Planning- Group planning miss Heath

In  a group of 4, we all came up with 3 different narrative ideas. When coming up with the our ideas we took in consideration of the plot , characters and Mise-en-scene.

My idea:

My idea was an old man who's obsessed with his daughter that lives with her mum.Due to his illness he became a psycho and if he doesnt take his pills , his not im control of what he does. He becomes soo obessed with his little girl , he starts putting a lot of pictures of her in this empty room wall as he lives in a big house .The daughter her mum tells her to not go visit her dad and not to believe anything he tells her but the she does listen. Every weekend she goes to see her dad and one day she goes in the room he told her not to go in and as he didn't take his pills he gets mad and acciently kills her.

 Relande's idea:

The title of my thriller is 'The Descendant' this is because the main character takes his personality and powers from his late father and the word descendant is another word for off spring or child. It is about a young boy who loses his father at the age of and grows up to be just like his father- and that is a super powered crime fighter.


Jemar's idea:

'The Awakening' and it is about as a young girl called Amy who lives with her mum Natalie and her father Tom. Within this we see them enjoying different party seasons such as Halloween Christmas Easter etc.The clips will be accompanied by slow- paced music as the audience start to see Amy becoming disturbed by her viewing of dark figures moving around in her house. She informs her parents but they do not believe her and say that she is dreaming.

Planning- sound Miss B

Sound is one of most important elements within the making of films.This is because it sets the whole mood and atmosphere of the film as it builds tension and suspense.I believe it is very important to plan out the sounds we will use simply because the sounds cause the audience to either be connected to the film.

Some of the conventional uses of sound in thrillers are:

-Non-diegetic soundtracks such as voice-overs can be used to explain an event within the scene that wasn't shown to the audience; this in turn gives the audience a better understanding of what happened/ what is happening. Also it helps to create a suspense filled feeling as the audience are then able to determine what will happen next in the scene e.g. someone is going to die etc.

-Diegetic sounds such as the sounds from the TV or a radio allow the audience to understand what is going on in the scene clearer; as it is based upon realistic sounds it makes the scene a lot more intriguing for the audience to watch.

-Off-screen sounds such as footsteps are used to build suspense and tension e.g creaking floor boards or a window smashing etc.

The sounds I plan to use in my thriller consist of the following:

1. Non- diegetic sound will be used at the start of our film and when we decide that tension/ suspense needs to be built, to do this we will add a soundtrack. We chose to use this because it will help build tension and suspense This is conventional to the thriller genre as it will also build a relationship with the audience and get them to put themselves in the characters shoes.

2. Diegetic sounds will be used when the audience see the characters watching TV or popping a Christmas cracker. We chose to use this as it will make our thriller seem more realistic and intriguing for the audience to watch. This is conventional to the thriller genre as most thrillers strive to be realistic so the audience feel the complete impact and not just think that they are watching a make-believe film.

3. On screen sounds will be used when the characters are talking or making a noise. We chose to use this so the audience can determine the personality of each character from the way they talk.This is conventional to the thriller genre as it will also make the thriller seem more realistic.

4. Off screen sounds will be used when someone is running up the stairs etc. We chose to use this as it will help to build tension and suspense e.g. Creaking floor boards/ windows smashing etc. This is conventional to a thriller because the audience start to guess what is going on making tension and suspense build.

5. Parallel sounds will be used when the audience actually see a window smashing etc. We chose to use this as it creates a sense of reality within a film as the audience understand what is going on in the film and it helps to build and create a humanised atmosphere.This is conventional within the thriller genre as a relationship will be able to be built between the audience and the characters.

Over all being able to plan out the sound we will use in our thriller, we have been able to save a lot of time when creating our thriller soundtracks etc. Furthermore we now understand how the sounds will effect the audience and in what ways they will be conventional to the thriller genre.

Planning- Editing Miss B

 

Editing within a film is very important as it can affect the look and feel of the film affectedly. Also it is important to think about the editing, particularly in thriller films because the following shot should compliment their predecessor so that the viewer is able to understand what is happening. For example if the editor wishes to make the audience feel a certain emotion such as scared/ surprised then they would need to edit the film in certain ways using special techniques in order to make them feel this way.

The editing techniques my group plans to use in our thriller consist of the following:

1. Fade to black which will in turn create suspense among the audience. This will be used when something significant is going to happen which will in turn leave the audience wanting more. This is conventional to the thriller genre as thrillers are known for creating suspense among the audience which this does.

2. We plan on using reaction shots to allow the audience to see the fear on our characters faces or just to see how their feeling for example if they are happy or sad etc. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it will allow the audience to form relationships between them and the characters. Also it will make it seem more realistic.

3.We will use a montage to create excitement among the audience. This will be used when we wish the audience to see certain scenes together. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it will create excitement among the audience allowing tension to build

4. We may use a straight cut when putting clips of our trailer together in order to help the audience follow the narrative easily without creating confusion. This is conventional to the thriller genre as we don't want our audience to not understand what is going on, so that they feel the full impact of our thriller.

Conclusion:

Over all planning what editing techniques we will use has helped my group in many ways for example , it saves us time when it comes to the editing bit however this may be just an idea for now.Furthermore we now know what impact we wish to inflict upon the audience. Also this will show our teacher that we thought about what editing techniques to use and why it's going to be effective to the audience and hopefully this will show within our thriller.

Planning - Character Representation Miss G

Character representation is very important within films simply because it allows the audience to understand the narrative of the film better. Also relationships between the audience and the characters can be built.

For a film to be conventional and effective It's important for it to have a variety of representations and characters so that it meets the audiences expectations of the characters personalities that should be within the film.

Main Characters within my thriller:

Amy- young girl 9 years old

Sarah (Amy's Mother) 35 years old

Frank (Amy's Father) 37 years old

Shadows- mysterious character(s)

Amy is a 9 year old girl who lives with her mother and father. She likes spending time with them and they have a fulfilled and joyful life together. One day Amy starts to see shadows moving around her house which is the start of the main story line. For the character representation for this character we have decided that she will wear casual everyday female clothes such as a skirt with leggings and a top. Also by doing this the viewers will think of her innocence and may feel understanding for the character which will create a relationship between the character and the viewer.

sarah is Amy's mum and is 35 years old, she is loving, intelligent, caring and beautiful. For the character representation for this character she will be seen formal clothes a lot of the time to show she works a lot.

Frank is Amy's father he is a business man who is busy but still finds time to be with his family. For the character representation for this character, we will see him wearing a suit to show he works, he will have a clean shave and a classy hair cu to show he is a business man.

The Shadows are the mysterious characters in this film, they are presented to the audience as the intruders of the household and they add and build suspense and tension among the audience as their faces are completely white. They won't have body language/ facial expressions but their presence will be felt.

Conclusion:
Over all analyzing the characters within our thriller film has helped us understand each characters purpose and it has made us think more about the background for each character. From looking at the description of each character my group know how each character should look, act and how they will be seen by the audience. The character representation helps the audience relate and understand the film easier.

Planning - Cinematography Miss B

Cinematography is important in films because it helps to create the scene by using different shot sizes,camera angle and camera movement.All these things give the audience a different representation of the characters and allow the audience to respond in a different way.Its important in thrillers because when using shot sizes such as close up or mid-shot we can tell a lot of how the character is feeling and it creates that tension where the audience might want to know why they are feeling the way they are feeling. Also if a low angle is used we as the audience can tell that the character has a high status.

The cinematography I plan to use in my thriller consists of the following:

1. A close-up will be used in the corridor scene, this will show the facial expressions on each of the characters faces when they come face-to-face with the intruder in their home, reason for this is because we see it as the best way to capture a characters facial expressions. This is conventional to the thriller genre simply because many thrillers like to show/ empathize a characters feelings/ expressions within a shot, scene/ frame.

3. We will use a Mid-shot when the father Frank looks outside the window to see the intruder standing outside looking at him. This will give the audience a feel of who and what the intruder is.

4. We going to use the Zoom shots enabling the audience to see any cause of damage or trauma easily. For example in the corridor scene we will see the family from the intruders point of view and then the camera will zoom up to the family and turn around to show the intruder on the other side of the corridor.

5. We going to use the point of view/ 1st person shot as this will also make the audience put themselves in that particular situation or imagine that happening to them e.g. the corridor scene when the intruder is looking at the family.

Conclusion:

The planning has made it easier for me and the rest of my group furthermore it has made me self-assured about the cinematography within my thriller and I understand now how it will be conventional within my thriller. Additionally, planning the cinematography has helped me and my group  to look at the filming process more perfectly and confidently, for example i now know when  where some of the camera angles/ shots will be used and this will  help my group to carry out the filming process without so much stress.

Planning - Production Role Ms heath

There are many roles when it comes to filming this includes camera operator, actors , sound  technician, editors , film director, location manager and storyboard.

Camera Operator 
This is the person who films the scene, he will work with the storyboard organiser and the film director to take instructions from them as to what shot, angle and movement to use at a specific time. They should create shots which are effective to the thriller genre and that do not confuse the audience. 

Actors 
These are people who getting filmed, they act to play the characters desired in the film, they will work with the film director so they know how to be feeling and positioned in the scene. There job is to play a convincing character and to deliver the genre of thriller to the audience.

Sound Technician 
Is the person that creates the sound of the scene, he works with the storyboard organiser to decide what type of sound to use. He makes sure that the sound fits the scene and is effective to the audience and the thriller genre. 

Editors
These are the people that edit the scenes, they work with the storyboard organiser and the camera operator to decide at what points should they cut scenes and what type of montage to use and what sequence of shots should be used.They should create cuts that do not confuse the audience and are effective for a thriller.

Film Director 
Is the person who is in charge of everything that goes on in the film making but mainly controls the actors, he makes sure everything is effective and reflects the film producers ideas.They make there vision come to life, they control all the elements of Mise en-scene.They work with the whole team and makes sure they are pursuing in the producers aspirations.

Location Manager 
Is the person that chooses the location of the scene, he makes sure that the location is an effective place to film a thriller, he works with the film directors to decide what time of the day and what time area to set the scene, this is to make sure they have the best place to film the scene at the correct time to enhance the impact the scene has on the audience by choosing scenes they can relate to making them more engaged and interested in the scene. 

Storyboard
Is the person who creates the film on a storyboard which shows all the other workers of the film a rough idea of what is going to happen in the scene, they make it relevant to a thriller and  make it effective. It states the shot number, cinematography, soundtrack, actors involved, edit style, narrative,dialogue and duration of the scene to give the workers a more detailed guideline of what they are meant to be producing. The storyboard organiser should make it as detailed as he can so there will be less work to do on day of shooting.

Roles within our group:
· The camera operator of our group will be Jemar; we chose him simply because he has the most steady hands and is able to listen to others in order to create an effective trailer to a thriller.

· The sound technician will be me as I have the best understanding of what sounds and music will fit each scene also i understand how i will use different sounds in order to make our thriller effective. However the rest of the group will also have a fair say on the sounds we will use.

· The Editor will also be me due to me creating the narrative i understand it more than anyone; However while doing this role our whole group will contribute towards editing our thriller so that it is not done in one persons image/ideal.

·The role of the director will be assigned to me only as I created the narrative i will fit this role the best as i know the effect i wanted our thriller to have on the audience, I will work with the whole team ensuring we are able to produce an effective thriller

· The location manager of our group will be Arif; This is because Arif loves to travel to new areas and places and he knows good sets where we could film certain scenes in order to create an effective thriller.

·The role of storyboard manager will be assigned to Yasmin;this is because she is the most artistic out of our group and she is able to create a storyboard in good quality and high detail. This in turn will mean that the filming of the actual film will run smoothly.

Conclusion:

Being able to plan who will take which production role has helped us to become more aware of the task at hand. By doing this we have become more organised and settled, this means that we are not rushing to do things together and then confuse ourselves, assigning something to everyone means the groups are equal and everyone is able to play their desired part in the creation of this film. Also we have been able to identify each crew members weaknesses and strengths which will help us to create an effective and conventional thriller which will appeal to the audience.

Planning- Finalising Idea Ms B

 What makes a conventional thriller?

The lighting used within each scene has a different and important impact on the audience, for example, in one of my thriller's scenes we see low key lighting used in the corridor scene, this had the impact of building tension and suspense throughout the audience. Moreover the lighting used will make the audience feel as though there is no hope for the family when they come face-to-face with the shadow character. Nevertheless facial expressions have an exceptional impact on the audience by following the facial expressions of a character the audience can tell how they are feeling without the movement of the characters body. However if we erase the dialogue the facial expressions still have a big impact on the audience whereas, if we erase the facial expressions then the dialogue would seem pointless to the audience.Suspense/tension is built to confuse the audience and to get a point across also Use of costumes to represent the age, class, gender or the personality of a character in order to build relations with the audience. lastly  a conventional soundtrack must have some effect on the audience e.g. shock, nervous, frightened etc.

narrative

The chosen idea was Jemar's; idea because we thought that his idea was simple and conventional.He called it 'The Awakening' and it is about as a young girl called Amy who lives with her mum Natalie and her father Tom. Within this we see them enjoying different party seasons such as Halloween Christmas Easter etc.

These clips will be accompanied by slow- paced music as the audience start to see Amy becoming disturbed by her viewing of dark figures moving around in her house. She informs her parents but they do not believe her and say that she is dreaming.

There is then a scene showing the news saying that there is a storm that is about to hit, due to this her parents lock all the doors and windows etc.

The next day the storm causes a black out and the parents call in an electrician who arrives to fix the power. Unfortunately for the family and the electrician the doors will not open which means someone has locked them. They start to hear noises around the house and see what looks like shadows moving around the house.

All the sounds and images build up the tension and suspense in the audience when the family is looking down a corridor they see a shadow walking slowly around the corner, just as it's about to turn around the corner the opening then ends and goes onto a black screen where he hear screaming and the title screen comes up saying "The Awakening".

Characters:

• Amy- young girl 9 years old
• Mother 35 years old
• Father 37 years old
• Electrician- male in his 20's
• Shadows- mysterious character(s)

Mise-en-scene:

A lot of natural lighting will be used during this film however low- key lighting will also be used in the scary scenes. We will use a range of camera angles and shots such as close-ups, mid shots etc. In this opening we will use editing techniques such as a montage, fade to black and straight cuts etc.

What makes a conventional thriller?:

• A good soundtrack- for it to be a good soundtrack it must have some effect/ impact on the audience e.g. shock, surprise, confuse etc.
• Tension/ suspense is built to confuse the audience and/ or get a point across.
• There is a use of different lighting techniques and camera shots to keep the audience entertained e.g. fast pace editing used for an action scene; slow paced editing used in order to emphasize a dramatic scene.
• Different scenes are used to keep the audience interested and entertained.
• Use of costumes to portray the age, class, gender or the personality of a character in order to build relations with the audience or build tension/ suspense.

Film influences:

• Paranormal activity- this is why we based it inside a house as we feel as though a home is the safest place for a family so invading that sense of safety will have a chilling impact on the audience.
• Orphan- This is because the main focus in the film orphan is the little girl who then is seen to be someone shes not whereas in our thriller this little girl is the main focus but her innocence is played with and tortured.

This idea is conventional to a thriller simply because it allows the audience to have expectations of the outcome, it creates tension and suspense among the audience leaving them wanting more from the film. We have explored many different thriller examples and we have found out that a lot of people love to see someone at risk within a normally safe environment as it builds up more tension and creates suspense.Our narrative explores many different themes such as mystery and paranoia etc, our thriller's purpose is to be a psychological thriller, which plays with the audiences thoughts and feelings towards their own homes and how safe they really are.