Filming Schedule for the Shoot Day

Filming Schedule:

Date	Scene	Details	Location	Props/Actors
29/11/2014	House	Shot of the outside of house to show location and to show that the character is a typically normal teenage girl.	Outside the house
29/11/2014	Quick shot of the bedroom	Shot of the magazines on the floor which have claw marks and hand blood on	Bedroom	Fake blood
29/11/2014	Living Room	Shot of the living room with the girl reading a magazine and watching tv	Living Room	Magazines
29/11/2014	Living Room	Shot of the girl flicking through the magazine where some titles may appear	Living Room	Magazines
29/11/2014	Living Room	Girl hears noises from upstairs	Living Room
29/11/2014	Living Room	Girl walking towards the door	Living Room
29/11/2014	Living Room	Girl beginning to walk upstairs	Living Room
29/11/2014	Living Room	Girl opens the door  to upstairs	Living Room
29/11/2014	Stairs	Girl walks upstairs	Stairs
29/11/2014	Stairs	Girl on the stairs	Stairs
29/11/2014	Stairs	Walking to the bedroom door	Stairs
29/11/2014	Stairs	Girl opening the door	Stairs
29/11/2014	Bedroom door	Bedroom door has titles appear on it	Bedroom door
29/11/2014	Bedroom	Girl opens door to alter-ego	Bedroom
29/11/2014	Bedroom	Alter-ego on bedroom floor	Bedroom
29/11/2014	Bedroom	Close up of girls facial expression	Bedroom
29/11/2014	Bedroom	Alter-ego revealing their identity	Bedroom
29/11/2014	Bedroom	Shot of the A3 poster on the wall	Bedroom
29/11/2014	Bedroom	The alter-ego ripping the poster off the wall	Bedroom

Opening Title Timeline for Our Thriller "Alter Ego."

"Alter Ego" Titles Timeline

















For our opening sequence, we have been inspired by many different films, and not all of them in the thriller genre. However, most of them are of the selected genre of our opening sequence. Not all opening sequence are from, but TV programmes as well as they are inspiring also and we  have taken inspiration from these, for example Dexter or American Horror Story.

When there is no titles or typography there will be insight as to what happens in the whole thriller film, through the sequence we are creating.

The typography in the film "Se7en and the American TV programme "Dexter has inspired us for our opening sequence typography. It shows that to make an opening sequence interesting for the audience, everything has to be unique and stand out, including the writing! There are many different types of typography which can be used for opening titles, and they tend to inform you or give you a clue as to what the film or TV programme is about. For example, the title on "Dexter" is written in blood, suggesting crime and murder. The titles from "Se7en" are "sharp" and "faded." This has given the effect of  "mystery" and "suspicion." This has inspired us to make sure our typography as unique as possible to make the audience instantly interested in the sequence, and to make sure the typography gives off a clue about what is going to happen in the rest of the film by using typography which looks "mysterious" and also gives off a "confusing" idea as that is an effect we want our opening sequence to have.

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/american-horror-story/#

Although the storyline behind "American Horror Story" is not similar to out thriller idea, the editing is something which is inspiring to us and what we'd like to try and recreate within our own thriller opening sequence. The editing is fast paced which creates tension although it's in the first few minutes of the TV programme. It also gives off a professional look which is something that our group would like to achieve as much as possible. The lighting and the use of mise-en-scene simply in the opening titles helps to create a mood and atmosphere is something which has inspired us. The dark lighting is something we are going to use towards the end of the titles to create tension and suspense, but also give off an atmosphere. There are a lot of props used in the opening sequence to set the scene,which is something we are going to do by using magazines, paint and other props to help set the scene and atmosphere as to make it "creepy," as "American Horror Story" does so well.

Title Sequence / Dexter Analysis

The close up of this shot makes it first seem like the skin of a human is being cut up and a body being dismembered, but once it is zoomed out we realise that in actual fact it is just meat which is being cooked. This helps to create suspense in the opening scene and puts the audience on edge as they are unsure of what is going on, creates a sense of mystery. The editing in this is quick and fast changing so that is helps to create tension and a "jumpy" feel to the sequence.

The music in the background is sinister which helps to create an atmosphere and make normal everyday activities appear suspicious. The use of the sharp knife connotes murder and criminal activity which makes you think about the man who is featuring in the title sequence and what it is he does and you question why he is so mysterious.

Blood is featured a lot during this title sequence, which could relate murder. The close up helps to focus in on blood and keep the audience watching as the main focus is the brutal killing of people, which the blood represents. The blood dripping into the skink leaves the audience thinking about what may have happened, when in actual fact it is just that the man had cut himself whilst shaving. The use of the blood dripping into and near the plug could represent someone's life draining away as they have been murdered by the mysterious man. The editing is again quick paced as it is indented to keep your heart racing as we see more things which could relate to a murder and the death of someone of someone. There is sound effects as the blood drips into the skin which is aimed to make the audience feel uncomfortable and "squeamish."

In this shot there is a close up of a mosquito landing on Dexter's arm. He kills the insect without any hesitation which shows he is fearless and brutal and does not care for others. It again is another action which connotes murder. The close up makes you focus in on the killing of the mosquito and makes the audience think about what this could represent. The sound effects of the mosquito and it being killed are very realistic and makes the audience feel disgusted as it is
being squished. It is also loud which emphasis the killing of this insect making you think about what it could mean. This shot is very dark which suggests that Dexter is a mysterious man and that maybe he is not what he is supposed to be or seems.     

                                                                                                       
This title sequence is effective to the thriller genre as it helps to create tension and suspense within the first few minutes of the programme. The sequence gives subtle hints and clues as to what is in store of the viewer and what you should expect from this typical thriller style series.
                                                                

Production Company

A production company provides the funding, and helps to make and distribute films or television programmes. They provide the money and therefore set the budget, which will influence the director and actors for the production.

Most production companies have an ident which is a moving image, played before the film starts. This is to inform the audience of who the production company for that film is. These idents tend to be quite recognisable for the audience and they become quite famous. For example, Dreamworks with the boy on the moon or Metro Goldwyn Mayer with the roaring lion.













A list of the most famous production companies and the films they have made:

1. Walt Disney Pictures
- Snow White, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp.

2. Dreamworks
- Shrek

3. Tristar
- The muppets

4. Paramount
- Transformers

5. Metro Goldwyn Mayer / MGM
- James Bond Casino Royale

6. Film 4
- Slumdog Millionaire

7. Disney Pixar
-Monsters inc.

8. 20th Century Fox
-The Fault In Our Stars

9. Universal Pictures
- Fast and Furious 6

10. Lionsgate
- The Hunger Games


Film 4 

Out of all of these production companies we have chosen Film 4 to produce our film.

Film 4 is a British production company which is owned by Chanel 4 Television Corporation. It is mainly produces films which are based in the UK. They produce quite "indie" films and tend to have up and coming actors in the films which they have put into production. Originally the institution was named Chanel Four Films or FilmFour International. The whole company was re-branded to become Film4 as we know it today . This tied in with the start of the television chanel which is also called Film4.  Then in 2002 the company had a huge budget cut which meant losing a large amount of their staff and having to become part of chanel 4's drama department. In 2006 the new name of "FilmFour Productions" was brought in to coincide with the re-release of the tv channel Film4.

Some of the high earning films that Film4 have produced are "12 Years A Slave," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Nowhere Boy." These films helped to put Film4 on the map as one of the biggest and most popular production companies.

We have chosen Film4 as the suitable institue to produce our thriller as we are going for quite an individual and edgy feel, which is something that the films that Film4 produce do have in one way or another. Although the company does not have as high budget or as much mone available as the other production companies, from the previous films that have been produced by Film4 it is clear that the financial aspects is not as issue as the films that have been released under film4 have been of high quality and gone on to make high amounts of revenue.

Preliminary Task

                                                            

                                                                  EVALUATION

I think that our preliminary went well and better than expected. I think the editing went well considering that the group did not have much experience using iMovie and it was the first time editing a piece of film properly. From the feedback which has been given from other members in the group, the camera work is good and the camera is held steady where appropriate and needed. We planned the camera work and different shots we were going to use before hand so when it came to filming we could do it straight away without and hesitation or wasting time. Continuity editing was used well because we planned what we were going to do before. It gave the correct effect which it was supposed to and looked correct and not unusual.  We stuck to the 180 degree rule which means we have stuck to the brief which the exam board have given us. By using this the film looks good to the audience and does not confused them- it helps them to understand what is going on.

Some of the points which we need to improve on for next time is the music and if it is used at the appropriate time. Music still needs to be used as it is a key convention of the thriller but just when needed instead of randomly over certain sections. We could have avoided this music coming across pointless at certain times by paying more attention when editing. Although we used many different camera shots and movements in the preliminary task, we need to improve on transitions and vary the choice of transitions. This is something we can improve on in editing once we gain more experience with iMovie. To do this we could add more in and vary the choice instead of using the same transition throughout. Another improvement is to extended the dialogue between the two characters to make it into more of a conversation and to spend more time with characters so that you know more of the storyline and the audience understands what is going on more. Another key convention which could have been improved is mise-en-scene. This could be done by the use of clothing which the characters wore. As this was an interview type situation the actors could have worn more office wear clothes to make it look more effective and realistic to the audience

From this preliminary task I have learnt many different conventions and rules about filming and editing, considering I have never done media at a lower level. I have learnt the 180 degree rules and how you must stick to it whilst filming otherwise it looks unusual and confuses the audience as to what it happening. I have also learn what continuity editing is, how to film and edit it to make it look effective. I have learnt how to use the camera and film different shots such as an over the shoulder shot, and also how to use editing software such as iMovie which I have never used previously, and now I can use it well.

As a result of the preliminary task and the improvements and successful points which I have discussed previously, we will take forward the improvement to make changes to so that our final task which we film will have no need for improvements and will hopefully have all successful points in the next evaluation.

This shot is filmed well and the camera work is effective, however it is blurry and pixellated. To improve this we could have focused the camera more or used a better quality camera, which is something we may consider next for our final thriller task. 

This is a shot that went really well in the preliminary task and is one that we are proud of. It was edited to make it look like a CCTV camera which I think looks effective as you can tell what this shot is supposed to be and supposed to look like. As this shot went so well it is something which we are thinking of recreating in the final task.                              

This shot was also filmed well and there was not a problem with the camera work, however it lasts too long. To improve this we could have made the two shots shorted whilst filming them or edit them to appear shorter so that the audiences attention is still on the film and they have not lost interest. 

 This technique is called match on action. I think this is one of the most effective shots in the preliminary task. The two different shots flow from one to the next without it looking out of place, and this has been done by our careful editing. As this shot went so well it's something our group are considering using in the final thriller opening task. 

 

Vox Pox on Thriller films

There are many different ways to find out audience opinion such as:

Poll votes

Verbal feedback

Interviews

Reviews

Questionnaires

Forums

Ratings

Vox Pop or in Latin Vox Populi also means "the voice of the people" or "man on the street."

What makes an effective Vox Pop?

. Ask the same people more than one question, go back to them more than once in an interview. 

. Short  responses from the interviewee.

. Each short is short and move on quickly. 

. Interviewed in the streets/public

.Person is on the right hand side of the shot, their gaze is to the left. 

. It is edited so that different people answer the same question, then move on to the next question etc.

. Interviewer does not talk throughout the interview, the questions come up on the screen. 

. Question is at the start of every interview.

.The name, age and occupation of the person always comes up when they answer the first question. 

Key Words  

. Position

.Left

.Right - gaze naturally to the right

. Eye level - to make sure not to belittle the interviewee

. Duration

.Off screen

 In this vox pop we asked two different questions to find out what people's opinion on thrillers are. These questions were "what makes a thriller thrilling" and "what is your favourite thriller genre."

1. What makes a Thriller Thrilling?

From the response from the first question, people said that music can make a thriller thrilling as it creates suspense and tension. Also atmosphere and suspense are important as they make the thriller. The story line line also helps to make a thriller thrilling by having "twist and turns" and unexpected part of the story happen to create suspense and keep the audience hooked.

2. What is your favourite Thriller Genre?

 For the second question, people said their favourite genre of thriller was psychological as it is like a "mind game for the audience." Action was also said because it is exciting, as was sci-fi as they are also exciting and interesting.

3. Overall

 As a group we will be taking this information we have learnt and using it on our own thrillers. We will be make sure we use music as it is key to create suspense and tension, which is a main convention of thrillers, and also make sure it has a good story line to keep the audience hooked and interested.

Opening Titles Timeline "Se7en"

Title Sequence Timeline

Titles are used in film to introduce important members of the film or television programme who were a key part for the creation and production of the film, for example directors, producers, cast members, casting director etc. 

A title sequence is where films or television programs show the important production and also cast members. It tends to use visual film and sound. This should not be confused with an opening sequence which is simple just opening credits of names of people who have worked on the production, similar to the title sequence but without the extra added media. 

We get a sense of the genre of the film through the title sequence as the film shows us what we should suspect and what the story line will be. It could also give us clues and answers to the plot in the film but as it is as the beginning, we are unaware of this.  

Through the typography of the it can also suggest and hint towards what genre the film will be. For example like "Se7en" the lettering is quite "sketched" and "creepy" which connotes the idea that the film is a thriller with a sense of crime or mystery.

 The editing of the title sequence is important as it is the first part of the film or TV programme the audience watches, so in my opinion it has to be good. If the editing is not effective and does not portray the desired effect the it will not hook the audience like intended and they may stop watching before the film has even started. The title sequence part of the most memorable part of a film, so it has to be memorable.

"Se7en" 

                                               

 In the opening titles to "Se7en" the titles do not appear until 5 seconds in. At the beginning of the opening, the first title that appears is the production companies "new line cinema presents" and "An Arnold Kopelson Production."

     

 It then goes on to describe the main actors in the film  and the title of it. These are at the beginning as they are some of the most important and influential to the film.Throughout the rest of the opening scene, they feature more main actors and then and then towards the end more of the main cast members appear. This is because          you remember the start and the end of something, and not necessarily the middle. The dark colours is connoting the thriller genre perfectly whilst also giving a sense of mystery                                                                                         and danger to the film

 The typography is the opening titles helps to show what genre the film and the way they suddenly appear on the screen takes you by surprise which could be showing that there is going to be suspense and tension in the film,          whilst keeping the audience hooked and wanting to continue watching. The style of writing is creepy and gives you a hint of the genre of the film.