Our Thriller.

Preliminary Excercise.

Our Thriller Evaluation.

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

By using the trailer for 'Hide and Seek' as our main inspiration for our film it allowed us to research into the forms and conventions it used that made it so successful.
Our media product uses all aspects of the mise-en-scene to make it effective and intersting to the audience.
In our thriller we used lighting to our advantage in setting the mood and atmosphere at the beginning, the park location was sunny and bright which reflected the childs innocence and purity. This hugely contrasted the darkness in the rest of the film, we used low key lighting by positioning a variety of different lamps in different positions to create a shadow projection onto a blank wall. The shadows represented the evil in the film, and made the little girls lonelyness at the park seem more sinister once you saw the violent shadows. By using the shadows which the audience were made to think were the girls Mother and Father it created mystery because you couldn't see the faces or know the identities of them. This audience manipulation is used in 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Psycho' because the audience doesn't visibly see the violence, but it is edited in such a way by using shadows and sound clips that we believe a brutal attack has took place without having to witness all of the gory details. We wanted to create this binary opposition between good and evil because in many thrillers we have watched there is always some sort of convention of good and evil etc being portrayed.
The soundtrack of our film was called 'Save the Hero' by 'Beyonce', the lyrics in this song were extremely applicable to our films stoyline in that the young child was the hero stuck in between all of the fighting, this convention of a hero or heroine is used in 'Hide and Seek' as the little girl is simply being manipulated by her Fathers schizophrenia and dual personality.
Also the way the music reflected the mood and pace of the film was used in the 'Hide and Seek' trailer as more and more instruments were added such as strings to build the intensity and volume of the music, which led to the final action climax. We used this convention in our film by timing particular poignant parts of the music in with key parts of the storyline, for example when our soundtrack became more intense as drums were added, this is where the violent shadow scene was shown.
The editing was very important to us because we had identified this as being the main factor that makes a film successful. We used a variety of length shots because by quickening up the cuts it increased the pace of the film, this increased the intensity of the film and built up the tension ready for the final climax scene, this technique was found in many different thriller trailers that we watched including 'Hide and Seek'. In contrast to this we used slow motion effectively to focus on a particular point and line in the soundtrack and storyline of our film, this gave that particular clip a more thoughtful and meaningful portrayl. By cutting between the park location and the room location it showed the contrast between light and dark, good and evil.

How does your media product represent particular social groups?

The particular social class that we were focusing on wasthe lower social class. Our film represented the type of people who had low amounts of disposable income and didn't have a comfortable way of life, this was shown through the mise-en-scene of our film such as the oppressive room and violent characters. The male figure in our film was portrayed as a domminant man who beat his wife, the female figure was conveyed as someone who was fragile and vulnerable who suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her husband or parner, this in itself is a representation of a lower social class.

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

We researched into who distributed the film 'Hide and Seek' because ours was similar to this, and targeted the same types of people. 20th Century Fox distributed this film, so we believe this media institution would be the ideal company to distribute ours because it is a globally known name and would give out film huge credebility and make people want to watch it. Because of the thriller genre we were using it immediately gave our film a certificate of 15+, because of the scenes of violence, so we would have to be careful how we advertised the film such as not putting the adverts onto childrens channels or before the 9 o'clock watershed incase it scared younger children.
However as our film is of a low budget and not produced by world famous producers and directors there may be little interest by big global distributors in distributing our film for us. So we may have to target the niche market of distributors such as filmFour as they aim for a more niche and highbrow market by showing a mixture of old and new independent, arthouse, British, foreign language and specialist cinema, along with some critically-acclaimed Hollywood films, this describes our film precisely so maybe FilmFour would be the better option however it wouldn't make our film as mainstream.
I believe our film should be shown through mainstream multiplex cinemas at night because it would create the scary thought provoking atmosphere we were looking for.

Who would be the audience for your media product?

The audience for our media product would be people above the age of 15, because our film would be given the viewing certificate of 15+ by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification), because it contains strong violence, imitable techniques such as the shadow fight scene, and horror.
Our film would target both males and females above the age of 15 because it contains characters of both genders and also a child, so every type of person can relate to the characters. However as the thriller genre is very specific and not all types of people like the genre we realise that it wouldn't be everybodys favourite film, so the audience for our media product would be a fan of the thriller genre who enjoys unravelling a complicating and intriguing psychological plot.

How did you attract/address your audience?

We would attract our audience to gain interest in our film by showing a series of advertisements on all standard channels, BBC 1, BBC 2, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Channel 5, but they would have to be shown after the 9 o'clock watershed so they don't cause any distress to younger viewers.
By using a child it gave the portrayl of innocence and vulnerability which is exactly the idea we wanted to create, this would address the audience because they would feel sympathy towards a child once the sinister twist was revealed.
The park location of our film would immediately attract our audience because it is a place that everyone can relate happy childhood memories too, and would be typically associated with love and family, however the park in our film is represented as being a sort of get a way for the girl as she is shown as a withdrawn yet pure character that makes the audience question whats wrong with her. Then once the violent shadow scene is brought in it creates suprise and shock amongst the audience and increases the sympathy towards the girl.
The theme and implications of domestic violence that is used throughout attracts the audience because it shows how it can affect someones life, this life being the childs makes the audience feel immense sorrow for her and makes them want to watch more and find out what happens to her and the psychological impact it has.
From the posotive feedback we received it shows that our film was widely welcomed by out target age group and should be successful if produced on a bigger budget scale.

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

I have learnt a great deal about the technologies used in constructing a media product because i had never used apple software on a MAC laptop before so i had to learn from scratch.
Initially we practiced using the technology by completing a short preliminiary excercise, this consisted of filming a short film in the genre of your choice using the video cameras provided. By doing this excercise before diving into our main Thriller task it allowed us to explore different camera techniques, angles and what worked on screen.
After we had collected all of our footage we then uploaded it onto the Apple Mac's, and then started the process of cutting all of the clips we had and editing them together to create a smooth professional looking sequence. I learnt that you can never have too much footage because once editing you sometimes only need a few seconds worth of a particular clip, so if you have a variety of these then it can make your film more interesting.
This editing showed me how to use transitions to make the cuts between clips smoother, add effects to clips to give a certain effect or create a particular atmosphere, and how to actually cut the clips so your left with the precise sections you want which was quite tricky to do, I learnt how to put a clip into slow motion or alternatively quickening up a scene by changing the amount of frames per second, and i also learnt how to add a soundtrack into your film for effect by fading in certain parts and emphasizing others.
However once we had played around with the apple software we got to grips with it, and learnt that the editing part was the section that made your film successful, created tension, and gave the overall atmosphere effect you desired.
Overall the technology involved in fiming and editing our thriller was imperative but time consuming, but once we had practiced using the software it was simple to use.

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

Our preliminary task consisted of a few lines of dialogue being exchanged between two central characters, this showed a few key camera techniques such as zooming and tracking, and also a few camera movements that are commonly associated with a conversation which are two shots, medium shots and reverse angle shots.
I have learnt how important the planning process is because on our preliminary task we did a storyboard of the shots and thats it, but when doing our actual Thriller we planend in much more detail, for example we brainstormed possible ideas initially then had a group meeting to decide on a final storyline. We then completed brainstorms for things like location, props and character ideas and finally we drew a storyboard to illustate our shot list. By completing all of this planning it allowed us to set deadlines and keep a track of what we needed at each filming session so we were organised, and by brainstorming our ideas together it allowed us to be creative and throw all of our ideas in together in order to create an amazing story line.
I feel as though i have learnt a huge amount in the progression from the preliminary task to the full product because i have learnt how to edit to create a certain atmosphere or effect by using editing effects such as slow motion. I have progressed in my camera skills work, as previously i don't think i got enough footage to make my edit successful but in my Thriller i shot from a wide range of angles and used a variety of camera techniques, so i could edit them all together to increase the pace of my film if need be, also because we had already planned what shots we were going to take that would create the best effect it was relatively quick and easy to film as we knew what we were doing and what we wanted out of the filming session.

I believe through completing the preliminary excercise it allowed us to progress hugely because it gave us the experiance with using the cameras to film and laptops for editing to create a certain atmosphere and to add tension, without doing the preliminary task it would have been a much longer process in completing our Thriller because we wouldn't have the skills needed to make our film successful and overcome obstacles along the way.

Analysis of Hide and Seek.

This film influenced our thriller hugely because the character of an innocent little girl is in this film too, she plays the main part as she's a lost child caught up in her parents problems, which is the key theme that runs throughout our film as well.
We studied the main aspects of this trailer that made it so successful, and why it made such a huge impact on us as the audience.

The trailer for 'Hide and Seek' uses music effectively to highlight main points in the film that are key to the storyline, and should have the most impact. The music gradually crescendos in volume, as more instruments are added such as strings, this increases the intensity and eventually it comes to the climax where the main dramatic point in the storyline is.
Also the words 'come out, come out, wherever you are' are used, which is said in a twisted version of the child's game hide and seek, we used this concept whilst brainstorming ideas for our film , because we were going to use the well known children's lullaby 'Mockingbird' but alter the last words to give it a sinister and dark edge. However in editing process we didn't end up using this.

The editing is a very important element in this trailer that gives it pace and suspense. The cuts are at first quite slow and then they seem to quicken however the audience is being teased into thinking the action will be taking place soon, but the cuts slow down again. Once the titles are introduced the cuts start to become fast and the action is blurred at the end because of how quick the cuts are, so you just catch glimpses which conveys bewilderment and intensity but also makes the audience want to see more.
At the beginning of the trailer close up and point of view shots are used of the little girl, this immediately lets us view what shes seeing. Then a variety of two shots, medium shots and reverse angle shots are introduced whilst some dialogue is taking place, these are common shots that are used when a conversation is happening because it makes the audience feel as though they are in that particular conversation.
Towards the end of the trailer when the pace is increased through the editing, fast tracking shots are used to make it as though you are following the chase and builds the tension, the zooming camera technique is used on the door too which makes the audience wonder whats going on behind and furthermore builds the suspense.
At the very end, a low angled shot is used from below the basement door so its as though the audience are positioned within the dark basement where 'Charlie' is supposed to be hiding, this creates excitement effectively.

Lighting is used effectively in this trailer to represent different moods and feelings. At the beginning the park is very bright which represents a childlike innocence, but also a certain naivety. This contrasts however to the darkness that the rest of the trailer is in, low key lighting is used throughout the rest of the trailer to show the binary opposition between good and evil. The darkness is particularly effective when the action is becoming more intense because you can't clearly see everything so it adds mystery.

The little girl is the main character in 'Hide and Seek', as she is portrayed in the beginning as an innocent, pure girl doing general child things such as playing in the park. The binary opposition of pure and twisted is created during the film, which at first makes the audience think that the child isn't as innocent as first thought, however this conclusion you draw quite early on into the film isn't necessarily true.


As you can see 'Hide and Seek' was our main inspiration, and we drew a lot of ideas from the film that we believed made it an exciting and thrilling film. We liked the idea of using light and dark to represent good and evil, this was created in our film by using the bright sunny park location then contrasting this with the dark shadowed hall and we also thought the idea of using a little girl in the film was interesting because its not a character you would normally expect to see in a thriller, so this would gain the audiences interest.
We believe that by using all these key elements that made 'Hide and Seek' so successful also have the potential to make our film just as successful.

Analysis of Phonebooth.

Another film we watched to draw inspiration from was 'Phonebooth'. This isn't your typical thriller, as it is set in the same location throughout the duration of the film, which immediately you would think would be boring, however its a very clever idea because it gets you instantly associated with the characters and gradually builds the tension until the climax at the end of the film.
'Phonebooth' challenges the forms and conventions of typical thrillers, because not only is there only one location, but that location is a busy high street in New York and its set in broad daylight using high key lighting, so it doesn't use the cliche of darkness to set a scary atmosphere or a house in the middle of no where to create the idea of being solitary.
Also little visible violence is used, which is the same in the other two films I have analysed, so that makes them similar in that respect. A lot of diagetic sound such as cars passing by and horns is used throughout the whole film, which creates the busy New York street atmosphere.
However the sound of the snipers voice is used as a narrative into his killer mind all the way through, this gives the audience an insight into his motives to kill the man and it allows us to see what the mans life is like and why he deserves this, the audience is almost made to feel sympathetic towards him.
The film ends with the sniper not being caught which leaves the audience on a cliff hanger and makes you analyse details of the film to see what you can draw from it to make your own mind up about the snipers fate.

Analysis of No Country for Old Men.

We also watched this film in our media class, but this clip was poignant to me because the man in the shop who is the killer has previously just murdered a lot of people, yet he appears unfazed by this, and has a calm, collected appearance.
This famous representation of the killer is extremely effective as you do not visibly see all of the murders. For example there is one particular scene where he is just about to kill a man in the shower, however he closes the shower curtain before shooting the man. This shows that the audience doesn't necessarily need to see all of the gory details of the murder to have a vivid picture in their heads of the violence, as other details such as the mise-en-scene and music contribute to the whole effect.

The editing of this clip is relatively simple, the camera uses two-shots, over the shoulder shots, reverse angles and medium shots which are all commonly used when filming a conversation where the dialogue is key to the film.

In the scene above, it shows the superiority of the killer, and how naive the shop assistant is because he doesn't know just how dangerous the man is he's serving, as he just presumes that he's just arrogant and rude. This gives the whole scene a tense atmosphere because the audience have already seen the man commit brutal murders so they know what he's capable of but the shop assistant is un-aware of this which adds to the intensity.
The killers superiority is shown further as he asks general questions about the closing time of the shop, and once the answer is given he has the audacity to tell him he's wrong. This creates a certain awkwardness in the conversation taking place between the two characters and this friction is portrayed via these lines, and puts the audience on edge as to whats going to happen next.

'No Country for Old Men' is quite similar to 'Psycho'in the way that some of the murderous scenes aren't shown explicitly, this is done purposefully for effect because it creates mystery and manipulates the audience into believing something violent and brutal has taken place.

Analysis of Psycho.

We watched 'Psycho' by Alfred Hitchcock in our media lesson, and it hugely influenced our decision to use shadows to create mystery because by using shadows instead of seeing actors visibly on screen it makes the audience intrigued about the identities of these characters, and makes them seem more sinister.
This same idea was used in 'Psycho' in the shower scene (above), Marian Crane the female lead character, is murdered in the shower, however the audience does not actually see this act of violence, an illusion is instead created using sound and shadows.
The audience sees a male shadow approaching the shower at first, but you cannot see his face which makes his identity unknown and keeps the audience guessing as to who murdered the woman until the very end of the film.
Also music is used effectively as you don't physically see the knife penetrate the skin but sound effects are used to replace this, diagetic sound such as the woman screaming and a penetrative knife noise are used, and the noise of the shower still running even after we've heard her slump to the base of the shower which informs the audience that shes now dead. This gives an impression of a brutal attack, and shows how Hitchcock cleverly manipulates his audience.
Quick cutaways and close-up shots are used in this scene too, which creates tension, and the way the shots are sequenced together makes sure that you never see a knife penetration, only the facial expression of the woman clearly shows her in pain.

Alfred Hitchcock shocks the audience even more by killing of the lead character relatively early on into the film, this adds a suprise element, and shows just how daring Hitchcock was. By killing off the lead character it gives a big twist to the story because the audience is already interested into Marion Crane stealing forty thousand dollars only to be shocked when shes brutally murdered.
I believe this contributes to the whole film because it gives an initial fear factor and makes people watch and listen more intently to try and figure where the storys leading and who’s next to die. Also it grabs people’s attention instantly and makes the film unique, which is what Hitchcock wanted.

Feedback.

Feedback was very important to our group, we asked two simple questions to our class which were, Describe some of the good points of our film and Describe some points in the film where improvement is needed.
Once we had a range of different positives and negative points we could clearly see what our audience thought needed to be improved, so we could go back and alter our movie. We also asked our teacher for his opinion on our film, as a professional view could be extremely informative and helpful.

Some of the positive feedback we received was:

• Sountrack was timed well to fit with key bits of the storyline and action in the film
  
• Soundtrack was very relevant to the storyline

• Variety of shots used for effect
  
• Transitions were smooth and a variety used

• Editing looked professional

• Cutaways were used effectively to fasten of slowen the pace
  
• Locations fitted in with storyline
  
• Lighting used effectively to set mood

• Shadow scene very effective
  
• Good character, props, and location choice
  
• Exciting
  
• Flashbacks used effectively

Some of the Constructive criticism we received was:

• In the opening of the film one of the transitions could have been smoother
  
• The duration of the film could have lasted longer

• Title pages possible on too long
  
  

By receiving feedback from a variety of teenagers ranging from the ages 15-18 and also the professional view of our teacher it gave us important constructive points that we could improve upon, to make our film successful.

I believe that one of the strongest areas of our film is the editing, as we have used a variety of different camera techniques, editing transitions and different lengths of cuts to create intensity and pace in our film, which creates tension and atmosphere throughout the duration of the film.

By receiving this feedback before our coursework deadline it has allowed us go back and change some of the points that were made for improvement, we shortened the length of the title pages as we too thought they were too long, and we also changed the editing of some of the opening shots so it looked smoother.

After completing these changes it has left us with our final edit which we are extemely satisfied with!

Second day of shooting.

Our second shooting session took place at my house, although originally it was meant to be in Georgina's summer house this wasn't possible because of her schedual.
However this turned out to be a good location to film the shadow scene, as we used a blank back wall of my landing to project the shadows onto. We did this by using a variety of different lamps at different angles to reflect the shadows onto the wall. Me and my Brother acted as the violent shadows because we wanted a male figure to show the difference in size between the larger male and the smaller female, which represented the mans dominance compared to the womans fragile body.
We used a baseball bat as a prop, because it could visibly be noticed on the shadow image and it also gave the scene a more brutal approach as the baseball bat was used as a weapon against the woman.
Once we had compiled all this footage, we edited it together, and we used the violent shadow scenes as quick flashbacks in the childs memory, we also put tiny sections of a single punch for example in slow motion which effectively exaggerated the severity of the domesic abuse.

First day of shooting.

Our first day of filming was very successful as we got all of the footage of the park scene we needed but we didn't anticipate how time consuming it would be, because we thought we would be able to shoot the shadow scene as well.
However we chose the park scene location to be filmed in Gnosall park as it looked like your typical colourful playpark so the asthetics were perfect, and it had lots of children running around because we filmed in the February half-term.
The park was also surrounded by fields and trees, so it was the ideal setting for the child to be on the swing as you couldn't see the road or any houses surrounding it.
The child actress we used was called Teylor, we wanted her to be in our film playing the innocent child because she had the look we wanted, which was long flowing hair, and a pale complextion. She had to swing on one of the parks swings, as we took lots of different angled shots of her doing so, these ranged from long shots to close up shots of just her face.

We had planned to use Georginas garden summer house to film the shadow scene, as the playhouse was relatively dirty and old, however we didn't end up filming the second location's set of scenes because we didn't have any time left so we had to re-arrange a second filming session which fitted in with everyones scheduals.

Basic Plot.

The storyline of our thriller is portrayed through two different contrasting scenes.
In the opening of our film a young girl is shown swinging on a swing in a park, she is alone, and has a vulnerable yet sad and thoughtful expression to her face. This immediately creates curiousity as to why shes on her own and looking so sad.
In the second scene the flashbacks of violence are then brought into the film, however the fight scene is only shown in shadow form which makes the identities of the characters fighting a mystery, but the audience is made to presume that the characters fighting are the childs Mother and Father, which is why the young girl is so withdrawn as she has had to witness the anger of her Father hitting her Mother.
As our brief states that this should only be the 'opening' to a thriller, we have intentionally left many questions from the audience unanswered, because by immediately giving away to much information about the domestic abuse it would only ruin the atmosphere and mysterious effect we were trying to create. It may not even be apparent to the audience that the violent shadow figures were the childs Mother and Father but our film does convey that the violence shown has made the child to be the sad and lonely figure on the film.
Ideally as the film progressed we would have shown the psychological reasons as to why this domestic abuse had been happening, and the impact it had made on the child caught in between it all.

Forms and Conventions of a Thriller.

Before starting to film our thriller, we researched the key forms and conventions of the thriller genre. 4 movies in particular stood out to us, these were:

• Psycho
• No Country for Old Men
• Phone booth
• Hide and Seek

By looking closely at these films, we studyed the forms and conventions that made them so effective and successful, and what we could use in our own film to make ours as persuasive and real.

• There is usually some kind of hero/heroine that the audience can sympathise with.

• Action and violence, usually on a grand scale as they emphasise all acts of violence to make the film more exciting.

• Cliff-hangers are used to create suspense and tension.

• Psychological reasons of the characters actions are explored, to let the audience understand possible motives.

• Twists in the plot, keeps the audience interested.

• Fast cuts, creates a fast past which conveys urgency or danger.

• Music is used primarily to convey a certain mood and create tension.

• Lighting , either high key or low key lighting is used to add effect and build an atmopshere that reflects the mood in the film.

Thriller genre and subgenres.

After researching the thriller genre, we found that there were many different types of sub-genre, which can also combine together to create a very diverse film.

Here are thriller sub-genres:

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

• Conspiracy Thriller: In which the hero/heroine confronts a large, powerful group of enemies whose true extent only he/she recognizes. The Chancellor Manuscript and The Aquitane Progression by Robert Ludlom fall into this category, as do films such as Three Days of the Condor, Capricorn One, and JFK.
  
• Crime thriller: This particular genre is a hybrid type of both crime films and thrillers that offers a suspenseful account of a successful or failed crime or crimes. These films often focus on the criminal(s) rather than a policeman. Crime thrillers usually emphasize action over psychological aspects. Central topics of these films include murders, robberies, chases, shootouts, and double-crosses are central ingredients. Some examples include The Killing, Seven and The Godfather.

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

• Drama thriller: In which the story consists of the elements of a thriller and drama film. These films are usually slower paced and involves a great deal of character development along with plot twists. Examples include The Illusionist, The Interpreter and The Prestige.
  
• Eco-thriller: In which the protagonist must avert or rectify an environmental or biological calamity_often in addition to dealing with the usual types of enemies or obstacles present in other thriller genres. This environmental component often forms a central message or theme of the story. Examples include Nicholas Evans's The Loop, C. George Muller's Echoes in the Blue, and Wilbur Smith's Elephant Song, all of which highlight real-life environmental issues.

• Erotic Thriller: In which it consists of erotica and thriller. It has become popular since the 1980s and the rise of VCR market penetration. The genre includes such films as Basic Instinct, Dressed to Kill, Colour of Night, Eyes Wide Shut, Fatal Attraction, Looking for Mr.Goodbar and In the Cut.
  
• Horror thriller: In which conflict between the main characters are mental, emotional, and physical. Two recent examples of this include the Saw Series of films and the Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later. What sets the horror thriller apart is the main element of fear throughout the story. The main character(s) is not only up against a superior force, but they are or will soon become the victims themselves and directly feel the fear that comes by attracting the monster's attention. Other well-known examples are Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and Thomas Harris's The Silence of the Lambs.

• Legal thriller: In which the lawyer-heroes/heroines confront enemies outside, as well as inside, the courtroom and are in danger of losing not only their cases but their lives. The Innocent Man by John Grisham is a well known example of the type.
  
• Medical thriller: In which the hero/heroine are medical doctors/personnel working to solve an expanding medical problem. Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Michael Crichton, and Gary Braver are well-known authors of this subgenre. Nonfiction medical thrillers are also a subcategory, comprising works like The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Films such as Awake are other examples of medical thrillers.

• Political thriller: In which the hero/heroine must ensure the stability of the government that employs him. The success of Seven Days in May (1962) by Fletcher Knebel, The Day of the Jackal (1971) by Frederick Forsyth, and The Manchurian Candidate (1959) by Richard Condon established this subgenre. A more recent example is the 1980 film Agency.
  
• Psychological thriller: In which (until the often violent resolution) the conflict between the main characters is mental and emotional, rather than physical. The Alfred Hitchcock films Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt, and Strangers on a Train and David Lynch's bizarre and influential Blue Velvet are notable examples of the type, as is The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan and The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote Strangers).

• Spy thriller (also a subgenre of spy fiction): In which the hero is generally a government agent who must take violent action against agents of a rival government or (in recent years) terrorists. Examples include From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming, The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, and television series such as Mission: Impossible and 24 (the latter demonstrating a break from the norm by Robert Ludlum, as it is as much a psychological thriller as a spy thriller).
  
• Supernatural thriller: In which the conflict is between main characters, usually one of which has supernatural powers. Carrie by Stephen King, Unbreakable by M. Night Shyamalan, and Torchwood are notable examples of this genre. This type of thriller combines tension of the regular thriller with such basic horror oriented ingredients as ghosts, the occult, and psychic phenomenon; the supernatural thriller combines these with a frightening but often restrained film. They also generally eschew the more graphic elements of the horror film in favor of sustaining a mood of menace and unpredictability; supernatural thrillers often find the protagonists either battling a malevolent paranormal force or trapped in a situation seemingly influenced or controlled by an other-worldly entity beyond their comprehension.
  
• Techno-thriller: A work that usually focuses upon military action, in which technology (usually military technology) is described in detail and made essential to the reader's/viewer's understanding of the plot. Tom Clancy defined and popularized the genre with his The Hunt for Red October, and is considered to be the "Father of the Technothriller".

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

Types of shots used.

When researching Thrillers through watching many different movies in the Thriller genre, we found that tension and atmosphere was created through the types of camera shots and movement used, this could either increase or decrease the pace of the scenes, which is very effective as it enables you to achieve a tense scene through quick cuts or particular camera techniques.

In our film we used a variety of different camera shots:

• Close Up (Of the girls facial expression, creates intensity)
• Long Shot (The girl swinging)
• Medium Shot (Shows scene detail)
• Two Shot (Shows the two people you need to focus on)
• Extreme long shot (Establishes location)
• Establishing shot (Establishes location in more detail)

We also used different types of camera movement:

• Zooming (Intensifies the scene by focusing on one particular object, for eg- The girl)
• Reverse Zoom (Reveals more of the location)
• Hand Held (Produces an unsteady image, creates a sense of chaos and panic)

We used two different camera angles:

• Low angle - The camera was placed below the girl so it looked up at her, this gave the impression that she was superior and could rise above the 'evil' in the film.
• Eye level - The camera was on the same angle as the girl, and the shadows. We used this angle because it brings the viewer closer to the action as they feel as though they are there to witness the events.

In our film we fastened the pace up when the violence the shadows were creating were introduced, we did this by using more frequent fast cuts and close up shots to convey intensity. We also used slow motion shots at the start of the film to create the feeling of the little girl being oblivious to the violence when she was in the park, as she simply wanted to forget, this shot gave that particular clip a more thoughtful perspective.

Choosing the film name.

Choosing our Thrillers name was an important decision for our group, as the name is the first thing that draws you into any film, so by deciding on a good name would give our Thriller a huge advantage over other films as the name usually encapsulates what the film is about and creates interest.

We brainstormed a few possible ideas:

• Unwanted
• Lonely
• Neglected
• Un-wanted
• Alone
• Burden
• Trapped

The film name we decided on was 'Alone' because we thought this name had the most significance to our film, and it was relevant to the message we were trying to convey.

Also 'Alone' is a short and precise word that we thought sums up many feelings of neglect, loneliness and being ignored which are the exact feelings the child character in our film is experiancing.

When adding in our titles to our film, we put the word 'Alone' in small letters in the bottom left hand corner of the screen, by doing this it reflected the childs position in the storyline as being shoved into the corner and feeling extremely small.

Lighting.

Lighting is one of the most important components that is used to create atmosphere and give effect, especially in the thriller genre where the mood is conveyed through using asthetic tools suh as low key and high key lighting to portray a particular feeling.

Whilst planning for our thriller we had already decided that we wanted to create a tense mood by using lighting effectively and create a huge contrast between our two different location shots, with the park location being bright and sunny and the bare room location being dark and dingy.



Our film would start with the park scene, this would give the impression of a care free and tranquil atmosphere, and the little girl would reflect this as she would epitomize innocence and purity. We filmed this scene on an extremely sunny day which was perfect because the sun gave us the high key lighting effect we desperately wanted to create the innocent effect.




In our second location scene we wanted it to completely contrast the first one, so the room would be dark and dirty which would convey an oppressive feel and make the audience think that something sinister was taking place.
We did this by shooting these scenes in a bare room, and using low key lighting which we used to project dark shadows onto a wall behind which would be a complete contrast to the little girls angelic representation. This effectively showed the binary opposition between good and evil, and innocence and oppression, which fits into the thriller genre perfectly.

Film Classifications set by the BBFC.

.After discussing all of the Film Classification labels and researching what could and couldn't be shown on each one we decided to set our thriller opening to a 15 because of the immitated violence used.
Generally most thrillers are classed as 15 or 18's so this would be in line with the type of audience we would be targeting and make it suitable for their viewing.


'15' – Suitable only for 15 years and over
No-one younger than 15 may see a ‘15’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 15 may rent or buy a ‘15’ rated video or DVD.

Theme
No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate to 15 year olds.

Language
There may be frequent use of strong language (eg 'fuck'). But the strongest terms (eg 'cunt') will be acceptable only where justified by the context. Continued aggressive use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable.

Nudity
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.

Sex
Sexual activity may be portrayed but without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour.

Violence
Violence may be strong but may not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. Scenes of sexual violence must be discreet and brief.

Imitable techniques
Dangerous techniques (eg combat, hanging, suicide and self-harming) should not dwell on imitable detail. Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised.

Horror
Strong threat and menace are permitted. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable.

Drugs
Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse.



'18' – Suitable only for adults
No-one younger than 18 may see an ‘18’ film in a cinema.
No-one younger than 18 may rent or buy an ‘18’ rated video.

In line with the consistent findings of the BBFC's public consultations, at '18' the BBFC's guideline concerns will not normally override the wish that adults should be free to chose their own entertainment, within the law. Exceptions are most likely in the following areas:

• Where material or treatment appears to the Board to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – e.g. any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which is likely to promote the activity. The Board may also intervene with portrayals of sexual violence which might, e.g. eroticise or endorse sexual assault.
  
• The more explicit images of sexual activity – unless they can be exceptionally justified by context and the work is not a 'sex work' as defined below.

In the case of videos and DVDs, which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent. For the same reason, and because of the different way in which they are experienced, the Board may take a more precautionary approach in the case of those digital games which are covered by the Video Recordings Act.

Mise-en-scene.

The Mise-en-scene refers to everything involved within the design aspects of the production of the film and everything that appears before the camera when watching the film, from the costumes, sets, props, actors and lighting.



Play park Location
Essential qualities:
-Park
-Children playing
-Bushes/trees
-Grass
-Idyllic childhood setting
-Parents with their children, love.

This photo symbolises what we wanted the play park to look like on our film, with brightly coloured equipment and high key lighting. We were extremely lucky as on the day of filming it was already a bright and sunny day, so it was perfect to create the child-like, care free feeling.



Empty room location.




Essential qualities:
-Old
-Scruffy
-Dirty
-Bare
-Shadows projected on the wall behind to create tension and atmosphere.

We needed our second location to contrast the first location hugely, this image shows how low key lighting was used to create a dark and oppressive feeling, and give the impression that something more sinister was taking place.
Although once it came to filming we used the back wall of an empty room to project shadows onto which effectively created an eerie atmosphere.


The Child.



Costume:
-White dress
-Ribbons in her hair

We needed the child to represent a very fragile and innocent character stuck in the middle of her parents fighting.
The costume she wore conveyed this fragility as the white flowing dress represented the innocence and almost angelic personality of the child, as white is generally associated with angels and pureness so we thought it was a suitable colour for the costume to be made of.

The Mother and Father characters didn't have costumes because they wouldn't actually be visible on camera, we only wanted their shadows to create more mystery and tension.

Initial Thriller Ideas.

Once we knew our genre was a thriller, we brainstormed all our ideas together, these scanned pictures below show some of our other ideas.



This second pictures shows more clearly our final chosen idea.
We chose this idea because as our brief was only to create an 'opening' to a thriller, we thought this would be the most effective to do in the short amount of time needed.




Also we made the decision to choose this storyline because it was the one our team were most capable of producing, whilst utilising our assets in and around our homes to end up with a professional looking opening to a thriller.

Location Drawing.

I drew the picture on the storyboard to illustrate what we wanted the location to look like ideally, we also annotated the side of the picture to remind ourselves of key words that we wanted to portray in the film such as innocence and light.
The first frame would be on the first location, which was at the park on the play equipment, this would give an innocent and youthful portrayl.





Whereas in the second picture we have depicted a complete contrast to that innocence, as the second location is a dark and dingy one, with low key lighting which gives off a menacing feeling.
The drawing of the second location also shows shadows which we projected onto a blank wall behind, this was clearly sketched in the picture above.

Possible Soundtracks.

Possible soundtracks
Every time you go away – Brian McKnight
How to save a life – The Fray
Never felt this way – Alicia Keys
Nothing else matters – Lucie Silvas
Save the hero - Beyonce

We all made a decision to go for Save the hero by Beyonce because the lyrics of the song had the most relevance to the message we were trying to convey in our thriller, also the song has a slow and thoughful sound which perfectly fits in with the speed of our movie.

Child will be singing a lullaby, (twisted)
Mocking Bird Lullaby lyrics.


'Hush, little baby, don't say a word,Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mockingbird don't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring turn brass,Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.
And if that looking glass gets broke,Papa's gonna buy you a Billy goat.
And if that Billy goat don't pull,Papa's gonna buy you a cart and bull.
And if that cart and bull turn over,Papa's gonna buy you a dog named Rover.
And if that dog named Rover won't bark.Papa's gonna to buy you and horse and cart.
And if that horse and cart fall down,Well you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town'.

We had an idea to use the lyrics from the well known lullaby 'Mocking bird' but for the child actor to change one line of the lyrics to 'Hush little baby don't you cry, Daddy loves you and so do I' this would give it more of a sinister edge, as its a contrast to the violence shown in the form of shadows on the thriller.

Also we used diagetic sound of footsteps and heavy breathing in the running scene, because this gave it a more intense feeling as if there was an actual chase taking place.

Planning Brainstorms.

Props list

• Swing
• Baseball bat
• Bows
• White dress
• Rug
• Large light
• Play park equipment
• Old sheets
• Old furniture
• Rope

Character ideas

• Young innocent child
• Girl 6-9 years old
• White dress, pink bows, very child like
• Pale skin

• Male Character
• Older adult
• Taller
• Bigger build

• Female Character
• Mother figure
• Smaller, vulnerable
• Easily led and munipulated

Location

• 1) Park
• Children playing
• Bushes/trees
• Grass
• Idyllic childhood setting
• Parents with their children, love.

• 2) Dingy Room
• Old
• Scruffy
• Dirty
• Old
• Bare
• Shadows projected on the wall behind