Researching Thrillers | Snatch | Short analysis of opening sequence

Although technically not your conventional thriller, Snatch is a very well edited and a very good opening sequence to analysise features that I could use in my piece of work. Firtsly it has the graphic match used in the diamond which I like as it allows not only the elipsis of time but it also alows for another intoduction to another main character. This is a nice camera angle/effect/piece of editing that I feel if I were to use it would work quite nicely. Another feature that I like is the introduction to each character, i dont feel it would b appropriate for my piece but it does build a storyand an atmosphere for the rest of the film, giving you feel for what it might entail, a feature that I am keen to try and include in my thriller piece.

Questionaires

Results from the quesrtionaire conducted by me and Dan;

Target audience

As this is a thriller/horror, the target audience would presumably be for 15+ here is some reasearch conducted by me and Dan into target audience

The Bourne Supremacy (Action)

The Usual Suspect (Psychological)

28 Days Later (Horror)

Filming schedule

Filming schedule and time management: Schedule created by 215ASDaniel as part of our thriller planning

Day	Objective
Wednesday	Brainstorm and develop Plots
Thursday	Plan costume and props
Friday	Plan Location and Cast
Saturday	Collect questionnaire results and plan titles
Sunday	-
Monday	Begin shooting after college
Tuesday	Finish after college

Storyboards

Storyboard: A basic story board illustrating what will take place in our thriller opening sequence.

Costume and Props

Costume: As the main character has been taken out of their natural environment, and placed into a disorientating,unsual atmosphere, it is important that they look like they would in everyday life, for example not shirt and tie but something casual and comfy, like jeans, t-shirt and a jumper or coat. It could even be suggested that the main character could be in pyjamas or even comfy joggers ect. I feel that would be effective as it would show true vunerability. Examples of what I am talking about can be seen below;

Props: Props arent really an issue in this piece of work however a smart phone would be preferable to add realism.
 

Thriller Task | Basic Plot Idea

Plot: The sequence opens with the main character waking up at 8 am as per usual, starting there morning routine of brushing their teeth ect.
The chracter procceds downstairs but is confused when their family are not anywhere to be seen. They search the house but no one is in and when they try to get their phone out to ring a their mum but there is no signal. The character becomes increasingly paniced and heads outside to see if theres anyone outside, the cars are still in the driveway. They go out into the street and no one is around, the camera cuts to another shot, this time futher out looking at the main camera as a silouett quickly passes the camera. The character is completely alone apart from the other presence that appears to be stalking them. 

Brainstorming Thrillers

Brainstorm: Ideas for and features of a Thriller

Researching Thrillers | Se7en | opening credit analysis

As my main task is to create the first two minutes of a Thriller, I have deceided to take a closer look at the opening credits of the movie "Se7en", directed by David Fincher. Instantly I think the first thing that stands out to the audience is the intense, uncomfotable close ups accompanied by music with a heavy beat and a slow tempo, which feeds off and amplifies the already tense atmosphere it has already created.
The atmosphere in my opion is at its most uncomfortable when the credits appear uncompanied by the high pitchted, white noise like sound followed by a cut to a very intense, up close and grotesque image such as the, who we now know to be the main antagonist, John Doe, peeling off his fingerprints with what appears to be a pencil sharpener blade. As this is such a memorable and out of the ordinary expeirnce for the audience, it remains in the mind but also almost makes them 'squirm' when they see this as its so intense and 'in your face' it almost feels like theres no escape. For my piece that I am creating, I would like to include something similar to the way the credits appear in this sequence for example, I like the way the they look, they have a look that create and uncomfortable vibe surrounding them. Also the accompanied music is a nice touch and works hand in hand with the credits and intense close ups to create an atmosphere.
 

Prelim Task:Final Piece

The prelim task was more of a challenge than expected, it was fun to film but the organisation was not there meaning the group was set back when filming (because of illness, absence ect.)

What went well:

In my opinion I think our main advantage as a group was our creativity. This meant that not only were we able think outside the box for a different approach to out prelim but also use more simple but creative shots, and piece them together accordingly during the editing stage.

What could have gone better:

A number of things could have gone smoother, for example, firstly our lack of organisation when filming led to us need more time to film which had to be done outside of our allotted class time, which in turn led to more complications due to myself not being able to attend the session we had planned due to illness. I also feel that our lack of knowledge surrounding the editing software was a a key issue which unfortunately could not have been avoided due too a lack of experience.

The Final Edit:

Here is the finished prelim task, which despite taking a while to upload I feel is a good first attempt at making something of the Thriller genre. However i would just like to apologise as this is the only version we could recover and so therefore there is only the raw sound from the shoot, as in this version there has been no sound editing.

Evaluation:

In conclusion to this post I feel that tho prelim task has allowed me to iron out any problems that I might of faced in my main task, I also feel that I can take something from the negatives as I now realise that to finish on time and to the best of my ability I need to be more organised, and use the time I have more  efficiently.

Planning for prelim task:Intro/Brief

Brief:To produce a short sequence, in which to characters share 4 lines of dialogue.

Aim: The aim is simple, to produced a quality piece of work, in which two characters (or in this case a character with a split personality) can have a realistic conversation. This will be achieved by a number of different shots such as the Shot reverse shot, over the shoulder shot, medium shot ect. These shots will help establish realism and will make the sequence the professional look we are after. 

Researching Thrillers: Se7en (What's in the box?)

Se7en is a crime thriller, directed by David Fincher which was released in 1995. Fincher was responsible for other films such as Fight Club and more recently, The Social Network starring the big JT himself, Justin TImberlake.

Anyway, back too Se7en.

New York City. Behind the bright lights and bustling streets, the film Se7en focuses in on everything sinister, dark and immorally wrong with the big apple. We open with a scene where Detective Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Co. are called to investagate a graphic homicide, Somerset is entering his final week of working life and is set to retire, que a fresh faced plucky young Brad Pitt. Pitt's character, Detective Mills, is the new sheriff in town who is set to take over from Somerset once he leaves for good, however Somerset's retirement party is put on hold when himself and Mills are called to a series a graphically linked homocides which seem to follow the theme of the seven deadly sins, where the victims are susposidly being punished for there seemingly "sinful" qualities. The film progresses in a roller coaster like fashion with it's steep climaxes and sudden drops to the tense atmosphere and as the story progresses so to does the motive and the logic behind the increasingly violent murders. After 5 of the 7 murders have been discovered the film steps up a gear and without going into to much detail or Infact spoiling the final twist in the tail, I'll just say that the shocking revelation at the climax of this film is enough to make you lose your head.

All in all, Se7en was a fantastic film and a good place to start in broadening my knowledge of thrillers as a whole and to also give me a better insight into some features I can include in my final piece.

If this is not enough, here's a link to the the trailer to give you a feel for the film:

Researching Thrillers:What is a thriller?

Thriller: noun

1) A novel, play, or film with an exciting plot, typically involving crime or espionage

2) A very exciting contest or experience

So what makes a Thriller

Well a thriller, much like the definition suggests is a story containing elements of suspense and an exciting plot, that usually involves crime, for example a film about a bank robber or a film that follows a detective investigating a string of murders, could be considered a thriller. 

Conventions of a Thriller

.The storyline is usually a complex mystery/crime/series of events that the protagonist(s) must unravel or reach the end of to reach a conclusion

.The antagonist is usually  more powerful than the protagonist, the power dynamics must be unequal

.Suspenseful most of the way through

.Low key lighting, subtle 

.Music to accompany the suspenseful atmosphere