Analysis Preliminary Task
Our first attempt at filming wasn't as successful as we wanted it so we decided to reschedule another shoot for 11th and 12th November 2009, learning from the mistakes that we had made. Our main error is that we had no tripod to film with so our footage was very shaky and looked amateur and unprofessional. However, in our rerun we found that the use of a tripod made the whole of difference and made our footage go from shoddy to professional. From the camera shots that we were using in our prelim, the tripod made them a lot easier to capture than when we were filming hand-held. It made the shots look a lot smoother from one transition to the other.
Main Filming Task (Thriller Opening)
Brief: to construct a 2 minute thriller film opening that creates a sense of enigma for your audience, using appropriate camera shots, angles, movements, sound, mise-en-scene and editing to do so.
Institution that will be producing our Thriller film
We decided that if our Main Filming Task was a live project then Warner Bros. Pictures would be the film institution that would produce our film. This is because Warner Bros. Pictures is a global successful film institution and has some of the most creditable film titles to its name. And so we think that if our film was produced by this institution then they will use all of their experienced and professional knowledge to make sure what is produced is successful.
Introduction to Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. Pictures is a renowned, international entertainment institution and is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of creative content across all current and emerging media and platforms. The company stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry which include; films, home entertainment, digital distribution, animation, comic books, licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.
Plan for our Main Filming Task (Thriller Opening)
The thriller conventions that we have taken from our RESEARCH and will incorporate in our film are:
- Stalker - When a Stranger Calls
- Female leading role, but of different ethnicity (challenges convention) - Early Thrillers Research
- Subjective point of view shot - When a Stranger calls and Vertigo
- Dark setting - When a Stranger calls, Vertigo and Gothika
We decided to use these convention because we feel we can create a very successful film opening that will attract our audience. these conventions work well together and generally create a suspense atmosphere and enigma.
Our Target Audience
Our product will be aimed at both genders aged 15+. We decided on this audience as any age below 15 may find the context and content of our film disturbing and unsuitable for them to watch. Teenagers aged 15 and higher will also be able to relate to more of what is going on, as the characters in our film will be roughly the same age. Other media products such as the film Kidulthood and the TV programme Skins use this idea to attract and involve their audience.
Plot outline
A teenage girl who is intoxicated by alcohol, walks home from a night out at a friend's house party. As she staggers and stumbles to her house there is a stranger overlooking her from outside. The stalker watches the girl through her kitchen window, staring and observing her, then takes out a photograph of the girl from his coat pocket and begins to burn it. It is at this point where the story slowly unveils and the relationship between these 2 characters is revealed later in the film.
Brainstorm of ideas for title of film with audience feedback.
Our group constructed a survey for the rest of our media class consisting of 4 possible titles that we would use for our main task. they were: 'Always Watching', , 'Who's Watching', 'The Watching', 'The Pursuit' or 'The Vigilant'.
We constructed our survey as follows:
Please mark your favourite title that appeals to you most
Title Score
1. Always Watching IIII (4)
2. Who's Watching IIIII (5)
3. The Watching II (2)
4. The Pursuit IIIIII (6)
4. The Vigilant IIII (4)
From the survey we found that the title 'The Pursuit' was the most effective title for our audience and so we decided to go with their opinion and go ahead with the title.
Characters/Actors, ActressesMollee Vasey – (Party Host)This character has been chosen as she is hosting her own house party.
Jasmine Bual – (Main actress)
From my research I noticed that in a lot of cases females who play leading roles in a thriller were of a white ethnicity. To make ours a little diverse and different we decided to use a character of a different descent. This actor is our main actor and will play the role of the 'stalked'.
Neil Kumar – (Main Actor)
This character will play the role of the 'stalker', but is different to the 'typical' stalker as he is not wearing a hooded jacket which was something we were advised were not to do.
Sophie Lemm – (Party Guest)
Plays the role of the party guest at the house party, and possibly further appearances later in the film.
Samuel Lai – (Party Guest)
Plays the role of the party guest at the house party, and possibly further appearances later in the film.
Lewie Hare – (Party Guest)
Plays the role of the party guest at the house party, and possibly further appearances later in the film.
Chosen locations
The film opens up into a house party at the party host's house. Then we see the outside and surrounding area (street) as the party guest/stalked starts to walk home. Then finally near to the end of the film we see the stalked enter her house. These locations were chosen because they are ordinary settings in which appear in everyday life that the audience can relate to.
Sounds/Soundtracks
The only sounds that are to be incorporated into our footage is the loud party music played at the beginning (non-diegetic sound) and when the party guest leaves the house, an eerie soundtrack will played over the footage (non-diegetic sound). We decided to add this because it creates a build up of suspense which will provoke a response from the audience. The sounds also help emphasise the contrast in moods from the party and when the girl starts to walk home.
Lighting
The lighting will be all artificial as the the film is set in at a time where it is dark and any ambient lighting is absent. This lighting will come from the houses that will be used and street lamps from when the girl is walking home.
Mise-en-scene
Costumes - typical clothing of average teenager that audience can relate to.
Props - drinks (cans, glasses, bottles) lighter and photograph.
Setting - interior (house party, girl's house), exterior (outside on the street )
Script for film
INT- (House party scene)
Mid-shot: All party guests dance, drink and converse with each other as loud party music plays.
Mid-shot: Party guests still drinking, dancing and conversing with one another except Jasmine Bual and Mollee Vasey who walk forward towards the door, face one another and hug.
MOLLEE VASEY: Bye
JASMINE: See ya later
MOLLEE VASEY: Seeya later...bye
EXT - (Outside, journey home)
Long-shot: Jasmine walks towards and past the camera in a drunken manner.
Mid-shot: Jasmine continues walking and turns right around the corner of the house.
Subjective point of view shot: Jasmine holds camera and walks past hedge leading to the path on the street.
Long-shot: Jasmine walks towards the camera in a drunken manner due to her alcohol consumption and turns right from the camera.
Subjective point of view shot: Jasmine holds camera and walks up sidepath towards her house (whilst breathing deeply) - shows that you are not in a right state of mind due to the alcohol, which has affected your breathing and anxiety levels.
Long-shot: Jasmine continues to walk down sidepath towards her house, whilst recieving her door keys from her pocket in her cardigan as she reaches the front door.
Over the shoulder shot: Jasmine thimbles with her keys to find the right one but drops them on the floor due to her impaired vision and anxiety. She manages to pick them up and unlock the door and enter her house.
Mid-shot/over the shoulder shot: Neil looks directly at where Jasmine has has just entered her house as he is stalking her.
Mid-shot: (transition signifies time lapse) Neil observes Jasmine through her kitchen window as she looks in the refrigerator for food.
Mid-shot: Neil reaches into his side pocket of his coat and takes out a photograph.
Subjective point of view shot/cloe-up: Neil unfolds a photograph of the girl he is currently stalking, takes out a lighter from his coat pocket and begins to burn the photograph. Neil then drops the burning photograoh onto the floor.
Close-up: The photograph burns halfway (fades to black)
END
SHOOTING SCHEDULE
We uploaded our footage on Wednesday 27th January and starting to edit until completion on Wednesday 20th February.Roles that were played and assigned
Samuel Lai - directing, filming, editing, acting
Sophie Lemm - lighting, directing, editing, acting
Jasmine Bual - acting, directing, editing, filiming
Limitations
When we began to film the scenes on the street, we noticed that the areas we were filming were very badly lit from the street lamps. As it was vital that there was light in our shots so you were able to see what was going on, we took it upon ourselves to improvise and overcome this situation. We managed to get hold of a portable flood light and used this as the light from the lamps.
Changes
We made changes to our type font. At first we used the font apple symbols. But due to feedback from others we found that it didn't truely match to that of the thriller genre. It looked very plain and boring. So we then went away and changed our type face to onyx; a font that we and others agreed was an improvement and definately showed character of the thriller genre.
music - freeplaymusic
We uploaded our footage on Wednesday 27th January and starting to edit until completion on Wednesday 20th February.
