The second shoot was a major success. I was able to get all of the shots that I wanted and intentionally over shot on all of the takes to make sure that I had enough footage to work with at the editing stage. After uploading all of the footage onto my laptop in preparation for editing I was pleased to find that this was an excellent decision as I now have more than enough footage to work with.
Despite the success of the shoot, I did run into a couple of problems. For starters, I had to contend with a broken tripod. This was because I went to the shoot expecting the actress to have a fully functioning tripod like she had told me she had, but when I saw the tripod it was missing the screw to secure the camera (Which the actress believes was in a camera case that was back here in Nottingham) and one of the feet was broken. This was a rather annoying problem but it did not affect the quality of the shoot because I only needed it for a few shots. I also had the issue of people being too loud at the church that was only metres away. Luckily, this did not affect the sound quality on the shoots and I can always edit their voices out later, but it does make my work more difficult.
Thankfully, these issues did not prevent me from getting the necessary shots and as such I am incredibly happy with the overall quality of the acting and the footage itself.
The First Shoot
Yesterday was the day of the first shoot and I fully expected to get all of the footage I needed for the first scene. Unfortunately, this did not happen due to the nerves of the actress, the cold weather, the fact that the clouds started to clear as time went on and a group of loud children playing on their driveway. While I really wish that I could have gotten more done, it did prove to me that it is possible to get the shots that I need and this will make things much more efficient when I come to the final shoot of the scene.
The risk assessment that I did was incredibly useful as it allowed me to make sure that everything was as safe as possible. Overall, I was completely correct with the risks in this scene and as such I was successful from preventing any problems.
After the shoot, it was recommended to me to film during twilight as this is the time when everything is dark but it still has high clarity. This came from Sophie who has had experience with night shoots and she told me that filming properly at night is too dark and the clarity of the film is horrible, but in the hour or so that everything is in twilight everything comes out perfectly.
When it comes to the final shoot, I will make sure to listen to Sophie's advice and make the film appear more professional.
The risk assessment that I did was incredibly useful as it allowed me to make sure that everything was as safe as possible. Overall, I was completely correct with the risks in this scene and as such I was successful from preventing any problems.
After the shoot, it was recommended to me to film during twilight as this is the time when everything is dark but it still has high clarity. This came from Sophie who has had experience with night shoots and she told me that filming properly at night is too dark and the clarity of the film is horrible, but in the hour or so that everything is in twilight everything comes out perfectly.
When it comes to the final shoot, I will make sure to listen to Sophie's advice and make the film appear more professional.
Risk Assessment
Safety is of paramount importance when filming. If the equipment gets damaged then vital footage could be lost or subsequent shoots might not be able to take place and if actors or crew get hurt or injured then there could be further implications. As such, I have created a table that discusses all of the potential risks that might occur during filming, how likely it is to happen or how dangerous it could be and how I am going to prevent it.
What is the risk? | Who/ What is at risk? | What is the risk level? | What am I going to do to prevent the risk? |
Dropping or damaging the camera throughout filming | The Camera | Medium | To prevent dropping the camera I will make sure that it is always screwed securely onto the tripod which will be either firmly on the ground or in my hands. When the camera is not in use, it will be placed within a protective case to stop any passive damage. |
Snapping or breaking the tripod during filming | The Tripod | Low | The tripod I am using is lightweight, but it is also sturdy. To prevent breaking it I will make sure that I always close it up correctly and that it is sturdy and upright when it is not in use. |
Losing equipment | The equipment | Low | In the first scene the only equipment will be the camera and the tripod and as such they are not likely to be lost as they will be in almost constant use. Other equipment like the actors/actresses phones should be safe in their pockets although I shall make sure that once the shoot is over we check over all of the equipment we had to see if anything went missing. We would then search for any missing equipment so that nothing was left behind. In the second shoot the only added piece of valuable equipment is a mobile phone. When filming is finished we shall make sure that it has not gone missing although it is highly unlikely that this will happen as the scene is in one static location. |
Getting run over by a car in Lynette’s scene | Cast/Crew | High | This is a very hard risk to be able to prevent as we cannot close the road off just to do the filming. Therefore, I must always be on the lookout for approaching vehicles and shout to the actors to get off the road whilst also moving the equipment off of the road as quickly as possible. When the second actor arrives, he will act as a lookout for any vehicles so that I can concentrate on getting the necessary shots. I will also have my mobile phone on me at all times to call an ambulance in case of an emergency. |
Falling over during Lynette’s scene | Cast/Crew | Medium | This is also an awkward risk to be able to fully prevent as sometimes people just trip over their own feet. The best thing I can do is to make sure that the road and pavement is not too slippery or icy and then see whether the running is alright. If it is still not good then I will tell the actress to do a slower run and then I can speed it up in editing. I will also take a first aid kit if anybody does fall over so that we can ease any injuries that may occur. |
The Filming Schedule and Call Sheets
First Shoot
Date for Filming: 16th February 2011 between 4 and 5 pm.
Location: Darley Avenue, Toton
Scene to be filmed: Lynette James' Murder
Shot order: For the first half hour I will work on the first two shots and then the running sequence. The second half hour will be filming the canted angle shot with the villain in it and completing any other shots that did not get completed in the first hour.
Back Up Plan: If it starts to rain, I will postpone the shoot until the 17th February 2011.
Call Sheet for 16th February 2011
Actors Needed:
Katie Hutchinson
Martin Smith
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
None
Second Shoot
Date for Filming: 27th February 2011
Location: Sophie's House, Cardiff
Scene to be Filmed: Zoe Moon's Introduction
Shot Order: Everything will be shot chronologically in the order it appears in the storyboard.
Back Up Plan: If weather proves to be a problem then I will move the scene inside as this will still allow me to create an effective scene, but I will have to re-think my plan for the shoot.
If the plan to visit Sophie on that date falls through then I shall reschedule the shoot for March 5th or 6th.
Call Sheet for 27th February 2011
Actors Needed:
Sophie Kish
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
Car
Files
Notepad
Pen
Phone
Third Shoot
Date for Filming: 3rd March 2011 between 5:30pm and 6:00pm
Location: Darley Avenue, Toton
Scene to be filmed: Lynette James' Murder
Shot order: I will try to record things in chronological order to make things simpler when it comes to editing.
Back Up Plan: If it starts to rain, I will postpone the shoot until the 4th March 2011.
Call Sheet for 3rd March 2011
Actors Needed:
Katie Hutchinson
Martin Smith
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
None
Fourth Shoot
Date for Filming: 4th March 2011 between 4:00pm and 5:00pm
Location: Darley Avenue, Toton
Scene to be filmed: Lynette James' Murder
Shot order: I will try to record things in chronological order to make things simpler when it comes to editing.
Back Up Plan: If it starts to rain, I will postpone the shoot until the 7th March 2011.
Call Sheet for 4th March 2011
Actors Needed:
Katie Hutchinson
Martin Smith
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
None
Date for Filming: 16th February 2011 between 4 and 5 pm.
Location: Darley Avenue, Toton
Scene to be filmed: Lynette James' Murder
Shot order: For the first half hour I will work on the first two shots and then the running sequence. The second half hour will be filming the canted angle shot with the villain in it and completing any other shots that did not get completed in the first hour.
Back Up Plan: If it starts to rain, I will postpone the shoot until the 17th February 2011.
Call Sheet for 16th February 2011
Actors Needed:
Katie Hutchinson
Martin Smith
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
None
Second Shoot
Date for Filming: 27th February 2011
Location: Sophie's House, Cardiff
Scene to be Filmed: Zoe Moon's Introduction
Shot Order: Everything will be shot chronologically in the order it appears in the storyboard.
Back Up Plan: If weather proves to be a problem then I will move the scene inside as this will still allow me to create an effective scene, but I will have to re-think my plan for the shoot.
If the plan to visit Sophie on that date falls through then I shall reschedule the shoot for March 5th or 6th.
Call Sheet for 27th February 2011
Actors Needed:
Sophie Kish
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
Car
Files
Notepad
Pen
Phone
Third Shoot
Date for Filming: 3rd March 2011 between 5:30pm and 6:00pm
Location: Darley Avenue, Toton
Scene to be filmed: Lynette James' Murder
Shot order: I will try to record things in chronological order to make things simpler when it comes to editing.
Back Up Plan: If it starts to rain, I will postpone the shoot until the 4th March 2011.
Call Sheet for 3rd March 2011
Actors Needed:
Katie Hutchinson
Martin Smith
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
None
Fourth Shoot
Date for Filming: 4th March 2011 between 4:00pm and 5:00pm
Location: Darley Avenue, Toton
Scene to be filmed: Lynette James' Murder
Shot order: I will try to record things in chronological order to make things simpler when it comes to editing.
Back Up Plan: If it starts to rain, I will postpone the shoot until the 7th March 2011.
Call Sheet for 4th March 2011
Actors Needed:
Katie Hutchinson
Martin Smith
Equipment Needed:
Panasonic Lumix TZ10 Camera
Tripod
Props Needed:
None
The Final Storyboard
After the results of my audience questionnaire, I decided that my storyboard needed to be re-done to fit with what an audience would prefer my thriller to be. This has led to me completely changing the last scene within the opening to something that is far less explicit in its detailing of the plot and includes a number of techniques that were suggested to me.
The first shot of the movie will be a close up of a full moon. The shot will last for 10-30 seconds as the credits appear on the screen. The music in the background will be slow and incredibly eerie.
The second shot will also feature the moon, although it will be much more zoomed out. This shot will last for about 10-30 seconds depending on the length of the previous shot and to allow for more credits to be shown. The eerie music from the previous shot will continue into this one.
The third shot will tilt down from the sky into a long shot of Lynette James standing in the middle of the road. The character is looking up into the sky at the moon. The shot will last for about 10 seconds as the collection of credits are shown.
The fourth shot sees a close up of Lynette James' face as she turns towards the camera in fright. This shot will be incredibly short at about 3 seconds.
The fifth shot will be the only canted angle shot in the entire opening, this is because it will add a particular disjointed horror to the revelation of the antagonist walking into the scene. The shot will only be about 3 seconds long, but this should be more than enough introduction to the villain.
By this point, the eerie music will have stopped only to be replaced by an epic string melody that makes Lynette's attempt to escape seem courageous.
The sixth shot is the start of the running sequence. This shot will be a 4 second close up tracking shot of the actress's legs as she runs to screen right.
The seventh shot is an action match shot that is a close up of the character's torso as she runs. This shot will also be approximately 4 seconds and will be preceded and followed by a simple cut.
The eighth shot is the final part of the running sequence and this time it focuses on the character's head as she runs and eventually turns to look behind her. This shot will also be 4 seconds and this is because the sequence needs to be short and quick to show the panic in Lynette's character.
The ninth shot shows Lynette bending over out of breath after running for her life, it is at this point that the audience realises that she is finished an cannot continue running. The shot will last for about 1 seconds to allow this to be noticed.
The tenth shot is a mid shot of Lynette as she picks herself up and looks at her murderer. This shot will take about 3 seconds. The epic string non-diegetic score will be slightly quiet at this point with deep bass undertones.
The eleventh shot will be a mid shot of Lynette as she looks straight at her murderer. The 3 second shot will continue the lack of dialogue within the first scene. If anything, this shot will include the heavy panicky breathing that you would expect of Lynette.
The twelfth shot will be an extreme close up of the character of Lynette's eyes widening as she realises what is about to happen to her. This shot will only be abou 2 seconds long to keep up the pacing of the sequence.
The thirteenth shot is a black screen that is quickly cut to with a gun shot sound effect. The sound effect itself is about 2 seconds long, but this black screen will last for about 3 to 4 seconds to give the audience time to digest what has just happened.
Next, a collection of information appears on the screen with a typewriter sound effect. This creates the feeling of a factual account on the murder but also makes for an unnerving collection of seconds as the audience waits to see where the film will take them.
The fourteenth shot will be of a collection of confidential files on a car seat. The text will be readable so that the audience can see that a second murder has taken place. The background score will be eerie and quiet, but with strings creating a peaceful contrast.
After a fade, the fifteenth shot will be an over the shoulder shot that depicts the character of Zoe Moon sitting in her car wildly attempting to find a link between them.The shot will only last about 4 seconds.
The sixteenth shot is an extreme close up of a mobile phone as it rings. During editing, I will make sure that this shot seems rather jarring to create a feeling of unease in my audience. This shot should only last for about 2 seconds.
The seventeeth shot will see Zoe Moon picking up her phone and listening to the information that is revealed. After 2 seconds there is dialogue as Zoe says "Another one? But....." She writes down the information that is coming from the other end of the phone. This should take the shot up to about 7 seconds. The score will start to increase in power at this point.
The eighteenth shot will be a reverse shot to allow the audience to see what the character has written. There is more dialogue in this shot: "John Clarke... Where's the link?" This shot will last for approximately 4 seconds.
The nineteenth shot will be a side shot that will involve an overlay of the paper that the character is writing on. This is to give an idea to the audience of what the character is trying to figure out. The shot will last about 10 seconds.
The final shot that I will need to film will be an extreme close up of Zoe Moon's eyes as she comes to the realisation of a potential link. The shot will last about 6 seconds. During this shot, the score reaches its climax and then changes to a very quietly sombre melody the moment the shot ends.
The last thing the audience will see is the logo of the film. The logo will stay on screen as the music fades out and this could be anything from 3-14 seconds depending on the score but 6 seconds might be the preferred length.
This is an animatic version of my opening sequence. Although I will not be able to use the two songs included in this animatic, "Ship Of Fools" and "Ruthless" from the Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles Official Soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura, however, for the purposes of a simple animatic they show roughly the kind of score I am going to try and create. This will allow me to create a much more effective opening as I now know exactly what I need to create rather than guessing and then working on that.
The second shot will also feature the moon, although it will be much more zoomed out. This shot will last for about 10-30 seconds depending on the length of the previous shot and to allow for more credits to be shown. The eerie music from the previous shot will continue into this one.
The fourth shot sees a close up of Lynette James' face as she turns towards the camera in fright. This shot will be incredibly short at about 3 seconds.
The fifth shot will be the only canted angle shot in the entire opening, this is because it will add a particular disjointed horror to the revelation of the antagonist walking into the scene. The shot will only be about 3 seconds long, but this should be more than enough introduction to the villain.
By this point, the eerie music will have stopped only to be replaced by an epic string melody that makes Lynette's attempt to escape seem courageous.
The tenth shot is a mid shot of Lynette as she picks herself up and looks at her murderer. This shot will take about 3 seconds. The epic string non-diegetic score will be slightly quiet at this point with deep bass undertones.
The eleventh shot will be a mid shot of Lynette as she looks straight at her murderer. The 3 second shot will continue the lack of dialogue within the first scene. If anything, this shot will include the heavy panicky breathing that you would expect of Lynette.
The fourteenth shot will be of a collection of confidential files on a car seat. The text will be readable so that the audience can see that a second murder has taken place. The background score will be eerie and quiet, but with strings creating a peaceful contrast.
The seventeeth shot will see Zoe Moon picking up her phone and listening to the information that is revealed. After 2 seconds there is dialogue as Zoe says "Another one? But....." She writes down the information that is coming from the other end of the phone. This should take the shot up to about 7 seconds. The score will start to increase in power at this point.
The eighteenth shot will be a reverse shot to allow the audience to see what the character has written. There is more dialogue in this shot: "John Clarke... Where's the link?" This shot will last for approximately 4 seconds.
An Audience Questionnaire
Before re-creating my storyboard to make sure that I am 100% happy with how my film will unfold I felt that it was necessary to do an audience questionnaire to see how an audience would want my thriller to work. After setting up a questionnaire on Survey Monkey I asked 30 people to answer my survey. In the end I asked friends and family on Facebook and on an internet forum that I am a part of. This will have skewed some of my results, however, it is not something that I can change due to the difficulty of getting a wide variety of people to answer.
Question 1: Are you male or female?
This question was solely used as a gauge for where I should potentially target my thriller. Overall, more men answered my questionnaire than females, however, as a lot were from this internet forum that is largely based on video games this was to be expected. There was only a difference of six people between the two genders and as such I will probably try and keep my film as accessible as possible to all genders.
Question 2: Which age bracket do you fall under?
This question was also used as a method to gauge a target audience. On the whole there was a vast majority in the 16-22 bracket, 60% higher than the second highest age bracket of 36-50 year olds. This was also to be expected, as the 16-22 age bracket is the most technologically able and as such are more likely to use Facebook and internet forums. This is a major bias in my results, but it is also one that would be impossible to avoid without asking far less people.
Question 3: Which of these titles do you prefer? Please select the one that you think would be the most suitable for a Thriller movie.
This question was used to decide the final title of my movie and I am glad that the highest scoring title was Midnight even though it only won with 36.7% of the votes. The other popular choice was Other, which resulted in a couple of stupid names like "Kittens the Return of Hairballs" but when asking people on an internet forum to answer a questionnaire, silly answers are to be expected. The only title to not get any votes is Moonlit XII and I guess this is because it does not have the same ring to tit that all of the other titles have.
Question 4: Do you prefer your films in colour or in black & white?
Initially I was planning to do the film in colour, however, I decided that I would ask the audience what they would prefer. This is because I want my film to be effective and if the audience had chosen black and white then that would have been the stylistic approach that I would take. Thankfully 66.7% of the people chose colour and this makes things so much simpler for me as I do not need to add in more colour filters than is necessary.
Question 5: How much dialogue would you want in the opening sequence of a Thriller movie?
The premise of this question was to decide whether or not I had put too much dialogue in my initial storyboard and with the very large majority of 86.7% of people it is clear that people want very little dialogue within the opening sequence. This means that I will definitely have to edit the amount of dialogue in my opening sequence to something that is much less.
Question 6: How many murders would it take to make the opening sequence overly complicated and confusing?
When creating my storyboard I realised that the number of murders taking place would have to be discussed to make sure that the opening sequence did not turn audiences off. In the end, 63.3% of the votes said that 4 + murders would make the opening too confusing and the majority said that 4 was the point when this would occur with 36.7% of the votes. The two other highest chosen options were 3 at 26.7% and 6 at 20%. This still seems rather inconclusive, but I this has made me decide to remove one of the murders from the opening sequence leaving three with only one being physically visible. This should make the sequence complex enough to keep the audience concentrated but not too complicated as to make the sequence confusing.
Question 7: What font type would you choose for the opening credits?
This question was probably a mistake as the highest chosen answer of a specialised font specifically for the film with 83.3% of the vote means that I have a lot of work on my hands as I need to find a font that is free but which also looks very effective and is still readable. This is a massive majority over the other options which only 5 people chose and this means that I have to listen to what my audience tell me and I have to find a suitable font.
Question 8: How much would you like to find out about the characters in the first 2 minutes and what would you like to know?
This question was one of two open ended questions on the survey, mainly because I sought to find out what audiences wanted to know in the first two minutes. The general consensus from the answers was that I should not reveal too much. There were some interesting answers that included "Well, it really depends on who the characters are. If there's some super duper secret the character has, I don't want it revealed in the first 2 minutes, but major quirks and stuff. Like, if the character has a catchphrase or something they do all the time (like a nervous tic, or... whatever) then that should be used in the first 2 minutes" and "First two minutes of a film should not focus on character, but the environment. It depends on if you want to start with the character. If you have a strong characer, use the environment to describe them. If the film lacks a strong protagonist, then focus on the surroundings instead, for tension" and also "It needs to get across the overall idea of the film." These all bring up very interesting points and as such, I will try to act upon them when I re-do my storyboard. The idea of utilising motifs was already a thought of mine and in an audience member bringing it up, it makes it all the more important to my production. I do like the idea of using the environment to describe the characters or to bring about tension and I shall make sure that this works within my opening for effect.
Question 9: How would you like the plot of the film to be explained within the opening sequence?
Revealing the plot within the opening sequence is something that is very important in hooking the audience. I have to make sure that I reveal enough to make the audience interested, but not too much so as to ruin the rest of the movie. The overall winner of this question was small but clever hints, which was awarded 76.7% of the votes. I did expect this as the answer and in a retrospective look at my initial storyboard, I reveal far too much about the plot and I need to try and be much more sly.
Question 10: Do you have any other opinions or tips that you can give me to help make my opening sequence the highest quality it can be?
This question was the only optional question on the entire survey as I only wanted tips that would help me to be successful and not to force people to force an answer when they had none. This resulted in a number of very helpful tips that I shall use to the best of my abilities.
"With a thriller movie, it's not about what you see. It's about what you don't see. Watch a thriller in the dark, no knowing where the killer is... that is scary."
"Try to keep the story under wraps in the opening. Keep it as enigmatic as you can until it's time for exposition."
"A variety of shots and camera techniques to show a high standard, possibly a cantered angle to show something is wrong. A clever use of the rule of thirds and lighting to keep the audience thinking and interested in the opening sequence."
This last answer is the one that I will listen to the most as it brings about a large number of techniques that I know will make my thriller successful and also a technique that I did not know existed but now that I do know I am certain that if I use it, it will make the overall presentation of my thriller so much more effective.
Question 1: Are you male or female?
This question was solely used as a gauge for where I should potentially target my thriller. Overall, more men answered my questionnaire than females, however, as a lot were from this internet forum that is largely based on video games this was to be expected. There was only a difference of six people between the two genders and as such I will probably try and keep my film as accessible as possible to all genders.
Question 2: Which age bracket do you fall under?
This question was also used as a method to gauge a target audience. On the whole there was a vast majority in the 16-22 bracket, 60% higher than the second highest age bracket of 36-50 year olds. This was also to be expected, as the 16-22 age bracket is the most technologically able and as such are more likely to use Facebook and internet forums. This is a major bias in my results, but it is also one that would be impossible to avoid without asking far less people.
Question 3: Which of these titles do you prefer? Please select the one that you think would be the most suitable for a Thriller movie.
This question was used to decide the final title of my movie and I am glad that the highest scoring title was Midnight even though it only won with 36.7% of the votes. The other popular choice was Other, which resulted in a couple of stupid names like "Kittens the Return of Hairballs" but when asking people on an internet forum to answer a questionnaire, silly answers are to be expected. The only title to not get any votes is Moonlit XII and I guess this is because it does not have the same ring to tit that all of the other titles have.
Question 4: Do you prefer your films in colour or in black & white?
Initially I was planning to do the film in colour, however, I decided that I would ask the audience what they would prefer. This is because I want my film to be effective and if the audience had chosen black and white then that would have been the stylistic approach that I would take. Thankfully 66.7% of the people chose colour and this makes things so much simpler for me as I do not need to add in more colour filters than is necessary.
Question 5: How much dialogue would you want in the opening sequence of a Thriller movie?
The premise of this question was to decide whether or not I had put too much dialogue in my initial storyboard and with the very large majority of 86.7% of people it is clear that people want very little dialogue within the opening sequence. This means that I will definitely have to edit the amount of dialogue in my opening sequence to something that is much less.
Question 6: How many murders would it take to make the opening sequence overly complicated and confusing?
When creating my storyboard I realised that the number of murders taking place would have to be discussed to make sure that the opening sequence did not turn audiences off. In the end, 63.3% of the votes said that 4 + murders would make the opening too confusing and the majority said that 4 was the point when this would occur with 36.7% of the votes. The two other highest chosen options were 3 at 26.7% and 6 at 20%. This still seems rather inconclusive, but I this has made me decide to remove one of the murders from the opening sequence leaving three with only one being physically visible. This should make the sequence complex enough to keep the audience concentrated but not too complicated as to make the sequence confusing.
Question 7: What font type would you choose for the opening credits?
This question was probably a mistake as the highest chosen answer of a specialised font specifically for the film with 83.3% of the vote means that I have a lot of work on my hands as I need to find a font that is free but which also looks very effective and is still readable. This is a massive majority over the other options which only 5 people chose and this means that I have to listen to what my audience tell me and I have to find a suitable font.
Question 8: How much would you like to find out about the characters in the first 2 minutes and what would you like to know?
This question was one of two open ended questions on the survey, mainly because I sought to find out what audiences wanted to know in the first two minutes. The general consensus from the answers was that I should not reveal too much. There were some interesting answers that included "Well, it really depends on who the characters are. If there's some super duper secret the character has, I don't want it revealed in the first 2 minutes, but major quirks and stuff. Like, if the character has a catchphrase or something they do all the time (like a nervous tic, or... whatever) then that should be used in the first 2 minutes" and "First two minutes of a film should not focus on character, but the environment. It depends on if you want to start with the character. If you have a strong characer, use the environment to describe them. If the film lacks a strong protagonist, then focus on the surroundings instead, for tension" and also "It needs to get across the overall idea of the film." These all bring up very interesting points and as such, I will try to act upon them when I re-do my storyboard. The idea of utilising motifs was already a thought of mine and in an audience member bringing it up, it makes it all the more important to my production. I do like the idea of using the environment to describe the characters or to bring about tension and I shall make sure that this works within my opening for effect.
Question 9: How would you like the plot of the film to be explained within the opening sequence?
Revealing the plot within the opening sequence is something that is very important in hooking the audience. I have to make sure that I reveal enough to make the audience interested, but not too much so as to ruin the rest of the movie. The overall winner of this question was small but clever hints, which was awarded 76.7% of the votes. I did expect this as the answer and in a retrospective look at my initial storyboard, I reveal far too much about the plot and I need to try and be much more sly.
Question 10: Do you have any other opinions or tips that you can give me to help make my opening sequence the highest quality it can be?
This question was the only optional question on the entire survey as I only wanted tips that would help me to be successful and not to force people to force an answer when they had none. This resulted in a number of very helpful tips that I shall use to the best of my abilities.
"With a thriller movie, it's not about what you see. It's about what you don't see. Watch a thriller in the dark, no knowing where the killer is... that is scary."
"Try to keep the story under wraps in the opening. Keep it as enigmatic as you can until it's time for exposition."
"A variety of shots and camera techniques to show a high standard, possibly a cantered angle to show something is wrong. A clever use of the rule of thirds and lighting to keep the audience thinking and interested in the opening sequence."
This last answer is the one that I will listen to the most as it brings about a large number of techniques that I know will make my thriller successful and also a technique that I did not know existed but now that I do know I am certain that if I use it, it will make the overall presentation of my thriller so much more effective.
The Filming Locations
Locations are always key when it comes to Thrillers and they are usually locations that the audience can relate to.
The Road
The major location in my opening sequence is a road that is the location of Lynette James's murder. Usually a forest is used for such a location, as it is a stereotypical location for such horrible acts. However, I want to bring this murder closer to the audience by placing it on a normal road thereby adding to the unease that the audience would feel as the murder could have happened on the street that they live on.
I have two ideas for the location of this road for filming. The shoot will either take place on Leigh Road, Toton or Darley Avenue, Toton. This is because both roads are rather long and there are no junctions on the left hand side of both roads making them perfect to shoot on. They are also usually very quiet so this works brilliantly for health and safety problems. It also makes the roads look more threatening when it is nighttime and although I may end up using a day for night shoot this effect will still be apparent. Overall, the final location will be decided by the actress as it is up to her where she feels most comfortable filming and which is easiest for her.
The final location for this scene was decided as Darley Avenue, this is because it is the easiest to access for the actor and actress and it is also the slightly more threatening looking road.
In Zoe Moon's Car
The only other location in the opening sequence is the area around Zoe Moon's car. While this is not vastly important as all of the shots will focus inside the car, the particular location of the shoot will add to the dramatic tension due to the way it looks.
The Actress's driveway, Cardiff
The Road
The major location in my opening sequence is a road that is the location of Lynette James's murder. Usually a forest is used for such a location, as it is a stereotypical location for such horrible acts. However, I want to bring this murder closer to the audience by placing it on a normal road thereby adding to the unease that the audience would feel as the murder could have happened on the street that they live on.
Left: Leight Road, Toton Right: Darley Avenue, Toton
I have two ideas for the location of this road for filming. The shoot will either take place on Leigh Road, Toton or Darley Avenue, Toton. This is because both roads are rather long and there are no junctions on the left hand side of both roads making them perfect to shoot on. They are also usually very quiet so this works brilliantly for health and safety problems. It also makes the roads look more threatening when it is nighttime and although I may end up using a day for night shoot this effect will still be apparent. Overall, the final location will be decided by the actress as it is up to her where she feels most comfortable filming and which is easiest for her.
The final location for this scene was decided as Darley Avenue, this is because it is the easiest to access for the actor and actress and it is also the slightly more threatening looking road.
In Zoe Moon's Car
The only other location in the opening sequence is the area around Zoe Moon's car. While this is not vastly important as all of the shots will focus inside the car, the particular location of the shoot will add to the dramatic tension due to the way it looks.
The Actress's driveway, CardiffThis location is relatively bleak looking and because it is so featureless it will allow the audience to worry about the character's true location. The reason that I have chosen to film here is because it is where Sophie Kish currently lives and it is easier for me to go and film there than it is for her to come to Nottingham and film here as she is still doing her university studies and holding down a part time job. However, the look and feel of the driveway make it the perfect place to shoot the tense introduction to the character of Zoe Moon.
The Props
Props are an incredibly important part of the mise-en-scene of a film and I need to decide on what props I am going to use within my film to create the right atmosphere.
Throughout the entire first sequence there will be no need for props as it is solely a character running for their lives. By not seeing any props, like the gun that is used to kill Lynette, the audience will have an ultra-heightened sense of expectation as to what the murder weapon is and what is truly happening.
In the scene with protagonist Zoe Moon I believe I am going to need quite a few props to be able to hint at elements of the plot.
Car
While this is technically a setting I will still need a car in which to shoot in the scene. As such, I will be using my dad's car as that will be available on the planned day of the shoot. As can be seen, it is quite large and green which could be used to suggest power and jealousy. While there are potentially better car choices for the character, like my mum's small black car, it is not feasible for us to drive that car down to Cardiff where the scene will take place. Ergo, I have to make do with this car. I can turn this to my advantage by using it to suggest some success on the character's part in her ability to aquire such a car.
Files
As the plot follows the murders of a number of people it is only right that Zoe Moon would have files that would contain information on the murders that had taken place up to that point in the plot. I am still toying with the idea of when this will be, so the number of files or images could range from three to twelve. I will probably keep this number to a minimum, but the total will be decided from the results of the questionnaire that I have set up. These will not explicity detail the plot as I am assuming that the audience would not want to have too much revealed to them initially. As such, they may just include a couple of photographs of characters and a location.
Mobile Phone
While the initial storyboard shows a secretary or fellow detective entering an office to state the murder of a fourth person, I have come to the decision that that character is pointless in the opening sequence and the revelation of another murder can be done by phone. This will make the protagonist appear to be well connected but still give her a sense of isolation as there is nothing that can be done to protect her over the phone. It also makes sense for her character as she is a journalist and as such would have links with numerous people who she would contact with her phone.
Notepad and Pen
As Zoe is a journalist, or at least an aspiring journalist, it is very easy to imagine her scribbling down ideas in a notepad so that she can link plans and ideas together with ease but also to remember key points. This would most likely serve as the motif throughout the film, like the spinning top in 'Inception' and the Polaroids in 'Memento'. In Zoe's scene, the notepad will be covered with a couple of names, locations, lines and scribbles and the character tries to figure out a link between the murders. This will probably work better than the overly explicit dialogue that I had initially planned to use to reveal that she is trying to find a link between the murders.
All of these props are easy to aquire, although the files and the notepad will need a little more work to make appear authentic. However, it will still not take too much work as none of my plans for the props themselves are too complicated.
Throughout the entire first sequence there will be no need for props as it is solely a character running for their lives. By not seeing any props, like the gun that is used to kill Lynette, the audience will have an ultra-heightened sense of expectation as to what the murder weapon is and what is truly happening.
In the scene with protagonist Zoe Moon I believe I am going to need quite a few props to be able to hint at elements of the plot.
Car
While this is technically a setting I will still need a car in which to shoot in the scene. As such, I will be using my dad's car as that will be available on the planned day of the shoot. As can be seen, it is quite large and green which could be used to suggest power and jealousy. While there are potentially better car choices for the character, like my mum's small black car, it is not feasible for us to drive that car down to Cardiff where the scene will take place. Ergo, I have to make do with this car. I can turn this to my advantage by using it to suggest some success on the character's part in her ability to aquire such a car.Files
As the plot follows the murders of a number of people it is only right that Zoe Moon would have files that would contain information on the murders that had taken place up to that point in the plot. I am still toying with the idea of when this will be, so the number of files or images could range from three to twelve. I will probably keep this number to a minimum, but the total will be decided from the results of the questionnaire that I have set up. These will not explicity detail the plot as I am assuming that the audience would not want to have too much revealed to them initially. As such, they may just include a couple of photographs of characters and a location.
Mobile Phone
While the initial storyboard shows a secretary or fellow detective entering an office to state the murder of a fourth person, I have come to the decision that that character is pointless in the opening sequence and the revelation of another murder can be done by phone. This will make the protagonist appear to be well connected but still give her a sense of isolation as there is nothing that can be done to protect her over the phone. It also makes sense for her character as she is a journalist and as such would have links with numerous people who she would contact with her phone.
Notepad and Pen
As Zoe is a journalist, or at least an aspiring journalist, it is very easy to imagine her scribbling down ideas in a notepad so that she can link plans and ideas together with ease but also to remember key points. This would most likely serve as the motif throughout the film, like the spinning top in 'Inception' and the Polaroids in 'Memento'. In Zoe's scene, the notepad will be covered with a couple of names, locations, lines and scribbles and the character tries to figure out a link between the murders. This will probably work better than the overly explicit dialogue that I had initially planned to use to reveal that she is trying to find a link between the murders.
All of these props are easy to aquire, although the files and the notepad will need a little more work to make appear authentic. However, it will still not take too much work as none of my plans for the props themselves are too complicated.
The Costumes
Costumes are incredibly important when trying to create a certain representation of characters and as such, it is definitely a good idea for me to analyse the representation of the characters that I want to create and how I might succeed in this through the costumes.
Lynette James
Lynette is meant to be seen as a sweet and innocent girl and so I need to put the actress in as much white clothing as possible. This is because white is seen as a symbol of purity and naïvety. If possible a white dress would be perfect as it would make her seem very feminine and sweet, this would make her murder all the more shocking and would make the opening sequence all the more intriguing. If a white dress is not possible, then a flowing cardigan would create a similar effect as she would seem graceful and serene underneath the lamp post and almost elegant when running for her life. This would also allow for some amazing shots during the running sequence.
Obviously, this may be difficult as I do not have the resources or the time to hand make any of the costumes and so I will have to make do with whatever clothing the actress has and work around my plans like that.
The final costume for the character of Lynette was a cream coat and scarf with skinny jeans and boots. Overall, this is not quite how I had imagined the costume, but, with the distinct lack of resources this was the best I was going to get. Thankfully, the cream coat and the scarf do the job of all of the white clothing that I wanted to use to create connotations of innocence.
Zoe Moon
The character of Zoe is that of a very headstrong young woman who is intelligent but also very fiery. If I can get the actress into a mixture of red and white clothing then I can portray such a character. The white would fit into the stereotypical image of pure and innocent women, but the red would indicate the fiery passion within the character. It would also suggest that she is dangerous or drawing danger upon herself. The costume would not be too smart as she is only just out of university, however, she would certainly not look scruffy. If anything, she would be dressed in jeans with a smartish jacket. I also imagine her to be wearing glasses, which would suggest intelligence through stereotypes but also a slight geekiness to her character.
The final costume for the character of Zoe Moon was a red t-shirt with everything else being black. This makes the character look fiery and fiesty, but also suggests that she is drawing danger to herself. Overall, I am really pleased with the final costume as it does almost everything that I wished it to portray. The only thing that was impossible was the white clothing, but, as I do not have the budget to create costumes this is a minor change.
Midnight
As previously mentioned, the villain's outfit in the opening sequence is not important as only their leg is seen. As only this segment of the character's leg is seen and the scene will be at night, the leg will most likely be like a silhouette against the action in front of it. This will make them seem violent, dark and evil souly through the enigma code brought about by how little the audience sees.
The final costume for the character of Midnight was simply jeans, shoes and a hoody. As only the leg is seen in the film, the fact that they are black jeans create the evil connotations and this is all that I can really create for such a small role in the opening.
Lynette James
Lynette is meant to be seen as a sweet and innocent girl and so I need to put the actress in as much white clothing as possible. This is because white is seen as a symbol of purity and naïvety. If possible a white dress would be perfect as it would make her seem very feminine and sweet, this would make her murder all the more shocking and would make the opening sequence all the more intriguing. If a white dress is not possible, then a flowing cardigan would create a similar effect as she would seem graceful and serene underneath the lamp post and almost elegant when running for her life. This would also allow for some amazing shots during the running sequence.
Obviously, this may be difficult as I do not have the resources or the time to hand make any of the costumes and so I will have to make do with whatever clothing the actress has and work around my plans like that.
The final costume for the character of Lynette was a cream coat and scarf with skinny jeans and boots. Overall, this is not quite how I had imagined the costume, but, with the distinct lack of resources this was the best I was going to get. Thankfully, the cream coat and the scarf do the job of all of the white clothing that I wanted to use to create connotations of innocence.Zoe Moon
The character of Zoe is that of a very headstrong young woman who is intelligent but also very fiery. If I can get the actress into a mixture of red and white clothing then I can portray such a character. The white would fit into the stereotypical image of pure and innocent women, but the red would indicate the fiery passion within the character. It would also suggest that she is dangerous or drawing danger upon herself. The costume would not be too smart as she is only just out of university, however, she would certainly not look scruffy. If anything, she would be dressed in jeans with a smartish jacket. I also imagine her to be wearing glasses, which would suggest intelligence through stereotypes but also a slight geekiness to her character.
Midnight
As previously mentioned, the villain's outfit in the opening sequence is not important as only their leg is seen. As only this segment of the character's leg is seen and the scene will be at night, the leg will most likely be like a silhouette against the action in front of it. This will make them seem violent, dark and evil souly through the enigma code brought about by how little the audience sees.
The final costume for the character of Midnight was simply jeans, shoes and a hoody. As only the leg is seen in the film, the fact that they are black jeans create the evil connotations and this is all that I can really create for such a small role in the opening.
The Cast for the Opening Sequence
To make sure that I create the highest quality production I can, it is highly important that I cast my characters very carefully. 'Midnight' is not too much of a problem as only their leg and foot will be seen. Lynette James and Zoe Moon will be far more important, especially Zoe Moon as she is the protagonist and as such I need to select an actress who could successfully hold the role.
Character: Zoe Moon
Character: Midnight
The character of Midnight is hardly seen in this opening sequence and I only need to use someone's leg for the one shot that they appear in. For this reason I am drafting in the help of one of my friends, Martin Smith, to perform the role of Midnight and to help out with health and safety. Martin has not had any previous acting experience, but for the action that the character does, this is not needed in the slightest and Martin will be perfectly suitable for the role.
Character: Lynette James
Although Katie has not had any prior acting experience, she is definitely suitable for the role of Lynette. My image of Lynette is a hard working college girl who exudes innocence and this is exactly the quality that Katie has that makes her perfect for Lynette. The lack of acting experience does not matter at all because the entire sequence with Lynette is running and looking scared, something that I am pretty sure Katie will be able to do. She also lives on one of the roads where the filming may take place and this makes things so much simpler for the both of us.
Character: Zoe MoonActress: Sophie Kish
(Her website)
The character of Zoe Moon is a journalism graduate and as such is pretty much the same age as the actress who is graduating from her Performance and Media degree in July. Sophie has also had experience as an actress appearing in numerous short films for university projects and as an extra in a Welsh soap, Pobol Y Cym. She also studied drama at GCSE and Drama and Performance Studies at A-Level. This level of experience makes her the perfect person to play the protagonist of the film as she will be able to inflect the character with her own ideas and bring the character to life in a way that first time actors/actresses would not be able to do. She will also be able to give me tips for when I am editing the film itself and help me out with the music as she is incredibly talented in both of these aspects of Media.
(Her website)
The character of Zoe Moon is a journalism graduate and as such is pretty much the same age as the actress who is graduating from her Performance and Media degree in July. Sophie has also had experience as an actress appearing in numerous short films for university projects and as an extra in a Welsh soap, Pobol Y Cym. She also studied drama at GCSE and Drama and Performance Studies at A-Level. This level of experience makes her the perfect person to play the protagonist of the film as she will be able to inflect the character with her own ideas and bring the character to life in a way that first time actors/actresses would not be able to do. She will also be able to give me tips for when I am editing the film itself and help me out with the music as she is incredibly talented in both of these aspects of Media.
Character: Midnight
Actor: Martin Smith
The character of Midnight is hardly seen in this opening sequence and I only need to use someone's leg for the one shot that they appear in. For this reason I am drafting in the help of one of my friends, Martin Smith, to perform the role of Midnight and to help out with health and safety. Martin has not had any previous acting experience, but for the action that the character does, this is not needed in the slightest and Martin will be perfectly suitable for the role.
Actress: Katie Hutchinson
Although Katie has not had any prior acting experience, she is definitely suitable for the role of Lynette. My image of Lynette is a hard working college girl who exudes innocence and this is exactly the quality that Katie has that makes her perfect for Lynette. The lack of acting experience does not matter at all because the entire sequence with Lynette is running and looking scared, something that I am pretty sure Katie will be able to do. She also lives on one of the roads where the filming may take place and this makes things so much simpler for the both of us.
The Character Profiles
After creating the storyboard I felt that it would be an excellent idea to create profiles for my characters so that I would be able to understand them better and adjust the dialogue as needed but also to improve my directorial capabilities when it comes to shooting the scenes with those characters. This is because I will be able to explain the characters' mindsets to the actors and actresses far more effectively than if I made them up as I went along.
Victim 1:
By only focusing upon the characters that will be in my opening sequence I am not adding unnecessary work to my current load and this will allow me to be much more efficient overall. Before I had fully started to plan this opening I had had the notion to include twelve of the murders and have them filmed as part of the opening, however, this was too complicated and it would not fit into two minutes. As such, by only showing one murder in the opening I am effectively cutting down on the complicated processes of casting and filming.
Protagonist:
Name: Zoe Moon
Age: 21
Personal Facts:
- A journalism graduate who has discovered a conspiracy to hide the serial murders that are taking place. She enlists the help of a few friends to help her uncover the mystery of the murders and why the government are so set on keeping it hidden.
- Had a tough school life which has led to her presenting a steely exterior to those around her.
- Very quick witted and is always trying to think ahead and link things together.
- A very headstrong girl who is always very determined to finish what she starts
Costume: Nothing too work like, she has only just graduated and is doing this work in her spare time. If possible, could be dressed in reds and whites, but this is nothing too important.
Role within Film Plot: The main character who will eventually unveil the conspiracy and discover the identity of the murder. Little does she realise that she is in fact the last victim and as such she dies in the film’s climax.
Villain:
Name: Midnight
Age: Unknown
Personal Facts: Unknown
Costume: Very dark clothing, maybe a hoody, but as only their leg and foot is seen in the opening credits this is not very important.
Role within Film Plot: The serial killer. Their motive is to get revenge on Zoe Moon and so they murder people she knew or knows but has forgotten and gradually works their way up to her. They believe that she caused a traumatic experience in their life (The death of their parents) and so wants revenge. The plot twist is that they are in fact one of the victims and the tragedy will be that Zoe is innocent; however, this will not be known until the film’s climax.
Victim 1:
Name: Lynette James
Age: 17
Personal Facts:
- Studying A Levels at a local college
- Has a younger brother and is living at home with a single mother.
- Highly intelligent but has a dark secret
Costume: A white outfit that has connotations of innocence to make the murder
Role within Film Plot: The first victim of the serial murders.
By only focusing upon the characters that will be in my opening sequence I am not adding unnecessary work to my current load and this will allow me to be much more efficient overall. Before I had fully started to plan this opening I had had the notion to include twelve of the murders and have them filmed as part of the opening, however, this was too complicated and it would not fit into two minutes. As such, by only showing one murder in the opening I am effectively cutting down on the complicated processes of casting and filming.
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