Thriller - Rough Cut (Unfinished)

Actors (Unfinished)

The actors we got for our thriller opening are perfect representations of the characters we are trying to create, and so it wasnt hard to find actors we needed. We also only require a couple of actors for our opening so it wont be any trouble.

Sam Todd (Edward)

Sam Todd will be great for our opening as in school, he is taking A-Level drama, which means he'll make our opening look alot more real as he can create perfect emotions to represent the character he'll be playing. the style of clothing he wears also fits the character with hoodies, skinny jeans etc. Meaning that he will also ressemble him well in person.

Fonts

Fonts by

Animatic

Problems With Shooting

Problems within shooting

Shooting Schedule

Chosen Location

Anglia Square

the chosen place for our thriller opening is going to be Anglia Square, the reason for this is because it is ideal for tight chase scenes and run-down dodgy areas which help understand the story. Anglia Square is the place we are shooting in because it would be the perfect place for a 'deal' to happen as its already quite shady, but it is not a common nice place for a average person to visit. the first shot requires a large open area which can provide a lot of variety to the shots as it focuses mainly on the expression and loneliness of Edward. the car park area of Anglia Square is great for this as it has a long road which is very wide and not to busy with cars, the are can also be shot from behind several fences which will look great when trying to present him as if he is trapped in this situation. the graffiti wall behind where the character will be is also effective as it builds on the rundown feel and will look great when filiming in a wide angle.

The area also gives us a variation in terms of height with places such as this staircase, which we will be able to continue the chase up and again get more variety for the opening. the top of the stairs is great as we will be able to get birds eye veiw shots from the top which will look good when being chased. the stairs also gives us the chances to give more variety in the locations meaning that we can take the chase to different parts of Anglia Square easily.

 The rest of Anglia Square is just ideal for our whole shoot and we will be filming over the whole place and even down by a near by subway area which we able us to continue the chase to different areas, Anglia Square also has a loading bay for the shops which we will use for the final shot we do by capturing the character in a dead end. the scenery around is also perfect as on a cloudy miserable day the buildings look grey and dull, which we can use to help bring out the feelings of the characters and mood. 

Possible Locations

ASDA (Whiffler Road industrial estate)
One place we are considering to film in is near Asda, we have been considering it because it looks like a run-down and dull place which would be a great place for a thriller as the are not nice and colourful films. The area is very concrete intense and has very minimal bushes and trees, the area is also surrounded by tall steel fence which look great to make a jail like feel which again fits with thriller films with jail and crime etc.  As the streets are behind main roads and residential areas its very deserted which is a great place to start a thriller with a shady deal with the boy and the contents of the bag. The streets are fairly wide which will be interesting when it comes to filming as we can get a variety of shots including the shots we need.

Thorpe Marriott

Thorpe Marriott was another place we chose to look at as it had a lot of great areas which we could use when filming, like for example tight alleyways and back roads which would look great in a chase scene for claustrophobic shots and shot variety. The area also has wide open areas for the shots that require alot of different shots to pick out the surrounds and put you in the scene. Although the places gives out alot of shot vairety the place it self looks abit freindly for the type of scenes we require such as shady deals with gang members and the cornering of the character and being beaten up doesnt fit the area.

Mousehold
Mousehold was also a place we have considered as it gives a lot of areas to film with a wide area, with plenty of good looking rundown places with fences which would be great for are first scene behind a fence. Further on past mousehold there is also a great place to film the final scene where Edward gets cornered and is forced to give up. The little building estate area would be great as it shows the grimy and dull area they are and the situation Edward is in, it also doesn’t get much sun which would be good to capture the struggle and darkness in him and the past of the character to what he has done to get in this situation

Characters, Costumes, Props

Thriller opening (Storyboard)

Treatment

Black backdrop fills the shot. The sound of vehicles passing floods the darkness, a passing car interrupts the pitch black as we are taken to a gloomy overcast. Opening with a pathetic fallacy, clouds cover the sky. Revealed central frame complimented with a long shot, a nerve stricken boy stands. Simplistic clothing masks the complexity of the emotions running through the characters mind. As if his life depended on it, clutched to his chest is a common backpack, the contents of which is masked from the viewer. The boy starts to look around, the camera, using disorientating angles (mixes of extreme close ups and mid shots) is used with a handheld style to show the anxiety of the character as well as the situation.

The purpose behind this shot is to create an exposed insight into the character. By using different points of view/angles to shoot the character we are constantly reminded of the disorientation the character feels. The use of quite a gloomy, natural light enforces the tone and atmosphere of the opening. Revealing quite a slow paced shot to start with, an initial tension is created among the introduction of the character. However, as the scene progresses the pace of the action soon follows suit.

The influences behind our opening come from a number of well-known thriller productions. The first, concerns the use of the visual affect from a handheld camera, coming from the Bourne Trilogy we are trying to recreate the unsteady/uneasy feeling in which is shown within the movies. The slow paced start was inspired by the opening of Casino Royale as we have the suspension from the action. By doing this, enigma is created and the action can be progressively introduced throughout rather than all in one go. The concept of the character running from someone is influenced heavily by the film Chatroom. Coming from a psychological thriller it isn’t your stereotypical chase scene, however the key concepts are still there. Not only does this create thrill within the scene it also helps to establish more of the storyline. Another film influencing our opening is that of Essex Boys. A certain shot that is used within the opening of this movie has proved most useful. The shot I am referring to is that of when two characters are in a car travelling through a tunnel and we see the drivers face shadowed with a cross pattern. This is foreshadowing certain events that are soon to come, instead of completely replicating the shot we have adapted it. We have taken the concept and chosen to place the character in front of a fence. Not only does this give a sense of entrapment, but by shooting him from behind we could also be foreshadowing a life behind bars in the future. The final film we have used to influence our work is used in association with the transitions between shots. In the celebrated style of Layer Cake, in our opening we have chosen to use the environment to transition between shots. For example: Our first shot of a car driving past reveals a boy standing in a long shot. As another car drives past the boy is completely hidden, and as the car drives away the boy is revealed again however this time in a mid shot.

Moodboard

Moodboard on Prezi

Introduction

Hi, im Ollie Towler-Jones and this is my media blog