout.